Sakura Wars is far from being perfect. It does, however, have charm, and that goes far. With its amusing character interactions and dramatic scenes, it keeps you eager to discover what’s going to happen next.

Despite its lack of challenge, Neo Atlas 1469 offers up a unique and enjoyable experience.

It doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker or The Shapeshifting Detective, but its episodic format, coupled with excellent performances and quality writing, means that Dark Nights with Poe and Munro is well worth tuning in for.

When a game has such a unique premise in terms of its gameplay, I find it disappointing to see it limited by the same traditional modes as in the average fighting game.

If you’re a fan of Star Wars, there is clearly enough care and reverence here to get some enjoyment as well. Just don’t expect much of any challenge beyond some of the puzzles and don’t expect sophisticated humour, either.

Although Marooners is fun, it’s limited. Once you’ve played it a few times, the novel concept of spontaneously switching between mini-games becomes familiar and quite frankly, a little bit dull. It’s a great choice if you have a spare few minutes with your mates, but its lack of content can’t really compete with some of the bigger party games on the market.

As long as you’re aware that Gas Guzzlers Extreme is a single-player only experience, chances are you’ll get a hell of a lot of enjoyment out of it. It’s nice that you can chart your own course through the game’s career, focusing on racing or combat as you see fit. And there are plenty of vehicles to unlock, purchase and upgrade to your heart’s content. The zombie horde modes are just the icing on the cake, offering something a little bit different when trading paint has lost its appeal. Though it’ll be a while before that happens.

If you have Madden NFL 21, the changes here might not be enough for you to consider parting with your hard-earned cash for Madden NFL 22. It is undoubtedly a better game than last year’s version, so if you’re an ardent fan you’ll probably do so anyway. Gameday atmosphere successfully adds to the ambience from one match to the next, while the new momentum system adds a nice tug-of-war element as players fight for helpful perks. It’s just a shame that outside of Franchise mode there are few developments worthy of note, while Face of the Franchise seriously needs some work. Also, I want a proper story mode back again, EA. I miss Longshot.

Blacksea Odyssey is by no means perfect, but it does get a lot right.

The palatable fantasy-based story, gorgeous hand-painted still locations and good balance of fun, albeit easy, puzzle types may not be everybody’s cup of tea but those willing to give it a taste may find themselves being pleasantly surprised.

Despite its flaws, I had a lot of fun with Pharaonic. The beautiful world and reaction-based combat are genuinely enjoyable. However, the lack of enemy diversity, the tedious backtracking and the questionable checkpoint locations seem like design missteps.

The main campaign will take you at least 25-30 hours to beat, and if you’re having fun, dozens more hours can be sunk into end-game content. As long as you don’t want it do, the quest for better gear never ends.

Rain on Your Parade is a simple, funny little game. Its levels aren’t challenging, but many of them are clever and humorous. It’s especially worth picking up if you have kids that just like to wreak havoc in virtual worlds. But regardless of your age, there’s plenty of joy to be had in hitting people with thunder and turning them into big snowballs. What’s not to like about that?

For a genre that is continuing to grow thanks to the monumental success of Overwatch, Gigantic is a bigger splash than I expected.

Thanks to Collapsed‘s excellent moment-to-moment combat, starting again over and over never feels like a chore. And persistent upgrades alongside a permanent inventory means you constantly feel you’re making progress, even after several dozen premature deaths. It’s just a shame those upgrades aren’t more exciting and rarely make much difference to gameplay. Still, when blasting and slashing through enemies is this much fun, it hardly matters.

If you’re a fan of snooker, then Snooker 19 is a must have. Its realism, range of players and arenas make it the Fifa of snooker games. But the lack of depth and repetitive career mode means that Snooker 19 pots the white ball just after the black. Casual players may not find much longevity, but snooker fans will enjoy it nevertheless.

