Dear Esther offers many strengths; a non-conventional premise - at least compared to traditional games - a genuinely interesting tale, and a lavishly crafted world to tell it in. It's overall linearity is disappointing, especially in such a captivating place, but it otherwise delivers a refreshing experience that will stay with you long after it's over.

OK, so Unravel kind of runs out of steam, and there are times when the game is so frustrating that you'll want to throw Yarny in the cat's direction. But then this isn't a game that's defined purely by its platforming and puzzles. Indeed, by the time the cracks appear, you'll be too in love with little Yarny and too emotionally invested in the journey to turn back.

It's hard not to smile at the charming cartoonish visuals, though that smile can easily go the other way after a few of the action hero's cringe-worthy one-liners.

The core puzzles are identical to last year's game, so Cassie's Contraptions fans may not feel the need to buy the same game again, but brainteaser fans will enjoy the creativity from the community-built stages.

Layton Brothers: Mystery Room may not have anything to do with its namesake, but fans of piecing together mysteries will find it to be a rewarding puzzle all the same.

The core mechanics are strong and locations are stunning, but the game's pacing and surprising lack of gunplay seems like a bit of a missed opportunity that makes the gaps in action even more apparent. Nevertheless, we're sure fans of the previous games will enjoy closing out the trilogy.

Amateur Surgeon 3 is still a fun and funny romp through medical malpractice, but the tight constraints on progression work against the game's darkly whimsical tone.

Much of what made Paper Mario charming in the first place still remains with Sticker Star. However, this 3DS game can be pretty tedious to play. The sticker system is a fresh and interesting idea, but ultimately, too many problems bog the game down and what's left is a lacklustre installment.

Bit.Trip Saga may be lacking in frills, but it certainly isn't short on thrills. Granted, there are occasional problems with the 3DS controls, while the lack of extras compared to the Wii release is a little disappointing, but overall Bit.Trip Saga is an entertaining collection of games well suited to the small screens of the Nintendo 3DS.

Still, as an alternative to the likes of Forza Motorsport 5, Need for Speed Rivals offers a deep, extensive and enjoyable racing experience that seamlessly flits between single and multiplayer.

As the difficulty gradually ramps up the longer players survive. Death is frequent, but the menus quickly bring you right back into the action for a constant stream of telling yourself 'just one more try'. Unstoppable Fist is aptly named, as once you get started it's a hard one to put down.

Like any good vacation, you'll return home at the end of it with lasting fond memories. But unlike most vacations, with Hohokum you always have the opportunity to revisit them whenever the mood strikes.

Double Exposure may fall a little short when compared to some of the previous games in the series, but Max Caulfield's return is still a riveting (and wild) ride. Max is as caring and likeable as ever. We loved spending time with her again – from her adorably awkward attempts at flirting at the start through to the dramatic if slightly uneven climax – and would more than welcome further stories with her.

Ground Zeroes won't be remembered for its characters and cutscenes, but for its open-world environment, improved stealth gameplay, and stunning visuals. When it's all said and done, it's hard to put a price on that.

With three stages to play on and dozens of characters and weapons to unlock, Super Crate Box is easily one of the best games on iOS, if not one of the best games in the last five years. Period.

AXL is set apart from its predecessors through a unique boost system. Players gather orbs throughout the track to fill their boost meter, and must slam on the breaks to charge and release for a burst of speed. This adds a bit of risk to boosting so that it isn't always the magic win ability.

Outlaws is a Star Wars story worth experiencing. There's a fun story with some engrossing world-building and stealth exploration to be had if you give it a chance, and I really hope the team at Ubisoft Massive gets a chance at fleshing things out even more with a sequel.

Jazzpunk is like an interactive trip through a Leslie Nielsen flick, showering the player with witty irreverence at every turn. Any situation will be taken to its most literal or bizarre conclusion, depending on which will serve for the better punchline.

Cling! makes excellent use of the touch screen for a charming and challenging mobile game.

With its interesting time-control mechanic and relatable protagonist, Max's tale is off to a strong enough start to suggest that Quantic Dream and Telltale are in danger of being beaten at their own game.

If you can bear some of its faults, you don't mind an awful lot of shooting and can get three friends together, then Payday 2 is a blast.

By sticking to tried and tested survival horror staples, The Evil Within effectively creates a sense of tension and fear, something which makes the descent into darkness all the more terrifying.

The Night of the Rabbit is not without its missteps, but when at its best the game is hard to resist.

Roundabout is simply overflowing with personality, offering the best bad acting around and clever missions that even make the aggravating city exploration worth plodding through.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale achieves what its sets out to do for the most part. Sony now has its answer to Super Smash Bros and PS3 and Vita owners have a place to turn to for accessible multiplayer bawls. It's a well-presented game that does justice to its cast of characters, but it could have been something more with a solo campaign of greater substance.

An interesting and, importantly, fun game with enough going for it to keep you coming back, trying out new and different things and generally helping out in one of the most violently dodgy election campaigns ever seen.

The different racing styles provide a hugely diverse experience that really highlights Codemasters' strengths as one of the best developers of racing games.

DiRT Showdown is not just a spinoff of DiRT 3, and that is not because DiRT 4 is in development deep within Codemasters. The game is a deliberate shift in the DiRT series to a new direction, without upsetting core rally fans by changing or dropping the trademark precision racing. It could be said that DiRT Showdown is to DiRT what the Zombies mode is to Treyarch's Call of Duty; fun, violent and never takes itself too seriously.