A polished and well presented game, Super Stickman Golf 2 doesn't always get its angles right, but when it does it's an awful lot of fun.

Witty, varied, challenging and gorgeous to look at, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is one of the finest physics-based puzzlers on iOS and an outstanding start for Rovio Stars.

Utterly phenomenal. Tearaway is inventive and joyous in equal measures, making for one of the best adventures this year, on any platform.

A supreme stealth action game that isn't just true to the MGS canon but offers exciting new elements for both singleplayer sneakers and multiplayer junkies.

Baseball Superstars 2011 makes enough improvements on its predecessor to become the definitive version, but it doesn't offer anything substantially new.

A melancholy, surprisingly poignant and oddly hopeful physics arcade game, which burns brightly, even if its conclusion descends into sheer frustration.

A satisfying blast of colourful, creative on-rails shooting that's only slightly let down by an occasional lack of responsiveness in its controls.

Pulled up from Davy Jones's locker, Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge breathes new life into a classic while at the same time setting a new standard for adventure gaming.

While it's not quite as devastatingly original as Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks is still an utterly essential purchase and comfortably ranks as the undisputed DS event of the year.

A beautiful if flawed point-and-click adventure game with a look and feel all of its own.

Raising the game in terms of its slick and sleek delivery, FIFA 12 stands up to its big billing on the pitch, serving as EA's ultimate attempt on goal to date.

An unlikely classic, Disgaea is one of the most perfect expressions of freeform strategy gaming it's possible to imagine.

Brimming with content, eminently replayable, and much improved over previous iterations, Sid Meier's Pirates! is a must-have for any self-respecting iPad buccaneer.

The best Pokemon game so far. Combines the addictive elements of the originals with the latest graphics to great effect. Just don't mention the Pokewalker.

Unforgiving, relentless, soul-crushing, precise, gorgeous, addictive, fantastic - RETRY is all these things, go get it.

A squelchy blast of gothic turn-based violence that ticks the right boxes for 40K fans, and offers enough for everyone else too.

Pokemon Black and White doesn't mess too much with the tried and tested formula, providing an experience we know and love.

Complicated controls can't stop Dead Space from entertaining with its action-packed gameplay and phenomenal presentation.

Wildfrost is a gorgeously designed and brutally unforgiving roguelike deck-builder that tasks you with putting an end to an eternal frost. The strategic depth and replayability factor alone make the premium price worth it - add to that the possibility of encountering a naked gnome and it might just be a no-brainer for you.

Velocity is an intelligent shmup that takes its presentation notes from the past while looking forward for its systems of play.

Much more than a shooter, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is an ingenious game of elemental manipulation.

An accessible but massive roguelike that will suck you in and then murder you. But in a good way.

A brilliant roguelike with a finger in a load of genres that gets the balance just right.

A game that's easy to pick up, easy to play, and pretty easy to get engrossed in.

It's a pleasure to be involved in Jurassic GO's vivid world, but don't expect more than a cute digital safari.

Causality crafts challenging puzzles out of its clever time loop mechanics and colorful isometric aesthetic.

It may not be a particularly long game but Oxenfree is the right kind of creepy without relying on visual cliches.

A slick and entertaining puzzler that doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of its predecessor.

Ex Astris is a premium mobile RPG with a one-of-a-kind mix of real-time and turn-based combat. The lack of controller support can be a bummer, and the complicated combat mechanics take some getting used to. But if you're tired of your typical gacha game, this compelling single-player title can be a complete steal.

The best Adult Swim title to date, and a squeak away from classic status.

Ovivo is a wonderful game, full of excellent ideas, and you should definitely give it a go.

A game of immense quality, Sentinel 3: Homeworld represents the best of the tower defence genre with both depth and immediate action.

For those who never played the original Velocity, then Ultra is a must. But if you have already had your fun with the Minis version, you may want to carefully consider how much leaderboards and Trophies will add for you.

