It turns out that Metamorphosis is a wonderful little adventure game that has you exploring a world you know but from an unknown perspective. It’s just a solid game about being a bug and how strange that is. You get to solve puzzles, climb walls, and try not to get squished a few times as well.

It’s a lot of fun with friends, but it lacks something in single-player. I definitely recommend picking this up if you’re looking for something new to play in co-op or if you want to try out the survival genre in general. However, it lacks some of the satisfaction of other games in the genre. That being said, the monkey system is incredibly cool and the game is almost worth playing for that alone.

Chaosbane nonetheless achieves what it sets out to do as an ARPG, and there’s still every chance the game will expand into some more fascinating areas of the Old World and its characters. I can’t shake the feeling that this could have been a lot bigger deal if it was released five years ago or more, but as they say, better late than never. No doubt, the world’s of Warhammer will continue to entertain us with their ever encroaching foray into the realm of video games. For now, there’s something comforting in the fact that the Old World, albeit destroyed in the fires of apocalypse in the ever-expanding lore, will forever be immortalised in the digital world.

The story is of an archaeologist stranding on an alien planet who must… solve puzzles to escape? Plot and writing are not Q.U.B.E. 2’s strong points, lying deep in Portal’s shadow, but on gameplay terms this stands alone as a very gratifying experience that comes recommended.

It’s well priced and a thrill ride from start to finish, including fully working apps and different live-action endings to uncover. Although a little predictable in places, and maybe a tad preachy, it gets the job done and will probably make you flush your phone away.

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.

This is an exceptionally hard game to review and score. You almost have to compare it to the originals, as they’re direct, stated ripoffs. It’s obvious though that this was a piece of satire in video game form aimed at, seemingly, themselves. In that sense, it achieves what it set out to as a game and should serve as a welcome piece of obscure entertainment to fans of Devolver’s games.

I’ll admit that I found Overland difficult and that it was designed to be like that, but more than that I felt it was limiting. There were some nice touches – every time you kill a monster, you attract more, which makes strategy more important than hacking and slashing – but without a sense of purpose or defiance when I overcame my challenges, it was hard to keep going back to it.

Adding insult to injury is the somewhat uncooperative camera and the din of discordant sound effects every time you try to make an illegal move (hint: frequently). While those with a penchant for the punishing should check out Kine, less adept puzzlers may wish to stay away.

There’s no way to continue the relationships you’ve established, or even simply resume a passenger’s storyline, which can sometimes be quite lengthy. It seems like a baffling way to structure a game about talking to people, getting involved in their lives, and developing your character along the way. It’s especially disappointing because the writing is sharp and versatile – capable of being tense, dark, funny, or absurd – and the well-rounded cast of characters are a joy to uncover. Because of this and the poorly fleshed out investigative mechanics, Night Call feels like a mere shadow of its potential.

I’ve enjoyed my time playing Stela, and I don’t doubt that I’ll talk about it in the same breath as the Oddworld games or Heart of Darkness when going forward. While it lacks in the story department, and the PC version could do with and some texture work, it doubles-down in atmosphere and pacing. This is a stellar cinematic platformer which made me reminisce about the sub-genres’ early days. It’s undeniably not for everybody; people will be deterred by its numbing tension or willingness to kill, but it’s definitely one for those who enjoy environmentally pleasing puzzlers and don’t mind their games a smidge macabre.

It is what it is – an effective and stupidly addictive spider-killing and house-smashing game. There is, quite honestly, nothing more to say other than… kill it with fire.

The five campaigns give over 20 hours of content to the competent. If it is too challenging for you then there are sliders to alter enemy density/difficulty, starting fuel and starting ammo. The character skill trees are all unique. Finally, the music is amazing and sounds straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. All of my initial complaints about Pathway disappeared as I continued playing, and my only real concern now is that they might not make more campaigns or characters to add to the game.

For the most part the combat is decent, allowing you to dash around and fire with the reticle. Although, sometimes the aim can be a bit loose and an immediate, unnecessary difficulty jump does little to quell the issue. If you want a fun roguelite, though, look no further (once you get through that long list, that is.)

Down in Bermuda doesn’t overstay its welcome and took me just over three hours to complete. It shows off some interesting concepts and provides ample opportunities for players to feel that rush of solving thorny riddles along a challenging but fair difficulty curve. The art style paints a vibrantly colourful and distinct world, and the story never reaches beyond its grasp. There are more high points than quibbles in this game, and if you, too, love seeing a box expand into a ridiculous system of buttons, pulleys and rotating mosaics, Down in Bermuda is worth the price of a slice.

