Like wafts of familiar scents, moments throughout Psychonauts evoke memories of both Double Fine and LucasArts’ highest highs. Many of Double Fine’s best known collaborators, from visual artists to voice talent, have pooled in. It makes a fine game, one about the atrophy of counter culture, how bonds make finer milestones than accomplishments, and how past failures do not negate future glories. Psychonauts 2 is a rare treasure, one that feels rarer and rarer as years go by, but clearly still possible with the proper gang of weirdos.

Disco Elysium blew my mind with its radically simple but deep approach to roleplaying. Its world and characterisation are brought to life by artistry and writing that are nothing short of astounding. Somehow, the stars aligned with absurd ambition, sheer fledgling talent and a decade of pen and paper storytelling in the Elysium universe to create something truly special. Is Disco Elysium the best RPG of all time? I can’t make that call. Is it the best game I’ve played all year? Absolutely.

Overall, Ori and the Will of the Wisps retains Blind Forest’s effortlessly satisfying platforming experience that defies a rage quit, while building on the central experience with a much larger map, richer combat experience, and more ways than ever to personalise your playstyle. Every grapple, slam, and triple jump builds on that unmatched flow of gently nudging you towards confidence, rewarding you when it’s there, and punishing the cocky. You’ll soon be flying through these gorgeous worlds with grace and style, and while it may look effortless on-screen, you’ll be concentrating damn hard on perfecting every move. That’s one of the best feelings in fluid platforming, and you can guarantee that Will of the Wisps oozes such sophistication.

Chicory flits through its hours of play with earnest, effortless charm that admittedly verges on saccharine at times—some of its townsfolk seem more like caricatures than actual personalities—but it has also helped me to appreciate the heights and mundanity of exploration, discovery and creation. It’s something I haven’t quite been able to for a while in games.

All in all, Slay the Spire is just a brilliant game. It opens its arms to you and holds you close to begin with, then pushes you away and practices throwing cards at you once you have found your footing. It really is a marvel of a genre mash-up and it is thoroughly deserving of your time. Just be prepared to start over and over again – it is a roguelike, after all.

Llaura McGee’s Ireland-based indie studio, Dreamfeel, is best known for 2014’s indie darling Curtain, a story of queer punks in an abusive relationship. Now with a full team of queer women and nonbinary devs (and music by 2 Mello), If Found… feels like the synergistic realization of all that its parts set out to do. It’s the rare game I would implore you to play without any question. The one that breaks the scale. I don’t care who you are or what games you usually like to play, play it. If not for the mechanical conceit, for the art, for the soundtrack, play it for me, because I want to share this story with so many others. That’s what a myth is, after all.

Cuphead’s crazy visuals are endlessly charming and its punishing difficulty ultimately satisfies. So give that boss one more go. Maybe this time you’ll score a knockout.

Originally an Apple Arcade exclusive, Mini Motorways is now available on Steam for aspiring city planners. If you’re ready to tear your hair out of your follicles over the algorithm’s decision to construct a house 10 million miles away from its destination, it may very well become one of your favourite time-wasters.

In the end, what Sunless Skies does do best is harness curiosity. I often found myself travelling to small hubs for specific quests, only to leave with a whole new set of stories, well beyond what I had expected. Each location is so lovingly crafted that even the darkest of places shines. With the combination of incredibly skilled and extensive writing and haunting and varied artwork, Sunless Skies has to be one of the most atmospheric game worlds I’ve ever played within.

It’s rare that a game fully explores the weight of choice and consequence, but it’s even rarer that a debut game does it so well. Lacuna is that game: an intricately crafted, perfectly paced and engrossing experience that places the story front and centre. Players will be on the edge of their seats, pouring over every detail and—quite literally—reflecting on the choices that led them there.

It’s incredibly easy for people from a western audience (like myself) to dismiss most games from mainland Asia as mobile-based and profit-driven, ignoring the potential indie gems coming from a region rich in cultural history. If you’re after captivating, slow-paced horror with a brilliantly unique cultural perspective and a story surpassing many horror flicks out there, Devotion answers your prayers.

