Call of the Elder Gods is a special game that serves as the perfect sequel to Call of the Sea. It instils a wonderful sense of adventure that reminds of classic Indiana Jones films, just without the constant action and combat.

While it may not steal your coins, you will find the hours disappearing as you delve further into Dungeon Clawler. Whether it's your first run with a character, trying new builds, or challenging the higher difficulties, there are plenty of reasons to dive back in for another run. And that's great because you'll be looking for any reason to jump back in and start picking up objects again.

While it won’t be for everyone, for the right player, I can’t recommend Hydroneer enough. It's an addicting game that can provide countless hours of fun.

Constance is certainly a compelling game, through its light vs dark narrative, fantastic implementation of Metroidvania design, and blending of old mechanics and new ideas alike.

Come to Adorable Adventures for the tale of a little boar attempting to reunite his family. There is no doubt you’ll stay for the secrets, the collectibles, the vibes, and the sheer depth of gameplay.

I have been a big fan of The Dark Pictures Anthology from the very beginning, sticking with them through the highs and the slightly rougher lows. Directive 8020 feels like a definitive step up from the rest, introducing new mechanics like the turning point system. There is also room for the pass-the-controller multiplayer mode if you want to share the scares with friends. The story is surprising, interesting enough to keep you hooked to the various endings, but the stealth sections and QTEs do get a bit tiresome. There is no doubt though, Directive 8020 is a great playthrough.

Whilst its clunky combat and repetitive exploration rewards often betrays the overall excellence, immersion and presentation are maintained throughout its runtime, leaving Dread Delusion not just an RPG, but a vivid fever dream that fans of the genre shouldn’t dare miss.

Will Until Then be for everyone? I don’t think so. Even though it is a brilliant entry in the visual novel department, I suspect the slow pacing might become an issue for some. You spend a lot of time reading and watching, rather than actively playing. However, the way Until Then presents itself is entirely unique in terms of visual design, sound, and editing. It also boasts some fabulous mini-games that offer a nice distraction from the main events.

To call Mixtape a ride is a little one-dimensional, as there are so many feelings to be had on the way. A ‘joyride’ fits Mixtape slightly better. A joyride with a tailor-made Greatest Hits tape playing along.

TerraTech Legion comes with a simple concept, but there is just so much depth lurking under the surface. That gaming X-Factor is present here, pulling you in like there is no tomorrow. For simplicity and hook, TerraTech Legion nails it.

If you’d asked me what the ideal hidden object game would contain, it would sound a lot like Find My Frogs. I want enjoyable art where you can see little stories happening. I want no minigame distractions, plenty of easter eggs, a cracking sense of humour, and a hint system that I can turn to if I want it. Find My Frogs delivers all those things with aplomb.

Whether alone or with friends, and regardless of existing knowledge of the IP, Scott Pilgrim EX’s expertly crafted gameplay and graphics deliver a great time.

If you’re okay with hefty dollops of reading and a lack of handholding, but also love mysteries and puzzles then - wowser - do I have the game for you in Strange Antiquities.

It's not going to be for everyone, and it will require patience, especially early on. But if you are willing to overcome those roadblocks, then Drill Core is a unique roguelike that is worth adding to your game library.

Fan of games like Portal and The Talos Principle? You’ll become at one with Causal Loop. Its story is a good one, featuring likeable characters and a narrative that reveals its mysteries in small segments.

Hunt the Night is easy to recommend. It seems to hark back to a time when you either got gud or failed miserably: there is really no middle ground.

Dosa Divas may well pull you in more than you will expect. It isn’t going to win awards for story writing, as every twist can be seen coming a mile off, but it is charming and that counts for a lot.

REPLACED is an ambitious action adventure platformer which opts for hand-crafted pixel art, but that takes nothing away from how utterly absorbing it is. However, I can’t let that blind me from its shortcomings that, whilst far from being serious, do limit the potential of an otherwise impressive game, one that can sometimes be accused of style over substance.

