The Room series offers players tactile, faux-Victorian puzzles that involve opening up wood and brass contraptions to reveal crank handles, sculptures with star-shaped bases, and devices that happen to be just the right angle to connect two recently-discovered apertures. Unlike The Room 2, which came over all Myst and had you spending a significant chunk of your time wandering back and forth, this goes back to its roots with a much more compact experience, revolving around the rooms of a single doll’s house. It does nothing to innovate and is relatively short-lived, but it’s enormously engaging while it lasts.

It offers no surprises or innovation, least of all in the new Exo Zombies mode, but most of the new maps are great and this first download is surprisingly good value.

A charming, cartoonish action role-player that’s probably not going to make Sand Land the next Dragon Ball but is a fun and unusual adventure in its own right.

A solidly constructed VR roguelite that combines guns and magic for some memorable runs, even if its graphics and setting won’t be winning any awards.

What could have been the best Battlefield of the modern era fears like a mere shell of a game, with missing features, too little content, and far too many bugs.

It might not be a game, but this is as entertaining a slice of edutainment as you'll ever find. Even if it's not quite the bargain it first appears.

Super Mario Bros. doesn’t suit the battle royale formula as well as Tetris, but this is still a fun novelty that neatly demonstrates the ageless virtues of the original game.

As rough and ready as the previous games but a fascinating tour of Japan's seedy criminal underbelly.

Still a loving remake of the influential strategy role-player, but not quite as good as the PSP version and actually slightly more expensive.

A dramatic, emotive and affecting interactive drama that shows Dontnod are still the masters of branching narrative and serious-minded storytelling.

It looks and sounds as amazing as it ever did, but even if the control issues are a little more obvious now this is still a fantastically energetic and imaginative arcade game.

Siege Of Dragonspear takes you and your plucky band of adventurers crawling dungeons, having detailed conversations with non-player characters s and generally attempting to overthrow evil using weapons, magic, and light tactics. If you missed the original this will be incomprehensible, featuring no training whatsoever, but if you played Baldur’s Gate you can import your party and just carry on. It’s not as good, but then there’s really nothing else quite like it.

In spite of the shortcomings of its control scheme, Skyworld is a solid and good looking real-time strategy game. It’s also a neat use of VR and something of a dream come true for those used to playing tabletop games that demand more than a little suspension of disbelief.

A thrillingly uncompromising racing simulator, that is easily the best endurance racer of the modern era, even if it’s got a way to go before it’s feature complete.

An impressive blend of old school cyberpunk and modern survival horror, that’s almost ruined by one of the worst acting performances of the year.

It won’t convert many new fans to either series but this is a successful mix of the best of both (minus the map-making) and whose new ideas deserve a future of their own.

Either Football Manager needs a complete overhaul or it should stop producing yearly sequels, because this year’s one is the most inconsequential yet.

Whatever you think of the original games this is one of the best HD remakes ever, and a considerable improvement on the already excellent PlayStation 3 and Vita versions.

It looks as boring as it sounds but Automachef is a surprisingly engrossing game of logic and planning that refuses to dumb down for its audience.

A live service game with the superpower of longevity, assuming it can maintain the balance between being a casual and competitive online shooter.

A good start to free-to-play games on the PlayStation 4, with a fun co-op shooter that doesn’t feel like it’s solely out to gouge its player’s wallets.

A successful re-imagining of the classic 90s interactive movie, that retains the characters and setting but adds some fun new puzzles and VR wonderment.

Its heroine may be the only thing that's not rough around the edges, but this is another fascinating mess by Suda51 and a great arcade style actioner.

One of the most interesting video game settings of the year and while the game has numerous issues the strong combat and inventive quest design make it well worth persevering with.

The best Call Of Duty for several years, but it still owes too much to the past – and the campaign’s attempts at a more serious tone are only half successful.

Still a minor royal in the fighting game pantheon, but a hardworking one that beats Marvel Vs. Capcom in terms of depth - if not accessibility and brand recognition.

Proof that Japanese role-players can evolve without having to losing their own unique identity, although Xillia stops just short of being a full-on revolution.

An excellent start for FIFA on the iPad, even if it does show every sign of first match nerves - with considerable room for improvement.

Not the best entry in the series, but it does have some of the best puzzles. As well as a bombastic, if slightly confused, story that will leave both new and old fans wanting more.

A colossal achievement in puzzle gaming, with a very cleverly conceived setting and story, but the lack of variety and reward becomes stifling.

