Dead Cells’ hugely engaging roguelike-meets-Metroidvania gets its first paid-for DLC and becomes even more compelling than it was at launch.

The best arcade racer of not just this year but this whole generation of consoles, with an unrivalled sense of speed and the sheer joy of competition.

The landmark script and puzzles override the bland artwork as the classic graphic adventure returns.

An expertly constructed and intricate roguelite deck builder that draws on the language and concept of poker, before twisting it with an infinity of modifiers, unlocks, and delicately balanced risk and reward.

It was always the definitive scrolling beat 'em-up but this Xbox Live Arcade release goes the extra mile with a loving revamp of one of gaming's great co-op experiences.

Another perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from the makers of Luftrausers, which perfectly marries twin stick shooters with roguelike punishment.

The same euphoric mix of interactive gameplay, visuals and music as the Xbox 360, but while it loses the immersion of Kinect it gains a gorgeous new 3D mode.

A stunning technical achievement but also an evolutionarily leap in adult storytelling and intelligent action gameplay.

The text adventure is reborn as one of the smartest and most engrossing interactive stories of the year, and with one of the best touchscreen interfaces ever seen.

With its launch problems well behind it, Street Fighter 5 is no longer a disgrace to the family name, with the Champion Edition able to take on any other fighter this generation.

A fantastic mix of explosive action and thoughtful storytelling, that results in one of the most unpredictable and ambitious action role-players of the modern era.

Still one of the greatest achievements in video game storytelling and while the changes are minor the new roguelike mode and cut levels are interesting and worthwhile additions.

One of the best third person actioners of all time manages to make Dante and Kratos look like amateurs.

The best non-Mario platformer ever made and a stunning work of imagination, where the visuals, music, and gameplay all resonate in perfect harmony.

Easily the best detective game of the modern era, with challenging and rewarding gameplay combined with some of the most evocative visuals of the year.

A deep, funny, and systemically complex role-playing game, built around wry satire and a far-reaching sense of consequence, where conversation is at least as important as combat.

A wonderfully enthusiastic love letter to Lego, Star Wars, and video games in general, that goes above and beyond the call of duty in terms of the scale of the adventure, the attention to detail, and the sheer volume of content.

A great version of one of the best fighting games, and therefore one of the best multiplayer games, of all time - assuming you have the dedication for it.

A near perfect remastering of a classic strategy game, that succeeds not just because of nostalgia but because there’s never been anything else quite like Homeworld.

Few games warrant the HD treatment as much as these two – on both a technical and artistic level – in what remain towering examples of the art of interactive entertainment.

A good value compilation for what remains a stunningly ambitious mix of interactive storytelling, compelling action, and sci-fi spectacle.

A fantastically clever deconstruction of video games and the people that play them, as well as a hugely entertaining action puzzler that’s not really about ponies.

A masterpiece in physics-based destruction and one of the most entertaining ways to fall out with friends ever devised.

A startlingly well realised iteration of GTA that even does some things better than the home consoles.

A giddying rush of fast cars, beautiful landscapes, and pounding music that never lets up; the forgiving driving model and continual feed of new events providing a conveyer belt of instant gratification.

A wonderfully engrossing cosy game that combines the best of Minecraft and Fallout 4 to create a Pokémon spin-off that, for the first time in a long while, is constantly surprising you with its ambition and variety.

One of the best Japanese role-players of last generation is still one of the best on current formats, with an excellent remaster that includes a generous amount of new content.

A great ending to a landmark trilogy. A near perfect mix of action and storytelling, where the personal drama is as engrossing as the galaxy-spanning battles.

Not just a great crossover game but a highly distinctive fighter in its own right, with some of the most innovative - and accessible - ideas to hit the genre in years.

A superior multiplayer co-op sequel, which maximises its novel premise with improved level design and a flood of clever new ideas.

An inspired reinvention of multiplayer brawling, that carves out a whole new action genre for itself and those brave enough to learn its ins and outs.

he name Tetris Effect was well chosen, because you really do feel the game altering your perception, as it and the Tetriminoes become your whole world. You play Tetris Effect but you also get the feeling that it is playing you, the blending of game and gamer reaching a peak in which they seem almost one and the same.