If you loved Arcadia Fallen, then I can say with no caveats whatsoever that you will love Arcadia Fallen II as well. It still plays the same trick – staying in the confines of a single building but ensuring the world is out to get you – but that building is bigger, and the stakes are magnitudes more thrilling. Sure, the choices occasionally feel like railroad tracks, but the quality of the tale is great enough that all is soon forgiven.

Learning is a wonderful thing, and rarely will you be fooled twice in GRIME II. It means that if you are looking for a combat heavy metroidvania to play, then you may just have found it.

The Legend of Zelda’s influence on the action-adventure genre is worn almost as a banner by ChildStory, with gameplay and level design alike clearly influenced by that series, in mostly positive ways.

BEFORE I GO is an enjoyable metroidvania, where gameplay is king. The story could use some additional flushing out and the dialogue comes across as awkward at times, but the game stands strong despite its flaws. It’s certainly worth checking out if you want to get sucked into a world for a few hours.

Nullstar: Solus is a strong addition to the ever-expanding repertoire of precision-platformers, although it’s unlikely to be held amongst the genre’s greats.

You’ll have a great time with Tides of Tomorrow and its strange time-travelling mechanics. Its use of integrating other players’ journeys into your own is a genuinely inspired bit of game development. The story firmly hooked me throughout its 10-hour campaign, and there are some incredibly tough choices to make along the way.

ChainStaff is an interesting proposition. The gameplay is hard, brutal even, and trial and error is encouraged to see what you can do to use the ChainStaff to defeat foes. With multiple difficulty levels to go at, and a series of increasingly hard levels, mastering the traversal mechanic and the ChainStaff is vital. But also very good fun.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic brings together the first, and best, two games in the series in one bumper package. Although not all that much has been done to update the source material, it remains one of the best theme park sim games out there.

This is more than just Ooo in PowerWash Simulator 2: this is PowerWash Simulator 2 warped and re-painted to feel true to Adventure Time.

Initially, I didn’t see much of a connection between Vampire Crawlers and Vampire Survivors. But the similarity is what they both did to me. Both of them gripped me tightly for 20 hours or so. Both made me feel like I was a gaming god, being showered with rewards as I cut through enemies. And both gave me permission to leave once I mastered them. I ended both games feeling like nothing in its world could touch me.

Whilst you may well be drawn in to MOUSE: P.I. For Hire by the visuals and soundtrack, once in, you’ll discover a game that is so much more than just that - an investigative, story-focused, secret-hunting, first person shooting platformer that is an absolute joy to play.

I think I would change very little about Hades II. It’s a game that’s so easy to love that I can’t imagine someone disliking it. People who are allergic to roguelikes, perhaps? That’s understandable. But I find it so slick, well-constructed, beautiful and rewarding that I cannot fathom another criticism. To me, it’s as perilously close to perfect as video gaming can get.

I loved my time with PRAGMATA. Playing it genuinely feels like a breath of fresh air and fondly reminds of games from the 2000s. It is always great to see a new IP launch successfully, and hopefully, we will get to see this world expanded with more stories.

While it doesn't completely innovate or elevate the genre, Dragonkin: the Banished tries enough new things, while executing the basics at a high enough level, to stand amongst the best of the genre.

Anyone expecting a whole new, full-length game in the Neva universe should temper their expectations with what is on offer in Neva: Prologue. It acts more like a little extra chapter added to the main game, which isn’t a bad thing at all, especially since the low price reflects this.

Pathologic 3 is a complex, highly original game that will appeal to a specific audience, but I fear it will leave many others behind. It feels like one of those games you only truly start to ‘get’ when you are about halfway through, and I can completely understand people dropping off after the first few hours.

For every swing-and-miss, there’s a home run. The songs, the kaleidoscopic world, the Materia-like songstones: they all want to make me pump the air. Sure, there’s the occasional duff note, but People of Note is a crowd-pleaser that should pique the interest of music and RPG lovers alike.

If you care even slightly about Kain, Raziel and the world that they inhabit, then you owe it to yourself to play Legacy of Kain: Ascendance. It really fills in gaps in the back story that I, for one, hadn’t noticed before.

If PvP is your bag, then you’ll be right at home with what Marathon brings to the table, but for the rest of us, the bar for entry is set too high.

