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.

It’s bright, bold and colourful, and most importantly, a lot of fun to play. It’s simple to get the hang of, but each separate game mode requires serious practice to truly master. If you enjoy the simple pleasures of a classic arcade-style game, you can’t go far wrong here.

If you’re a visual novel fan, or at least open to them, you should definitely give Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! a try. What initially seems like a fairly run-of-the-mill dating visual novel soon takes a turn, and from there you’re left on the edge of your seat, wondering what’s going to happen next. It won’t be for everyone thanks to its subject matter and the fact that it is indeed a visual novel, but those who do venture out of their comfort zones and see it through to its end will no doubt find it to be a memorable experience.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is the embodiment of wholesome gaming. Its messages of hope and happiness might have you rolling your eyes from time to time, sure, but it’s hard not to be warmed by its wonderful optimism. With enjoyable puzzles, gorgeous character design and a world worth exploring, there’s a lot to enjoy here. If you’ve got primary school-aged children, play it with them – they’ll benefit greatly from the messages of respect, friendship and believing in yourself that are sewn into every aspect of the game.

Don’t write A Little Golf Journey off if you’re not a golfer. This gorgeous little game is more about solving puzzles than the sport, and it blends the two perfectly. Presented in a wonderful level-based package, finding the best way to putt the ball in each level provides a simple but effective gameplay loop that will keep you coming back for more. This is a game that’ll test your thinking skills, but you’ll also have a lot of fun at the same time.

If you love side-scrolling beat ’em ups, consider Mayhem Brawler a must-have. Though even those who have simply dabbled with the likes of Streets of Rage or Final Fight should also check it out. This is, without a doubt, one of the best examples of the genre, and a fun game to play alone or with friends or family members while sat on the couch. We can only hope that Hero Concept follows up with a sequel. Because as a first attempt, there are solid foundations here for something special.

The Jackbox Party Pack 9 is a strong mix of titles, with a nice variety of all sorts of party games. Prefer something that will actually test your general knowledge? There’s Quixort. Want something completely random and silly? Go for Junktopia. Like the idea of pretending to be someone else? Opt for Roomerang. Add to the mix a wonderful presentation, plenty of humour and, of course, Cookie Masterson, and you’ve got one of the best Jackbox collections we’ve played in some time.

Ten Dates might be one of our favourite FMVs to date. It’s sweet, it’s fun, and it’s packed with larger-than-life characters that we had an absolute blast getting to know. One playthrough may be short, but it makes for the perfect interactive rom-com to cosy up with. If you enjoyed Five Dates, this sequel is a no-brainer: it’s bigger and better in every way.

With a large number of weapons and other upgrades to play around with, and many difficulty levels to conquer, you can have a lot of fun with Jets ‘n’ Guns 2. Though even without them, the explosive gameplay here is so enjoyable that you’d likely return to it time and time again anyway. Jets ‘n’ Guns 2 may not have any complex gameplay systems, but for those who just want to shoot things and watch them go boom, this does the job rather admirably.

It may not be quite the leap forward that some would expect from a fully-fledged sequel, but it can’t be denied that Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes is still an accomplished fighting game. With its expanded roster, new mechanics and implementation of valued features such as rollback netcode, this is an enticing offer for series fans. And while newcomers might have a hard time when dipping their toes into its online offerings, it at least offers a myriad of ways for them to improve their skills.

Even with its areas not entirely remembering what you’ve done on a previous visit, however, Promenade is still a joy to play. It looks gorgeous, has a neat soundtrack, and is full of variety. What other game can you think of where you can go from finding chickens to playing a sneaky game of space invaders within minutes? If you love platformers, especially those that require you to collect things, consider Promenade a must-play.

A strategy puzzle masquerading as a world builder, Planetiles is a wonderfully challenging little game that we can't get enough of.

