We really wanted to like Tell Me Your Story. It looks lovely, and we love its concept. We’re always keen to get our hands on more cosy games, and those with puzzles are even more welcome. But this one unfortunately misses the mark. More thought needed to go into its puzzle design for them to be an enjoyable, and not frustrating, experience.

Whether you find liminal spaces strangely appealing or unsettlingly eerie, we recommend you give Pools a try. We certainly haven’t played anything quite like it before. It may not be an action-packed experience with complex mechanics – hell, some might not even consider it a game at all – but it’s utterly compelling from beginning to end.

Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets isn’t a game for everyone, then. Thanks to its unpolished nature and how easy death can come, some will bail on it on the early hours. For horror fans with patience and persistence, however, their time will ultimately be rewarded. Its voice acting is bad, its combat is dire, and its story is neither here nor there, but there’s a certain undeniable charm that makes Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets worth it in the end.

Tents and Trees doesn’t reinvent the wheel: I’ve played the same types of puzzles before under a different guise, in puzzle books and on mobile apps (The ‘Charge Up’ puzzles in Puzzle Page, if you’re interested). But none of them have been as elegant and beautifully presented — and downright plentiful — as Tents and Trees. This is the type of thing I can see myself diving into night after night, as a way to unwind (and challenge my brain) before bed. And if you’re a puzzle fan too — particularly of Picross and its ilk — I’m rather certain you’ll love this.

There's a lot to like about Another Crab's Treasure. Its underwater setting and cutesy premise makes this a unique Soulslike, and its accessibility options means this is one of only a few games in the genre that can truly be played by all. But there are bugs and issues galore, stopping this crustacean's adventure from being quite as enjoyable as it should be.

More than just a Soulslike with a protagonist to serve as eye-candy, Stellar Blade has far surpassed our expectations, offering varied gameplay, outstanding visuals, a sublime soundtrack and an engaging story. It's a must-play for action game fans.

Inspired by Turtles in Time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants certainly plays like a blast from the past. After Shredder's Revenge, you'll likely find its gameplay too basic, however, and it fails to impress in other ways, too.

Despite these issues, it’s hard not to be won over by Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on the whole, especially if you’re a Suikoden fan. While its story might not have much emotional impact, it’s still pretty engaging. And many will love the fact that this does genuinely feel like a JRPG from the golden age of the genre. It’s not quite the Suikoden successor we were hoping for, but it’s still a worthy game in its own right.

Ultimately, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a delight from beginning to end, with only the odd frustration along the way. Add in an absolutely sublime soundtrack by Nainita Desai and strong voice acting throughout, and you have a Metroidvania with a unique flavour that absolutely deserves to be played. It’s safe to say that whatever Abubakar Salim does next with Surgent Studios, we’re here for it. Whether it’s another emotional tale from Kenzera or something entirely different, we look forward to welcoming it with open arms.

Is Lunar Axe going to set your world on fire? Absolutely not. This is a budget point and click adventure game, but it’s well worth the asking price. And for fans of the genre, it scratches the puzzle itch more than adequately.

Ultimately, Planet of Lana deserves a spot up there with the greatest hits of the genre. It’s every bit as impressive as the likes of Inside, but stands out due to its colourful visuals and heart-warming story. Sure, there’s not much to do once you’ve completed it unless you’re an achievement/trophy hunter, but it’s an experience that you really shouldn’t miss out on.

Sker Ritual isn’t perfect, then, but for co-op shooter fans, especially those who have dug the Zombie modes in Call of Duty titles in the past, there’s a hell of a lot to like. There’s impressive enemy variety, each map very much has its own theme and unique quirks, and mechanically it’s very rewarding. It’s just a shame that it can feel a little too overwhelming at times, and that there are some technical issues to iron out.

A roguelike strategy game that fuses Minesweeper and turn-based combat, the wonderful Let's Revolution satisfies that "just one more try" scratch that only the best in the genre manage to itch.

Freedom Planet 2 will surely be enjoyed by Sonic fans wanting some more high-speed 2D platforming antics. It even has a soundtrack that can trade blows with the Blue Blur’s finest. It suffers from the same pitfalls as a typical 2D Sonic game, though, such as enemy placement sometimes feeling punishing. And the deviations from the Sonic formula often work against the game rather than for it, with combat in particular being deeper but also scrappier. Still, this is a solid game, and developer GalaxyTrain should be applauded for trying to build on the Sonic formula rather than simply replicate it.

