It’s a fun game with some incredibly deep managements options to consider, and it’s the kind of thing that sim nerds are going to love. You’ll find yourself committing to a loop of “just one more bit” and easily lose hours to Mars Horizon if you’re not careful. It also feels fairly educational thanks to the partnership with the European Space Agency. I don’t think I can be an astronaut yet, but with a few more hours in the game maybe I can manage it.

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.

Simply playing through all four of Macro’s new levels probably takes just a single brief sitting, but doing everything in them took me around four hours. The middle two levels are probably more complex and multi-layered than anything in the base game. This DLC’s additions successfully round out and elevate the core gameplay and themes.

Overall, Project Wingman, or dare I say Ace Combat 8: Oh no not more rockets should absolutely fill the boots of those who have been looking for an arcade aerial combat game. Specifically of the Ace Combat genre.

In all, I’d say this game is a fantastic showing for what is essentially a solo project. I think after the Herculean effort that was Stardew Valley, we tend to expect a lot from solo games. This isn’t as full-featured as some games; it’s also not as long. It occasionally doesn’t go far enough in some of its endeavours, which is perfectly understandable given the scope. The criticisms feel more like missed opportunities than outright bad choices, but that is to be expected with a game of this magnitude. It shines in some areas; it’s RPG elements are a particular highlight. Where it doesn’t shine, it’s not bad per se, more just a little lacklustre. It’s a perfectly fine game to sink some hours into, easy to get into, easy to stay attached to.

Star Renegades is a decent effort from Massive Damage Inc overall. Presenting a highly layered combat system with an interesting premise, there’s a good strategy RPG game at the core, but it struggles to ever thrill you. Though there is considerable overlap between playthroughs, it offers a good degree of replayability thanks to the roguelite mechanics. If you’ve been looking for a different kind of strategy game, this might be the one to fill that niche.

If you have missed flinging innocent people across shaky bridges for dubious reasons, this addition to the Bridge Constructor series is well worth the entry price with a lot of fun puzzles to be completed. However it doesn’t feel as good as its predecessors, and if you are yet to play those, perhaps try Bridge Constructor Portal first to see how you get on. If you are a Walking Dead enthusiast, this probably isn’t for you, despite the guise it hides under. It really makes you feel like Spider-Man if Spider-Man were a slowly decaying husk of Norman Reedus with a crossbow.

In its quest to remove everything that ties it to the bigger games it emulates, The Pathless does lose something in the process. Purifying spirits feels slightly too brief, with their spectacle being overshadowed by the simplicity with which they are dispatched, and the automatic nature of arrow trajectory during puzzles can often make them feel little more than perfunctory at their worst. Nevertheless, The Pathless still excels in spite of these failings, simply because it attempts to tackle the homogenous open-world design in a novel way. Its use of scale imbues the experience with all the grandiosity of a 60-hour title, but the lack of friction and purity of vision means that it accomplishes its epic conflict in a tenth of the time and in doing so manages to leave a real impact.

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.

Bugsnax is a fascinating game that delights and perplex you at every given chance. It is, in this frankly astonishingly bad year, a breath of fresh air and whimsy that should help you feel a bit normal. Only in its utter absurdity have I manage to find the escapism and joy I need at the moment, and the mix of entertaining writing, brilliant premise, and wonderful gameplay are enough to keep everyone feasting for a long time to come. Everyone’s talking about Bugsnax, and it’s only right that that’s the case.

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.

Floor 13: Deep State makes for an interesting espionage premise. By making you Director-General, it becomes the Football Manager of spy games, putting you in M’s shoes rather than James Bond. Though it raises some reflections on modern politics, a lot of scandals are based on dated incidents and whilst there’s strategic depth to the gameplay, that’s ultimately hampered by poor mission structure. If you enjoyed the original Floor 13, then Deep State is worth looking into, but otherwise, it’s a cautious recommendation.

It can feel a little simplistic at times, but overall it’s quite good fun. The graphics are nice and you’ll find yourself settling into a favourite role in no time at all. It’s still got a few bugs, but it’s Early Access, so we’re expecting those to get stomped on at some point.

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.

I Am Dead is an incredibly cute little puzzle game where you get to go around an island you once lived on in order to try and prevent a volcano from erupting and destroying your home. Of course, you’re dead, but you’ll get to do all of this alongside the ghost of your dog Sparky. It’s cute, and the puzzles in the game are simple enough to not cause frustrating while still providing a satisfying challenge overall. This is definitely one to pick up if you’re hankering for something a bit different.

It’s fun and incredibly frantic and each game presents its own challenge. It’s also cute as a cupcake and sure to be a hit with those who have children who game or just anybody that likes cute things in general. While you might be disappointed if you go in hoping for a deep and meaningful experience, those who just want to have a good time will be more than satisfied.

While there is some good gameplay to be found in Foregone, you’ll spend a lot of your playtime with it wishing you were playing some of the inspirations it appears to be pulling from. That’s a real shame, because there are some highlights in Foregones playtime, but they don’t stand out enough for me to properly recommend it to anybody.

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.

With its numerous glitches and flaws, Broken Porcelain instead becomes a superfluity of horror game tropes; its cheap jump scares, laboured stealth encounters, and confusing plot now an unfortunate fixture of what used to be a promising survival horror series.

The game is not forgiving, but if you are in the market for an environmental puzzler and enjoy splashing limbs every which way, then it may just be for you. It really makes you feel like Spider-Man if spiderman was a cybernetic murderninja set on saving the last vestiges of humanity from the ravage of poor architectural design.

These criticisms may be a personal taste thing (tough, I’m the reviewer), but genuinely, if you’re looking for a small puzzle-box game like The Room or GNOG, this might tick a few boxes. It will satisfy in much the same way as a Rubik’s cube or a wooden puzzle does but somehow manages to be a bit more obnoxious. Younger players especially may see the value in this, and it certainly has a place, just don’t expect to find yourself moved and bereft afterwards – you’ll probably just want to make a cup of tea and get on with your day.

It’s a shame that the combat is so messy, and that bugs and poor mission balance and visual communication obfuscate your ability to interact with a core mechanic that feels fairly novel. The inspired visuals of drones crashing around like droplets of water in a roiling ocean are at least fun for a while, but there’s little here to hold your interest in the long term.

It’s a neat, ambitious game that teases us with the silhouette of a rich, engaging mythology and the role of digital exorcisms in this particular world. Its stellar voice cast carries much of the game’s narrative momentum on their shoulders, especially Alex Grossman and Miguel Doucet, who play Brother Gideon. But even with all its ambition and aesthetics, Lucifer’s gameplay and narrative could have been refined into a leaner, meaner experience befitting its daemonic themes.

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.

Ring of Pain understands what enamours roguelike fans to a new arrangement of rules and challenges. The focus on lateral movement and strategic interaction forced me to think ahead as I fought my way through a world full of beautiful and haunting creature designs. But an over-reliance on chance and an underdeveloped world cut the legs out from underneath all that polish and initial charm. Those hungry for something different will love the first taste, but I’m just not sure it will convince you to come back for a second helping.

If you’re not averse to a bit of grinding, there’s plenty of fun to be eked out of Space Crew’s enjoyable core gameplay loop. Its main flaw remains the somewhat lacklustre beginning.

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.

Beatable within two hours but offering good replayability, The Solitaire Conspiracy is a short but sweet experience. Featuring some strong visual aesthetics, an engaging narrative and enjoyable gameplay, this bite-sized title proves particularly entertaining and left me wanting more. Though limited by the smaller scope, it marks another winner by Mike Bithell, making this one conspiracy we recommend investigating.