Desperados III is a worthy successor to the previous games in the series, and a welcome return to a genre I’d long thought dead and buried. Now, how about a new Commandos?

Simply put, Monster Train is really good. It’s fun, there are a nigh-on-infinite number of things you can change and mess around with for each run, and it’s difficult, but not soul-crushingly so. It’s got a nice look to it, some very good music, and the card-customisation and cloning is an excellent idea. I’m really looking forward to seeing more people with their hands on it, and I think Monster Train deserves to be huge.

On the whole I’m incredibly impressed with Wildermyth. While I was skeptical at first about whether its procedurally-generated narrative events and choices would allow for cohesive character development, its stories are so well-written, funny, and relatable that it’s hard not to be invested in the lives of your motley crew of heroes. Wildermyth is the kind of game that moves seamlessly between heroes making bad jokes one second and reflecting on the nature of existence the next. This tapestry of moments feels appropriate in a game about what it means to be human, both in terms of battling against mortality and the end of the world, but also in the quiet moments of beauty that life is filled with.

We have finally lived through the full release of Risk of Rain 2. With the full release comes a new character, who is excellent, and a true final level, final boss, and an ending. On top of that, we get even more excellent music from Chris Christodoulou. It cements Risk of Rain 2 as one of the best roguelikes of all time, and certainly one of the best co-op roguelikes too. There are a couple of things I was hoping to see with the full release, like more skills for the other survivors, but I’m sure they’ll arrive somewhere down the line. As it stands, if you’ve not played Risk of Rain 2, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

If you’re already a fan of this type of game, then you’ve likely already been sold on Wasteland 3, and with good reason. But if you haven’t delved into an RPG of this size before it might be the perfect place to start. It’s a much more action-focused experience than some of its contemporaries, with a combat system that’s developed enough to carry the game even without the arresting narrative and its inviting pliability. Despite a couple of minor irritations, Wasteland 3 is the very definition of a game you can get lost in.

Anyone less discerning with their revolutionary tales might think I’m being harsh. And perhaps I shouldn’t expect so much from a game that named its city of corporate excess Byzantium. But when The Outer Worlds attempts to play with ideas like the logical conclusion of America’s market empire in 2019, I get to be disappointed when the endeavor falls short.

It must be pretty obvious by now that I love this game. I love the effort that went into it and the expansive scope of its contents. I love how easy the gameplay is to grasp and how complex its plot becomes. I love the surprises and mysteries, and how each character is so full of soul. History buffs will have hours of spotting little details and accuracies, and fans of a good old-fashioned mystery will be kept up all night by the perplexing curse that has befallen this town.

Action sequences aren’t all just a case of spraying and praying either, a lot of the game looks like that, but you need to approach things in a more considered matter if you want to actually survive. There’s a constant cycle of fun decisions to make in your weapon choices, movement options, and tactical decisions, and they all elevate Huntdown far above many other run and gunners.

What Cuddle Monster Games has achieved is a glowing reminder of the merits of repetition. By basing its game around a patch of simple-yet-perfected mechanics and the human need to try again, the studio has created a lovely little throwback. Above all, Hell is Other Demons is a testament. A testament to how far polished mechanics can take a game, a testament to the depths of the bullet hell genre, and a testament to the virtues of dusting yourself off and giving it another go.

Overall, Phoenotopia: Awakening is a triumphant PC port that thoroughly polished its flaws and comes out shining. Chock full of charm and wonder, it’s a delight for any pixel art platformer enthusiast looking for a new adventure to throw themselves into and while away the hours with.

It’s a decent port of a great game, that knows that the best way to succeed in capitalism is not only to shaft the vulnerable, but to shaft them with a smile.

