9 Years of Shadows isn't the biggest Metroidvania game, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in other ways. Its visuals are sublime, for one, and its gameplay is fantastic, too. Add in a soundtrack which includes pieces by Michiru Yamane, and you're onto a winner.

Taking less than 30 minutes to complete, Catto's Post Office is almost too short to fully recommend. It's a very cute and wholesome experience, though, and for cat lovers and cosy game fans, there's enough here to make you smile.

Thanks to its stunning visuals, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers certainly makes a good first impression. Its gameplay is what will keep you hooked in the long-run, though, even if it is perhaps a little too derivative of the early Souls games by FromSoftware. Still, being able to freely respec your character here is a fantastic touch, allowing you to experiment if a boss is proving to be a tough cookie to crack.

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

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is largely more of the same, but that isn't much of a issue when the first game was already so enjoyable. Story mode here picks up where the last left off and covers three new dramatic arcs, and the gameplay has been refreshed a little with new elements such as Gear. It's the whopping number of characters now available in Versus mode that's the real draw, though.

A short first-person psychological horror game, Dead Take cleverly incorporates full motion video footage to explore the lengths that some will go to in order to achieve success. It's not particularly scary but it does go to some dark places, making it definitely worth checking out for fans of the genre.

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.

There's certainly fun to be had with Killing Floor 3. Killing waves of demons is as enjoyable as ever, but some of the changes here are unfortunate, and the new additions don't wholly make up for them. There's some work to be done by Tripwire to allow this game to fulfil its potential, then, and it's up to you if you want to jump in in the meantime.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a genuinely challenging action game with lovely visuals and rewarding fast-paced gameplay. It feels a bit rough in places, though, and often borders on being simply too chaotic for its own good. Assist options mean that anyone can see the journey through to its end, but better balancing or difficulty levels would have been preferred.

Available at a budget price, CarX Street is likely to prove to be a nice surprise for open world street racing fans. There are many clubs to join and complete, and you can take the action online if you wish. The only real downer here is that its cars aren't licensed, but you can easily tell what their real-world counterparts are, and you can customise them to your heart's content.

Pac-Man in a Metroidvania game? Yeah – Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing use of a much-loved IP, but the end result leaves a little to be desired. There's fun to be had here, but frustrating design choices, such as a lack of checkpoints and healing options, mean it's a middling Metroidvania, outshined by plenty others in the genre.

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

A fast-paced action platformer with roguelike elements, Atomic Owl has attractive visuals and enjoyable core gameplay. It soon gets quite repetitive, however, and a myriad of other issues introduce a fair amount of frustration, too.

Taking control of a muddy puppy, Doronko Wanko is all about creating as much mess and chaos as possible. Spraying mud up pristine walls and ruining expensive artwork has never been more fun — it's just a shame it's all over so quickly, and more content other than a handful of different dogs hasn't been added for the game's anticipated Switch release.

Based on an upcoming animated movie, Ed & Edda: Grand Prix – Racing Champions is a disappointing kart racing game with unattractive visuals and dull gameplay. With so many quality karting games available, you'd be wise to give it a wide berth.

This port of Wild Hearts for the Nintendo Switch 2 is about what you'd expect. The visuals have been downgraded a little and performance isn't particularly stable. It remains one of the best alternatives to Monster Hunter around, though, and you can now team up with more players than ever before. Seriously consider picking this up if you want some monster-slaying fun.

A wonderful open world adventure filled with racing and exploration, Wheel World is a joy to behold thanks to its intuitive controls and stunning cel-shaded art style. Even if you're not a fan of bicycles, this gorgeous little game is well worth your time.

With its intriguing narrative that keeps you on your toes and some genuinely creative puzzles, Luto is a first-person psychological horror game like no other. It has an important message, but its dark subject matter means that it perhaps isn't suitable for those sensitive to themes of depression and suicide.

Some of the games here haven't aged as well as others, and it's hard to consider one of them a beat 'em up at all, but Beat 'Em Up Collection: QUByte Classics remains a solid package overall. It even packs in some neat extras and cheats.

VILE: Exhumed is not for the faint of heart: described as horror, this voyeuristic exploration into someone's PC gives us a glimpse of the darkest side of humanity, and it's filled with themes of violence against women. It's certainly an experience that will stay with you, and some of its puzzles are enticing — but the nature of the game means you aren't going to find it "fun".

Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact is a fast-paced and accessible 2.5D 3v3 fighting game that fans of the franchise in particular might want to check out. Well, as long as they're happy either playing with friends locally or digging into its single-player modes. When it comes to matchmaking, it can be hard to find matches, and when you do, there can be issues that spoil the fun.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a must-have for fans of the series, offering yet more outrageous skateboarding antics along with stunning visuals. Purists might not like that the format of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 has been changed, and that most of the music here is new, but embrace these updates and you'll have a very good time indeed. Also, the new skateparks that have been introduced are fantastic.

Being a standalone expansion to RoboCop: Rogue City, Unfinished Business understandably offers largely more of the same violent first-person crime-fighting action with investigation elements. There are some new weapons to play with, however, and some new enemies to use them on. Throw in some flashback sequences which switch up the action somewhat, and you have an entertaining title available at a budget price.

Deserving of a place in the point and click hall of fame, The Drifter is a pulpy thriller with fantastic storytelling, excellent puzzles and truly stand-out voice acting. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2025, make sure this is on your radar if you're a fan of adventure games with unforgettable narratives.

This video game adaptation of Edens Zero doesn't make the best first impression, but if you stick with it for a few hours, it gets a lot better. It's rough around the edges and has multiple issues that persist throughout, such as a certain clunkiness to its combat, but its entertaining story full of outrageous characters and ample number of unique playable characters will keep you coming back for more.

Putting you in control of a SWAT team, Ready or Not tasks you with diffusing a variety of hostile situations. As you'd expect, it's a tense and atmospheric affair, where making effective use of commands is a must. And while I think it particularly shines in single-player, you can still have fun online if you can get a good team together.

A stealth game played from an isometric viewpoint, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is likely to win you over thanks to its stunning visuals, engaging narrative and rewarding scenarios that are best approached like puzzles.

With its cute and colourful visuals, Victory Heat Rally draws you in before surprising you with its somewhat challenging gameplay. This is a game that requires you to drift like a pro to achieve success, and while it's easy to pick up it's hard to master. As long as you're on board with that, you'll have a great time.