Death Unphased is an especially great precision platformer for hardcore fans of the genre who are looking for a challenge, but for the more casual crowd, the skill ceiling might be too high to truly enjoy.

Bilikin’s Folly is a jolly adventure across the seas that makes treasure hunting fun, full of tricky puzzles and great characters, and the only time you’ll get frustrated is from your own folly.

Take control of Dracula and delve into the nine circles of Hell as you reclaim the throne for its rightful owner in CASTILLO: The Nine Circles, an enjoyable and unique combination of genres.

Running around wreaking havoc and creating chaos in Pizza Possum is enjoyable, though I do wish that the world had been slightly bigger, as finishing it all in just a few hours left me wanting for more way too soon.

With incredibly in-depth tactical gameplay, a gorgeous art style, and a cast of some of the finest characters in the series, Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is one of the most enjoyable SRPGs I’ve played in years.

There is much to learn in Fate/Samurai Remnant but the characters and gameplay loop make it worth the work.

Silent Hope is a lenient hack-and-slash title that'll keep you entertained grinding for everything from materials to classes! If dungeon crawlers are your type of game, this one was very fun.

A tough, but never unfair roguelike, The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition is a blast to play over and over again. Just make sure the kids aren’t watching!

Separate Ways is an absolute blast, with Ada being a fun character and the story and new additions to Ada’s campaign are incredible.

Explore the titular island in Paleo Pines as you embark on a quest to collect all of the numerous dinos and variants in a fun exploration-focused title that leaves its life simulator aspects behind — oftentimes, for the better.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a charming journey into the mind of man, descending into madness and taking any horrific creatures he can with him.

Mineko’s Night Market is one of the most sweet and whimsical games that I have played, plus it has cats! It is full of personality and has a lot of different activities you can do to keep you coming back for more.

Escape from Norwood brings its text adventure to life with engaging storytelling, satisfying puzzles, and open-world exploration. If you miss the text-based classics of the ‘80s, this will definitely hit the spot.

Mortal Kombat 1 is fantastic, having some minor issues in the story here and there, along with the underwhelming Invasion’s mode, but overall is a great time.

MythForce is a fun first-person roguelike game that doesn’t do anything new to make it stand apart from other titles like it, but the multiplayer mode is an entertaining experience.

Way of the Hunter is an entertaining hunting simulator with a message to convey. The story was charming, and the gameplay was engrossing, though at times it felt like the deer had better detection skills than the hunter.

Astrea: The Six Sided Oracles is an absolute masterclass in both roguelike and deck-building and looks to be a mainstay in the genre.

Despite not standing out from other open-world driving games, The Crew Motorfest is certainly a fun, fast, and flashy arcade racer that has a wealth of content to keep gearheads busy for a long time to come!

Ashina: The Red Witch is a short and simple game that is full of fetch quests, but the memorable characters, great story, and beautiful whimsical visuals more than make up for it! I’m hoping for a sequel!

Looper Tactics is a fun game with some interesting mechanics, yet it struggles to stand out in its current state.

If you like Super Adventure Hand's humour and love platforming, you might as well get hands-on with this one and pick it up — you'll have 50 handcrafted levels to go through and plenty of fun to be ha(n)d.

Moonstone Island is an excellent game that combines what I like from other games and improves on them. Whatever your path may be, it’ll be a fun one.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is, quite simply, a must-play. With an engaging narrative and fascinating new locale, this thoroughly gripping expansion will be sure to delight anyone looking to dive back into Night City.

A cute novelty which plays heavily into its professional wrestling influence at the cost of lasting gameplay. Although not a bad title itself, there’s potential greatness bubbling just below the surface, struggling to break through and catch a breath.

Pay-to-win mechanics aside, NBA 2K24 is a solid basketball sim with unrivalled authenticity; just don’t expect a huge leap forward from last year’s title.

Block Buster Billy is a simple enough concept, and the game does what it needs to do, but the lack of anything exciting or new won’t bring people back long-term.

HUMANKIND is a well-made civilisation game that happens to do the exact thing Civilization VI does, except for additional modes, Sean Bean’s voice, and popularity.

