Happy Game sends players on a shrieking, blood-soaked odyssey through the candy-colored hell within a young boy’s subconscious. Though it’s weakened somewhat by a less-cohesive third act, overall it’s a vivid interactive nightmare with a striking aesthetic and powerful narrative conceit.

Although the titular character is disappointingly all but absent from the affair, fans of Petronella Osgood and the Weeping Angels should enjoy this voyeuristic journey through the misplaced phone of a series extra in Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins.

Visage drapes over you like some ghastly blanket, smothering you with unsettling ambiance and high-quality scares. Though it fumbles a certain stretch of gameplay, its otherwise meticulously designed structure, head-scratching puzzles, and creative manipulation of level design more than pick up any slack.

Stories Untold is better than the sum of its parts, even if this collection of horror-themed interactive fiction vignettes never quite capitalizes on the potential of its concept.

Nelly Cootalot’s latest voyage is overflowing with charm and heart – and puns, oh the puns! It may not be the stiffest challenge out there, but it’ll leave you with a warm feeling inside.

Solid addition to the series and likely the best Nancy Drew game of them all. For those who crave a few evenings of gaming where charm, good looks and diversion come first, this is a definite buy.

Culture Shock in every way looks, sounds, and feels like a true Sam & Max sequel. If you can forgive the ease of the puzzles and embrace the episodic concept, it is nothing less than a complete blast of fun.

While it has a few design decisions holding it back, the time-traveling joys of Wanderer promise a bright future for adventure games within the VR space.

Syberia: The World Before is a wonderful return to form for Benoît Sokal’s venerable series. Beautiful, engaging, and moving, it’s the strongest chapter in Kate Walker’s journey yet.

3 Minutes to Midnight’s high production values and vibrant, idiosyncratic world recall the best of classic adventures, but it often goes overboard and requires a steep level of commitment from players to get the most from it, dampening the fun factor.

This is by far the deepest, darkest game in the series, yet the superb writing means that it will also be the funniest you'll encounter.

Despite the odd rough story edge and puzzling design choice, The City That Dares Not Sleep is a refreshing, triumphant end to The Devil's Playhouse.

Aside from its monochromatic graphics and the occasional user interface problem, Prim is quite polished – and its dialog, voice acting, and music is stellar.

An epic tale that reunites some much-loved characters and recreates the magic of good, old-fashioned point-and-click adventuring in a hyper-attractive world, the Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a must-play for fans of the genre.

The Last Campfire is a wonderful way to while away a few evenings, pondering your own mortality while having a fun time doing it by solving puzzles in a lovely fantasy world.

If you loved the first one or thought that it would be excellent if only the puzzles were more challenging, this is a game you will not want to be without.

An incredible, audacious attempt that doesn't quite live up to its goals. Easily one of the most complex stories ever told in a computer game. Highly recommended as both the continuation of a great series and on the strength of its high points.

Season: A Letter to the Future stands as a relatively successful combination of exploration, documentation and philosophical meditation. Its surface beauty is matched by its depth of reflection, only marred by some repetitive gameplay elements and strange character design choices.

Mutazione is a feel-good narrative adventure that will remind you of the importance of love and family, though with minimal gameplay to master, the experience will appeal mainly to those looking for a poignant, character-driven story.

DREDGE is a one-of-a-kind fishing game with an interesting premise that keeps players engaged throughout. Though its ending leaves something to be desired, DREDGE shines in its ability to create an enveloping atmosphere through its appealing art, well-composed music, and entertaining gameplay.

Although neither as scary as the original nor as disturbing as SOMA, Amnesia: Rebirth is a more personal, emotional tale with plenty of horror to spare.

Moai Better Blues is a gorgeous game to look at and listen to and a unique, enjoyable experience as a whole.

Nupixo’s debut offering Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders is a brilliant introduction to one of ancient China’s most famous investigators that does just about everything right.

Enhanced by expressively stylized graphics, unusual and intricate challenges, and professional voice-overs, Slender Threads tells a scary tale spiced with well-tempered humor.

Here is the Sam & Max episode you've been waiting for. Absolute, complete fun, and an effort that Telltale should be very proud of.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is an outstanding horror game, a spine-tingling story brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, interface, and voice acting.

A VR tale that’s both wonderfully light-hearted and solemnly mature, the modest Ghost Giant may not be the type of game to dwell on the why or how behind its supernatural premise, but with a game as well-crafted as this one, that’s more than okay.

Old Skies is a wonderfully written, charmingly animated adventure game with excellent voice acting and accessible puzzles, firmly upholding Wadjet Eye’s legacy in the genre.