The consistently surprising offspring of Harvest Moon and Pikmin will make a royalist out of anyone.

A fantastically idiosyncratic approach to both superheroes and turn-based strategy, that manages to remain perfectly accessible without ever talking down to its audience.

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.

The best gets that little bit better in what is a modest sequel, but a still stunning driving simulator.

The best Call Of Duty of the generation and while some will bemoan the lack of a story campaign, it’s hard to argue with the quality and quantity of content on offer.

A very worthwhile expansion of the venerable strategy game, whose new features seem a natural, and surprisingly realistic, extension of the original game.

Not necessarily the best version of the game, but it's definitely the cheapest – and a still superb mix of role-playing, puzzle and strategy action.

An entertaining and agreeably clever remaster of the classic puzzle platformer, with added 3D bonus levels that give the formula a welcome and devious shake-up.

The best game about moving out there’s ever been but, more importantly, a fun four-player co-op game that’s perfect for causing family arguments everyone can enjoy.

From the developer of rymdkapsel and holedown, both of which are classics that are well worth playing, subpar pool is another capital letter-shunning production of great polish and originality.

Visually though this is one of the most impressive games of the year, with the subtle animation and sparing use of colour telling you all you need to know about the situation without a word of dialogue. Inside isn’t a fun video game, but it is a clever and intelligent one. And despite how long it’s been since Limbo it’s telling that nobody has managed to perfect that formula as well as Playdead.

Colourful and brutal, funny and horrifying, Far Cry 6 is the distilled essence of its franchise, as well as a richer and more coherent experience than recent outings.

There are still a few rough edges to be driven over, but as mild as the improvements are this still makes Forza Horizon 2 one of the best racers of recent years.

It has quite a lot of substance, and plenty of new units to unlock, as well as complex interactions between their various powers and attributes.

An absurd concept but an inspired turn-based tactics game that, quite unexpectedly, has one of the best scripts of the last 12 months.

An effective expansion of the original’s deck-building roguelite structure, that adds lots of enjoyable new features and becomes one of the few games to rival Slay The Spire.

It might be a pain to get hold of but this engrossing visual novel has more mystery and tension in its simple text screens than a hundred CGI cut scenes.

The video game equivalent of a concept album, and a hugely successful mix of visual, music and gameplay influences.

One of the best Western style role-players ever made works better than it ever has before on consoles, but there’s only so much a new coat of paint can do to hide its age.

PopCap Games' best game and probably the best ever Tower Defence – and it works just as well as you'd hope on the Xbox 360.

More realistic than ever, but not necessarily a better game as a result of it - especially as the frontline features and options have seen little change.

The charming mix of Minecraft and Dragon Quest works even better the second time round, with a smart sequel that address the flaws of the original while adding plenty of new features of its own.

A scary, atmospheric, and cleverly designed survival horror, whose photorealistic visuals and superb sound design help overcome some occasional frustrations.

Despite its many and obvious influences this is an impressively unique vision that offers excellent value for money and one of the best surprises on the 3DS’s eShop.

A surprisingly fitting end to Nintendo's legacy on the DS, with one of the best ever uses of the touchscreen and the best Kirby game since Epic Yarn.

A significant improvement on the last game and one of the best Soulslikes of recent years, with excellent use of procedural generation and so much variety it’s almost impossible to see everything.

A successful resurrection of the iconic retro franchise, that wallows in justifiable nostalgia but still tries to keep at least one foot in the present.

A host of new features and gameplay improvements blend well and make the game more realistic and fun – and they save you time faffing around doing tasks that used to feel more like chores.

An excellent remake, with exceptionally good graphics, that borrows just enough from the later games to keep things interesting for new fans and old.

It’s relatively short but Cuphead’s long-awaited DLC does not disappoint, with some incredibly well orchestrated boss battles that look more amazing than ever.

The underlying game is still too reliant on the Ubisoft formula but the new content and Legends mode make Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut a notably better experience than the original at launch.

An excellent conversion of the original iOS hit, and a wonderfully disturbing horror story that innovates in terms of everything from visuals and interface to its macabre narrative.

