LEGO Voyagers is a great, small, relatively straightforward co-op experience. It’s something you could play with someone who has never finished a game before or your gamer buddy who finished Elden Ring five times, and both of them would likely enjoy the experience equally.

Borderlands 4 is a wildly enjoyable romp, with a raft of systems that work smoothly together. It's not without friction, in terms of its high challenge level, but it all serves a greater purpose, feeding into a cohesive and mature narrative about escaping tyranny.

It makes the puzzles in Little Problems a real challenge to solve, but they tickle your mind as you progress. While some solutions are simple, others are head-scratching, and in the mix of clues you’ll eventually find your answers resolving. It’s a wonderful, satisfying process, and one that gives Little Problems a real spark. This game doesn’t do much different from others in the puzzle-mystery genre, but with its warmth, and the depth of its many challenges, it’s a wonderful adaptation that’s well worth playing for puzzle enthusiasts.

For organisers, and anyone looking to bask in the glow of Unpacking, Whisper of the House is a wonderful, cosy organisation sim that shines, especially when it’s cute, strange, and unsettling.

Whether approaching the game for the first time with this release, or returning for its add-on Star-Crossed Worlds DLC, there’s so much to this adventure. It’s bright, bouncy, and brilliant, and now even more so with its new features. Modern platformers don’t get much better than this.

It’s so satisfying to move through this world, and to lay waste to Ruse’s army with your incredible moveset, that I can’t help but hope this is just the beginning of Joe Musashi’s comeback.

Mafia: The Old Country is competently made, beautiful, but unambitious in its structure – it’s an offer you can comfortably refuse.

It’s a cool experiment, and one that demonstrates the uniqueness of the Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s unlikely to have the staying power intended. With a reasonable price point, the barrier to entry is low, but those who do dive in may find an experience that wears thin in the long-term.

Is This Seat Taken? is a game that succeeds on this simplicity, with a strong core idea well-realised in a minimalist art style, and siloed puzzles you can tackle at your own pace. It’s never too complex or meanly challenging, but provides a smorgasbord of light-hearted and moreish challenges with little sparks of humour that keep you charmed by the experience...It does a lot with very little, arriving as a wonderfully well-formed, confident puzzle game with a sense of freshness, style, and pizzazz that marks it out as exceptional.

In MakeRoom, you can simply create and vibe. That’s all this game is, and all it needs to be. Once you accept that, you’ll find yourself in a cosier world, where anything feels possible.

Dear Me, I Was… has launched at a very low price point ($11), which feels appropriate for what is, essentially, a lightly interactive short film. It’s a gorgeous piece of work, and, right now, maybe the most visually gorgeous Switch 2 exclusive, even if it’s not pushing the hardware particularly hard.

From mini shoot-outs to cute little outfits and architecture, it presents a bright, semi-historical world to live in, complete with a tiny saloon and a jail cell for those who break the law. While Cattle Country isn’t quite unique in the world of farm and life simulators, it does just enough differently to make it a warm and wonderful experience.

Whether you’re going pedal to the metal, or just popping in for a casual race or two, Mario Kart World delivers in spades.

As it stands, it’s hard to recommend Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as a paid title. With very niche information delivery, it’s a very interesting game, for some. But for everyone else, it’s a quirky oddity with few key draws to make its hardware breakdown feel essential.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch. Having played the original, pre-patched version of the game, I was anticipating some elements of trouble, or at the very least, severe graphical downgrades that would impact my personal enjoyment. To my delight, I got nothing of the sort. This really is an excellent port, and one that reveals just how much better and more robust the Nintendo Switch 2 is, compared to its predecessor. It’s a great sign for the future, too. Third-party developers should be encouraged by this port, knowing the Switch 2 really is capable of handling massive AAA adventures, with only some caveats needed to deliver a good-looking, good feeling experience for players.

While the game’s story is applied relatively loosely here, and you may occasionally feel bogged down by reams of dialogue, it’s a wonderful game to explore in bites. By design, it’s very bizarre, but with a wholesome approach and a wicked sense of humour, it’s also a very endearing experience.

The world needs more simple, fun games. In Survival Kids, young players can learn problem solving, whether solo or with friends, and learn to puzzle their way through a variety of ever-more-complex terrains. While older players will find the lack of challenge grating, there’s ample fun in letting go, and indulging in light-hearted exploration.

Plaza is a game of tight little systems all working together, to create a joyous mini-game collection that brims with good vibes. For those who played the Corner Shop games, it’s a nostalgic return to a simpler time. For anyone who hasn’t, it’s an ultra-cosy experience with enough cuteness and novelty to be entirely endearing.

While it doesn’t feel entirely essential – really, it’s for those who enjoy the supernatural side of the game, or just want a pretty new town to roam in – Innisgreen and everything that comes with it gives Enchanted by Nature such a lovely sense of charm. If you’ve ever dreamed of fairies and meadows, it’s a simple, wonderful delight.

It remains compelling, despite its flaws, thanks to a steady, beating heart, and a joyful design that makes you want to forge onwards, towards a brighter future for all your tiny robot friends.

While a loose structure and light story elements means there’s a lack of push for progress, Donkey Kong Bananza allows that feeling, and provides ample reasons to take your time, to smash everything in sight, and to see what you might uncover. It’s best played without a sense of time limit, to open your eyes to the possibilities of your journey.

The Drifter deserves all of your attention. It certainly earns a space within the Australian pop culture zeitgeist. I hope we’re talking about it for years to come.