Two very good maps and a lazy, shoddy cosmetic system can’t justify the price point of Vermintide 2’s first expansion.

In the end, though, Space Race is a varied if not substantial update to Surviving Mars. None of the additions are truly essential and certainly not groundbreaking. If you like Surviving Mars, this DLC should be right within your courtyard.

I admit, I’m the target audience for this game, so I probably enjoyed it more than the average gamer. If you’re an Asterix fan who either hasn’t played XXL 2 or wants to play it again, this is certainly worth picking up, despite the game itself being a bit more simplistic and repetitious than it needs to be. A fun Asterix game and a decent remaster, so a goodish score. But why by Belanos isn’t Sam Schieffer called Samfishus?!

For a first faction pack, Tyranids is a very interesting addition to anyone interested in the interstellar creatures. It displays the same overall missed opportunities and underdeveloped aspects as the base game – and it is still is somewhat of a boring long-term experience compared to the likes of Civilization – but for fans of Gladius and Tyranids, it should definitely warrant a shot.

Two Point Hospital was one of the best games of 2018, and the Pebberley Island DLC doesn’t let it down. While the first level relies on crazy weather and useless janitors it’s merely a way to get you up to speed before the true, imaginative, creative weirdness of levels 2 and 3. The game forces you to change up your tactics, and throws you real challenges you’ve never faced before. It’s clever, and tough, and it’s never less than incredibly fun. It may be only three new levels, but if you need some more Two Point Hospital in your life, you won’t do better than visiting Pebberley Island.

Dollhouse sports some interesting gameplay features and mechanics that are let down by some noticeable flaws. As a horror package, it can provide some genuine moments of tension and panic. However, once you become accustomed to your relentless stalker it may become more of an annoyance than an object of fear. As a result, the gameplay can become rather repetitive. The story, though short, is an interesting one. However, once it’s completed there is little desire for a re-tread. That’s not to say it’s not worth visiting the mind of Marie if you’ve got a hankering for a Film Noir horror story. Once upon a time, I would have recommended this as a rental.

The new units, setting, and the story makes for a nice little package that feels fairly priced. If you liked Ancestors Legacy and just wanted a reason to go back to the title, then Saladin’s Conquest is about as good a reason as any. There’s nothing wrong with what’s on show here, however, despite the new things mentioned it does have a “more of the same” feeling to it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and no one is expected to reinvent the wheel each time - especially if it’s an extension of what’s already there. And what’s there is technically sound, from the AI to the optimization. It’s hard to fault Developer Destructive Creations for wanting to squeeze a bit more capital out of their solid title.

A surprisingly good minor DLC which effects can be felt throughout almost a whole campaign.

As far as additions go, the Chaos campaign is very much aimed at pure fans. The ships were all in the main game and could be used in skirmishes, meaning most of the price of this DLC goes towards the new campaign and its characters. If you enjoy Armada II’s gameplay and wish you could make the life of everyone in the galaxy rather worse by spreading evil and corruption, this is the DLC for you.

Even if the game stutters at times and some puzzles drag on a bit too much, I enjoyed the time I spent in Moonrise Fall. It never outstayed its welcome, giving a game that’s on the shorter end without feeling rushed. This isn’t a game for everyone, but anyone who loves these sort of exploration games should give it a try.

Nobodies is one of those little games that won’t blow your mind, but is an enjoyable romp nevertheless. There’s some neat puzzles thanks to its twist on adventure game logic alongside some devious black comedy. If you can forgive some tedious puzzles at times and some glitching, this is worth your time. Just don’t be surprised if you get stumped.

A bit of an odd beast that isn’t as major as previous DLC, but still fills an important gap in WWII history.

Circle Empires: Rivals has something for everyone. For beginners is a straightforward approach to the RTS that’s full of options. For experts is a faster RTS that streamlines the process. While personal biases might prevent me from enjoying it as much as other genres, there’s plenty to love if you wanted Circle Empires’s unique charms with friends.

As it stands, Secret Government is an interesting concept let down by a very boring gameplay loop. As a fan of grand strategy games, I look forward to seeing what it is done with the secret society concept as the game develops in Early Access. If the game stays as it is or the flaws pinpointed here are not addressed, however, I can’t honestly recommend it to anyone.

While Terrorarium comes with a delightful morbidness and some style, it’s not engaging to play. Escorting the Moguus loses its luster fast and becomes frustrating. There’s a repelling quality to the game that can’t be saved by its comedy or art. Terrarium feels more akin to a tool, something to introduce game students to puzzle design. Maybe it works fine for someone who wants to learn design, but I can’t stand playing the game itself beyond ten minutes at a time. In theory, it’s a wacky puzzle. In practice, it’s an unfun slog.

