Short and concise, Return to Grace tells a great story with a thought-provoking ending I quite enjoyed.

A simple game, but amazingly funny and fun to play alone or with a friend. If you enjoy RPGs and a good laugh you need to be playing Pit People!

Blue Reflection: Second Light is a relaxing RPG with great combat and characters that will pull you through to the ending.

A very funny game that will also give you feels. It will take you about nine hours to complete, and you’ll have a blast doing so.

A fantastic and mysterious thriller-lite. Though the protagonist has non-existent motives and the ‘choice’ isn’t really choice at all, the supporting cast and story arc make this difficult to put down.

The King’s Dilemma: Chronicles is a must-have game that expertly immerses you into the issues of your people, other factions and the murderous cults and beings that wander into your lands. If you have the time and remaining Christmas money, get this game.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a surprisingly good racing game that brings your childhood imagination to life while offering you endless creative options for customising your toy racers and designing your own tracks. No matter your age there is tons to love here!

Under Night In-Birth EXE: Late (ST) is a deep and complex fighting game which gives players the tools to learn and master its systems and mechanics. The game however, is showing its age with ugly level design and boring menus. Whilst gameplay should come first, there are other fighters out there that are more of a complete package.

Terror of Hemasaurus is a beautiful and entertaining game with tons of satisfying destruction and chaos. It also tries to teach a very important message about climate change and how the human race has to act before it is too late.

Trails of Cold Steel II is a marvelous addition to the series. It carries the tone of the original perfectly, continuing a saga that sees its third installment hit later this year, while at the same time delivering an exciting story all of its own.

One of the most polished, well thought-out indie titles I’ve played recently featuring a solid theme, beautiful visuals and a learning curve that’d rival you-know-what… yeah, I reckon you should try this one.

Kamikaze Lassplanes is a great mix between an ecchi-filled visual novel and shoot ‘em up with a branching story where your choices make a difference and can change the ending.

DOG WITCH is a fun roguelike that makes every attempt an enjoyable one. If you want a slightly cosy adventure to slay a dark wizard and you’re feeling lucky, this game is for you!

Rain On Your Parade is a super cute and fun game full of great references and amazingly cute characters. Who doesn’t want to see a cute vengeful cloud with a frog on his head?

Death Squared is an intelligent puzzler that challenges single and multiplayer gamers alike.

Hell is Us is a game that offers something unique, but that same challenge might turn away a lot of players looking for something with a more streamlined experience.

The entire pinball premise for the gameplay is excellently done, feels great and with it having a learning curve makes it all the more fun to figure out and master.

Pepper Grinder is a unique and challenging title that has you drilling through everything to recover your stolen treasure. With great visuals and jazzy music, this is a title to check out!

Lovely Planet Arcade is what happens when you create something in a genre you’ve not understood, which is strange considering the team got it so right only two years ago. I found it too frustrating and really haven’t enjoyed my time with it, which is a shame because it could have been so much better.

Although A Tiny Sticker Tale doesn’t bring a ton of innovation to the genre, I think it’s a great game to enjoy if you’re looking for something cute, short, and relaxing to pass the time.

Miasma Chronicles, while not without its flaws, shines in its intricately crafted environments and thrilling tactical combat, bringing life into what could have been a game as bleak as its dystopian world.

Mediocre, yet imaginative, Crashlands is a game for those with a strong stomach for repetitive gameplay and oddball humor.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a masterful entry in the franchise, and only makes me crave even more from the series.

The most compelling plot and potential twist the series has had to date with fun missions and a return to perhaps the most iconic location in the series’ history. The moon is definitely haunted but it’s a lot of fun hunting those ghosts!

Date Everything! is a passionate game in all ways. From the writing to the artwork, it’s impossible not to love such a goofy yet touching experience. Bringing dating sims to a whole new level, this is one that you can’t miss.

This unique and charming take on the rougelike subgenre has a huge amount of potential, but is unfortunately marred by dull gameplay mechanics that are uninteresting and don’t work in their current form for what it’s trying to be.

