There are few games out there that successfully capture childlike wonder and imagination better than Lil Gator Game. Despite some minor issues with the writing and how directionless the adventure can feel at times, it's easy to forgive small frustrations when a game is as wonderfully charming from start to finish as this. Lil Gator is up there with the best indie games released this year and comes with a recommendation for anyone remotely interested in feeling like a kid again.

The Switch isn’t short of games that have already taken a bow, or several, on other hardware, but Skyrim might be the one that most deserves another look from both hardy Elder Scrolls adventurers and absolute beginners alike. Despite its age showing, the countless little cracks in its already fractured façade, it still delivers a palpable sense of space, and the player’s niche-carving progress through it, that few games before or since have managed. May its dancing northern lights never dim.

Aesthetically speaking, Trine 2: Director's Cut borders on perfection and deserves nothing less than to be framed and mounted, but the unfortunate news is that this quality does not permeate the game as a whole. Uncomfortable controls and puzzles that don't actually adhere to sensible solutions, but instead allow you to force your own answer on them, mar the experience and slow the game down in a significant way. It's not likely that this release will win new fans to the genre, but anyone who already enjoys physics-based puzzle platformers will definitely want to check this one out. Or maybe everyone should just buy this game simply to look at the environments. Have we mentioned how good it all looks?

No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle is undeniably rough around the edges, but the same can be said about Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Grasshopper's vision for Travis's tale goes uncompromised at the expense of refinement, but one could argue that the cracks and fuzz are an intentional part of the overall punk aesthetic (given the developer's track record, it'd be tough to argue they're not intentional).

Signalis is a near-perfect love letter to the survival horror genre. Its atmosphere and tension feel natural and earned, with callbacks to sci-fi classics scattered throughout. It is at its best when you're darting between enemies, using stealth and patience rather than brute force. While some of the combat encounters felt a little forced, the puzzles are just the right mix of challenging and approachable. The surreal imagery and unique storytelling structure add to the overall polish of a game that is the perfect length for what it is. Highly recommended.

Dorfromantik may not have a ton of staying power, but it offers up a satisfying and chill puzzle experience that we feel is worthwhile in the end. If you’re on the lookout for a game that doesn’t expect much of you and fits well for those late-night sessions just before bed, we’d recommend you give this one a look if it sounds interesting.

There are moments of gameplay during the climax of Skate Story that are some of the most visceral, original, and downright impressive that I’ve experienced for a very long time. Its great-feeling skating isn’t always pushed to its limits, but the sheer craft, personality, and audiovisual flair throughout largely compensate. Overall, Skate Story is an enjoyable, offbeat adventure game with a striking, unique identity. It might not be difficult, but if its tone speaks to you, you’ll find plenty to appreciate for its relatively short duration: sliding at speed around corners, landing shove-its, jumping across crevices, grinding through crystalline underworlds, and, yes, eating moons – all to a superb soundtrack.

On the whole, Child of Light is an easy recommendation for those who didn’t catch it the first time round. The ‘light’ in the title sums things up nicely – you get game mechanics usually reserved for massive RPG epics in a concise package that’s as beautifully refreshing as when it was first released. It’s a shame to see framerate hitches – however occasional they may be – but they’re not enough to cast a shadow on this delightful adventure.

There’s a reason why Mushihimesama is regarded as one of Cave’s best shoot-em-ups – it’s weird and colourful, it’s incredibly refined, and the many gameplay modes ensure that both newbies and veterans will be kept busy for quite some time.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey stands as a well-made remake of a game that was excellent to begin with, polishing up the original in small ways and adding some extra content that meaningfully establishes its own identity. If you’ve ever been a fan of the Mario & Luigi series (or are looking for a reason to dust off the old 3DS), do yourself a favour and pick this game up. Although Bowser Jr.’s Journey is just an ‘okay’ addition, the inventive battles, great writing and creative gameplay of the main game make this one an easy recommendation.

Beacon Pines presents a rich world filled with deeply considered, not to mention adorable, characters. The beautifully crafted art, paired with a soundtrack that both captures and sets the mood, make for a wholly enjoyable experience. It might not be for those who prefer action, but it is a lovely and compelling story that sees Luka, Rolo and Beck delve into a bevy of unique situations. You might finish it in less than a work day, but it’ll stay with you for much longer.

As far as strategy games are concerned on the Switch, Wargroove is one of the best titles you can find on the eShop. Extremely deep and diverse strategy gameplay, ridiculous amounts of replayability, and charming presentation all combine to make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for a deep and cerebral experience for their Switch. Advance Wars may only exist nowadays in our memories, but Wargroove stands as a worthy successor to the franchise; if Intelligent Systems does ever decide to revive its cult classic series, it’s going to have some stiff competition to contend with thanks to Chucklefish's efforts.

Not only are there tons of new puzzles for fans to sink their brains into, but the brand new storyline is as enthralling as ever and will keep you glued to your DS until the very end.

The problem is the end comes fairly soon and doesn't offer much incentive to return, which is a terrible fate for a puzzle game like this.