While there are niggles to the experience, from relatively frequent frame rate drops at the start of each cycle and the AI occasionally getting confused to the game outright crashing (which is naturally quite frustrating), these issues seem like the aftermath of Early Access. With the game having a decent swell of community support and the developers just as keen to keep improving, Oxygen Not Included appears to be going onwards and upwards – or whatever direction you fancy, really.

Aside from the fact that you could legitimately play it forever, it also happens to have a plethora of ways to incentivise you to play as every single character, complete every dungeon, and keep playing in NG+ 200 if you can stick with it that long. If you like roguelikes, you need to play this, and you need to play it now.

Manifold Garden isn’t a particularly challenging puzzle experience, but it’s an awe-inspiring and memorable one. I can’t recommend it enough.

Overall, Heavenly Bodies is a triumphant puzzle game. Its setting and premise are novel and excellently executed. The games succinct 5-7 playtime allows the game to not overstay its welcome and the excellent theming gives sensibility to what would otherwise be wholly nonsensical mechanics. Heavenly Bodies is a welcome addition to an already vibrant indie puzzle scene.

Eventually repetition can start to set in and at this point I recommend quitting while you’re ahead. But at its measly asking price, a few hours of hilarious antics make Reventure a no-brainer of an impulse buy.

I really like how the deck-building mechanics reflect the dispositions of the different characters. You can see this in both combat and negotiation; Sal is pretty strong all around, which makes them a good choice for your first couple of runs. Rook flips a coin every now and then during negotiation that can produce a powerful boost. Smith builds up a stockpile of empty bottles while in combat which they sometimes hurl at their opponents. The result is a wonderful sense of ludonarrative consonance.

Mixed Realms have done a fine job with Gordian Quest. It may borrow a lot from D&D and Slay The Spire, so it’s hardly a unique experience, but it holds its own and proves highly engaging. Whilst combat was slightly limited by the randomised card system, it’s addictive and provides tactical fun, with the randomised maps keeping the experience fresh in additional playthroughs. It’s got a lot on offer, and with further updates to come, it’s one to look out for. [Early Access Score = 80]

The tale’s comedic tone and the dialogue are clever and snarky. Coupled with the supernatural shenanigans manifesting daily in the world of The Darkside Detective, these often lead to hilarious situations and reactions from the characters in them, among whom are skeptics to the authenticity of these happenings. Yet the jokes fall short at times due to unnecessarily exaggerated scenes, such as a squirrel planning a heist to a television station. Conversely, it is when The Darkside Detective takes itself a bit more seriously and embraces its deeper, darker roots, that the brilliance truly happens.

Baba Is You is clever. Very, very clever. Cleverer than me, possibly cleverer than you as well. This isn’t a puzzle game for everyone. But for those with a logical mind, endless patience and thirst for a genuine challenge, it’s essential.

Whether you’re a current owner of the original or thinking of getting the complete edition, these new chapters are superb. The new gun modes are great, the story content is fascinating, and the sheer beauty of the animation and environments of Control still shine.

Spiritfarer is a fantastic title that runs like a dream and firmly delivers on its warm aura interlaced with emotional weight. Beautifully executed in its approach to complex subjects, players will be thoroughly engrossed and immersed in the nautical spirit world Stella and Daffodil inhabit, and the carefully built (if inevitably fleeting) friendships of unique spiritual companions. Step through the Everdoor and see what’s on the other side.

Some may argue that Telling Lies is less of a game and more of a form of loosely interactive media. If that’s the case, well, it’s the most engrossing ‘non-game’ game I’ve played in recent memory.

Even death in Ape Out is brilliant. The screen freezes and turns negative, zooming out to a marvellously stylised map revealing the path you took before your demise. Hands down, it’s one of the best death screens I’ve seen...Oh, I do wish there was a button you could press to make the ape grunt and beat his chest, though. That’d have been good.

In a year where Red Dead Redemption 2 and God Of War have garnered so much critical attention and praise (and deservedly so), GRIS made me feel more than any other game in 2018. It’s one of the year’s very best and should be a benchmark for similar games to come.