A brash and brilliant futuristic arcade racer, AG Drive is everything you hoped it would be.

Creative new modes and a great set of features don't just keep Infinity Field from being a copycat, they make it a superior twin-stick shooter.

LittleBigPlanet is a staggering work of game design genius. Wonderfully inventive, devilishly fun and dizzyingly vast, it deserves a little big home on every PSP on the planet.

The new gold standard for tower defense, PixelJunk Monster Deluxe has it all thanks to layered strategic play, action elements, and online cooperative play.

War Pinball looks and sounds fantastic, but there's still room for improvement when it comes to table design.

A likeable tribute to a genre now sadly out of vogue, Swordigo provides a welcome helping of enjoyable action RPG brilliance.

An excellent multiplayer portion makes up for an occasionally flimsy single player campaign to make Gasketball a highly recommended purchase.

Whether you're new to the game or an old hand at it, and even with its graphical downgrade, Rocket League is as much fun as ever on the Switch.

An intoxicating game about making games, Game Dev Story is a compelling simulation and a charming ode to our favourite pastime.

Gemini Rue is an essential game for point-and-click fanatics. It's got atmosphere, a compelling narrative, and clever puzzles. If you missed it on PC, don't let it pass you by again

Not what you'd expect from Simogo, but perhaps that's the point. What you do get is an original, compulsive, brain-bending puzzle game.

A bright and shiny arcade blast with more than enough content to keep you entertained for hours.

Winter of the Melodias adds some fiendishly clever new ideas to LostWinds, without spoiling that sense of quiet discovery and childlike wonder.

Streets of Rage 4 is a faithful sequel to a hit beat 'em up franchise that still manages to shine even after two decades. The mobile version will supposedly introduce multiplayer functions in a later update for free, but until then, you can rid those streets of rage alone without assists and still have a lot of fun - just remember to keep an eye out for those whole chickens someone keeps leaving behind trash cans for some reason.

Occasionally unbalanced but always entertaining, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a worthy new entry in the venerable series' multitude of titles.

Whilst it pours the information on pretty thick to start with, once you've flown a few sorties Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy becomes a brilliant airborne battler.

A hard-edged puzzler that offers no wriggle room. The extra content here makes Eliss Infinity a worthwhile purchase for fans of the original and newcomers alike.

A huge, wonderful looking, deep experience, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is brilliant on your own, or with friends.

A flawed but essentially engaging glimpse into the past, Dragon Quest VI has just enough charm to see you through.

A colourful, charming and immensely playable puzzler that’s perfectly suited to the touchscreen.

A bright and bold platformer that might be a little formulaic but does everything it sets out to do brilliantly.

A well-designed and varied word game, Typeshift is an unmissable entry to the genre.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the definitive entry point for the series, and the most finely tuned multiplayer game on the 3DS yet.

A unique adventure game with an incredible sense of style, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP captivates despite of its abstract approach.

Charm and originality waft through the air like the rhythmic beats of its fantastic gameplay - Patapon is as close as you can get to portable pleasure without an 'adults only' rating.

Angry Birds Star Wars is faithful to the source material, filled with content, imaginative, and fun. Film tie-in or not, this is the best 'Birds yet.

Tough, frustrating, and a little too twitchy, Super Hexagon is nonetheless a skilfully constructed and compelling game / instrument of torture.

An extension to the original rather than a true sequel, Super Monsters Ate My Condo! is just as entertaining as its forebear.

Like some of the most iconic platformers all rolled into one, Soosiz's gravity-defying play and smart level design make it a fun and familiar romp.

Despite being essentially an interactive movie, The Walking Dead: The Game's convincing cast of characters and meaningful decision making lifts it above Telltale's previous efforts.

Not every puzzle is successful in Love You To Bits, but the imaginative levels and charming presentation will keep you entertained as you seek out the more smartly-designed headscratchers.

