Pony Island is a small game that will never manage to get the audience of an AAA release but in many ways, this game is more engaging than plenty of the big launches of last fall because it features some truly innovative moments and can deliver a narrative that it's disturbing and interesting to the end.

UnderRail shows that classic ideas and mechanics can deliver impressive gameplay results even in an age when even the RPG space tends to lose its identity under the assault of improved graphics and the need to make combat the best way to solve every situation.

12 Labours of Hercules is the kind of game that's promoted as casual, but I can tell you that's not a fair assessment. It's the perfect game to play when you have only a little time, but it will also keep you awake at night. It doesn't have amazing graphics or some powerful story. It's just addictive, fun, and that's pretty much all that matters.

Deep Space Reflections is one of the games that shows the way indie companies can offer a new take on some familiar ideas and those who play the title should also vote for it on Greenlight so that it can get a proper Steam release.

The locations and the puzzles of Rubble Without a Cause also feel a little uninspired and fail to match the exuberance of the previous modern adventures of Graham.

For those who love the genre, Codemasters has created a great way to interact with the world of rally racing, and this is a game that will allow them to spend tens of hours tweaking setups, choosing their favorite car and competing with friends in the multiplayer events.

The system does not feel oppressive, and Ubisoft clearly hopes that most gamers will spend actual currency at some point during their career, but for some fans, its very existence is a problem, given that they already have to pay full price for the core package.

Nuclear Throne manages to walk a fine line between challenging, with options for the player who wants to succeed in the post-apocalypse, and unfairly difficult, filled with obstacles that will induce frustration for even the most hardened fans of the rogue-like genre.

Zombie Vikings is a solid title for those who love the core concepts that power it and have good memories of Streets of Rage or Golden Axe and also offers a good entry point for those who want to see what a modern take on the brawler looks and plays like.

The combat becomes a little repetitive, the driving and flying feel incomplete, and the story has almost no hooks for the player but the feelings of freedom and empowerment that the title offers are great, especially for gamers who have an active imagination and find new ways to exploit the offered world.

The game fails to deliver too much in the way of story, and the graphics are a little limited, but the core building and optimization mechanics are captivating and give gamers plenty of interesting ways to tweak the layout of buildings and the paths that characters use.

This most recent expansion for Europa Universalis IV adds a lot of new options to an already complex game, and as always, I believe that it's best for newcomers to first play the base experience and decide whether they love it or not and only then start exploring the extra depth.

Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa is an innovative take on the wargame genre because it shifts the focus towards the humans that decided the course of the war and the way their relationships can influence what divisions do in the field.

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a very niche experience, but for those who loved Wipeout or the idea of moving fast across space lanes, it can deliver challenging moments and very fun levels.

Mordheim: City of the Damned is the kind of game that can occupy tens of hours for a player who quickly understands its core mechanics and is prepared to accept that missed attacks, failed battles, and bankrupt mercenary companies are just temporary obstacles in the quest for wyrdstones and greatness.

Hard West is a good example of how a smaller team can take some already proven ideas and then tweak them to create an innovative experience that gives fans of a genre a morsel to enjoy while they wait for a bigger meal.

Game of Thrones - The Ice Dragon is a good closing chapter for the first season of the video game, managing to deliver some satisfying final moments for the main protagonists and to confound the expectations of players to some extent.

The core achievement of the game, that it offers a map of the United States that gamers can explore and exploit however they see fit, remains impressive and racing game lovers should try the core package before seeing whether they are interested in what Wild Run has to offer.

The highlight is the way the game can transition from stealth to full combat in small places very quickly, with the firefights often won by the smallest of margins.

As long as you realize that there are going to be annoyances that are out of your control, you can still have a blast with the game. The character progression system is very intriguing and rewarding, since there are many options at your disposal, especially in the spell department.

Clandestine takes a great idea, the fact that spying is a two-man job, and delivers carefully balanced gameplay mechanics, both for the field operative and the hacker, that are easy to understand but hard to master.

Football Manager 2016 feels a little thin initially, but as players dig deeper into the experience, they will find that it offers the best expression of the core mechanics that has defined the series for the past few years.

Starcraft II deserves its place as one of the most influential releases of the past five years, and this Protoss-focused chapter manages to deliver a fitting end to its core narrative while opening up the multiplayer in some interesting ways.

Fallout 4 is a deep and broad video game that can easily occupy more than 100 hours of a gamer's life, as long as they don’t become bored of some of the core mechanics of the open-world genre and want to explore the universe past the core narrative...Combat is the most disappointing element of the entire experience, especially outside of VATS, but the complexity of the world and the many small adventures that it includes are solid compensation for the occasional frustration.

It’s hard to imagine what else they could have done to make this a great multiplayer game, but that’s not in dispute. Treyarch still knows how to make things happen. As for the single-player experience, I doubt that many people will remember it by the time the next game is released.

