Dear Esther has grand ambitions. On one hand, these were achieved. On the other, Dear Esther never reaches it full potential and results in a game that’s good, not great.

Instruments of Destruction allows you to be incredibly creative with your vehicle builds and has great-looking explosions and effects when a building is destroyed, but the lack of really challenging objectives in the main game make it feel repetitive really fast.

A fun, if flawed, hack-and-slash roguelike with very randomised, very long runs.

One Hand Clapping is an amazing looking 2D platformer and the concept is definitely unique and interesting. Unfortunately, it’s more interesting than the game itself.

Strayed Lights is fun for what it is and a beauty to look at. However, hiding in the shadows are issues that left me wanting.

Blind Fate: Edo no Yami has unique gameplay elements with a great story and voice acting but is incredibly difficult due to hit-detection issues and repetitive actions during your playthrough.

A fun if wildly unpolished title that deviates from the series established identity. Some solid stealth mechanics and great feeling gunplay offset the often broken feeling the rest of the game suffers from.

A great physics system and various modes to play keep Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 6 afloat amidst some technical issues and an uninspired aesthetic. Recommended for motocross fanatics only.

Naraka: Bladepoint is a beautiful-looking and sounding game with some neat battle mechanics and fun martial arts action that is challenging to master. Finding opponents in your area may be tricky so being put against players from a different region with a higher ping rate feels unfair.

Although Roxy Raccoon isn't a fast-paced platformer, it works quite well as a relaxing collect-a-thon, and is worth giving a look-see if you like raccoons, cute cosmetics, and a ton of collectibles!

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada is a generic third-person extraction that challenges, engages, then bores.

Smalland: Survive the Wilds is a fun survival game with some inventive ideas, though it may suffer from being released a bit early. If you are a fan of the genre, it may be worth picking up, especially with friends!

Blooming Business: Casino is an easy-to-understand tycoon game that doesn’t really challenge you, but is a great way to waste time.

Harvest Cafe is a fairly good farming and restaurant management game with meaningful progress and plenty of fun systems. However, it lacks the refinement and quality of life features it needs to really bring out its full potential.

A fun little puzzle platform game that if anything has very easy to get achivements.

Super Meat Boy 3D is the punishing and challenging game you expect, but it lacks the personality of the original and odd camera angles make it tricky.

A gritty and gory tactical RPG, Redemption Reapers has a few good things going for it, but ultimately the unbalanced difficulty and lack of engaging narrative may put many players off.

I really like Blacksea Odyssey, and I’m gonna keep it on my PC to play occasionally when I have a few minutes. Yes the controls are annoying, but I had a lot of fun and got really into progressing through the odyssey.

I can confidently recommend SIGNALIS for its puzzle element, but its combat, inventory, and sound design manage to bog it down to a merely okay title.

While the game didn't impress me all that much on the Xbox as is, I can see how the game would perform better in VR. I did enjoy many aspects of Narcosis such as its environment and its unique controls. However, the lack of real tension and linear level design hold the game back too much to not notice.

While it is repetitive, the driving and fighting mechanics are enjoyable as long as you remember to take a decent sized break every few missions. Ultimately, this is a game for those who care more about the story than anything else.

With some creative mechanics and interesting subject matter, Milky Way Prince — A Vampire Star was good but I wish it had been done better and handled with more care.

VILE: Exhumed is a cool concept with slick presentation, it’s just a little too shallow and short to reach its full potential.

It’s a short but sweet game that does something a little bit unique. It’s unlikely to win any Game of the Year awards and it will only be amusing for so long, but considering it’s a budget priced game, I still felt that I got decent value out of the title.

Heliborne is a great tribute to the helicopter’s contributions in modern warfare, while it focuses mainly on the helicopter entity itself, and not so much anything else. In some ways this makes the game feel unfinished, but you can be sure to find a beautifully crafted helicopter model awaiting your arrival.

Not the best adventure game I’ve ever played, but it’s certainly fun, well drawn and with a decent enough storyline. Fans of the genre will likely enjoy this but it probably won’t convert any new fans.

