Raiden III x Mikado Maniax isn’t the most content-laden shoot ’em up package, nor is it the best looking. It’s impossible to recommend it over its follow ups, which overall are simply better games. But despite all that, this is still a great shoot ’em up which has stood the test of time. And so, if you’ve already acquired the newer entries in the series but want yet more Raiden action, this will serve you well.

Cuphead isn’t so much of a case of style over substance, but rather style over accessibility. The art is simply astonishing, and so too the music, but the gameplay is frequently too frustrating to make Cuphead a totally enjoyable experience. Essentially a boss rush game, its pacing allows for no relief. There are no moments of downtime to come down from the frustration or elation of your battles, it’s just long bouts of tension and stress that, for the most part, outweigh any joy that’s felt.

If you fancy fighting crime in an open world instead of perpetrating it for a change, The Precinct might just be the game for you. Completing shifts and collecting evidence to progress the story forward can become a little repetitive, but ultimately you're free to take things at your own pace while unlocking new options and equipment to play with.

Dream Drop Distance is a fine HD remaster, and the game is solid, if not the best of the series. 0.2 Birth By Sleep, on the other hand, should not be missed, and has got me incredibly excited for where the series is going to go next.

It may not be entirely original, then, and it’s certainly generic in the looks department, but Amazing Princess Sarah is good fun for those who like old-school platformers such as Castlevania. It’s the type of game that you can play through in one or two sittings, having fun flinging one enemy at another. Then maybe you’ll return to it from time to time to tackle its hoist of additional unlockable game modes. You certainly can’t go wrong for its budget price.

While there’s nothing truly ground-breaking introduced in the Dominion Biosyn Expansion, it’s certainly worth picking up if you love Jurassic World Evolution 2. Some may find that the new campaign guides them a little too much, but the new dinosaurs and features hold your attention throughout. And the new dinosaur-wrangling system in the Chaos Theory scenario makes it stand out, too. But let’s face it, most people are buying this for the dinosaurs, and while there aren’t that many of them, they’re wonderfully recreated and rather unique.

Essays on Empathy is an intriguing collection. It’s a shame that a few finishing touches weren’t applied to give the overall package the polish it deserves, but there’s no denying that the concepts created by Deconstructeam are seriously impressive. You likely won’t find a collection of games as eclectic as this anywhere else.

If you can overlook the network issues, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a sweet little party game that will keep you coming back for more. It looks fantastic, and while its gameplay doesn’t offer much variety, it’s the sort of tried-and-tested multiplayer competition that never gets old. For its budget asking price of £13.49/$14.99, you can’t really ask for much more. Well, other than a more reliable online mode.

For much of Reveil we were worried that it was just going to be another bog-standard first-person psychological horror game, but it’s safe to say that its late-game twist saved it. And so while it’s not all that scary, and the voice acting of the main character somewhat ruins the atmosphere at times, it’s still very much worth a play if you’re a fan of the genre or just enjoy a good story that throws you a curveball.

The physics-based play of the game makes for some astounding puzzles that bend your mind and stretch your problem-solving skills to the limit.

This version of Monopoly might just be the best digital version of the board game to date, thanks to how wonderfully tactile it is to play. Rolling the dice with motion controls, manually moving your piece and even flipping over the board when you're losing make this an enjoyable and realistic way to play this classic. It's just a shame that a handful of random bugs let down the experience somewhat.

It’s a shame that Atlas Fallen isn’t a little more polished – it’s clear that it’s a title very much held back by its budget – but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. While you’re not likely to be captivated by its story or wowed by its presentation, its combat and exploration, both buoyed by the skills granted to you by your mysterious gauntlet, are likely to keep you playing. Provided you make it through the game’s off-putting opening, that is.

Iron Harvest isn’t perfect, but it is an engaging journey into a new world that’s fun to explore. The factions are crazy and their units even crazier, yet the threat of death still feels very real. It’s a shame some of the functionalities of playing let the game down, and its lack of tactical options do hold it back. However, I still found myself having a great time; its mechanics aren’t perfect, but its world is a joy to get lost in.

