Ultimately, disappointing visuals aside, there’s a lot to like here. It definitely falls into the ‘cosy horror’ sub-genre, with spooky yet charming aesthetics, haunting music, and engaging puzzle-solving throughout. With Halloween on the horizon, it could be the perfect little primer for younger gamers.

Life is Strange 2 is a worthy entry in the narrative series that improves upon the first game in meaningful ways with a story that's both thrilling and emotional. The gameplay hasn't changed much and we'd argue that some areas have a few too many objects to interact with, but the dialogue choices remain just as fun as ever. Bar some annoying load times on Switch and some visual hiccups, Life is Strange 2 is definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of narrative adventures.

Wingspan is a strong card game for those with the patience to learn how it works. It's fun, compulsive and can sometimes truly surprise you with stacked effects and their outcomes. Its translation to the Switch is a little... difficult, but certainly not for want of trying. In handheld it's far from ideal, but on the dock, as a couch multiplayer experience, there's plenty of fun to be had. It's also enjoyable alone as you'll seek out ways to create the highest-scoring possible deck. Despite a few porting issues, Wingspan is definitely a good time, and it'll be difficult to stop after just one game. It's a lot cheaper than the physical game, too, making it a thoroughly viable alternative.

Super Rocket Shootout is a bit short on single-player content, but what it offers for the lone rocket-strapping, shotgun-wielding player is a welcome addition to what is, at its core, an excellent party game package. As such, if you happen to have one to three friends available feel free to bump that final review score by one. The over-the-top insane action and laughs you will get with your friends more than justifies it.

The lack of achievements to strive for and levels to conquer and replay do limit this game's appeal for everyone apart from high-score chasers, but those who give it a chance are likely to enjoy whatever time they do choose to spend with it. That bargain pricetag doesn't hurt, either... we just wish it aimed a little higher.

One Night Stand is a very unique experience that will likely feel quite close to home for some folks. It’s a very honest, almost heartwarming glimpse into the lives of two complete strangers brought together by a heavy night of drinking. The presentation may be a bit lacking overall, and some may be put off by the short length of the game, despite its many endings, but if you’re after a visual novel that’s a bit different from the norm, then this is it.

Let’s Sing 2020 works as a karaoke video game and the point-focused levelling-up system and subsequent unlockables add a sense of satisfaction as you beat your score, unlock avatars and the use of songs in other play modes. Aside from all this, Let’s Sing 2020 has a real sense of fun. Mediocre singers aren’t punished by crowd boos or negative sound bites, the easy to follow on-screen prompts are vibrant and the colour schemes, as well as the full music videos playing behind each track, definitely give off a party vibe. Admittedly the game at release is clearly aimed towards teenagers with its dance-pop heavy tracklist, but some well-chosen DLC packs should allow players to tweak the game to their own preferred styles.

If you’re looking for a game to get the whole family gathered around the TV - or your Nintendo Switch in tabletop mode - during the school holidays or at a party, Carnival Games offers plenty of silly mini-games to get everyone swinging their Joy-Con. It’s nothing remarkable, but the new games do offer a little more variety than the previous versions, so if you’re looking for a quick pick-up-and-play alternative to Super Mario Party, this colourful collection could be the virtual funfair trip for you.

With its shifting planes and the constant switch between ranged and melee combat, it manages to offer just enough extra spice to help it stand out, although the lack of an English dub makes its story nigh-on impossible to follow unless you understand Japanese. Still, developer Edelweiss has made an effort to make its previously unwieldy controls fit the confines of the Switch's control interface - although you really should invest in a Pro Controller if you want to enjoy Astebreed at its best. It's not a masterpiece then, but remains worthy of investigation if you love the genre.

There is a good game here, sometimes a great one. Excellent art and animation, smart gameplay twists, and a genuinely refreshing pace really add some exciting new depth to the tactics genre and are huge positives. But it takes a while for the experience to smooth out and actually become enjoyable, and restrictive gameplay design choices don’t do it any favours, either. Metal Slug Tactics is one for the tactics fans looking for a fresh take, but just know you’ll have to put in some work to see the best parts of it.

With a straightforward and entertaining tutorial, a varied single-player quest and a wealth of on- and offline multiplayer modes, however, Cube Tactics is well worth its small asking price.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is an interesting ‘new’ entry in the beloved indie franchise, a curious fusion of old and new design philosophies. Its creative world-cycling gameplay mechanic, sharp 32-bit visuals, densely packed overworld, and charming narrative all come together to make for a worthwhile experience, even if some more outdated elements like the lack of a map hold it back. I’d recommend this both to series veterans and to newcomers—even if this isn’t Shantae at her greatest, Risky Revolution is a solid adventure.

Hyperlight EX is a fun shoot-em-up high score chaser with an interesting hook. It's recommended for fans of the genre, but for those who aren't used to extremely challenging games like this it may prove to be too intense. Still, Overall it proves to be a worthy new entry in the 3DS library.

