Backgammon Blitz isn’t going to steal away any Game of the Year awards, but it’s a faithful recreation of a quintessential board game that should prove enjoyable to newcomers and enthusiasts alike.

Madden NFL 22 takes big strides forward from last year’s game, with the focus on Franchise being overdue but appreciated all the same. We like the direction EA Sports has taken this year, with even the new Gameday Momentum system adding immersion to every individual match. Face of the Franchise still falls flat, and patches will need to be applied to the way deep coverages work. But some irritating bugs and glitches aside, it feels like this series is at least on the right trajectory at last.

It isn't offering much you haven't seen before in the genre, but Monster Jam Showdown is a really solid racer and by far the best the series has been in a long time.

Here They Lie is not a perfect horror game – but it's tense and well worth experiencing if you're looking for some frights for your new PlayStation VR headset. The narrative could have been stronger, and the way it displays textures is odd, but the cavernous environments and clever control scheme make this a ride worth taking.

Batman: Return to Arkham isn't the greatest ever remaster, but the price offers excellent value and the gameplay of both Asylum and City still hold up. Couple two of the greatest superhero games of all time with their DLC, and you get a lot of bang for your buck here.

The main thing that lets it down is its new economy; unlike previously, you cannot use Crowns to purchase the best costumes in the shop, and Kudos is harder to earn too. Your Crowns instead go towards a ranking with long-term unlocks. They're replaced by Show-Bucks, a premium currency needed for all the coolest stuff, which stings a bit after years of access to everything. It lessens the impact of winning because you can just buy all the rarer items now. The free Fame Pass is still there, but it's supplemented with a premium tier, which is really the only way to earn Show-Bucks without simply buying them. Despite these concerns, the game is just as fun as it ever was, and thankfully none of the things you can buy alter gameplay. There's so much to like about Fall Guys, and now it's open to everyone.

Coming from the mind of a Sound Shapes developer, you can really see the influences in LOUD on Planet X; the quirky, minimalist style, the simplicity of its gameplay, and the excellent soundtrack all echo its spiritual predecessor.

Ultimately, the game’s charming visage is enough to overcome some mechanical shortcomings and provide a game that's equal parts relaxing, charming, and goofy.

Despite borrowing from all manner of modern hits, Kena: Bridge of Spirits just about stands on its own. The wonderful visuals and music leave a strong impression, while the gameplay is simple but enjoyable. If its story went beyond the expected, and one or two small issues were scrubbed away, this would be a real winner. As it is, this is a solid action platformer with lots of personality, and a strong debut from Ember Lab.

Wargroove is finally on PS4, and despite launching with practically no fanfare, it's very much worthy of your attention. The pixelated exterior houses surprisingly deep tactical gameplay that's easy to grasp but will soon give your grey matter a workout. With highly customisable difficulty and a vast range of modes to enjoy, this is a decent turn based strategy game that fans of the genre shouldn't pass up -- although we suspect many will have played it to death already.

Starfield is bigger and better than ever on PS5, but it still crashes against the roadblocks of old. A complete lack of exploration leaves the RPG in an awkward place where it can feel like an objective ticking exercise with little to distract you. Its faction questlines are the highlight, and the improved combat systems and new gameplay capabilities make the experience worthwhile. However, two and a half years later, there is considerably more Starfield. Only some of it makes it better.

Atlas Fallen is a valiant effort from Deck13 Interactive that will go down as its best game so far. With fantastic traversal and a fun, engaging combat system, the developer has nailed the gameplay in every sense. What holds the experience back, though, is a lack of polish to iron out the technical issues and potentially long load times. It's disappointing to come up against a few too many flaws, but when Atlas Fallen is on form, its marriage of movement and fighting shines through.

It's a very concise game with a laser focus on its core idea. Framing the action with lo-fi presentation and a daft plot about the black army defecting to the white kingdom, it feels like a forgotten 90s PC game. To that point, there's not much to it beyond the main mode, though there are extras for clearing it — Endless mode is self-explanatory while Chase mode is a interesting take on survival. It's a tight-knit package that, while repetitive in the end, succeeds with its less-is-more approach.

Even if you’ve not played the other games from the series, Anonymous;Code is a great place to start due to its standalone story. While there are a handful of references to past events, these are well-explained in the moment. If you’re looking for an exciting new visual novel, this one is well worth your time.

