PowerWash Simulator 2 is an all you can eat buffet of power washing greatness. Whilst the sequel is essentially 'the same, but more of it' and adds incremental upgrades, what's here is more than enough to satiate any fan of the first game and, whilst big jobs can look and seem overwhelming, the sense of satisfaction of a job very much well done still gives you a feeling unlike any other series around.

Anomaly hunting in the style of Cabin In The Woods sounds like a great premise on paper, but The Cabin Factory falls foul of malfunction thanks to overly repetitive and bland gameplay, with too small an environment to maintain any form of tension. It does attempt some semblance of a story and it may do well as a quick experience for streamers, but there's little else beyond that to recommend it above established cult classics like Exit 8.

A sweet cosy automation game, Little Rocket Lab brings life back to a small little town with style. It may not be for everyone, but those that get a kick out of this kind of peaceful, stress-free experience will find plenty to enjoy.

Little Nightmares III still looks incredible, but clunky controls, an awkward camera, and a watered-down sense of dread stop it from fully reaching its potential. Co-op brings a fun new twist to this entry, but some of the fear and magic that made the series special seems to have slipped through the cracks.

An excellent return to form for the series, Battlefield 6 is a military shooter that perfectly balances being 'fun' while basing it in 'reality'. While the campaign narrative lacks real depth, it's an explosive joyride that's ripe for a sequel. It's the multiplayer that will keep players coming back however, setting players loose in an explosive playground and letting them shoot out their own stories of the front lines. This is an easy recommendation, and a strong contender for 'Shooter of the Year 2025'.

Twinkleby is a charming, whimsical take on the decorating sim, offering creativity without consequence. It’s light on challenge and sometimes drifts into slow territory, but for those who find joy in arranging, customising, and soaking in cosy vibes, it’s a floating-island daydream.

In reaching for the heights of the Silent Hill's of the world, EMOTIONLESS: The Last Ticket impresses with its atmosphere and engrossingly unnerving sense of place. Sadly, that all disintegrates away with a plot that's poorly voiced and lacking in substance, while the walking simulator gameplay will have you trying to overcome boredom more than terror.

Exploring the intrinsic link between creation and destruction, Dreams of Another hints at hidden depth, but fails to deliver it in a clear and understandable way. Repetition and disjointed storytelling undermines the narrative which is otherwise propped up by interesting art direction and a top quality soundtrack.

A fun 'all ages welcome' pick up and play NBA title, that does away with the excess and offers a light-hearted, enjoyable enough take on basketball. It's asking price leaves a lot to be desired, mind.

This desert revenge adventure loses its way in the heat and the bloodlust. Whiplash inducing story inconsistencies, mind-numbing combat and stealth, alongside a complete lack of real exploration cause Blood of Mehran to suffer a fate worse than death - exile into a barren and unending trial of tedium. At least the landmarks are nice.

It’s a sum of bland parts, from the vastly over-used story cliches, to the lacklustre gameplay.

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.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for us. Not because it's good, because it's genuinely great. Full of life, vibrancy, joy and celebrating the long history of the blue blur, this is a kart racer that's heavy value for its asking price. Unlike others.

Descending from a hillside house to a rural Japanese village, only for it to enveloped in fog and an evil haunting is just about as good as survival horror gets. Silent Hill f confidently lives up to the franchise name in quality and exceeds many of the later entries. Perhaps the f is meant to imply a spin off, rather than a numbered entry, so that the intense and satisfying reflexive combat can be accepted and praised rather than compared.

A shoddy life sim, with little to nothing of excitement to offer even the most ardent of genre fans.

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.

With intentionally difficult physics-based gameplay, Baby Steps can bring out the worst or best in you. If you're willing to gel with the QWOP-style controls for a sense of self-accomplishment, with an absurd but impactful story, then it may just be worth tripping over yourself for.

Though troubled and caught up in transition from expansion to a fully fledged game, Dying Light: The Beast still excels in the core fundamentals of combat and parkour. The story is forgettable, while the lack of night-time scenarios feels disappointing, but The Beast will give Dying Light fans more of what they most desire: decimating infected crowds and dashing across skylines with reckless abandon.

A brief, pacey and regularly unsettling pastiche of Steamboat Willie, Bad Cheese will unfortunately stop short of sending a shiver down your spine. For fans of teen-horror, it’s still worth a few hours of your time, but its rigid structure and lack of real depth will prevent it from joining the horror classics.

Short, shallow and a waste of an interesting setting, The Life of Buzludzha is difficult to recommend to anyone other than those obsessed with Bulgarian communist monuments. A niche indeed.

Whilst the market for something neon-soaked and high octane may be lacking, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights isn't going to be the game to reignite that spark. Shallow content, lacking multiplayer and just overall poor performance will see this one up on the blocks.

Flashy, inspired but flawed, Hotel Barcelona is a blood-drenched, frenetic but clunky action roguelite. Leaning towards style rather than substance, its creative story, breadth of replaybility and brilliant horror-inspired art direction make this one for the cultists.

Otherwar unsuccessfully pulls off being a tower defence game or bullet hell, and instead is just my hell. Slow waves of enemies, long periods of downtime, and a broken in-game economy that doesn't make working towards anything feel fulfilling.

The seemingly strong foundations of Arctic Awakening's opening give way like an icy lake with one too many cracks. Where the narrative struggles with inconsistent performances and an underwhelming concluding chapter, the music and visuals elevate and lift the experience far beyond its basic walking simulator beats. Even if you may take a freezing bath or two along the way, I'd still recommend daring the trip across the Arctic for the sights and sounds alone.

Legacy of The Forge lets players live out their blacksmithing reveries with a content-rich add-on. Coupled with a heartfelt if basic main quest and a slew of repeatable side activities with their own associated stories, it's a great addition to an already mammoth package. The fires burn hottest in its best moments, but do simmer down owing to the repetition and lack of further depth in customisation, but setting up Henry's very own forge is a welcome return to Bohemian life.

Henry Halfhead's unique concept and simple yet effective gameplay make it a great sandbox puzzler to cause mischief in. Despite wanting the game to go further with its concept and make the gameplay more ambitious, it settles for a heartfelt and relatable story instead, bringing more feeling into what you do as a result.

Charming, spooky and just the right amount of cosy for the autumn period, Gloomy Eyes is a fun self-coop puzzler with an even better sense of style. It isn't without its flaws, like its gameplay being a little buggy and puzzles staying the same throughout, but the worldbuilding, visuals and tone are so inviting that you can't help but get lost in the gloom.

NHL 26 is a terrific iteration of the series, bringing together immersive, in-depth gameplay thanks to the ICE-Q 2.0 AI system, terrific visuals and a huge roster of modes.. It's puckin' great.