The endlessly creative Minecraft works best as a portable game, making this (almost) fully-featured Switch port one of the best versions of the game.

God of War again slashes the misconception regarding PSP's gaming prowess wide open with another unadulterated and beautiful ballet of brutality.

A jagged-edged retro-fuelled explosion of brilliance, KeroBlaster is well worth your attention.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a brilliantly inventive 2D platformer that deserves to be considered alongside Nintendo's best.

An effortless and elegant puzzler, Splice is a wonderful expression of the freedom the App Store can offer.

As old skool as they come, League of Evil delivers an action-packed platformer perfect for quick thrills.

A refined take on the original, Beyond Ynth brings extra knobs and bobs that take the existing formula and make it trickier, but this isn't a true step forward.

An innovative take on the slice-'em-up genre whose new ideas and simple controls will endear it to fans of the Chop Chop series and newcomers alike.

A fun and diverting puzzler, Puzzlejuice offers a new style of play, but doesn't quite have the chops to back up its brain-punching claims.

Whilst it might be another physics endowed puzzler with an anthropomorphic cast, Hank Hazard manages to lift itself above the anonymous crowd with some great design and a lot of fun.

Score! Classic Goals is a fantastic idea, executed marvellously. Why did no one think of this sooner?

An ambitious Zelda-inspired adventure offering plenty to get your teeth into. Horn shoots for the stars and, barring a few technical issues, lands admirably close.

A gorgeous, massive tower offence game, Anomaly 2 is good fun, but it's more of the same.

Lyne is a slick, contemplative puzzler that you'd be a fool to miss.

A mesmerising, creepy, unique, and frustrating puzzle platformer.

Card Thief has its heartbreaking moments, but beneath its occasional hiccups sits a fun card game which certainly satiates our hunger for strategy.

A slow-paced and dreamy puzzler that's worth all of your time.

It's still super slick, it still offers some of the best puzzling on the App Store, and it's still creepy as hell. Even four goes in The Room: Old Sins delivers.

It's cruel and dark, but there's more to Grimvalor than just another Souls-game riff.

Bouncing puzzles will send your balls everywhere, but Roundgaurd has you sending heroes all over while fighting monsters, getting rich, and hoping luck is on your side.

If Pullblox was the game that pulled you into the series, Fallblox is the game to make you fall in love with it. Awe-inspiring.

Replacing guns and glory with a good old fashioned football, Pro Zombie Soccer's line-up of ghouls aplenty manages to endear and excite in equal measure.

Aside from its online gameplay, Planet Puzzle League has little new to offer over more engaging rivals.

Rayman Fiesta Run is another giddy and breathless mix of memory and reflexes. It's not much different from its prequel, but the added challenge is welcome.

A worthy sequel to a much-loved original, but one that suffers from structural changes introduced to accommodate IAP.

Big, brash, and beautiful, Anomaly Korea doesn't quite have the wow factor of its predecessor, but it's still well worth a download.

Although it's basically more of the same, this latest Layton outing is the most enjoyable, attractive, addictive and refined one yet. An awesome reminder of why the Nintendo DS remains an essential mobile gaming platform.

Plunderland is energetic pirating at your fingertips, a high seas adventure with charm and originality.

A solid port of a remarkable game, Dragon Quest 4 might creak at the joints nowadays, but it's still worth your time.

Strategic, deep, and full of content, Great Big War Game carries on nicely where its predecessor left off.

Pumped full of character and charm, Feed Me Oil is a little too tight in practice, but nonetheless delivers an intriguing physics puzzler that bodes well for a sequel or two.

Clever and expertly put together, Night Sky pays heed to the limitations of touchscreen devices and in doing so creates a memorable, entertaining experience.

A gorgeous, surprisingly deep shooter that sucks you back into Halo's universe. Fun and flashy in all the right ways.

It doesn't quite reach the heights of its inspiration, but Suzy Cube is still the best 3D platformer on the App Store.