The King’s Dilemma: Chronicles is a wonderfully adept video game adaption of the 2019 board game. Excellent writing, buttery presentation and with ethical dilemmas galore, it offers a huge amount of potential replayability. Aside from minor mechanical issues that don’t translate quite as smoothly and the fact this is for a niche audience, this is a realm well worth setting out to save or doom.

Saber Interactive are back, pulling no punches with the style they've crafted. It may put off newcomers, but RoadCraft is a solid entry to their brand of realistic rambling. Switching from vehicle maintenance to large-scale community repair is a nice choice, only marred with occasionally inconsistent textures, non-intuitive controls and often cumbersome tasks.

A post-apocalyptic action-adventure framed as a train journey through a cute heartfelt story of discovery, loyalty, and the bonds we form with others, Eastward shines like a diamond on the Switch. It’s wholesome, it’s original, it’s quirky, and it’s full of that special ingredient that turns a little indie into a must-play. Eastward’s graphics, narrative, and characters draw you in almost effortlessly and keep a tight hold until this train has come to a complete stop.

Gunbrella is a cinematically fulfilling 2D action platformer whilst showcasing one of the best game mechanics of the year with its titular weapon. The shorter run time and less is more approach to the gameplay may not be for everyone, but the streamlined and frenetic run and gunning met with an intoxicating world is an astounding quality in any game.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy 7- Reunion is a prime example of how remasters should be handled. A massive graphical overhaul, streamlined and satisfying gameplay mechanics and wonderfully remastered soundtrack outweigh the 2007 originals flaws in bloated side-content and repetitive structure. Square Enix have kept their honour and given Zack Fair the hero treatment he deserves.

John Wick Hex isn’t your traditional movie tie-in game. Whereas so many others take a franchise and shoe horn it into a genre, Bithell Games have taken John Wick under a microscope, examined its DNA and gamified the essence of it. It’s an ingenious take on what it means to be the Baba Yaga, an efficient killing machine that’s as human as the next guy but fights like an assassin savant.

Fury Unleashed is also exceptionally hard.

Bold changes in direction and mechanics culminate in a mixed result for Sid Meier's Civilization VII. The thrill of outwitting your opponents and seeing your chosen society thrive is alive and kicking, but the fragmented nature of the ages mechanic and issues with non-military paths to success undermine the foundation of this societal evolution.

If you’re a fan of AVICII, then this game is a no-brainer. For the rest of us, this AVICII Invector: Encore Edition is still worth strapping your Quest on for and losing yourself in the bass thumping neon.

Banishers: Ghost of New Eden is a comprehensive look at loss through the eyes of its two star-crossed lovers, with a world around them to match the quality of its narrative. Don’t Nod continues to be ambitious with the game’s open-world design, combat and RPG systems, and for the most part, they work harmoniously to provide a stellar experience. However, there is still that trademark over extending Don’t Nod games have that hold it back from excellence.

Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition Remastered is, again, a solid remaster of an already-great game. Whilst it may struggle to draw in newcomers, there's a reason why THQ keep trotting this out. Solid gameplay, fusing elements of other titles of the time, as well as a solid story make it a great time. Bolstered with updated visuals and all of its original content, it's certainly worth giving it a go if you missed it the first (or second) time around.

In fully committing to its themes of artistic inspiration, trauma and self-doubt, Project Songbird shows a willingness to be emotionally raw and vulnerable, creating a real space for reflection and empathy. The psychological horror elements have a depth that slowly expands over the game's runtime, outshining its relatively straightforward combat and occasional technical problems. A nightmare is always distressing, but maybe there's beauty nestled within the pain.

Narita Boy is a feat of imagination, one of the most conceptually interesting games I’ve ever played. The retro world of the Digital Kingdom – its pixelart, design and art direction – are some of the most eye-catchingly beautiful ever committed to code. Its soundtrack is mesmerising, truly special synthwave. Narita Boy ends up more than the sum of its parts, going beyond the source code to deliver a game that should take its place alongside the greatest indies.

