We’ve come away from Under The Waves with mixed feelings. We’ve very much enjoyed some elements of the game: exploring the ocean is simply wonderful, and the more tense moments set in the eerie underwater facilities have kept us on the edge of our seats. But there are plenty of frustrations, too, and the impact of the experience is ultimately dampened by the fact it all feels like one big advert for a non-profit organisation.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a hugely engaging narrative adventure, even if you have little actual interest in the tarot. Sporting multiple endings, it tells a tale that will stay with you well after you’ve set your virtual deck down. Just don’t make deals with any space lobsters, okay?

Despite a few niggles, our journey through Aveum has been a blast. Being in the shoes of Jak is a great deal of fun and although his range of abilities can feel a little overwhelming, mastering his powers is exhilarating. If a fast-paced adventure through a gorgeous world, backed by a solid story and excellent acting sounds like your thing (and why wouldn’t it?), don’t hesitate to jump right into Immortals of Aveum.

It may look basic, but don’t be fooled: Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is packing one hell of an enjoyable strategy game underneath its old-school aesthetic. If you’re not a chess fan you’re going to struggle – but if you are, the only struggle is going to be tearing yourself away from jumping in for just one more game. Playing chess has never felt so bad-ass.

Keep your expectations in check, and there’s a decent karting game to be found in Smurfs Kart. It’s rather light on content, but the on-track action is enjoyable, with controls aimed towards younger players. It’s a great game for the whole family to enjoy, then – particularly if there are Smurfs fans in your ranks.

For those that don't mind that its story is passable, and that its difficulty wildly varies from mission to mission, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is likely to be a bit of a treat. It looks great, the action is lighting fast and always remains smooth, and there's genuine joy to be had in amassing a wide range of parts and then using them to create builds that allow you to much more effectively complete missions. This is a far cry from FromSoftware's popular output in recent years, but can be just as engrossing – providing you have an open mind.

It’s short enough to play through in one sitting, but that’s for the best: once you get started with Fort Solis, you’re going to struggle to pull yourself away. It’s a tense, haunting journey that will have you hooked from the word go, keeping you on your toes as you wonder what awaits around every corner. Perhaps its overall story could have packed a bit more punch, but we still lapped up every second of it as we explored the fascinating and eerie titular space station.

It’s safe to say that our time with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre so far has had its ups and downs. We’ve generally loved playing as a killer, using our various skills to hunt down and execute unfortunate victims. Playing as a victim, however, our feelings are more complicated. Getting slaughtered while having no idea where you should be going or what you should be doing isn’t particularly enjoyable, though thankfully things do pick up once you’ve learned the maps a little. The sometimes finicky contextual actions and troublesome matchmaking remain, though, and the latter is only likely to get worse. In any case, there’s lots of fun to be had here for multiplayer horror fans. We’re just intrigued to see how Sumo Digital and Gun Interactive plan to keep the experience balanced and interesting in the long-term.

Ride 5 is the biggest and most feature-rich Ride game to date, but it’s a shame that many rough edges and issues hold it back from greatness, especially for newcomers. Perhaps with a patch or two, Ride 5 will turn into something really special, but until then, it’s hard to recommend it over Ride 4.

Whether you’re wanting to revisit it, or jumping in for the first time, this version of Quake 2 is simply superb. It takes a genuine classic, improves and enhances it in a myriad of ways, and then gives you more. While some companies would just have delivered a simple port and perhaps thrown in the existing expansions as a treat, the inclusion of the Nintendo 64 version of Quake 2 and a brand new expansion here is truly to be applauded. If you have any love for the first-person shooter genre, consider this essential. And even better, it comes in at a budget price.

Skye Tales is an easy game to recommend; both for younger players and for adults who want an easy-going, cosy game to spend an evening with. It’s short – you’ll be done in a matter of hours – but almost every minute spent in its colourful, joy-filled world will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It won’t appeal to everyone, with even the game’s hardest puzzles being rather straightforward, but when it comes to a game to relax with, they don’t get much better than this.

Simple but beautifully presented, Quantum Recharged is another modern arcade hit, giving Atari’s forgotten classics a new lease of life. We’d have liked to see a little more variety in the Mission mode, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker: the basic gameplay loop is enjoyable enough that even the thrill of trying to beat our high score time and time again will keep us coming back.

We don’t dislike Dust & Neon: its gunplay is solid, and its more thoughtful approach to twin-stick shooting is refreshing. But its levels quickly get repetitive, with little variety in terms of design and enemies. It’s the sort of thing that’s fun to jump into for short bursts of play, but it’s not going to keep you hooked for hours at a time.

While it’s unlikely to win over anyone that tried the first and didn’t vibe with it, Blasphemous 2 is undoubtedly a treat for fans wanting to spend more time with the Penitent One. With more variety in terms of both visuals and gameplay, this is a confident sequel that builds on the foundations of its predecessor. And while its story may be confounding at times, we can’t help but be mesmerised by its dark and mysterious world.

