If you loved The Caligula Effect, chances are you’ll love The Caligula Effect 2 even more. It’s certainly an improvement across the board, with a story that will keep you invested for the duration. Newcomers, however, might be put off by the references to the first game, and also may not gel very well with the relationship-building aspects that aren’t all that rewarding or interesting. Overall, there’s a lot to like about The Caligula Effect 2, but it’s accompanied by a fair bit of tedium.

Don’t write A Little Golf Journey off if you’re not a golfer. This gorgeous little game is more about solving puzzles than the sport, and it blends the two perfectly. Presented in a wonderful level-based package, finding the best way to putt the ball in each level provides a simple but effective gameplay loop that will keep you coming back for more. This is a game that’ll test your thinking skills, but you’ll also have a lot of fun at the same time.

Dying Light: Platinum Edition looks surprisingly good on Switch, and even more impressive is that load times are kept short and the framerate stable. So, with a journey to Harran being as captivating today as it was in 2015, there’s no reason why those who love exploring open worlds filled with zombies wouldn’t want to pick this up. Add in a whole smorgasbord of additional content, features and modes, and you have a package that’s a highlight in the Switch’s extensive catalogue.

With some serious talent behind its creation, Dungeon Encounters deserves much more fanfare than it has so far received. This might not be as flashy as a typical RPG from Square Enix, but it’s clever, it’s engaging, and its simple but deceptively deep gameplay loop will keep you coming back for more. Add to that a killer soundtrack overseen by Nobuo Uematsu, and you’ve got something rather special on your hands.

Aeon Must Die looks great in action, and has a fantastic soundtrack. For players who gel with the game’s combat, they’re likely to keep coming back to see the story through to its end. With multiple endings on offer, they might even return, too. It’s just a shame that for many, Aeon Must Die will prove to be a confusing and sometimes overly punishing experience that doesn’t quite fulfil on its potential.

There may not be much to keep you going back to Gleylancer once you’ve completed it, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue considering its budget price. And while the action it provides is rather basic compared to some other shoot ’em ups, it doesn’t stop it from being entertaining from beginning to end. In fact, it can feel quite refreshing. This is just simple, classic, retro fun.

It doesn’t provide an experience that’s free of frustration or hiccups, but that doesn’t stop In Sound Mind from being one of this year’s biggest surprises – an action-horror game that delivers not only scares, but also head-scratching puzzles and plenty of engaging combat encounters, all wrapped up in a story that makes you think. With this sort of creativity, it’s exciting to see what We Create Stuff comes up with next. But until then, if you’re brave – and clever – enough, you’d be wise to throw yourself into In Sound Mind.

Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best Tetris will ever be. If you enjoy the classic block puzzle game and like the idea of playing to a backdrop of beautiful audio and visuals, then you’ll absolutely love it. With a huge amount of content, including a truly original multiplayer mode, this really is an incredible game – and it feels right at home in a handheld format. Sorry Tetris 99, you’re not the Switch’s best Tetris game anymore.

The Sundew isn’t perfect; every so often I ended up shaking my fist at its list of tasks, mocking me with its empty boxes, knowing full well some of them were entirely dependent on others. But this pixel-based point-and-click adventure still had me hooked to the end. All the more remarkable for being a solo effort, The Sundew is a real treat for adventure fans, cyberpunk aficionados or anyone who’s sick of being a chirpy chosen one.

If you have a Switch and love metroidvania games or revel in brutal combat, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife deserves your attention. With its beautiful visuals, pleasant soundtrack and enjoyable gameplay, it’s pretty much the full package. Only the crushing nature of the combat will be a bone of contention here for some, but others will love it.

Far Cry 6 is fun, there’s no doubt about that. Yara is a fantastic backdrop, and if you enjoy mindlessly shooting stuff up, you’ll absolutely be in your element. You probably won’t really care much for Dani’s story though, and the game’s tonal dissonance can be somewhat off-putting. But lean into the mayhem and you’ll have a good enough time, even if you don’t remember much about it once you’ve turned the game off.

Circuit Superstars is a very nice surprise. It’s accessible and has a delightful visual style. Yet it also has a high skill bar, allowing those who put in the time to master its handling model to run rings around those less skilled. It has plenty of content and modes, too. It’s just a shame that it’s missing some options and features we’d expect to find in some of its multiplayer options. But even then, there’s more than enough here to provide hours upon hours of fun for those who like to race against others.

Back 4 Blood isn’t a bad game. But it could have been so much better. Its difficulty needs balancing, as does the amount of enemies thrown at you at any one time. Ultimately, most levels simply have too much going on to be enjoyable – and each Act would have benefitted from being substantially shorter. Get a competent group of friends together and you might have some fun, but chances are zombie fatigue is going to set in long before you reach the end of the campaign.

Never would I have believed that in the year 2021 I’d be sat playing Diablo 2 on a console. And thanks to Diablo 2: Resurrected, with its wonderfully mapped controls and stunning visuals, it doesn’t have to be an eyesore or an ordeal. Some will instantly be put off by the lack of local co-op, but for those happy to play on their own or with others online, Diablo 2: Resurrected remains one of the best action RPGs of all time. It may be a bit clunkier than I remember it to be, but not offputtingly so, and once you’ve taken your first steps and started developing your character of choice, it’s hard to not be totally consumed by the game’s dark world and all that it offers. Diablo 2 is back, and until Diablo 4 emerges from the bowels of hell, it’ll do just nicely. Though I’ll probably be playing it beyond that, too.

