It’s a fun loving game that is colourful and a great way to get the kiddies involved with racing their favourite characters.

If you like sci-fi and Hurk, Lost on Mars has a treat for you. There’s a surprising amount to do, tons of aliens to kill, and even some Clutch Nixon challenges. A highly recommended DLC.

I have never encountered a more beautiful, entrancing and sublime gaming experience.

Beautiful setting and sound design, fantastic story, and perfectly implemented gameplay mechanics make IXION an easy 10 for me.

Vampire Survivors is one of the most addictive games I’ve played since Tetris! Apologies to my partner, who has hardly seen me for a few months now. Just one more game, I promise…

Despite being a fan of the XCOM series as a whole I never expected this new entry to be as polished, intricate, immersive, beautiful and exciting as it is. XCOM 2 is not only one of the greatest strategy games of all time, it’s also one of the greatest videogames of all time.

Death Road to Canada is a joyful return to the simpler things in gaming. While it may not have the power of a AAA developer behind it, it certainly does have what AAA developers lack nowadays, a sense of fun.

Rogue Legacy 2 has taken everything you loved from the first title and improved on everything, this is an incredibly addictive roguelike with customisation options to make it accessible for everyone no matter your skill level!

Everything in Stray works together so well; the characters, the story, and being a cat is so realistic and fun that it is so rewarding. I can't recommend this game enough; it is my game of the year for 2022 meow.

While Moss is a short adventure, it's one filled with awe and wonder. The storytelling is superb with brilliant writing and a great atmosphere. The gameplay while basic is so much fun that you will never want to stop playing this game. If you have a PlayStation VR you need to pick up this game, Moss is a masterpiece that is going to go down in the history books for the first game of this genre to work and play well in VR.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a masterpiece from start to finish, a beautiful and deeply moving journey.

A fantastic sequel soaked in atmosphere and tension. Little Nightmares II surpasses its predecessor far beyond what anyone would have expected. An outstanding finale which stretches from the finale boss fight from the closing credits will have fans desperate for a third installment.

Priced at just £8.50, subpar pool is something I recommend as a no-brainer for anyone who likes the premise.

A rollercoaster ride of emotions that made me laugh and cry in near equal measure.

KarmaZoo is such a fun approach to online multiplayer games, that rewards you for being a good teammate. With great characters, the KarmaPass, and gameplay, you must play this!

Hiiro is something that can just put your mind at ease. It is very relaxing to play. There is no stress or anxiety. You just need to run around and solve puzzles. The controls are great. The graphics are beautiful. The music is absolutely phenomenal. Hiiro is a perfect game to enjoy if you just want to sit back and relax. I say that is a great deal.

Ghost Song is the perfect mix of Metroid and Hollow Knight, creating a gorgeous-looking game full of exploration, a great story, and a creepy atmosphere. If you like Metroidvania-style games, make sure you check out this title!

Hello Kitty Island Adventure brings all the great features of mobile games while leaving behind FOMO, and it makes it one of the most cosy titles you can find on Steam!

8-Bit Adventures 2 is a beautiful, turn-based RPG inspired by all the classic titles on the NES and improved to make the gameplay even better. This game will have you hooked with a compelling and unique story; it's a must-play!

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.

Super Mario Odyssey is a phenomenal return for Nintendo’s mustachioed mascot, and (whisper it) the worthy successor to Super Mario 64 that fans have been longing for.

Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Rift in Time is a no-brainer for fans of the game, offering massive amounts of content with more biomes to decorate and more Dreamlight Valley goodness.

Wavelengths manages to capture so many emotional moments and story beats, packaging them all up in a short-and-sweet experience that connects the world of Life is Strange together in a way unseen before. Wavelengths is everything and more we could have hoped for with a DLC.

Follow a hideous and tormented nobleman through a slew of very creative and inventive puzzle levels that, quite frankly, everyone should try — Ugly is a hidden masterpiece that I'm confident many will find something to love in.

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.

Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker DLC is so well done and needs to be played. Besides the fact that it’s free, I didn’t want it to end!

Plainly put, Sniper Elite 5 not only managed to meet my expectations but far surpass them. What I thought would be a fun game for a couple of hours at most became quickly a phenomenal release I couldn't get more of. Whether I charged in guns blazing or tried to be the ideal sniper or I did the side quests or main objectives, I had fun.

Expeditions: Rome is astounding in every area I was presented with. Constantly I felt like there were tons of things for me to explore and pay attention to, and truly simulates how I picture leading an entire war campaign.

An unmissable strategy gem that will unquestionably keep you playing one more contract. If you like mechs or tactical strategy games you’ll have a great time here whether you are a newcomer to the universe or not. BattleTech gets my full recommendation.

Squeakross offers a squeaky clean version of nonograms that plays better than anything I’ve ever touched before. It’s adorable too.

Horizon Zero Dawn truly expresses how videogames nowadays are an art form, if not only through its visuals and storytelling, then certainly through its expertly incorporated combat. A glee-filled experience through and through.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is a great RPG that does everything right with a compelling story and battle system. It's a must-play.

Boasting a varied lineup of unique fighters, beautiful retro art, interesting stages, and an impressive amount of content, Rivals of Aether hits every mark hit sets out to hit. This is must-have for any brawler fans with deep, engaging combat that's easy to learn and hard as nails to master.

A must-play journey for anyone who loves gaming, especially 2D role-playing titles. Whoever thought discovering glitches and bugs in a game would be so funny and enjoyable!

There really isn’t anything else for me to tell you, except to please go and play this game. It’s cheap, and won’t take much of your time, and will hopefully give you something to think about. Come the end of the year, I’ll come to bat for this game to receive an honorable mention for Game of the Year, because while Evangeline might not deserve that accolade it deserves to be played, and it has earned Raconteur a big fan in myself.

Pupperazzi does a great job at being an adorable and relaxing game that's easy to put down and pick up at your leisure! 12/10 would pet the pups again.

A perfect, charming platformer that will delight players throughout the entire journey. This is an easy recommendation and a must-play!

A practically flawless remake of an already incredible title, METAL GEAR SOLID Δ should be on your radar.

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.

Freshly Frosted is a satisfying and charming puzzle game that has you putting frosting and decorations on doughnuts to deliver to hungry customers. With great music and visuals, and challenging puzzles this game really is a treat!

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is astounding, and the way it tells a compelling story and connects you to the characters is really impressive. It’s impossible not to recommend this masterpiece of a game.

Souldiers is a must-play title for anyone who loves Metroidvania-style games with RPG and platforming elements thrown in. Despite a few hiccups at launch, v1.1.1 addresses all the issues, making this gorgeous-looking and -sounding game one you shouldn’t miss!

Nier: Automata is an absolute masterclass in game design. It surpasses expectations time and time again resulting in an experience not to be missed by fans of action titles.

This DLC continues to deserve the high praise I gave the main game, with a good script, fun characters and interesting missions. I had a lot of fun with it, even though some of the objectives can be difficult.

Take control of Run and Jump and explore various worlds of colour with precision platforming and post-game challenges that will prove to be extremely challenging and just as fun.

Vampire Survivors’s Ode to Castlevania DLC is an incredible labour of love for the very games that inspired it. It includes heaps of content, fan service, and just pure effort into such an amazing piece of extra content.

Pizza Titan Ultra is perfectly balanced, looks great, runs well and is hilarious. I’d love it even it it wasn’t a giant robot with a built-in pizza shop that I could make look vaguely look like a Transformer.

With its rich story, compelling characters, and wealth of different ways to approach any situation, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a title that plants its flag in the tactical RPG genre and stands heads and tails above its competitors. Requiring plenty of patience to learn the game mechanics and to absorb the immense amount of story thrown at the player; this title may not be for everyone but if you’re willing to invest the time this title is one that will be played over and over for years to come.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a phenomenal remaster of the original trilogy, with enough changes to not only feel fresh, but with enough quality-of-life improvements to truly call this the definitive way to play the Mass Effect trilogy.

