I hope I'm wrong with that suspicion and Gamebook Adventures 11 is a true return to form for the series, because while Lords of Nurroth is a fun concept and narrative, and yet another rush of nostalgia for fans of the gamebook genre, it's not quite up to the standard of the series' finest.

None of these issues mean that the game is broken, unplayable, or even put together badly. It's competent. But competent really isn't good enough. More than anything else, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M is disappointing because it could have been a far better game.

It's not the most artful, the most intelligent, or the most important, but it's certainly going to be the most spectacular. And I know for a lot of players out there, the spectacle is all that matters.

Ultratron is a good arcade game with the simple goal of surviving as long as possible in order to avenge the human race and earn a good score to brag about while doing it. While it might not do anything we haven't seen before, it is a fun time for those that love the retro style.

Axiom Verge is a near-flawless indie game that is sure bound to entertain you with its wide array of creative weapons and deep exploration that, at the end of which, rewards you handsomely.

Hero Hustle seems like it could be the result of Tetris taking hallucinogenic drugs and playing Sudoku printed on rainbow paper while kung fu films run in the background. Maybe it’s not so inexplicable after all. There is so much going on at any given point, but I still can’t stop (and won’t stop) trying to fight my way to the top.

It's a horribly generic platformer that tries hard to be some kind of homage to the genre's greats, and ends up being a pale imitation of them all. Sure it's cheap as chips on the Nintendo 3DS, but that doesn't mean its worth the time investment.

The art is some of the prettiest I have seen in a game in a long time. It might not be the most innovative game out there, but given it comes from a small indie team, it does achieve what it sets out to do admirably.

Toren really is about its narrative, and that is arthouse gold. Like the finest of foreign cinema, this game challenges how the wisdom behind blockbuster design would dictate a game should be put together. It's constrained by budget and, perhaps, a lack in confidence to go all the way and risk complete innovation, but it's a beautiful, emotive, and powerful experience, and it's going to be one of my games of the year. If not one of my favourite games ever.

In terms of the gameplay, level design and overall pacing, The Old Blood has learned a handful of lessons and made the appropriate tweaks to improve the play experience from its predecessor. Unfortunately some of the spark that make last year's game oddly inspiring is gone, which makes it decent fun for shooter fans, but ultimately unsatisfying for anyone beyond that.

What I have to emphasise here is that the base puzzle game of Puzzle & Dragons is so, so addictive. Backed with a simple, pleasant aesthetic and speedy mechanics that mobile games specialise in, it's easy to watch the hours fly by without really realising you've been playing for so long.

Spartan Strike is an stylish little package, and is being sold for an amazing price. As such, 'true' Halo game or not, it is easily one of the best games to come out on the iPad this year.

Sayonara Umihara Kawase+’s mental gymnastics are every bit as sadistically soul crushing as they are cunningly compelling and this two-spirited nature poses a serious entry barrier.

I'm not sure just how much of my love of Legend of Grimrock is because of a sense of nostalgia, or a consequence of great level design. The game offers intricate maps and some classic crawler action, and it's as good a second time through as it was the first. Having this game on my iPad for play on the go is this retro 'crawler fan's dream.

I can't see this lighting up the iOS sales charts, and I struggle to see how people without a wireless gamepad will be able to work through it, but otherwise, it's a decent, entertaining classic action JRPG to add to the collection.

The Ark of Napishtim is still great, in short. Long time fans of the series will appreciate the visual upgrade and first time entrants to this chapter should find themselves at home, especially if they have appreciated some of the other entries in recent years.

For people who are looking to build a JRPG as a hobby, or a youngster not quite ready to learn proper coding, the RPG Maker 2003 remains a spectacular tool, all these years later. It provides a platform that allows genre fans to indulge their creativity, and makes the tools so easy that anyone, regardless of programming skills, can create something.

Any good wargame should provide a sense of historical authenticity to the player, and helps enlighten them about the military strategy of the era. Gettysburg achieves that with clear authenticity and understanding of the tactics of the era, and while the iPad doesn't lack for quality wargames on it, this is another one worth adding to the playlist.

Perils of Man provides a solid point and click experience that will immerse you into this fantasy story and definitely racks up enough game time to make the small price tag worthwhile.

It's rough around the edges, but it's an intense and even emotional experience, and still one of the better examples of a zombie survival game.

Shovel Knight is yet another fantastic indie addition to the continually growing Vita catalogue. It might lack Vita-specific extras (and is therefore a pointless purchase for people who already own the game on some other platform), but for old-school retro platforming fans who might have missed out on this fantastic title so far, it's a must buy.

Cube Creator 3D was an interesting attempt to bring the Minecraft experience over to the Nintendo 3DS. While not offering anything overly new, it gets the interface right and makes use of the hardware well.

As a paid product, The Charnel House Trilogy fails to deliver on its promised horror.

What Tamsoft nailed was the core action brawler gameplay loop. This game plays every bit as well as anything else Tamsoft has created, and the Hyperdimension coat of paint over the top is just gravy.

There is nothing that redeems Excave II: Wizard of the Underworld.

The Weaponographist is a solid game to play if you're ever in the mood to dwindle a few minutes or hours off the boring day you're having. The pick-up-and-play quality, easy-to-understand nature and lightweight gameplay all come together to make The Weaponographist an easy recommend for everyone.

The game is unforgiving when it comes to the AI, and some players can learn from this while others will be destroyed constantly, which is unfortunate. With some tweaking here and there and adding difficulty levels, BRAWL could be amazing.

The gameplay is fast paced and satisfying, and the short game length means you won’t get too attached to your player character. I would say that Quarries of Scred is built to promote short play sessions, but the sheer addictiveness means it’s hard to stop playing once you start and the sheer difficulty of the gameplay only adds to this.