Party Animals is a great multiplayer title to play with friends that won’t get boring or super repetitive like other titles in the genre. With a huge variety of characters and maps to check out, this will keep you busy for a long time.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a fun game that doesn’t stray from Telltale’s normal formula but is strong when viewed within that category. If you like the show or the books, you’ll get a kick out of it.

While it suffers from the same issues as many roguelikes, Heretic’s Fork does what it can to keep players invested and entertained.

Boti: Byteland Overclocked is an enjoyable and simple retro-inspired platformer with plenty of collect-a-thon features that are all too welcome. But it's only an enjoyable experience when it works, and after level three, it's a coin flip on whether it does.

Summum Aeterna has some intriguing ideas, bogged down by unoriginality and unsatisfying combat.

If you know what you're getting into, Ghostrunner will be a great game for you to play. Though, its fast-paced and one-shot gameplay might not be for everyone.

Gunbrella is one of the most unique 2D action platformers that I have ever played, simply because of the crazy weapon that you use to explore and defeat enemies. There is some backtracking here and challenging enemies to face, but the mysterious story keeps you engaged.

Despite some frustrations and hiccups in my experience, I cherish Lies of P out the other side. The bosses were infuriating but fun, and if anything, it left me wanting — nay, itching — to click the NG+ button.

I can barely find the words to describe the emotional experience that is Goodbye Volcano High. While there are a few sound blips, the music, voice acting, and story were phenomenal, and these teenage dinosaurs were truly relatable.

Ad Infinitum tells an engaging and unique story in a great way. To really enjoy it, though, you’d have to be willing to play with the voice setting set to German.

The scope of Baldur’s Gate 3 is scandalously large and, what’s more, Larian Studios manages to make good on every detail. It’s up there with the greats, an adventure that any avid role-player will revel in, and one that few will ever regret embarking on.

Girl Genius: Adventures in Castle Heterodyne is a great game for fans of the comics and a good time for those who haven’t read it yet. It’s like a good PlayStation 2 game from back in the day.

Packed to the brim with personality, atmosphere, and balls of steel, Trine 5 is prime puzzle-platformer action from start to finish, especially if you bring some friends along for the ride.

Eternights is an enjoyable action RPG full of crude humour, lovestruck teens, and monstrous abominations out to kill you. Easy to recommend for any anime fan looking for their next adventure.

Patrick’s Parabox is a fun puzzler for all ages, whether you like puzzles or not. It’s easy to play, and I found myself becoming easily addicted to solving each puzzle, losing hours of time into this fun little game.

It’s A Wrap! is a unique puzzle platforming game that has you playing as both the star of a movie and the director. It can get frustrating at times, but the added hint system helps you progress and complete the film.

The best thing about No Son Of Mine is that it’s functional and it tries to implement some good ideas. But it’s ultimately more frustrating than it is frightening.

Fae Farm is probably some of the most fun I've had with a life simulator once I accepted it for what it was. If socialising and role-playing is very important to you in a game, maybe skip this one!

Viewfinder invents an entirely new kind of puzzle, then proceeds to flip it around and explore it from every possible angle. Despite a disappointing narrative, the creativity and character packed into that simulated world is inspirational and bloody good fun.

Tinting Time has an interesting crafting system and art style. However, the translation issues make it very difficult to play through and lessen the overall experience.

A fantastic addition that gives an excellent reason to revisit this great beat ‘em up. The difficulty is definitely a challenge, but for fans, this is a no-brainer!

Tenebris Pictura’s creative puzzles and novel psychic abilities are held back by frequent design flaws and a lack of atmosphere. Fans of anything puzzly and occult will find plenty to enjoy here, but there are many more refined alternatives out there.

Rainbow Skies is a vibrant and cartoony-style isometric RPG that feels like it is trying to be the next Final Fantasy Tactics but doesn’t pull it off with repetitive gameplay and a story that you don’t feel a part of.

FromSoftware once again released an utter masterpiece, with insane combat and an engaging plot, along with customisation allowing you to create the mech of your dreams.

While fun, challenging, and hilarious, I Expect You To Die 3 is unfortunately not perfect. The loading times could be better, and there was the occasional stutter despite it being natively on the Meta Quest 2. But that’s about it! I had a blast playing it, and I really look forward to I Expect You To Die returning.

