Beholder is pithy, with small sketches of character and darkness. Sadly, submission to the game's mechanics means much is lost in the God of efficiency.

Scoring this one is tough, especially since I have painted myself into a corner with my earlier Marmite comparison. Sensitive souls will be content to chill out and enjoy the story, maybe with a box of tissues close at hand. They will call the game’s detractors soulless wretches who are missing the point. So do we have a touching and emotive exploration of the human condition? Or is it an overly sentimental and mawkish cliché that doesn’t even qualify to be called a game? Personally, I'm certainly not the type of guy who thinks To The Moon is a pointless drivel, but neither am I convinced that it is the best thing since sliced bread - with or without marmite.

If you enjoy simulation games and the prison subject matter interests you, Prison Architect is certainly worth checking out. The depth of options and strength of the simulation will appeal to fans of the genre, though the constant "now this, now this" pressure can be a bit much. The game does a good job of capturing some of the moral questions around the for-profit penal system as well. Grab and it and see what you think, Prison Architect's awesome free-trial option leaves little risk in doing so.

An obscure and dull system has drained this all-American pasttime of joy. If you are a devout fan of baseball, slavish repetition or Kairosoft's other works, try the game. Everyone else should stay away.

Even with a fatal crash and not seeing the end sequence, Spaceplan has provided me with one of the most memorable experiences of the year so far from a genre I didn’t think was capable of such a feat.

Draknek's game is difficult but hospitable, obviously made with great joy and care. Cosmic Express is an elegant and wonderful chance for you to surprise yourself, to laugh at your foibles and cleverness in turn.

Meganoid 2017 is an incredibly challenging game, but it is one that hangs on this challenge because of both intended design and poor controls. When you die from a laser that was off screen, it teaches you to tread more carefully and pay attention to your environment. When you slip off the edge of a platform into a spike trap due to the controls, it just leads just annoyance and frustration. I like certain elements about this game: parts of the presentation and level design, plus the large array of item, but I can’t see myself coming back to it anytime soon.

If you wanted to pick fault with this, it would be a lack of any kind of single-player campaign. But that's a nice to have, an extra feather in the hats of the creme de la creme of mobile adaptations like Galaxy Trucker. It isn't necessary in an economic game like this. And however you feel about economic games - and player interaction - this version of Race of the Galaxy is good enough to be worth your cosmic dollars.

Having not played Planescape: Torment before, it took a while for the game to really get its hooks into me. It all felt a bit too sprawling and slow moving, and the complicated interface did not help matters. Then you get into a fight and discover that watching the tiny, blurry characters take laboured swings at each other is hardly the stuff of legend. But keep playing and eventually something magical happens, as your character and supporting cast spring to life. My advice is to put aside any initial negative impressions and throw yourself into this engrossing story, with its excellent characters, strange happenings, intelligent plot twists and even a smattering of philosophical debate.

There is plenty of challenge lurking behind Militia’s minimalist presentation. It is a rewarding experience that can also be frustrating at times.

Euclidean Lands feels right at home on a touchscreen device. The ease of moving the environment about feels graceful and natural, and the smooth animations help to make the game feel satisfying to play, especially when the geometry expands out, showing more of the level hidden underneath. The art style invokes M.C Escher, and overall has a rich, warm tone that is pleasing on the eye. Playing at pace you will find around 3-4 hours worth of gameplay, but that could be bumped up if you struggle with some of the more complex stages.

A fascinating ‘anti-platformer’ that feels at home on mobile; proving all things should be turned up to 11.

A superbly original and exceptionally presented colour matching tactical game that's all too brief. This should be remedied when the extra episodes are released.

The bottom line is that if you enjoyed Rome: Total War you should pick this up without hesitation. Whether you're interested in the new historical period or not, Barbarian Invasion provides a new scenario and a bunch more factions with which to play what was already a great game. If you haven't played Rome: Total War and enjoy this genre I whole heartedly recommend Barbarian Invasion to you as well. Few games combine strategy and tactics the way the Rome: Total War games do, and other than time-period preference there's no reason you have to play the original.

If someone took the linearity of Candy Land, added smart decision points, traded its kitschy artwork for a modern, spare look, bleached its jewel tones, and blanketed it all with enough negative space to make a whiteout blush, the result would look and feel like Tokaido. But is the gameplay equally as blissed-out? And if so, is that such a bad thing? To both, I’d answer no, not really. It is a gentle stroll of a game, incredibly soothing to gaze at passively. It almost goes without saying, but to really enjoy Tokaido, you must really enjoy the journey.

Visually rich and a real corker of a design, Card Thief is a must-try for puzzle or solitaire aficionados and a good starting point as any for newcomers.

Sunless Sea is not a great game, but it's a very good and very unusual one. In truth, it's a better game with a controller or a keyboard than a touchscreen. But if that's the only route you have to taking passage on the Unterzee, learning the clumsy controls is a price worth paying.

Deep Paths does away with many of the harsher features of those early dungeon delvers - there is no need to worry about starvation, or losing health by walking into walls. Nor is there a need to trouble yourself managing your supply of torches to avoid being plunged into darkness, as the lantern in Dark Paths seems to have an unlimited supply of fuel. Yet in other ways it is stubbornly old school, which may be a little too much for more mainstream gamers to enjoy. The good news is that the designer is obviously open to improving the game, he has already released an update with an option to make the monsters easier to defeat. A bit of time polishing the interface and introducing an auto-mapping function would really help Deep Paths appeal to a wider audience.

Shardlight is constantly striving to build a real sense of tension and mystery, which is reinforced by an excellent understated soundtrack and the constant announcements that boom over the PA system in true Orwellian style. Who is behind the nihilistic death worshipping Cult Of The Reaper? Why is the place swarming with red-eyed ravens? What is that thing in the jar that Tiberius the leader of the Aristocrats keeps talking to? Hopefully all will be revealed before Amy succumbs to the dreaded green lung.

The Escapists is an open-world sandbox game, except for the mandatory roll call and random cell tossings, that is surprisingly deep and plenty entertaining.

A tempting, compelling simulation game with a twist. Rough around the edges, but more often than not strikes gold (oil).

Warlock's Tower is a challenging, retro-styled puzzle game that feels a lot like a roguelike.

Initially quite fun, with some neat ideas, but the repetitive nature of the gameplay will soon irk all but the most patient of players.

RPS Saga, if nothing else, shows that jan-ken-pon is best left as a mini-game within a larger game. There is just not enough here to enjoy, and frustrating AI hampers what little there is on show.

It is difficult to recommend The Frostrune to anyone but die-hard mobile adventure gamers and/or people with a passion for Norse mythology.

If you’re a fan of interactive-fiction titles like the Sorcery series you'll likely enjoy The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, although the story is not nearly as deep as similar titles in the genre. Fans of tabletop RPG modules will also find a lot to like in this game's single-player narrative and frequent combat action. Finally, if you're a fan of the old-school original book you'll enjoy diving into this recreation.

Although not a perfect conversion from the PC original and despite the mystifying decision to release the sequel rather than the first game, this is still one of the best point and click adventures available.

Nintendo continue to take another safe step in their mobile gaming journey. Fire Emblem Heroes is enjoyable, but largely forgettable.