Refining the formula that has brought it such success, Borderlands 4 is the definitive looter shooter of this generation. Some technical hiccups take the sheen off what is otherwise a very polished experience that delivers poignant story beats, hearty belly laughs and a smorgasbord of slick, violent action. Despite its technical issues, this is the incremental evolution that Borderlands needed and rewards long time players with callbacks we've waited years to see. A true delight.

If you need a Metroidvania in your life, it’s a good one. It’s simple to grasp and is very appropriate and playable for kids. It’s got a lot of charm. It’s just not very memorable for those of us who have played the greats of the genre.

There’s plenty to like about Minecraft Dungeons, and at £15.99 on PSN it’s terrific value for a game that you and your kids could beat in a weekend. It’s not especially difficult with four players and the light-hearted nature of it all ensures Minecraft fans will find plenty to love. It’s just a shame there’s no sign of the Minecraft’s primary mechanic, which would have been a great addition to the overall experience. It’s a good laugh and as is so often with co-op games, you’ll get the most out of it with your pals/family.

The reason Let’s Sing 2021 works as well as it does is because it feels more like a game than many of the titles it shares DNA with. Whereas most previous karaoke games were of the common “sing a single song and we’ll give you a score” variety, this feels the template on which all future games should be based upon. A more extensive core tracklist would be nice, and I hope future iterations might do a bit more to cater for the quieter singer, but this feels like an excellent pushing-off point for the franchise and the genre as a whole. [Tested on XSX]

Almost everything about Rain On Your Parade is geared towards giving the player a good time. A mischief simulator packed with wise cracks and pop culture references, it’s a lot of fun to play. Not all of the humour lands but enough of it does to make this an easy recommendation to anyone who liked Untitled Goose Game.

An effective story, some excellent performances from its cast, and very good production values do much to cover up its minor flaws and, as such, help Erica stand out from the crowd, when it comes to full motion video games. With a nice tight runtime, it’s also a game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. More of this kind of thing, please.

A fantastic blend of turn based strategy, deck builder and roguelike games, Fights In Tight Spaces belongs among the best these genres has to offer. With a minimalistic art style that underpins a vast tactical depth, FITS is accessible, deeply engrossing and is one of the most slickly designed games I’ve played in 2021. An easy recommendation.

A visually impressive racer, Super Impossible Road is tough but fair. Randomised levels, frustrating “one more go” gameplay, coupled with a classic PlayStation-era soundtrack, there’s fun to be had here. It’s a bit bare bones outside of its Career Mode, but that is deep enough to keep players going. Or annoy them in equal measure.

Full of genre familiarity that subverts expectations, Into the Restless Ruins proposes a new challenge for those into roguelike deckbuilders. With resource management, strategic placement of your cards acting as dungeon rooms, as well as hordes of enemies to autobattle, the game has all the addicting traits to keep you hooked. It's on the shorter side, alongside being visually uniform across the levels, but the core gameplay is what kept me restless to jump back in time and time again.

Standing on the shoulders of the PowerWash giant, Spray Paint SImulator does just enough differently to elevate the experience of a spray simulator. There’s plenty to do and the additional mechanics certainly add to the immersion and offers a fun level of creativity that will appeal to all ages.

R-Type Delta HD Boosted offers tight gameplay and nostalgic strategy, but muddy visuals and collision bugs hold it back from greatness.

Delivering on the promise to slay hundreds of dragon spawn with a sandbox of build diversity and compelling hacking and looting, Dragonkin: The Banished uses its Diablo inspirations to create a wonderfully addictive action game. It may not have the production values of the best in the genre, but this fledgling dragon spawn has spread its own wings and taken flight.

FromSoftware have tried their hand at an entirely different style of game in Elden Ring Nightreign. The stripped-down, condensed and multiplayer-orientated focus leave a title that has many thrilling moments, but feels devoid of the life and soul that made the original Elden Ring such a special experience. Entering this fog alone is folly, but with a couple of like-minded Souls vets, there's plenty of great moments to be had amongst the repetition.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits lands on Switch 2 in good condition, but the feeling can't be shaken that it could be much better. Whilst the heart, story and the fantastical wonder remains, technically we've seen far better on the hybrid system, and this port does a disservice to a game that should be treated with more care.