Telling the story of Meve, queen of Lyria, and replete with familiar characters from the games and books, Thronebreaker’s games of Gwent mix standard one-on-one matches with a plethora of puzzle levels, each with its own set of rules and constraints. The result is a rich and varied tactical tour de force, comprising dozens of hours of entertainment backed up by a story that’s as twisted and interesting as Witcher fans have come to expect.

Probably the best single-player experience ever in a fighting game, on top of being an extremely accessible and highly technical multiplayer brawler.

A hugely impressive use of last gen tech that is only slightly inferior to the Xbox One version, and as such one of the best online shooters of the last several years.

An inspired ending to the Warhammer trilogy that rather than just adding new factions makes a host of clever additions and changes to the gameplay and structure, in what is one of the great achievements in modern strategy gaming.

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.

Probably the best dungeon crawler in the world, including Diablo III. And what it lacks in storytelling and originality it makes up with pitch perfect design and pacing.

A wonderful way to draw a line under Sparks Of Hope, with a mountain of new content and an extended cameo for Rayman, that makes him just as interesting as the existing team.

A hugely enjoyable mix of historical realism and exaggerated action that is both surprisingly accessible and filled with an impressive depth of tactical options.

A milestone game for BioWare, where character-driven drama proves just as engrossing as the combat.

A colossal achievement in technical terms, with a level of interaction with the game world and its inhabitants that is unsurpassed in modern video games.

Superbly successful action role-player that allows you to live a full fantasy life of your choosing.

Its graphics and mechanics are starting to seem a little creaky after 20 years, but the small screen is forgiving, cloud saves let you play across multiple devices, and the allure of labyrinthine tales inside the Star Wars universe remains powerful.

One of the best strategy games of all-time is now one of the best bargains on the PS Vita, with this mostly excellent, and extremely unexpected, port.

It might not change anything fundamental, but this special edition not only looks and plays better but has an impressive amount of new content too.

A thoroughly entertaining work of video game art that improves mechanically on the original and proves thought-provoking in terms of more than just the puzzle-solving.

Another improvement after two stellar editions in 2022 and 2023, WWE 2K24 feels like the culmination of a WrestleMania-sized comeback for the franchise.

Despite all the controversy Street Fighter V was always a great fighting game, but as unearned as some of the criticism might have been the Arcade Edition silences it once and for all. It’s still not quite the milestone Street Fighter IV was, but it is certainly one of the best one-on-one fighting games of this generation in terms of gameplay, online features, and now – at last – content.

Despite a lack of big ticket new features Football Manager 2021 delivers its best ever matchday experience and the series’ most realistic on-pitch simulation of football.

Its cute art style and endearing English translation belie serious depth, with the potential for powerful buffs if you concentrate your efforts and enjoy a modicum of luck. Satisfying, funny, and enormously addictive, Million Dungeon is a true App and Play Store gem.

Not only one of the best VR experiences ever made but one of the best Batman games too, with a fantastically immersive simulation of the Dark Knight Detective, that’s just as good as the other Arkham games.

One of the best PC to console ports ever, with the strategy great working impressively well on the Switch and opening up the series to a whole new audience.

The Quest controllers are much more precise, and together with the lack of cables transforms this from a good game to a truly great one.

A hugely original puzzler that relies on raw logic in a way only a video game could, providing some of the most satisfyingly open-ended challenges of the generation.

One of the most impressive indie titles of the year and arguably the most cinematic and accessible 2D shooter of the modern era.

Still a stunning achievement in both storytelling and third person adventure, and although this is the definitive version the differences are still minor.

A cleverly constructed narrative adventure that explores serious issues of morality without ever being preachy, and still allowing for an intricately designed, non-linear gaming experience.

The biggest addition is to the price tag, but Cave Story itself is still a masterclass in minimalist video game design.

Possibly the best Grand Theft Auto game never made and one of the most atmospheric video games ever.

More a reimagining than a straight remake but despite the difficulty of recapturing lighting in a bottle, this is both a loving tribute to the original Resident Evil 4 and a great game in its own right.

As usual the new play controls add little, but this is still a good deal for such classic games.

Easily the best Smash Bros. ever made, with a fantastic new story campaign and a near infinite range of characters and options for multiplayer.

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.

Despite some serious technical compromises this is still XCOM 2 and playing it on Switch in handheld mode is just as engrossing as any other version.