The Plane Effect is a fine and even beautiful mechanical object, but it doesn’t quite have a soul. It is a shame perhaps, because with a bit less open space, without the spectres who are never quite made substantial, I think that the automaton might have been enough, regardless of whether or not there was a ghost in the machine.

If you’re itching for a character-focused story set against the grime and rot of cyberpunk dystopia, Rain of Reflections checks all the boxes. It’s a bit of a rough introduction, but I’m hopeful Lionbite can sand down the edges for Chapter 2.

Overall, Astria Ascending feels like a missed opportunity. Despite these issues, the game does right by its art direction and world-building, but the fundamental gameplay drags the whole experience down towards mundanity. Having to wait for the seven enemies in front of you to status lock you to death isn’t challenging and engaging combat; it’s tedious. Jumping through dungeons hoping to find a doorway that leads to the next area isn’t interesting trial-and-error exploration; it’s dreadful. In the JRPG marketplace that’s filled with all sorts of storytelling quirks and eccentricities, tedium is simply no longer acceptable.

When you perform an inaccurate jump and fall to the void, you won’t be terminated until you reach the bottom, which means you can be free-falling for about ten seconds before the round concludes. However, these problems are secondary to the mixed, complicated emotions I experienced–from the pure joy and satisfaction when finishing a challenging area, to more complex and bitter thoughts about our humanity–and our efforts to be better. Hypervisor provokes conversations not only about our daily dependence on technology, our increasing levels of anxiety around it, or the isolation bubbles created through social media, but how our imminent future could be made even worse. Hopefully, we can change this trajectory before it’s too late–if it isn’t already too late.

There is pain and fear in the stories you hear, there is hope and yet a sense of overwhelming loss. There is jumping across the moon and zipping through space, but also a sombre reflection on our capabilities and inevitable corruption. Although it would have benefited from streamlining its approach and deciding on its priorities at times, Deliver Us The Moon is a game worth playing, worth keeping an eye on in the wake of any new updates, and is an experience to be savored.

Creating a game about making a home on foreign land was never going to be easy, and JETT had boldly sought to subvert the themes of colonialism that are so inherent to tales like these. But upon putting down the controller, I mostly felt let down by how little it had to say on the subject. While it touches on other topics, such as the terrifyingly big expanse of space, versus our miniscule existence in the greater scheme of things, these weren’t enough to make up for its flaws. In the end, I just wish JETT had the confidence to pursue what I know it wants to be: to subvert expectations on the well-trodden ground of survival stories.

The Occupation is one of the most elaborately designed games I’ve played in years, delivering heaps of atmosphere and enthralling puzzle-solving and exploration. The ambition here is palpable. Unfortunately, there are just too many moving parts at work, and they seemingly got the better of the small but clearly passionate team at White Paper Games. In time, I’d like to believe, The Occupation will be amazing. But I can’t, in good faith, recommend it in its current state.

It’s clear that Tomas Sala has put a lot of effort into bringing us The Falconeer and it’s an absolutely applaudable effort. Boasting some impressive artistic direction, smooth performance, and enjoyable open-world exploration, it comes packed within an intriguing story that left me wanting to know more. It isn’t perfect though, and there are certainly flaws within the combat system, but ultimately, if you’re a fan of aerial combat that’s looking for something different, this is one game which comes recommended.

As you progress, you’ll earn new mutations and abilities, some of which are hilariously weird (like suddenly have a spitting cobra head with a really long neck). The downside is the unforgiving permadeath rogue-like nature of the game. Progress can become frustrating when you suddenly die and lose all your mutations and have to start again. If you can take the difficulty, though, there’s a lot of great personality and fun to be had.

Fledgling Heroes is a game you can play with one thumb – perfect for bus journeys, but too simplistic to play at home. Yet it’s impressively Nintendo-like in its design, taking one concept and creating near endless variation. It’s a polished experience that makes for a flap-tastic diversion.

In my 24-hour playthrough to the end of Shattered something came up that I have not experienced in any other souls like. I met a trader that traded in items I never saw or found. I also picked up multiple items that I found no purpose for, despite retracing steps to try and understand why they existed. These may be legacy concepts, gone on the full release. But it was interesting and added a level of bizarre mystique that left me to retravel the game’s path once I had seen an ending, in search of something more. And that appeal to go back despite the games flaws says something more than I can put into words.

Pecaminosa isn’t here to break boundaries, but it should still please fans of noir fiction who enjoy sleuthing around in the pitch darkness of a debauched city.

Tunche best serves fans and friends of dishing knuckle sandwiches together, but doesn’t synchronise its genre mashups in a way that elevates it above the many RPG-tinted beat ‘em ups stomping around out there.