In an age where games are getting more and more ambitious, games like Minishoot’ Adventures are fantastic reminders that less can be more. It is a joy to explore, and the satisfying pop of defeating an enemy is a sound that never gets boring.

Tiny Bookshop is inordinately clever. Even the smallest systems have knotty, interesting bits to them, from the stat-boosting furniture to the newspaper classifieds. It’s not a cozy game that coasts on you being relaxed and low-maintenance. It is generous, full of things to do, badges to earn and books to sell.

The classic Meat Boy mechanics are still present in Super Meat Boy 3D and it feels great to sprint through a level while narrowly dodging whatever the game throws at you. It can be frustrating at times, but to a certain extent, that’s kind of the point. For the most part, this is a great challenge that hits the mark much more than it misses.

Towerborne is an easy sell. The combat is fast, the multiplayer is a lot of fun, and even solo there is something about the game that keeps you coming back for one more go. With the constant quest for better gear to challenge the later levels, you’ll be fighting, grinding, upgrading and doing it all again willingly.

Devil Jam is a worthy entry into the survivor genre. It isn’t god tier (and frankly, only one game is), but it is a very playable effort, with a real hook that will drag you back for just one more run.

All in all though, for as weird and strange No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is, this is a decently fun game, complete with a lot of content to go at. It does get frustrating at times, as I’m not entirely sure what those behind the creation of some of the puzzles were on, but largely it is enjoyable enough.

Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown is a thoughtful and ambitious take on the franchise. Its strengths lie in its narrative, its management systems and its willingness to let players shape their own story. However, uneven combat, technical issues and a reliance on RNG prevent it from fully realising its potential.

Crimson Desert will require a massive time investment - we are talking hundreds of hours. Even now, many hours in, I am still discovering new things, and new ways to play keep being introduced. And be in no doubt that this is a mad old game, and yes, there are plenty of things wrong with it. Thankfully, the good absolutely outweighs the bad in Crimson Desert.

Darwin’s Paradox! is a delightful little caper that feels wonderfully original, and fans of old-school platformers will have an absolute blast with it.

Beyond Words is the Scrabble-like Balatro-inspired word-puzzler you should be playing. It’s a near-infinitely replayable playground of letters and logic that comes together in a way that ensures it is right up there as one of the very best of the genre.

With a little less grind, a little more control over the random whims of the deck, and a little more respect for my time, I think Death Howl would have been a masterpiece.

Hidden Cats in Spooky Village is as good as all the other Hidden Cats in… games, which is to say that it’s very good indeed. Finding cats is as seamless, characterful and cozy as it has always been. Just with added Cthulhu.

Soulslinger: Envoy of Death works very well, with some fast paced, pretty great shooting action on offer. The story helps with immersion, but the main element is that of the roguelite structure, and how that adds to the longevity.

Should you be one of those who truly loves a survival game, then you are going to get a lot out of ICARUS: Console Edition. It can be extremely challenging early on, offering little context and not much of a tutorial, but battle through and it comes together nicely.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is a very good game, as long as you go into it knowing what to expect. It isn’t a modern gaming experience, despite the new look, and there is no doubt that gaming has moved on a lot in the last couple of decades. Luckily, there is a charm to things that keeps dragging you forward, desperate to see what is going to happen to two characters next, and this is the big draw.

In Laysara: Summit Kingdom there are modes, difficulties, and enough options to cover all bases, ensuring this is a game that will appeal to any player that enjoys the concept of creating, maintaining, and improving supply lines, all as they expand a beautiful mountaintop settlement.

You will be pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable moving containers around a port can be. A big part of that enjoyment stems from the story of Docked, closely followed by the precision of the gameplay.

Pinball FX - Bethesda Pinball is the latest set in a long line of enjoyable tables added to the expanding library. Some may feel it is a little pricey, but if you’ve enjoyed Pinball FX previously, or looking for a place to start, this is as good a place as any to get stuck in.

Vampire Therapist is not a visual novel to unwind to. You don’t just play as a therapist, you feel accountable for the characters. Every intervention, every cognitive distortion is carefully chosen. I felt tenser playing Vampire Therapist than when I played some recent soulslikes.