A family-friendly multiplayer game, Splatterbot is very basic but entertaining in short bursts. It's the sort of thing you'll pull out on family get-togethers, and thanks to its simplicity, absolutely anyone can play.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a lot of fun. It’s a unique combination of rhythm game and RPG, presented in a way that only a Japanese video game series could be. It’s over-the-top, silly and in-your-face, but that’s what makes it so endearing. It would benefit from better tutorials for newcomers to the series, and songs should be more widely randomised so you don’t end up battling to the same tracks again and again. Even so, this pair of games is the sort of thing you can’t help but play with a big, silly grin on your face.

Despite the odd bit of patchy voice acting, Hacked: The Streamer weaves a tense, engaging FMV tale that will keep you hooked.

Action RPG fans aren’t likely to be wowed by Achilles: Legends Untold, but chances are they’ll have some fun with it if they give it a go. There’s nothing wholly original or particularly impressive here, but it offers a solid experience for those keen to immerse themselves in a fantasy world inspired by Greek myth.

Ultimately, The Outlast Trials finds itself in a bit of an awkward spot. It doesn’t quite hit the mark as a single player game, though playing alone is where the true horror lies. Play it with others, and while you’re likely to have more fun, it comes at the expense of atmosphere and scares. For many though, repetition is likely to be the biggest issue with The Outlast Trials; sneaking around in the dark is only fun for so long, after all. Still, that’s not to say this experiment is a total failure — it has a lot to offer for those who do find enjoyment in its grotesque endeavors.

Despite its issues, if you’ve had your fill of Streets of Rage 4 and are after another side-scrolling beat ’em up to play, you should definitely consider adding The TakeOver to your collection. Though it does eventually lose some of its shine, its combat system offers more depth than most in the genre, and the package as a whole has some genuinely nice ideas. The fact that it looks so good and has a great soundtrack is just icing on the cake.

The general difficulty of Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is ultimately what will make players either love or hate it. If you have treasured memories of playing earlier games in the series and yearn for another adventure with Arthur, go to the eStore and buy Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection right now. You’ll likely become besotted with it, you really will. If this will be your first Ghosts ‘n Goblins rodeo, however, be wary before you part with your money. It’s an experience that can feel like heaven or hell depending on your perspective. Put it this way: it makes Dark Souls seem like a walk in the park.

Gas Station Simulator is a tough game to score. It’s deeply flawed, but it’s oh-so fun. The jankiness is part-and-parcel with the experience, but some progress-halting bugs will really sour you. Still, the act of manning your own gas station, getting stuck into the nitty-gritty and seeing your business flourish over time is incredibly satisfying. And those issues just aren’t enough to drag us away from the joy of serving our customers.

If you’ve ever fancied having a go at being a mechanic but don’t like being covered in oil or having to actually do hard work, Car Mechanic Simulator is easy to recommend. As a game it’s far from being perfect, and it certainly isn’t for the masses, but it’ll prove to be entertaining to those who want to virtually fiddle under car bonnets to their heart’s content. There really is nothing else quite like it.

Whilst VR is mentioned on the store page as an optional experience, I’d say it’s the core experience.

If you enjoy off-road racing, you can do much worse than MX vs ATV Legends. It’s certainly the best the series has been in some years, and looks better than ever thanks to being on PS5 for the first time. There’s a wide range of gameplay options available, and being able to wrangle with one of three vehicle types means you’re unlikely to get bored very quickly. The AI and balancing could do with a bit of tweaking, but it’s not enough to ruin the experience.

Despite its flaws, there’s no denying that The Gallery is well made, and Paul Raschid continues to cement his position as a leader in the FMV space. We perhaps didn’t enjoy this as much as his other projects due to its sometimes-slow pacing, and its focus on art won’t be to everyone’s tastes. But in terms of production values, it’s hard to criticise. And it leaves us intrigued to see what Raschid is working on next.

With a number of improvements such as a new goalie crease system and NHL EDGE data being used to enhance player behaviour, NHL 26 is undoubtedly a great hockey game. Be A Pro mode still has some issues, though, and you can just tell that the series doesn't get as much love as the likes of EA Sports FC.

