Sniper Elite 4 takes everything that worked on previous games and bumps it up a notch, deepening the gameplay and widening the distance while keeping the core of the franchise intact. It's an example of how to evolve a franchise over time.

A fantastic example of world building done right, but a real test of patience even for veteran strategy gamers.

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

With this stimulating narrative, Lydia is a steady explorative adventure that will leave you speechless by the time you finish it. Its take on adult themes within a childish aesthetic feels familiar but it accomplishes enough to set it apart from other like-minded indie titles. It’s a solid debut release by Platonic Partnership and leaves me intrigued to see what comes next from the Finnish studio.

An enjoyable visual novel that really benefits from being in VR.

Incredibly enjoyable locomotion abilities, pleasant collectibles to find, and fun (albeit simple) platforming puzzles are all that await those that are willing to look past Hell Pie's grotesque themes of animal abuse, drug use, and religious tones.

Bat Boy is a great action platforming game that has everything we loved about these games in the past, from catchy music to great visuals and controls. It’s fun to see a game influenced by sports that aren’t actually a sports game!

Wildmender is a beautiful game that manages to balance cosy gardening with epic adventure and ruthless survival. One of my favourite games of the year. And you can hug frogs.

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.

Abathor recreates the experience of playing side-scrolling beat ‘em ups in the arcade, with solo and local and online co-op modes available to challenge. With no save points, this is a very challenging experience!

Featuring relatable characters, including a rocket launcher-wielding guinea pig, an in-depth story, exciting quests, and an immersive world, Beyond Galaxyland is an adventure that you won’t want to miss.

Extra Coin explores a tale where you have to choose between reality or a dream. It tackles some heavy themes, but it encapsulates them well in this charming pixelated adventure.

People of Note is a great-looking and sounding rhythm RPG. If you are a fan of making or playing music, there are so many references here to make you smile.

Despite some odd game design decisions and weird glitches, you should definitely give The Last Gas Station a try. Fun, interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, and slightly chaotic gameplay, I’d definitely recommend this.

A game that takes what came before and redefines what is possible in co-operative storytelling, with a level of detail and polish far beyond what could be expected of a small team.

My Friend Pedro can be an absurdly stylish action game when everything aligns but you’ll just as likely find yourself slipping over its unwieldy controls.

By taking the best bits of a few different genres, Gunfire Games has come up with an exceptional formula here, and brought us the surprise hit of the year. Sure, it’ll take you a while to “git gud”, but it actually feels like it’s worth the practice.

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

Redout 2 is a beautiful-looking, anti-gravity racing game that has you driving at ridiculously fast speeds. This difficulty level is pretty high, but if you are willing to practise and hone your skills you will definitely be rewarded.

Through excellent dialogue choices, interesting item usage, and an immersive story, The Pillars of the Earth keeps the player interested from beginning to end. Becoming invested in the game's multiple protagonists is rewarded with a complex narrative that twists and turns to play with expectations.

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.