Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the game that a legend like Joe Musashi deserves. Fast, frenetic and utterly absorbing, this is how you bring a long-dead series back to life. Lizardcube have set a new benchmark in 2D platforming and in the process have me salivating at the prospect of Sega franchises they could tackle next.

With some unpleasant difficulty spikes and staid visuals, TMNT: Tactical Takedown won’t be for everyone. But for those willing to overlook its idiosyncrasies, Tactical Takedown offers a compelling, yet brief, strategic challenge.

Tiny Bookshop is one of the best management games of the year, because there is no stress when it comes to running the store. You cannot fail, all the characters are friendly, and the vibes of the game are so laid back, you can spend hours in Bookstonbury without noticing. If you are a book lover, and even if you are not, Tiny Bookshop deserves your time.

For those who enjoy an experience that delves into questions about life and purpose, as well as having access to some powerful attacks, The Dark Queen of Mortholme packs a punch. It may only be 20 minutes long, but this is worth experiencing for yourself.

Grounded 2 already has a clear advantage over its predecessor, taking everything that worked well in the original while making smart changes to various mechanics, making things more natural and easier to live with. I can’t wait to see where it heads over the coming months, as it feels like Grounded 2 could be another essential title for Obsidian and Xbox. [Early Access Review]

Is This Seat Taken is a wonderful indie puzzler whose cosy vibes bely a thoughtful and utterly beguiling window into the human experience.

Drag x Drive makes good use of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for a simple game of wheelchair basketball, but it lacks the charm and personality you'd expect from a Nintendo game.

Abyssus brings a distinctive brinepunk style to an otherwise straightforward co-op roguelite shooter. There's fun to be had here, but the step up in difficulty when playing co-op is a bit too punishing.

One-Eyed Likho belongs in that rare category of games that take such a dark narrative and setting and manage to infuse it all with a surrealism that often verges on the comic. Even the epic conclusion of the story raised a smile at its presentation and effect. While not a long game and one that follows a very linear path, there are more moments and images here that will stay in your memory than many far longer games can muster.

It's hard to recommend Space Drop. It's very basic in just about every way and quickly becomes too repetitive as you continue playing. Perhaps sidestepping to the rhythm action could have spiced it up, or most kinds of environments and obstacles, it would have kept my interest. As it is, it's just too dull.

Although Two Point Museum: Fantasy Finds doesn’t come with an accompanying fantasy museum, the new Scorched Earth expedition map, exciting newfangled exhibits, intriguing fantasy Expert subclasses and great array of extra features and unlockables makes it a fantastic excuse to re-visit your favourite Two Point game. As if you needed an excuse...

Iwakura Aria is an incredible and ominous journey I won't soon forget. The blend of dark subject matter and gorgeous character art leads to one of the most refreshing and engaging visual novel experiences I've ever had.

Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition does the bare minimum as it brings the game to consoles. It looks a bit better, but that's about it. It's still buggy and rough around the edges, but it is at least Neverwinter Nights 2. If you really want to sit back and play it with a controller, this will do it for you. If you want anything more, the original is more than playable on pretty much any PC, and has deep mod support.

Vinebound is a delightful surprise, and it deserves to find players this summer, especially those looking for a cute, but chaotic co-op blast.

A Dream About Parking Lots is an interesting little experience that uses a real life situation many of us would have found ourselves in, and uses it to create a therapy session. It is a short and succinct experience that has quite a lot of depth to it, though it isn’t the best looking title.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a well-crafted game and a major step up from the prior entry, but it isn't the kind of groundbreaking or unique experience that will get casual fans or non-fans invested in the series.

Heartworm is another top notch indie horror to add to the collection and one that perhaps feels the closest to the games that clearly influence it. The mixture of Fatal Frame combat and Silent Hill gameplay is perfectly judged and the end result is a game that not only pays homage to the classics but deserves to be considered amongst them.

Titan Quest II makes a great first impression in Early Access. Its enveloping world, tough but fair combat and deep loot and experience trees, are perfectly weighted to pull you ever deeper into myth and legend. [Early Access Review]

Dear Me, I Was offers reflection on a life accompanied by eye-catching art and gentle piano music. There's very limited interactivity though, and while the story is relatable at some points, it's not particularly unique. It is worth picking up if you're looking for something that will make you sit back and reflect, but it feels as though Dear Me, I Was will only appeal to a very specific audience.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a perfect entry in the series that makes for a great entry point and a standout experience in its own right. Smooth controls, fantastic level design and some perfectly judged boss battles make for one of the best 2D action-platformers you’ll find. With the extra layer of replaying levels for better ranks and the unlockable hard mode for the bravest ninjas, Ragebound provides plenty of enjoyment and challenge for those who want it, while also being approachable for newcomers.

Birdigo has the right foundations in place and there is a a great hook to it, but it needs a couple of improvements to make people stick around. Progression is far too slow and being stuck on one migration run for hours is demotivating. Having more feathers and songs may help to realise the charming potential of this game.

Atomic Owl is a satisfying roguelike with a simple progression that allows you to make headway quickly through the levels. This does come at the expense of the combat, which is a bit too on the easy side, with the platforming much more challenging than any boss fight. Overall though, if you want a short, simple, and good looking roguelike then Atomic Owl is worth a go.

I very much enjoyed the majority of my time with Once Upon a Puppet, and while it was not entirely without issues, it's a nice fusion of search adventuring and the linearity of Little Nightmares. This one is well worth a look for platforming fans.

Killing Floor 3 is like a McDonalds at 3am after a big night out. It’s basic and definitely not nutritious, but when you’re in the right mood, it hits the spot. If you’re after deep narrative or refined polish, look elsewhere. But if you and your mates just want to splatter monsters with some cracking gunplay and a healthy dash of chaos, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.

Tales of the Shire offers a comfortable and lazy fantasy life, but it’s one that feels genuine and heartfelt. Fans of the genre will love it, as long as they’re prepared to fully embody the peace and tranquillity of a Hobbit’s way of life.

s.p.l.i.t is a tough game to write about, as at heart it is just a simulation of a textual file interface wrapped up in a dark and oppressive environment, but it is also so much more than that. The perfect fusion of themes and mechanics makes for an experience that is almost suffocatingly immersive and the darker aspects (although absolutely not for everyone) elevate s.p.l.i.t to be one of the most harrowing games you’ll find. Aside from the essential content warning, I’d recommend going in as blind as possible and just playing out your The Matrix and Sneakers fantasies.

Wild Hearts S is not the best place to play Wild Hearts. The less powerful hardware struggles at points to do the large, fantastical setting justice, and it’s disappointing to find the performance is inconsistent in a port of an older title. However, this is an old-school hunting title, whose core mechanics hold up extremely well in a post-Wilds world.

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV takes the beloved boardgame series to new heights, emphasising the Switch 2's focus on social play while making the most of the new camera and the Joy Con 2’s great mouse controls. Not all of the DLC's content are essential, relying on gimmicks that you’ll quickly tire of, but as a whole package, this is a great next step for Mario Party.