Its enemies might be mindless but while it’s very one note the gameplay in Zombie Army 4 offers some surprisingly engrossing co-operative action.

An inexplicably careless remaster, where none of the changes are unequivocally for the better and the experience is brought down further by numerous bugs and missing features.

An arrestingly surreal triumph that blends point ‘n’ click and text adventures with a unique style of storytelling and gameplay that was well worth the extremely long wait.

Temtem already does several fundamental things better than its inspiration and clearly has the potential to be the very best, like no one ever was. [Early Access review]

A mawkish attempt to glorify the 80s that features some gorgeous visuals and music but offers no real insight into the era’s culture or games.

A beautiful, colourful, and bitingly satirical sci-fi Metroidvania that also has a welcome respect for your spare time.

Playing an 8-bit style text adventure on the Nintendo Switch is novelty enough but this inspired mix of weird horror and puzzle-solving is more than just a blast of ‘80s nostalgia.

One of the most original sports games ever made but with so many flaws and limitations it makes you wish you could skip ahead several sequels and play that version instead.

Unravel the mysterious history of a dead planet in a brief, overly simplistic first person walking simulator.

A competent adaptation of the original anime but there’s a serious danger of déjà vu even for series fans, and the solid but unremarkable action is unable to overcome it.

It doesn’t have the depth of standalone Persona and Fire Emblem games, but this is a fun crossover that will please followers of both, and Japanese role-playing fans in general.

The result is absolutely sensational and Gladiabots has a level of depth and complexity that will keep the right kind of stubborn logician busy for months.

There are no instructions and the English translation is a bit homespun, but the game is rock solid, its real-time gameplay loop proving hugely compelling.

There are a few tricky puzzles in there, but the overall sense is one of gentle relaxation.

Even if you love the game’s sense of humour and art style, the quality of the interactions is so wafer thin it’s impossible to draw much satisfaction from them. Randomly surviving may be marginally less irritating than dying through no fault of your own, but neither is much fun.

In spite of its manifold similarities and some distinctly wobbly voice-acting it’s still good, its involving multi-stage puzzles taking quite a bit of teasing, prodding, and experimentation to figure out.

Beautifully drawn and with a haunting soundtrack, the cyclical nature of the game and its oblique plot exposition make this a playful and constantly delightful experience.

With its 8-bit-style graphics and roguelike trappings, Space Grunts 2 is every bit an OrangePixel game; only this time, rather than being about action, it’s a turn-based deck builder with an emphasis on speed and simplicity.

An essential purchase for any Monster Hunter fan, that also happens to be one of Capcom’s best ever PC ports.

Regardless of what it may or may not do to your brain age, this is a disappointingly low effort remaster with serious technical issues and a lack of interesting content.

A celebration of misbehaviour, with an avian avatar that instantly takes its place amongst the greatest villains in video games history.

As charmingly idiosyncratic as you’d expect from the creator of Katamari Damacy, but although the harmonious message is clear the game itself is a frustrating chore.

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.

A highly successful return for the long dormant sci-fi simulation series, and what it lacks in accessibility it makes up for in terms of satisfyingly tactical action.

A disappointing way to end an otherwise epic series (especially if you take into account Showdown) but the retro visuals and excellent 2D platforming can still delight.

It’s completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases, and is clearly a labour of love for the small team at Stay Inside Games. If you like turn-based tactics and have a phone, you may as well.

The sparkly graphics and familiar faces do their job, although it soon starts to get trickier, tempting you to spend in-game gold and actual currency to complete levels. For its target audience of small girls it’s fiendishly compelling, just don’t forget to turn off in-app purchases before handing your phone over.

Warm and witty, this four or so hours of charming adventure will leave you very much looking forward to the next episode. It’s not what you’d expect as a follow-up from Threes creator Asher Vollmer (and others) but it’s good all the same.

With a couple of hours’ worth of occasionally irritating head-scratching, there’s a slight sense of having played the intro to a much larger game. Whether you’d want a full-length version of Discolored is another matter entirely.

With infinite continues and no ads, it’s a friendly user experience, and even though some of the level design is a bit iffy, the art style is unusually good for a freebie.

Unlock skills, nurture your commanders and do your very best to stay alive in this fascinatingly tricky game of tactics that if anything works even better on a touchscreen than it did on PC and consoles.

The brothers’ interactions and cute claymation styling make for delightful, heart string-plucking interludes between levels. There’s not much of it but it concertedly leaves the door open for future chapters.

The creator of XCOM returns with some interesting new ideas, but without the budget or time to refine them Phoenix Point struggles to offer a viable alternative to its more established rival.

A relatively engaging finale but one that suffers from all the problems of the series as a whole, with too little interactivity and a lethargic plot that struggles to get into gear.