Still shiny, still enormous, still a Bethesda RPG, Starfield arrives on PS5 in style, allowing the game to flourish visually the way it was always supposed to. The game remains a vast, wild and at times enormously frustrating experience, but the starlight here tears through the blinds, and it's well worth staring back.

It’s fine, it’s just not all that special.

If you have a squad of like-minded buddies ready to lose many an evening to slaying some zombie infested hordes, Back 4 Blood will provide you plenty to satisfy that urge. It doesn’t quite capture the greatness of its forebears and it stumbles over itself with its erratic difficulty curve and repetitive nature, but Back 4 Blood has immensely satisfying, if simplistic, gameplay mechanic. This is a veteran, war-torn survivor who’s maybe danced this bloody dance once too many times, but it knows damn well how to deliver that co-op fun.

Opting for a new semi-open world approach and a more sandbox-orientated set of tools to tinker with, Amnesia: The Bunker forgoes many of its previous series staples in favour of a single persistent threat and a fantastically oppressive World War 1 setting. It stumbles at times owing to crashing problems, a bothersome save system and the occasional gameplay limitation, but Amnesia can comfortably forget its memories of the past if this is the future it has lurking ahead.

With a gorgeous art style, challenging but deeply rewarding combat, an interesting story and an approachable take on the soulslike formula, Clash: Artefacts of Chaos is a welcome new form for the Zeno Clash series. It has a few rough edges that will hopefully get fixed with a patch, but despite them, this is an easy recommendation for fans of Dark Souls or Zeno Clash alike.

Othercide does not skimp on the hours it will take to complete, and the interruption mechanics are rewarding, but without any characters, hook or impetus to work through the difficulty, it became little more than a sequence of creepy battles, that are going to be far too hard for most people to progress through.

Some accomplished character work and a narrative full of heart, sits next to a deep and detailed rice-farming mechanic that will have you sinking hours in trying to get the perfect crop. However, fiddly combat and shallow platforming take their toll. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get lost in the farming, and let the other parts lie fallow.

This nautical roguelike is chaotic, frantic and sometimes frustrating if you’re on your own. There’re too many variables in the trinkets/weaponry via RNG to squander your enjoyment and an AI that can feel unfair at times. But with a co-captain, there’s some treasure to be had, and a presentation that could cure scurvy.

With an explosive first impression that simmers down from repetition, Wild Bastards presents a roguelite with plenty of mechanics to wrap your head around, a sharply written cast of characters and an impressive art style.

Kaze and the Wild Masks bounces right into that 2D platforming void left by Rayman. It’s full of vibrant level design, challenging and varied gameplay, ambidextrous ears, and lovely pixelart that will satisfy even the most demanding players. There’s not a lot left to do after you’re done, but the experience is a good one. Perhaps we’ve found a new platforming mascot?

A short, sharply designed and immensely gratifying experience, Exo One is a trippy space ship journey worth taking. Sure, there’s a few rough edges but the deeply satisfying traversal combined with the chill vibe this game gives off make up for its shortcomings.

Leagues ahead of last years iteration, FC 26 puts the power in the hands on the players and says 'just go have fun with it'. The difference is startling, and it's credit to EA Sports that they took as much as they did back to the drawing board to deliver an experience worthy of the Champions League. The additional monetisation is not welcome, though. And we can only hope that what's been added in that regard is rejected by the audience and removed for next year.

Fictiorama Games have blended a wonderfully unique cocktail of pulp-horror aesthetics and charming yet brutal depictions of violent myths and legends. The strategy gameplay can become a little one-note and there are some teething issues even Dracula may cower at, but spreading the tale of Tall Man or inciting a conspiracy of UFOs never failed to entertain my sadistic mind.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a strong, confident spiritual successor to the Danganronpa series. Whilst it might lean heavily on its forebearer for its mechanics, it tells a compelling story filled with likeable characters and tons of mystery.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a fresh reinvention for a series that was beginning to feel familiar. A story focussed on Nobunaga’s early years takes the bold choice of ditching many series mainstays. However, the combat and overall presentation haven’t received the same level of new blood and remain as over the top and ridiculous as ever. If you’re a fan, SW5 is as fun as it’s ever been.

