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.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not difficult. If you fail a few times in a row, it even asks if you’d like to skip that section. But it rarely feels like you’re properly in control. I can’t help but think that rhythm game mechanics would have worked better – particularly considering the musical essence of the game.

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.

Had it been stripped away of some of its convoluted system, and instead focused on one or two features and story beats to go alongside its high level of polish and presentation, Unsighted would be a GOTY contender. But in trying desperately to be everything, Unsighted loses sight of the aspects that make it unique in an ever-expanding marketplace of retro-inspired Mentroidvanias. As a result, it’s an enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable experience.

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.

Hypnospace Outlaw’s imitation of technology from days of yore is commendable, along with capturing the fallible, human ways we interacted with it. Although it may not be the most well-structured experience and is guilty of running its own well of novelty dry, it offers a mostly delightful few hours of misty-eyed laughs and surprises.

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.

I can easily recommend this game — it’s enjoyable, attractive, and fleshed out. I do think having to wait around fifteen hours for an emotional hook might be pushing it (especially if, like me, you love story and character), but again, this could change as you push into your sixteenth hour and beyond.

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.

The story makes the whole experience rich, and although it’s Unknown World’s first stab at fully acted and voiced cutscenes, the characters are well written, and voiced with nuance and warmth. It doesn’t add anything revelatory to the world of Subnautica, but there is still a sense of accepting the past, of moving forward—fitting for a game about exploring areas and mining material to build and survive, but with little incentive to return to them once they have outlived their usefulness.

Blake: The Visual Novel was a promising debut from Ori Mees; Blake made me laugh a few times, and stressed me out over making the right decisions at other points. I felt compelled to read it through to the end, which is more than I can say for other visual novels I’ve muddled through recently. Even though Blake definitely displays the tell-tale, first-project symptom of doing too much in too little time, it has definitely convinced me to keep an eye on the developer’s future projects.