The Subject tries to take the helpless cat-and-mouse horror of games like Amnesia and meld it with player-guided puzzle solving, but doesn’t push either angle as much as it should. The result is a middling mix of both, though a welcome casual mode implemented post-launch at least puts the focus on gameplay over survival.

Adventures of Isabelle Fine: Murder on Rails provides a fresh take on the detective investigation but gets sidetracked by overly repetitive puzzle sequences and an extraterrestrial storyline that’s not as stimulating as its human subplots.

Bear With Me‘s DLC prequel episode The Lost Robots is an entertaining addition to the Paper City universe, with plenty of stylish laughs surrounding an intriguing whodunit.

The Black Widow is an interesting reflection on the real life case of Louisa Collins, the last woman hanged in Australia, but doesn’t provide enough depth or any surprises to make it truly memorable.

While the short, casual room puzzler The Tower of Beatrice has an intriguing premise and interesting recipe potion mechanic, they simply don’t make up for the nearly non-existent story, poor English translation and largely generic gameplay.

The Idiot’s Tale is just a fun game to play, with a sarcastic, irreverent humour that permeates everything and lovingly throws shade at classic adventure titles. There are a couple of potentially serious negatives, but these are completely overshadowed by the enjoyable overall experience.

A grander take on Her Story‘s FMV database search idea, Telling Lies proves Sam Barlow is still the master of the carefully crafted reveal, even if at times this particular web of deceit unravels a little too slowly.

A time-bending, physics-based VR puzzler isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. However, Transpose stands out even within its niche with some truly innovative gameplay mechanics that puzzle fans should definitely check out.

A lush, expansive, genre-bending adventure, Golden Treasure is worth seeking out for a fresh new experience, even if not all of the game’s ambitious elements fit together snugly.

Unlike its renowned predecessor by Sierra, Gold Rush! 2 fails to strike it rich. A historically interesting, slightly educational narrative can’t save the experience from its mind-numbingly easy puzzles and poor presentation in every respect.

Vane manages to successfully present an intriguingly surreal world, but its aimless story and execution keep players from deriving much satisfaction from visiting it.

Another quality addition to the stable of games in the Black Watchmen universe, NITE Team 4 puts players on the hot seat of an elite hacker of a clandestine organization. Although some elements could have been executed better, the main game’s 25-plus hours of cyberwarfare goodness alone make this a must-have for existing Alice & Smith fans, and a great way for genre newbies to try their hand at some pretend hacking.

Too unremarkable to share in its predecessor’s cult status and too clunky to rival its modern competition, Yume Nikki – Dream Diary is a reverential yet surprisingly unfaithful reimagining of its 2004 namesake.

Though it lacks the strong narrative underpinning of its better inspirations, there is a lot to like in Epitasis for those who enjoy the gameplay of The Talos Principle, The Witness and similar exploratory puzzle games.

Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure looks amazing and will make you laugh, but its inability to tell a coherent story prevents this comedy cosmic horror adventure from fulfilling its abundant potential.

It ends way too soon and could really use a better backstory, but Alt-Frequencies is a simple and fun game that is totally worth playing for a unique new experience, and even more so if you have affection for FM radio.

Though its gameplay isn’t very deep, Sea of Solitude is a beautiful, at times poignant adventure that will linger with you long after you’ve left it in your wake.

As its title suggests, Yet Another Hero Story is a very by-the-numbers point-and-click fantasy adventure, but it’s generally a good one with great characters, a funny story and a compelling visual design.

For those who won’t be deterred by the endless deaths and time-looped backtracking in Outer Wilds, its intriguing mystery and non-linear exploration of an entire solar system will be a novel and deeply engaging experience.

It requires a great deal of patience and perseverance, but those who enjoy exploring and can embrace the nonsensical and peculiar should appreciate the surreal charms of Strange Telephone and its journey into the unknown.

It’s a short and simple point-and-click adventure, but Clam Man is so packed full of grin-inducing jokes that it’s bound to brighten up your day.

With a high-res graphical overhaul and all-new voice-overs, Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! HD is an amusing pirate-themed romp filled with memorable characters, puzzles and puns, all at a manageable challenge level that any fan of point-and-click adventures, new or returning, can enjoy.

Though it muddies the waters by needlessly cramming in a boatload of gameplay mechanics that drown out some of the fun, The Sinking City delivers a believable turn-of-the-century Lovecraftian setting and infuses it with fittingly macabre story beats that would do the author proud.

Taking the retro look to a whole new level with its distinctive 2-bit(ish) graphics, The Land of the Seazogs is a fairly fun and challenging little science fiction point-and-click adventure.

Similarly to its predecessor, a striking presentation is not enough for Layers of Fear 2 to overcome a jumbled menagerie of cliches, jump scares, and overwrought writing.

Smile For Me combines an engaging story with fresh gameplay ideas, a relatable and quick-witted cast of characters, and an impressive sense of style in a memorable experience that is worth any adventure gamer’s time.

Once you have mastered the interface and navigation challenges, Observation will sweep you up in a compelling story of human and machine interaction that offers a refreshing spin on a familiar sci-fi formula.

Despite an underwhelming ending, Harvester of Dreams’s strong start, intriguing main setting and attention to little details makes this an enchanting journey to embark on.