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.