The game is a fantastic love letter to the genre and offers gamers a trip down memory lane. What will surprise you, though, is how it’s so much more than a cash-grab throwback to a bygone era.

A great little twin-stick shooter that wears its inspiration on its sleeves but backs it up with challenging wave based fun that might easily become an addiction as you try to work your way up the leaderboards.

Atomicrops is frenetic, challenging and addicting in the way that all the best roguelike/lites are, with a silly streak that helps give the title its own identity. A lack of content does harm the game’s longevity.

Sunblaze is a deceivingly cute game that will definitely kick your butt. Luckily with great accessibility options this game is playable for a wider audience and not just a super frustrating experience. Unless you enjoy that.

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.

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!

A more mature pinball experience, Pinball M will not only delight horror fans with its creepy machines, but also appease those who were left disappointed with the recent Pinball FX.

Through the Nightmares is a nightmarishly difficult, great labour of love, with the only thing stopping you from beating the game is your own skill and willpower. Just be willing to wait, use any knowledge you collect with each death, and don’t give up.

Masochistic newcomers and experienced point-and-clickers will undoubtedly enjoy the return of Simon the Sorcerer Origins and Simon’s banter, but those without experience will suffer without hints and a multitude of detailed notes.

A relaxing game, a brilliant remake, and if you like farming games you’ll be happy as a pig in mud.

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium once again delivers the experience of visiting an arcade with tons of great titles; this collection is sure to be a good time.

A great point and click game on a console, only mildly let down by it’s slightly frustrating control scheme. Full of charm, wit and plenty of humour along the way; The Inner World delivers a fun and interesting story to keep you going.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 improves on its predecessor in every way, offering more content, an enjoyable campaign, and tight, responsive fighting. Just please bring back CatDog.

They say that love can build a bridge, but love isn’t GlaDOS’ style, so you’ll have to make do with girders and cables instead. Frustratingly difficult in parts, but a game that you’ll keep coming back to until you master it.

Life Goes On: Done to Death is a fun puzzle title that will tax you, and let you blow off steam by murdering hundreds (thousands) of knights.

A great rally game, with an abundance of content from the last few games under Kylotonn’s licensed WRC umbrella, but may adversely suffer from being very similar in presentation to previous entries, however the sheer amount of content available should quell any of those concerns.

It's a very short and simple experience, as the Steam page suggests, but it's definitely worth the time if you like the idea of cleaning an alien ocean to help the fishies out.

Amnesia: The Bunker is excellent, offering the dread and terror you’d expect along with engaging new mechanics. Some technical issues occasionally break the immersion, but Frictional’s approach to frightening and challenging you still offers its best thrills.

Aven Colony makes for a prime example of how a game can transcend its genre and be fun whether or not you like other games like it. Showcasing detailed visuals, immersive voice acting, an engaging gameplay loop, and enough content to satisfy most players, this title has the potential to make a lasting impression on many gamers this year. If you enjoy city building games, you owe it to yourself to play Aven Colony.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a fun addition to the series and for the Switch. It has fun gameplay and great humour, but feels repetitive at times and quite long.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a great mix of ninja-themed titles that gamers may have experienced on the SNES. It has a wide variety of gameplay elements that make every stage feel fresh and new from the others. This challenging game will be a must-play for people who love ninjas and a challenge.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is a fun and addicting space combat game with an amazing soundtrack. However, controls can be really weird without a game controller and playing it for the first time is very daunting unless one watches a 40 minutes long introductory/tutorial video.

This is a must-play title for people who grew up going to the arcade or want to experience that special feeling of playing classic games on a cabinet. If you aren’t a big fan of fighting titles like Street Fighter or flying action games this may be a title you would want to skip out on.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a great sequel to a pretty good game. With fun traversal mechanics, combat encounters, and agonising choices in the story, it could be very much worth the playtime.

Virginia takes you on an unforgettable, incomprehensible journey.

The Necromancer’s Tale is a promising, well-written RPG with a fleshed-out trust system and rich characters, but simplistic, clunky combat hinders the game a bit.