Having a modern-day video game with some of the most beloved cartoon characters from our youth is certainly a novelty, and at worst, that’s exactly what Nickelodeon Kart Racers manages to be. But at best, it’s a solid entry into a rather stagnant kart racing genre. It may be lacking a bit of personality and polish, but zooming around the track as Tommy Pickles or Patrick Star is a lot of fun.

Bus Bound is one of the most accessible bus simulators out there, expecting you to drive with care but not bogging you down with too many intricacies. It works both for and against it: this will be enjoyable for many, but a lack of depth means that it soon becomes quite repetitive. Still, it's worth a look, especially with its budget price.

If you’re a Picross fan, there’s a lot to like in Depixtion. It’s a worthy addition to an ever-growing picture puzzle library on Switch. The nice twist on the colour format makes it feel like something slightly different, and its intuitive controls and easy-to-navigate menus make it one of the better options out there. For $7.99, it provides excellent value for money, too – it’s just a shame it’s missing a couple of accessibility options.

If you grew up on a healthy diet of movies such as Zombie Flesh Eaters and The Evil Dead, like us, there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate the vibe that Night at the Gates of Hell is going for. This is yet another lo-fi horror that proves to be engaging and somewhat inventive, throwing caution to the wind in order to deliver an experience that’s unpredictable, sometimes horrifying, and often actually funny. Needless to say, horror fans should definitely consider checking it out.

If you’ve enjoyed stylish adventures like Rime and Journey in the past, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy Jusant. What it lacks in narrative it makes up for in environmental design: this is a world teeming with imagination and signs of life. Ultimately though, your goal here is to simply keep moving upwards. As repetitive as it can get, there’s still a sweet joy to be found in ever edging closer and closer to the top, and puzzling to find the best route to get there is enjoyable enough to keep us playing.

If you’re after a fun, old-fashioned arcade shooter experience and don’t mind the dated graphics, Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition is certainly worth its budget asking price. It’s not a comprehensive remaster of the close to 30-year old game, but its exhilarating gameplay still shines through.

Crayola Scoot isn’t perfect. It has a few little niggles and could do with a bit of polish especially in its control scheme. But it’s fun. The bold, simple art style is extremely effective, and seeing a skate park completely covered in various colours after an aggressive round of Colour Frenzy is brilliant.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is better than its predecessor in many ways, but in some areas it falls short, mainly because of the hardware it’s running on. By streamlining Super Lucky’s Tale, Playful Studios has made its colourful 3D platformer even better, removing unnecessary fluff that brought the experience down.

With a wonderfully silly presentation that won’t fail to make you laugh, Papa’s Quiz is a delightful take on the trivia genre. Winning comes secondary to having fun, and Papa’s Quiz is certainly all about having fun. It’s more entertaining the more players you have, and thanks to its intuitive mobile phone control system it’s easy to get your friends in on the act.

Steelrising is a commendable stab at the Soulslike genre by Spiders. It’s visually appealing, and Aegis’ unique abilities eventually make exploration feel more rewarding while also enhancing the combat. Those jumping in should be aware that combat isn’t quite as tight at that found in the likes of Dark Souls though, and Steelrising is a bit rough around the edges in general. Still, there’s a lot to like here for those seeking out a challenge within a new setting.

Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince might not impress with its presentation, but its puzzles are devilishly moreish, keeping you going back for one last try until the early hours of the morning.

You’ll rue the lack of some crucial features, and its performance will grate on you, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had in shaping your own park. Whether you’re aiming for the prettiest themed landscape, or care more about building massive and crazy roller coasters, there’s plenty for you to sink your teeth into. Just don’t expect to be able to micro-manage every element of your park, and you shouldn’t be too disappointed.

While Root Film doesn’t quite meet the standard of its excellent predecessor, Root Letter, it’s still a thoroughly entertaining visual novel, especially for those who are into murder mysteries. It isn’t afraid to dip its toes into some pretty serious topics, and does so in a respectful manner, but it also employs a bit of humour to lighten the mood when necessary. Forgive its localisation issues, and you have a fine way to step into the shoes of an investigator for just over a dozen of hours.