When Aven Colony is at its best, it's making a strong case for the viability of the real-time strategy genre on console via an addictive mix of easy-to-grasp city building mechanics, a surprisingly intriguing sci-fi story, and a tight campaign that offers variety and never outstays its welcome. Unfortunately, it has a number of annoying technical issues which -- while they might not affect every player -- are persistent enough to undermine the experience depending on your tolerance for slow down and hard crashes. If you can weather the storm of technical shortcomings Aven Colony throws at you, you'll find an impressive, accessible strategy game that feels right at home on PS4.

While the presentation isn't much to write home about, Monster Train's moreish gameplay and nigh-endless replay value more than make up for it. If you've played and enjoyed other deckbuilders, this is another solid example to add to the collection.

If you can stomach its rough exterior, Shadowrun Trilogy is an easy recommendation for RPG fans. The games' straightforward structure makes them approachable in ways that other tabletop-based titles on PlayStation aren't, and the role-playing options are engaging throughout. Combat could do with a bit more punch, and the technical issues are an annoyance, but there's a lot of value to this well written sci-fi-fantasy package.

Billed as a horror game, Yomawari: Night Alone ultimately feels like it falls more on the side of tragedy. Sure, it has its jump scares which can get the blood racing, but the town and its supernatural inhabitants just feel a little too charming to be considered a real threat.

Atelier Firis makes huge strides forward with its lively open world, but it also takes several steps backwards in other areas. Reintroducing the time limit forces you to play the game at breakneck speed, which means that much of the world is ignored until over 20 hours into the game. Once you break away from the time limit, however, you'll discover a brilliantly diverse world that you can get lost in for countless hours, where you'll be free to properly enjoy what is ultimately a solid, but neglected battle system.

Infinite Minigolf provides the tools needed to cultivate an endless arcade game – it just needs the algorithms required to ensure that its one you’ll actually want to play forever. The core golf here is fun, and the pre-designed courses show that there’s potential for some great puzzle-like levels. It’s now down to the imagination of users to wield the title’s intuitive Course Editor to create some high-quality stages – and the title itself to ensure that they get promoted ahead of the inevitable procession of low-effort Bogeys.

428: Shibuya Scramble is a fun addition to the PS4’s growing visual novel stable. Solve a kidnapping, thwart a viral conspiracy, and assist a hapless salesperson in taking off her giant cat costume: Spike Chunsoft’s zany story has charm to spare and is both funny and thrilling while it lasts.

If you're looking for your next co-op addiction, Deep Rock Galactic could well be it. Brilliantly balanced character classes and engaging, emergent missions make for highly enjoyable underground antics, particularly with pals. Some networking issues and perhaps overly complex design decisions could frustrate, but it's a game worth sticking with for the moments where it all comes together. With replay value through the roof and satisfying gameplay at its core, this is one rock solid game to dig into.

The silly simulation gag has long outstayed its welcome, but Job Simulator's biting writing and intuitive gameplay means that the punchline plays one last time. Owlchemy Labs' launch title won't keep you occupied like real labour, but if work was always this entertaining then we'd never pull a sickie ever again.

No Heroes Allowed! VR is a deeply satisfying and surprisingly humorous PlayStation VR strategy game. It doesn’t do much with virtual reality, but it looks great inside the headset and has some unique gameplay ideas to boot. Sure, its high price means that it’s never going to get to the top of the food chain, but this likeable title is still worth feasting on – assuming, of course, you can afford it.

Honestly, there isn't much more to the game than this. You're just building simple structures and hoping the physics don't send it tumbling down. However, if you're looking for a lighthearted, easy-going co-op game, this will scratch that itch.

In many ways, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is suppressed by Ubisoft Sofia's own outrageous ambitions. The plot meanders between ingenious and incomprehensible, sadly settling on the latter for great chunks of the single-player campaign. The gameplay is recognisable and confidently recreated, and there are moments when Aveline's pocketable adventure threatens to outdo its console counterparts – but the experience is mired by a communicative murkiness that's not entirely unlike its depiction of the Louisiana bayou's bogs.

Phantasy Reverie Series is a relatively no-frills remaster collection. There's a couple of quality of life improvements and the games have a fresh lick of high definition paint, but if you didn't like Klonoa back in the day then you're not going to like it now. If you didn't play Klonoa at the time then you won't have the prerequisite nostalgia goggles necessary to gaze upon these games and see them for anything more than what they are — a couple of pretty good platformers and little else, and that's fine.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends should be applauded for doing something different. In a just world, this release would steal players from larger brands and establish itself as a unique online alternative – but right now, its community is small. Assuming you can find a match, the stealth-based competitive gameplay is refreshing, and while it’s not without its drawbacks, it can be seriously satisfying when you work as a team to achieve your objectives unnoticed. There’s huge potential here, Sumo Newcastle just needs to find a way to keep its playerbase engaged.