Clearly inspired by Theme Hospital and Two Point Hospital, Galacticare takes humorous hospital management into deep space. Building the perfect hospital and helping patients from a range of species is every bit as enjoyable as its inspirations, and with high production values, there's a lot to like. Some of its humour might not quite land, but we think if you're a Theme Hospital fan, Galacticare is a no-brainer.

Mask of Darkness presents a good reason to return to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, offering a new area to explore filled with intense platforming challenges and some fun boss fights, all at a budget price.

Short but sweet, Spilled! is a solo project that sees you cleaning up oil spills and litter from a series of waterways. You'll have it completed in roughly an hour, but it's very much an hour well spent, especially if you love relaxing clean-up games.

A standout entry in the Survivors-like genre, Achilles: Survivor looks great, plays well and mixes things up by adding in tower defence elements. There's a huge amount of content on offer here, including plenty of characters to unlock and levels to play through, and given the game's budget asking price, consider it an absolute must-have.

Halls of Torment combines the character-building, loot and atmosphere of Diablo with the conciseness and pick-up-and-play nature of the Survivors-like genre to create an experience like no other. You might encounter the odd minor frustration while playing, but this is very easy to recommend.

Cheap and cheerful, Hidden Cats in Rio de Janeiro is a real joy for any fan of hidden object games, particularly if they also love cats. Beautifully presented and packed with personality, it's yet another great entry in the lovable Hidden Cats series.

While Visions of Four Heroes largely offers more of the same Dynasty Warriors: Origins action, it's not exactly a bad thing. The four new stories presented here have lots of exciting battles to play through, and there are some new features such as Strategic Battles and additional weapons to make things feel somewhat fresh.

Neo: The World Ends With You exudes style and sophistication, its presentation is modern and its gameplay is gripping with a pace that never lets up. Elements of action, adventure, RPG, visual novel and puzzle genres collide with gusto to create an epic experience that will keep you hooked until the credits roll. If you like games with plenty of variety in their gameplay, or games that tell a compelling story, look no further; this is an outstanding RPG unlike any other.

Aside from some minor issues, more often encountered when playing alone, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is one of the best beat 'em ups currently available, and an absolute treat for Marvel fans.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World is heavily influenced by Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot — perhaps to the point where it almost becomes derivative. But although it may wear its influences plainly on its sleeve, it's such a well-crafted new entry in the platforming genre that it's impossible to care too much. Making your way through Nikoderiko's wonderfully designed levels is every bit as joyful as the 90s classics, and if you're a fan of the genre you should consider this a must-play.

After several hours with Fall Guys over the course of a few evenings, we’ve already seen everything the game has to offer. The desire to jump back in is already waning. It’s a fun little game while it lasts – but the question is, just how long will it last? There’s no denying it’s one of the most accessible battle royale games out there; even if you’re not a fan of competitive multiplayer, Fall Guys is easy to jump into and get a kick out of. But it’s a kick that is more than likely short-lived.

With a wonderfully designed setting, it’s hard not to love Pokémon Sword.

Cat Quest 3's selling point is also one of its biggest detractors, depending how you feel about the series: it's simply more of the same. It looks fantastic, and exploring its cutesy world is a joy, but the addition of sailing a ship isn't enough to make this stand out from its predecessors.

While its guest characters are questionable, and there are some issues with its single-player RPG mode, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a fantastic fighting game with fun mechanics, attractive visuals and plenty of modes.

Score Rush Extended might not put a lot on the table with only two game modes, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Thanks to its ultra-colourful, fast-paced, high-octane action, this is a game you’ll find hard to put down, playing to constantly beat your old score.

There’s a lot to like about Remnant II – this is a very worthy sequel. It offers more of the same challenging, world-hopping, third-person shooter action, but this time with more choice, more polish, and a variety of gameplay improvements. Fans of Remnant: From the Ashes will lap this up, and newcomers are likely to get a lot of enjoyment from it too – as long as they’re brave and persistent.