Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype is all about playing over and over to perfect your runs. A series of unlockable challenges task you with goals like “finish the first four stages without losing a life”. You’ll probably knock these challenges off the list without being aware of them, because replaying Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype is not a problem.

I could go on all day about Cities: Skylines, much like I could go on all night playing it. It has restored my faith in the City Building Simulator genre. It’s everything that fans of the genre were hoping for and more.

The graphical style is reminiscent of 90s cyberpunk game Speedball, the rules of the game are Bloodbowl-esque American football lite, but the turn-based strategy is as deep as a glacier, only with a ball and a clock to watch.

Despite its shortcomings in regards to controls and camera, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is worth every minute of frustration.

If you don’t like the Total War series in general, there might not be enough revolution here to change your mind. But if you’ve appreciated the series in the past, even in passing, Atilla deserves to be given a whirl. Learn the ins and outs, and you’ve got days worth of content right here.

With a versatile cast of strange of wonderful characters that play well and quite differently, it’s a release that deserves a rightful place in any fighting game fans collection and a title I hope gets the attention it deserves.

Now comes my favourite part of the game. Better than the combat. Better than the graphics style. Better even than the NPCs who fight by your side. It’s the soundtrack. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It takes me back to a time when a much younger version of myself was ineptly running through games like The Legend of Zelda and Mario Brothers.

Dying Light is a game that looks good, plays well and feels great. A survival horror game should be able to reliably freak you out, and Dying Light achieves that and so much more.

The art, UI and sound all match the minimalist style of the game perfectly, and with a potentially endless selection of user generated levels to play Socioball is a game that will never get old.

The only real criticism I can think of for Dungeon of the Endless is that it’s difficult. But that’s like criticising FIFA for containing so much football. Difficulty, permanent death and a challenging learning curve are the bread and butter of the entire genre. And it’s a fun genre, if you’ve got the patience to try and try again.

If you’re on the look out for a slightly different JRPG experience, a challenge or an entry point to games like Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei, then Persona Q is a great choice.

It’s funny, well written, good looking, has great music and will keep you busy for months. It is an essential purchase for those who haven’t played it before and a huge recommendation for those who have.

Minor criticisms aside, I think This War of Mine is the last great game of 2014. Representing a horrid subject in an honest way, its as effective a critique of war as any movie I’ve ever seen or book I’ve ever read.

Do yourselves a favour folks; spend three quid on this game and immerse yourself in it, or merely dip into it whenever you have five minutes, and make your merry way around the world. You’ll either thank me the introduction or hate me for getting you addicted.

Never Alone attempts to portray the message that the connection between individuals and communities and how the ties that bind them together, can overcome the most seemingly impossible tasks. And whether you play by yourself or with a friend, the journey will be just as exciting and thrilling for the players as it is for Nuna.

Pure Pool is a great arcade game that looks better than it deserves to. The physics are flawless, down to the frustrating pocket bouncer shots.

There are jokes, puns, quips, slapstick, a cool Resogun section, puzzles, laughs, cheesy character flight tunes (Superman flying to his theme tune is amusing) and a ton of Adam West to keep a smile on your face for hours.

Forget your One Million Years Dungeons, Charlemagne DLC really does add 100 years to the game, adding the total up to almost 700 years of historical gameplay.

Rollers of the Realm is quite a lot of fun, though the story doesn’t last very long and the ‘Arena’ mode gets repetitive very quickly as it just recycles level designs from the campaign. The core gameplay, though, is totally solid. If you’re not into pinball, this probably isn’t one for you. If you’ve been known to dabble in the art of Pinball Wizardry, however, you should give it a shot.

I have played 8 hours of this game. 8 amazing hours of beating my enemies to a pulp and gorging myself on their souls… 8 hours of pure unadulterated madness.

FIFA 15 delivers what you would expect from it. Which is a massive plus point for EA Sports this year. In fact it’s the first EA game I’ve played this year that was actually feature complete at launch.

Insomniac Games have just given a masterclass in taking a tried and tested game genre and making it feel fresh and fun.

Episode 1 does exactly what it should, grabs you right from the get-go and leaves you desperate for more.

The new routes provide a wide range of challenges and the new trains, particularly the ICE T, will please many train fans. Load times are long, so if you have a SSD install it on there.

So if you can set your cynicism aside and gather your three least inhibited friends (and maybe some of their kids or younger siblings), Just Dance 2015 can be one of the most fun games you’ll play this year.

Unless you’re a fan of the South Park universe, you’re probably not going to be able to dive into this game. For me, although it’s a ton of fun and bright and cheery – after a while the potty humour and same quips and jokes became somewhat wearisome.

Finding fault in small aspects of the DLC’s design is churlish considering the renewed appreciation for From Software’s work that this chapter has inspired. Crown of the Ivory King is Dark Souls in microcosm; a bite-sized but meaty slice of the series’ opaque lore, atmospheric locations and ludicrously difficult boss fights.

One word sums up this game, fun. It truly is a lovely game to play, with enough adventure and fun to keep kids happy.