While Zool himself can be a bit unwieldy to control, playing Zool Redimensioned it’s easy to see why he still lives in the minds of some gamers. He’s a charismatic little fellow, instantly recognisable and rather cool. And so while this retro platformer might not have the awareness or tight gameplay of the original Super Mario Bros. or Sonic the Hedgehog, it’s still well worth checking out if you’re after some old-fashioned fun.

Despite its issues, Simulacra still kept me hooked for the duration of my playthrough. I’m not sure I’ll want to jump back in any time soon, but I’m glad I snooped on Anna’s phone and found out what happened to her. However, if you have a PC, perhaps play it on there: not only is it easier to navigate than the console release, it’s also less than half the price on Steam.

Overall, though, the good far outweighs the bad. Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers does a great job of living up to its predecessor, offering a story and cast of characters almost as engaging and lovable. Whether or not you’ve played the first game, this is a worthwhile visual novel for anyone who loves the arcade scene and wants to get engrossed in a narrative enriched with gaming culture.

Due to They Are Billions’ difficulty, compounded by its permadeath feature, it’s easy to assume that only hardcore gamers will feel welcome in its hostile steampunk world. It’s true; players looking for strategy game that’s going to hold their hand likely will feel out of their depth here. But stick with it and take the time to learn the game’s intricacies, and there’s a lot of fun to be had with They Are Billions. It isn’t for everyone, but there’s not much else that compares to the rush of thousands upon thousands of zombies swarming your settlement all at once.

Existing fans of the Windjammers series will absolutely love Windjammers 2 – no doubt about it. Newcomers willing to put the effort in to learn its mechanics will find a lot to enjoy, too. It’s just a shame that its single-player offerings are so slight, and the AI isn’t much fun to go up against. Multiplayer is the highlight here, and if you do plan on playing against friends, family and/or strangers, you’ll get way more than your money’s worth.

It isn't likely to wow anyone that plays it, but thanks to its attractive visuals, solid hack-and-slash gameplay, and a depth-adding meteorite system, Go Fight Fantastic! offers hours of fun whether played alone or in co-op with others.

It’s not perfect, but Blade Strangers is a solid fighting game that is wonderfully accessible.

If you enjoy a good horror with a bleak tale – and can stomach seeing pixelated children in cages or mauled by animals – then 2Dark is definitely worth checking out.

Jackbox Party Pack 4 isn’t completely disappointing – there’s still enough here to warrant a few giggles and it’ll pass an hour or two with a few friends, but it’s not the best that Jackbox has to offer. Go for Party Pack 2 or 3 instead.

In this case, total insanity doesn’t equate to total fun; it equates to frequent failure. Albeit, often financially rewarding failure. No, the finer moments of FlatOut 4: Total Insanity are to be found when it’s either being more restrained or just all out daft.

Tasking players with making their way through a magical, musical forest alongside a pup they've rescued, Koira is a charming adventure full of puzzles, mini-games and a little bit of danger. Though while it's enjoyable overall, its gameplay can feel a little too basic at times.

Subjects like life and death can be decidedly hard to tackle, and it is clear what Heaven Forest Nights is attempting to achieve in that it wants its players to think for themselves, go their own way, forge their own path, seek out knowledge, and make decisions without the need for instruction or guidance.

What Scrap Garden boils down to is a simple platformer that can be fun for anyone who doesn’t take it too seriously.

Ultimately then, unless you’re a score chaser, your fun with Pawarumi is likely to be a short-lived affair. It’s an exciting game that feels surprisingly unique, but there just isn’t much to it. Depending on your skill level, you might be done with it in just a matter of hours. Though chances are you’ll return to it in the future for a quick blast of futuristic Aztec shoot ’em up fun.

Taking place after the events of Ion Fury: Aftershock, Phantom Fury finds Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison fighting for mankind in this enjoyable first-person shooter combined with a road adventure. It's just a shame that Shelly isn't as spunky as we remember her to be, and the pacing can be all over the place at times.