Despite the needless busywork of some micromanaging and the missions feeling pointless, One Military Camp is a charming and often amusing base builder that’s accessible to a much wider audience than some of the more complex titles of the genre.

Black Skylands has a compelling story and is a great mix of a twin-stick shooter with a flying game that switches between the two often enough that you won’t get bored. Piloting a large airship can be frustrating at times, but it gets easier as you practise.

It’s pretty good but has some very annoying problems and not the most logical AI. It can be enjoyable for grand-strategy players, although I can’t really recommend it to anyone but the rare people who want an unexpected and honestly weird take on strategy.

Sea of Stars is an amazing-looking and sounding title that has captured all you love from classic turn-based RPGs and improved upon it. I can’t recommend this game enough; this is how you modernise and pay tribute to a classic genre.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a joy to play, while there are some minor growing pains, it is more than worth your time and money.

Despite some harsh penalties and almost unwinnable scenarios, Don Duality can be a fun and addictive roguelike card game that will keep players grinding away for hours. Providing luck is on their side, of course!

If you don't mind the relatively ugly graphics at times and are interested in trying out a boomer shooter that encourages a bit more strategy, then SPRAWL might just be the perfect title for you.

While the plot and characters in Mediterranea Inferno are interesting, the lack of any real gameplay makes this a difficult game to recommend. If you want an interesting journey but don’t want much involvement, then this could be one for you.

Mirrored Souls uses its gimmick well for some really cool and fun puzzles, however, there were just some levels that didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a very enjoyable speedrun-focused platformer with plenty of collectibles and genre clichés. It isn't revolutionary to platformers, and it runs very short, but if you don't mind the price tag, it's well worth a try.

Fort Solis is a great game with amazing production quality, there are small optimisation issues, and the pacing can feel a bit slow at times, but the story, graphics, and sound design are all amazing. It has fair pricing without a “premium version” or DLCs.

Varney Lake is an interesting coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist. The characters were all fun and the interactions between the children were great. If you have a couple of hours to spare, check this pixel pulp story out and learn what happened in the summer of 1954.

Zombie Soup is a fun top-down twin-stick shooter that fans of the genre will enjoy. The enemies are a ton of fun and have silly personalities, like the zombie boss who tries to hit you with a fish! I just wish there was the option to play with a friend.

Little Friends: Puppy Island is a casual game whose main job is to be cute and innocuous. If you go into playing this knowing you’re getting exactly what it says on the tin and nothing deeper, then it’s a nice de-stresser and a fun way to pass the time.

DROS isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either, the game has a few more negatives than positives, but to be honest, it mostly has “neutrals” and is extremely uninteresting.

I cannot have enough of Remnant II’s fantastic co-op gameplay, especially thanks to its intense replayability. However, I do wish there had been more emphasis on the story to have something to root for along the way!

YEAH! YOU WANT "THOSE GAMES," RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM! offers a fun time if you like silly puzzle and minigames. Just be wary that the controls are cumbersome!

Though steeped in stunning artwork and illuminated by its intriguing lore, Blasphemous 2 is ultimately a paint-by-numbers Metroidvania title that is occasionally more frustrating than it is fun.

Sclash is an absolutely beautiful looking game with a stunning look that makes everything appear hand-painted. The story is quite short, and currently, there is no online play available, but it is still a game that will test your patience and timing!

Shadow Gambit is a near-perfect game for stealth strategy fans. The new sandbox approach means that levels feel a little less curated than Mimimi’s previous titles — but who cares when you’re having this much fun?

Crime O’Clock offers a detailed, charming world with innovative hidden object gameplay, but excessive dialogue and repetitive mini-games will interrupt your point-and-click adventure too many times to count.

I loved Hammerwatch II's fighting and gameplay, but the lacklustre narrative, unrewarding sidequests, and uninformative quests and world traversal leave much to be desired.

Gord succeeds in painting a dark and gritty picture of a group of people surviving against the odds in a dangerous environment. The Horrors are fantastic, but small niggles and big frustrations dampen the enjoyment somewhat.

