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.

A short, yet fantastic horror game. A masterclass in storytelling and atmosphere.

Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.

Overhaul is a unique Sudoku-like puzzle experience mixed with roguelite elements that I thoroughly enjoyed; this is a must-try title if the number-based mechanic doesn't deter you.

Boxes: Lost Fragments is a beautiful, wondrous puzzler. Setting aside the thin narrative and short runtime, the creativity and attention to detail are remarkable.

New ideas and innovations help move the franchise forward, but a lot of the same bugbears are still prevalent. Until we get a new engine I believe we are always going to be waiting for that truly amazing wrestling game experience. Until that happens, 2K17 is a nice bridge between that gap.

Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.

Vault Survivors is a strategic roguelike shooter with a great story and plenty to discover. I just wish it had full controller support and wasn’t quite so punishing as you approach the 20-minute mark.

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Into the Pit is a great 2D game with an interesting, tense, and scary story. You might not expect it, but you jump a few times!

For a title one year in development, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened impresses with enjoyable — albeit simple — puzzles, a fun story, and beautiful visuals.

A Hat in Time doesn’t reinvent the 3D platforming wheel, but it walks it with such confidence and panache that it would be criminal to overlook this game.

Panic in Sweets Land is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that is bursting with cuteness and happy vibes. It's a game where you save characters using happy feelings stored in sweet treats! Constant button-mashing may feel repetitive after extended gaming sessions.

Trepang2 is an absolutely brilliant experience. Combat is insanely fun and satisfying, and the story is entertaining. The price tag may be a little high as the content is thin, but the fantastic gameplay loop makes it worth the time and the money.

The purrfect game for cat lovers with adorable art and several different endings. If you've ever wanted to date cats, here you go! Game does only have one graphics setting, though, and on a PC that met minimum system requirements it did struggle.

Station to Station is a fantastic game, with a beautifully calming atmosphere, yet slightly lacking in content.

Yakuza Kiwami does a whole lot right, while only making a few errors. Other than the control scheme being a bit dated, Yakuza Kiwami comes together as a solid remake of the original title.

Tails of Iron tells an impressively deep story with no dialogue and keeps you entertained in the interim with witty charm and gruesome combat. Definitely worth a try if you are a fan of soulslikes.

Weird West blends a lawless world of gunslingers with the supernatural to great effect, and had me gripped the entire time. This is one adventure you need to experience.

Scene Investigators demands the attention of a real investigator, with the determination and knowledge to crack cases open. For the patient and studious, you’ll be greatly rewarded for your efforts.

Battlefield 6 takes the franchise back to the classic four-class formula and adds in new features to make the qunfights smoother than ever. With a short but fun single-player campaign and great multiplayer potential, this may be one to check out.

A striking abstract visual style soundtracked by a jazz freakout as improvisational as its gameplay, Ape Out glories in its primal rage for a wild ride. Give into its rhythm and bloodlust, and just go ape!

A much better and well rounded version in comparison to A New Customer Arrives! but this serves to rectify the complaints and deliver in some sections as opposed to other. Overall, an easy recommendation for someone wanting to dabble into VNs. One of the best VNs I read this year? Maybe, considering I’m planning on reviewing 18+ more. We’ll see. A review of the lewd may follow.

Little Kitty, Big City is a cute and cosy game that makes you feel like a kitty, causing chaos to get home. The camera can be a pain, but the game is so sweet, you must play it!

Guacamelee! 2 is a worthy sequel. DrinkBox has retained and refined everything from the predecessor, while adding a number of number new features that improve on the formula. An overabundance of platforming segments can be frustrating, but the combat is as fun and as hectic as ever!

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).

Overall Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is well built, no issues with graphics, glitches or sounds other than the puzzles being so hard that I decided to call it a day, I might go back to it in the future as I do like the game and that's not just because of the Peaky Blinders.

Shantytown is a fantastic little game, that could do with some minor adjustments to reach the heights it’s capable of.

Great 2.5D take on the world of Teslagrad, with a fun puzzle dynamic and plenty of head-scratchers within. Well worth a look in if you’re after a modern take on the early Zelda games.