The puzzle-shooter gameplay and bizarre presentation of Children of the Sun make it utterly unique. And while your success in some levels unfortunately relies on trial and error, it doesn't stop it from being a highly rewarding experience on the whole.

Turbo Golf Racing is the most entertaining online multiplayer game we've played for a long while, turning golf into an exhilarating fast-paced sport played with vehicles. Its single-player time trial mode complete with leaderboards proves to be an enjoyable time sink, too.

There’s not a single misstep in Botany Manor. It looks fantastic, and it’s supported by a gorgeous, if sometimes subtle, soundtrack. It’s the puzzles that take the limelight, though: they’re almost flawless in design, requiring just the amount of brainwork to complete. The perfect blend of exploration and puzzle-solving makes Botany Manor an absolute delight — and as thrilled as we were that Arabella got to finish her book, we were gutted that it meant our time with her was over.

Its creepy art style and unsettling atmosphere will immediately draw you into Buckshot Roulette — but it's its quick-and-dirty Russian roulette gameplay that will keep you coming back. It's easy to play, but to succeed you'll need to keep your wits about you, and that makes for a really successful little game.

Minishoot’ Adventures is a game that’s easy to bestow praise upon. It’s easy on the eyes, being clean and colourful, and its soundtrack is a bit of a treat. But most important of all, it’s an absolute joy to play. From the minute you take control of your small ship and discover that it’s a joy to manoeuvre, chances are you’ll be hooked. From then on, you’ll just be focused on exploring the game’s wonderfully crafted world and making your ship mighty.

For roguelike fans with rhythm, Beat Slayer will no doubt prove to be a bit of a treat. It has a beautiful art style, a soundtrack that will get your foot tapping, and gameplay that draws you in and holds your attention like a vice. It perhaps doesn’t do anything new or original outside of incorporating a rhythm element, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Just put some headphones on, start a new run and enjoy busting up some robots to the beat.

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

Part roguelike, part horror, part puzzle adventure, we've not played anything quite like Withering Rooms before. It's a little scrappy, and we wish combat was better, but there's something about it that will keep us coming back.

Heavily inspired by the Kingdom games, Sons of Valhalla is great fun — if not a little too unforgiving at times. It's seriously rewarding though, and the sort of thing we can imagine jumping back into time and time again.

Saviorless is a beautiful game: its 2D art style remains gorgeous throughout. It's just a shame that its gameplay doesn't stay as enjoyable. What starts out as a rather fun puzzle-platformer eventually devolves into an exercise in frustration thanks to one hit kills and too much reliance on trial and error.

If you revel in a challenge and like the idea of a platforming game that offers something totally different, you’re going to absolutely love Pepper Grinder. When it’s all going right, few games feel as satisfying to play as this: there’s nothing quite like powering up your drill to dive through the ground, popping out to jump through the air before landing into a well-placed drill again. Sometimes it’s perhaps a little too tough, but even when Pepper Grinder’s not at its strongest, we couldn’t pull ourselves away, desperate to eventually succeed.

If you’re a fan of violent twin-stick shooters, it’s well worth checking OTXO out. Its roguelite elements perhaps don’t do it any favours, especially when there’s not much that keeps its gameplay feeling fresh between one run and another, but it provides a lasting challenge. Ultimately, we’d recommend players check out Hotline Miami first that offers a very similar experience. And if they still want more, OTXO will be waiting.

Princess Peach: Showtime! feels like a safe release from Nintendo, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: it’s fun, it’s inventive, and it looks wonderful. Its quirky level designs and Peach’s range of fancy costumes will no doubt put a smile on your face but ultimately, there’s little more here than that — a pretty, if shallow, Nintendo adventure that’s best played in 30-minute bursts.

There’s a hell of a lot to like about Hi-Fi Rush: its sumptuous visuals, its over-the-top characters, its silly humour. When it comes to its gameplay, however, we just wish we liked it more. Between its overly long levels, excessive abundance of rhythm-based events, and bouts of combat that ultimately feel overly chaotic and prescriptive, a lot of potential is squandered. Still, there’s some good fun to be had, even once you’ve completed the game’s campaign. And we’d certainly be up for a sequel with some of the rhythm elements toned down.