While there are key, timed decisions you’ll make at pivotal points, most of the game’s interactive moments are perfunctory, mostly getting you to mimic Erica’s movements—be it turning the knob of a door or unbuckling a hefty briefcase. What this interactive thriller excels in, however, is its ability to keep you in perpetual suspense. It drives a compelling narrative for sure, but it also begs the question why it needs to be presented as a game to do so.

Minecraft Dungeons is a lot of fun, but it’s a little lacking in depth, and it’s rather short to boot. It’s almost exactly what you’d expect from a game looking to fuse the cute world of Minecraft with the gameplay of Diablo, but it sadly never really reaches the potential of either. As I said though, it is good fun. It is replayable too, but it’s hard to really commit to doing so unless you’re helping along someone who is less familiar with games, say a younger sibling or your own kids. This puts it in an important bracket of gaming, where its perfect as an introduction to the genre, but it’s not going to offer much more than a distraction for anyone used to ARPGs.

A fairly tight and enjoyable sim. The campaign scenarios introduce you to all of its systems very gradually, and there’s plenty of freedom to customise your aquariums exactly how you please – even if they’re arguably not as interesting to build and look at as theme parks and cities. But each to their own.

I have a couple of minor gripes, including iffy collision detection with pickups and irritating vocal sound effects. But otherwise, despite it not exactly breaking any new ground, Yuri is a chilled, atmospheric platformer worth a look.

I love a good pun, and Flailure is definitely a good pun. It’s also a pretty good game. It’s got some silly mechanics, ragdoll physics, and cute animals all fighting it out to try and come out on top. There’s a wonderful level of chaos to the way each match plays out, and while it’s not always complex, there’s no denying how much fun beating your friends is. It’s definitely more a game for younger gamers, but there’s fun to be had here no matter what age you are.

Following the breakout success of Beat Saber, Harmonix are no longer the trendsetters in rhythm games. Audica clearly takes influence from the popular VR note-slasher while differentiating itself with shooting mechanics. Unfortunately, said mechanics don’t fit quite as well into the rhythm format. But a chunky setlist makes Audica worth checking out when you tire of its mêlée-focused rival.

Generation Zero is more or less what I expected from a big game studio doing its own indie project – a rough-but-unique mix of open-world game features. I love that it asks players to actually pay attention to its world instead of keeping them distracted with constant waypoint markers. And the tactical combat system really works, hitting an interesting middle ground between mainstream and hardcore.

Rune Factory 4 Special has so many layers to it that you can’t help but be fascinated by its charm. The town has a tight-knit feel to it, where each character has a unique, delightful personality. The variety in your side quests and the depth of each system can enthral you for hours. And while its combat is perfectly flawed, it’s a decent change to the life sim formula that other games haven’t quite nailed.

It’s clear The Sinking City tries to punch its weight with triple-A’s but overstretches itself. The fundamental lack of polish is problematic in light of its blockbuster RRP. But if nothing else, I feel it has the makings of a new cult classic.

Tesla Force is a solid twin-stick shooter that has you fighting through a deeply messed-up world paying as historical characters. Gameplay-wise it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect. There are lots of enemies, absurd weapons, and a lot of fun to be had. There’s fun to be had here for fans of the genre, but it doesn’t do enough to entice anybody who wouldn’t already be interested.

Neurodeck is a fascinating card game that explores an often ignored aspect of gaming – our psyche, and in an interesting and fun manner. I would have liked to see more of a storyline as opposed to the raw card game, and phobias would have been more interesting if linked to personal character emotions, but overall the game is fun, well thought out and unique. Deal with that how you like, but cards on the table, the game is aces. (It isn’t; it’s pretty good. But who can resist a good card pun?)

Even if SuperEpic isn’t the most coherent game, the whole package still works well. With so many different challenges, puzzles and secrets to discover, it’s a worthy evolution of the Metroidvania formula. Using your smartphone is a clever addition, provided you want to use it, while the exploration and combat feels fluid and responsive to where you’re itching to see what awaits you in the next room.