Rather than rest on their well-deserved laurels, Yacht Club Games have crafted a celebration of everything Shovel Knight, and shown us all why they’re indie royalty. The fact that owners of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove get King of Cards for free is the icing on the cake.

Ritual of the Night is a dream for Metroidvania fans. Despite some hiccups with its graphical presentation, there is little wrong with Igarashi’s newest masterpiece. In a time where games are being weighed down with too much clutter, add-ons and complication, to get a game that knows exactly what it is and what it wants to be is refreshing. Sometimes, all you want to do is smash demons and explore Gothic castles in style, and Igarashi knows that better than anyone.

Silver Dollar Games does a great job of opening up the possibility of getting into a gratifying rhythm of taking out enemies while keeping it challenging. And it is challenging. Don’t be fooled by the simple control scheme. And better yet, it’s one of the most addicting games to come out this April. It doesn’t cost much at all, so I’d encourage you to pick this one up ASAP.

I liked Unpacking very much. It’s complicated, but it’s as simple as a peanut butter sandwich, toasted in the sandwich press that you got three apartments ago.

The sequel ups the ante, with more stylish graphics and an ‘Olliwood’ cinema theme that sees you flicking and tricking your way through fantastical film sets and hilarious puns. More so, it introduces manuals that allow you to extend combos between jumps and grinds for more intricate – and rewarding – play. There’s even a multiplayer mode and a single trick mode to vary things up. Short levels, swift load times and addictive gameplay make this perfect for gaming on the go.

Developed by Krillbite Studios and an indirect sequel of their previous game The Plan, Sunlight brings an exciting perspective on walking simulators. Far from replicating the environments in their past work such as the terrorizing atmosphere in Among The Sleep or the dreadful cities in Mosaic, this relaxing narrative adventure displays a more natural aesthetic, with both the auditive and visual aspects in it being genuinely delightful.

Katana Zero feels at once derivative and remarkable. Cool blade-slicing combat is elevated by effortless style and a narrative uncharacteristically strong for its genre. You may have seen it all before, but never quite like this.

For fans of the oddball 90s game aesthetic – misproportioned bodies, warped perspectives, and bold colours – visiting Heffernan’s gameworlds is like spending time with an eccentric old friend. But in addition to some really great banter, Vol. 1 primarily unfolds through revealing conversations that touch on social issues like gentrification, corporate hegemonies, collective bargaining, and the complicated business of making a living; all of these topics are painfully applicable to current events, which makes Vol. 1 both visually anachronistic and thematically accurate. It’s meta-exploration through chat and movement – a thoughtful voyage through a community going through a slowly snowballing crisis. If you’re looking for confrontation and convention, this probably isn’t the game for you.

I’m confident that if you like the challenge that roguelikes offer then you’ll find Crown Trick to tick all of your boxes. It’s fun, beautiful, and challenging enough to keep you trying harder, but not so much that you want to delete your PC. It’s going to be a game I keep going back to, and on that note, I’m going to go and play it some more.

I am in love with Chivalry 2, but it’s not the best it could be just yet. As it stands, the party system is literally useless at the moment. There are also a few connection issues here and there too. However, assuming they get fixed, Chivalry 2 could well be my go-to game for killing a bit of time–and a lot of people–for years to come. The developers will also be adding in horses in a later update, and that sounds truly wonderful.

One Step From Eden takes my memories of the Battle Network games and turns them into a fully-fledged and incredibly stylish roguelike. It is quite simply the best thing I’ve played all year. It might even be one of the best roguelikes around at the moment, and there’s definitely a lot of competition there. I can’t say enough good things about this nigh-perfect game, but I can say that you should stop whatever you’re doing and go and buy it. You’ll not be disappointed.

Perhaps Eastward’s greatest strength is that it isn’t complicated—gameplay is at once deeply warm and familiar without fading into stale territory, which is surprisingly tricky for a game that presents itself as a spiritual successor to the Zelda legacy. Eastward in motion is an unstoppable force, an exquisitely-animated homage to old-school RPGs that more than compensates for its writing and narrative

The sort of game VR was made for. While it won’t be winning any awards for its graphics, story or mission design, it nails the fundamentals of an action game, letting you live out an entrancing power fantasy. Sai-ren-to. Don’t forget it.

