The Swords of Ditto has matured, it’s grown, and it’s kept and even added to the original charm and style. It’s still a bit of a slow burn to get started with, but the changes made in Mormo’s Curse have made it a much better game now than it was a year ago.

Observation is a sci-fi thriller that puts you in a situation quite unlike any other. You never quite know what to expect, but the writing is solid enough to make sense even at its most unbelievable, and the characters of Sam and Emma really grow on you. A few niggly navigational hiccups and a couple of dull puzzles can break the immersion a bit, but even so any sci-fi fan should have a look at Observation.

For The King is a fun and stylish RPG, but prepare yourself for classic roguelite frustrations of dying and starting the campaign again, just to get a little bit further each time. If you enjoy that kind of challenge and like board games then For The King is well worth checking out.

Team Sonic Racing is a technically sound karting game, but really only sells its central mechanic well enough in multiplayer to convince you that it needs to be there. It’s not helped by only featuring the mostly bland Sonic family of characters and locations, leaving it feeling like an overall downgrade from the fantastic Sonic & All-Star Racing games.

Three Kingdoms is another solid instalment in the Total War franchise, but lacks a certain wow factor. Creative Assembly has made some clever refinements around the edges of that enduringly addictive strategic core, allowing fans to steep themselves in yet another historic saga. However, there’s a chance that some won’t gel with this new setting or the way Guanzhong’s epic has been adapted. It’s another fun and rewarding take on the series, though we’d struggle to call it a must-buy.

Darkwood is one of the most terrifying games I’ve ever played as it challenges you to explore and survive a dark and twisted world. Unravelling the mysteries of the night time horrors will consume you even before you try the permadeath mode. This comes highly recommended, but remember to wear your brown trousers.

A Plague Tale: Innocence proves that feisty young women are the new heroes of single player narrative adventures, and Amicia can proudly stand alongside Aloy and Senua. Asobo Studios have knocked it out of the park with a compelling story, superb graphics, and excellent music. Loved it.

It has a ton of content, bundling the base game with all its DLC, so there is plenty to do in Steelport, hopefully letting you see past the rest of a dated, unpolished open world game.

To put it simply, Sniper Elite V2 feels older than it actually is.

Judged by its visuals alone, The Messenger is a charming retro adventure with pixel perfect platforming. Even that high praise is to do it a disservice, as the game soon opens up to be an unexpected, yet brilliant metroidvania, delivering a plot that twists, turns, surprises, and has humour to spare. Ultimately, the Messenger is one of the best indie games I’ve ever encountered. You really should play it.

Super Blood Hockey is a simple game that will last one person a few hours before it gets too repetitive, but is great for playing against others. If you have someone to play it with locally, or you like taking advantage of the Switch's Joy-Con, it's worth picking up. If not, you'd probably need to be starved of hockey games for it to be essential.

This episode marks a clear turning point for the boys. Instead of going from one safe harbour to another on their journey down to Mexico, there’s a clear shift to simply being on the run once more. The dynamic between Daniel and Sean will be clear to see once more, especially as Daniel’s powers grow stronger and stronger. I just have to hope that I can still remember their names at the end of August.

For the flaws that it has, Fade to Silence is an ambitious game that provides a unique experience in a crowded genre. The world is stark, cold and unwelcoming, and there’s a discomposing atmosphere that always puts you on edge. Fade to Silence isn’t for everyone, but for those who want to experience a harsh, unforgiving world, this is just the ticket - just don’t rush into permadeath mode right away.

The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia takes its portmanteau of a title and develops it into a refreshingly original and enjoyable blend of typing games and bullet hell boss rushes. It's also a clear love letter to the horror staples of the 1980s and affectionately captures the look and feel of that era. The result is simultaneously divine and devilish.