A masterclass in terms of cinematic adaptation and slow burn survival horror, but the overly long running time and lack of compelling storytelling prevents it from being a classic.

One of the best-looking games of the generation and an indie adventure with a serious but subtle message to tell… it’s just a shame it’s still not that much fun to play.

Part of the problem is clearly the budget, with low-tech visuals and poor sound quality, but that would’ve been a lot easier to forgive if the gameplay had been stronger. It’s not awful, and is a reasonable gateway game into other, better games, but the obvious danger is that if you’re unimpressed by the flawed experience of Narcos you might be even less likely to try out XCOM. And since nobody really expected a game based on Narcos to be any good, that would be the real tragedy here.

A game of exploration and combat that’s hamstrung by PlayStation VR’s unreliable motion-tracking and a movement system seemingly designed by someone who hates you.

Another excellent PC to console port, with surprisingly intuitive controls and a wealth of content and options that make this one of the best strategy games ever.

A literal dream come true for fans and while most others will struggle to understand the appeal it’s impossible not to admire Yu Suzuki’s vision and tenacity in not only making the game but making it his way.

The best Bubble Bobble game in over two decades and while it isn’t quite as perfectly formed as the original it is one of the best couch co-op games of the year.

There’s moments of greatness, and genuine terror, in this loving homage to everyone’s favourite double-hearted alien, but time and again it’s dragged down by dull puzzles and drab storytelling.

There’s the endoskeleton of a good movie adaptation here, but with dire graphics, dull combat, and tedious missions this low budget shooter is very easy to resist.

An earnest attempt to create the ultimate Jedi simulator but the mishmash of game influences and an unengaging story leaves it only impacting on the surface.

A sizeable improvement on last year’s already excellent game, with major changes and minor tweaks that will delight veteran players and encourage newcomers.

A short, boring, and painfully repetitious glimpse into the life of bees that will make you wish you had a virtual can of Raid handy.

The furore over Dexit may be overblown but even without it this is an underwhelming and unambitious attempt to modernise Pokémon and expand its horizons.

The furore over Dexit may be overblown but even without it this is an underwhelming and unambitious attempt to modernise Pokémon and expand its horizons.

The furore over Dexit may be overblown but even without it this is an underwhelming and unambitious attempt to modernise Pokémon and expand its horizons.

It’s a short game, but its beautiful hand drawn art style is a source of constant delight, as are the interactions in this work of startling originality from the makers of Samorost and Machinarium.

Controls on a touchscreen are hit and miss though, which can leave you wondering whether you’ve solved a puzzle but messed up the controls, or simply haven’t figured something out correctly. It’s also a great deal less satisfying than the games it borrows from, even if it does look and sound consistently spooky.

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.

It’s designed to be relaxing, but the reality of not knowing what the hell is going on is actually slightly stressful and eventually extremely dull.

Fights themselves are a bit light on tactics, with the looming shadows on all sides making it impossible to see enemies before they’re right on top of you, but the range of other activities and role-playing style progress of your troops will appeal to those who love XCOM but prefer their games a bit less sadistic.

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.

It’s a bit of lightly addictive throwaway fun, a sense that’s undermined by rounds against overwhelmingly more powerful computer-controlled snakes.

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.

The best Need For Speed in several years, which may sound like mild praise but despite a lack of variety this is a fun arcade racer hybrid that respects its roots.

A welcome return for one of gaming’s greatest puzzle franchises, and while it’s not quite the best in the series it certainly has the most content.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an amazing achievement in terms of production values, but it is also a fundamentally flawed video game that leverages its seemingly infinite resources in such a self-indulgent way that it undermines both its storytelling and your patience for seeing it through to the end.

A serviceable mini-game compilation with some moderately interesting highlights, held back by peculiar design decisions and little replay value.

A work of unbridled ambition and imagination but also a pretentious, contrived, and frequently quite dull gameplay experience - Death Stranding is peak Hideo Kojima.

Some of the best dialogue of the year and an interestingly original portrayal of Hell overcome a slightly undercooked take on classic graphic adventures.

A welcome revival of a much-loved franchise, although Banana Blitz was never the best entry and Sega has had to accept too many compromises in porting it from the Wii.

It’s a pleasure to wander around, the input of American artist William Chyr evident in the expansive and mildly trippy building designs that trail off into infinity. And it’s no shrinking violet on the challenge, which rapidly becomes deliciously tricky.

Developed by Simogo, whose spine-tingling Year Walk, and expectation subverting Device 6 have rightly become landmarks in mobile gaming, this is another one. It’s a shame it will be denied to Android users, but for Arcade subscribers it’s possibly the first unequivocally essential download.

It’s weirdly hard to concentrate on what the text is actually saying, rather than simply spotting which sentence fragments go where, so it’s not much of a reading experience, although it is a gentle and long term challenge that turns out to be pleasantly relaxing without a timer.