Those who can go through it are in for one of the more unique games out there. With its sprawling lore, detailed plotting, and intimate look at the effects one person’s choices have on the world around them, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is an ambitious narrative RPG and a must-play for fantasy lovers.

Children of Morta doesn’t set the genre ablaze, move it in any new directions or do much to widen its reach, beyond letting more casual players grind their way through impasses. In structure and presentation it’s reminiscent of last year’s Moonlighter, but without the unique shopkeeping mechanic which set that apart. That said, there’s nothing wrong with a well-accomplished genre archetype. Do you enjoy rogue-lites? You’re pretty much guaranteed to like this.

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is both good fun, but also somewhat surprising in the story it tells. There’s a lot more to it than just swinging a sword around, but even if there wasn’t, having a big old flaming sword or a giant hammer and then slashing and smashing enemy bots is more than satisfying enough to hold most people’s attention.

At its core, Gloomhaven is a deep tactical experience that’s immensely satisfying once you get to grips with its layers upon layers of systems. It also includes multiple options to vary the difficulty, so newer players don’t feel overly punished by making mistakes, whilst strategy aficionados can dial up the challenge to match their ability.

If you’re into fresh, new puzzle games that offer a decent challenge, Vectronom is really a no-brainer. It’s super cheap, too. Buy it.

It’s a grueling but exhilarating journey that confronts what we probably know all along: that the pain of living through countless deaths and tragedies is ultimately what binds us together in life.

If you’ve been itching for something suitable to return to after waiting for a new, addictive strategy RPG in the past, you absolutely must get your hands on Chucklefish’s latest. Despite its strict adherence to classic mechanics, it’s a brilliant overall package that has just about everything you could want out of a spiritual successor to your favorite tactical RPG. It’s perfect for on-the-go play on Switch and feels right at home on PC. If you’re not convinced yet, we’re not sure you’re a true strategy RPG fan anyway.

Overall, Sakuna: of Rice and Ruin is a delight. The two halves of the game, which might soon get stale if they were standalone, complement each other perfectly. Both farming and fighting remain interesting due to the game’s pacing and the steady stream of new abilities and equipment it rewards you with. It’s clear from the attention to detail how much love the two-person team of Edelweiss has poured into this title. Every ingredient, meal or skill has a well-written description; every system has more depth than you initially expect. Not only can you pet the dog, but you can also pick it up and carry it around. This world is one I want to learn more about and spend more time in. In fact, now this review is done, I’m probably going to get right back to playing. I saw ducks in the trailer; I want to unlock ducks.

30XX is haaaaaaaaaaaard. It’s so damn punishing, but it’s also a wonderfully inventive roguelike that takes everything that makes Mega Man great and goes “what if you died more and the progression was different?” It’s an important question, and the answer to that used to be 20XX, but 30XX is better in every single way. Please play this game if you want a cool co-op platformer that will also crush you and your dreams. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.

ISLANDERS is great, especially for the extremely low price tag. At times it may feel a little simplistic, but I can see this being a great title to come back to whenever you have a few minutes to spare.

A Plague Tale: Innocence left me awestruck. This gothic adventure seemingly came out of nowhere and eviscerated my expectations like rats on flesh. I loved its refreshing approach to difficulty, and the story made me truly care about its characters – and I don’t even like children. Looking for another grim story of survival to tide you over until The Last of Us 2? Lack of zombies aside, A Plague Tale: Innocence is it.

Yuppie Psycho gives us a glimpse into the neo-corporate future depicted in science fiction films like Robocop and The Matrix, where normal people try to navigate the corporate dystopian workspaces they’ve found themselves in. It’s a highly polished look at what we once imagined as the reality of the corporatised future, and still could be. It’s entertaining and engaging with its poke at modern life and the flimsy social systems we cling to. It argues that you are not defined by your job – and, on occasion, that’s something everyone needs to hear.

