Smurfs Kart is a fun and family-focused affair. With colourful graphics and familiar stage design, this will impress every fan of the Smurfs. Moreover, the accessibility options are perfect for younger gamers. Sadly, though, it isn't tough enough for older players and the action becomes repetitive.

Broforce is a tough but enjoyable run 'n-gun title. Moreover, it is wonderfully retro and can be enjoyed solo or with others online. Alongside this, it is included in the Game Pass subscription service.

Despite the name, Lifeless Moon has a lot of atmosphere. Its magnificient desolation gives way to colourful environments and an interesting story. Unfortunately, the gameplay has been pushed to the background with unchallenging platforming and puzzles that never quite explore their own mechanics.

I’d love to write more about V-Hunter Puzzler DX but the game itself is very short and outside of an additional ‘hard’ mode that gives you a timer to make each of your moves, the game itself is somewhat simple. Not to say that its bad or anything, to my mind, the things V-Hunter is looking to achieve, it does perfectly, I only wish that there were more things in the game.

Moving Out 2 is a fantastic sequel. This amusing game will make you chuckle as you tackle a long list of tasks. Moreover, it is great when playing alone or with others.

Mordhau is a tough and challenging fighting title. Work alone or with others as you compete to be the champion. Furthermore, you must master each skill if you wish to be victorious. Patience, practice, and a lot of luck are needed in this brutal but enjoyable experience.

Wanted: Dead is a fantastic old-school shooter. This retro title has a brilliant modern finish, smooth controls, and excellent animation. What's more, your foes are tough and each mission is captivating and interesting. However, you may not like the linear gameplay.

This is a generic space adventure with very basic features that may capture some while others struggle to get past the intro. With a few minor performance issues and some questionable design decisions, this is a simple game that is okay to pass the time with. Personally, I wish the characters had a bit more depth to them or even stepped outside of the stereotypical roles that they fill but the gameplay is okay enough to make up for that. For those who enjoy games like XCOM, I think you have a pur-fictly okay time with Mitzi and the crew.

Strong visual design and an intriguing world help keep Verne: The Shape of Fantasy afloat, though a handful of missed tricks with the gameplay do threaten to sink it.

Rain World is a cruel and often unfair Metroidvania title. You must explore a vast world full of predators and danger. Moreover, you'll learn new skills and use them to progress further. However, your foes will also evolve and this makes it a tough but rewarding experience.

Exoprimal is an interesting third-person shooter that sadly misses the mark. I loved the potential on offer, but unfortunately, the repetitive action becomes stale very quickly. However, if you subscribe to Game Pass I suggest you give it a go.

Final Fantasy XVI is an absolute triumph. One of the best modern-day action RPGs out there if you can stand the Final Fantasy-ness of it. For newcomers to the franchise, it’s best to start either here or with Final Fantasy VII Remake then go back if you like what you see. Fans of traditional games may not like the departure from the traditional style but there’s still a lot here to like in my opinion. My final (fantasy) comment is that Torgal is the best boy, and you can pet him as often as you like!

AEW: Fight Forever is a sports simulation title that will appease a massive fan base. This excellent wrestling game has a deep career with excellent customisation options. Moreover, it can be enjoyed casually off and online.

Sephonie has a lot of interesting things to say but unfortunately isn't too great at the gameplay side. Musings on change, identity and place are good. Awkward platforming and oddly easy puzzles, less so.

SOULVARS is an RPG with deck-building elements. Furthermore, it is extremely unusual and will appeal to a niche audience. However, sadly, it didn't float my boat and I found it to be extremely confusing.

NeverAwake is a tough but captivating twin-stick shooter. This surprising indie title slipped under my radar. However, I'm glad that I got to experience this gem of a game.

Mr. Run and Jump is a precise speedrunning title that will make you scream! However, the Dynamic Assistance makes the action bearable. Though this isn't as tough as Super Meat Boy, it'll still test your patience.

Brutal, exciting and slightly unsettling, the second jaunt into Blasphemous' idiosyncratic world has tightened up the gameplay. The platforming is improved and the combat is fast and frantic. Best of all, it's still dripping with the religious themes of penance and guilt, which makes the world as fascinating as it is disturbing.

The Knights of the Cross is a pretty but ultimately shallow card based battler. The ally system is a decent twist but the atrocious translation and lack of exciting details in the combat bring it back down. The peculiar choice of art style also makes it a game you might want to hide when a family member walks in.

If all you’re after is a fairly mindless little tactical card battler/rougelike then this does the job, but there are other games in this genre that do it better, and if you come here looking for classic Three Kingdoms stories, there are others that do that better too. Also I’ve no idea why it doesn’t pluralise Kingdom in the game’s title. Drove me insane.

Pechka is a hard game to recommend. If you are looking for a great story, with an immersive soundtrack and great visual themes, then Pechka has you covered. However, if you are looking for a visual novel game with plenty of story-impacting choices, or any gameplay at all, you would be better off looking elsewhere.

When the music gets going and you blast forward into the enemy lines, it’s exciting. Fun, even. To me, though, it just boiled down to locking on and spamming the trigger until everything died. It came alive most in the one-on-one fights. The final boss fight was the most exciting, as it used all ranges – even melee. Then it was done and the game was over. I felt like I was finally getting it and it was gone. What it left me with was a profound feeling that there’s an interesting core buried somewhere in Nimbus INFINITY. It’s just a shame it’s dragged down by everything else, leaving it simply sub-par.

Deck based games have been growing in popularity over time and the Indie scene has done a wonderful job of helping the genre gain traction. The ability to play both online and in local multiplayer is something I would love to see in more games moving forward. The most unfortunate thing here has to be the difficulty found in Yomi 2 since this could be detrimental to a new players experience. I was unable to find a difficulty slider but I believe this would be beneficial for the story mode. This would be a nice way to experience the game whiteout having to deal with the consistent failure that is to be found here. While it was a fun experience and one I’m glad I had, it is hard to recommend for those who would like a casual experience.

Layers of Fear (2023) is a fantastic remake of a much-loved series. Built using Unreal Engine 5, you'll enjoy Ray Tracing, HDR, and 4K resolution. Furthermore, every game in the series runs chronologically to create a seamless and cruel experience.

Mega City Police is an excellent rogue-lite title that will test your resolve. With flawless graphics and hard-hitting audio, this will enthral you from the first moment. My only complaint, however, is that it wasn't long enough.

Overall, Dragon Quest Treasures is a charming spin-off to the mainline series that satisfies the DQ itch but does leave me wanting more as the grand scope of the campaign isn’t quite there for me. That might be the point, a smaller, more intimate story, but it’s not my cup of tea. Hopefully, Monsters later this year is good, but I yearn for Dragon Quest XII but given the complete radio silence on that since 2017 I don’t expect much soon.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a great strategy title with oodles of potential. However, game-breaking bugs and annoying sound bites hold it back. Yet, if the problems can be ironed out, you'll enjoy a tough and deep trip in to the Aliens world.

Agriculture is a simple and cliched farming title. 50 stages stand between you and victory. However, unfortunately, the action rarely changes and this was disappointing. Yet, I still enjoyed it enough to recommend it.