Casting players as Sushi-bot, your goal in Rolling Hills: Make Sushi Make Friends is to run the best sushi restaurant you possibly can. This is a thoroughly cosy and relaxing sim where stresses are kept to a minimum — and while it may be simple, we've enjoyed every moment we've spent with it.

A 2D firefighting game, Nuclear Blaze will draw you in with its mysterious premise and then keep you hooked with its engaging puzzle-platforming gameplay. Thanks to its dedicated kids mode, it's suitable for all ages, too.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a strange choice for an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, but it works. It's fun playing as either a human or a Klown here, with just enough twists on the tried-and-tested formula to keep matches unpredictable and interesting. There's still a little work to be done when it comes to balancing, however.

An English Haunting is an engaging and chilling point-and-click adventure that doesn't fling scare after scare at you, making its actual frights all the more effective. You may stumble on a puzzle or two, but frustration rarely kicks in.

With a fantastical story that will quickly draw you in and plenty of detective work to be done, Echoes is an excellent visual novel that we struggled to put down. Its gorgeous art style, that changes as the story progresses, is simply the icing on the cake.

Bigger and better than its predecessor in every single way, Horizon Chase 2 is a must-have for arcade racing game fans. Its sensational sense of speed and new weather effects in particular make it stand out from the crowd, and its multiplayer features are as welcome as ever.

EA Sports F1 24 is undoubtedly the most authentic representation of the sport yet, with stunning visuals and responsive handling. You can play as Icons for the first time in career mode, too. But versus last year's release, the improvements are slight, meaning some might want to sit this one out.

Set in a a thoroughly unique dystopian world, 1000xRESIST is a gripping sci-fi adventure exploring weighty themes, ensuring you're thoroughly invested in your fate and that of your flawed world.

Imagine Link to the Past without the combat and threat: that's sort-of what Pine Hearts feels like. There's a lot to like about this cosy adventure set in a colourful world, but a few issues hold it back from being quite as good as it could have been.

Inspired by horror classics such as Silent Hill 2 and Eternal Darkness, The Glass Staircase is Puppet Combo's most ambitious release yet. This surreal and atmospheric experience will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of its brief playing time, though checkpointing and aiming issues may frustrate a little.

A 3D platformer with an exhilarating techno soundtrack and stunning graffiti-inspired visuals, RKGK will win you over with its fluid movement and challenging gameplay. It's destined to be one of 2024's hidden gems.

This duck-flavoured detective mystery may be short, but it's a great deal of fun. Wonderfully animated and excellently written, figuring out the case of Duck Detective: The Secret Salami might only take a couple of hours, but it's a jolly good way to spend an evening.

Brought to life with gorgeous hand-drawn art, Paper Trail is beautiful to look at. Its puzzles, centring around folding and unfolding paper, are an acquired taste, however, and can quickly grow tiresome. As well-designed and clever as they are, we'd wager some players will struggle to digest more than a couple of levels at a time.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 improves on its predecessor in numerous ways, making it a must-play for fans of dark, cinematic adventure games. Visually it's unparalleled, offering photo-realistic characters and environments, and its audio design is spectacular, too. It's just a shame that its combat gets repetitive all too quickly – but in the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay.

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.

Fun, colourful and surprisingly well-presented, there's a lot to like about My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery. Not focusing on the task at hand can be a little frustrating, but when horsing around is so enjoyable, it's hard to be too incensed.

Perplexing and often pretentious, yet compelling and wonderfully accomplished, it's safe to say you won't have played anything quite like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes before. Filled with puzzles and mystery at every turn, once you step foot inside the intriguing Hotel Letztes Jahr, you won't be able to pull yourself way.

Men of War II takes a little work to get to grips with, and we're not fond of the always-online requirement. But this WWII RTS's realism, depth and freedom to explore your own strategies still make it a winner.

Inviting you to be the star of a vintage anime, Mullet Mad Jack is a fast-paced first-person shooter with roguelike elements that's basic at its core but still manages to be captivating — partly because of its impeccable presentation, and partly because it's simply so much fun to play.

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.

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.

Sclash is a simple fighting game featuring samurai that can beat their opponents with just one hit. Battles are tense and exciting as a result, but disappointing single-player options and a lack of overall depth let it down somewhat.

A massive improvement over its predecessor, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is an absolute treat for horror fans, combining tense exploration, enjoyable puzzles, and some effective scares.

I can’t say that the odd bug has really spoiled my time with Little Kitty, Big City though. Once I started playing, I couldn’t pull myself away. This teeny cat may be the most adorable protagonist of recent years, and engaging in feline shenanigans is every bit as joyful as you’d hope it would be. I’d gladly take more of this: a bigger sequel set in an all-new city please, Double Dagger Studio.

Heading Out doesn't fulfil its true potential. But while its story isn't as gripping as it should be, and its driving mechanics aren't anything special, together, along with an eye-catching black and white comic book visual style, they make for an enjoyable time on the whole.

Harold Halibut stands out for its painstakingly gorgeous stop-motion animation, but as a game it falls short of the mark. If you’re looking for a charming story with plenty of heart, Harold’s shortcomings are absolutely worth pushing through. But those looking for something more engaging would be better to look elsewhere.

Part management sim, part roguelike, Undead Inc. has a few rough edges but it's still a treat for wannabe Umbrella Corp CEOs. Just remember to leave your ethics at the door.

Indika is one of the most surreal games we've ever played. And while it's short, it's easy for us to recommended thanks to its dark and unpredictable story and thoughtful, engaging puzzles.