One of the most influential video games of all time gets the remaster it deserves, and is still impressively entertaining after all these years.

Moving beyond a mere homage to Dungeon Master this is one of the best dungeon crawlers of recent years, even if the puzzle balance still isn’t quite right.

More a re-release than an enhancement, but still a fascinating reminder of how engaging a good role-player can be even without modern graphics.

One of the best offline multiplayer games of the year, and proof that shouting at people sitting next to you is still one of gaming’s greatest pleasures.

The highest carat of Sega's golden oldies returns (again) to prove that the blue skies are still the best.

One of the best Switch ports so far, both technically and in terms of how handheld mode enhances and compliments the original gameplay.

It’s extremely short, but this is one of those rarities that is actually free, with no advertising or microtransactions, just a hugely offbeat and entertaining few minutes’ worth of non-gaming.

A major update to the intricately plotted and highly detailed RPG, that gives players more of what they loved in the original release and the same amount of what they didn’t.

It’s been enhanced on practically every level from the original, and while its text-only conversations tend to go on a bit tool long, and the jaunty tune it plays when you die quickly becomes mildly enraging, it’s a compelling game whose crafting recipes and research build into a significant array of construction options. You’ll also upgrade your spacesuit, making you faster, stronger and harder to kill; its role-playing elements prove as addictive as ever and it features cross-platform saves for those who also own it on Steam.

Minimalist gaming at its finest, with graphics and presentation out of the Stone Age but evocative sci-fi action that's tense, tactical and instantly addictive.

The PSP's most cheerful game returns with an interesting, if very difficult, new take on the original.

A significant improvement on the last generation of Pro Evo games, and for the first time in years PES is more entertaining than the new FIFA.

The best Spider-Man game ever and probably the best use of Venom in any medium outside of comics, with the stunning visuals and slick gameplay overcoming a certain overfamiliarity.

Only masochists will appreciate all of the new features, but they do help to round out what was always an unfairly pilloried and already highly competent action game.

Shovel Knight’s first spin-off is just as good as his mainline games, with a clever take on tile-matching puzzlers that offers an enjoyably unique challenge.

The music game bubble stays intact for another year, with no big new ideas - just lots of little ones.

It’s certainly not the best entry in the Zelda series, but a good quality remaster and the presence of Midna still makes this one worth returning to.

A satisfying end to an impressively varied series of downloads, with a strong restatement of everything that makes Battlefield so unique.

The amount of missing features is disappointing, but as a first step this is an excellent console version of one of gaming's most open-ended and creative experiences.

The best Lemmings game since the Amiga days, except with flesh-eating zombies instead of mindless mammals.

A fantastic 2D shooter, that despite being the developer’s first game shows they understand the genre perfectly – but perhaps not the needs of those that are less familiar with its traditions.

A good value expansion for what is both one of the most imaginative puzzle games of the year and one of the best co-op experiences.

It’s actually quite hard, and has its own minor unlockables, which further justifies the already perfectly reasonable asking price.

A loving update of what is still a genuinely fun and innovative genre mash-up, as well as a fascinating glimpse at the glory days of British gaming.

Nintendo successfully reinvents Pikmin as a Stardew Valley style cosy game, that’s both much bigger and more approachable than ever before.

A knowing tribute to some of the greats of action gaming, and a highly competent 2D shooter in its own right.

A stylish replication of survival horror’s roots, which manages to capture and refresh the unsettling horrors of the genre’s 90s origins.

Sony's super-stylised future racer may still be download-only but this expansion is worth every penny.

The interface works well and the extra tasks prove a welcome addition to the time honoured bridge building mechanics, and while it never gets especially taxing it remains engaging throughout.

Far more than meets the eye, the triumph here isn't the successful return of Kid Icarus but Nintendo's most involved and nuanced shooter of recent years.

A fantastic blast from the past that remasters a long-forgotten classic that should now be recognised as one of the best scrolling beat ‘em-ups ever.

The funniest and best-looking entry in the series so far, but also the least innovative and accessible in terms of gameplay.

Double Fine's best game since Psychonauts is unique in both setting and gameplay, with an enchanting mix of absurdist logic and striking presentation.

