Gloriously insane and surprisingly good value, it doesn't pretend to be the deepest fighter around but in the short term at least this is one of the most entertaining.

A bizarre mix of weighty subject matter and cartoon presentation that somehow works perfectly in portraying a morally complex world and its characters.

The worldless storytelling is some of the most compelling of the year and the purposefully frustrating control system an outrageously daring experiment.

An atmospheric and compelling text-only role-playing game, with a realistic approach to survival and building relationships – where every action and failure comes with lasting consequences.

A joyful, colourful, and hugely inventive cavalcade of co-op antics that makes superb use of having two players for both its unique challenges and unscripted hijinks.

A relaxing and nuanced survival city builder, that has plenty of depth and variety but also an unusually laidback and optimistic tone.

A quietly powerful, deceptively smart narrative adventure about childhood and football which succeeds as a thoughtful reflection of not only a moment in time but memory itself.

There’s still room for improvement but this is the best King Of Fighters has been for many years, with enough new features to please both veterans and newcomers.

There’s no time pressure and the gentle soundtrack lends it a mellow pace that in no way undermines its challenge or the feel good nature of its puzzles.

A vastly better game than Lords Of Shadow 2, that smooths the rough edges from the 3DS original and proves that Castlevania need not revert back to a niche retro franchise.

A wonderful throwback to ’80s style British gaming, that has much to teach modern titles in terms of player freedom and open world design.

The PS Vita finally gets something to sing about with a beautifully conceived mix of platform action, striking visuals, and perfectly orchestrated music.

The story campaign and, arguably, the fighting are the best they’ve ever been for Mortal Kombat, although there’s currently a lack of other modes and Invasion is a disappointment.

Another masterful mix of interactive story and brutal action, and which despite the short running time still packs an emotional punch.

The definitive example of the stealth strategy game and a worthy swansong for developer Mimimi Games, as they deliver a charming and surprisingly accessible pirate swashbuckler.

The quintessential tactical role-playing game is revived for a new generation and while it still has its flaws, the bedrock of both the gameplay and the narrative remain as solid as ever.

An immersive and engrossing trip to the seedy underbelly of World War II era Los Angeles, the police procedural work enhanced enormously by being in virtual reality.

Still the best Japanese role-player of the last generation, even if squeezing it down onto the New 3DS does it few favours.

A successful evolution of Yakuza: Like A Dragon, which makes great use of its Hawaiian setting and an almost endless array of distractions and mini-games.

Heartbreakingly short, and not really very different from the first game, but the quality of puzzles and wordless storytelling is still absolutely stunning.

Building your own medieval empire proves surprisingly attractive in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

Some of the most natural dialogue ever designed for a video game - in terms of quality and interaction - helps to make a superior supernatural thriller.

Fans will be arguing about it for decades to come but for now this is a surprisingly daring reinvention of the legendary original, although it’s a shame its biggest flaws were largely avoidable.

Fans of gripping mysteries and intriguing puzzles will love the eclectic storytelling, but not necessarily the pervy humour, in Kotaro Uchikoshi’s most fascinating oddity.

It isn’t a masterpiece but it’s a massive improvement on FIFA 19, with a sprinkling of new features – Volta in particular – that should lay the foundations for the series’ future.

The episode itself has its weak points, but it’s still a successfully heart-rending finale to one of the great storytelling achievements in gaming.

A wonderfully unique historical adventure whose seemingly simple gameplay is made wonderfully tense by artful presentation and a sharp script.

A great follow-up to The New Order, which cleverly reuses all of its best features and yet still finds time to add plenty of new elements of its own.

One of the best story-based games of the year, with a complex mix of dystopian sci-fi, religious meditation, and a razor-sharp script.

A fun roguelike beat ’em-up that manages to expand the genre beyond its arcade roots, with relatively deep combat, excellent animation, and four very different playable characters.

A milestone in fast action VR games, which solves most of the problems with motion sickness while also being an excellent first person racer.

We’re always wary of neo-retro games that just try to copy what already exists but Tanglewood is fascinating for the fact that a game like this could’ve existed back in the Mega Drive era but nobody thought to make it. But whether you take this as a lesson in changing trends in game design or simply a homage to a beloved console Tanglewood is a real triumph. We’re glad the Mega Drive isn’t dead and we take this as proof that it really can live forever – not only in our hearts but also on Steam.

An excellent start to a prequel series that taps into the same style of sincere storytelling as the original, making a previously unsympathetic character seem vulnerable and likeable.