More than being a video game, Kentucky Route Zero is a work of art – in fact it probably belongs in a museum rather than on our PCs or consoles. And just like any piece of art, it’s unlikely to resonate with everyone who experiences it. But if you’ve been waiting for the conclusion of this drawn-out adventure, you’ll be glad to finally have it.

Though it is accessible and enjoyable for many, it means everything that makes the anime so enjoyable is being spread too thin. It needs to be more focused, less complicated, and the good aspects need to be made great.

Ultimately though, you probably already know whether you’ll like Lawn Mowing Simulator or not. It allows you to venture into some lovely environments and cut grass from the comfort of your armchair. If that sounds appealing to you then you’ll probably love it. It can be quite relaxing at times, and also rewarding when you devise an effective grass-cutting strategy. If you have a real life lawn though, you’ll probably feel like you should just go and cut that rather than spend time cutting virtual ones. My lawn isn’t big enough to be cut with a sit-on lawn mower, however, so that’s my excuse.

There's little else out there like A Dream About Parking Lots, a semi-autobiographical experience about the developer's own dreams. It's very short, taking roughly 30 minutes or so to complete, and while the gameplay isn't always the most engaging, its dialogue is thought-provoking enough to hold your attention. It's a unique concept, and for that alone, it deserves to be praised

Jurassic World Evolution may not be the deepest management sim ever, but it embraces its subject matter with gusto.

Superliminal is fun. It may not be challenging, and it might not have a deeper message behind it, but it’s a hell of a ride – and on many levels it’s a technical masterpiece. Actually that description makes it sound like a Marvel film, so I guess that means I can recommend it to pretty much anyone unless you’re Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola.

This remake of Dragon Quest 3 remains very old-fashioned; it's at times uncompromising and it's missing some modern quality of life features. For existing fans of the JRPG classic and those who aren't afraid of a challenge, however, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will no doubt prove to be captivating.

Likely to be a pleasant surprise for those who were expecting the worst, or even just a bog-standard anime brawler.

If you’re the patient type who longs for something unequivocally different to play on the Nintendo Switch, Little Inferno certainly delivers the goods.

If you’ve enjoyed Wales Interactive’s FMVs in the past, then I’m fairly confident in saying you’ll find a lot to like in Night Book. Despite being created in challenging conditions, it comes together with top-notch production values, excellent acting and great storytelling. It may never be truly edge-of-your-seat stuff, but it’s gripping enough that you’ll likely want to hunt down multiple endings.

It’s the narrative and world around you that will keep you playing I Am Dead. The actual gameplay – seeking out objects by manipulating your environment – can feel rather monotonous rather quickly. If anything, I Am Dead feels like a more mature, more evolved take on the hidden object genre, and so it won’t appeal to everyone. But thanks to wonderfully-told stories and a bizarre but delightful mix of fantasy and grounded reality, this is a short adventure that’s fun while it lasts.

It boils down to this: if you have any other format on which WRC 9 is available, you’re better off getting it on that rather than Switch. If Switch is your format of choice and you really love rally games, however, then it’s well worth picking up, even if you already have WRC 8. The handling is a little bit better, the three new rallies are great, and while there’s still no online multiplayer, the Clubs system at least lets you engage in healthy competition with others. WRC 9 on Switch is still a compromised experience, but it’s the best that’s available for now.

Team Sonic Racing might not be the strongest, most innovative racer out there, but fans of Sega’s previous karting games as well as fans of Sonic will definitely find something to enjoy. The team elements are very well implemented, and it’s nice being encouraged to work as a team in a game where you would otherwise do everything in your power to take your friends down.

Ever Forward isn’t an easy road, but whatever you make of its final narrative revelation, it’s an engaging, rewarding journey that’s well worth taking. Just remember to stop scratching your head when you hit brain matter.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey does something genuinely original with the survival genre; no matter how often I've missed a jump and splattered on the jungle floor or got blindsided by a panther I kept on playing. Every time I've been infuriated, I've come back for more. It may lack a concrete story, but you'll find yourself writing little stories in your head as you roam – the time you dodged that giant eagle, or distracted a tiger just long enough for your fellow primate to reach a tree. If Panache can squash most of the bugs, this could be a Game of the Year contender.