Nova Strike is a fun and challenging shoot ‘em up, featuring procedurally generated levels making each time you play feel different than the last. The game isn’t super long, but if you choose to play again, there are other things to challenge yourself with.

The game is great and every aspect of the game is positive. It’s not perfect though, having slight issues with the gameplay and story pacing. The good and fun things overwhelm the tiny amount of negative things making this game definitely worth buying.

Moving Out 2 is an enjoyable game with friends or family, but it can sometimes get a little frustrating. Playing alone can get boring.

Garlic is a retro-inspired 2D platformer that is full of crazy humour and personality. It is challenging but incredibly rewarding when you make progress; Garlic definitely makes your palms sweat!

Atlas Fallen has a great premise with pretty enjoyable old-school combat when it works. Frustrating and unreliable mechanics might be a bit of a hindrance, but it works great as a gameplay-heavy title to pick up and play.

Combining turn-based strategy with rougelike elements is a great idea, but unfortunately The Dragoness can’t quite pull it off. Enjoyable for a while, but the lack of interesting combat and engaging narrative will be enough to turn most players off.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is one-of-a-kind in the best way, excelling on all fronts — narrative and musical. It's a must-play for lovers of theatre, Greek mythology, and story-rich experiences.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is a fun game to sink a day, week, or lifetime into, but suffers from slightly confusing menus, odd AI, and “helpful” advisors. Regardless, the game kept me coming back time after time, trying to find my own Awakening.

Robotherapy is a beautiful game with an incredible message and story, only slightly bogged down by its incredibly short playtime. (taking only an hour to beat).

Although it's not as enjoyable as knocking back a few pints with your mates, Brewpub Simulator certainly has a fun gameplay loop that will keep you on your toes whilst also letting you create some wildly unconventional beers.

Flutter Away is an incredibly wholesome and sweet game that, although short, is full of a lot of beautiful insects, flora, and other critters to interact with to complete your journal. Plus seriously, who doesn’t want a pet capybara after playing this game?!

Ninja or Die: Shadow of the Sun is a game full of action using minimal controls; it may seem weird to only jump wherever you want to go but ends up working quite well adding a unique twist to games in the genre.

He Fucked The Girl Out of Me is a raw and emotional experience dealing with trauma and scars. While it is not exactly pleasant, the message is one worth hearing. I recommend playing it yourself, but please note the content warnings.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a very odd title which is relatively hard to recommend to many people, however it most definitely has an audience. If you’re willing to put up with the game’s many quirks, you may find something to love here.

Overall, the gameplay mechanics of SOULVARS were enjoyable, but the story is repetitive and the characters and story felt lacking. If you enjoy deck-builders, this should be up your alley, but if you’re here for the narrative I would look elsewhere.

SokoSolitaire is a very difficult puzzle game, even if you have a lot of experience with games in the genre. My favourite part was the adorable cat in the snazzy suit that you play as.

Overall, Final Fantasy XVI is a phenomenal gaming experience that I enjoyed from start to finish. With dynamic gameplay, amazing characters, and an emotional storyline, new and old fans alike will love the latest entry in the franchise.

A frantic, fun roguelike that perfectly encapsulates what makes the genre so great, without taking itself too seriously. A brilliant debut title, and an easy recommendation!

Disjointed storytelling and the dull protagonist aside, the Komorebi narrative and characters engrossed me in a way that I will genuinely miss the world that I delved into in my 20-hour playthrough.

This homage to titans of the genre can be beautiful to behold, but it ultimately runs too short and too shallow to match the mightiness of its ancestors.

A solid hybrid of mechanic and off-road driving games, Offroad Mechanic Simulator offers a good amount of content that’s more engaging than you might think.

Double Dragon Raiden: Rise of The Dragons is a great beat 'em-up game that takes everything you loved about the series and adds a ton of strategy. With a great retro look and sound, this is a must-play, even though it doesn’t always explain things very well!

The game is pretty fun and is mostly full of positives, except that the story is a huge disappointment after the demos, and there are some puzzles that don’t make any sense. It’s a unique game and can be worth buying when on sale, but not for the full £8.