It’s a small step in the right direction for the genre but the lack of players means that in this particular space sim, there’s no-one to hear you scream.

Rome: Imperator is one of Paradox’s biggest and best games - it also has a bigger focus on military expansion than their other games.

Tropico 6 is a great step forward. It fixes a lot of the problems that plagued the last instalment and does it while adding plenty of content. Limbic have created the building blocks of something great and with more focus on military interaction of invading and conquering it could become a brilliant all-round experience.

Rome II is a testament to all that is great about PC gaming and should be a must buy for all its followers.

Earth Defense Force 5 doesn't do much to get away from the series standards of campy story telling and underwhelming graphics, but does improve upon the series' unique appeal by reducing grind, increasing enemy variety and giving soldiers some new tricks to get around the battlefield. There's nothing quite like EDF and this is the definitive entry in the series.

Cake Bash is a fun party game with a lot of potential, but with relatively few bash modes and minigames, it can feel repetitive after a while. The limited progression and fast unlockables also mean that when your completion hits 100%, you may see little reason to continue playing. However, with the freedom to play against bots, local friends or online, if looking for a cute, quick and easy party game to jump into, Cake Bash may fit the bill.

It may lack the sprawling epic world of Red Dead Redemption, but this is your next best choice for a Western fix that satisfies.

Ratchet and Clank: Nexus is not a full-length gaming experience that will last you months. What it is, however, is a loving goodbye to a pair of gaming heroes.

As long as you don't mind the insane story and the games many profanities you will really enjoy Trover Saves the Universe. Its bad language can be turned off but in my opinion the game is better with it. I don't think it will be to everyone's taste but it's bright, fun and never overstays its welcome. Its VR implementation is very good and never gets in the way of enjoying this wacky adventure. I really enjoyed it and I think most other VR players will too. It's unique and should not be overlooked.

The fantastic touches such as bizarre monoliths swinging around to your movement, or crazy bridges taking shape as you step across them or entire buildings being summoned before your eyes ensure Kairo is strangely uncomfortable, creepily crazy and ultimately highly memorable.

Burial at Sea might be a challenger for the best-ever narrative-based DLC yet presented to the gaming community at large. It carries on the legacy of all Levine’s games, and Infinite’s in particular by delivering a strong story with a devastatingly stunning blow at the end.

Freedom Cry may not be particularly long or radically different from Black Flag but as a companion piece it feels important, imbuing its protagonist with a desire for retribution and justice that bleeds through the screen and inhabits your own persona. For that reason alone it deserves your attention.

TENS! has simple controls, a unique combination of puzzle elements, and a challenging difficulty curve - but its lack of varied multiplayer makes it a very brief experience unless played sporadically. If you're mathematically-minded, don't mind listening to the same soundtracks over and over again, and don't care for the loose narrative linking the puzzles together, then TENS! will win you over.

Super Mario Party is a fantastic entry in the series, one that uses the unique attributes of the Switch wonderfully. The modes on offer are plentiful and varied and all a lot of fun. If you have been hoping for a good family game, then this is it.

SuperEpic's satirical style might not be for everyone, but if you are OK with that aspect then this is an excellent addition to the ever growing Metroidvania genre. Graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay fit together beautifully, making SuperEpic difficult to put down.

What’s rather galling and confusing is the fact this is the third version of this game to exist after the PS3 and the original browser game.

Do My Best Games have created an incredibly immersive, varied and compelling game, it is tense and always leaves you wondering what is beyond the next door. Its simple gameplay is enhanced by the compelling story and leaves you always wanting to find out more from its inhabitants.

The White March Part I adds another twenty hours or so of content, and has the same polish present in Pillars. The biggest criticism is its awkward insertion into the main game, feeling more like an unnecessary addition than an essential piece of Eora’s canon.

Team17 have done it again with another endearingly designed, vastly comprehensive fun experience. The Survivalists is one of the best crafting games that I have played and one of my favourite games of the year.

While I enjoyed my time with Cat Quest 2, a bit more depth all around would have been "purr-furred." Perhaps the developer's hints of updates to come will remedy this oversight sufficiently.

Caught within a comic book, fight your way through as the protagonist Fury to help your creator overcome his doubt as an artist. A devilishly fun and extremely difficult rougelite that thankfully doesn't penalize you as harshly for dying as some within this genre. There is a steep learning curve in "Hard Mode" (technically normal mode) but there is an "Easy Mode" option with customizable parameters to make the game more accessible. Shoot, loot, and keep your combo going to shield you from enemies and collect health with each kill. You can even complete a whole run on one continuous combo, are you up to the task?

Genuinely fun and cute, with a story line and visuals that will keep you enthralled as you play the short campaign.

With hilarious dialogue and world details, the wholesomeness of these hard-working monkeys, and a variety of fun mechanics and pleasant physics displayed in it, the sum of all these parts helps to build an absolutely delightful experience for us to enjoy. And as tense as the gameplay can be, we will enjoy as many cooperative building adventures as we can handle in a lighthearted space journey, full of Bonkies, bananas, and aliens.

Pumpkin Jack is a fun, quirky 3D platformer that will both entertain and challenge you over the course of its 6-8 hour campaign. Though its platforming and camera controls can sometimes be a tad clunky, the experience is engaging enough for that to not be a problem, and you'll be far more concerned about the monsters trying to take you down. If you liked MediEvil or similar games, you'll love Pumpkin Jack.

As ambitious as it is, Ghost Recon: Wildlands fails to break free from the Ubisoft blueprint. However, that doesn't stop it from being an addictive, sprawling shooter, particularly when playing online.

Superior to the original in almost every department, The Evil Within 2 will still divide opinion with its difficulty. Persevere though, and you'll find a gore-soaked diamond.

A solid strategy game that may suffer slightly from being, as with the surface of Mars, a little too dry.

Despite a few technical issues, Borderlands: Game of the Year is an amazing looter shooter remaster, and when played with a group of friends, is still one of the most enjoyable titles of the last decade.