The Universim is a beautiful real time strategy game mixing city building with divine intervention. As a brand new take on the empire building gameplay of your stereotypical 4x gameplay, you'll focus less on military, and more on evolution and adaptability. Fight not only other civilizations, but also the environment itself; all the while trying to maintain a clean planet free of disease and pollution. As a stand alone title, The Universim has a lot to offer; and undoubtedly more to be expected from this beautiful bombshell of a game!

Cloudpunk is a fantastic game that is a lot of fun to play. When I began playing, I assumed that it was going to be a simple pick-up-and-deliver game, but what we get it so much more. While there were a few minor issues like the length of the dialogue and a lack of save options, the good heavily outweighs the bad: the story was intriguing and kept me hooked, the controls weren’t overly complicated, and I enjoyed the range of graphics on show.

If you're looking for a more casual and story-driven experience, Heaven's Vault will scratch that itch and then some with it's nebulous, well-written narrative and memorable characters. This game fits well on the Nintendo Switch platform and looks great, too, so if you've wanted to slow things down and enjoy an epic story, then what are you waiting for?

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is a genuinely fun roguelike deckbuilder that encourages strategic thinking with its combat. You must carefully plan how you play your cards and what cards you add to your deck. Four characters provides variety but flaws keep the game from truly shining. If you want a roguelike deckbuilder that can take hours of your time, you can't go wrong with this game.

The bottom line is, I definitely think Lake: Season's Greetings is worth getting, especially if you loved the original game and want more. This is also an ideal game to get for Christmas, if you're looking to get into the spirit of the holiday. There isn't any new gameplay, but the fact that you get more of what made Lake so great in the first place is all you can really want. Playing as Thomas Weiss instead of Meredith didn't feel weird at all, and he quickly became a well-liked character. The new characters are great to watch as well, and the originals. There are a few teething technical problems, but nothing game-breaking and nothing that will stop you enjoying this extra festive slice of Lake.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most fun games this year. Its linear storytelling provides the right story that goes all on in the cosmic enjoyment. Add in the fantastic spectacles with a kicking soundtrack, and this game will make you yell flark yes!

Mafia: Definitive Edition is Mafia at its best. As the series moved forward with open-worlds, it got less engaging with its gameplay. Going back to the first one is a reminder of the core of the series and what makes it great. The flaws show how out of date some elements are, but none of them are too offensive. This remaster is a shining example of what Hangar 13 can do with the IP moving forward.

It's not the same in a large variety of ways, but it doesn't have to be. Axiom Verge 2 manages to cement itself as both a worthy sequel and a standalone title, embodying the love of the metroidvania genre almost without rival. Those keen on a more open, explorative design will find substantial worth here, though the story and combat may not entirely satisfy. While the appreciation I have for the original game still has me favor it ever-so-slightly, applause should be designated to the solo developer that managed to make two splendid experiences that complement each other as much as differentiate.

What more could you ask for? Minoria is a beautifully realized title that is entertaining throughout. Aside from some minor nitpicks, this game is a masterfully crafted Metroidvania complete with an interesting story, gorgeous level design and a phenomenal soundtrack to tie it all together.

Caravan SandWitch is a pretty good game. It does have a few flaws and technical hitches here and there, but nothing that ruined the experience for me. The story, characters and setting are more-or-less solid, sucking me into a whole new futuristic world and their lives. I myself felt as if I had lived in Cigalo! The gameplay is good too, especially the driving around, exploring, and fetch quests. I liked that they chose not to include any enemy encounters in any form. The only threats are the TARAASK storm and Witch, which only adds to the intrigue and makes the game more gripping. If you like narrative-driven open-world games with no combat, give Caravan SandWitch a go.

Silent Hope is a dungeon crawler where you take your time as you learn how to utilise seven heroes. With a variety of playstyles and skills available to you, you will slowly fight your way through the dungeon. Patience is the name of the game because it will get repetitive even with the variety to stave it off. You must grind your way towards stronger characters and equipment. But if you give the game a chance, there's a solid dungeon crawler that can keep you entertained for hours.

Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is a lot of fun. It combines a host of different gameplay styles and traits into a single title in a way that doesn't feel like it clashes with itself. This creates a game that is great to pick up and play for a short break or something longer. But be warned, this game can be hard as nails at the best of times.

Deck Nine have done a wonderful job in bringing Arcadia Bay back to life in this re-telling of a beloved story. Max, Chloe and Rachel's bonds feel stronger than ever with the brand new animations, lip-synching and model overhauls. Unfortunately, the prequel isn't quite as hard-hitting as the first story and the countless bugs currently across both games can potentially ruin the immersive experience unless you manage to avoid them. The lack of 60 FPS on next-gen consoles upon launch is a little disappointing, too.

Redout: Space Assault filled the void that I was missing when it came to 3D space shooters. It's simple enough to scratch the itch, but not so small that I plowed through it in one sitting. I wish there had been more responsibility over my ship when it came to ammo or fuel supply, but considering the title originated on Apple Arcade, the lack of this mechanic is hardly surprising. The story beats were predictable but well-written, and I will always be happy with a spaceship skin that reminds me of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, for the most part, is an excellent remaster of the fantastic original 1997 game. The story, writing, and voice acting still hold up today, and you will be hooked from start to finish. The gameplay, while basic, is exactly what it needs to be. The only core issues are the gameplay and audio bugs and some of the default options not being ideal. For only $9.99, it is an absolute steal considering the game's high replay value.