Overall, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is a good fighting game, one that should help any interested players into the world of In-Birth, and maybe even bring back a few lost fans. That being said, it’s also effectively a remaster with a couple of small updates, so it stings a little to see it out in the world as a brand-new game. This is a great pick up if you’ve never played the series, but a far harder sell if you’re a long term fan who has bought every entry in the series so far, though you’ve probably already bought your copy if that’s the case.

Bombfest is a decent, well-presented, local multiplayer game which will sit well in circuit alongside the likes of Samurai Gunn, Super Treasure Adventure and Gang Beasts. Its greatest lack is content, which massively reduces the session time of the game when others are available.

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.

A game like this may have taken you a few weeks to grasp and explore in the ‘80s but faced with a modern society that deeply understands video games, it might only last a few hours. But, for those few hours, you’ll be whisked back in time to experience the origins of the modern platformer and better understand why the genre still exists today.

Dark humour is used liberally throughout Little Misfortune’s exploration of bleak themes. Half of the time, you don’t know whether to laugh or recoil in horror. Either way, it’s easy to become absorbed in the plight of our little heroine. It’s pretty short for the price of admission and arguably a little too much of a cinch to play, but a loveably weird tale all the same.

As a platformer, Scarf doesn’t particularly break new ground, and veterans of the genre will hardly pause for thought when solving its puzzles. That makes it liable to be written off as ‘just another platformer‘, which is a real shame. A full playthrough of the game can be comfortably achieved in one sitting, and the valuable message that lies at the heart of its narrative is more than worth taking the time. Scarf isn’t designed to challenge or frustrate, but provides the player with the satisfaction of puzzle-solving and a gently introspective allegorical tale.

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.

Ikenfell’s pure heart won me over. The end of the epilogue alone made my gay little heart melt. I cared an embarrassing amount for the characters the game introduced me to, and the ways in which their interactions are examined is a high point of the game for me. Its sheer empathy, inclusive nature, and amazing soundtrack all make for an engrossing experience, especially if you’re queer and not used to seeing yourself represented in a respectful way. Just make sure that you fight more battles than I did along the way, else you might end up having a bad time by the conclusion.

FRACTER is a brief puzzle adventure that doesn’t break the mould. But it’s a well-accomplished port worth checking out at its low asking price.

While the actual setting and storyline could do with a bit of colour (particularly the characters), if you want a decent strategy game to fill the emptiness between Christmas and New Years, Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows may be the thing for you.

Unforgivable lack of exploding barrels aside, Super Treasure Arena is a fun little multiplayer game. While the lack of actual online play (on the Switch, anyway), game modes, and levels is a definite problem, Arena counters its shortcomings quite a bit simply by being cheaply priced. For a quick old-school multiplayer fix, it’s a safe bet.

Maneater may not be as enthralling as the Nelly Furtado song, but it’ll certainly make you work hard and make you want all her love because the game’s snarky personality does make you want to continue playing all the same. I’d personally wait until it goes on sale, but whenever you do purchase Maneater, I’m certain you’ll have a whale of a time.

While its level design is overly repetitious in both look and feel, Songbird Symphony still has plenty to be delighted about. A sweet story, fun musical stages and captivating animation make this avian adventure worth taking under your wing.

While there’s certainly room for improvement in Override, the game is undeniably fun in an old-school arcade way. It’s not as fast and fluid as classics like Sega’s Virtua On!, but the premise is excellent, the character designs are gorgeous, and the action is addicting.

Below has simple but satisfying combat, is easy on the eyes and ears, and the crafting system is fun once you get to grips with it. The trouble is, unlike other recent roguelike games, it doesn’t value fun above frustration and actively punishes you for slip-ups. Despite this, it’s a compelling experience, just not necessarily a fun one.

Hyper Jam is a great game, but it’s a shame that more creative game modes aren’t included here. The one mode that is included is quite robust, but it’s almost as if Bit Dragon put all their eggs into one basket. I can’t wait to play Hyper Jam at our next game night, but there’s perhaps not enough here to keep me coming back beyond that.