A startlingly realistic rendition of Kayaking that matches the reality of being in a small boat out at sea. If you know how to move, it’ll surprise you how well it reacts, and there are even rocks you can physically push off to get moving. With interesting locations, pretty scenery, and weather that can be turned up or down, this is both a good workout if you want it, and a nice serene place to relax.

Whether it’s a snooker hall or a place out in the wider world somewhere, Puzzling Places is just… nice. Couple this with the fact they add new puzzles each month and you’ve a nice place to relax whenever you need it. It’s simple, but relaxing, and an easy recommendation.

Whether you love Star Wars or not, Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is just a damn good VR game. It’s not the longest (at around four hours), and it may not quite have as much “Jedi stuff” as you’d want, but again, it looks stunning, has fantastic feedback throughout, and even if you aren’t au-fait with the universe, you can be impressed by the attention to detail.

You can lean in and see your little mouse friend Quill up close, and it’s a beautiful game, full stop.

It may not be Astro Bot, but it’s as close to a VR platformer as we’re getting for now.

It's hardly an original setting or concept, but Company of Heroes 3 makes up for it with sheer charm and playability.

Akka Arrh is a super cool game which is impossible not to like, and very difficult to put down.

Atomic Heart embraces lunacy, overblown sexuality, and violence at every turn, and feels simultaneously polished and yet painfully unrefined.

Octopath Traveler II is a spectacular sequel, and the easiest recommendation I could ever give to RPG fans.

Elderand is an enjoyable, old-fashioned hack ‘n’ slash adventure that will challenge you without punishing you.

Wild Hearts is a fantastic video game. It has so much flair and personality, and so much of it is designed with fun in mind.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is a great launch title with impressive tech shown off at every corner, only let down by some of the climbing.

Returnal on PC is just as stunning as it ever was, with a high level of detail in its environmental design and layered gameplay.

Ten Dates is entertaining from start to finish, with a diverse range of characters to date, great acting, and some genuinely funny moments.

Wanted: Dead starts off strong with plenty to learn and enjoy, but towards the end bogs itself down by trying to be difficult, forgoing what made it good to begin with.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is my new favourite rhythm game, with brilliant musical gameplay and a tracklist that is simply breathtaking.

Metroid Prime Remastered is the best remaster on Switch to date by some margin, which is saying a lot. Still essential after all these years.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society has some interesting ideas for a dungeon crawler, but is too complex for its own good.

Hogwarts Legacy is filled with so many mechanics that nothing feels arbitrary, with so much joy to be found within its story and spell books.

Deliver Us Mars is heavily focused on story and exploration, both of which it does fairly well. It’s no thrill-a-minute blockbuster, but fans of the first game will find a lot to like here.

SpellForce: Conquest of Eo strips away a lot of what makes the franchise unique and doesn't replace it with anything exciting.

Perish is a solid FPS roguelike with tons of replayability, often giving off a DOOM-vibe that pushes you to the limits of your own sanity.

The True Slime King is a hard as nails platformer that recaptures the Meat Boy magic, and has a cracking level editor to boot.

Fashion Police Squad is a fabulous retro style FPS, with a unique theme and tons of ideas packed in.

Shoulders of Giants is a fantastic action game, with a great variety of weapons, abilities and progressions hooks to keep you keen.

Issues with the combat aside, there is much to enjoy in what Untold Tales have served up with Atone.

If Stitch Heads continue along this path with Superfuse through early access, they will almost certainly have a winner on their hands come the full launch. They understand the genre and know exactly what fans want from it – right now it just needs balancing and expanding. The aesthetic is cool and the universe is interesting, and the Fuse system is just fantastic. The cathartic thrill of looting and levelling is hamstrung a little by the sense of repetition, but it’s early days yet, and Superfuse has the potential to be a genuine hit. [Early Access review]

Trek to Yomi is a likeable game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. If the visuals on Switch were better, it would be an easy one to recommend.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake doesn't reinvent the wheel for platformers, but there's still lots to enjoy.