Felix the Reaper is a challenging puzzle game that is supposed to be a romantic comedy about life and death, but for some reason leaves the romance and some of the comedy aspects out of almost the entire game.

Hyper-5 is an entertaining game for fans of horizontal Shmups with a realistic look for the ship and environments. Can get repetitive at times, but the interesting enemy designs like the ones that look like Transformers are a lot of fun to battle.

With a lot of clever puzzles and a quirky, cartoon style. 101 Ways to Die is a great puzzle game that will keep you entertained for quite a while. As long as you can get it working that is.

World Championship Boxing Manager 2 is a boxing management sim with mild RPG elements wrapped in a vibrant retro pixel art style. While it can get into a repetitive game loop at times, the developers have attempted to sprinkle in some items for the sake of replayability. Entertaining and easy to pick up, this title is worth checking out for those interested in straightforward management games.

The hit drumming series’ arrival on Xbox and PC is with several caveats, as without the famous Taiko drum controller, it’s thoroughly restricted. Thanks to a fantastic tracklist, however, the numbed sensation manages to provide infectious gameplay.

Scar of the Doll has several moments throughout that really make you want to keep playing. Whether or not you actually do, however, well be a test of patience.

A great RPG with an interesting backdrop and a ton of content, perfect for Digimon fans, with some issues that just can’t be overlooked for non-fans.

Price aside, Aveyond 4 gives a good account of itself as a game, being well-made and charming.

In the gameplay department, Cloudpunk simulates the boredom of a minimum wage job a little too well. Looking back, I’m happy to have played Cloudpunk, but I never want to sit through it again.

Mostly flash with very little substance. The incredible graphics and overall design draw you in but there’s not much to keep you there.

For a game with such novel and simple mechanics, they're a bit too hard to get to make it a casual battle couch game. The story never grasped me entirely, and although it's mildly enjoyable, it never gets much better than that.

With interesting ideas and settings, Soul Axiom doesn't manage to have a narrative compelling enough. The puzzles, whereas integrated with the environment, feel contrived, and parts of the universe are too disjointed to make sense. It'll make you think, though, although sometimes with pain.

N.E.R.O. fails at generating an exciting or mentally challenging experience, but it really doesn’t try to. This visually stunning title places a great emphasis on its narrative, which is both uplifting and devastating – you’ll be thinking about this one for a long time afterwards.

Crime Boss: Rockay City: Dragon’s Gold Cup DLC is a hell of a ride with a nice payoff. But it makes you work for it, and my knees hurt from all that crouching.

Disciples: Domination offers entertaining and strategic turn-based combat with loads of unit synergy to play and experiment with. Though the plot doesn’t quite deliver on its dark RPG aspirations, it’s still entertaining.

It’s a great achievement for a lone developer, but the choice of genre means that there are bigger games that do it better from larger companies. I can’t say that you should rush out and buy it, but if you don’t already have one of its competitors and want to help out a fledgling indie developer then it’s worth a look.

A unique spin on the soulslike formula, Deathbound has some good ideas that aren’t always executed perfectly. Challenging and frustrating in equal measure, this is nevertheless a decent take on the genre.

A game that is lovingly made, with a very interesting crafting system. Unfortunately, due to a lack of goals, purpose or anyone one else playing it has very low playability.

This promised so much more than it delivered. It's a good game, but it's just not as good as its predecessors. Whilst Micro Machines World Series is good fun, it doesn't offer enough to elevate it to the status of its forefathers.

As someone used to simulators, I have to say this is the most playable one I’ve seen for a long time that isn’t just a sequel. There’s little mechanically wrong with it, and the sense of scale that it achieves is very impressive. I really enjoyed the in-game radio and that there was a form of story progression to most of the random activities together. Ultimately though it is let down by how tedious some of the missions can be and how plain it looks, and although it is relatively short there wasn’t a lot that made me excited to continue playing after the novelty of driving these huge machines wore off.