Another masterpiece from Ron Gilbert. The game is a joy to play and provides the perfect mix of humour, challenge and engaging storyline. I genuinely have nothing but praise for the game and I can’t recommend it enough.

ELDEN RING is the most accessible entry to a FromSoftware title to date, with plenty of things to explore, do, and enjoy. Those even mildly interested by the premise should give it a shot.

It's undeniable to say that Marvel Rivals beat every odd stacked against it, and that's purely based on merit alone. It's a fun team-based shooter with new and old ideas featured prominently throughout its 33-character roster that kept me wanting for more.

The Legion of Maelstrom is a retro-inspired turn-based RPG that takes everything you know from games you have played in the past and switches it up to make a totally new experience. This game feels like an RPG from an alternate reality, it's a must-play game that needs to be experienced!

Playtonic has absolutely smashed it with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. It builds on the team’s experience with platformers and manages to improve on its predecessor in every way. One of the best platformers I’ve played in years.

Freedom Planet 2 takes everything great about the first game, adds a bit of polish and some extra mechanics, and gives us an absolute beast of a game. I cannot praise it enough, it’s just brilliant fun!

The Kids We Were is a must-play game with an incredibly good story that focuses on childhood friendships and family. The voxel-style graphics look beautiful, the cicadas in Japan sound great, and a catalogue of items from the 80s to collect made me feel so nostalgic.

BIT.TRIP RERUNNER is a loving remake/remaster of the original game and is an amazing rhythm platformer. You can even create your own stages or play ones that other players have made. This is a must-play title!

GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- is a great fighting game and a great sequel to an old franchise which successfully caters to both genre veterans and newcomers. It is a bit on the expensive side, but the gameplay, art, and music all justify it.

In my eyes this game was just heartwarming and explained a lot on how an autistic child’s or adult's mind works. It’s very well made with a number of interesting mini-games, and definitely worth the money.

Despite high hopes and low expectations, Infinity Nikki manages to far exceed and surpass my vision for a AAA venture into Miraland, giving just about anyone interested something to do.

Forza Horizon 5 looks phenomenal, plays well and is practically flawless. It is undoubtedly the best entry in the series and has the most detailed open world in any game to date.

Mewgenics is an eclectic, strategy-filled experience. I’ve never played a game that combines cat breeding with tactical, turn-based battles like this. It was worth the wait.

A puzzle platformer about a journey through an atmospheric wasteland, this game is a pinnacle of design brilliance.

Finally, we have the return to form that Sonic fans have been waiting for all these years. This isn’t just one of the best Sonic games of recent years, but one of the best Sonic games full stop. You owe it to yourself to get a copy of this masterpiece.

Sorry We’re Closed is a divine contender for best adaptation of nostalgic ‘90s gaming while reaching the tier of 2010s handheld era titles. A must-have and a must-want for anyone without a PC.

Hades II builds on everything that the original had and manages to double the content while still keeping its Supergiant Games feel. It has unrivaled roguelite elements that prioritise player skill over randomisation, and content aplenty that you won't be left wanting for more.

Mankind Divided is a wonderful, powerful game and a great addition to the Deus Ex mythos with rich, fully built characters and an amazingly immersive world. If it wasn’t for the many missteps that the marketing department took, you would probably have preordered this already.

Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril is a throwback to all the games I grew up playing on the NES, capturing everything I loved and challenging me; with great controls, a retro look, and great soundtrack this is a must-play title!

Hollow Knight: Silksong manages to be a surprisingly great sequel to a title that was all-too difficult to follow up. If you're a fan of the series, you'll find no better way to feel back home than in this sequel, but newcomers should still stick to exploring Hallownest for their first venture.

Scarlet Nexus is easily one of the best games so far this year and a strong contender for game of the year. With addictive gameplay and compelling narrative, there is plenty to love in this Brain Punk vision of a psionic future.

