Slick and simple, and at times, fun that's bordering frenetic. Despite the lack of diversity in gameplay and sound, as well as few new challenges introduced throughout, the game's an easy-to-pick-up diversion that tests your multitasking ability.

Nightmares From the Deep: The Cursed Heart is kind of like the old pirates of yore: What it lacks in finesse, it makes up for in brute force. If refinement and attention to detail are a priority, then it will probably leave you cold. But if what you're after is a big pile of hidden object scenes and you're not too particular about how it's all tied together, this tale of tragedy on the high seas will fit the bill nicely.

I highly recommend Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek. The length of the game is excellent and, while the bonus chapter isn't particularly long, it adds enough to the story to make it worth the Collector's Edition price.

Taking over the world is a lofty goal, be it for a player or a developer. But as far as unique mash-ups go, Tiny Token Empires might just be the best we've seen yet. Demanding a good deal of strategy on multiple fronts, gamers with a thirst for global conquest and a taste for fantastic gameplay owe it to themselves to pick this one up.

Avernum: Escape From The Pit provides plenty of bang for the buck in a world that's both impressively vast and well realized. Trying to escape a horrifying fate has rarely been this enjoyable.

I’m a big fan of pixelated titles and management/simulation games, so I knew Discounty was for me, and it didn’t disappoint.

At face value, Date Everything may seem like a silly little dating game. The hilarity of the memes and social media posts regarding the game is certainly attention-grabbing, but they don’t touch on the intricacies of the title. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that it’s so much more than that. Characters interact with each other, and some even have a bit of history. Harper and Dirk, I’m looking at you. It creates a world that feels real, as they speak of other objects, immersing you in a sort of hub world within the walls of the house. You forget the fact that you don’t touch grass, and instead, you spend all day, every day socialising with your furniture. Okay, it sounds weird when you put it like that, but despite the game taking place in one major location, it doesn’t feel limited in the slightest.

Fantasy Life has something for everyone and feels like an expansive, multi-layered adventure.

To wrap up, I enjoyed my time with EvoCreo2. It’s a game any fan of Pokémon could enjoy, without the £60 price tag. I liked the Creo designs, main story, side quests, interactions, and world layout. Particularly, the Creo upgrades are more in-depth than just evolution. They had customisable moves, passives, and traits to help them prestige. I also loved the evolution animations and how they were unique for each elemental type. Other animations, such as attack and sprite movements, were also lively. My personal favourite is the Bug Bite move attack animation with its snarly fangs and fluid blood movement.

Do I recommend Sorry We’re Closed? A million times yes! If you like old-school horror games and miss the PSX era, then this game is just what you’re looking for. It’s got a Y2K flare combined with the darkness of familiar survival horror titles. On top of that, the storyline is engaging, the characters are likeable, the dialogue and relationships feel natural, and trying to uncover the mysteries of both worlds had me glued to my screen for hours.

To me, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the perfect game to snuggle up with. Even if you play for just an hour, there’s so much to do, and it’s all so relaxing. With an abundance of side quests and main quests, you’ve always got something to do.

Tensei is not perfect – there’s not much content here, ultimately – but we still really enjoyed our time we had with this intriguing casual title.

Ultimately Just Crow Things is a fun time that isn’t pretending to be anything it isn’t. If you’re looking for an amusing little indie title to while away some hours with you could do a lot worse.

It’s a very short title, but anyone looking for a chilled puzzle experience should be checking out Paper Trail.

A game that keeps throwing surprises and different puzzles at you, Animal Well is arguably one of the very best indie releases from 2024.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful game for fans of Error Salvation. You get to play through a variety of alternate endings, both good and bad. Bad in the sense that they’re depressing and dark. From the selection screen, you have multiple options to choose from.

Perhaps not quite as pure and joyful an experience as Grapple Dog, Grapple Dogs is still a hugely impressive and playable platformer.

It won’t be for everyone, but Thank Goodness You’re Here offers up such a bravely unique vision it’s hard not to be impressed.

With the ability to upgrade your weapons, collect pets, and increase your stats, there’s a constant sense of progression in WitchSpring R. It’s one of the best things about it, and makes it an essential purchase for RPG fans.

I’m seriously going to make it a regular addition to my exercise routine because A) it’s fun, and B) it works up a sweat! I genuinely feel as if I’ve done a real workout at a gym class with an instructor afterwards, but from the comfort of my own home with my favourite Vocaloid. I also think the addition of building up your data to keep an eye on your progress is a nice touch, as I can see where I’m going wrong, and what I need to do more of.

Celestia: Chain of Fate completely took my breath away, and it truly felt like I was in a fairy tale. The art and music are beautiful, and I loved that even the people you only meet a few times have additional stories and extras dedicated to them. I’ve already romanced Luke… so I think I’ll go for Ash next!

This is a game we’d ultimately recommend playing in short bursts – this way it offers a perfectly judged experience for both experienced and novice fans of the tower defense genre.

If you like cosy fantasy games, but with a hint of action, then Elrentros Wanderings comes highly recommended – as long as you’re okay with things getting a little repetitive at times.

I absolutely adore the art in this game. The character models are gorgeous, the art pieces during romantic scenes are beautiful and cosy, and the UI has a charm to it.

I think my love for Potion Permit comes down to the stunning world design, weird villagers and homely, whimsical charm. That and I’m not immune to being a witch doctor. Echoing what I said at the start of this review, you need to try this game! Potion Permit is stacked with a great storyline, freedom of choice but a linear progression, lovely visuals and a huge sense of accomplishment as you build relations between the characters.

Ultimately, Sticky Business has perfected the art of relaxation whenever you need to take a break from the hustle bustle of reality.

Now I know Otome games can get steamy sometimes, but some of the dialogue and art for Tengoku Struggle Strayside had me giggling and kicking my legs like a teenager. That’s a good thing, trust me.

There’s a great range of challenges, the presentation is purely old school cool, and the controls are ultimately well judged.