Ultimately, you’ll get most out of Demon Turf if you’re an ardent 3D platforming fan. There’s a lot to like here thanks to the range of skills and interesting upgrades up for grabs, and the levels provide a good amount of challenge. It can get a little repetitive though, so you’re better off keeping your play sessions short and sweet. But lean into its wacky sensibilities, and there’s fun to be had.

The game is clearly a labour of love and it shows, to the point where a sequel seems like a given. And so, if you’re prepared to look past Grapple Dog’s level gatekeeping, you’ll have a blast.

Far Cry 6 is fun, there’s no doubt about that. Yara is a fantastic backdrop, and if you enjoy mindlessly shooting stuff up, you’ll absolutely be in your element. You probably won’t really care much for Dani’s story though, and the game’s tonal dissonance can be somewhat off-putting. But lean into the mayhem and you’ll have a good enough time, even if you don’t remember much about it once you’ve turned the game off.

While you probably won’t play it on your own for very long due to the lack of matchmaking and career mode challenges, Obliteracers makes for a fairly entertaining experience when played in local multiplayer.

For anyone that has an earlier version, the value of Let’s Sing 2022 lies solely in its selection of songs. It does have some belters on it such as Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and Wham!’s Last Christmas. It’s a bit of an eclectic mix, then, but at least it means there’s something for everyone. It’s just a shame that there aren’t really any new modes or features. But then, what could be added at this point? In any case, for those new to it all, this is a great starting point.

Violent, vulgar and crude, Carmageddon: Max Damage is downright offensive and all the better for it. And with a highly entertaining gameplay loop that gives you a great degree of freedom, it’s a blast from the past that occasionally puts a foot wrong but is easily forgiven.

Don’t be fooled into thinking Train Station Renovation is just for railheads. Give it a chance and it’ll be the most fun you’ve had cleaning up someone else’s mess.

It's a dumb game full of irritating characters, but its gameplay is more absorbing than I ever thought it could be.

Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! 2 still isn’t the best example of the side-scrolling beat ’em genre, then, but it is undoubtedly an improvement on the original game. While Streets of Rage 4 can rest easy as the king of the genre, Slap Them All! 2 can provide hours of fun, especially for fans of the Gallic warriors. We’d certainly welcome a third adventure, anyhow, complete with further improvements.

Although a little repetitive in nature, Dreamworks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is a competent franchise tie-in game that’s sure to appeal to any fan of the series. It’s straightforward enough to be enjoyed by children, but the extra layer of skill provided to the combat will be appreciated by older players, too. It’s not going to be lighting anyone’s world on fire, but it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon with the family at the very least.

It transforms the subcontinent of India into a much more interesting region. With the specific caste systems and the trading overhaul, the area is much more alive for those who play as natives or those who play as foreign trade empires.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about Tiny Troopers: Global Ops. It doesn’t try to innovate or do anything new. But lacklustre visuals aside, this is a solid enough entry into the twin-stick shooter genre, and there’s plenty of fun to be had with it – especially if you play it with others.

In a world where indie platformers are a dime a dozen, it’s tough to stick out from the crowd but Blink definitely does.

By all means, add Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection to your library with haste if you want yet more hardcore platforming action. Even faster if the mere mention of Mega Man has your nostalgia senses tingling. Unless you’re a fan though, be cautious and know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s fun to be had here, sure, but it’s found in pockets among huge swathes of frustration.

Ultimately, Genso Wanderer is a unique and intimidating game… It may lack Touhou’s epic music or its frantic bullet-hell difficulty, but it brings out what’s always been enticing about these games and, more specifically, its community’s ability to create.

As long as you’re not expecting a simulation heavy, photo-realistic experience, you should find something to enjoy in Old Time Hockey.