Ultimately, the success of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl lies in how lively its online community is. We’ve found players easily enough so far, but who knows if they’ll stick around. It’ll be a shame if they don’t though, because this is a competent brawler. Its pleasant visuals, varied roster of beloved characters and surprisingly deep combat make it one of the better Smash-type games out there. But if there’s nobody online to play with, its offline content will quickly lose its fun.

Art of Rally is one of the most unique rally games ever made, and it’s all the better for it. It defies your expectations by being a pretty serious game at its heart, despite being fun and light-hearted on its exterior. And yet while it is challenging, it’s also relaxing at times, with its mix of minimalistic visuals, disarming music and lower-stress rally action almost putting you into a trance when everything aligns. Whether you’re a fan of rallying or just like racing games in general, Art of Rally deserves your attention.

Those into speedrunning or action-packed platformers would be wise to check Aeon Drive out. While it’s not spectacular in any particular way, there’s little to find fault with here, and it’s fun to jump into if only for a few minutes at a time, attempting to finish new levels or improve your times on those you’ve already completed. And as ever, dashing through levels with a friend or family member by your side makes the action that much more enjoyable.

If you have fond memories of early Puzzle Bobble games, you’ll get a sweet nostalgia kick out of Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey. It looks fantastic, and with 100 campaign levels alongside an infinite and duel mode, there’s a generous amount of content for its modest asking price. There’s a lot of fun to be had, no doubt – but you’ll not be able to shake the nagging feeling that it’s just not quite as enjoyable as its 2D counterparts.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is the embodiment of wholesome gaming. Its messages of hope and happiness might have you rolling your eyes from time to time, sure, but it’s hard not to be warmed by its wonderful optimism. With enjoyable puzzles, gorgeous character design and a world worth exploring, there’s a lot to enjoy here. If you’ve got primary school-aged children, play it with them – they’ll benefit greatly from the messages of respect, friendship and believing in yourself that are sewn into every aspect of the game.

Needless to say, if first-person shooters, roguelikes or rhythm games are your thing, you might want to check BPM: Bullets Per Minute out. Especially if you also like heavy metal music. And if you like all of those things, well, BPM: Bullets Per Minute might well just be your dream game. With addictive gameplay, bucket-loads of content and numerous settings to make it a little more forgiving if you need it to be, this is one of the most unique and rewarding games available right now.

With the usual quality of life features added into the mix, such as screen options, save state support and more, G-Darius HD is easy to recommend to series fans with the skills to do it justice. Its dated visuals and rock-hard difficulty level, however, means it’s not likely to impress newcomers. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it’s hard to not feel like more could have been done with G-Darius HD to make it a more accessible and attractive package overall.

Ultimately, Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axel City Racers is what it is – a simple racing game aimed at young children, with informative loading screens that aim to teach. There’s not much to it, which might make its asking price appear a little steep, but its colourful visuals and basic yet enjoyable gameplay make it a perfect entry point into the racing genre. In the grand scheme of things, however, it doesn’t really impress all that much.

Although playable in single-player, it’s hard to recommend KeyWe as a solo experience. This has been very much designed with co-op play in mind, so unless you have someone to play with, don’t bother picking it up. It’s a commendable concept and fun can be had in short bursts, but ultimately the tasks given to these adorable kiwi birds boil down to nothing but repetitive busywork.

If you’ve never played Alan Wake before and love spooky games with strong stories and plenty of action, consider this remaster a must-have. Thanks to its upgraded visuals, ardent Alan Wake fans are likely to want to pick it up, too, and they won’t be disappointed. This is a game that has stood the test of time, and now being available on more formats than ever before, it’s time for it to step into the light and truly be seen.

The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem is a very average platform game. It plays it safe, and doesn’t try to do anything interesting – or in fact, anything at all – with its license. As such, it’s hard to recommend to Addams Family fans, as there’s very little here that evokes any kind of spooky, kooky mayhem. There are plenty of better platforming games out there, but it’s serviceable for younger players – and the minigames do at least add a bit more fun into the proceedings.

Gearshifters’ fresh take on the horizontally-scrolling shooter template makes it easy to recommend not only to shoot ’em up fans, but also those into car combat games. There’s something immensely satisfying about slamming hard on the brakes to quickly get behind a group of assailants, before unleashing a barrage of bullets at their rears and speeding back up to ram them. Throw in a wealth of car upgrade and customisation options, and you have a game that’s fun to return to time and time again.

Steel Assault is a hell of a lot of fun while it lasts, but unfortunately that’s not likely to be long. After that, there’s not much else to do but play through it again on a harder difficulty or try to tackle arcade mode, but that doesn’t really offer anything new. At least it looks and sounds great while it has you in its grasp. And its price is fairly reasonable.

Although short, A Juggler’s Tale is an intelligent game well worth spending a few hours with. Its visuals are spectacular, and its haunting poetic narration – although jarring at times – provides an excellent and unexpected ending. Abby might not speak, but you’ll be rooting for her each step of the way.