Gloomhaven is a solid version of the classic tabletop experience that offers turn-based combat, unique classes and abilities, and detailed quests.

So much of what The Vale does feels like a reinvention of the video game wheel, and not always out of simple necessity. I think the developers at Falling Squirrel are visionaries, and I can’t wait to see what they do next with everything they’ve learned about game design while making The Vale. This is a fully blind accessible game, but that doesn’t at all mean it's an experience only the visually impaired would enjoy. There’s nothing lesser or limited about The Vale. It’s a fully realized experience that could only work in an audio space, and I sincerely believe it's going to inspire a lot of people to reexamine their beliefs about what a game has to do or be. If this is the beginning of indie audio games, I can’t wait to see where the genre goes from here.

With the ability to style switch freely and a cooperative Bloody Palace, Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is undeniably the new definitive edition of the game and it's a must-buy for any diehard Dante fan.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is a return to form for a series that stumbled as it arrived on the Switch and barely steadied itself with Mario Party Superstars' greatest hits runout. Jamboree brings creative boards and a range of enjoyable minigames to the table, but overcooks the single-player stuff.

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.

Filament is a game with an amazing story and challenging puzzles. While the main puzzles can be somewhat frustrating at times, they provide a good challenge for players looking for some harder puzzles, and solving the hidden puzzles is one of the most satisfying gameplay experiences available. If Beard Envy were to make a walking simulator, it would be one of the best games in the genre. As it stands, Filament is a very good puzzle game.

Botany Manor doesn’t expect much from you – grow some weird little plants in your own time, no rush. But through this, it delivered one of the most relaxing afternoons I’ve enjoyed in a while, wandering the halls of this gorgeous Victorian manor solving puzzles, growing flowers, and helping a woman succeed in STEM.

While I may have been left a little wanting when it comes to what CrossWorlds doesn’t do, everything itdoesdo is tweaked to perfection. This latest generation proves that the Blue Blur is back in the big leagues, finally giving him the fantastic racing game he’s always deserved. With Sonic’s resurgence going strong, CrossWorlds is a well-earned victory lap.

I would highly recommend checking this out if you're looking for an original indie experience. I tend to criticize games when they make me run around in circles, but I'm more than willing to make an exception for Loop Hero.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a Dragon Age game like no other, and that alone will put some people off. But it brings with it the traditions of excellent character writing, strong world building through narrative quests, and offers the most exciting combat the series has ever seen. There is a stronger version of The Veilguard in here, one with more Solas and companion quests that find a more natural ending, but the one we’ve got is still a worthy successor to Dragon Age: Inquisition, and is a much needed return to form for BioWare.

With the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, we’ve reached a landmark point. Every Ace Attorney game is now A) available to play in English and B) playable on modern hardware. This is an exciting time to be a fan of silly yet complex, dramatic but comedic visual novels filled with anachronisms, legal ridiculousness, and cravats. That we reach this point thanks to Miles Edgeworth and the two fantastic games that bear his name is only fitting, as he’s always been a fan favourite. This duology makes a wonderful case for the life, longevity, and continuation of the series, and it’s not to be missed.

You can dig deeper and appreciate mechanics and ratings all you like, but for the first time in years I can boot this baby up with my friends and feel like a kid again. John Cena is all over this thing too, subverting his once polarising fan reputation to cement himself as the wrestling icon he is and always will be. The Champ is Here.

There aren’t many games I’ve been bursting to play. Skywalker Saga was a rare case, but that came with an added risk - not living up to the hype. It’s the first Lego Star Wars to bundle the films together since the Complete Saga and that’s a tall order, especially since it’s now nine films. Not just three trilogies, either, but all their worlds, their cities, and their landmarks. The old games had small hubs with Dexter’s Diner and Mos Eisley’s Cantina, but Skywalker Saga goes above and beyond to bring Star Wars’ galaxy to life. It lived up to the hype and shattered my expectations. Somehow, Lego Star Wars returned, and it returned with style.

If quality-of-life tweaks, shinier graphics, and modern access to the game is all that you were looking for, you should be pleased. It’s certainly good enough for me.