The Last Cat in the Universe is a short tale about mining for resources to provide for the titular feline. It occasionally get a little tedious, but its heart-wrenching story will make you want to hug your cat. Then all the cats.

It still lacks tension, something that I suspect could be fixed by patching in a hardcore “damage” mode, and spider-hunting is, at its core, repetitive. But Kill It With Fire gives you the resources to turn a mundane activity into glorious, cartoony, house-torching mayhem. Best experienced in short bursts, if you only play one spider-murder sandbox this year, play Kill It With Fire.

Pirate Pop Plus is the kind of game I see myself going back to for a brief five or ten-minute session, and whilst this style of game is quite fittingly more appropriate for a mobile/portable system, I can see it occupying some dead time within my desktop experience as well. You might think it lacks variety or depth, but then I would put forward the argument that this isn’t what the game is trying to do. Give it a try; for the price I think it’s well worth a shot at the very least!

A unique and thought-provoking package that should pique the interest of any gamer that isn't averse to a bit of strategy. It may not stand up so well to many repeated playthroughs, despite it having multiple endings aplenty, but while it lasts it'll have you on tenterhooks as you go about your duplicitous operations.

It's never going to overly impress you, but it lays solid foundations for a series that could go somewhere. With its stunning scenery and fairly open track design, I'd love to see Milestone throw caution to the wind, add a boost button and go all-out arcade. Just then, we might have a worthy successor to Motorstorm on our hands.

It’s certainly not for everybody, but those who are keen on driving four-wheeled monstrosities in open environments and flinging them around stadiums will be in their element with Monster Jam Steel Titans 2. It doesn’t really excel in any area, but it is one of the best attempts at bringing the joy of driving monster trucks to the video game world regardless. A nice variety of events and activities are on offer, and it boasts what is perhaps the largest number of Monster Jam vehicles to get behind the wheel of yet. It’s by no means essential, but if you’re after a racing game that’s a little bit different, you can do a lot worse.

Overall then, MXGP2 is a good game, but it’s not going to blow you away.

Compared to some past entries, Song of the Dark Swan‘s visuals look even more vivid and sharper than ever before, and altogether are more beautiful to look at. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy this simplistic style of game, you can appreciate the well-crafted artwork.

The main event of Super Mario Party Jamboree is fine, but it doesn't offer anything truly original. As a package, though, there's plenty to like here, with several modes and ways to play, whether locally or online. The battle royale-like 'Koopathlon' is a real highlight in particular.

Would I call The Sims 4: For Rent a must-have expansion? Not quite: this is certainly one for more advanced players with a learning curve steeper than most other Sims expansions – although some of its features make for very welcome additions to the game. Finally being able to rent before buying leads to more realistic play, for example. And the town of Tomarang is simply beautiful. If you’ve ever dreamed of being an evil landlord or nightmare tenant, For Rent offers the tools to live out those twisted fantasies.

The Sundew isn’t perfect; every so often I ended up shaking my fist at its list of tasks, mocking me with its empty boxes, knowing full well some of them were entirely dependent on others. But this pixel-based point-and-click adventure still had me hooked to the end. All the more remarkable for being a solo effort, The Sundew is a real treat for adventure fans, cyberpunk aficionados or anyone who’s sick of being a chirpy chosen one.

Taken in reasonable doses, like the board game it’s based on, Space Hulk: Tactics is a rewarding and satisfying strategy game, whether you’re purging the unclean or punching your extendable jaws through an intergalactic fascist’s face. Thanks to its board game roots it’s a more claustrophobic experience than other turn-based strategy games, but set foot aboard this Space Hulk and you’ll have nothing to lose but your spleen.

It takes a little while to warm to, but once you've got the hang of controlling your bike in Parcel Corps the fun quickly ramps up. Getting companies signed up to your delivery app and mastering each location is an enjoyable endeavour, and delivery rush events feel a bit like a mix between Crazy Taxi and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, which can only be a good thing.

