Serial Cleaners is incredibly stylish, darkly humorous and a unique concept. It is however, repetitive and grating. Aside from some well-designed levels full of easter eggs, there is little else to propel you through to the end.

If you’re wanting to head back to your childhood days, or long for a time when games were simpler and the summers seemed to last longer, then you won’t go far wrong with Poi.

Mastho is Together has all the hallmarks of a great precision platformer. Consistently challenging gameplay, solid level design and tight controls make for a game where your reactions and patience will be thoroughly tested from start to finish. Ultimately though, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and it does absolutely nothing to stand out from the crowd.

Nothing in Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising’s gameplay mechanics truly stand out when compared to other similar titles in an already oversaturated genre.

Excitement you may not necessarily find, but should you be ready to immerse yourself in a two-wheeled world full of brutality and athletic desires, Tour de France 2025 should finally be considered.

The gameplay loop is solid, but there are quite a few bugs that need to be patched before Blade Assault could be classed as a truly good game.

Is thirty minutes of a good thing enough? We’d say so. This adrenaline booster to the heart had us gripped. But just as we were getting good, nimbly leapfrogging any and all obstacles, Steel Defier was over. It needed to be about triple the length for us to nod sagely and say ‘that’s about right’.

Below can be a satisfying roguelike experience for anyone who is willing to persevere through its steep learning curve and difficulty. For others, the journey might come to a close after only a few failed attempts.

Monster Truck Championship on Xbox Series X|S remains a solid sim racer, with plenty of events to tackle. However, the lack of variety, despite a good level of customisation options, will be a real issue for some. The optimised release has a visual edge over the original, but all things considered there isn’t much of a difference here at all.

You’ll enjoy your time with Best Month Ever! and the three or four hours of running time it is able to provide. It’s a narrative adventure with not very challenging gameplay, but it does tell an interesting and unique story from a different era, helped along by some intriguing characters and sub-stories.

Our one lingering concern, though, is that it’s on the difficult side for the target demographic. If your Baby Shark fan is less than six-years old, we worry that they might come unstuck, particularly with the ‘sing’ sections of the game. Ours certainly did. Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party is one for a willing parent to stick a tentative toe in and test, then.

There’s a red-pill, blue-pill choice with Jumanji: Wild Adventures. If you’re a solo, older player who loves the series and wants to immerse themselves in the world of Jumanji, you might find this to be too simplistic and ramshackle. Take that red pill and eject out. But if you’re a family **of Jumanji fans, and have two or more players to dance-fight with? Take the blue pill and have a cracking time.

It’s got very few pretensions, but it gets the important stuff - the controls, the levels - right, and it gets them right for long enough that you will reach the end in a single session. If you like your platforming bitesize, then you will regret nothing about picking up Lily in Puzzle World.

If you have a Skylanders itch that Activision refuses to scratch, or have love for the DreamWorks Dragons series, then DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms takes a bit of a run up and then soars. Just pack in some co-op next time, if you please.

Fireball 2 is a fun game that has an affordable price tag and can easily take up several hours of your day if you let it. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to scratch that arcade survival itch.

If you like chasing high-score chasing Black Widow: Recharged will help you scratch that itch. It all comes together to ensure that Black Widow: Recharged is a faithful update to the cult classic arcade shooter. However, the simple, repetitive gameplay means only fans of the genre will get the most from it.

If you like a twin stick shooter, there’s a lot to like with Tiny Troopers: Global Ops, but if your tolerance for duff puns is low, you have been warned!

The sixty levels on offer in Bob the Elementalist are generous, and the £4.99 price tag is even more so. We’ve put a note in the suggestion box for more than one element per level next time, and no more hidden gems to find, but we otherwise reached the end credits with a smile on our faces. Not bad for a few Bob.

For a younger player who dreams of jumping into the fire engine with Marshall, PAW Patrol: Grand Prix gets so much right. It can handle four players at once; it’s all the right pups with all the right voices. To crown it all, it has an auto-drive feature, so your little one only has to jab an analogue stick. This is not to be taken for granted: it’s incredibly rare.

