Pepper Grinder successfully combines traditional platforming with a refreshingly original gameplay mechanic that breathes new life into a very tired genre.

Get 10 Quest is a brilliant little game which will only cost you a few pennies. For this reason it can be forgiven for being feature light, but at its core it’s amongst the best puzzlers around.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition does what a JRPG promises to do. It tells a lighthearted story with a colourful world to explore and a plethora of optional content. The visual overhaul also provides it with a fresh look, fitting for modern platforms. It doesn’t quite compare to the best of the best, but because it represents a genre seldom found on the Xbox, it’s a great option to get on with.

If you want an old skool game with old skool difficulty and old skool logic, Shadowgate is the game for you. You will need patience and some very strange lateral thinking skills, but the reward is a game that opens out like a flower the deeper you get.

Ultimately, I had a good time with Twelve Minutes. It's a game that is able to usher forth a great narrative experience and a refreshing change of pace. It's one to give a whirl through Game Pass as while it won't be for everyone, it will connect with a lot of people.

The Wandering Village is a pretty game with good gameplay mechanics and ideas. The execution is a bit lacking in some minor areas, but the key aspects all succeed where they need to.

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.

Hitchhiker may not be a game that is able to give you all the answers you want, but it will take you on an incredible journal that focuses on relationships, love, life, and death. It's a story about everything and nothing... and it's brilliant.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is a blast from the past, and mostly in a good way. The dialogue is entertaining, the visuals splendid, the music catchy and the gameplay rock solid. However, some not insignificant technical issues and a fear of deviating from the source material hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles on Xbox Series X|S is a very pleasant experience. It’s a joyful game which will let you wander around to your heart's content, collecting things, talking to things, farming things, and wearing things. The non-threat of death or combat is a nice option to have, and that should ensure that this will make for a brilliant family friendly experience. When you include that the Xbox Series X|S version has the addition of fluid movement and some upgraded visuals over the Xbox One edition, and things get better still.

I have really enjoyed my time with this thoughtful, well written and brilliantly performed FMV game, but the deciding factor in that enjoyment comes from whether you want to watch characters deliver a strange story for 8 hours, without too much in the way of actual gameplay. For me though, that’s what makes The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker what it is.

Wordbreaker by POWGI isn’t just a solid Wordle clone, it is also one of the best POWGI games out on Xbox.

Despite its complexity and challenging learning curve, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a rewarding and engaging experience.

Songs of Silence is an excellent entry into the 4X and strategy genre, even more so when you consider that titles in this niche are relatively thin on the ground on consoles.

Quake II is a great value package, well priced and showered with love and care. It may not go on playlist rotation, but it’ll be hard to turn down a game of Quake II when asked.

For a real challenge, and for a quick blast when you have a few moments to kill, One Finger Death Punch 2 on Xbox One is perfection. It’s not the deepest game ever, but it’s not trying to be: it’s been designed to deliver fast, fun, furious martial arts mayhem, and as such it’s a success.

The Tale of Bistun is not a challenging game, but it's a worthwhile one because the world and story are outstanding.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants is bittersweet. Despite getting almost everything right, as did the base game, it’s hard not to feel short changed by the time the credits roll. Let’s pray Indy’s not about to hang his whip up anytime soon.

The lack of features brought by the Xbox Series X|S upgrade does not detract from the fun available in Star Trek Online, but you’ll need to look past the 2007 graphical style.

An investment is needed if you’re going to enjoy Black Skylands. You will need to push past some unorthodox controls not once but twice, as both the on-foot sections and the airship piloting are knotty and need unravelling. But if you persist, and push through the many attached systems, then you will uncover a treasure trove. From the world to the upgrades and story, Black Skylands is a never-ending source of things to do, see and blow up.

The puzzles can verge on the sublime, and the prospect of a season pass and new escape rooms makes us slobber with anticipation. We could arch an eyebrow at the story and controls, but ultimately it’s hard to escape just how clever Escape Academy is.

to a T is a wonderfully weird adventure whose unique visual style, inventive mechanics and wacky characters set it apart from anything else out there. It’s a game that embraces difference, both in its story and its design. If you want true escapism, then a trip with Teen and their fluffy canine companion around its charming seaside town is highly recommended.