Anno 2205 is good city builder with an interesting take on the future of humanity and with plenty of humanity, the kind of video game that a player can spend tens of hours with as long as he is interested in making all his cities run at peak efficiency all of the time.

Galak-Z is clearly designed for players who enjoy a challenge, and it offers an impressive mix of frantic combat, long-term planning, tactical planning and anime-inspired looks that will appeal to a lot of fans of the rogue-like genre.

The Park is an interesting attempt to offer a spin-off experience for those who love The Secret World and to deliver some Halloween appropriate content for gamers who are interested in psychological horror.

Ceres has plenty of potential, but the development team at Jotunn needs to continue to deliver updates for it to make sure that all the core features work as they should and do not push players to abandon the experience because of frustration.

Those who want precision and control should stay away, but Chaos Reborn will be a good fit for players who appreciate planning but also want to be surprised during a battle.

The combat, especially the close quarters engagements, feel both exciting and perilous and only groups that work well together will be able to reach the end of the level and get a chance to try out for cool loot.

Zen Pinball 2 - Balls of Glory is a solid collection of tables for Zen Pinball 2 that can deliver tens of hours of gameplay for a gamer who is a fan of all the featured television animated series included.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a game for the fans of the series, a step forward when compared to Unity, but not the great comeback that many loyalists were expecting.

Knights of Pen and Paper 2 will certainly appeal to those who liked the original and are looking for another trek through its trope driven world that packs some interesting surprises and a new set of characters and abilities for the combat scenarios.

Rebel Galaxy is clearly designed to appeal to those who played and loved Elite and Freelancer when they were popular but I suspect that the game also has the potential to attract classic RPG lovers who are looking for something more than classic fantasy.

Transformers: Devastation is a fun and fast experience that will appeal to both those who love the series and to gamers who are determined to play everything that Platinum Games creates.

Ancestory has an interesting core idea, but the game in its current state fails to deliver enough variety or keep gamers interested in the long-run.

Animal Gods feels incomplete in many ways, an experience that showcases some intriguing gameplay and a unique world but fails to flesh out either of them.

Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide is a solid package, and in many ways, this is how the game should have been delivered when it first arrived last year.

Kaiju Panic is a fun action strategy experience that can provide hours of entertainment. Great colors and design, not to mention varied stages and often hilarious moments keep things lighthearted. Unfortunately, the emphasis on trial-and-error until you find the correct strategy, as well as on replaying stages to get all the resources, weigh it down a fair amount.

NBA 2K16 is a great sports simulation, a title packed with content that will allow basketball lovers to live out their fantasies, create some impressive matches, and experience presentation that rivals real-world broadcasts. The only major problem with the package is that the Livin' Da Dream narrative is relatively poor, given the hype associated with the involvement of Spike Lee, and some people might actually give up on MyCareer early because of it.

Sublevel Zero is a really good take on the genre pioneered by Descent. The roguelike mechanics are a bit punishing, but the gorgeous visuals and the procedurally generated levels manage to keep things fresh and get you to come back.

For long-term fans of the franchise, the title offers a simple way to experience the solid stories and the engaging gameplay once again using improved visuals, getting a deeper understanding of the links between the installments and how they might influence the coming A Thief's End. For those who have not played an Uncharted game before, The Nathan Drake Collection is the perfect way to see what the series has to offer and why so many gamers see it as one of the most important ones in the history of gaming.

Ninja Pizza Girl is a great experience due in equal parts to its great story and its good gameplay mechanics that encourage replayability and offer enough incentives to explore the pretty big levels. Some moments might not be up to par, but for the most part, you'll have a blast blazing across the rooftops and delivering pizza to others.

Might & Magic Heroes VII is probably the best entry in the series since the original trilogy, an experience that understands what makes the series great and delivers slightly updated takes on the core mechanics without any revolutionary features.

Tango Fiesta is a blast to play, both solo as well as with friends. The tongue-in-cheek tone, plus the slick mechanics make for an enjoyable time, while the procedurally-generated level layouts ensure that coming back to it is never dull. It does take a while to get used to its twin-stick shooting, as well as its enemies that get quite aggressive as you progress through the movies.

I liked my time with Grand Age: Medieval, but after spending a lot of time in the Balkans in my first campaign, I want to see whether there's variety in switching to another region for the start town.

Death Ray Manta SE is the definitive edition of the already good twin-stick shooter. Its sharp visuals, responsive gameplay, and nifty soundtrack, not to mention the low price, make it an instant classic, even if there are a few annoyances.

Some fans will be disappointed with the limited new features that are part of the game, but FIFA 16 is more balanced than its predecessor in terms of gameplay and superior in the graphics department.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is a big step forward for the series and manages to show the complexity and the beauty of football while also emphasizing the hard work that's required from a team looking to put together a string of victories.