The DS is the definitive version but this still does some things better than the home consoles GTAs.

One of the best Dark Souls clones so far and while some things are near identical the co-op features help distinguish it as something more than just a straight copy.

Butcher Bay is still one of the best movie tie-ins ever, even if the new Assault On Dark Athena is not.

One of the best Metroidvania games around, with some inspired visuals and great use of its Ancient Greek setting – despite some minor issues with the gameplay mechanics.

The best ever portable Shin Megami Tensei, with an interesting spin on the tactical role-playing genre.

Puzzles soon become multi-layered memory tests, especially when you’re trying to pare back the number of moves used, and there’s no hint system, so you’re on your own (or on YouTube) if you get stuck; although the tinkering and eventual epiphany is where the real joy lies.

We’ll be returning to the game multiple times over the months and years to come. And unless something goes terribly wrong we’re sure that 10/10 will come eventually. But for now you’ll just have to put up with what is merely one of the best new fighting games of the generation.

Star Wars and pinball fans are equally well served here, with what are arguably better tables than the actual real machines.

A worthy follow-up to Limbo, that challenges in terms of both its fiendish puzzles and its harrowing storytelling.

Originally released on PC and consoles, its geometric world and point ‘n’ click interactions are right at home on a touchscreen, making this a wonderful way to introduce yourself to its estimable charms.

The Dishonored saga comes to an elegant, if not entirely satisfying, end with a spin-off adventure that is almost as good as its full price predecessor.

Another Microsoft exclusive arrives on PlayStation 5 and this one is marginally superior to the Xbox version, with excellent DualSense support and ironed out performance.

A typically assured mix of standard Japanese role-playing and MegaTen's more provocative ideas.

A fabulously detailed racing game with a huge car roster and engrossing single-player modes, slightly marred by forcefully encouraging you to perform practise laps before races.

The best Resident Evil since number 4 and that's despite a number of compromises in the story mode, but very much helped by the superb graphics and online mode.

It may be short on gameplay surprises, but it's long on visual shock and awe.

It was already a worthy follow-up to the Tomb Raider reboot, but with all the DLC, and some interesting new extras, this is not only a good game but also a great bargain.

As you progress across its worlds the complexity layers on, with new powers and gardeners constantly being added in what is a clever, likeable, and surprisingly deep game.

The best Professor Layton game so far and an excellent update of the original template, which makes full use of the 3DS's extra abilities.

The loss of London Life leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but its absence doesn't affect the main game which is probably the best of the series so far.

An unexpectedly brave attempt to once again rewrite the rules on Pac-Man, resulting in another near-classic arcade experience.

It still feels more like a remix than a wholly new game, but New Leaf combines stress free entertainment and inescapable addiction in a more beguiling way than ever.

One of the best roguelikes for a long time, whose randomised abilities work perfectly to add variety and unpredictability to its tale of an 80s style post-apocalypse.

The last great Katamari game and in terms of everything but the soundtrack the better game of the two, even if the novelty barely stretches across two titles.

Only nostalgiaists will want to play it at length but this shames modern shooters with its ambition.

A charming and imaginative spin on The Legend Of Zelda that is filled with cleverly original ideas and a deceptively serious script that packs a real punch.

A great tie-in and, much more importantly, a great game. Generous in terms of content and childish fun.

Uncharted 4 is one of the best action adventure games ever made but this remaster does so little to improve the experience it doesn’t feel like anything other than a cynical cash grab.

Although similar in some respects to Hearthstone, the tactical depth and ability to deploy game-changing combos keeps it fresh and distinct, the touchscreen port playing even better than the PC original. There’s still an undertone of pay-to-win but provided you don’t take things too seriously it doesn’t spoil the fun.

An inspired mix of old school Resi game design and modern presentation, and the best VR options so far in a major release.

A near perfect segue from console to iPhone, and a game that understands the pros and cons of touchscreen controls a lot better than most.

Not only one of the best WiiWare games ever, but an inspired 2D action puzzler to put even LocoRoco and Rolando in the shade.

There’s a disappointing lack of museum features, but you can’t really argue with 50 classic Mega Drive games, online play, and a surprisingly generous price tag.

A successful blend of Zelda and twin-stick bullet hell shooter, which sounds like a terrible mix but brings some welcome novelty to both styles of play.

Fortunately, it’s great fun anyway and avoids some of the frankly exhausting grind of Destiny 2. It’s constantly tempting to drop real cash, but even without giving in to that, there’s lots to explore and do, and a hefty chunk of plot to get your teeth into.