Burnhouse Lane is a 2D horror adventure title that deals with a lot of serious issues and is full of disturbing visuals. The game feels a bit uneven but is an engaging experience if you are looking for a creepy time.

Creature Lab is a unique blend of weird science and a management videogame that sounds like fun at first but slowly becomes boring.

Some truly satisfying management and creativity options lay deep within the confines of Coffee Shop Tycoon, but frustrating early game micromanagement and a weak UI might prevent many players from reaching that rich centre.

Chernobylite is a frustrating game. It’s far from unenjoyable, but there was so much potential here for something greater. At its core, it’s a fantastic recreation of Chernobyl that’s inundated with mechanics that aren’t required to enjoy this game. The Farm 51 nail atmosphere and the world, yet never seemed satisfied with what they actually wanted the game to be. It doesn’t ruin the overall experience for Chernobylite, which manages to hit the goalpost of greatness before rebounding into the net of mediocrity.

Twelve Minutes is a videogame that is fantastic in every area, except being a videogame. There’s a lot to love, and I think people will overlook its faults. Sadly those faults are there, almost completely tanking an otherwise excellent piece of fiction.

Story of a Gladiator offers tight combat mechanics and varied beat ‘em up gameplay, but difficulty spikes from level to level introduce a massive grind for upgrades.

It does its job well as a Gundam-style mech shooter, but it just doesn’t do quite enough to keep me going back in for more action. The majority of levels are just “go here, shoot this, follow that”, which unfortunately gets very repetitive after a couple of hours. There’s a lot you can do with customisation, though.

Farming Simulator 17’s odd mix of authenticity and not-quite simulation is curious. The core gameplay loop is by its very nature extremely repetitive but if you have an interest in farming you’ve probably already bought into the idea. It’s certainly not a bad game but it’s definitely an acquired taste.

Combat sequences can be a bit long, The text story is slightly on the dull side. But it really makes up for it's challenging and engaging combat style.

Weyrdlets is a cute application that gives you a little buddy to hang out with as you work or are otherwise on the PC. The pets are goofy and adorable, though the productivity tools may leave one wanting.

Caromble! is a fun and exciting brick-breaking adventure with tons of love and passion down to its very core. Though it can have some very frustrating moments, you’ll never get bored while playing.

Rebel Engine might have some issues with game design and technical aspects, but it’s still a fun and stylish character action game that’s worth the time and effort to master.

The artwork at the beginning of each act is beautifully drawn. The music is also quite powerful and foreboding as it sets the mood for the game.

Airheart - Tales of Broken Wings is an intense twin-stick shooter that at times will have you on the edge of your seat. However, Airheart is let down by the vast amount of grinding it takes to reach its endgame, and with minimal story elements peppered throughout, it's hard to see a lot of players following through right to the very end.

I want to like this game, but the same bugs keep coming up time and time again in these LEGO games, which made me dread playing it. Get LEGO Batman 2: DC Super-Heroes, and wait for a sale.

It could have, and should have, been so much more than just a bigger version of the original. The new characters would have been problematic in 2015, let alone 2021.

Though there are a lot of issues under the hood, Pacer is a decent anti-grav racer at heart. If R8 Games continue to tinker, tweak, support and add enough post-launch content - the potential is there for this series to become a serious contender.

If you already enjoy the Soko-baa-n puzzle genre, Dark Sheep will probably whet your appetite. With a novel premise and visual homage to the commodore 64, it’s short and sweet but nothing more than a little treat… just put the music volume on 0 for your own sanity.

It’s not going to change the world, but it would certainly interest a tween that wants to get into RPGs.

Bonito Days is a super cute and simple game that is reminiscent of Super Monkey Ball, but with camera issues and short single-player game it’s hard to fully recommend.

A fairly engaging and challenging turn-based tactical game, Classified: France ‘44 is, unfortunately, let down by the frequent bugs and a basic presentation.

Just like petrol station food, Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition is simple, but gets the job done. Some added mechanics help to keep the gameplay fresh in this unforgiving environment.

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.