Fans of the Layers of Fear series are likely to enjoy this new take on its stories, combined and enhanced with new elements. But at the same time, you’re likely to be disappointed that more hasn’t been done to make everything more consistent and unique. What’s more, it’s not as if these games are so old that they needed remaking; the Writer’s story could have perhaps been its own thing, expanded upon to offer something genuinely new. So, while Layers of Fear (2023) is a solid horror experience, we can’t help but feel like Bloober Team has missed an opportunity to really mix things up and impress.

With a new PvE match type set to be added to the game later this month, and more updates promised in the future, we’re intrigued to see what becomes of Exoprimal. While it’s not quite as compelling to play as we’d hoped it would be right now, it’s still very enjoyable in short bursts. We love its Exosuits, and we love its varied range of brilliantly realised dinosaurs, but we’re not so keen on the fact that there’s currently only one match type and that, whether you play PvP or PvE, it’s ultimately still a race that gives you little opportunity to take everything in.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a small but highly engaging tale that proves you can do Who without shoehorning every enemy into the mix. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, especially if the Weeping Angels are your monster of choice, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is well worth your time.

Putting a very nice twist on the auto-attacking roguelike genre, Death by Scrolling tasks you with outrunning the apocalypse on a vertically-scrolling screen. It's an absolute delight, but with little variety from one run to the next, repetition can quickly set in.

Despite its age, Ys Origin is a solid dungeon-crawling RPG adventure to rival the best of current gen games.

It’s dated, sure, but for £3.99/$4.99 you can’t really go wrong with DOOM 64. There’s just under 10 hours of solid gameplay here, and many might return to tackle the game’s harder difficulty levels. It won’t get your heart racing in the same way that more modern DOOM titles do, but if you have a penchant for retro shooters there’s plenty to like. It’s perhaps the best of the classic DOOMs, if you don’t mind that its soundtrack doesn’t have tunes that you can tap your feet to, that is.

While much of this review may seem negative, there’s a lot to like about Saints Row. Its cast quickly grows on you, it has some entertaining set-pieces, and there’s explosive fun around every corner. Customisation is also a high-point: if you like creating zany characters, you’ll be in your element. But while in many ways this this the best Saints Row game to date, there are also multiple design decisions that pull it down. For a game all about building a crime syndicate, the fact that engaging in such activities feels so optional on the main path is a crime itself. It also won’t come as much surprise to Saints Row fans that this is just as scrappy as ever before. Still, it’s ridiculously enjoyable nonetheless.

It feels like a reinvention of the series, and if this is the starting block that is built upon in further releases, I’m in.

If hard sci-fi sends you to sleep, you might want to give this a miss, because every now and then, the story be can a little dry. But for everyone else, if you’re prepared to give Encased your time and attention, and overlook what are mostly fixable flaws, you’ll discover an engaging, compelling and pleasingly deep RPG.

With a striking papercraft style, Hirogami instantly wins you over with its beautiful art. This platformer uses origami to provide you with a wealth of skills and abilities, but sometimes switching between them can prove to be a little frustrating. Still, if you're a platforming fan and you have a bit of patience, there's a lot to like here.

Some bits are not needed, there’s a lot of filler, and a lot that gets repetitive, but I still had a lot of fun with it.

There’s a lot of fun to be had with Slipstream. It’s wonderfully presented, has a good amount of content, and the racing action is fun and intense for the most part. It’s just a shame that the efforts it makes to differentiate itself from Outrun gameplay-wise don’t really have the intended effect. But if you’re after an old-fashioned racing game inspired by the classics of the 80s and 90s, this is still very much worthy of a purchase.

As unappealing as Separation‘s opening is, it’s worth pushing past, mountain-hopping and all. Separation’s creator was supposedly inspired by Ico – and while the first location you encounter is a dead ringer for Shadow of the Colossus, it’s got a character all its own. It’s almost a shame it’s VR only; while it might not have quite the same impact otherwise, Separation deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

If you’re looking for a game that’ll keep your younger children occupied, Gigantosaurus: The Game could be it. Its built-in local co-op means it’s perfect for siblings to play together, and its Easy Mode means that even the youngest children can get a kick out of it. There’s plenty of gameplay for those who want to hunt for everything – and even for those who don’t it offers an easygoing, cheerful distraction from the real world right now.