Skyshine's Bedlam is a pretty good mix of turn-based strategy and rogue-like mechanics. However, the sheer difficulty at the beginning of a campaign and the randomized unit placement does make it very tough for players to survive their journey into the Wasteland.

A worthy investment for any fan of the original game and a pretty good one for those who weren't exactly thrilled with the initial experience.

WonderCat Adventures is a clever side-scrolling platformer that uses its simple controls in a great way. Level design is quite good for the most part of the 55 stages, but as mentioned above, during the latter parts of the game, it does force players to engage in a lot of trial-and-error. Even so, you're in for a pretty sweet experience controlling the alien feline.

Cross of the Dutchman is a fun history lesson that not only attracts through its source material and the alluring visuals but also through the simple yet entertaining combat. You'll have fun learning about the story of Pier Dosia while rampaging through Saxon soldiers in medieval Frisia.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a fun experience that excels both in terms of mechanics and presentation and manages to showcase the kind of innovation that indie teams can deliver in a genre that has long been ignored.

Armello shows a lot of promise and its mechanics work well in a virtual environment while still keeping their tabletop feel. However, the lengthy AI turns, not to mention the sometimes-unfair RNG and erratic AI behavior, weigh it down.

While overall Mad Max borrows from past titles like Batman when it comes to combat, or Far Cry when it comes to the design of its open world and its activities, it still manages to stand out through its car combat. The story is also pretty compelling and manages to keep you invested even if some of the missions get repetitive after a while.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain makes good on its word and delivers a great experience that's more than worthy of the saga's heritage. However, it's not exactly perfect, as the story requires a lot of pre-established knowledge, not to mention cassette-listening to make sense.

The game might be too gory and violent for some players but it is rarely gratuitous and playing through it is a great way to get a scared, explore a cool story and then sit back and think about how one might react when a cryosleep trip turns into a nightmare.

The Grand Tournament brings exactly what Hearthstone needs - new mechanics and tons of fun - while keeping the game balanced. The addition of new rewards for Ranked Play is another positive aspect, even though it's not related to The Grand Tournament expansion.

Satellite Reign offers a very solid set of mechanics and the four specialists are clearly designed to allow players to approach almost all situations in a variety of ways, able to create big gun battles or to always move without altering anyone to their presence.

Until Dawn is a video game that should jump to the "to-play" pile for those gamers who love classic horror and want to see the high-quality that the PlayStation 4 can deliver when it comes to faces and character interactions.

Party Hard blends a novel concept with a great mix of gameplay mechanics. Throw in the random behavior of NPCs and the tongue-in-cheek style and shutting down parties feels quite good. Gameplay might become repetitive in some situations but, overall, you'll have a nice time with it.

Harebrained Schemes has managed to once again impress by adding a few, but only a few, good improvements to the recipe, while delivering a very interesting setting and some imaginative missions. However, it might not feel like a whole new experience, just "more of the same."

DiscStorm has a core that's well designed and engaging, especially when the player faces enemies who are able to throw their own discs and move around well...But the experience is much too repetitive when it comes to the single-player element and there's no real story to speak of.

Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a worthy successor to the first two games in the series. The addition of 3D environments, while a bit tricky at first, ends up enhancing the experience. There are still a few quirks, such as camera angles or some complex platforming sequences, but overall it's still a blast to play through the new title, both for veterans as well as newcomers.

While it may not please everyone and might even cause anger amongst longtime Borderlands fans due to a pretty big moment, it tells a great story and manages to set up the final chapter in a solid way.

Volume has a carefully considered set of mechanics and it will certainly appeal to those who love stealth action and are interested in completing each of the levels as quickly as possible, moving smoothly and without having to get saved by the checkpoints.

Airscape: The Fall of Gravity is a tough but entertaining platformer experience that throws in quite a few interesting concepts and mechanics and makes them work quite well. There is plenty of trial and error, and sometimes the cute octopus might not seem so loveable, but you'll have a pretty great time with it either way.

The Reckoning DLC for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare offers a decent experience. While not all of the maps manage to live up to expectations, those that do offer a great time and are certainly going to keep fans busy until Black Ops 3 rolls out in November.

Nom Nom Galaxy is an interesting hybrid, although the variety of experiences might mean that a lot of players will have to fail a lot before they discover exactly how to approach the problem of soup production and shipping.

Adventure Lib takes some great jabs at adventure titles, gameplay tropes, and manages to deliver a short but hilarious experience. Sure, your mileage may vary depending on your sense of humor or passion for repetition, but at least you'll have fun with this quirky indie experience.

Hides a very challenging shoot'em up experience under its vibrant visuals and, provided you're willing to brave its perma-death and procedural mechanics, you're in for a compelling experience, especially if you have friends to play with or against.