Easy achievements or not, Infini is well worth your time. There are the knowing nods and winks to concepts and emotions in the story that will remain with you after you finish the main game, which itself can be quite challenging. Stick around with Infini and it will stick around with you long after you have finished it.

Halo Wars 2 irons out any issues that the original game had, and provides more of the same, but with a bit more polish. Whilst fans of the series will be glad to play this sequel, newcomers to the RTS scene might have a harder time.

Super Hyperactive Ninja is a game that will fit in well with those who enjoy a good speedrunning adventure or simply want to find the next challenging platformer.

Fans of Lemmings and its sadistic pleasures will get a lot from Flying Soldiers, albeit nothing approaching a challenge. Acknowledge that it will all be over in a few hours, though, and you can be reassured that you’re in safe hands.

We shrug a little at this release. We can’t form a good argument for why Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure exists, outside of reminding players that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is coming. It feels like a glorified billboard. But sure, we’ll go along with it.

Family Feud on Xbox brings that Saturday evening gameshow vibe straight to your home. A huge library of questions, combined with a relatively fair price at launch, means there’s good value in this party game. The different modes cater for almost every situation, even for the cold winter nights on your own, and the fact it can enable 10 players to play using a single controller is music to the ears. It’s only really held back by the bizarre questions that pop up a little too frequently, a lack of imaginative items to buy, and dated looking models.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a better game than the other more recent Call of Duty games, but if you hark back to the classics like MW2 and the original Black Ops games, then you won't find it reaching those same heights.

If you are playing on an original Xbox One, and haven’t played it before, then Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is without a doubt, a five star game. If you’re on an X, or have played it before, it’s not. There’s a great deal of fun here, even for returning players, but it’s hard to recommend this over the Backward Compatible version.

In recent years, EA Sports have added plenty of new modes across their licensed games, and NHL 21 on the Xbox One is no exception; there is a lot of ice hockey on offer. The variety will offer something for everyone, but there are issues with the gameplay on the rink that mean some modes work better than others.

TENSEI is a game that you can dip in and out of at will, perhaps for just five minutes at a time, climbing higher with every effort. If you’re looking for a story or goal, then this is not the gaming experience for you, but for some calming action at a super cheap price, it’s well worth a punt.

Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 - Ninpo Blast does what it sets out to do - to be a retro styled shoot ‘em up with a reasonably strong hook. It isn’t anything new, but as the first in a promised string of Tiny Pixels games, it sets a decent benchmark.

It has to be said that the Blizzard Arcade Collection on Xbox is a great trip down memory lane for us older gamers, and almost a time capsule waiting to be unearthed by younger players. Seeing where Blizzard has come from is fascinating, and with three games from the days when playability was more important than whizz bang graphics, maybe it’s good that we get the chance to slow down and enjoy life once in a while.

Chess Battle feels like a decent, but ultimately unneeded game for the vast majority of players. There is nothing inherently wrong with Chess Battle, but there are free options available that are as good or better.

If you’re looking for a retro-themed space-based twin-stick shooter that works reasonably well, then Guntech 2 is that game. It looks great and comes with tons of amendments, customisation and weapon types, but many bugs and a sense of repetition bring things down a notch or two.

SUNSOFT is Back! Retro Game Selection is an interesting collection, if only so we can see how far the gaming industry has come. Just be warned, the games themselves are punishingly difficult and extremely unfriendly.

3 out of 10: Season One on the Xbox is good enough to dodge a too-on-the-nose 3 out of 10, and even a 3 out of 5. As a ‘playable sitcom’ it excels at the sitcom bit, delivering laughs that wouldn’t be out of place in a top-tier comedy. Where it falls down is the ‘playable’ bit, offering a 50% hit-rate on its minigames that will often have you reaching for the welcome skip button. But even when it misses, 3 out of 10 has always got something to say and will tickle a rib or two.

We’d have taken more interaction in Divination - greater control over the fortune telling, perhaps - and we’d have taken way, way more content, but we didn’t regret playing it.