The best new rhythm action game for years, with a perfect blend of gameplay, music, and a frighteningly oppressive atmosphere.

Another cracking co-op extravaganza that successfully blends collaborative puzzling and spectacular action sequences into a breathless, occasionally moving and often hilarious, two-player-only experience.

A staggering achievement in terms of role-playing interactivity and flexibility, that also manages to be both accessible and maintain a fun sense of the absurd.

Describing it as an online community arts program is possibly not the most enticing of descriptions, but it's nevertheless the most accurate.

What should have been a hotchpotch of other people’s ideas, made worse by frustratingly high difficulty, is in reality one of the most cleverly designed video games of recent years, with superb action and endless replayability.

An incredible technical achievement but also one of the most cleverly crafted and most cinematic action games ever made.

An excellent expansion to what remains the PlayStation 4’s best exclusive, and one of the most enjoyable retro shooters of the decade.

Every bit as intelligent and daring as its predecessor, and if you’re prepared to be equally creative while playing it then Dishonored 2 offers almost endless rewards.

Although the game moves fast, you don’t have to, gradually moving your avatar and adjusting their angle of fire as you smash your way through its stages. It lends itself well to mobile conversion and remains just as addictive as it was on PC and console.

An excellent sequel that marries Metroidvania style exploration with a dizzying array of new combat mechanics, to make one of the best roguelike experiences of this or any year.

One of the most impressive indie titles of last year is now even better on PS4, in what is one of the most cinematic and accessible 2D shooter of the modern era.

A masterful reimagining of Tetris that changes little about the core gameplay but still manages to create one of the most immersive video games ever.

One of the best arcade racers ever made, with mountains of interesting content and a seasonal gimmick that makes perfect use of the new setting.

A big budget recreation of the Indiana Jones cinematic experience, that is both a loving homage to the movies and a complex, ambitious action adventure in its own right.

A fantastic mix of explosive action and thoughtful storytelling, that results in one of the most unpredictable and ambitious action role-players of the modern era.

An excellent new version of the smash hit multiplayer game, that takes a simple premise and turns it into one of the best competitive arcade games of the generation.

A hilarious parody of point ‘n’ click adventures and video games in general, whose jokes are as inspired and imaginative as its puzzles.

A near perfect combination of rallying old and new, that gives precedence to neither and remains accessible to all.

The ‘Plus’ additions are minor but this is still a touching, and highly playable, labour of love by fans that understand Sonic The Hedgehog better than Sega themselves.

Always a jewel in the Zelda crown, and this remake successfully smooths out some of its rough edges – without losing the edgy appeal of Link’s most unique adventure.

A hugely imaginative take on a deeply conservative genre, which shows one of 2D gaming's best developers at the very height of their talents.

Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect from a collaboration between two of Japan’s most talented developers, and a relatively good – if extremely belated – PC port.

Already a classic on home formats, it works immaculately on a touchscreen; its blend of drama, murder mystery, and supernatural dread cleverly constructed to be understandable in whatever way you experience its fractured timeline. A genuine classic, but you may need to clear some space for its gargantuan, nearly 14GB file size.

Bravely uncompromising in terms of the freedom it offers the player and its willingness to go against current trends in gaming, Dishonored is adult video-gaming at its best.

A perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from genre master Vlambeer, which perfectly marries twin-stick shooters with roguelike punishment.

A perfectly judged comeback that’s full of all the wild invention and stylish mayhem fans demand but proves surprisingly accessible and varied for everyone else.

A superb multiplayer game that takes a very simple premise and crafts from it one of the best competitive arcade games in years.

An excellent remake of one of the best strategy games of all time, that is as accessible and versatile as an action game but has some of the most deceptively deep tactical combat ever seen in a console release.

A loving tribute to Gradius and its spin-off series, with some of M2’s best archaeological work and an excellent retro sequel in Salamander 3.

The best new rhythm action game for years, with a perfect blend of gameplay, music, and a frighteningly oppressive atmosphere.

A perfect mix of retro and modern sensibilities that loses none of the charm or accessibility of the originals, but adds a great deal more variety.

The best exclusive on the PS3 is also one of this gen's greatest (and most attractive) action adventures.

The best in the series so far, that embraces the open world approach in a way previous entries never quite did – while also being an endlessly enjoyable and highly varied arcade racer.