Burning Shores first seemed lackluster in comparison to previous expansions in the series. Frozen Wilds was a refreshing addition to Zero Dawn, and Forbidden West was an even bigger step up, so the slow start in treading familiar territory made me feel like Horizon had potentially lost its flame. I’m so glad to be proven wrong, as it still burns as bright as ever, and with a dauntless new character taking part in one of the most momentous fights we’ve ever seen Aloy face. After this, I’m even more excited to see where the story goes next.

Victoria 3 is a grand strategy game with perhaps too much depth and complexity for genre newbies, and genre veterans might find the simplified warfare a turn-off. That said, I am wholly invested. It’s the most sandboxy of the Paradox lineup so far and I’ve been enjoying my time with it immensely. It is gorgeous, impressive, and absolutely worth the time it takes to learn. Now onto my fourth playthrough. The World Welsh Order will rise, mark my words.

It’s a brilliant game, one that gets deeper the more you engage with it, both on a gameplay and a thematic level. It had all the ingredients to be one of 2020’s indie breakouts, and it baffles me that it passed so many people by. I hope the Switch release brings it to a wider audience.

Intermission is an excellent expansion for the world of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, introducing Yuffie Kisaragi and expanding upon her character and history in ways that simply weren’t possible in the 1997 original. She absolutely steals the show here, bolstered up by a selection of compelling newcomers and a continuation of the main narrative that teases a tantalisingly exciting future for this ambitious project. I’m unsure when we will next see something from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but if it’s anything like this - we’re in for a treat.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 doesn’t reinvent the park-building formula, nor does it step leaps and bounds beyond the prior games, but it refines it in meaningful ways. It’s smarter, more visually polished, and management systems are both deep and flexible. Small rough edges, repetitive moments, and occasional AI frustrations keep it from perfection, but there’s a lot here to love, especially for management fans who enjoy tinkering with every system at their disposal.

Live A Live feels like it shouldn’t exist, or was destined to remain hidden away with only a few fortunate fans stumbling upon it in the midst of online forums hosting fan translations of forgotten classics. I’m not sure what inspired Nintendo and Square Enix to bring this game back from the dead for a whole generation, but the fact they went through with it is a miracle. Whether you’re a JRPG fan or simply keen to play something completely different, Live A Live manages to surprise and delight in equal measure while refusing to show its full hand until the last possible moment. I’d argue it was almost worth the decades we spent waiting.

In the end, though, Vampire Therapist is every bit as compelling as the name would lead you to expect. Sam is a wonderful protagonist, the writing is well-balanced between humour and pathos, and it does a great job telling disparate stories that have full arcs. The commitment to depicting CBT faithfully could go further, but it remains an impressive effort. Overall, this is bloody good stuff.

Despite some repetition and bloat that makes Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final stretch drag more than the rest of the game excites, its brave approach to exploration in a gorgeous world, heartfelt personal stories, and satisfying tweaks to the formula still make it stand as one of my favourite entries yet.

Fuser may not garner the attention of the masses like some of Harmonix’s previous titles, but it has plenty to offer for those in need of a party - whether it be by yourself, with your COVID-19-approved circle of friends, or with the game’s potentially bustling online community.

If you've been eagerly awaiting the chance to go to university, you won't be disappointed. This pack combines the very best of previous packs with some new and unique ideas that give a fully-formed and enjoyable gameplay experience - something The Sims 4 desperately needed.

If you were looking for a super kawaii J-Pop fueled adventure to play on the go, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore was tailor-made for you.

By the time I had located and freed Moomintroll, though, I had fallen in love with this version of Moominvalley, and only wished for a little more to explore, especially now that Moomintroll was free and by Snufkin’s side. Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a short but sweet glimpse into the world of the Moomins, and it plays out just like one of its classic stories or TV episodes.

With survival mode, my enthusiasm for the game has been renewed and I'm so excited to keep playing it long term, even if it's just jumping in for a run or two a few times a week. It definitely has some tuning issues, and the new bosses need to be brought down by a significant margin (especially on normal difficulty), but even the regular bad beats haven't turned me off from the allure of "just one more run before bed." I'm loving Remnant again, and Swamps of Corsus was just what it needed.

Paradise Killer is a game that looks and sounds great, but ultimately, feels devoid of any discernable raison d'etre and actively holds itself back with baffling design choices. The developers are clear talents, and I'm truly looking forward to what they make next. Next time, though, I hope that there's a bit more there to unpack.