Mr. Sleepy Man is a title for fans of N64 games and is brimming with personality. There isn’t much direction, so you’re free to wander and cause chaos wherever you go.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is a great mix of investigation, crazy word battles, and humour with a great cast of characters. If you enjoy solving mysteries and interesting stories, I am sure you will love this game.

End of the day, it’s just a rehash of the second iteration of the original Japanese launch, but more feature complete and features better illustrations than the Steam version. Give this a whirl if you’re interested in trying a solid J-horror game. Otherwise maybe just watch the Anime OVA, live action movie or read the manga that’s currently being published by Yen Press.

The execution and delivery whilst not matching the predecessor, still maintains the momentum whilst giving the main campaign memorable moments with the snap shots of narrative bringing the best and cutting the worst. Road to Boruto does this and more, easily rivaling Full Burst. A fitting end and purchase for fans of the franchise.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is one of the most beautiful games I have played. With great characters and a compelling story, it is sure to draw you in and challenge you.

SOLASTA: Crown of the Magister has its faults, but still manages to be an enjoyable RPG experience. if you just want a D&D-eqsue dungeon crawler to play through, there are certainly worse options to choose from.

If you are a fan of Final Fantasy definitely pick this game up. Just maybe next year sometime. This games biggest disadvantage is that it’s been released only a month before Final Fantasy XV. But if you do play this game you will be treated to a wonderfully adorable and charming RPG with a cast of colourful characters, an immersive battle system, beautiful worlds and a soundtrack that is simply amazing. While the story is cliched and simple it’ll still have you hooked! Maybe we should give Square another chance.

Despite a few quirky animations, Herald provides an excellent story supplemented by a beautiful art style. This is a small scale point-and-click affair; if you're looking for a bite-sized drama, you've found your game.

While not an essential addition, this DLC offers extra context that offers a similar emotional tale to that of the base game. Even at only an hour or so, it’s as beautiful as the mainline entry and has a few more challenges and stages that will interest fans.

Echoes of Aetheria is a surprisingly dense and engaging title, despite its visual simplicity. The throwback to old-style RPGs brings on a sense of nostalgia whilst remaining fresh and unique, with a deep storyline and thoroughly fleshed out characters to bring the game to life. Combat is varied and challenging, and crafting the right items can be a gamechanger.

Despite some tedious mechanics, Microtopia is a fun and satisfying base-builder.

If you like getting an hour per monetary unit, then you definitely get that in Orwell. The campaign is as long as Titanfall 2, and it has a heck of a lot more gameplay to it than BATMAN the Telltale Series, both of which cost more and are written just as well.

Back 4 Blood has built on the great foundations that Left 4 Dead laid over a decade ago. The gameplay is brilliant, there’s also that little bit more to keep the challenge fresh and to keep zombie killing fun.

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.

Witness the catastrophic events that transpire over the course of Donut County as you wreak havoc by taking control of BK’s all-devouring hole in a surprisingly enjoyable title I didn’t expect to love this much.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is an interesting concept, but it falls short of finding the sweet spot between challenge and choice.

20XX is a fantastic title and shows that the classic formula of Mega Man games still works. Stop reading and go play it now!

Taking the series in an entirely new direction, Darksiders Genesis manages to stay true to the prior games whilst delivering in a totally different genre. A fun game let down by grindy character progression.

Escape from Duckov might be a parody of Escape from Tarkov, but it's a game that’s both fun to get into and stands all on its own.

Age of Charlemagne is a great way to improve on a Total War engine that sorely needed extra testing and bug-cleaning. Tight, attractive and challenging, it's the perfect way to prepare for the upcoming Total War: Warhammer but also a good DLC in its own right.

My Memory of Us is a thoroughly rewarding game from various angles. The narrative is engrossing and touching, the gameplay is challenging and engaging, and the artistic style is glorious yet understated. It tackles a difficult subject but does so with care and the end result is a game that only further enhances the already deeply impressive Nintendo Switch catalogue.

Olija is a fun and engrossing action-adventure game that has you fighting foes and solving puzzles with a magical harpoon. A little on the short side, but a fun experience that leaves you wanting more.

