Despite its unique Western setting, 1849 is a run of the mill city builder that might have been made 10 years ago and probably wouldn’t have had much longevity back then either.

As it is, A Fistful of Gun is a fairly run of the mill top down shooter.

All the Delicate Duplicates shows remarkable integrity to its ambivalent tone and psychological themes, but it’s often the same integrity that renders its puzzle-solving mundane. Fans of resolution will likely find the ending underwhelming, but in terms of original world-building and character development, it’s an appreciable two-hour wander.

There is plenty of repetition in Reigns: Three Kingdoms and this may deter some gamers from continuing further into the story. Players are posed the similar questions throughout the course of their journey and although answering them in different ways can lead to varied outcomes, it can become grating. That said, the combat portion of the game is highly enjoyable. Although it too is quite basic, the drafting of your characters into battle does allow for a certain level of strategy. The battles are often over quickly and as a result Reigns: Three kingdoms could be a great game to play during your lunch break or during a commute.

After the Fall works well for the most part, giving players a VR version of Left 4 Dead. The gunplay and reloading mechanics are smooth and allow for immersion and tension as the hordes of zombies approach your small band. The user interface is well laid out and it is fun to shoot these undead with the small range of weapons at your disposal. Unfortunately, the length of the game and the issues with motion sickness caused by the jumpy rotation when turning may turn some people away. But if you want a Left 4 Dead style VR game, then After the Fall should be your go to option at this point.

All told, Paradise Killer’s open world nature with a mystery driven narrative just doesn’t work for me. The pacing was all over the place, something that is vital for any mystery. Even with interesting locations and characters, the world itself didn’t feel lived in and was frustrating to navigate. The experimental nature of this game, creative design, vast scope, and rad tone make it worth trying if you are a big mystery fan, but it may be best to skip if they’re not your thing in the first place.

Although there is little story and no dialogue whatsoever, Squirrel With a Gun certainly has a sense of humour. Controlling a small furry rodent that can carry a rocket launcher and then produce bullet-time finishing moves with a variety of weapons is a heap of fun. Collecting each of the golden acorns and other collectibles effectively makes the game a 3D open-world platform puzzle game with a bad-ass, but adorable hero. The enemies are varied enough, the boss battles are reasonably challenging and the puzzles are designed to encourage exploration. And although the main game is on the short side, players can always head back and collect each of the collectibles that they missed along the way.

Ticket to Earth is reasonably fun, particularly in short bursts. The combat system is extremely intuitive, and allows for some experimentation with various strategies. And with the variation in enemy types, different strategies will definitely be used from time to time. Ticket to Earth is full of colour which belies the serious tone of the game, but goes well with the more casual feel of the game. The strategic combat is anything but casual, however, requiring some thoughtful planning in the moves, especially if you're looking to complete all the mission goals for each scenario. Episode One only lasts around five or six hours, but with three more episodes coming soon, Ticket to Earth will keep us entertained for hours with its great blend of puzzle and strategy.

There is so little variation in gameplay that Train Fever feels shallow and unfinished.

In this type of game, you often get disproportionate enjoyment from combat or dialogue. You’ll find yourself suffering though dialogue to get to the next battle or trudging through fights to get to the next piece of story exposition. In Grimshade, both are fine. Regrettably, that is all they are.

Room to Grow provides for some wonderfully creative puzzles that will take some time to move through and is well worth it for puzzle fans.

The Stillness of the Wind will not suit everyone. It is a game that is somewhat devoid of excitement. It is probably a closer example of a farming simulator than games such as Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley and their bright colours and fast-growing crops. It is more than that though. It is a game of survival, for both the elderly Talma, and for the animals that she tends. It is a game of loss as well, as we learn about all the family that lived on the farm but have left the nest. The Stillness of the Wind is relaxing though, allowing you to wander about doing your daily tasks however you please, but without goals to aim for, there is often the feel of emptiness which can lead to the game feeling a tad dull.