I love something a bit different and adore those game developers who take risks. The makers of A Time Traveller's Guide To Past Delicacies do it in truckloads. This is a short, experimental journey into time and food; a journey that will make you smile.

For RTS enthusiasts this is most probably a must-purchase, sending them to heaven. Even for the newcomer - one who is after a challenge - Othercide is well worth a look.

Some of the mechanics in Farewell North struggle, especially those surrounding the platforming side of things, but that matters little when the game is capable of taking you on such an amazing journey; one person and their dog, visiting a magical place

Elliot on Xbox may not look like much at first, but if you give it a try you'll find a brutal platformer that can both entertain and frustrate for hours. The levels are massively creative and shockingly well-designed.

Rune Lord on Xbox One may be a short game, but there’s a lot of juice to squeeze from within. The increasingly difficult levels provide a great challenge that’ll have you hooked, however it does become a pain when you have to deal with levels that make you repeat a stage at least three times. With Rune Lord being a reasonable price at the Xbox Store, it’ll still be an excellent addition to your gaming library.

With a host of weapons to find and buy, lots of fun to be had fighting and an engaging, heart felt story to follow, Cricket: Jae’s Really Peculiar Game comes with a lot to recommend. It’ll certainly keep you playing, as the silly plot and enemies add to the charm of the game.

Retro in design and gameplay, don’t let that put you off Full Void. This is a game that is supremely addictive, as a brilliantly told tale of machines versus humans plays out. Complete with exciting gameplay that is simple but challenging at the same time, this is one of those that will stay with you long after it finishes.

Wildcat Gun Machine is sold as an “explosions rollercoaster” - you get on at the start, hold on tight, scream a bit, and then get off at the other end, shaking from the intensity of the experience.

Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom delivers an interesting adventure involving alchemy, transmutation recipes, mini-games and a new take on Hidden Object scenes.

The Golf Club 2 has been created for the golfer found in all of us. It is with that in which you’ll find a game that may initially seem as hard as nails, but with practice, and as your golfing skills improve, will allow you to see the full fruits of your labour.

If you’re a fan of WRC, want a new racer to keep things a little exciting and fancy pushing your car through some of the finest tracks in the world, then WRC 8 is probably going to be a good buy for you.

6Souls is not ‘different’, then. If we were feeling unfair, we would say that it’s a perfect median of all the 2D pixel-art platformers that came before it. But while 6Souls may not be different, it is often better. It takes things simply but confidently, and delivers a generous adventure that isn’t just competent - it’s ruddy good fun.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on Xbox you get a hell of a lot of game for your money. It’s a game in which you could easily spend hundreds of hours in, and then you can throw Warzone on top. It's a great package and one that provides a thoroughly enjoyable campaign, a deep multiplayer mode, and tons of the usual Call of Duty theatrics.

It may be a shooter, a platformer and a puzzler, but more importantly Squirrel with a Gun is absolutely nuts. Its shortcomings are more than made up for by the sheer amount of fun you’ll have playing as a squirrel, with a gun.

The tracks are cleverly made and it runs well, but Smurfs Kart needed far more than that to register a scoring position.

Hexapoda brings the retro shooter to the insect world, and the result is creepy, polished and a whole lot of fun. It finds the sweetest of sweet spots between difficult and possible, and hands you some ridiculous weapons to blow those sweet spots up. It’s well worth a flutter.

High On Life: High On Knife is not as funny as the base game, but it is just about as good in every other way.

The Great Perhaps will take you roughly three hours or so to finish, and it’s certainly possible to conclude it in one sitting. The puzzles can get tricky and you will need to experiment with the clues you find in both worlds in order to find success. But when you do find the solutions the feeling is hugely rewarding, and this in turn ensures that the journey is never frustrating.

It is really quite impressive how much traction qomp2 gets out of just two inputs, whilst the variety of traps and obstacles will keep anyone on their toes.

eFootball PES 2020 is a brilliant game offline that delivers plenty to do and exciting gameplay to be enjoyed. If it’s to be judged solely on playing against the A.I. and friends locally, PES 2020 on Xbox One is a must have. Sadly for Konami, the online side presents a slight dip in quality and the constant waiting to find a match is a pain, especially for the new Matchday mode.

