Once you get going, it’s hard to put Grow down. Animal Crossing tends to have a firm cut off point each day where you know you’re best leaving it until the island replenishes, but in Grow, you can sleep and keep going. It’s therapeutic in a way that even its inspirations aren’t. Often games like this can get overwhelming fast as new features pile on. Grow doesn’t - it’s simple and to the point, so that relaxing sensation never wanes.

This is an excellent showcase of what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so beloved, and as a fan, I’m so happy to see the turtles finally get the kinds of games they deserve.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando focuses on delivering a very specific pleasure. Four buddies, a towering horde of undead, and a soundtrack that sounds like it escaped from something covered in dust in your basement. It identifies that particular itch perfectly, and it leans into it with a sense of gleeful, gory enthusiasm.

Microsoft Flight Simulator deserves to be played - but it shouldn't be considered essential. It's a unique experience, one that won't capture everyone in the same way, but you really do owe it to yourself to find your house, your partner's, your parent's, your favourite holiday destination, and just fly over. The world looks very different from thousands of feet in the air, and for now, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the only way I can get that irresistible point of view.

The Outer Worlds 2 shows that Obsidian won’t be left behind as other great RPGs launch to critical success, and that the developer needs to play to its strengths. I only hope that it learns to take itself more seriously, because the setting is brimming with potential that is yet to be realised.

Even if it can be a little too easy and was over far before I’d have liked, Gunbrella’s incredible movement options, surprisingly intriguing mystery, and punchy gunfights quickly made it one of my favourite indies in recent memory and a universe I’d love to see more of in the future. Just remember, there’s a 100 percent chance of blood raining from the sky, so you better bring a brolly.

The endgame hides a few new stages and some cool minigames, but you are more or less dropped onto the map and asked to scour the place for everything you missed. I’m excited about playing with friends and family to snoop out the remaining paths that alluded me, and it feels like a game of this ilk would really come alive as four friends are causing maximum chaos together. Alone, its whimsical spark is sadly only surface level, fading away much as the petals on a Wonder Flower wilt under Bowser’s influence. The magic is there, and very tangible in all the right places, Nintendo just needs to take a look at the foundations and reinvent them alongside this luscious new aesthetic. Do so, and we’d have a masterpiece.

Whether you’re just in it for the vibes or you’re a history nerd like me, Inkulinati offers plenty of replay value, especially once you’ve unlocked more Beasts and can really get to tinkering with builds. The visual style may be the star of the show, but underneath the farting donkey bards and dancing-plague skeletons is a competent, compelling roguelite that will keep you up well into the night like a monk copying a manuscript by candlelight.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a game that is full of charm and wit, with a world that is so fun that it makes you want to explore every corner of its colorful landscape. The combat system lets it down (outside of the boss battles), but it's more of a grind than a nuisance. Paper Mario: The Origami is a great game despite its flaws, and it's a return to form for the series.

I expected TMNT: Mutant Madness to be a relatively standard mobile gaming experience, but quickly found it to be so much more. It has admittedly sunk its teeth into me and has made its way into my phone-checking rotation: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TMNT: Mutant Madness, repeat. What’s more is that the game has even inspired me to re-download The Simpsons: Tapped Out. Tapped Out’s description of being “life-ruiningly fun” is something that I would also label TMNT: Mutant Madness as being, and that is absolutely a compliment.

Adios is the kind of contemplative experience that will stick with me for a long time. While I think Adios is a much better story than it is a game, I’m fully convinced this is a great proof of concept for bigger stories in the interactive theater genre. Adios could have been a one-dimensional story about a man who has nothing left to live for, but through a series of short, concise conversations, the game does an exceptional job of fleshing out this character, humanizing him, and giving meaning to his death. That’s a lot to do in just an hour, but Adios handles it beautifully.

The Casting of Frank Stone is among Supermassive’s best work yet, with one of its strongest casts, a story that emboldens Dead by Daylight’s world while standing on its own two feet, and so much thought and care behind every single interaction. Not only is Frank Stone its best since Until Dawn, it even surpasses that seminal modern classic.

Even with its short length and simple gameplay, Thank Goodness still stands as one of my favourite indie games in recent memory. Thank Goodness You're Here's consistently giggle-inducing jokes and wonderful visual humour are great, but its surprisingly authentic and heartfelt interpretation of England is what made me reyt chuffed wi’it.

Saving and uploading is easy and the system is simple to navigate. For a game so complex great care really has gone into making every aspect of it as easy as possible. Planet Coaster Console Edition will bring you as close to running a real theme park as you'll ever get without leaving the comfort of your sofa.

Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream is a bizarre delight with unlimited potential, but you must be willing to unearth that brilliance for yourself instead of expecting the game to guide you. It surrenders to repetition far sooner than I’d like, but the sheer amount of things you can make your Miis do, say, and the relationships they gradually develop are so wonderful that it’s easy to overlook some otherwise notable flaws. The more you put into this game, the more you’re going to get out of it. For me, it already feels like it has all the ingredients to become another cult classic masterpiece that will go down in history.

