Perhaps the most attractive thing about Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is its price. For thirty dollars, the game offers a ten-to-twelve-hour campaign that plays like a slightly less cinematic version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s legendary Chernobyl missions.

Shadows Of The Damned: Hella Remastered is a nice throwback to an era that feels more distant every day, and it still holds up as an adventure that you want to go over from beginning to end in a single sitting. Unfortunately, the remaster ends up being undercooked, with some lacking features and issues that prevent it from being a better package.

At the end of the day, taking inspiration from other well-known games is not enough for Atlas Fallen to stand on its own feet, and while the game is aesthetically pleasing and the combat has enormous potential, the experience as a whole is immediately forgettable as soon as you close it.

Don’t Stop, Girlypop will not be for everyone, but far too many games are seemingly made for everyone these days and lack a sense of personality and flavour. Don’t Stop, Girlypop certainly doesn’t lack for that, and is all the better for it. A great shooter with a lot of flair, I wish it followed its own ‘don’t stop moving!’ tagline a little more consistently, but it’s still a fantastic experience. A glitter-soaked, midnight raving, psychedelic pink fantastic experience that could be the shake up the shooter genre needs.

Some innovation or an interesting take on combat, or something more meaningful in the progression of a character with Sparklite as a resource would have helped, but as it stands both are rather bland. It is a shame because, in terms of design, the art and level themes are lovely, but the gameplay looks and feels predictable. Sparklite is certainly a good game, but not great.

Lego Horizon Adventures is a good game, but it’s about as shallow as a video game can be, and sometimes even less. It’s a shame for both fans of Lego and Horizon, as this is one I thought could be a big step for new Lego games based on more iconic IPs. It would feel much more worthwhile at a lower price tag, and though there are still plenty of reasons to enjoy the experience, it could have been so much more. As is the case with Horizon’s history, Lego Horizon Adventures is just… whelming, at best.

While Under The Waves has good intentions and well-thought-out ideas, it’s a disappointment. There are moments when it's beautiful and charming, striking you with its own visual style and excellent music and asking you to swim more miles to see what you can find. But this effect can’t stand on its own for long, and the result is an experience filled with the dumps and vices that it tries to fight against.

I was really hoping to be wowed by Maquette, but my time spent with it was not the magical, romantic experience I was hoping for. The bugs, overall wonkiness, and lame puzzle design annoyed me to no end. Especially when it would punish me by making me start a chapter over because it had broken itself. As a result, my already low tolerance of the love story between Michael and Kenzie grew to the point where I couldn't stand the couple. I would actively cheer when things went wrong because I didn't like them. The game seemingly wants you to feel like their relationship is one for the ages, but it just felt like a couple who had issues after the honeymoon period was over. It's a tale as old as time, but not one worth basing a game on.

EarthNight is a little gem. Auto-runners and endless runners do not have the greatest reputation, but this title paints an exciting future for them. It's not perfect, in part due to the (at times) tedious arcade system and technically short length for the price. Still, the outstanding painted visuals, wonderful chiptune soundtrack, and altogether great use of automatic running makes EarthNight worth checking out.

It’s still a serviceable enough story to keep you invested until the credits roll though, and while some twists and turns may not be as impactful as you’d like them to be, Flintlock is still definitely worth playing for its combat and focus on exploration. I had a blast, and while it’s not as polished as other soulslikes, it deserves to sit up there with the likes of Nioh and Lies of P as valiant attempts that just fall short of FromSoftware’s masterpieces.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York does an excellent job of introducing new gamers to the World of Darkness. Players who have waited fifteen years for a new Vampire: The Masquerade game will feel right at home.

Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is undeniably engrossing and though it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a modern game, it manages to hold its own due to its sheer charm and enjoyable gameplay. Even if you’re not completely biased because of childhood nostalgia like me, if you love collecting, raising, and battling with monsters, you’ll be hooked from your very first shrine summon.

Although I would have liked for that Zen to have come into play way earlier than it did, once everything clicked, Absolute Drift became worth picking up for a quick race whenever I have a spare moment. Just don’t expect to reach that level of driving skill quickly… if at all.

Worms Rumble is great. It’s fun and as hilarious as ever, whether it be from an over-the-top-kill or the witty banter from the Worms themselves. I worry that the steep learning curve may turn some players off, but if you’re able to stick with it, you’ll have a ton of fun in the latest game from a longstanding franchise that keeps on delivering.