At the end of the day there is a huge amount of content here, and everything is extremely replayable due to the open-ended nature of the gameplay (not to mention an unexpected sandbox mode). So, if you’re up for an addicting experience that meshes puzzles, driving/boating/piloting and balancing acts into a single creative concoction, I’d definitely recommend Radical Relocation.

All in all, Isle of Siptah is an interesting addition to Conan Exiles, even in Early Access. A beautiful and varied map helps create a very intriguing place to explore, and the game does eventually open up from hordes of skeletons to werewolves, giant alligators, and even a dozen different bosses. Due to the large MMO-like scope of the game itself and short review time, I was able to beat most of the normal content but never got to the stage where you discover all the secrets of the maelstrom and find out if you can control the huge Kraken in the sky – but if you’re a big fan of Conan Exiles and want more than just dominating a scorching desert, give this expansion a shot and I’m sure you will be able to find out. [Early Access Provisional Score = 75]

Even if RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 hasn’t aged as gracefully as its predecessors, there’s plenty of fun to be had. If you still have the original and can run it fine, you don’t need to buy it again. But if you’re someone who never got to play it, can’t run Planet Coaster, and miss the old school approach to the Tycoon genre, the Complete Edition is a neat relic to a bygone era of gaming. Just be prepared for some outdated features and a shockingly small UI.

In the end, however, those are minor blemishes that can surely be patched after launch. Democracy 4 is the unique kind of game that targets a strategy niche, giving players control of governments in a more authentic way than the Civilizations out there do. This is the franchise’s strength, but also its weakness -- not every kind of player will have the patience and the mindset to parse through that much data and play the slow game to get policies across. Still, that is hardly the game’s fault, so if you are a fan of political strategy or just politics in general, you should definitely give Democracy 4 a very fair shot. [Early Access Score = 85]

Supermarket Shriek has its moments and might be the sort of chaos you’re craving, However, its racing thrills can get stale and its longer levels can suck out the fun. There are worse games that use these sorts of novelties, but it won’t hold your attention for long.

A surprisingly well-rounded DLC that is focused on creepy death-worshiping and flesh-eating traits, but has an awesome ship design set even for those that don’t care about the Necroid stuff.

I suspect that some players will encounter balancing issues when playing out in the wild, but winning a game after effortlessly zipping across the map and summoning Asuryiani troops as backup can be extremely satisfying, so I’d say that the Craftworld Aeldari DLC is a worthwhile package if you’d like to keep conquering Gladius in new and interesting ways (so long as you can spare the cash).

The Unexpected Quest is by no means a bad game, as completing tasks and acquiring resources can be entertaining if you approach the title with the right mindset. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly hard to justify the price-tag when you consider the game’s relatively short length and repetitive elements. Casual players might get a kick out of the laid-back experience, but RTS veterans should look elsewhere for their resource-managing and quest-completing thrills.

The team behind Combat Mission: Black Sea knew exactly what they wanted to make, and made exactly that product. The result is a wargaming module that appeals greatly to people who like this exact kind of game, but doesn’t do much to lure in or be kind to people who might want to dip their toe into wargaming. It is, in essence, grognard game design distilled. If you’re new to the genre and want to pick up Black Sea after reading this, I recommend being patient and keeping an open mind. It’s a different beast to mainstream games, but is immensely rewarding with time. If you are a wargamer interested in modern combat, I recommend Black Sea heartily.

The Lizardfolk are a very interesting army to play and the campaign has a lot of character. I personally found them rather weak and relying too heavily on front line cycling for my tastes, but the more I got to explore their strengths, the more fun I had. Overall, if you like Fantasy General 2, you’ll probably like Evolution as it mixes it up enough to be fresh, without taking away what makes it a great game.

A Stitch in Time is a 2PH DLC through and through, bringing more of the same content available in the base game while somehow managing to not even remotely shake the boat. As always, the art team is always spot-on, but from a creative design perspective, the game has been in a deep slumber since 2018 that it has yet to wake up to. If you love Two Point Hospital and honestly can’t get enough of it, A Stitch in Time will leave you very, very satisfied.

It goes without saying that WitE2 will appeal to a niche audience and I suspect you already know if that includes you. This series is geared towards people who want to simulate, as close as possible, the titanic struggle along the Eastern Front. You’re not going to like this game if the idea of setting reinforcement and supply priorities for units, seems over the top. With that said, the game is accessible. However, there’s no getting around the fact that you need to dedicate some serious time to unlock WitE2’s full potential and that’s going to turn some people off. But, if you’re willing to put in the effort, WitE2 is unparalleled in the strategic experience that it can offer. Put simply, it is a masterpiece of game design and execution.