Bad Bots may be going for a retro feel but it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. I had fun for a while, but it was short lived, much like the campaign itself. This is a game you could play through over a lazy weekend but there’s nothing compelling enough to bring you back to it once it’s over. Buy this if you’re looking for a quick burst of action, otherwise it’s probably not worth the money.

Drox Operative is an absolutely unique game. There is nothing quite like it out there and if you are looking for that new experience, you are guaranteed to find it here.

BrambleLash is a fun game, especially when playing with a friend (or a couple of friends). The Adventure mode is rather short though, offering just the three seasons with five or six stages per season. I certainly would have liked to see what Summer would have entailed. Each of the locations has a varied design though, requiring different strategies despite the lack of variation in enemy types. The boss battles are rewarding, and combined with the Battle mode, increase the replay aspect of the game. Controls are simple, with just a couple of buttons that activate power-ups and switching positions with the drone, allowing anyone to pick up and play without an issue. BrambleLash won’t create any real lasting memories, but is certainly fun to play with a group of friends.

With 121 levels to work through, there are plenty of challenges to be had. The levels come in varying difficulties, but with no time limits, they can be worked through at your own pace. The soundtrack - which is quite lively for the most part - sets a relaxing mood too. The only real downfall in Side Decide is the lack of variety in game mechanics. With most of the game mechanics introduced fairly early, some of the latter levels can become monotonous, particularly if you’re struggling to find a solution. It would have been nice to have some new features added further into the game. But with that said, the puzzles in Side Decide are well designed and most have an elegant solution that, when solved, provide for a high degree of satisfaction upon solving.

If you absolutely love sliding block puzzles, there’s probably something in Rooms: The Unsolvable Puzzle for you. For the rest of us, there are a few tidbits to tickle our curiosities, but nothing much else to keep us entertained throughout the huge number of levels.

Paper Monsters Recut is a fine game, it just lacks ambition.

Wailing Heights is a game with a unique idea that quickly falls into the same old adventure game traps.

Legend of Dungeon has plenty of charm, and some good ideas, but lacks in execution. There is plenty of variety in the equipment that you find and the enemies you will face, but it is never enough to engage you for any great length of time. Some online multiplayer and a greater sense of progression would work wonders, because the framework is there for a great little indie beat-em-up. As it is, it’s not really a legend but perhaps more of a fascinating tale.

Montague’s Mount draws you in by creating an eerie atmosphere and a degree of mystery. Some puzzles leave you feeling satisfied, while some have you wishing for a hint system. It looks pretty good, despite some graphical hitches, and it’s backed up by some excellent audio design. There is definitely room for improvement, but it’s a decent debut title from this new indie developer.

It’s gorgeous in places, rough around the edges in others, and if you dig deep, then you’ll find something meaningful. In a few short hours it’ll be over, and you may have found yourself feeling like you’ve put in a lot of effort for not much reward.

If you’re willing to look past the bugs and balancing issues and are intrigued by the minimalistic art style, then give this game a shot. Though if you’re like me, it’s best to keep looking for a shooter that’s got some more depth to it.

Overall, I can see the game appealing to puzzle-loving gamers of about equal level or experience and ability - perhaps even romantically involved couples, as the developers suggest. For gamers looking for a bit more casual fun, some other game might be a better choice.

Games like Imperatum, that are not necessarily horrible but are far from good will disappear beneath the fame and infamy other games bring about. Unless it has one little niche than can catch even a small following, the name Imperatum will not ring any bells even a few months from now.

Evoland 2 has a little bit of everything. Whilst it’s not un-proficient at the many genres it tackles, it is unfortunately all ripped from other, better games.

The writing is rarely funny, and the actual predicament Jack Kelly is in takes quite some time to get going. There are also some glaring spelling and translation errors to be found. The 1980s had a very distinct style, and it’s not captured very well here. As for the gameplay, the point is that you’re balancing a boring work life and a stressful private life, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring to play. There are some interesting choices to be made here, and some of them have real consequences, but actually getting to them feels too much like hard work.

I think Achtung! will probably bring you some slight joy if you are both a fan of Lovecraft and Isometric tactics games, but it’s hard to feel it fulfils the original IP when it’s so lacking in narrative.