It’s a wonderfully charming and enticing experience that I will quite happily keep playing again and again. There are loads of secrets to be found, plenty more upgrades to unlock, and lots of monsters to yeet into the sea. It’s fun, but it’s not a perfect experience. The issue with the multiplayer and lacklustre story detract from the stellar gameplay, but I’m definitely a lot more positive on Rogue Heroes than I am negative.

The Swamps of Corsus is a must-buy for any fans of Remnant: From The Ashes, and the new survival mode will be a huge draw to anybody that wanted just a little bit more roguelike in their third-person Soulslike. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s not too pricey either, which is always a nice bonus.

This is an adventure that’ll likely charm your pants off with its low-fi aesthetic. There are genuine laughs to be had here too, thanks to the slapstick dialogue. My only criticism is that the very light ‘puzzles’ are completed in a chain reaction, in that once you’ve done one it solves the next, and so on. I’d have enjoyed just a little more brainteasing, even if the detective work isn’t supposed to be the star of the show.

It’s just exhilarating to play, and despite sometimes being a little slow, is often a perfect game to settle into with some friends for a good night of raucous laughter, and the occasional guttural squeak of fear as a monster warps behind you or sends a swarm of locusts after you. It’s unlike most of what you can play out there, and it holds up just as well on consoles.

Ashen is one of the most approachable and well-accomplished Souls-likes we’ve seen to date. It offers a bewitching world to discover with a character all its own. It’s unfortunate that one of its best and most unique features, companions, isn’t in a very good state right now. I believe this’ll get fixed with time.

There’s a cheeky push and pull between stealthily making mischief and honking in someone’s face and waddling away gleefully. It’s safe to say that if you had a chuckle at Untitled Goose Game’s trailers, you’ll have several more enacting all the fowl play yourself.

Solving puzzles and exploring my way through the vast network of road signs within The Pedestrian’s fictionalised city I found to be a complete blast and an experience that I will likely revisit in future. I found that it managed to strike a solid balance with its difficulty and it constantly introduced new elements to help keep its novel concept from feeling one dimensional. I did encounter some minor issues with the audio and I wish chapters were present to revisit stages but this fortunately didn’t prevent it from being one of the first standout indies I have played in 2020.

Hunt: Showdown is a little bit DayZ, a little bit PUBG and a little bit Resident Evil. This initial release is strong, with plenty of room to expand. Eventually, new maps, weapons and enemy types will be needed to maintain interest. Hunt: Showdown may not technically be a battle royale game, but it shares enough of the genre’s DNA that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a battle pass in the near future.

It’s likely Wunderling will get lost in the endless noise that is the Switch (and Steam) store, which is a shame. Wunderling combines intentionally familiar elements in a charming and clever way and the presentation is clearly devoted to emulating the charm of the 16-bit era and it succeeds. The gameplay itself is clever, challenging, and fun, and there’s a commendably large variety of levels to keep players occupied for some time.

At its heart, Trials of Fire is a survival game in the way only roguelikes can be: where each battle, decision, and knock-on-effect can determine your demise further down the road. It’s also very tough as many encounters spawn a random number of enemies. Trials of Fire’s card system makes being outnumbered feel a little unfair at times too, as the opponent has more cards to work with, as well as more potential mana, more armor, and more movement to gain from discarding them. However, its smart mechanics, survival play, and deck-building make up for any criticisms I have leveled at it. I’ll definitely dive back in for another adventure before too long, though perhaps on a lower difficulty…

Hands down, it’s the best zoo management game available, so if that’s what you’re looking for then you’ve found it. I think there’s so much more to come for Planet Zoo though. This humble beginning will no doubt grow in something much greater supported by the community. I’d love to see things such as the option for water parks in the future and have no doubt there’ll be plenty of DLC coming over the next few years. As humans, we are infinitely fascinated by nature and it’s great to finally have a digital playground to explore that.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall gives me almost everything I need from a 4X game and a turn-based strategy game in one neat package. Both sides could (and doubtless will) be expanded upon, but the overall package as it stands is extremely good at what it does. If you wanted more depth to XCOM’s strategic overworld or more involving combat in Civilization VI, this is the game you’re looking for.