It'll stick with me as a piece of art to admire, but not as a video game to enjoy.

If you’ve played and enjoyed any of Artifex Mundi’s previous titles, Dark Arcana: The Carnival will be more of the same – and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

GigaBash doesn’t try to do anything particularly new, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s a game that’s easy to pick up, resulting in an accessible brawler that’s not only pleasing on the eyes, but also a riot to play. Mastering each monster on offer is a joy that’s only rivalled by picking other players up and throwing them across the screen, or gathering enough energy so you can grow to epic proportions for a short while. Needless to say, if the idea of battling friends and family while levelling cities appeals to you, GigaBash is worth a look. Well, as long as you can stomach its price.

Being a simulator, Star Trucker won't be for everyone; flying through space making deliveries sounds simple, but in actuality there are lots of plates to spin. Those that get on with it will likely find themselves engrossed, however, but it does verge on becoming a little repetitive.

Gigapocalypse isn’t for the masses. Those who don’t mind hammering buttons to destroy towns and their inhabitants, however, are likely to have a fair amount of fun with it. It has its issues, but developing kaiju is a rewarding affair. And once they’re powered up there’s a lot of pleasure to be derived from causing mass destruction. Add in the fact that there are nine kaiju to develop overall, each their own unique appearance and skills, and you have a game that will have lasting appeal to those who gel with it.

Being a yearly franchise, WWE 2K26 features the usual assortment of tweaks and upgrades to its many modes, and combined with its enhanced gameplay it makes for the most authentic wrestling experience yet. It's somewhat ruined, however, by a new Ringside Pass system that forces players to grind to unlock content. Unless they're willing to pay real money for tier skips, of course.

As a game, Hindsight doesn’t fully deliver. Its interactions are clunky, inconsistent and occasionally annoying, detracting from what really matters here: the narrative. But that narrative alone is so poignant and beautifully told that it’s worth pushing through for. This isn’t a story that’s going to blow you away, excite you or even uplift you. Real, complex grief is a difficult subject to broach, but Hindsight deals with it masterfully. The raw human emotion captured here makes it worth the journey – and, just maybe, if you’re grieving yourself, it might validate some of your own emotions.

Offering a lengthy adventure that you’ll need to play through twice if you want the full picture, Scarlet Nexus is entertaining enough. Due to numerous issues with its gameplay, however, it’s a game that’s carried by its story. It’s a shame really, because the world created here is genuinely interesting and unique; I’d certainly like to see more Scarlet Nexus games in the future, and will definitely check out the anime when it arrives on Netflix. But there were times throughout my adventure where the combat was irritating rather than fun, and traipsing through an environment just felt like a chore rather than an exciting foray into the unknown.

Yeah, Total War: Warhammer is pretty good and a step in the right direction to boot, but I refuse to be dazzled by some stickers when the core game takes only a tiny shuffle forward at best.

There’s a hell of a lot to love about Helheim Hassle. Its world, animation, characters and storytelling are all excellent; in terms of art and sound design there’s a level of polish rarely seen outside of AAA releases. But there’s also a lot that lets it down. Had it been a little tighter and had the most frustrating puzzles been worked on just a bit more, Helheim Hassle could have been one of the best indie games of the year. As it is, a convoluted control system and some badly-designed timed puzzles are going to most likely make you rage. You’ll get a kick out of many aspects of Bjørn and Pesto’s journey, but there’ll be times you’ll just want to throw Bjørn’s limbs into the fieriest pits of Hel yourself.

While there’s some disparity between Marsupilami – Hoobadventure‘s target audience and its difficulty spikes, there’s no denying that there’s an excellent 2D platformer here, suitable for all ages. For fans of Crash Bandicoot and Rayman, you’ll find a lot to love in this charming and surprisingly beautiful adventure – even if you aren’t familiar with its long-tailed protagonist.