An aloof Yakuza-sim that rewards those that stick around and pry, Fading Afternoon isn’t without some problems porting over to Switch, namely controls. However, it’s a minor issue in what is an overall unique and inspiring game that’s cinematic and moving if you embrace it.

Orcs Must Die! 3 is an intrinsically enjoyable and fun game. With deep mechanics, a wealth of content offerings, rewarding progression and impressive level of scale, it’ll delight those of the strategy and action background. It’s narrative is harmless and its technical capacity teeters under the weight of its ambition, but these do little to detract from the brilliant fun you’ll undoubtedly have playing it. Orcs Must Die! 3 is more than worth your time and will be a game I’ll be playing a lot more of.

Whilst the constant cheese puns and fourth wall trope-busting may grate after a fashion, there's a lot to enjoy in Mouse: P.I. For Hire. The old school shooting, with even older visual style, brings back nostalgia and challenge in one hit. Whilst more shooter than detective caper, it's still a gouda time.

Hell Is Us succeeds in a fantastic throwback premise; to do away with modern quest markers and maps and just exist in the game and find your own way. Yet you are never lost, because its world breathes and lives and guides in far subtler, deeper ways. An incredible modern classic of both mystery and narrative structure that I hope inspires a whole new generation of game developers.

A few annoying glitches can’t spoil the ground-breaking, emotional journey of Before Your Eyes. An imaginative control method is used in ingenious ways to tell an occasionally uplifting but ultimately heart wrenching story. It’s only a few hours long but that’s more than enough time for this game to get under your skin and leave its mark.

SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete is an exquisite game, that ticks all the boxes of what a sequel should be. I loved my time with this game with some playthroughs taking me into the wee small hours of the morning. (If you know me and how much I need sleep, this is quite the accomplishment) What this game does beautifully is condense all the flare and pageantry of a full-on FPS into a few minutes of intense bullet-time action which will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

Visually appealing with sound effects and music to match, Deliver Us The Moon is a cosmic trip worth your consideration.

The Plucky Squire does a great job of hopscotching you across worlds and genres whilst keeping the gameplay simple and understandable at its core. It's a real life fairy tale full of wit, charm and a smidge of meta cynicism, that's only bolstered by its fantastic hand drawn art style - overall outshining my complaints of low stakes and technical issues.

Let’s Sing Queen offers a wonderful playlist with the series flourishes we’ve come to expect. It’s hardly a game-changer, but you can’t argue with the quality of the songs included. If you ever get the inclination to feel like a rocket ship on its way to Mars, you can’t go wrong here. Go make the rockin’ world go round.

A dating sim that deserves to be talked about alongside the likes of Dream Daddy and Hatoful Boyfriend, Lovingly Evil is a funny, smart experience that doesn’t drown you in exposition and keeps it all charmingly light and breezy. Absolutely worth your time.

Proving that even the Grim Reaper can’t catch a break, Have a Nice Death is another rogue filled with snappy combat, gorgeous visuals and slick writing. It’s hard, and sometimes doesn’t feel rewarding, but it’s definitely worth the grind. Feeling like Death never felt so good.

Still Wakes The Deep has a hauntingly well-realised setting in its North Sea oil rig, propped up by stellar sound and environmental design. Caz’s story carried some genuinely emotive moments, even if the backstory feels slightly underdeveloped and while the moment-to-moment stealth and navigation lack the depth of an ocean, they’re still deeper than the puddle many in the genre fall into. You’ll come for the nightmare, but stay for the rig.

The Smurfs - Dreams is a smurfin’ spectacular platformer and a glorious introduction to the Smurfin’ universe. From glorious, intricate level design to the soundtrack that’ll be stuck in your head for weeks, Ocellus have spun gold. This is one dream you won’t want to wake up from.

A bitesize indie adventure guiding a herd of fictional creatures back to their home atop a mountain, Herdling has charm in spades, and a wonderful minimal design that prioritises experience over everything.