Backfirewall_ is a fun, interesting mix of exploration and puzzles in a setting that feels different and enjoyable to explore.

Hi-Fi Rush is a thrilling rhythm game that oozes both style and substance, offering one of the biggest surprise hits in recent memory.

The Good, the Bad and the Undead is Marvel's Midnight Suns Deadpool expansion - and it's as mad as you'd expect from the Merc with a Mouth.

It is fantastic that titles like Raiden IV x MIKADO Remix are still being released, and even missing TATE mode it's a recommendation.

Dead Space is a fantastic remake, taking what was great about the original and adding plenty of smart and impressive features.

Season: A Letter to the Future is an emotional adventure full of relatable characters, gorgeous locations and a whole lot of scrapbooking.

Colossal Cave is a love letter to the 1976 original which fans will enjoy, but newcomers will likely be confused, intimidated, and frustrated by its design.

Hyper Gunsport is great in couch co-op and versus modes, where the fast paced and fun action takes you back to the golden age of gaming.

Neptunia: Sisters Vs Sisters has wonderful combat and endearing characters, but a lack of difficulty and dodgy dungeons prevent it from being truly great.

There's something here to get stuck into for fans of open world adventures, and Forspoken isn't without its charms, but like Frey herself, it's often its own worst enemy.

Persona 4 Golden on Switch is the best possible version of Atlus’s finest blend of dungeon crawling role player action dark murder mystery.

Persona 3 Portable has a script that's sharp as a tack, and one which makes you identify and fall in love with the quirky cast of characters that you interact with, as well as feeling very much in control of your protagonist.

Monster Hunter Rise on PS5 is a fantastic experience - especially for newcomers or fans who have been unable to get stuck in until now.

Fire Emblem Engage is a masterpiece of tactical gameplay design, with a gorgeous look, and depth most games can only dream of.

Papetura is short and undemanding, and with controls that have made the leap well to the Switch from its point and click Steam origins.

Sailing Era will definitely have its fans, but for me the constant menu navigating and overly complex mechanics made my time at sea fairly underwhelming.

Breakers Collection may not have a ton of content, but it is as comprehensive as you could wish, and is incredibly fun to play.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is easy to recommend for those longing for retro platformers, but is over a bit too quick.

One Piece Odyssey might appeal to long time fans of Luffy and co, but the glacial pace really drags it down.

Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Malta Expansion adds enough for fans of JWE2 to enjoy, with the Dinosaur Exchange being a highlight.

If it goes the distance, Warhammer 40K: Darktide will get better with time. As it stands it's an enjoyable romp through an almost endearingly macabre world.

Sail Forth isn't without a few issues, but exploring the seas and upgrading your ship is satisfying from start to finish.

Sports Story is a huge disappointment, with a ton of technical issues, a lack of tutorials and unenjoyable new sports making it one to avoid.

Kukoos: Lost Pets has some fun platforming ideas, but gameplay issues, boring boss fights and annoying sound effects make it tough to recommend.

River City Girls 2 has some of the best beat em up combat out there, and alongside the compelling RPG elements and sensational soundtrack make it a must play.

Bots are Stupid provides a unique take on 2d platforming by swapping jumping with typing out commands.

Lover Pretend is a great Otome game full of romance, with a fantastic film industry setting that you won't be able to put down.

Blacktail may not put every foot right, but it's still an enjoyable, compelling romp through a dark and beautiful fairytale world.

Just Dance 2023 Edition can be a whole lot of fun with friends, but it has a host of issues that also hold it back.

Lil Gator Game is a charming exploration focused 3d platformer, but is held back by Switch performance.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt next-gen update makes a great game even better, improving practically every element of the much loved game.

High on Life is filled with some fun mechanics and great writing, and while it doesn't reinvent the genre, it makes it more enjoyable.

Wavetale is a simple adventure with a sweet story, featuring satisfying traversal, although it never steps out of its comfort zone.

What the Bat is fun if you just want to kill half an hour, and its humour and variety make it colourful and unpredictable every time. [Meta Quest 2]

Need for Speed unbound offers some genuinely cathartic, high-speed thrills, but it does little to turn heads besides wearing its flashiest colours.