After Wave: Downfall does have a dash of that gaming X-Factor; that desire to play and play again, just to see what is around the next bend.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is a bit of a mixed bag, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with. "DMZombie" is not quite for me, and the campaign's short length and varying quality are worth noting. However, the linear campaign levels left me quite satisfied and most importantly, the multiplayer suite has been an absolute blast to play.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game does the "cozy sim" genre well, and there is a lot of fun to be had with some of the minigames, especially the cooking.

Despite being a slight improvement on its rather average predecessor, How to Fool a Liar King Remastered shouldn’t be seen as an instant recommendation for visual novel enthusiasts. It’s alright, but there are better options out there.

CATTCH on Xbox is the platforming equivalent of a pack of Haribo. It’s colourful and characterful, and you can’t put it down at the start. But chew down on too much at once and you’ll get sick of it.

Be in no doubt, there is a lot of game in this small package, but it will ask a lot of you. If you can invest the time, it will reward you, but it’s a bit too deep for its own good as far as casual players are concerned.

RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business does a great job of carrying on from the first game in the series.

There is a lot of football to be had in Madden NFL 21 on the Xbox One, and when you are on the field, the football is good. EA have created a game that if you have 15 minutes or a couple of hours, they want you tossing their digital pigskin. From modes like The Yard and MUT that offer quicker challenges to a full simulation in either Franchise mode, you will be spoilt for choice. Sadly though, they’re not all good choices. MUT is the big money earner, so receives the most TLC, but this comes at a cost to all other modes.

It’s going to sound weird but Oh… Sir! is a quite a charming game given the context. It has an art style that certainly will not be winning any awards but is weirdly amusing to look at, much like the rest of the game.

You will enjoy your journey through Kong: Survivor Instinct, perhaps more than you may have anticipated. It's refreshing to play a Metroidvania with a focus on exploration, and you'll want to uncover every secret the world holds.

Barring some technical issues causing the odd crash or hard lock, for the most part, the core of the game works well. There is definitely enjoyment to be had however, as all artistic aspects of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom are beautiful, and the combat and platforming mechanics are solid.

It’s testament to the game that LIT: Bend the Light feels less like a puzzler and more like a reflection simulator at times; the lighting feels real and reacts as you would expect.

Alter Age is a standard KEMCO JRPG with a couple of new features. Do they lift Alter Age above the run of the mill games? Well, yes, they do. Just. And while this isn’t one of the best games in the publisher’s back catalogue, it does have just enough to ensure a recommendation.

Three Minutes To Eight proves to be a worthwhile time for those interested in the narrative structure, but frustration is likely imminent for anyone hoping to unlock all ten endings.

A Frog’s Job is almost everything we want from a budget platformer: crisp graphics, sturdy levels and innovative gimmicks in the time-stopping and phlegm platforms. All it needed was a lick more ambition, and A Frog’s Job could have been a contender.

If you want to understand the B-movie charms of this strange little subgenre, then Demon Hunter: New Chapter is a surprisingly good place to start.

Sensible Soccer and Kick Off fans rejoice! You’ve finally got a spiritual successor in Super Arcade Football on the Xbox.

Unheard - Voices of Crime Edition is a clever game with a running time of around five hours or so, mostly dependent on how quickly you solve the cases. The detectives out there will enjoy the analysis of each case, as well as the going backwards and forwards with the audio to find the clues.

Puppet House doesn't revolutionise the horror genre, but it executes its familiar elements effectively. The pacing is excellent, the gameplay is enjoyable, and the puzzles offer a satisfying challenge without being overly complex.

I have been torn when playing Source of Madness. It is built out with some very solid mechanics for the progression and combat, but the poor enemy variety and AI, coupled with overbearing visuals, ensures it is very hard to enjoy those mechanics.

Barn Finders is completely different in concept and ambition to any other game, and it's pretty addictive as you go on the hunt for treasure.

O.W.L Projekt 2 very much feels like an expansion of the original game, never attempting anything different from before.