Dosa Divas isn't without some ingredients missing to create a robust RPG, but it's a well-seasoned narrative adventure that's exciting your senses. The story and characters are heartfelt and impressively written, the combat system although not expansive is fun to engage with; and the cooking minigames, whilst not perfect, are an excellent detour to round out the gameplay loop.

In the absence of the real thing, Pure Pool is the closest you’ll get on your Switch. Career may be a bit lacking, and multiplayer a bit vacant, but when it looks this good you won’t care. There’s enough to keep you racking and chalking up to experience.

It’s to SNK’s enormous credit that they’ve kept the Samurai Shodown franchise fresh for long enough to deliver a game in 2021 that deserves to take its place alongside the heavy hitters of the mainstream fighting scene. Sadly, a lack of content means that it’s unlikely to be first choice for the afficionados. Still worth checking out though, especially if you’re able to give it a go at 120fps.

A short but impressively realised walking simulator that will unnervingly delight many and disappoint some, POOLS is a purely experiential liminal piece of media. Like all of its halls and corridors, you may wonder where the end goal is, or where the purpose lies. But that’s precisely the purpose of the liminal – to focus on emotion and feeling, even if that’s slightly undermined by its structural design.

Beautiful hand-crafted visuals, serene soundtrack and an abundance of nice moments to spend with your adorable companion make Koira a lovely way to spend an afternoon. While not up to the high bar set by Journey or its other contemporaries, Studio Tolima have created an emotionally investing adventure that excels when you slow down and take the opportunity for another game of hide-and-seek.

A cracking example of nostalgia done right, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is as worthy as any current-gen racer out there. It’s not easy to begin with, but once you’re practiced you’ll be flying across the finish line.

MotoGP 21 is undoubtedly the best looking game in the series. It also makes fantastic use of the DualSense controller on the PlayStation 5. For every step forward this game takes forward though, it feels like it takes a step back elsewhere. It’s still a very challenging but equally rewarding motorbike racing game and worthy of carrying the MotoGP name. The iterations without value adding innovations are starting to take their toll.

Taken at core value, the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered collection is exactly what fans of the original have been clamouring for. Visual improvements, some minor quality of life tweaks and bonus content make it a welcome return. However, those expecting more might be feeling left sucked dry, only to hope this draws up interest for a franchise resurrection.

We don’t get enough science fiction survival horror games, so when one comes along it’s a real treat. Cronos: The New Dawn merges effective brutal combat and excellent charging gunplay, with a design, atmosphere and aesthetic that is next level memorable. If you felt the void after Dead Space, this will fill it. And then Merge with it, and make something new and spiky and horrible.

An absolute belter of a sequel that improves on the original in every way without ever feeling overstuffed. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a stunning racer that builds upon the groundwork of the first with aplomb, adding new mechanics that make each race feel breathless and relentlessly exciting.

The Ascent has the kind of graphical and audio design prowess that many games can only dream of. While some technical and mechanical issues disrupt the immersion, there’s no denying the sheer sadistic joy that comes from shredding through the neon glazed tiers of Veles. A critique of the Cyberpunk genre this isn’t, but damn is it a blast to play.

Lake is a casual, explorative and chilled narrative driven game where you get to immerse yourself in the quaint charms of Providence Oaks. The game features simple controls, wonderful performances and likely the most relaxing game play you’ll experience all year.

Vampire :The Masquerade: Bloodhunt is a solid battle royale with huge potential that it’s not quite reaching just yet. The traversal and rooftop battles are huge fun and the map is terrific. So long as Sharkmob believe in it, there could be something pretty special here down the line.

A blistering challenge and a steep learning curve await but if you persevere through the difficulties there is a great feeling VR game and an impressive skating game too. Deficit Games have done an exceptional job to feel authentic whilst remaining arcadey and fun. Outside of the great gameplay and entertaining levels is a flawed sense of progression but it’s a great first attempt.

HotShot Racing is a must buy if you are looking to rekindle your love affair with arcade racers. Just be prepared to battle the rubber banding for the finish line.