If you’re a fan of stealth or strategy games, you really should consider Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew a must-play. This is Mimimi Games at its finest, building on the mechanics it finely tuned in Shadow Tactics and Desperados III while also adding more elements, more freedom and more fun. You’ll quickly come to love this band of unusual pirates, and what each of them offers when out in the field. So much so that you might even be tempted to replay missions just to approach things from a different angle.

Bold, colourful and entirely silly, Moving Out 2 is a must-play for couch co-op fans. A sequel to 2020’s Moving Out perhaps wasn’t needed, and this doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. But it does provide fans with bigger, better, and more riotous levels to play with their friends. And this time, you can play online too! What more could we ask for, really?

Gord isn’t the deepest of city builders, and its campaign can sometimes feel like an extended tutorial, but nevertheless, it provides an engaging mix of city building and exploration. With its sanity system and pesky Horrors that need to be dealt with, there’s not much else like this around. Jump into its Custom Scenario mode with both feet, and you’ll likely a find a game that will eat up hours of your time.

If you’re fan of challenging arcade games and love competing for the top spots on leaderboards, it’s safe to say that Marble It Up! Ultra will absolutely be your jam. The gameplay here is simple but infectious, making you hit that retry button time and time again whether to simply finish a challenging skill-based stage or give it another go to improve your time. And thanks to weekly challenges, the fun doesn’t have to end. It’s just a shame it doesn’t have a local multiplayer component.

It’s a shame that Atlas Fallen isn’t a little more polished – it’s clear that it’s a title very much held back by its budget – but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. While you’re not likely to be captivated by its story or wowed by its presentation, its combat and exploration, both buoyed by the skills granted to you by your mysterious gauntlet, are likely to keep you playing. Provided you make it through the game’s off-putting opening, that is.

It’s a shame that the songs in Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical didn’t have quite the impact on us that we hoped, but it might not be the case for everyone. Still, while we won’t be rushing to listen to its soundtrack on any streaming platforms, we’ve very much enjoyed our time with the game, and we’ll no doubt be returning to it for another playthrough or two in the future.

Nova Strike isn’t a bad game by any means, but it doesn’t do enough to make it stick in your mind like the best of the genre. The roguelike elements are nice, but there simply needs to be more variety and unpredictability to make the focus on them truly worthwhile. And so what you’re left with is a shoot ’em up that too quickly looks and feels generic, with little reason to keep playing once you’ve bested what it has to offer.

Ultimately, Ninja or Die: Shadow of the Sun is a stylish and unique roguelite, and for some players the originality it exhibits will be enough to win them over. There’s no getting over the fact that it feels messy at times, though, and that repetition can set in if you sit down to play it for a considerable period of time. Still, anyone after a challenge that involves a lot of jumping may want to check this out.

Remnant II is a best-case scenario for the genre. The anticipated follow-up sequel ups the ambition and it pulls off immensely well, providing one of the best non-FromSoftware Souls games we’ve had yet. It’s the true complex Action RPG without any of the fuss. Co-op play is seamless with getting teammates in and out of the action. Menus are clear and concise while experimenting with builds is a rewarding and deep experience. Environments are tenfold more detailed and exciting than its predecessor, providing some of the best setpieces and boss encounters I’ve seen in a while. Deep too is the lore and exciting world to uncover, all well worth chipping away at. Little is holding it back bar a quality-of-life update or two. Remnant II is golden, magnificently making moves in the now crowded game space it has found itself in.

Are there better platforming games out there? Without a doubt. But Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a welcome addition to the genre, providing a familiar playground to run, jump and dash around in. Its bite-sized levels have been put together well, and even if some sections are a little on the frustrating side, you’ll likely be determined to see it through to its end. At a bargain price, it’s well worth picking up if you’re a fan of 3D platformers.

Our time with Venba and her family may have been short, but we quickly came to care for each of them as we watched them struggle through life. This is a beautiful portrait of a couple and their son who feel just as real as you or I. It’s a celebration of being Indian, of being human, of being a parent, of culture, of food. It reminds us of the importance of family and tradition – and the joy that eating (and preparing) a good meal can bring even in the darkest of times. Brief as it may be, Venba has left a lasting impact – and it’s made us desperate to try some traditional Tamil cooking of our own.

It may not be original, and with only 25 levels you’ll likely be done with it in a few hours, but that doesn’t stop Manic Mechanics being jolly good fun to play. Tackle it by yourself if you want, but this zany repair ’em up shines when you’re playing with a friend or three. It’s colourful, it’s humorous, and it’s easy to pick up and play – basically, it ticks all the boxes of a solid co-operative party game.

It’s commendable that Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons tries to do something a little new with the formula – although Streets of Rage 4 did get their first with its Survival mode which also features roguelike elements. There is fun to be had here, but ultimately, the late-game difficulty spikes are a major hurdle to get over – and the moment-to-moment action never reaches the heights of some of the best in the genre.

Chances are it’ll only take you a few hours to beat Super Catboy, and you might encounter some frustrations along the way, but for the most part you’ll likely be playing with a smile plastered on your face. With his red jacket and cool shoes, the star of this adventure is instantly likeable. Factor in the budget price, and there’s not really much to lose.