With some godly patchwork, Gods Will Fall could reach new heights. As it stands, though, it falls long before its eponymous gods ever truly have a chance to.

The Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered collection is the easiest way to play these games, even if only one is worth playing. I’m still not sure retrofitting Chronicles and Angel of Darkness into what feels like a tight, connected quadrilogy makes sense, but Aspyr has made experiencing The Last Revelation on modern hardware so much more intuitive, while also preserving the very dominoes that led to Core Design losing the keys to the kingdom. This is Tomb Raider’s legacy, warts and all.

While the slow-paced nature of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey was a bit too much of a slog for me, there are plenty of players who will be up to the challenge. An effective ‘Human Simulator,” the ambition of the game is seen in its graphics, audio, and overall immersive long-haul gameplay. Just be prepared to put in the time. After all, evolution didn’t happen overnight.

This would be an easy recommendation if not for a lack of directions, some technical foibles, and several cases of unintentional, rage-inducing frustration. But if you can look past those problems, 7th Sector is a solid puzzle-platformer that will draw you into its horrifying, yet mesmerizing futuristic dystopia.

Tower of Babel - No Mercy is a light-hearted game that is easy to pick up and play for pretty much anyone, while getting good is a bit trickier.

Radical Rabbit Stew is a good time throughout its short run, but its level design and gameplay leave a bit to be desired. It still shines with its progression, art style, and music, and can be a welcome play for those missing the classic arcade games it's inspired by.

Whatever you think of Journey To Batuu, it's the very first pack that you can truly just skip over if it isn't your thing. Batuu is entirely separate and you can only edit Oga's Cantina and the First Order supply building as well as the Resistance bunker and a small part of the camp outside. The build items are useful, but fit a very specific aesthetic many people may not like and the clothing options are the same. If you choose to pass on this one, you truly won't be missing out in terms of the wider game, which is a huge plus for a pack that's so unique and specific.

A stealth game above all else, Disjunction is a fun journey through a dystopian world. Its head-to-head combat woes can be generally overlooked because stealth is such a major component. It’s clear that Ape Tribe Games put a lot of effort into building up the game’s cyberpunk setting, successfully making Disjunction a game that needs to be played by fans of the genre, or even OG Metal Gear Solid fans.

Process of Elimination never hits the highs of Danganronpa’s zany cast, intense trials, or attention-grabbing set pieces, but it does come close. With a brilliant cast to carry the story, clever sleuthing, and enough twists to keep you going, this is a game any wannabe detective should consider.

Ultimately, while Howl doesn’t do anything new or groundbreaking, it’s a solid indie title that knows what it wants to be. Its aesthetics and challenge make it a compelling experience, especially for players looking for something to work into their daily puzzle rotations - a crossword or Wordle for fantasy fans.

Regardless of what you specifically look for in a cosy game, there’s a little something for everyone here. Even with my nitpicks, I’m unlikely to forget the stories I pieced together to tell Tabitha’s life story anytime soon.

Scorn is a hard game to pin down, but it’s one I can’t help but recommend. It’s disgustingly alluring in its visual execution, with each new location bringing with it a waterfall of questions as you poke, prod, and cower at every discovery. This ambition of being artsy and cryptic can hold it back at points, but there’s something fiercely admirable in its artistic vision that few games in the genre are able to match. This is a tragic horror of Lovecraftian proportions, and one that really must be seen to be believed.

Code Vein 2 isn’t breaking new ground in most of its conventions nor will it become the new face of Soulslikes. But it has its own unique ideas that are fully realised, letting it stand out against its contemporaries in the genre, while surprisingly strong characters help blend the gameplay and narrative together. If you have the appetite for it, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

There is no other way to explain it other than an all-encompassing “One more iron ore, one more dungeon run.” I’m a sucker for it. I can’t help it. I am continually swept away by the tide of grinding, progression, experience bars, little chats here and there with strangers, battles over iron ore, faction skirmishers, putting a new stove in my house, and finally hitting level 60. I am a sailor slumped on a beach huffing on a bright pink flower. My flatmate says, bleary-eyed, “Go to bed. It’s daytime outside and those trees aren’t real.”