ManaVoid Entertainment have created a game that combines two genres together surprisingly well, yet there are some areas that leave it wanting. In trying to be be the best of both worlds, the game doesn’t really manage to excel in either.

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

A tactical military game in large spaces with the mentality of small ones. Not a bad game, but definitely not one of the better ones within this genre.

Green With Energy is nice but isn’t anything special. With its cheap price, it’s still a good purchase if you’re looking for a purely puzzle-based game, though.

A solid game at its core but lacks the content remain engaging in the long term.

A great adaptation, some might say a direct adaptation, but there’s not much gameplay here, especially once you unlock Auto Mode.

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.

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 can only recommend this to game to anyone that is obsessed with 4X games and is willing to put up with the flaws and bugs, the sorcerer customisation and leveling up is extremely satisfying as you can truly build your character in the way you want.

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.

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

With how disappointed I am in the final product, it’s still hard to call One Step From Eden a bad game. The boss fights are memorable, it has an appropriately fast-paced soundtrack, and for brief moments it can feel like a complete, cohesive experience. However, the roguelite elements are just not implemented well enough to make each run feel fresh, and actively work against the decent core battle system.

There are some nuggets of gold in Farmer’s Life, but it is limited by a plodding start and repetitive gameplay.

Crudelis has a great world and a host of really interesting short stories that I will never get to the bottom of because I’m too impatient to watch through the same dialogue and clunky controls in an attempt to get the right endings. If I ever have thirty minutes I’ll probably boot it up and give it a whirl, just because it is such an interesting world to be in, but I don’t think I’ll actively try to beat the game.

Derby Kings won’t blow you away but it might help whittle down a long train journey or give you something to do while in the queue at the post office. In the end isn’t that the true purpose of a mobile game?

Fans of the mobile title will enjoy this, if you have a dislike of anime style games with fully voiced Japanese dialogue, you won’t get any enjoyment out of this.

Parcel Corps is entertaining enough, but it’s let down by just how repetitive the tasks and tricks are.

Sinless is a pleasant but unoriginal game that needs to do something new in the forthcoming episodes.

A compelling pair of lead characters and an interesting world, bogged down by a derivative combat system and a lack of polish. Not bad, but a far cry from being a must-play RPG.

A fantastic looking game with a banging soundtrack, but not one that will keep you occupied for too long. Gameplay is far from bad, but it’s not up to the same standard as the graphics and audio sadly. Curved Space is a slickly presented but sadly average title.

Border Town is a fine, if simple, experience that you shouldn't expect the world of. Its iffy translation and bad UI can be dealbreakers, but those who stick with it may find a nice and easy time.

Diorama Dungeoncrawl - Master of the Living Castle’s aesthetics may be charming, but the uneven hit detection and often unfair deaths can lead to some frustration!

While carrying the same improvements to the resolution and artwork as seen in last years Resident Evil re-release, Resident Evil Zero still cannot escape its status as the weakest of the original Resident Evil games. A retread through scenarios already set in previous entries, it brings no redeeming features of its own.

Carrier Deck is a strategic game full of great-looking military aircraft. It is quite complex and can feel repetitive at times; it may not be for everyone.

Xmas Shooting - Scramble!! has come off rather well: it is a very competent and enjoyable shmup with bullet hell elements that has casual visual novel elements and a fantastic soundtrack.

The Lonesome Guild takes you into a wondrous world and unpacks relatable themes through its narrative, but while the combat, storytelling, and environments are serviceable, they don’t reach their full potential.

Ambitious, but unfortunately falls under the weight of those ambitions. Trying to juggle too many things, there’s a decent game here, it’s just hidden under awkward controls, a restrictive camera and the need to vomit. Also the names kind of dumb.

Decade has a lot of interesting ideas up its sleeves and even more to say, but it also demands a lot of attention and close reading from its audience, and it doesn’t always manage to stick the landing.

What Lies in the Multiverse pulls itself in every direction, trying to tell both a comedic and tragic story, which ultimately works against its favour. The gameplay is enjoyable throughout most of the journey but soon stagnates at an easy difficulty.