Unlocking useful equipment like a sword, bow, shield, and high jump helicopter attachment, its puzzles often stretch across multiple screens, requiring exploration, conversations with traders, and plenty of key and item collecting. Wonderbox’s heart, though, is the ability to build and share your own levels using its excellent and highly intuitive tool set. If it can pull off the same feat as Dreams did on PlayStation 4, and build a community of creators, its future could be very interesting indeed.

As familiar as the system may seem there's no denying its addictive qualities, or the increased freedom it gives you to customise the play styles. But there is an unavoidable price to be paid in terms of Halo 4's sense of individuality.

The best new Mortal Kombat for years, with a fighting game experience that’s as generous with the content as it is with the gore.

Released in 2019, Wargroove is what can politely be called a homage, and less politely a blatant copy, of Advance Wars. It borrows its cartoon styling, turn-based tactical gameplay, and at least some of its sense of balance between units. Just swapping a semi-real world setting for a Tolkien-esque fantasy world. Its sequel doesn’t for one moment try and reinvent the wheel, instead providing a massive additional dose of the same thing. This time its campaign is split into three sizeable parts, each of which focuses on a different faction, with its own units and variations in terrain. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s the roguelike Conquest Mode, and a souped-up map creator. It’s a huge game, and just as polished and entertaining as its predecessor.

A significant improvement on the original and undoubtedly the best 2D Soulslike game so far, with a macabre and imaginative style all of its own.

It’s the very opposite of pick up and play but the level of detail and complexity in Europa Universalis 5 is truly staggering and matched only by the difficultly of learning how to play it.

As fascinatingly addictive as its premise is perversely mundane, but whatever the setting this is one of the best new puzzle games of the year.

A fighting gaming bursting with content, as well as severed body parts, and more of both makes this XL edition particularly good value for money.

Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay of the year.

One of the best point ‘n’ click adventures of all-time still has much to teach modern gaming in terms of puzzle design and engaging characters.

Despite a few pulled punches this is the best Call Of Duty has been in years, and the multiplayer in particular is the most innovative since Modern Warfare began.

The experience is especially well suited to the 3DS, and although this is supposedly the last of the series we do hope some kind of compilation can be made for the Switch. We won’t mind if there’s never another sequel though. For in a world where no franchise is ever allowed to die a dignified death it’s nice to know that Qbby has been all that he can be, and that his final adventure was his best.

A surprisingly thorough compilation of 8 and 16-bit Castlevanias, that illustrates the early history of one of gaming’s most influential franchises.

The classic gets some well implemented new features that extend but don't overwhelm the original.

An evolution of last year's FIFA is enough for EA to win the battle of football games, but it may need to step up its game next year with PES improving.

A taut, characterful headrush of an expansion that completes Cyberpunk 2077’s redemption and re-establishes it as one of the great open world adventures of the generation.

Technically impeccable and fantastic to behold, 2K’s first PGA Tour game is already the best golf sim currently available.

Still a little unpolished in places, but with its huge variety of locations and gameplay elements this already stands toe-to-toe with both Terraria and Minecraft.

One of Destiny 2’s best expansions thus far, providing an assured roadmap for the series to move into. It is just more Destiny though.

A sprawling, story-based epic whose ponderous cinematic cut scenes give way to swathes of arcade style mech action, that is amongst the most fun you can have in a giant robot.

Mercilessly difficult, and unusually complicated, but the best looking and most varied BIT. TRIP yet.

One of the best looking fighting games ever and the most successful attempt yet to make an interactive anime, even if it is a little lacking in content and new ideas.

A wonderful throwback to ’80s style British gaming, that has much to teach modern titles in terms of player freedom and open world design.

An inconsistent but highly enjoyable season of sharp comedy and surprisingly affecting drama, that has plenty to teach more serious dramas.

A charmingly inventive temporal puzzle and exploration game, that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds of recent years.

An exceptionally pretty slice of DLC that does nothing to address the faults of the main game but does manage to emphasise its many successes, especially the graphics.

An excellent spin-off that uses the science fiction setting to focus and expand the gameplay in interesting new ways, and yet remains as accessible and thoughtful as ever.

A successful start to the first episodic Resident Evil, with some genuinely inventive co-op features and the most effective scares the series has seen in years.

Gorgeous visuals and some sublime visual storytelling, Ori And The Blind Forest might not do much that is genuinely new but almost everything it does attempt is genuinely great.

A very different kind of turn-based game, that proves multiplayer action doesn’t have to involve first person shooting.