Atomic Heart leaves a lot to be desired, but its unique setting, varied gameplay and often inventive enemies go a long way to keep you interested in your traipse through its ruined utopia. Just bear in mind that while it may look like a AAA game, it’s not; Mundfish has achieved a great deal here, but there are signs of corners being cut and a considerable lack of polish. And so, you might want to wait for a patch or two to sort out some of its unfortunate bugs and other blemishes, but you could do a lot worse than venture into the hostile world that Atomic Heart offers.

Ring of Pain probably isn’t something you’ll sit and play for hours at a time. It’s the sort of thing you’ll enjoy a few rounds of before turning it off, more than likely feeling defeated. But it won’t be long before you’re itching to jump back in and try again. There’s something infectious about its simplicity; it’s a roguelike dungeon crawler like no other, and despite the lack of action or actual dungeon-crawling, it’s huge amounts of fun. Even when you’re exploding left, right and centre.

All it does is force me to admit that we can all sometimes become prisoners to our own nostalgia.

Punishing but rewarding, Reverie Knights Tactics provides an enjoyable challenge for any fan of strategic turn-based combat. Battles may not offer much in the way of a unique twist, but it’s the game’s art style that truly makes it stand out. Reverie Knights Tactics‘ colourful, hand-drawn visuals are simply beautiful – and even if you’re getting pummelled on the battlefield, at least you’ll enjoy the view.

With its sumptuous art and rousing soundtrack, Neva sure is a treat for the eyes and ears. Its story will pull on your heartstrings, too. It's just a shame that its gameplay is basic at best and it often borders on being simply dull.

There’s some fun to be had with Granblue Fantasy: Versus. Its cast is likeable and the accessible combat means that anyone can play and have a good time time. At least initially, anyway. And I’m sure I’ve already mentioned that it’s probably the best looking fighting game available. It’s just a shame that the combat lacks depth in the long run, that its RPG mode is a bit grindy, and that there isn’t a great deal of content. Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a good fighting game, but there are many better, more generous, offerings out there, even if they don’t look quite as nice.

Inevitably, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem doesn’t do much to attract newcomers to the series. It is what it is: an expansion designed to offer Serious Sam 4 fans more hair-raising combat encounters, with a sprinkling of new enemies and weapons. It’s disappointing that some of the technical issues that have plagued Serious Sam 4 since launch still persist, but if the idea of having an entire army of Headless Kamikazes running your way yet again gets you hot under the collar, it’s well worth the investment.

Ultimately, while Adios might not match your initial expectations, particularly if you’ve read the slightly sneaky Steam store deception, it’s still a captivating ride. Adios may be a brief goodbye but the echoes of this farewell will stick with you for days.

Honestly, there's a hell of a lot to like about Dragon's Crown Pro, but hardly any of it is unique to this PlayStation 4 remaster. If you've already played Dragon's Crown to exhaustion on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita, you won't find anything here that'll get your juices flowing.

Inspired by classic survival horror games of the '90s, Crow Country's puzzle-laden gameplay is enjoyable on the whole. It's not scary in the slightest, though, and its combat is a bit of a let-down. While fans of the genre might want to check it out, then, it's unlikely to be remembered as a classic itself.

Avid players of F1 2017 would be wise to wait until the inevitable F1 2019 – unless they really must engage in some multiple choice PR interviews between races right now.

Sky Force Anniversary is a great modern shmup that unfortunately pads its content by pushing players to the max. Not only that, but there are implementations, such as the specialties, that feel arbitrary. Detractions aside, I liked the game quite a bit and the addition of co-op and Remote Play was a godsend. Sky Force Anniversary didn’t evolve the genre, but it created something moderately pleasant in our modern architecture.

Weaving an intriguing tale that’s filled with twists and turns, we’ve enjoyed spending some time in Poirot’s shoes and solving the mystery of The London Case. This is a budget title and it shows, but there’s still a lot to like, especially if you’re a fan of traditional point and click adventures. It’s a bit of a journey back in time in that regard, but it’s a valuable addition to the genre nonetheless.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book isn’t anything groundbreaking, but any fan of the series can attest the Atelier games never set out to be – and it doesn’t matter.