SIMULACRA on Xbox One is a delightfully original game that tells a gripping tale; one that references modern living with a spine-chilling twist.

Draugen on Xbox One is a great piece of storybook gaming that is getting on close to being a must-buy. The story is a good one, covering a tale of intrigue, sadness, murder and jealously, all while set on the background of a deserted village separated from the rest of the world.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is a real love letter to the 90’s, in both style of game and content. This is clearly aimed at fans of the TV series, but even if you are unfamiliar, you’ll still have a great time.

Void Bastards is everything I want from an indie title. Excellent gameplay and level design, intelligent writing and lore-building, an innovative art style and an addictive gameplay loop to finish – the latter of which doesn’t get old quickly despite its rogue-like nature.

Pinocchio's return to the Xbox with Lies of P: Overture is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s great to get extra content for the brilliant base game, and the look, feel and fighting of the DLC is all top notch. However, camera issues and a steep difficulty may put players off.

Although I, Robot is long forgotten or unknown by many, Jeff Minter and Llamasoft have done a brilliant job of bringing this hugely important game back into the spotlight, whilst adding their signature touch.

If you enjoyed the base game of Inertial Drift, then more content is always welcome. And if you never played it the first time around, the addition of the Twilight Rivals content means it is a good time to jump in, if only as it is capable of providing a fun diversion to the norm.

The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters on Xbox One may be a direct follow up to the original The Coma but I feel it has improved on it in every way, all without radically changing the format. New locations, new characters, and some extra scares make for a game that fans of the franchise, and horror in general, should go and buy.

If you’re a football fan there’s a load of fun to be had with this game and Madden NFL 20 is a solid experience with a massive improvement over last year’s offering.

World of Warships: Legends delivers another fantastic showing from the ‘World of’ series on console and ensures that players have an engaging and accessible title that can be enjoyed for hours on end.

Exit the Gungeon on Xbox One is a good game; not quite up to par with Enter the Gungeon but still fun. But I also think it can only be truly enjoyed if you’ve played the original. The caveat is that you might not enjoy Exit the Gungeon as much, which can lead to it feeling like a disappointment.

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House is an intriguing change of scenery that leans fully into the survival horror experience. It may not reach the heady heights of the source material, but passes the baton on for what promises to be an exciting future for the Remedy Connected Universe.

It’s fast, fun, can be enjoyed by yourself or with friends online, and has enough customisation and track variation to keep me entertained for hours to come. It could have been improved by real bikes and a greater variation in music, but this is a minor chink in the armour of this wonderful game.

Flooded is a unique take on the city building genre; a game that can hold your attention for several hours with ease.

The visuals are excellent, as is the design and overall tone of the piece. There are moments where the gameplay becomes a bit tricky, and the logic required doesn’t always make sense, but it is very cheap and that allows you to take a gamble on it; it’s certainly well worth the asking price.

If stealth-based games are not your cup of tea, then Mark of the Ninja is unlikely to sway your mind. On the other hand, for those who prefer slow-paced gameplay with an ample amount of stealth mechanics, it will deliver an exceptionally enjoyable experience.

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

While While We Wait Here isn't always smooth, but its storytelling is exemplary. The narrative is strange, eerie, and full of surprises and I admire the developers' willingness to experiment with different gameplay mechanics and their effective use of old-school visuals.

If you like your games to come with a slower, more relaxing pace, then Scarf will happily tick boxes. The world is a pleasant one and the gameplay is simple, but it all comes together to deliver enough of a challenge.

Genshin Impact is a good game; not a perfect one, but far from bad. There are a ton of things to get involved in, the co-op gameplay is appealing, and the overall loop will really suck you in, providing a proper challenge.

With an improved matchmaking system on offer, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition provides a truly exceptional title that shows just how well an RTS title can work on console, bringing all the quality of the Halo franchise to the table in a strategic and interesting way, and adding a new level of immersion to the series for newcomers and veterans alike.