Trifox is an ambitious and largely successful blend of classic 3D platform and modern twin-stick shooter mechanics. While the difficulty spikes can be off-putting at times and some combat sections can feel a little too much of a grind, some excellent set pieces and a fun, charming style kept me wanting to see what was next. A solid debut effort from Glowfish Interactive.

Tinykin’s 3D Puzzle/Platforming and Collectathon experience is one really worth having in your collection. The cutesy and nostalgic presentation offers unique charm in a space that has felt saturated. It’s clearly a game that has been made with love throughout. A few bugs notwithstanding, this is one that should be on your radar.

I certainly felt that once I got my head fully and completely bamboozled by the intricacies of Do Not Feed The Monkeys, it was over. Fortunately the game is replayable to the nth degree due to its central mechanic of playing the game particularly how you want to, no matter how stressful each playthrough was always going to be.

As a cinematic platformer that borrows all the best bits from the Soulslike genre without being too punishing then adds its own unique elements, Unto The End is a triumph. The ‘bleeding out’ feels like it’s not utilised as well as it could have been and there are a few annoying glitches but the core game here is a stiff test and a very satisfying reward.

A challenging yet deeply satisfying puzzle game that’s about creating time bending paradoxes, Induction has finally made its way to consoles. If you’re up for a challenge, this title will test your grey matter more than anything else on the Nintendo Switch.

Albeit criminally short, maybe because I can’t get enough of Dredge; The Pale Reach DLC is a wonderful expansion to dive into during the Winter season. A decent helping of new fish to discover and a terrifying mystery to uncover make for a great return to one of the best games of the year.

Grapple Dog is an exhilarating, fast paced 2D platformer that feels like a familiar warm hug and a nod to platforming greats such as Sonic and Super Mario. While it doesn’t do anything especially new, the game never stops surprising with its mechanics and it’s a valiant addition to the genre.

MotoGP 20 is a game developed for its existing fans and the lack of any kind of tutorial is testament to that. This game isn’t trying to win over anyone new (or, if it is, isn’t going to do a good job with it). Instead, this is a cracking racing sim that’s a celebration of the MotoGP heroes through the Historic Mode and a gaze into a bizzaro alternative universe where the GP’s actually went ahead this year. It looks great, handles even better and once you’ve got used to its particular idiosyncrasies, it’s a whole lot of fun to play...Those first few hours are a doozy though.

Journey of the Broken Circle is beautiful and written well with some delightful dialogue, hampered by the actual video game bit, which doesn’t really measure up to its presentation and story. It’s a shame, because otherwise it’s a pleasant enough journey with something important to say.

A deep cyber detective tale, with a unique take on the tools of the trade, Lucifer Within Us is special for its use of intuitive timelines and mechanics to control and manipulate every part of the mystery. Add an engrossing narrative and interesting characters, and you have a recipe for a short, but very cerebral experience.

Pixels shouldn’t be this scary. Inmost is a short but very memorable metroidvania horror, full of cinematic lighting and intricate diorama-like levels. The visual storytelling is masterful, and it’s without doubt the most atmospheric 2D game since Hollow Knight. Grab some noise-cancelling headphones and turn off the lights, you’re in for a fright.

There’s no debating it though – this remaster is the best way to play Saints Row 3. Those who haven’t experienced the insanity of beating a pedestrian up with a 3 foot dildo can do so on an Xbox One or PS4 for the first time. Whether a visual upgrade will be enough to warrant a double dip for returning players however will be up to your individual taste.

A few issues with the visuals take the shine off of WRC 10 which is otherwise yet another authentic, enjoyable rally game from KT Racing. Not a vast amount has changed since WRC 9 but what new content that has been added, including the Anniversary Mode which celebrates 30 years of the sport, does just enough to make this a worthwhile annual iteration for the series.