If the thrill of collecting loot and the joy of upgrading your party is enough for you, then definitely make sure Lapis x Labyrinth is on your radar. If you hope for a little depth in terms of narrative development and refined combat, you won’t find it here. But you will find a lot of chaotic fun. With its bite-sized levels and constant rewards, it’s the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts on Nintendo Switch.

It’s hard to not like Jump Stars. From its cutesy playable characters to its easy to pick up gameplay, it’s accessible and enjoyable for all, no matter their skill level.

This isn't the best twist on Pac-Man — that accolade goes to the excellent Pac-Man 256. But injecting Battle Royale DNA into the Pac-Man formula works well enough, and although it's rather thin on content, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs provides enough entertainment to keep you coming back, particularly considering its budget price.

The world in which Phoning Home is based is gorgeously designed; each organism you come across is new and different – some glow, some shine, and together, it is all incredibly beautiful.

Carves out its own unique place in the metroidvania genre, largely thanks to its whimsical take on presentation, puzzle-solving, and narrative.

The lack of enemy and level variety makes it feel like a slog at times, and the drip-feed of new features while failing to explain them is irritating. But the hard-hitting action and addictive character development go some way to make up for its issues.

The Descendant: Episode 1 – Aftermath is a great introduction to this sci-fi adventure series. Aside from my personal issues with the controls, its short length, and a few glitchy moments, it all pulls together to form a pretty successful start.

The ability to dash around each enemy individually and slice them to pieces using the wonderfully hilarious procedural gore system is endlessly satisfying.

If you fancy yourself a bit of a budding sleuth and enjoy a good murder mystery, you’ll love The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story. The narrative is rich and twisting, and even as it jumps between time periods it always manages to keep you engaged. As long as you don’t mind a bit of ham and cheese (and stay away from the English dub), you’ll have a grand old time with this whodunnit.

Things picked up with the ending, but Silt‘s bosses are in sore need of an overhaul. Thankfully, Silt has plenty of stand-out encounters to help erase the memory of those few middling ones. If you’ve the remotest interest in what lies below, this atmospheric aquatic outing is well worth diving into.

We have a lot of gripes about As Dusk Falls, but we’ve still very much enjoyed our time with it. Its story will keep you hooked from start to finish, but some of its narrative gaps will leave you with questions. Should that keep you from playing? No – ultimately, this is a very well-executed narrative drama complete with excellent voice acting and a unique art style. Yes, it could have been better in many ways, but it’s still worthy of your time.

Despite a repetitive structure and some boring dungeons, Toyko Xanadu‘s action-based combat was effective in keeping my interest. The characters are also generally quite likeable, with their relationships and quirky personalities coming off as genuinely enjoyable.

If you can put up with the odd groan-worthy joke, Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise is a very welcome call back to puzzle games of old. It’s a great way to take your brain out for a spin without pushing it too hard. The story might not be the most developed, but it doesn’t matter; Agent A isn’t a game you play for its narrative – it’s entirely about the puzzles. And thankfully, for the most part, they deliver exactly as promised.

Ultimately I recommend Lion Quest as a sale title. Although I don’t see myself returning to it to find hidden keys, gems, or to grind out high scores in the arcade mode, I most definitely will keep it installed as a relaxation tool.

Those who have previously played Driveclub will no doubt get a kick out of trying Driveclub VR with its host of new tracks, but it’s unlikely to wow them as it feels just too familiar and too visually inferior to impress.

GRIP: Combat Racing may never really dazzle you, but it does enough to keep your attention. It has the content, the customisation, the intensity, and the replayability.

It's not really scary, but Heartworm remains a fun retro-styled survival horror game nonetheless, thanks to its intriguing story and rewarding puzzles.

Available at a budget price, Drag x Drive is a unique sports game that doesn't boast a great deal of content. Still, it's fun to play as long as you can get along with using your Joy-Cons like mice, though performing some advanced manoeuvres can feel a little hit or miss.