Persona 5 Tactica is just as stylish and fun as any of the main series. While it does hit the same beats as other stories in the franchise, it’s still a great time if you give it a try.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is like a beautiful dream: it can sweep you off your feet with impeccable music, beautiful visuals, and an entertaining story, but once it’s over, it loses some lustre.

Still Wakes the Deep has great characters and an interesting setting, but the magic quickly runs out once you notice the rails under your feet and the scripts the monsters are frantically reading. While I do recommend it, it may be worth waiting for a sale.

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a superb SRPG that every fan of the genre needs to play. Its complex battle system and engaging story make this an absolute blast to play through.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a phenomenal experience through and through, it didn't matter what area of the game I tackled, I found myself having a blast experiencing every single one of them.

Although it sometimes pushes the boundaries of adventurous puzzle solving too far, venturing into occasionally absurd degrees of vagueness, moon has generally stood the test of time, managing to still provide an inspired and novel romp through a perplexing world of quirky characters even after two decades.

As a budget title, this is a very pretty pool game and the addition of a snooker mode helps as well. But annoying music, iffy controls and an uneven difficulty curve make it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend.

At once gorgeous, accessible, true to the lore and entirely engrossing, there hasn’t been as emphatic a tribute to the universe of Warhammer 40,000 since Dawn of War. Warhammer fans will love it and space RTS bods will enjoy its complexity and depth of tactics. Battlefleet Gothic is a game the God-Emperor Himself would be proud of.

Something of a hidden gem which has a lot of gems hidden for you to shoot with your machine gun drill.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is gorgeous in graphics, with in-depth gameplay mechanics, and a deep, emotional story about mental health and trauma compile it into the masterpiece that it is.

While many will look at Solo and see a gorgeous art style, those who play it will experience an introspective journey about love. Its delivery of core themes can be a little vague at times, but Solo is one of the most charming titles I've played in a long time.

As a whole package, all the praise should be going toward the single player experience, and I'd never thought I'd say that about a Call of Duty game in a long time. But in all honestly, it’s true. As for the multiplayer, it makes for an incredibly mundane and subpar experience that almost parodies itself. Completely making it very difficult to recommend the game as a whole.

Portals Knights manages to capture the best qualities of the building of Minecraft while also maintaining a combat style that can be as difficult as Dark Souls if you're not prepared. Be ready to spend many, many hours in this charming game.

Big Helmet Heroes is simple and does what it sets out to do. It’s a fun time, but it struggles with any gameplay depth, leading to a lack of longevity; I did enjoy my time here, especially with the presentation.

Though Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord provides a fun outlet with its battles and the strategies you can employ within them, everything else is lacking in comparison. You might get a solid 5-10 hours of enjoyment out of the campaign before you it dawns on you that there’s not much else to discover but a disappointing realisation.

Crimson Desert is a game with a lot to offer players, but it gets held back slightly by some odd design choices that can create more of a challenge than they really need to.

Time on Frog Island is very fun, and the puzzle element was done smoothly for a game with no dialogue. Plus, who doesn't love frogs?

POOLS is not for the easily anxious, even if there’s nothing in the water to pull you down. The sounds alone will make you fear the depths. You should.

An improvement on its predecessors in just about every conceivable way. Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers one of the ‘gamiest’, most carefree and satisfying shooting experiences of recent years. Technical bugs and a lacklustre horde mode prevent this from reaching its full potential, but it’s just so hard to stay mad at a game that’s this much fun.

A mature, aesthetically splendid debut that charms effortlessly by virtue of its poetry-driven narrative, quaint artistry, and subtle humour. Occasionally obscurity aside, Milkmaid of the Milkyway is a stellar little gem.

Avowed is decent fun and has a beautiful world, but its story, progression and characters leave a lot to be desired.

A fantastic story well told, superbly presented. When it comes to point and click adventures on Steam, Kathy reigns.

I didn't expect a lot of innovation in this second entry to the franchise, but Rogueside really showed off their creativity with Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic!

If you're not put off by heavy themes, I couldn't suggest this title more; Bramble: The Mountain King is one of the few titles of this genre I wish I had played sooner.