A complex interconnection of influences results in a game that’s both familiar and interestingly unique, with a few rough edges compensated for by excellent combat and role-playing systems.

Another loving homage to the glory of RoboCop and despite only being a standalone expansion this features quite a few new ideas, as well as some hugely satisfying combat.

All the changes and additions are for the best, and a great step forward for Destiny in general, but they come at a price – both literally and figuratively.

Another engrossing example of traditional Japanese role-playing, that’s still accessible enough for anyone to enjoy – as long as they’ve played the first one.

A very brave attempt to use video games to inspire empathy and share grief over one of the most sensitive subjects imaginable.

Some may dismiss it as just another pretentious walking sim, but this innovative Lynchian drama is one of the best story-based games of the year.

It has a lot wider appeal than you'd think, but it'll take a sequel for this to become truly heroic.

An enjoyable companion piece to Cuphead, but despite some fantastic enemy designs the single-mindedness and lack of visual variety doesn’t have quite the same charm.

The combination still makes little sense but if Lego Freddy Mercury doesn't make you smile nothing will.

One of the most pointless sequels ever put to cartridge, and although the core Pokémon gameplay still shines through this is easily the worst version so far.

The 1994 original has some unfortunate flaws, that this remake doesn’t try to fix, but in terms of graphics, soundtrack, and sheer invention this is one of the best Japanese role-players of any era.

Another highly competent Yoshi platformer that looks great and plays well, especially in co-op, but there’s a disappointing lack of innovation beyond the charming visuals.

The best bread simulator ever made, and despite the rampant silliness there’s some inspired gameplay mechanics and level design baked in.

A cute, absorbing, and often clever survival game that, despite its flaws, is perfect lockdown fodder.

It's a dazzling technical feat, the only problem is the actual game bits aren't all that much fun.

If you've never played a Pokémon game this is an excellent place to jump aboard, and you can add at least one extra point to the score as a result. But for anyone else this is an easy to ignore stopgap.

Still arguably the best detective game, and an impressively ambitious example of adult storytelling – despite a few structural and narrative flaws.

It’s not original, and it’s often unfocused, but Darksiders II remains one of the better Zelda clones – even if this slipshod remaster does it few favours.

The cleverly-calibrated control system is the main point of interest here, but this is also an entertaining, if somewhat staid, take on VR Super Monkey Ball.

One of the best Kirby games becomes frayed around the edges on the 3DS, with no co-op mode and some poorly thought out extras that would be better off left out.

The graphics are absolutely stunning but the gameplay is predictable and surprisingly uneventful, as the game fails to leverage its technical achievements for anything more than straightforward spectacle.

One of the best retro remakes there’s ever been, and although the gameplay sometimes shows its age the graphics are amongst the best of the year.

The mixture of old school, new school, and Metroidvania works surprisingly well – even if Strider’s long-awaited reboot still feels slightly too safe.

An enjoyable counterpart to Ghost Of Tsushima, with some truly excellent combat, but the bloated open world elements can often suffocate your enjoyment.

It's still not a full reinvention of the Lego template but it is one of the most enjoyable uses of it so far, with an open world Gotham and a cast of characters to rival Arkham City.

The worlds of hairdressing and vegetable fancying combine in the best, and only, topiary simulator.

The best F-Zero clone since Fast RMX, with some extremely impressive visuals for a Switch 2 launch game, although the structure and track design lack Nintendo’s finesse.

A good looking and competent retread of a second rate original, which improves on everything from the graphics to the driving model, whilst maintaining the game’s cinematic essence.

A laudable achievement in terms of visual design and general ambience but the complete lack of challenge, and short length, reduces its overall impact.

An accomplished and darkly witty first person puzzle game that’s predictably not as good as Portal, but does come surprisingly close at times.

Colourful VR platforming in the style of Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and while it can’t quite live up to its obvious inspirations it does come surprisingly close.

One of the best real-time strategies for some time, although it’s a shame that despite a few new ideas it’s not really interested in pushing the genre forward.

It might be allergic to innovation but there's no denying the enthusiasm and attention to detail that's been lavished on this defiantly traditionalist role-player.

A fine attempt at turning 80s cop shows into a video game, that wisely uses PS1 era GTA games as its gameplay template.

A surprisingly successful mobile spin-off that uses the key elements of Hitman to good effect but remains perfectly playable to those new to the franchise.

A flawed but enjoyable co-op spin-off that’s unfocused and scrappy but still manages to find lots of entertainingly imaginative ways to kill Nazis.