Void Bastards is a hyper-polished work of art. If the only complaint I have is that there should be more of it, they’re clearly doing something right. I’m very excited to see where this developer goes next.

It’s definitely on the harder end of the roguelike genre, but that only makes it all the more satisfying whenever you succeed. It helps that it’s absolutely beautiful too, because you’ll be seeing a lot of it if it sinks its hooks into you.

It’s an awe-inspiring, calming setting brought to life with exquisite animation. Frankly, it’s perfect escapism. You’ll never want to leave.

Above all else, Rebirth knows how to tug at the heartstrings. The parallel story that plays out in Tasi’s stunning hand drawings will destroy any cold heart. Rebirth feels an overwhelmingly pessimistic and heartbreaking play at times, but just like SOMA, it presents some chance for optimism at its end; some antidote to its horrors. That’s the part I always loved about SOMA, and I now do about Rebirth. This is storytelling done right. It’s just a shame it couldn’t quite keep The Dark Descent’s all-pervading atmosphere along for the ride.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is another fine adventure for Adol Christin. Considering previous entries like Lacrimosa of Dana and Memories of Celceta were more light-hearted affairs, IX’s darker themes is a slight departure, but it forges a strong identity of its own. Packed with a fun (if not especially vibrant) setting, enjoyable gameplay and engaging narrative, some smaller issues hold it back, and Nihon Falcom’s game engine is certainly looking tired. Regardless, any long-term Ys fans would do well to pick this one up.

Anyone who enjoyed last year’s tragically underappreciated Flipping Death will find a lot to love in Ghost Giant. It’s easily one of the most charming VR games out there, with clever puzzles and a surprisingly layered story. The characters and world are fantastic, and while the VR gameplay can sometimes be problematic, this is definitely a game worth hooking up the PSVR’s myriad of cables for.

Boomerang X may not be perfect, but it’s perfectly addictive, a game just begging to be replayed. There’s even a built-in speed run timer setting and harder difficulty options and a New Game+ mode underscoring its replayability. Running through its 13 levels another time probably won’t peel back any more of the game’s very thin plot layers, but damn if it isn’t a blast to zip around like an airborne assassin.

Freebird games have always been funny in a gentle way that doesn’t clash with the games’ tender yet challenging emotional core. In Impostor Factory, the team has taken a big swing by including full-on horror, as well as a complex meta-story involving the nature of science and time itself. And the humor is both slapstick and risky, letting players release tension as they explore the gore and mind-bending moral conundrums posed by the game’s story. The boxing cat and the sentient rice cooker are a welcome bonus.

The only unfortunate thing about the game is its occasionally stilted dialogue and what some may consider higher difficulty when dealing with certain parts in Classic and Stories Modes. Otherwise, This War of Mine: Complete Edition is nothing short of fantastic, and a truly wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch’s library – despite the fact that it’s extremely depressing and a harrowing look at war.

By the time the final credits roll on The Artful Escape, it’s a challenge to succinctly summarise what you’ve just experienced. It’s a game without a genre, one composed of familiar elements blended in an unfamiliar way, creating something that is uniquely its own. It’s been a long time coming since The Artful Escape was given its initial glimpse of what was in store, but when it’s all said and done, it leaves the audience satisfied but still wanting just a little more. Like any good concert.

Bury Me is a remarkable game overall. It’s tender and well-written, being amusing and endearing whilst packing some hefty emotional punches, exploring thought-provoking issues with nuance and without didacticism, all under a sleek-looking facade and with the help of tight, immersive game design. Whilst it may still be better suited to its original mobile format, it’s well worth picking up on any platform.