If you have found the Puzzle by Nikoli W series already, then Heyawake is a satisfying more-of-the-same. Its air of familiarity is easy to ignore when you’re pulling the pencil from behind your ear and filling in more brain-teasers. But if you’re new to the series and want to dip a toe in, it’s possibly the least engaging by a degree or two.

A Role-Playing Horror Game will keep you covered for a few hours, but this is a game that is worth taking in a few times, as you hunt down different endings.

Akimbot is an enjoyable romp in a robot world that should well appeal to many.

You’ll be impressed by the concept and execution of Amanda the Adventurer. It's dark, disturbing, funny, and entertaining. However, I wish the gameplay offered more hints, particularly regarding the multiple endings.

Infinite Links does what you want a JRPG to do - it tells a good story, has relatable characters to enjoy and evil baddies to batter, distracting you from your day to day life.

If you want a game that focuses fully on exploring, chatting to animals and becoming absorbed in another reality then come on in, drink the Kool-Aid and wander around An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs.

Fueled Up may not be the most comprehensive experience, but on the whole it’s a great little co-op game that’s accessible to all.

If you're looking for a spooky and relaxing experience, turn off the soundtrack and enjoy a creepy flight through the world of Aery - Midnight Hour.

Despite the audio inconsistencies and the story's melancholic tone, Bottle: Pilgrim Redux is a worthwhile addition to the "walking simulator" genre and one of the stronger entries in Tonguç Bodur's growing portfolio.

There is nothing daring or complicated about Mythic Ocean. It’s not substantial, being one-and-done in a couple of hours, without a convincing reason to play again. But it has something to say about the difficulties of friendship, and it achieves a meditative state that allows you to unwind as you navigate beautiful environments.

Tonguç Bodur is capable of creating some brilliantly relaxing walking sims, mixing in strange fairy tales and calming visuals. GENIE Reprise is one of those better games

Like rhythm action games? Like Russian shoegaze and post-punk? Like baseball? The number of people who say yes to those three questions can probably be counted on one hand. But if you are instead open to those three experiences, then Kovox Pitch is one of the most surprising and unconventional games of the year.

The story belts along at a cracking pace, with the requisite number of twists and turns to work through, and there are some very enjoyable battles to engage in along the way. It’s not Final Fantasy 7, but give it a chance and I think you’ll enjoy it, difficulty spikes aside.

It's the journey from mountain to heaven itself that is the star of Cat and Ghostly Road - highly original and deeply atmospheric to play.

All three new cabinets in Arcade Paradise have goals to aim for, and can appear on your to-do list, fitting in perfectly with the others in your arcade. They offer a chance to return to the arcade – not that you should have ever left it – with some new games. And we hope they’re the first of a few additions to come.

Pneumata should be applauded as a piece of work from a solo developer intent on creating a vivid and disturbing world of horror and mystery.

I wasn’t expecting much from Stubbs the Zombie, but Rebel Without a Pulse has proved to be enjoyable, with an entertaining narrative, writing and zaniness. If you're after some old-school action and can forgive the dated visuals, then Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse on Xbox might well be worth your time.

If Narita Boy had a better handle on what it did well, and spent less time on the stuff it didn’t, we’d have a hit on our hands. Instead, we have style over substance - a Tron Evolution rather than Blade Runner, say - when it could have been a bonafide classic.

If you like the Surge 2, The Kraken on Xbox One is a short but fun expansion at a reasonable price.

UnderDungeon is a game that will restore your faith in the retro scene. It is quirky and charming, yet while the action isn’t fast and furious, it is much more considered. There are issues, but the levels are varied enough to keep you coming back.

Sentinels of Freedom on Xbox One has a lot of charm and there are not a huge amount of turn-based tactical games with a superhero theme out in the market. For fans of Sentinels of the Multiverse, it’s lovely to see these beloved characters brought to life. Much like your hero in-game, there’s raw potential here - but a bit of help and some polish is needed to make Sentinels of Freedom really super.