A great game with loads of playtime that I’m going to keep returning to for a long time to come. If only to work off my debt.

There's something for everyone in Cult of the Lamb, and every mechanic and feature feels well thought out. The game is cute, funny, and fun. Everyone should try it!

Owlboy is a solid title that's filled with a vast, beautiful world and characters you'll come to love. Make no mistake, this game is worth your time.

Now some of you might wonder why I would score another amazing DLC so highly, well I literally just said it. The DLC was just amazing, no faults and it was fun to play it and I’ve played it twice now.

Necrobarista is easily one of the best games so far this year and one of the greatest visual novels I’ve ever played.

This is one of my favourite content packs for Cities: Skylines just because of the new challenge it offers. It’s also really cool to completely blow your city to bits.

Master Lemon is not just a game; it’s a touching elegy to a lost friend and an important reminder of the power of language for humanity to connect with one another.

The Darkside Detective is an adventure game that will have you laughing as you solve the mysteries behind the paranormal events plaguing Twin Lakes. With great visuals, music and movie references this is a must play!

Bionic Bay is amazing. It’s a game filled with passion and beauty in its brutal and unrelenting world, and has plenty to do after you’ve beaten its short campaign for the most determined of players.

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is not short of becoming an exemplary title in fantastic writing and storytelling, and easily my favourite entry into the visual novel genre thus far.

Ghostrunner 2 is an exemplary sequel, improving upon the original in every way. With better Energy systems, delightful and responsive bike levels, fantastic bosses, and the same quick-paced gameplay from the original, it's a no-brainer for anyone who remotely enjoyed the first.

A charming precision platformer with a pleasant story about mental health. Gorgeous graphics, beautiful music, and fantastic platforming had me coming back for more despite my thousand deaths.

Make Way is the perfect mix of a racing and building game that allows you to be creative while having a great time playing the resulting course together.

An amazing display of passion and attention to detail wrapped up in a lighthearted and anime-like adventure! Call me Mei and Ducky's #1 fan.

Where it takes mechanics from others in the industry, it improves upon them; where it introduces new ones, you slap your forehead in amazement that it hasn’t been done before. Breath of the Wild is development done right, and damn near the best game you’ll play all year.

Speed Limit is an incredibly fun, intense, action-packed game that never slows down, it always keeps you on your toes. It is amazingly addictive, and has a great old school feel with the graphics and gameplay. This is a must play game for everyone!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a must-play title for retro game lovers or turtle fans. Having all these games from all the different consoles in one collection is amazing — so much easier than pulling out and hooking up all the systems!

On Your Tail is a cosy detective title that lets you see the sights and make friends all while stopping thefts around a gorgeous town, and it delivers on every (sea)front. Make time for this one.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed this game. It does require you to be a fan of both point-and-click and platform games, but if you are, then this is an absolute diamond-studded must buy.

LUNAR Remastered Collection is a must-play for RPG fans and I am having an amazing time playing it.

With light-speed combat, oodles of customisation, and slick presentation, this is one of those “just one more run” games that will consume all your time before you realise it.

The Quarry’s charming cast and eye-watering visual splendour are worth the price of entry alone, but its strong, varying plot is where it truly pops.

I really enjoyed The Curse of the Pharaohs, because it was a lot of fun to explore the brand new map. The team at Ubisoft really outdid themselves with how beautiful the Afterlife looked, and the new enemy types.

Traversing the mind of your character is as much a plot as the case you’re trying to solve, and once you’re immersed into the world of Revachol, you’ll be struggling to leave.

Deathloop is a creative masterpiece. Refining everything that is excellent about Arkane Studios previous titles, it takes every single dial and cranks it up to 11.

LEGO Horizon Adventures is funny, kind, and after all, it is LEGO… oh and they have Tallnecks.

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.

Two Point Campus offers a rewarding and rich experience. It’s hard to find faults here without nitpicking negligible things like the odd repetition of a tannoy voice line, meaning that Two Point Campus really is the top of the class.