Break out the leather vest and fingerless gloves, Guitar Hero is back.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime caught us by surprise; we were expecting a great multiplayer party experience but ended up with something much more than that. If you have a great bunch of friends and the necessary controllers, be sure to gather everyone round for some challenging but hilarious teamwork. If you don’t, or if you prefer playing alone, load the game up anyway and enjoy an intense, strategically-minded campaign with a warm and welcoming exterior. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime deserves to be played and should most definitely be on your eShop wishlist – we’re in love, for sure.

Mighty Switch Force! Collection is a great way to bring Wayforward’s 3DS series to the Switch that will undoubtedly appeal to both fans of the series and newcomers alike. The decision to separate the first game and its HD remaster is one we’re not fully on board with, and we’d love to have seen some extra content like concept art and soundtracks. Nevertheless, every game included features superb gameplay and level design, making this a collection that every Switch owner should experience.

Superhot offers a first-person shooter experience unlike any other, and although the main campaign is a little bit on the short side, once you’ve made it through you’ll have dozens of new ways to replay it should you wish. We’re not entirely sure why this particular phrase comes to mind, but Superhot is the most innovative shooter we’ve played in years.

Huntdown is a delightfully detailed and expertly crafted throwback to old-school run n' gun arcade shooters. The 16-bit graphical style is immaculately recreated whilst adding lots of modern bells and whistles to proceedings, including a fantastic soundtrack and audio design, optional CRT filter and an arsenal of heavy-duty weapons that chew scenery and enemies to pieces as your bounty hunter makes their way from boss fight to excellent boss fight. The flow of levels may be quite repetitive but the moment-to-moment gameplay, overall sense of fun that comes from the level of carnage you can dish out, surprising amount of hammy spoken dialogue and constant pop-culture references all combine to make this one an easy recommendation, and another excellent addition to the Switch's action catalogue.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is an excellent sequel that takes the story in a significantly different direction without losing what made the original such an essential piece of storytelling. The sharper focus on fewer characters makes for a much better-paced experience without the need to juggle multiple relationships. Pacing issues do crop up if you happen to take a wrong turn but, in spite of that, Oxenfree II still provides an intriguing, suspenseful mystery that fans and newcomers will both adore. Be sure to play the original first, though.

In Strange Antiquities, Bad Viking expands the rich world of Strange Horticulture – this time in an antique shop specialising in the occult. The puzzles are cryptic but rarely skull-cracking, forming an addictive gameplay loop: who knew hunting down magic antiques to solve customers’ conundrums could be so satisfying? The whole thing is cloaked in a gripping mystery narrative, which you can influence with the right (or wrong) occult oddity. And with the possibility of multiple endings, replay value is high – at least for those of you who want to see just how much strangeness is in store.

For the asking price, it's hard to find much to fault with Virtua Fighter 5 on Switch 2. The slick, 60fps gameplay is approachable enough for newcomers, but with layers upon layers of depth to uncover, dedicated fight fans will find plenty to enjoy. Multiplayer is still the main draw, but thanks to the addition of World Stage mode to complement Arcade Mode, solo players are well-catered for. It remains to be seen just how lively the online community will be at this stage, but with features like cross-play and rollback netcode included, it's likely this one will stick around for a while. With other fighters seemingly constantly battling one controversy or another, Virtua Fighter 5 sticks to what it knows best: solid, grounded combat that's endlessly satisfying.

BioShock: The Collection stands as yet another fantastic port in the Switch’s ever-growing library, combining three excellent games and all their DLC into one convincing package. Stable performance, engrossing narratives, fun gameplay, and lots of content make this one an easy recommendation, even if these releases show their age from time to time. If you’re looking for a good single-player shooter to pick up for your Switch, look no further than BioShock: The Collection. We’d give this one a high recommendation, it’s tough to go wrong here.

Trials of Cold Steel III is another excellent addition to a franchise that gains so much of what makes it absorbing from the huge amount of background detail and world-building that's been achieved in earlier entries in the series. Newcomers should be aware that taking the time out to play Trials of Cold Steel I and II is advised to get the absolute maximum amount of enjoyment out of this one but, even if you're jumping in fresh, there's still plenty to love here once you find your feet. With a massive cast of well-written characters and tons of excellent combat and exploration spread across its epic running time, this is a top-notch addition to the Switch's library of JRPGs.

Super Bomberman Collection showcases some of the very best gameplay that Bomberman has to offer. Between the various games on offer, there are dozens of hours of exciting couch multiplayer battles to be had, demonstrating that it doesn’t take the latest and greatest tech for a game to simply be fun to play with others. Though the lack of native online is disappointing, the great gameplay coupled with some robust museum content that honors the legacy of these games makes this one a no brainer—especially given the relatively cheap price. If you’re looking for another game you can pull out on game nights with friends, I’d highly suggest you pick this one up.

It would have been amazing enough just to be able to own all six BIT.TRIP titles on one Wii disc, but getting 20 new challenges per game, not to mention a wealth of bonus content, makes this the definitive collection of BIT.TRIP goodness.

Sound combines with art and writing for the creative triple treat. Piano is at the forefront of most of the game’s soundtrack, with an orchestral accompaniment providing a robust lift; perfect for this manner of presentation.

A globe-trotting adventure with compelling exploration, crunchy melee, and tomb-raiding puzzles. With a great story and sky-high production value, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an authentic new franchise entry with a capable lead in Troy Baker. And despite taking the odd hit, the Switch 2 port holds its own admirably.