A slightly disappointing sequel, that sacrifices too much in pursuit of the almighty dollar, but this is still a great all-round racer with something to please almost every kind of petrolhead.

The real test for Mercenary is whether the game would stand out if it was released on a home console, but the answer to that is probably not. The nods to GoldenEye offer some deviance from the norm but overall Mercenary does too little to distinguish itself from the competition. That there is no competition on the PS Vita gives it something of a free pass, but it still seems more like a proof of concept than a standalone game.

An occasionally biting satire of post-Brexit Britain, that also happens to be one of the best – and shortest – graphic adventures of 2016.

Not as compelling as its predecessor, but as a four-player alternative to the Lego games this an enjoyable enough attempt at a Tomb Raider lite.

Family friendly survival horror with a quietly ambitious, and largely successful, attempt to get the most out of Kinect.

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.

Jeff Minter returns with one of his most surreal retro tributes so far, but if you can keep your sanity it's also one of his best.

The granddaddy of online first person shooters returns and although you could quibble over the price the classic gameplay is as solid as ever.

An impressively ambitious, and consistently enjoyable, VR action game that embraces all aspects of the Iron Man character and is only let down by technical limitations.

A charming indie platformer with a fun central gimmick and excellent movement options, let down by garish visuals and some deliberate retro foibles.

A welcome novelty and throwback for long-time Yakuza fans, that offers everything they love about the series, although it’s held back by a rather underwhelming plot and too much fan service.

Simple, charming, and considerably improved on the 3DS. Dragon Quest isn’t for everyone but this bridges the gap between retro and modern games very well.

A fiercely imaginative puzzle solver that builds on all the best elements of Call Of The Sea to deliver a genuinely challenging, Lovecraftian-flavoured adventure.

An awkward mishmash of the innovative and the overly familiar, that in the end represents no clear step forward for the franchise.

In some ways a backwards step from its immediate predecessor, but this is still a fascinatingly complex Japanese role-player with the best open world since Breath Of The Wild.

A short but sweet VR romp that replicates the Peaky Blinders universe perfectly, even as it runs up against some of the intrinsic limitations of VR gaming on the Meta Quest 2.

A pleasingly complex and realistic survival simulator, accompanied by a story mode that so far fails to be anywhere near as compelling.

An intriguing antidote to Modern Warfare that's realistic to a fault, but never dull or predictable.

Games can go on for quite a while, but it’s a rewardingly tactical process and later victories especially can feel like genuine achievements against the odds.

A fun addition to the sandbox genre, that adds a more structured campaign and achievable goals – at the cost of only a little in the way of accessibility.

uDraw Studio comes off second best, not so much because it has less options but because, unlike Art Academy, it doesn't make as much of an effort to explain either itself or any of the art techniques that might be useful.

A finale that only exacerbates the faults of the series up till now but the sheer audacity of the storytelling, and the goodwill built up over so many years, pushes it over the finishing line.

There does come a point where frustration sets in, the randomly assigned ingredients making it hard to predict exactly what you’re cooking, which makes filling in the last few pages of the game’s cookery book an unnecessary chore, but for a bit of knockabout kitchen-centric fun, its first few hours remain highly entertaining.

An unambitious but competent sequel that already has some of the best endgame content of any similar game… if you can stomach the offensively apolitical, and thoroughly boring, storytelling.

A few steps forward and a few steps back leave this technically accomplished shooter exactly where it was: still searching for a heart and identity of its own.

A flawed sequel, that undermines some of the original games’ greatest pleasures, but this is still a uniquely enjoyable real-time strategy, with plenty of interesting new ideas.

A cheekily entertaining download that turns an extremely simple idea into a disarmingly nuanced, and effortlessly charming, multiplayer battler.

It’s got a well-designed touchscreen interface that’s more than enough to handle the necessary stealth and occasional violence, even if the game’s graphics and core gameplay are starting to feel a bit creaky 17 years on.

A loving tribute to the past and present of Japanese role-players, with some impressively clever time travel powers and gorgeous artwork – although it’s a shame about the random battles.

A largely satisfying ending for what has been a frustratingly uneven season of graphic adventures.

The best original Kinect game this year, and if it wasn't for the vagaries of the controller itself one of the best video games around for the very young.

Its networks of straights, curves, bridges, tunnels, crossovers, and track-ending buffers take a fair bit of highly engaging experimentation to fit around the terrain, its initial 10-second solution times rapidly giving way to 10-minute head scratchers.