Undisputed has some issues, but for boxing fans it does enough to make itself essential. There's a huge roster of fighters here, plenty of modes, and the fighing system is easy to pick up but hard to master. It's just a shame that the action lacks a little speed and excitement, and that it's visually not all that impressive on PS5.

With a story full of twists and turns, Karma: The Dark World will equally draw you in and confuse you. Still, it's an interesting game on the whole, which tries to pack in a wide variety of gameplay elements and tackle some dark themes, though it doesn't always do so with finesse.

The trouble is, whilst The Park is indeed unsettling, it never reaches the levels of terror that P.T. taught us to expect of a modern day first-person horror title. It’s perhaps not even as scary as Bloober Team’s Layers of Fear. Additionally, over the course of the two hours it’ll take you to complete it, the lack of any substantial gameplay will mean you won’t have really gained anything from playing it: it may as well have been a movie. And there’s zero replay value too.

Whilst it’s commendable that there are technomancy skills as well as three fighting styles at your disposal… the fact that the combat is so clunky and frequently unbalanced means that it’s best to just settle on one at the outset and stick with it.

The experience at the core of GRID is undoubtedly a great one. The racing is exciting and keeps you on your toes, moreso than any other racer currently available. But there just aren’t enough modes to keep your attention in the long term. Additionally, many features that should make GRID shine feel shallow and inconsequential, and you soon feel like you’ve exhausted all of the game’s tracks. GRID simply needed to be more.

Ultimately, The Pathless is somewhat an uneven experience. Its epic boss battles are thrilling, and the majority of its puzzles are enjoyable to solve. It’s just a shame that there’s so much aimless running around between all the fun. Even dashing around at full speed grows tiresome after a while. Providing some sense of direction may go against what The Pathless strives to be, but it would help make your time with the game feel less wasted, and more fulfilling.

You might not spend enough time with Ao and Bo in No Longer Home to truly care about their feelings. But if you’re a graduate yourself, you’ll undoubtedly relate to the themes brought up in the game and reminisce over your own tumultuous time as you finished your university course. It’s only brief, but No Longer Home manages to capture real feelings and emotions in a tangible, powerful way.

Despite these flaws, Green Hell is a thoroughly engaging survival outing. Shelters aside, crafting is strictly optional and it’s possible to just scavenge your way through the game. It’s the little accomplishments that make Green Hell so satisfying, such as learning which herb will cure poison and which will pebbledash your shelter walls with puke. The game’s story, a cut above the usual survival narrative, is the icing on the cake.

TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 3 is another solid entry in the series, which thankfully mixes things up quite a lot. It’s still not all that welcoming to beginners, and there are some minor issues that might aggravate players from time to time, but overall, fans of the sport are likely to lap this up. Fast, brutal and at times utterly beautiful, TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 3 will reward you if you put in the time and effort to master it. But approach it with recklessness and it’ll just give you road rash.

This year's MotoGP game is the most accessible yet thanks to the introduction of a new Arcade playstyle that lets players ride on the edge without patronising them. The new Race Off mode which offers multiple racing disciplines is also worthy addition. It's just a shame that its Career mode is so basic and disappointing.

DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation is a good visual novel with everything you might want: an intriguing story, tonnes of different endings, a great art style and cute anime girls. And considering it packs in three games in one, it’s a bit of a bargain for fans of the genre.

Tormented Souls 2, like its predecessor, offers some solid survival horror action inspired by classics of the genre. Some might find dealing with or avoiding enemies a bit frustrating at times though, and a number of its puzzles could be considered a little too obtuse for comfort.

Is Mia and the Dragon Princess our favourite FMV game from Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media? Perhaps not, but that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy our time with it. Its story might be ridiculous, but with plenty of action – and a surprising amount of cheesy gore – it kept us highly entertained from start to finish. It’s just a shame that the choices you make can leave you with a half-baked experience that doesn’t truly represent what this story should be.