When it comes to visual novels, VA-11 Hall-A is king. Never before have I seen such a perfect balance of sharp writing, gorgeous visuals and downright delicious music that also manages to pack in hours of engagement without ever overstaying it's welcome. Furthermore, the combination of drink-mixing action and visual novel storytelling creates an addictive gameplay loop that makes the game even harder to put down once you pick it up. VA-11 Hall-A is a gem of creativity from the most unlikely of places, and I can't wait to see what the team has up their sleeve next.

It's endlessly repetitive, has an unfair upgrade system, the gameplay is relentlessly unforgiving, and yet I've been playing the game constantly. Black Paradox has that magic 'one more go' element, and whilst it's tough, the fact that you progress just a smidgen further each time, learning a new attack pattern or safe space, means you just have to keep on playing. Recommended to hardcore shooter fans, casual gamers may find it just too difficult.

Katana Zero is an incredibly stylish title, from the great looking pixel art to the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the fast and brutal action. You really get to feel like you're a master swordsman as you overcome the challenges put before you, or die trying.

Grimshade frustrates as it offers up an interesting and original world to explore and then actively deters you from doing so with overly difficult and frequent combat. This could be worth visiting after some balance updates, but one to avoid for now.

Snooker 19 is a solid snooker simulation that will definitely appeal to fans of the sport. The relative lack of modes and some major oversights do hold it back, and so it is difficult to recommend unreservedly. It might be Lab42's first attempt with the official license, but right now Snooker 19 feels too much like style over substance. Not so much a 147 as a battling 50 ending in an unfortunate in-off whilst amongst the reds.

Yuppie Psycho is a surreal and incredibly unique experience. By drawing most of it's inspiration from television and film, the game develops a unique aesthetic and world that feels unlike anything other video games have explored.

It’s safe to say that World War Z doesn’t shy away from its undeniable likeness to Valve’s 10 year old masterpiece. In borrowing many of that game's ideas, from its AI engine to the uncannily similar special zombies, it's actually become a spiritual successor that can scratch that Left 4 Dead itch. World War Z might lack in originality, but this isn’t enough to deter from the brainless, fast-paced, cooperative shooter action that you can effortlessly sink hours into and unknowingly get a real soft spot for.

Giga Wrecker Alt. is a physics-based puzzle platformer that falls down in the same places as most games in the genre, but with interesting characters an intriguing story, it's a decent game on the whole. Just be aware that the difficulty is real, so if that’s a deterrent, consider yourself warned.

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! is another quirky, charming puzzle platformer from HAL. It might not have quite as outlandish box types as Bye-Bye BoxBoy!, but it makes up for that as a welcoming entry on Switch for newcomers, stacks and stacks of bitesized puzzles and a new co-op mode to boot.

There are glimmers of true excellence here; small stretches of Days Gone can be especially fun and polished. However, the assembly of these various parts suffers from the lack of an engaging story, compelling characters, or an open world that feels organic and worth exploring.

Moero Chronicle Hyper lives up to it's name. It is a hyper-actualized fantasy of sex and sex objects and sex acts and anything sex related. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of raunchiness, the game fails to deliver anything that's truly charming or engaging. Beyond some goofy monster designs, it's a terribly average game all around, hampered even further by a translation that desperately needed more time in the oven.

Cuphead was already one of the best games of the past couple of years before Studio MDHR started tinkering with it, but here on Nintendo’s console, it’s proved the recent adage that everything is better on Switch.

The Padre is a game that pains me. It has potential, but gets stuck deciding what it wants to be and falls short of being good or interesting. The basics are there, but it looks like it still has some demons to exorcise to become truly great.

This game is the pinnacle of Mortal Kombat action. Fights are fluid, weighty, and gorgeous to look at. Unfortunately, that tightly-designed gameplay is bogged down by a grindy system of loot and consumables that only serves to artificially extend your playtime in the most tedious ways imaginable. There is so much heart and care put into this game, from the combat to the gorgeous visuals and memorable story, but that effort feels nullified by the desperate attempt to twist an iconic video game franchise into just another endlessly online service game.