Dragon Sinker is fortunately no ‘Dragon Stinker’. True, there is nothing you haven’t seen before a couple of decades ago and there is little reason to once again venture into this quest if you happen to have played it on another platform previous to this release. But nostalgia is a powerful force and what the game does, it does so quaintly and provides many hours of blissful, care-free JRPGing tropes. Not revolutionary but still a very welcome choice for Switch owners with a retro itch. If you do love JRPGs, miss the simpler days and enjoy getting out of a game as much as you put into it, we have little reasons not to recommend you give this quest a go.

The comparisons to Nintendo’s much-loved Metroid franchise might seem excessive, but A Robot Named Fight makes little effort to differentiate itself from the source material it has been inspired by. What it does manage to do is provide endless replay value with its procedural generated platform action, unique items and large variety of enemies. The co-op mode is also a welcomed inclusion. The trade-off here, as mentioned, is no real story or character development beyond the basics to motivate you to save the day and the repetitive nature associated with permadeath. If you can look past this, what’s on offer is a satisfying alternative to the space adventures of Samus.

Spanning 40 levels of varying difficulty, this title is sure to provide entertainment to any member of the family, while it lasts.

One Piece Odyssey may not exactly be reinventing the wheel with its rather basic approach to JRPG game design, but it nonetheless provides a fun and engaging adventure that we’d recommend to any fans of One Piece or RPGs - preferably both if you don't want spoilers from the manga and anime. Though quibbles like the middling presentation and rather ‘safe’ gameplay design keep this one from being a top-shelf RPG, the strategic combat system, meaningful exploration, and nostalgic story all come together to make for a worthwhile experience that holds up well. We wouldn’t suggest you rush out to buy this straight away, but it’s definitely one to consider when a modest sale comes around.

If you’re tired of Payday 2’s often loud and at-large robbery antics – and you’d like to take a detour into the more quiet vocation of thievery – Thief Simulator has the new career for you. While it’s not the prettiest of games and it soon starts repeating itself, the sense of freedom you’re given to rob neighbourhoods full of unsuspecting victims is still an intriguing one. He might not be Garrett, but The Thief has plenty of skills to steal a place on Nintendo Switch.

Not all games are designed to transport you to another world or keep you at the edge of your seat. Sometimes a game sets out to simply exist as an outlet for its players to relax and find comfort, which is exactly what Qbics Paint manages to excel at. It's tapping into the same market that adult colouring books recently cornered by providing a similar experience in a digital, and more portable environment. Life can be stressful, and sometimes you just need a way to unwind.

AiRace Xeno doesn't do anything we haven't seen before, but it's a finely-crafted time-attack racer that's well worth the low price for fans of sci-fi racing, with luscious visuals and a bumpin' soundtrack.

Asphalt 9: Legends is a free and surprisingly fun arcade racing game with mobile microtransaction free-to-play gubbins that could potentially ruin the experience for you, unless you’ve played enough mobile games to know how to ignore it. The reasonably priced Starting Racer Pack significantly lessens their impact, making it feel more like a ‘normal’ premium product, so if you try the free version and enjoy it, this – and this alone – is the sole purchase you should consider.

One More Dungeon is a loving tribute to the first person shooters and dungeon crawlers of the early '90s, but with the kind of longevity-boosting roguelike touches that will be familiar to modern gamers. Whether deliberate or not, some of its retro touches feel a little too clunky for their own good, particularly when it comes to the controls and interface. Still, there's no denying how absorbing an extended run through its randomised environments can be.

World To The West is a nicely put-together adventure game, making use of a good roster of characters with different abilities to provide the player with enjoyable puzzles and combat. Some pacing issues and the odd niggle here and there prevent this game from being truly special but, if you are a fan of 3D adventure games full of humour and exploration-based puzzles, you’ll definitely have some fun here.

Jump Trials Supreme may not be much to look at, but don't let its generic aesthetic put you off - this is a fun and challenging eShop release that distills platforming down to its essence and serves it up in ten-second shots, with some commendable online extras on the side.

Perfect for bored children in car journeys, but with a lifespan of just several hours, even the temptation of achieving all the high scores won't entice the more advanced players in the long run.

The controls can be a little wonky and it's devoid of features or customisation, but for 500 Points you're getting an interesting and full puzzle experience (over 30 chapters all told) that's worth checking out.

Pick it up for a fan this Christmas, they’re bound to enjoy its charms and well-rounded gameplay.

Kick & Fennick has an appealing concept to getting around that is backed up with terrific physics. At its best, the game is quite fun in a way that must be felt to believe. Bouts of repetitive level design and a lack of motivating plot can bog it down at times, but fans of Portal-style gameplay can still find a good deal to enjoy.