Unbound: Worlds Apart is a fantastic addition to the metroidvania timeline. It remains unique whilst encouraging what people love about classic puzzle platformers. A super exciting concept is perfectly executed by Alien Pixel Studios, and takes the form of a captivating, melancholic adventure for all.

How We Know We’re Alive is a dark and moving tale of self-discovery with an incredible art style, a pitch perfect story, and a story that feels deeply personal. The title however isn’t terribly interactive for an Adventure Game and it may be a little too short for some gamers.

Overall, Tell Me Why is a wonderful and thoughtful game that values both its characters and story. Every little detail that is scattered across the game works in harmony to create a believable and engaging world. It is a game that is constantly teaching us more about its interesting side characters and rarely gives the player a chance to want to put the controller down. Despite not having a wild and climactic ending, Tell Me Why is one of the best stories to come out of Dontnod studios and a must-play for any fans of the adventure genre.

Star Trek Resurgence feels like an episode of Star Trek, for better or worse. I feel like the character models should move more fluidly, react more naturally if I'm going to be staring at them so much. The game somehow has a way of railroading me while still leaving me uncertain of what it wants me to do. In the end, however, I found it fun. It's slow and deliberate, but that's what works for this franchise. I'm a Star Trek fan and this made me feel like I was part of the story. If you're not fan, this might not be the game for you, but if you wear pointy ears, know what the Picard Maneuver is, and speak conversational Klingon, give it a shot.

With its strong pedigree and personality, Jagged Alliance 3 is a difficult yet entertaining strategy experience. It presents players with seemingly unlimited choices, and offers a huge amount of agency in how to approach each situation. While it does suffer from a handful of annoyances, a clunky user interface, and mechanics that aren't quite explained, it is a fun and challenging addition that is sure to be a hit or fans of strategy RPGs.

Something old, something new. Although small frustrations abound – time challenges beget repetition and fast traversal is curtailed with precision jumping – movement is exhilarating within a gorgeous looking game. Remnants are familiar but enjoyable to scale and topple. The mysteries of the Ultravoid are there to be explained if you wish to find it, albeit you’ll need to know where you’re going. Seeing civilisations mashed together, the story shows how determination can overcome anything. And Solar Ash is worth the trip to see how it ends.

Deflector takes the idea of deflecting attacks and weaves it into the roguelite genre. While it doesn’t necessarily break new ground, it does offer additional strategy that makes you think about blocking. There’s nothing fundamentally different as you play, and it’s still a regular roguelite. But it’s a roguelite that encourages different playstyles, deflecting, and has a great soundtrack to listen to.

Businesses & Hobbies does an excellent job of merging businesses with hobbies in The Sims 4. Your Sims can now easily turn their best skills and favorite pastimes into profit-making businesses and share what they love to do and what they're good at with others. Nordhaven serves as a good backdrop for the theme of this pack, although I can't help thinking it could be better. I was impressed with many of the new features introduced in Businesses & Hobbies, such as being able to organize classes. At the end of the day, if you want to run a business in The Sims 4, either at home or on a separate property, Businesses & Hobbies is what you want, and it will not let you down.

Door Kickers 2 brings a tactical experience like no other game and challenges you to consider many factors. Keeping everyone alive while you achieve your objectives is no easy feat but it is rewarding. The difficulty is high though and trial-and-error can be tiring since you often repeat the same tactical exercises. But if you stick with the game and enjoy the challenge, it's a tactical experience like nothing you've ever experienced.

Sonic Frontiers has definitely brought back hope for the franchise with this new format. Between the smooth experience in the Open-Zone, cool combat (especially titan bosses) and an enjoyable quality of story writing. There are however still some polish to be done around the display of obstacles and platforms. And by far the least appreciable aspect is Cyber Space, both in its lack of originality and control which robs the game of a much higher rating.

Total War: Warhammer III: Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs is a great expansion on the base game. Adding a long-requested faction to the title in a near-perfect way. With many new and brilliantly designed units, a fine selection of lords, and some cool new features there is a lot to enjoy with this new content. However, the extra levels of economic micro-management that the DLC adds may be too much for some.

Galactic Glitch is a cleverly crafted roguelike that blends classic twin-stick shooter mechanics with smart, physics-driven gameplay and a touch of narrative intrigue. With bite-sized runs, meaningful upgrades, and room for experimentation, it’s a must-play for fans of action roguelikes looking for something both nostalgic and fresh.

As far as visual novels go, Iwakura Aria is very impressive. It's immersive, addictive, and mystifying. Each character stands out on their own without overshadowing anyone, not even the titular Aria, and Ichiko serves as an excellent protagonist and storyteller. At 10-15 hours, the length of Iwakura Aria sits comfortably without feeling as if it's cut anything important out, while also not dragging its feet and feeling unnecessarily padded out. Although the story can get dark at times, it doesn't dip too far into being too uncomfortable, while still being grippingly suspenseful. Iwakura Aria feels like one of those stories that clings onto you, and you onto it, not wanting it to end and desperate to find out how it all plays out.