Its puzzles are challenging enough to keep you engrossed through its three- to four-hour play time, but its Silence‘s locations and environment design that will really make you fall in love with this game. And Spot, of course.

Ultimately, Bombslinger takes the Bomberman concept and runs with it. It's a whimsical, engaging and hugely entertaining bomb 'em up that will keep you coming back, even when the Bombslinger’s thirst for vengeance is slaked.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is only a couple of hours long, but it’s a couple of hours that will keep you glued to your screen, hungrily unfolding one plot point after another. With light puzzles to solve, private conversations to sift through and an excellent story, FMV thriller fans will get a kick out of this – even if they aren’t all that familiar with the Doctor.

Wonderfully zen and relaxing, Islanders: New Shores is the city building game for people who don't want to get bogged down with nitty-gritty. All you need to worry about here is placing buildings and getting the highest score possible — and if even that sounds too stressful, there's a sandbox mode that simply lets you design your own aesthetically-pleasing townscape.

On the face of it, Goodnight Universe is a far-fetched, comedic tale about a baby with telekinetic powers. But really, this is a very touching tale about love and familial bonds. For fans of narrative-driven adventures, this is not to be missed.

Avadon 3 proves that the classic RPG isn’t, and nor should it ever be, dead; as long as we have people like Jeff Vogel creating these involved and terrific worlds full of choice and enjoyment the genre will never leave us. Some people may scoff at the visuals or at the lack of a soundtrack; others may be put off by the sometimes poor UI or the intrinsic slowness of it all, but even those things add charm to something like this.

Dishonored 2 is a bloody good game that builds upon the groundwork of its predecessor in many ways, but still remains perplexing in its stance of making you feel like you’re playing it wrong if you choose a playstyle that’s anything other than pure stealth.

There’s a lot to like about Ufouria: The Saga 2, and its ridiculously cute art style is only the tip of the iceberg. This is a clever platformer that rewards exploration, and wandering around the game’s intertwined world remains a joy, even when you’re revisiting the same areas multiple times. We dare you to try and find something cuter than this: it really is in a fluffy league of its own.

Fans of the original PSN version searching to re-visit the good old days will find a lot to enjoy here, as will RTS players itching for something a bit simpler but still addictive.

Thus far, Song of Horror is a tense, chilling horror outing that deserves to be experienced by any serious horror fan.

Infuriating as it is, Rogue Stormers is fun and innovative and I very much enjoyed playing it.

Overcooked has so much to offer for someone who loves playing games with their friends but, for those of you lone wolves, single player is a little bit of a drag.

Ben 10: Power Trip is a game squarely aimed at a younger audience, so don’t expect to find a challenging and deep experience. In our opinion, though, it absolutely nails it as a kids game. It offers an engaging story mode packed with fun and varied missions, as well as a big open world that’s ripe for exploring. Throw into the mix the well-voiced familiar characters, the range of skills offered up by Ben’s aliens and the wealth of side content, and you’ve got an excellent entry point into the genre of open-world adventures.

While it may seem a little basic at first, and players may wander into encounters that they’re really not prepared for, it soon settles down into a hugely enjoyable historical romp that is suitable for all ages and skill levels. The cutesy art style is just the icing on the cake, drawing you into a world that is charming and vibrant. With its clear Breath of the Wild inspirations, Ubisoft’s Immortals Fenyx Rising might just be the surprise hit of the year.

For the most part, Dead in Vinland is a gorgeous-looking, entertaining survival romp that is well worth hopping into a longboat for.

In all seriousness, Little Nightmares does a fantastic job of pulling off “childish horror”. It strikes a good balance in introducing horror without ever being too scary; anyone who loves a little bit of the macabre without the intense dread of true terror will love this indie title. It is a bit on the short side, taking me only a little over four hours to beat – and that was with me getting stuck twice – but what it lacks in length in makes up for in brilliant content. If you enjoyed the likes of Limbo or Inside, you’ll be sure to fall in love with the world featured in Little Nightmares. With its brilliant setting, wonderfully whimsical characters and clever puzzles, it’s hard not to recommend it as yet another essential title from what’s shaping up to be an incredibly stellar year of gaming.

I Am Your Beast is a simple game in principle, tasking you with completing basic objectives across many bite-sized levels before making your way to an exit. Its breakneck pace means you have to think and act fast, however, and the forces you're up against escalate as you progress. Throw in a story that's gripping from the outset, and you have a first-person shooter that makes you feel a little bit like John Wick whenever you play.

With several different modes and solo and online play at your fingertips, Quilts and Cats of Calico is the type of game you can go back to again and again. Challenging yet wholesome, we love its unique brand of puzzle that manages to test your brain while also providing an ideal tool for relaxation. Whether you’re familiar with the Calico board game or not, this is a PC puzzler worth checking out.

For £20/$25, Dandy Dungeon: The Legend of Brave Yamada packs in plenty of content. It’s taken me about 15 hours to see the credits roll, but even now there’s better equipment for me to aim for and higher scores to aspire to. It’s not your usual dungeon-crawling RPG, and it might not be much of a looker, but Dandy Dungeon is a hell of a lot of fun. It’ll get its quirky little claws in you and refuse to let go.

Fashion Police Squad, with its sheer outlandishness, is easy to recommend to first-person shooter fans. With its colourful visuals, purposeful weapons and camp sense of humour, there’s nothing else quite like it available. You’ll chuckle at its dialogue, be thrilled with its gameplay, and take glee in fixing fashion errors that may cause you genuinely roll your eyes in real life. Who’d have thought making your enemies stylish could be so much fun?

Unless you’re thoroughly sick to death of post-apocalyptia, you’ll find that Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a charming, entertaining outing; one that gives the turn-based combat genre a much needed shot in the arm.

It’s not the only horror game set in the UK, but its Englishness and its historical setting is a constant boon. And while the ending is a sliver too familiar to be perfect, the journey to that point is so wonderfully chilling that, unlike its protagonist, you won’t regret digging into The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow.

Lionsgate was wise to let Bloober Team loose with its Blair Witch IP. It has treated it with respect, delivering a game that truly does justice to the source material. While its centre part lets it down somewhat, and Bullet’s pathfinding could do with a bit of improvement, it’s one of the scariest horror games ever made. And your reliance on Bullet, as well as the manipulation of found video footage, adds gameplay meat to what usually ends up being little more than a walking simulator. If you’re brave enough, you should definitely enter the woods and face the Blair Witch.

Despite its flaws, no other game compares to the thrill and sheer wonderment that beating a monster in a perfectly co-ordinated group can bring.

What really matters is that the emulation in SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive Classics is of a high standard, and the range of games included is pretty great.

From a presentation standpoint, Duelyst is beautiful in its relative simplicity, though a bit thematically confusing.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a treat for both fans of Contra and run ‘n’ gun shooters in general. And thanks to its Perk system and multiple difficulty levels, it’s one of the most accessible entries in the genre. An absolute blast from beginning to end, Contra: Operation Galuga’s campaign might be quite brief, but with its additional modes and wealth of unlockables, there’s hours upon hours of arcade fun to be had here.

A year off has truly been beneficial to the WWE 2K franchise – WWE 2K22 is by far the best entry in the series yet. It’s been a long time since a WWE 2K game has had us so keen to jump into one match after another, and that’s largely thanks to the numerous gameplay improvements that have been made. Add in a welcome layer of polish and a selection of modes that have all bases covered, and you have a winner. There’s still a little room for improvement, but if you’re a wrestling fan, consider this a must-have.