Future Unfolding is not going to be a game for everyone, lacking as it does many of the aspects of traditional gameplay, interaction is limited to the press of a single button and the story is vague and easily ignored. But if you’re looking for a unique game, a game which defies easy categorisation and a game which celebrates the joy of exploration this could be for you.

Achilles: Survivor takes the much-used Vampire Survivors template but adds some polished visuals, a neat defense-building mechanic and a heap of mythology-inspired characters to make one of the best examples of the genre.

Ys Origin may be over a decade old by this point but the quality shines through. It plays very well, moves at a fair pace and there’s enough content to keep you busy for a long time.

There's an intelligent execution to Darkwood. The gloomy aesthetics and effective sound design heighten your senses and place you precariously on edge. The unflinching challenge adds weight to encounters and each trip to new pastures carries great risk. There is a fantastic confidence with how Darkwood lets you dictate the pace of exploration and it's enticing me to keep coming back.

Trigger Witch is a great mechanically sound dungeon crawler with lots and lots of guns. It's really quite good, even if the story is all sorts of nonsense.

God of Weapons is the first Vietnamese game we’ve knowingly reviewed and it’s a good one. A novel take on the autoshooter genre that while it might not reach the heights of Brotato or Vampire Survivor, is very well done. The Resi-style inventory management is well implemented and a nice twist on upgrading your gear. The in-game challenges are a good incentive to keep playing too.

Valfaris: Mecha Therion takes the series into a new direction and it does a pretty good job. But make no mistake, this shoot 'em up is all about the journey rather than pushing the genre forward.

Getting a remaster of one of our favourite Xbox Live Indie Games titles is a real treat and almost a decade later Shoot 1UP still delivers fun and novel shoot 'em up action in spades.

Trials style gameplay but with the hardcore aspects taken out and replaced with fun stunt-based gameplay. MX Nitro is polished and fun and offers great arcade thrills for those of us who like our motorbike action dumbed down a little.

Forma.8 puts its best foot forward with a minimalist, abstract style that works wonders. More direction would be nice and the plot quickly vanishes but the pull of exploration offers enough to propel curious players deeper under the surface. It’s a great addition to a much-loved genre which carves its own place with some striking aesthetic choices.

Biomutant remains a slow burner. It took a while to get its hooks into us, but it sure did. It's not startlingly original and is a bit overburdened by its sheer scope, but we don't feel shortchanged by our forty plus hours playing it. Start a new save on PS5 if you want to get a clean sweep of trophies though.

The annual turnaround can't allow for a radical overhaul but the new licenses help give you a variety of new sides to play with. There's some welcome tweaks with MyClub and Master League for those in for the long haul. The on-pitch action remains competitive and tactical but the old baggage remains. Presentation remains a little stagnant and the editing suite will immediately be put to use to correct out of date squads. Still, it plays a compelling, compulsive game.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is largely the same game as was released on PS4 in August 2020, only with 4k and 120Hz implementation. It’s still good, but the tilt controls on the challenge levels feel slightly off now. That might be down to the DualSense, but it makes the tilt levels feel like an even more unforgiving gauntlet than they already were. This being released in 2026 has us wondering if we’ll ever see NSLT2. Don't worry though, New Super Lucky's Tale is still worth playing and if it leads to a sequel eventually, it's all good.

It's nice to be pleasantly surprised by something and Adventures of Chris managed to defy my expectations. Beneath the somewhat cheap look, there's some depth and neat touches that helps deliver a flexible and interesting experience. It's a pity the difficulty takes a sharp rise and might cause some players to fall off. There's a very warm and pleasant story on offer that doesn't take itself too seriously. This is definitely something worth your time.

Wayward Strand is a lovely graphical adventure with the feel of a whodunit in some ways. The charming Aussie voice cast conveys a great sense of place, just as the design does a good job recreating that awkward waiting around in hospitals feeling. It's recommended by us, but it might not be your cup of tea either.

Wobbledogs is a fun take on breeding dogs and how desirable traits can be bred via selective breeding. Yes, it’s not exactly scientifically accurate but it wouldn’t be as fun as it is if it were. Feeding a dog lots of pancakes to make him flat is delightfully daft.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is a great compilation that treats its subject with respect, with features and modes which improve the overall package. The difficulty is high even with the modern additions which may put some people off but fans of this style of game will get plenty of enjoyment out of it.

Tormented Souls is an excellent love letter to survival horror games of old. With that comes limited saving, dodgy voice acting and clunky combat but that doesn't detract enough from the exploration and puzzle solving to sour the experience. Fans of the genre absolutely must give this a try.

In a series that is quickly running out of fresh ideas, World Brothers 2 leans into being fast, fun and cheery. It might struggle to find an audience with both casual players and hardcore EDF fans but it certainly offers up some enjoyable alien blasting action.

The characters will annoy many but this game has it where it counts. The mission structure keeps you doing “just one more” whilst the ‘Game Settings’ truly feel like rewards. If you’re already a fan of the series then you’re in for a, albeit slightly shorter, treat. Others' mileage will vary depending on their tolerance for the cast.

Little Orpheus is a delightful episodic romp as you discover how your hapless hero Ivan Ivanovich ended up losing the titular nuclear device. Great script, voice acting and pre-rendered graphical style make for a great value proposition. Very enjoyable and very much recommended.

FIA European Truck Racing Championship is an excellent glimpse into a facet of motor racing seldom seen. It might lack the glitz and glamour of Formula One or Moto Gp, but don't hold that against it. We're going to keep playing this quite a while yet. Recommended.

By taking addictive puzzling and giving it a chilled out city-building vibe, GrizzlyGames have created one of the most relaxed and enjoyable titles of the summer. We didn't expect anything from Islanders but now it hurts us to stop playing it.

Little Red Lie is a well-written think-piece that takes the economic strife of the middle class and lays it bare. There is an unrepentant nihilism to it that makes some parts hard to stomach. Persistence is key and, whilst this game doesn't use the medium's interactive nature to its fullest, it does provide a story that will linger and gnaw at you.

Monkey King: Hero is Back is a good action adventure based on the successful CG movie made in conjunction with the movie's producers. High production values are tempered slightly by sloppy execution.

Scribblenauts: Showdown is great fun and sure to amuse you and the younger members of your household. This is how you make learning fun. Recommended.

Pode's a fantastic effort. The colourful world that you spark into bloom is well presented with a wonderful soundtrack complimenting the visuals. The platforming works well as you utilise each character's abilities and the pace is nicely maintained from level to level. Sometimes the camera can conspire against you and some puzzles can initially appear obtuse, but there's so much charm to this.

Below is an accomplished dungeon crawler with the very welcome addition of explorer mode. By no means perfect, but wonderfully atmospheric with a lovely Jim Guthrie soundtrack.