A lovely time capsule of a game, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is exactly the kind of nostalgia we need. A fresh lick of paint brings Mickey's adventure up to today's standard, with a simple approach to gameplay to draw in the young and old alike.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has its heart, setting and story all in the right place. However, the gameplay doesn’t quite facilitate the lofty ambition that it generally goes for. The gameplay is frenetic but not as tight as the game wants you to be and the combat has an unconventional approach to difficulty. However, I had fun in the world and if there are more stories in Kenzera, consider me already there.

Taking an old mechanic pioneered on Nokia phones, PAKO Caravan is the evolution of Snake. But for what sounds so simple is actually a fantastic and lovingly crafted game in there. The very essence of “one more go” gaming.

Green Hell is a surprisingly great game which has exceptional depth in its mechanics, an immaculately detailed and immersive world to explore (and die in), with a story that has absolutely no right to be as fantastic and deep as it is. With a wealth of options in modes and difficulty settings, wannabe survivalists will be hard pressed to find a deeper, more rewarding experience. Despite some minor technical flaws and a punishing opening, Green Hell is a game fully deserving of your time and investment.

Bilkins’ Folly is a charming yet deceptively challenging puzzle adventure that would fulfil most players’ pirate fantasies. The wonderful array of mechanics and the pitch-perfect comedy that harkens back to ’90s adventure games is a cosy time. It’s not without some minor flaws, but it’s an admirable exploration of being a different yet entertaining game.

If you have felt that spies have been portrayed in the media as too grumpy and serious as of late, look no further. Agent Intercept throws it back to the wacky Saturday morning cartoon antics of spies, paired with some old school racers too. It’s quite short, especially when the campaign’s done, but if you want ten hours of cars and gadgets, look no further.

Guild of Dungeoneering: Ultimate Edition is a remaster done right. All new animations, effects, bug fixes and nice surprises are stuffed in alongside all of the DLC content to make a complete package. The handcrafted art style is lovely, the card-based exploration and combat mostly satisfying and easy to get into. While it may lack a bit of depth to keep the dungeon raiding at full throttle, it has enough in the tank for a good few hours of monster slaying.

System Shock is a classic and Nightdive Studio have not gotten in the way of bringing it to modern hardware. With punishing gameplay, relenting atmosphere and an all-timer villain with SHODAN, it’s an incredible remake. The console experience isn’t the best but it doesn’t totally dampen the grandfather of immersive sims.

Despite a short run time and relatively straightforward golf mechanics, Golf Club Wasteland wows with its world, vibrant graphical direction and amusingly sarcastic and critical story notes. I haven’t played anything quite like it this year, but I’m absolutely thrilled that I gave it a go as it’s cemented its place as one of my favourite little titles. If the idea of a beautifully desolate round of golf on a decimated Earth appeals to you, grab your 9-iron and get hitting, you won’t regret it.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town continues the same charming cutesy aesthetic as its predecessors, although at times feels discombobulated in organisation. A decent enough farming management addition to the genre, the game features a depth of gameplay but is light on narrative. Prepare and expect to be in it for the long haul if you want to see any real results from your hard work.

Overall, Knights of Honor 2: Sovereign is a fun and well made addition to the grand strategy market. It was always going to be tough to stand up to the leaders in that genre, but the game makes a good case for itself, and I enjoyed my time playing it overall. With a few additional quality of life features over time, and hopefully more content moving forward, it can live up to its full potential and maybe even rise to the throne itself.

A few barely noteworthy technical hiccups and a multiplayer mode that could have been a little more than it is are the only marks on an otherwise absorbing and ingenious puzzle game. TENS! on Nintendo Switch is totally unlike the mobile version and it’s all the better for it.

An accessible and innovative shoot-‘em-up, Habroxia 2 does more than enough to stand out in a crowded genre. While it hasn’t turned the genre on its head and lacks leader boards, the combination of auto scrolling shmup, twin-stick shooter controls and RPG-lite elements make for a refreshing and exciting game.

Featuring a well crafted, mystery fuelled plot informed by an intriguing cast of characters, Unforeseen Incidents is a distinctive and engrossing point and click adventure. You can tell a lot of work has gone in to making the Nintendo Switch version of this title and it pays off in a fluid, accessible experience. A few foibles here and there are the only blemishes on an otherwise very enjoyable game.