Choo Choo Charles never takes itself seriously, but there's a fun game at its core with simple yet effective mechanics.

Dragon Quest Treasures is just an infinitely likeable game, that had had me beaming from ear to ear from the word go.

The Rumble Fish 2 has the promise of online play with rollback netcode – which should make this perfect for going online and getting absolutely smoked by a Japanese kid who has probably forgotten more than you will ever know. Superb.

Togges is a weird and wonderful 3d platformer that puts the focus on exploration, but sometimes the size of new worlds is just overwhelming.

Chained Echoes is without a doubt the best RPG I've played all year, and should be pushed to the top of your backlog immediately.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is an entertaining spinoff with action packed combat, but at this point it's showing its age a little.

Kynseed is an impressive and wonderful life sandbox RPG, filled with a staggering amount of things to do that'll never grow old.

The Callisto Protocol is violent and brutal, with stunning visuals, but its intimacy causes a few problems that are hard to be overlooked.

With Marvel's Midnight Suns, Firaxis has ripped out the insides of its own machine and replaced it with an Adamantium skeleton, then given it a little hotrod-red for the hell of it.

Soccer Story has some great ideas, and makes football a vessel for solving fun puzzles and reintroducing the game back to the world.

Orbital Bullet is reasonably easy to beat, but is also instant blasting fun, with a cool rotating mechanic, excellent visuals and a thumping soundtrack.

Goat Simulator 3 is ridiculous, but it's so much fun that it's hard to not recommend, thanks to crazy missions and enjoyable gameplay.

OlliOlli World: Finding the Flowzone adds more wonderfully designed stages into the mix, even if the dialogue is cringy and story rather forgettable.

The Knight Witch not only looks stunning, but the gameplay is tight and inventive, providing an enjoyable bullet hell extravaganza.

Once upon a Jester is absolutely delightful from start to finish, packed with utterly charming characters and fabulous musical numbers.

Goodbye World tells an interesting story about game development, but the slow pacing and gameplay issues really let it down.

Ship of Fools is a truly exciting co-op roguelike, with frantic action. plenty of upgrades to enjoy and a banging soundtrack.

Gungrave G.O.R.E isn't a bad game at heart. It's a clear ode to the PS2 era, with almost no modern trappings at all.

From Space is a decent twin stick shooter made even better with friends, but some annoying design choices make it a little tough to recommend.

Evil West is one of the most surprising and enjoyable action games of the year, and Flying Wild Hog have an absolute banger on their hands.

A Little to the Left isn't for fans of fast paced action, but if you need some cosy puzzles on these cold winter nights then it has you covered.

If you enjoyed the challenging combat and metroidvania-lite exploration, Steelrising: Cagliostro's Secrets certainly provides more of both.

Yet again, Miles Morales on Steam Deck and PC is another PlayStation triumph, with the only real negative the fact that it has longer loading times than on PS5.

With its creepy setting and constant threat, The Devil in Me provides a satisfying horror experience for fans of the series.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are great games mired by a host of technical issues.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are great games mired by a host of technical issues.

Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals is undoubtedly the best way to experience Inertial Drift. This is a game that is relatively easy to pick up, very difficult to master, but remains utterly compulsive.

Somerville is a beautiful and smart environmental puzzler filled with great ideas and a story that grips you from start to finish.

Floodland is a great survival sim that constantly forces you to think about your actions and make tough choices.

The real appeal of Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor - Martyr Ultimate Edition is the faithfulness to the universe and attention to detail.

Syberia: The World Before is a solid return to form for the series, with strong and inventive puzzles and an engaging story.

While Jurassic World Aftermath Collection has some strong points, it doesn't quite do the game justice like it did in VR.

Flat Eye is not without its ideas or charms, but in trying so hard to be provocative, the devs may have overplayed their hand.

Pentiment is a stunning piece of work, with a rich story, gorgeous artwork, and fleshed out characters that keep you hungry to learn more.