A loving and genuinely funny homage to old school role-playing-games and the people that play them.

A competent remaster of one of Sonic’s better mainline outings comes bundled with an even better Shadow-centric adventure, that makes up for its short length with fantastic levels, tight controls, and fun new powers.

A successful blend of Need For Speed and Burnout that lacks a little in personality, but certainly not in terms of content or online action.

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

Another excellent PC-to-Switch port that revives the Theme Hospital with a heavy dose of humour and impressively involved business management.

The mash-up between 2D shooter and roguelike works surprisingly well, with a game filled to bursting with imaginative weapons and winning presentation.

Gorgeously presented and cleverly designed, this impressively realised Metroidvania excels in every area except originality.

One of the best WarioWare games ever, as long as you’re playing with other people, with some of the most interesting use of motion controls since the Wii era.

Still one of the most beautiful video games ever created, not to mention the best Zelda game that never was.

Although frequently frustrating – this is a game you will find yourself loudly shouting at – it’s also fabulously clever and addictive, with one more go an almost foregone conclusion as you once again impale/lacerate your stickman in pursuit of that final collectible.

An imaginative and perfectly presented platform puzzler that works just as well on a home console as it did on PSP.

The worldless storytelling is as compelling as ever and the purposefully frustrating control system still seems an excitingly daring experiment – now softened by an optional co-op mode.

A highly successful remake that fixes the technical and design flaws of the original and turns it into one of the year’s best looking action role-players.

A solid sequel to one of the best roguelike games of recent years, that personalises the conflict against Lovecraftian madness while adding to the original’s compelling turn-based battles.

Another unapologetically old school role-player that gives its audience exactly what it wants and adds some fun pirate-themed exploration for everyone.

You wouldn’t know to look at it though, its graphics looking hilariously ropey by today’s standards, but playing it reveals a game that is still in a class of its own. Without a central story or campaign to anchor you, once you’ve completed the grossly insufficient tutorial you’re left to do practically anything you like in a world that contains well over a decade’s worth of gameplay for newcomers.

One of the best arcade games of recent years is now available on Switch and it’s just as ugly and joyfully addictive as ever – especially with the new co-op mode.

A great cinematic action adventure, with one of gaming’s great lead performances, although its Tomb Raider DNA seems fragmented and even degenerative in parts.

BioWare really has saved the best till last with a downloadable expansion that not only justifies the expense but your faith in the Mass Effect franchise.

An excellent mix of turn-based dungeon crawler, roguelike, and card game whose perfectly balanced combat will have you constantly coming back for more.

A colourful new puzzle idea used to its full potential in terms of gameplay and, surprisingly, storytelling.

A dazzling new future racer that manages to outdo WipEout in terms of handling and graphics, while taking full advantage of VR’s potential.

A hugely entertaining open world puzzler where simply getting from A to B is more entertaining than most games in their entirety.

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

A far better game than it will probably be given credit for, and a good sequel that tries to add depth to the gameplay and even more variety to the characters.

An absorbing mix of tabletop inspirations and sci-fi storytelling, that makes for one of the most unique and well-written games of the year.

One of the best Final Fantasy games ever made, elevated by its innovative battle system but let down by weak storytelling and focusing on the wrong protagonists.

Highbrow parody or the best lightsabre game never made? Suda51's deconstructionist classic manages to be both.