For a series where graphics are irrelevant concentrating on surface details makes for a below par update.

A delightful and hugely entertaining journey of puzzles, battles, and exploration that makes you feel a part of both its story and the living, breathing, miniaturised world of Moss.

A cheerier, more versatile alternative to Trials HD, that manages to make trial-and-error fun.

A successful soft reboot for the venerable fighting game series, and a great jumping on point for those dissatisfied by Street Fighter V.

It plays as well as the series ever has, and is far more accessible than previous entries, but there’s infinite room for improvement in terms of the roster and presentation.

An excellent first expansion pack that adds not just new but genuinely different content to the mix.

It's an ungenerous expansion, but if you've not tried the original this is a slightly healthier option.

A very successful attempt to address real world news events in a video game that always feels realistic but never manipulative.

Going green has never been so entertaining, with the only game this Christmas where brain not brawn will save the world.

The closest thing to Ikaruga on a smartphone and despite the psychedelic presentation one of Jeff Minter's more lucid shooters of recent years.

A far better advert for the PS5 than its short length and last gen assets might have suggested, with superior storytelling and more compelling characters than the original.

A beguiling mix of open world exploration, mild criminality, and Star Wars flavour that, while it has its flaws, is one of the most enjoyable space adventures of recent years.

Forget the original home console title, this charming 8-bit throwback is by far the superior game.

Consistently underrated at the time this masterful mix of influences makes hardly a single mistake in all three games - and definitely deserves a fourth.

It’s at least as much about exploration, across several huge and detailed mountains, as it is about time trials and pulling off tricks, and its touch controls are wonderfully intuitive. All that’s missing is the glühwein.

One of the most enjoyable roguelikes of recent years, with the heavy emphasis on RNG saved by some fun co-op options.

A genre hybrid that turns repetitive loop grinding into one of the most uniquely addictive gaming experiences of the year, with surprisingly few caveats.

A very welcome remaster of one of gaming’s most carefully hidden secrets, whose charming retro simplicity is as entertaining today as it was 22 years ago on the Game Boy Advance.

Coming with all three tranches of DLC, this is another roaring success from the team at Feral Interactive and a welcome return for a spin-off that is considerably more entertaining than some of the mainline entries.

The package itself may be no frills but Virtua Fighter 5 is still one of the best fighting games ever made and deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience.

Kratos may not be gaming’s most charismatic protagonist but it turns out he has a surprising knack for multiplayer as well as single-player action, in one of the best-looking games on the PlayStation 3.

Beneath the saccharine sweet exterior beats the heart of a monster, one that wants to devour your every waking moment with its wonderfully addictive platform action.

The pioneering space adventure makes an impressive landing on PlayStation 4, with more content than ever and the promise of even better things to come.

An excellent 3D platformer that rather than just trying to copy Nintendo has plenty of ideas of its own, with some thrilling freeform action.

Metroid and Castelvania face a new challenger, as the bizarre world of Mexican wrestling inspires one of the most entertaining action adventures of recent years.

Still the funniest and best-looking entry in the series, even if it’s the least innovative. And despite a few graphical flaws the PS Version is the definitive edition.

One of the most enjoyably weird games of recent years and yet surprisingly easy to grasp, with an engaging mix of action and survival gameplay – and a good dose of surrealist imagery.

Yet another triumph on the pitch but the lack of attention to new features within myClub means it feels a bit repetitive.

The lack of any meaningful additions is a surprise, but it only underlines what a fantastic game the Game Boy original was, in what is still a classic Zelda title that thoroughly deserves the star treatment.

The SteamWorld franchise digs deeper than ever and comes up with another charming mix of Metroidvania and Boulder Dash.

There is such a thing as being too hard and the original version of Below proved that, but there’s also such a thing as second chances and Explore mode has managed to turn Below into a game everyone can enjoy, and without compromising its original vision.

If indie gaming is just a state of mind then Ubisoft is getting increasingly good at encouraging it in their developers, especially in this novel plant-based platformer.

Masterful reboot of the old snowboarding racer, with just the right mix of retro appeal, modern presentation, and brand new ideas.