I absolutely love the thoughtful pacing of Sumerian Six. Weighing up every movement and action, knowing that one wrong step could mean the end of your life and the level, is thrilling.

There are pacing issues at times, and the inherent lack of traditional gameplay might be a problem for some. However, if you plan on going down to the woods today, Heart of the Forest is an adventure well worth taking.

Tales of Berseria Remastered isn’t perfect, and visual pop-in is very noticeable, but look beyond this and you’ll find an engaging RPG that deserves your time.

DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes is an easy recommendation for fans of the franchise.

You’ll have a fantastic time playing through the story missions found in John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, no doubt tempted to increase difficulty levels as you go forward. If you can fully embrace the vibe of a cheesy, over-the-top action movie, then you are going to have a brilliant time here.

FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE improves on a cult classic in so many ways. Although one poorly thought out decision holds it back, this remains one of the best examples of its genre.

The Stairwell is one of my favourite games in the looping genre. There is something about the vertical, Escher-esque design that really got its hooks into me.

Ultimately, Sovereign Syndicate is a very good narrative experience, filled with three great characters navigating an interesting and varied steampunk London. It is a slight shame their stories don’t overlap a bit earlier, but it is a pleasure spending time with them regardless.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection feels just like a turn-based Monster Hunter game. For the first time in the Stories series, they’ve nailed the feeling of every fight feeling like a boss battle.

The devs have truly cared about Slide Viking, and there’s almost no chance that you will dislike your time with it.

Plant of Lana II is the success we suspected it would be. A brilliantly told tale combines with stunning visuals, cracking gameplay mechanics, intriguing puzzles and a soundtrack to die for. But it lacks wow moments and any sense of difficulty.

Is Dice a Million here to usurp Balatro? Not a chance - rolling dice lacks strategy, and the various unlocks are too chaotic to truly master. But there’s still a lovely alchemy in Dice a Million which means that the chaos brings fun. When a collection of dice works, it really, really works, and the ludicrous combos and resulting multipliers give you a satisfying pat on the back.

Despite camera and control woes, Crosak is still worthy of your attention. There aren’t many spiritual successors to ‘90s 3D platformers, and Crosak knows what made them great.

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a very good game, with a massive amount of content to go at. Each run is different, the number of avatars to unlock and master adds to the longevity a lot, and for the most part, there is a fast, fluid and furious game to be found here.

SUPER BOMBERMAN COLLECTION provides a well packaged love letter to the history of the franchise for longtime fans. It also creates a welcoming entry point for beginners. Despite lacking some conveniences and accessibility, it delivers plenty of well-aged gameplay to savour.

It isn't a perfect game, but it is an enjoyable one. I loved the world and the story, even when it lost me slightly. The combat is fun, and the puzzles are excellent. If you have an itch for a single-player action-adventure, Crisol: Theater of Idols will definitely scratch it.

I’m thankful to In the Dark for getting me to play the whole Lil Gator saga. I’m not sure I was feeling down, exactly, but I was certainly bathed in a Gatory glow after playing the Gator of the Year Edition. In the Dark continued the good work, adding a fitting and heartfelt coda to an already brilliant game. And there’s no finer compliment than that.

Escape from Ever After is a very accomplished game that does a lot of things right. The platforming can be tricky until you are used to it, but you’ll mostly have a really good time playing through.

The humor, references, and gameplay of High on Life 2 match, and then exceed, that of the first game.

Resident Evil Requiem is a pitch perfect love letter to fans of the series. Capcom has absolutely nailed the dual protagonist mechanic which sits at the core of a truly incredible piece of storytelling. The result is a must-play title for those both familiar and new to the series. Put simply, it’s an absolute tour de force.

Whilst questions can be raised as to whether Surviving Mars: Relaunched is needed as a full new release, the gameplay is still absolutely solid. It’s a hardcore sim management game that offers plenty of trials and tribulations but can be immensely satisfying at the same time. Simply a joy to return to.

REANIMAL is a big step up from the Little Nightmares games in terms of story and world-building. This feels more mature, more epic, and, at times, much more terrifying.