It’s a really interesting idea, and it’s very well executed. The flow of the game is never too fast either, even the more intense battles have a little more space than in most roguelikes, and it leads to a more relaxed game overall. I really like Dreamscaper and I hope that a lot more people will play it.

Not to be too grandiose about the game – it won’t be for everyone, and it has very little replay value – but I do think there is room for When The Past Was Here alongside some of the story-based indie greats. It does what it does with utmost care and sensitivity, feeling like the sort of dream you have when you’ve just changed your sheets. We could all do with some more comfort after the year we’ve had, and When The Past Was Here – which comes out on console on December 16th – is the video game equivalent of a warm cup of tea by a rain-streaked window.

It’s far from the typical hero’s journey. In this game you’re just a kid who listens to cassette tapes, and now has an old camera to document that adventure with. It reminded me of my summer trips to the Isle of Wight, making my own fun in ways only children can.

The number of quests and hidden places to unveil shows up the amount of dedication and attention to detail instilled in the project, with every sidequest expanding and adding information to the lore of the game without feeling tedious at all no matter how long you take to traverse these vast lands. Whether you rescue your loved ones, talk to consumed gods or just kill Leshys, whatever path you travel will have hours of fun ahead, while you try to find the Ocean’s Heart.

If you want a new Contra game, that’s exactly what Blazing Chrome promises and delivers. Joymasher has done this better than any indie developer I can think of, bringing Contra back with absolutely everything that entails.

I had wondered, at the beginning, if this was all just an elaborate joke to waste my time. Turns out it isn’t, and The Longing is one of the most inventive experimental games I’ve played. It captures the depths of crushing loneliness and isolation, but also a surprisingly soothing companion to equally lonely souls. I’ve spent three hours on it already.

The neatest trick that Midnight Protocol pulled is that even if it probably does not depict hacking in the most realistic or accurate manner, it still encapsulates the fascination that most of us have around hacking.

For a game which has spent the past three years in early access, it’s clear Awesome Games Studio has spent their time fine-tuning and creating a replayable experience. While not a perfect game with controls feeling a little loose when the heat gets turned up, and a storyline which isn’t finished or particularly interesting, Fury Unleashed was absolutely a pleasant surprise.

In the end, however, Golf Club Wasteland didn’t need to sell me on its main character for it to work. It tells more than a story about one person or one moment. Instead, its strength is in the world it creates, the microstories of each level, and the layers of social critique in each part of its radio broadcasts. The rich will watch the world burn and complain about the glare―best make sure that golf course is shady.

Arise: A Simple Story is one of the stronger ‘Journey-like’ experiences I’ve played. Its awe-inspiring levels that morph with the flow of time are only hampered slightly by a few design problems. What’s more, the titular ‘simple story’ is heartfelt and elegantly told. Minor frustrations aside, this is a lovely little tale that’s easy to recommend.

The Last Autumn is doing itself a disservice by calling itself DLC. It has an entirely new world to master, with a strong human element to make it truly unique. Be prepared for some devastatingly difficult challenges, but reap the reward if you make it to the finish – enjoying every step of the journey along the way.

If you played Contra back in the day and want an enhanced, distilled run through some bosses in that gameplay style, Mechstermination Force is an expertly-designed nostalgia exercise. Anyone else might find the game initially warm and approachable, but eventually turn it off out of sheer frustration.

Ultimately, Druidstone is a challenging and rewarding tactical-RPG with plenty of charm to keep it engaging in-between brutally tough encounters. It can border on unfair at times, but the steady stream of progression and versatile combat ensures it remains satisfying. Ctrl Alt Ninja clearly demonstrates their development expertise with this finely tuned and tightly crafted adventure that’ll have you brainstorming turns for hours.

Othercide’s story is by no means bad, but when compared to everything else the game excels in, story delivery is where the game stumbles a bit. With solid gameplay, mechanics, and visuals, Othercide is a standout title this year in the turn-based strategy tactics and roguelike genre.