There’s a lot to like in Fate/Samurai Remnant for Fate fans, or those who simply enjoy action RPGs in general. The story is meaty, and with multiple endings as well as a New Game Plus mode available, some may even jump in for another playthrough or two. It’s a shame the combat isn’t a little more refined and less reliant on giving enemies armour, forcibly making fights more drawn out and challenging than they should be. Those that can look past this issue, however, will get a lot of enjoyment out of this latest effort by Omega Force.

If you absolutely loved the original Drawful in the first Jackbox Party Pack, then Drawful 2 makes sense: more prompts for all-new gameplay and the option to create your own games is a worthy upgrade. However, if you’re new to Drawful and the world of Jackbox altogether, then I’d hasten you instead buy the Party Pack for more variety.

It may be a little derivative of Balatro, but Dice of Kalma's dice-based roguelike gameplay is still great fun, and its foreboding, retro aesthetic is as eye-catching as it is intriguing.

While the new campaign introduced in Vessel of Hatred disappoints, other additions such as the new Spiritborn class and endgame co-op PvE activity Dark Citadel make for a wortwhile expansion overall. In any case, adding a whole new region to explore filled with new dungeons, strongholds, and more, it's essential for devout Diablo 4 fans.

Even with the control issues, The House of the Dead: Remake is good fun. And while a playthrough will take you less than an hour, this is the type of game you’ll come back to time and time again. MegaPixel Studio has done a good job of bringing new life to a classic, even though its work is somewhat sabotaged by the fact that modern TVs have made traditional light guns defunct. Let’s just hope that a solution is found, and soon. But until then, blasting zombies with a controller will suffice.

With a range of characters to meet, mysteries to uncover and plenty of cleaning up and rescuing to be done, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission. Sure, its gameplay may be simple, but when it’s this engaging it doesn’t matter. For the young and young-at-heart, restoring the island of Maupiroa to its former glory is a task worth undertaking.

For anyone that enjoys side-scrolling shooters, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is well worth picking up. Even more so if you also like the world of Warhammer 40,000 or simply having a good laugh. While its campaign is short, it’s fun from beginning to end – and there’s a good chance you might go back for another playthrough or engage in some multiplayer action. Just maybe pick it up on a format other than Switch if you’re sensitive to performance issues.

Attempt to rush through Kitaria Fables and you’ll find it to be a frustrating and unduly challenging experience. Take it slowly, though, spending time engaging with the game’s crafting and farming mechanics, and you’ll have a much better time. With an enjoyable narrative and a pleasantly animated world to explore, being a magical cat armed with a sword is pretty good fun.

If you’re into action RPGs, chances are you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of Deadcraft. Especially so if you also like survival elements, though for some they’ll get in the way. In any case, there’s much to like here, despite the unimpressive visuals and basic combat. And so, if you feel like stepping into yet another post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies, Deadcraft will meet your needs while also putting a unique spin on things.

Like with any collection of retro games, if you have fond memories of playing what’s included here, you’re likely to enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection more than those who don’t. And while there are some games here that are still enjoyable, there are others that we can’t imagine anyone genuinely having a fun time with. Still, as retro collections go, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection is comprehensive, and you can’t fault that. Add in all the fan-pleasing extras and you have a collection that is sure to find an audience despite its shortcomings.

Alone in the Dark isn’t flawless, but it’s definitely one of the best entries in the series so far and an accomplished reimagining. Its story will keep you on your toes, even if sometimes you might feel like it could have a little more fleshed out. And while the game’s combat doesn’t impress, the oppressive atmosphere throughout is effective at keeping you on edge. Throw in a bucketload of enjoyable puzzles to overcome, and you have a survival horror that’s well worth spending some time with.

Stela is good but unspectacular. It grabs your attention from the outset and packs a lot of tense and testing scenarios into its short running time. But there’s nothing overly compelling about it; nothing that elevates it from being just an inoffensive way to waste a couple of hours. It’s enjoyable, sure, but its short length and lack of wow factor makes it hard to recommended at full price. Still, if you really loved Limbo and know what Planet Alpha is, you might want to give Stela a go.