Unfortunately, its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp, and even on the latest iPhone it suffers from frame rate stutters when the action gets busy. Its unremittingly generic sci-fi characters and setting also conspire against it.

It’s a joyous affair, even if aiming can prove a bit frustrating, especially as the farmhand, with his limited water reservoir and three naughty porkers to keep track of.

Elegantly balanced so that using a controller is no advantage over touchscreen, its developers promise regular updates of new mazes, game modes, and challenges.

Nowhere close to a reinvention of the series but the more serious tone is mostly successful, with an ambitious story campaign and some entertaining new multiplayer modes.

It leans too much in the direction of the original when it comes to the puzzles and difficultly level but this is still an utterly charming romp, with wonderfully inventive set pieces and gorgeous visuals.

After several patches and months of waiting this may, possibly, become a halfway decent wresting game, but at launch this is the gaming equivalent of Doink the Clown.

A remake that is loyal to a fault when it comes to honouring the original, with gameplay and design mechanics that were barely acceptable 21 years ago, let alone now.

Garden Warfare 3 in all but name, but while it’s not an emphatic improvement on the previous games it’s still a highly enjoyable, family friendly online shooter.

A deep, funny, and intricately designed RPG reminiscent of the golden age of Fallout, when conversations mattered and comedy-grade cynicism came fitted as standard.

A few unfortunate backsteps make the first native PlayStation 4 entry something of a disappointment, but Trails Of Cold Steel is still one of the best old school JRPGs around.

A fiercely original take on traditional computer role-playing games that often seems unrefined and self-indulgent but is still a welcome shake-up of genre norms.

The best detective game ever made, that tells its unpredictable story through a mix of idiosyncratic visuals and equally unique puzzle gameplay.

A fantastically imaginative, time-bending puzzle adventure that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds in a long time.

Overwatch is still an excellent title, even this far from launch, but the Switch version is notably inferior in terms of online performance.

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.

An impressively ambitious attempt to make a VR-only action game that is both a visual spectacle and a highly enjoyable role-player, full of imaginative ideas.

The Switch is clearly not the game’s natural home and yet even with the graphical downgrade The Witcher 3’s innate quality shines through.

In other words it’s a clone of 1983 coin-op Spy Hunter, but unfortunately what you see in the first minute of the tutorial is all there really is to it, with relatively little nuance to uncover. As mindless entertainment its daily missions are a brief diversion, but little more.

If your ball-like warlock slips between the flippers he falls, taking damage equivalent to his height up the tower. You can recharge health with heart containers, and by getting him through the exit in time, but progress is cemented with the treasure and XP you earn, which permanently unlocks new skills, helping you get even higher next go. All of which is enjoyably addictive.

It’s very simple, but there’s a level of learning involved in when to boost wood and gold production; when to upgrade your defences, barracks, and walls; and which path your raiders should take. It’s very throwaway but the lightly tactical gameplay is still breezy fun.

Video game and cultural references abound in its playfully inventive courses, which jauntily switch from portrait to landscape in a game that revels in its continual ability to surprise.

As you progress words get longer, featuring far more abstruse letter groupings, and although it can’t quite muster the rampant addiction of Alpha Bears, it offers a decent word-based challenge.

The splendidly named Dread Nautical is a turn-based roguelike set on a spooky, zombie-infested 1930s cruise liner. Choosing one of four survivors, you spend action points to move, pick things up, and attack, either melee or ranged depending on what makeshift weapons you’ve managed to purloin.

On a phone, the screen can feel a bit cluttered with icons used to crouch, jump, lob grenades, and more, but on a tablet it’s perfect. Controller support is weirdly absent, but there’s very little else wrong with this excellent console conversion.

If you’ve played Kerbal Space Program you know exactly what to expect (minus the cute characters), but for everyone not familiar with terms like periapsis, there are tutorials that guide you from novice to space flight professional. Having all that in your pocket is a salutary reminder that we live in a wondrous age.

A welcome return to form for the series, and while the co-op puzzle-solving no longer seems quite as original as it once did it’s never been as enjoyable or varied as this.

Becoming one of the best city builders on consoles is the least of Frostpunk’s achievements in this thought-provoking parable about the true cost of being in charge.

An agreeably peculiar mix of role-playing game and Metroidvania but whose best feature is its charming visuals and one of the most endearing cast of characters seen in a long time.

A polished, challenging and colourful 2D platform game that recalls the best of Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, even if it doesn’t really move beyond it.

One of the best movie adaptations of all time and an impressively original strategy game that manages to rival even the best action titles in terms of tension and adrenaline rush.

Some of the finest simulated driving you can find on PC and console, but with a single-player career mode that’s not as fully fleshed out as you’d expect for the money.