Not only does it respect the huge legacy but it also brings the franchise to the present day. It offers a lot of content and, while it's generally enjoyable, there are some sequences that might leave players frustrated.

Zenzizenzic is a fantastic bullet hell experience that manages not only to delight longtime genre fans, through its Classic mode, but also to add innovation with its Macro experience.

Tembo the Badass Elephant succeeds as a game about momentum but fails to make the overall package as solid as it could be.

Game of Thrones Episode 5: A Nest of Vipers does a pretty good job of giving players a set of satisfying experience with the main characters, while alternating pretty well between intense conversations and hectic fight scenes.

With this new fantasy themed title, and the previous science fiction themed Galactic Civilizations III Stardock has managed to corner the market when it comes to turn-based strategy, delivering a solid mix of both classic and innovative mechanics.

The base Crusader Kings II launch is a great way for players to check out the core features and see whether they suit their interests, and The Horse Lords is probably in the top three when it comes to expansion quality.

Luckslinger is a charming platformer that puts luck in center stages and backs it up with some pretty good secondary mechanics. While it takes a bit of time to get used to its innovative features, it's certainly worth it.

The new Ant-Man table for Zen Pinball shows that the development team at Zen Studios can deliver great work when it is dealing with the intellectual property of other companies and Marvel seems to have made a particularly good partner.

Spectra is a decent experience that's a bit too simple for its own good.

Traverser is an intriguing game. While it doesn't do that many great things with its gravity glove, it makes up for it with the clever story, novel premise, and the emphasis on sneaking around. However, some ambiguous moments and the presence of a few awkward boss fights weigh it down.

The Red Solstice offers a solid combination of mechanics and some impressive battle moments and can be a title that cooperative enthusiasts with solid friend lists will embrace in the long run.

Legends of Eisenwald will certainly offer tens if not hundreds of hours of fun for those who are willing to understand its world and mechanics, and it will be interesting to see how the team at Aterdux expands the formula of the game in the future.

Devouring Stars may seem simple enough at first, but things get pretty complex as you progress through its randomized campaign and you'll certainly have your strategy skills tested. Fortunately, the great visual design and the impressive soundtrack make spending your time in the indie title a worthy investment.

Ronin is a good, engaging and often difficult game that will certainly appeal to those who are intrigued by the mix of stealth, sword killing, and impressive jumps.

Batman: Arkham Knight is a decent entry in the series that, while innovative in some areas, is weighed down by the cumbersome Batmobile. Once the huge PC performance issues are solved by Rocksteady, it certainly has the potential for an enjoyable experience. Until then, though, our verdict is to skip it.

Episode 3: Catch a Ride manages to continue the great showing of the adventure series made by Telltale. It's fun, intense, and manages to really develop not only its original characters but also some of the stablished Vault Hunters from previous games.

PCM 2015 is not a perfect sports sim and Cyanide lacks the resources to make it one but it does deliver solid mechanics and impressive race moments and all cycling lovers should give it a shot and try and change history with their favorite teams and riders.

A great expansion for an already solid grand strategy title, and it feels like the first one to feel essential since Wealth of Nations.

Audiosurf 2 is a worthy successor to the original experience. While Mono mode is, of course, the main star, you can find quite a few other interesting modes that provide a change of pace. While on its own the game is quite good, by factoring in the user-created modes and skins, Audiosurf 2 becomes even better.

Kholat is a great looking game that can capture the imagination of players very quickly with its impressive environments and with the initial narrative about the real world set of events on which it is based. Unfortunately, the developers have failed to find a way to keep interest up in the long term and the inability move at will across the landscape and the limited functionality associated with the map quickly become frustrating.

One of the most accessible and most fun multiplayer online battle arena titles out there. Sure, it lacks the complexity of Dota 2 or League of Legends, but the short length of matches (around 20 minutes) and the polish that's characteristic of a Blizzard product make it stand out.

When it comes to the sound of Massive Chalice the voice acting for the huge piece of silverware itself is great, both funny and sat, and the music itself manages to underline the tense moments of combat and to illustrate the way time influences the world of the game.

The Supremacy map pack for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brings quite a few interesting additions. Some, like the Parliament or Kremlin maps, work quite well, while others may not delight every fan, such as the Compound map or most parts of the Carrier Exo Zombies adventure.

Hatred is a good twin-stick shooter that manages to offer an interesting experience only through the actual theme. Besides that, however, it's not something outstanding. Developer Destructive Creations could have transformed its targets into zombies or civilians and escape the controversy, but it stuck to its initial idea, and while it's not executed all that well in terms of story, it deserves recognition.

A good game but it might not exactly delight all of its players. Yes, it's a pity that players can't import their characters and classes but the new ones are quite varied, even if they can only reach level 30. For such a low price, Neocore's RPG is a great investment.