Technical limitations aside, Worms Rumble on Nintendo Switch is a solid addition to the eShop, which is surprisingly sparse in its collection of Worms titles – Worms W.M.D. being the only other title available digitally right now. The better Worms Rumble experience can be found on other platforms, but the Switch version is good enough for wherever you have just a few minutes to play or while traveling.

Right now, All-Star Brawl stands on its own two feet, not trying to be Smash Ultimate now that its DLC has dried up, but trying to show us a good ‘ol nostalgic time. It lulls you in with its lightning flash fights and accessible combat, keeping a grin on your face throughout...Basically, don’t come here because the recent Battle for Bikini Bottom remaster got you in the mood for some SpongeBob humour. Come here because you want to see SpongeBob beat the crap out of Nigel Thornberry, and find your own humour in that.

Split Fiction is Hazelight at the pinnacle of couch co-op. It tells a story all about the power of human imagination while throwing us into levels that keep you guessing right until the very end. There is still nothing like Split Fiction in the modern gaming landscape.

FIFA 22 is just like any other FIFA game. It’s a very, very good football game, and with NBA 2K taking its eyes off the prize in favour of the State Farm drip, it’s left with a tap-in to be 2021’s best sports sim. HyperMotion makes a difference, create-a-club adds some personality, and everything else is the same. What more were you expecting?

Legend of Mana is a competent port of an odd little game, which is honestly an achievement for Square Enix. The fun of the original is intact, and small quality of life additions help ease the grind of '90s JRPG design. Ring Ring Land doesn't add much, but it doesn't take away either. The Mana series has gotten a lot of love from both fans and Square Enix recently, and this Legend of Mana remaster keeps the brand growing strong.

The atmosphere, mystery, and overall feel of the game offer enough of a reason to see things through to the end, and, though it will primarily appeal to horror fans, Maid of Sker is definitely worth checking out.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a breath of fresh air. Its tireless commitment to its aesthetic, and enticing, varied gameplay make for a memorable experience. One that is as charming as it is enthralling. In an era where Capcom largely produces remakes and sequels, games like Kunitsu-Gami are more important than ever. Every inch of Kunitsu-Gami feels deliberate, and the passion of those who developed it bleeds through. Kunitsu-Gami is carving a path forward for Capcom, and at the end of that path is a more creative gaming landscape.

All of my little issues aside, this is the most excited I’ve been for a blockbuster shooter in a long, long time. I’ve had such a good time learning the maps, mastering weapons, and discovering quirks of Battlefield 6, and I can’t wait to see how the live-service model rolls out over the next few months.

New Pokemon Snap has issues when it comes to tedium between courses, arbitrary solutions, and boring, barely functional extra mechanics, but the courses and Pokemon are legitimately incredible. The Photodex is a marvel, multiplayer creates healthy competition for replayability , and just being able to inhabit Lental is a spectacle in and of itself. I’m not sure I’d recommend it to someone who can’t tell Bagon from Beldum, but if you’re a born and bred Pokemon fan, New Pokemon Snap could be your sleeper hit of the year.

Dotemu has created a nostalgic slice of competitive sporting excellence with Windjammers 2. It might only offer a handful of modes, but its wide roster of characters, tight controls, and admirable dedication to what came before it meant I was entranced the moment I picked up a disc and hurled it into the air. This is one of the finest local multiplayer games in recent memory that is easy to learn yet devilishly hard to master. It’s also very sexy.

Godfall solves most of the issues it had when it launched years ago, while also accidentally creating a few additional ones that can be a bummer for new players. This time, however, the game displays way more personality overall than its previous iteration, placing you in a more fleshed-out environment with dynamic and enjoyable gameplay, improving upon dull combat and a shallow story.

Bugs aside, it is an astoundingly well put together experience, balancing player choice, opportunities for chaos, deep introspection, and a thorough exploration of politics. That’s on top of the sordid and twisted murder at the narrative’s heart, too. I’m not necessarily a fan of all of the design choices - it’s often both too open ended and too restrictive - but I understand them all, and I wish it was less of an exception to the rule. I can’t fault its narrative, or even its design, despite my disagreements. If someone told me they consider it a perfect game, I wouldn’t have anything besides personal preference to come back at them. But with the fiddly game design likely to block off even more players than the already niche themes, I can’t help but wish a game so focused on socialism could have been more welcoming to the masses.

VALORANT is a good game. It isn't for everyone, catering to a competitive, esports-focused audience, but that doesn't mean it's off-putting or unwelcoming. Riot's attention to detail and commitment to quality shines through with VALORANT, so even if you run into a few bad apples – laugh it off and enjoy the thrill of the fight.