Megaquarium on the Xbox One does an excellent job of presenting a sim management game on a home console, without dumbing down the abilities you have at your fingertips. Gameplay is fun and fair; it doesn’t offload hundreds of problems at you at once, meaning a much more casual experience.

The gameplay never ventures off its initial premise and the difficulty remains stagnant throughout. But nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable experience with a clear focus on being played with a friend. It’s a story of block meets switch, and a lovely one at that.

Aside from the manic nature - and the rubbish music - the rest of Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is a joy to play. If you like old school shoot ‘em ups, then give Raiden IV x MIKADO a try, and be prepared to recalibrate what you think is a hard game.

If you like an RTS, there is fun to be had in The Valiant, but there are elements missing that would make it better – such as the ability to slow time and plan before springing your trap.

Risk System on Xbox is a game that does the opposite of a traditional shooter, as rather than getting distracted with mounting an attack, the game solely places emphasis on careful avoidance and manoeuvring. Although it shies away from bullet hell conventions, it offers a style of challenge which is satisfying in a different way; a rush that comes with barely scraping by an enemy attack.

I would say that if you have a subscription to Xbox Game Pass then it’s an instant download, if not then it may well be best to hold off for the price to go down a little. Whatever though, if you fancy something different and are a fan of hand to hand combat then get into the world of Absolver for a good old punch up.

Pirates on Target is a budget puzzler that doesn’t aim high, but hits the bullseye in terms of smart, elegant brainteasers. While it might lure you in with easier geometric challenges, there’s always an absolute beast of a puzzle just around the corn-arrrr.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a brilliant collection of all the mainline arcade games we know and love, but in reality it is only a small slice of the past 30 years. Capcom could have given us so much more with this and I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed by the lack of content available.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a departure from the franchise many will know and love, but it is one that works well. If you have a group of friends who are ready for a spot of virtual fisticuffs, this is an easy sell.

For under a tenner, you could do a lot worse than turn off the lights, lock the doors, grab a pair of headphones and get stuck into Worse Than Death. It’ll tide you over for a few hours, put your problem solving skills to the test, and provide a few scares here and there.

The Cursed Frog isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s about the best you can hope for from a cheap platformer. You’re getting a forty-five minute experience that can’t sit still, juggling ideas and mechanics without ever settling on one. By the end, we looked back on The Cursed Frog with fondness. It was an enjoyable burst of chaos.

Paper Ghost Stories: 7PM is not a particularly long experience, feeling like a prelude to a much bigger world. But for the very cheap price, it is well worth giving it a go.

BAD END THEATER takes the visual novel genre and does something exciting and unique with it. The concept is one to love, as is the opportunity to piece together bits of the puzzle, with various outcomes changing up the narrative.

Gryphon Knight Epic: Definitive Edition on Xbox One probably only has a strong appeal to those that like this sort of game, and doesn’t really offer enough that is new, interesting or involving for newer players, nor for those that don’t really care for a tough as nails challenge. But you do get to ride a gryphon though.

The components of a really fun game are present, the world is well-designed and aesthetically it is beautifully done. But many of the roadblocks in Nice Day for Fishing feel like a way to pad out the time.

Enter the world of Shapik: The Quest, fully armed with the information that it’s extremely, stupendously short (but still worth the money), and you’re less likely to be blindsided. You can enjoy it for what it is: a hand-crafted little point-and-click adventure that gives a momentary view into a world that you will want to spend more time in.

All in all though and Asdivine Kamura on Xbox One does everything you’d expect of an Asdivine game from KEMCO, and as such is a worthy bearer of the name.

Word Maze by POWGI is a timely reminder of how fun these unique puzzle games can be. And this is easily up there with some of the best ones to come out of the minds of Lightwood Games.

Neon City Riders on Xbox One is a refreshing ‘80s neon interpretation of The Legend of Zelda with plenty of inventive ideas, both in its game design and stylistic presentation. It is certainly not an experience for the faint and impatient, but it may be just the thing for players yearning for those brutal gaming experiences from that decade.