Disciples: Domination is an enjoyable sequel that builds on the original in certain ways, but remains a very similar experience to what came before, complete with the same drawbacks.

If precision platforming wasn’t chilling enough, Love Eternal coats it in thick, horrifying atmospherics. There’s nowhere to hide: the closest you will get to safety is the momentary haven of a checkpoint.

It doesn’t demand anything of you. Its customers will happily wait weeks, if not months for you; they don’t mind. You can do whatever you want. And that’s Fruitbus’ secret sauce. A warm community spirit without expectations.

If you have a hankering for a simpler time of flash games that the more modern offerings can't sate, Ad Fundum may just be the game for you. Outside of some minor control and technical issues, it provides loads of gameplay and replayability for a relatively small price and size.

Once you get accustomed to the controls, which at times feel a bit cumbersome, and as long as you are able to ignore some weird physics, Cash Cleaner Simulator is a game that you can easily spend dozens of hours in. The mechanics that can be frustrating are also what ensure the game is unique and fun.

Much like Monster Train’s The Last Divinity, Monster Train 2’s Destiny of the Railforged is a large, emphatic step for an already very good game. It does exactly what you would hope it would do: it introduces a meta-disrupting new clan, and tosses a whole new endgame your way. It’s brutal and expects the world from you.

It may be an obvious match up, but World War Z x The Walking Dead seamlessly brings the two worlds together in another helping of the enjoyable zombie shooter.

Despite some minor issues, Code Vein II is excellent. Look past the graphical issues and there is an excellent game found within, one with loads to do, and multiple timelines to visit and fix.

Your time isn’t just respected in Lovish: it’s thoroughly rewarded. After a level, you’re just as likely to raise a chuckle or coo at a new upgrade. It meant that we ended up loving Lovish. No need for the -ish.

Hidden Cats in Christmas gets another two-paws-up from us. It’s comfortably the most polished, enjoyable and high-value cat-finding game on the Xbox, which sounds like a minor achievement but isn’t. There are oodles of these games out there, and the Hidden Cats series looms above them all.

You’ll find it a pleasure to step into the world of The Talos Principle 2. If you love puzzle games, then this is near perfect; a game full of challenge but backed by a great story.

If you haven’t played Lost Ember before, the Rekindled Edition is the best way to jump into the game. For those who have, it’s great to be reminded of the narrative journey once more, this time with improved visuals.

As unwelcome as Drop Duchy can be in its mid-game, I have no hesitation in saying that it’s worth it. Tetris is a pretty awesome foundation to build on, and Drop Duchy - Complete Edition stacks resource gathering, roguelike runs and simple strategy on top.

Countless Army is the most fun I’ve had in a game this year. There will be games that usurp that title, and those games will be infinitely more lavish and better executed. But for now, this little strategy-game-that-could, this reversed Tower Defence, is attached to me like a limpet. Frankly, I’m fine with that relationship.

It can get a bit samey (the gameplay loop is basically the same, season to season), but Super Farming Boy has such charm that you won’t mind the grind too much.

CASSETTE BOY has warts, but press LB and RB enough and they might just look like chiselled cheekbones. We forgave its issues because it’s just so gung-ho in its inventiveness.

We’re a little enamored with Just a Little Purr Suit. It’s not got a big budget sheen, or even a mid-budget sheen. What it does have is a brilliant concept and some clever, tightly wound puzzles that will require deep thought to complete.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is one of the best entries in the Yakuza franchise, so any chance to play it again is a welcome one. This Xbox Series X|S version may not feature as many upgrades as the other two recently re-released Yakuza games, but it doesn’t need to. It’s visually a step-up from those and the pacing is a lot better too.

Hero Seekers does just enough to lift itself above the rest of KEMCO’s output. The Hero system is interesting, and the story is compelling. As for the rest of it? Well, it’s very much a retro styled JRPG.

It’s thrilling to play, a Metroidvania where you can feel confident giving yourself over to the development team as they present surprise after surprise. It’s bruising, but that’s an expectation of the genre, and the rewards are bountiful. It’s a game where you may feel contradictions – sometimes despair, often delight – but everything is suffused with the glow of immersion.