The tone, and the story it tells, is done in a superb manner and whilst the controls can get clunky at times and some of the level design is occasionally annoying, if you can get over that then you’ll want to take a deep breath, hold your nose and discover the secrets of Anoxemia.

You won’t be disappointed by The Alters. It’s a game that is very much unlike any other, full of space dramas, micro-management, and the need to keep a host of clones happy. It's complex, nuanced and full of surprises.

Zero Strain on Xbox One is a high quality top down shooter that has all the essentials that a game from the genre needs - the replayability, the challenge, and the engaging gameplay. Besides some minor setbacks, this can satisfy even the most white knuckled gamer and for the price that’s asked, it’s more than a good deal for the fun that it can offer.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 on Xbox One is another solid compilation of games guaranteed to make you laugh. You’ll struggle to enjoy the full extent of what this bundle has to offer without getting your mates round, however if you do you’ll struggle to find a more entertaining way to spend an evening.

We suspect that Ravenlok will see a fair amount of criticism for its lack of depth and length. Its dimensions are a little limited. But we drink a bottle that says ‘bite me’: Ravenlok is a waltz through Wonderland that you won’t regret. Embrace the lightweight combat and puzzles and follow the path and see where it leads you. The journey is well worth it.

Century: Age of Ashes is an undeniably fun time. From the gorgeous graphics to the fun gameplay to the decently fair monetization, there is a lot to love here.

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.

Railway Empire – Northern Europe on Xbox One is another solid entry in the DLC market for Railway Empire, a game that has already given fans and train enthusiasts a ton of content. The price is pretty good for something that gives you a whole new map to play with, new engines, new routes and stuff to trade, but I do believe that in order to completely enjoy everything you’ll need to be hugely dedicated to the game.

The Thing: Remastered gives a classic game a welcome facelift, and the thrill ride stands up well today, even if some of the original ideas feel a bit underdeveloped by today's standards.

Like the original, Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers is a long, protracted visual-novel cuddle with some extremely endearing characters

Outriders on Xbox is a great game, almost despite itself. The decision to include cooperative opportunities instead of working with a nailed on PvP mode is a great choice. The story is engaging, gameplay works very well and the Expeditions are just about challenging enough. In fact, People Can Fly have ensured that shooting, looting and running away from powerful monsters has never been so much fun.

All things considered, Giga Wrecker Alt. is still one of the better Metroidvania-styled 2D action-adventures on Xbox One and so I’d seriously think about grabbing it.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake and the Xbox Series X|S upgrade updates the classic for a new generation. It’s the best way to play the game, unless you know where one of those old arcade cabinets is stashed.

Novel Rogue is a decent excursion from the usual KEMCO fare, and is well worth a look. The weak storytelling is offset by the deep card based fighting system, and the game as a whole works well.

Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars on Xbox One is perfect for the strategy nuts out there, and may just win over a few others too. It still needs a bit of patching up in places, but underneath it all there's an enjoyable experience on offer that provides longevity thanks to its well constructed gameplay.

Monster Hunter Rise isn’t quite Monster Hunter: World. And that’s partly because Rise doesn’t offer too much in the way of new things, and what is here suffers graphically in comparison.

Okinawa Rush on Xbox is a welcome retro style romp, one which features an enthralling fighting system set within a challenging action platformer adventure. Some of its many ideas may occasionally clash with each other, but the experience as a whole is far greater than the sum of its various moving parts.

Yes it has some serious pacing issues and the long conversations where you don’t seem to be doing much can grate. But the gameplay is solid, with some interesting extras and it still looks very pretty indeed.

Better late than never, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1’s arrival on Xbox is well overdue. But it is also most welcome. The first game lays some great foundations for subsequent chapters and we can hope that they don’t take as long to arrive on Xbox.

If you love the mythological setting, sweet new armour sets and ability to turn into a bird, then Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök may be one of the best expansions in the series.

Tetris Forever is a beautifully crafted, utterly fascinating and surprisingly educational love letter to one of the most significant video games ever created, warts and all.

This is it. World of Solitaire is the Solitaire game on Xbox that so many of us have been waiting for. It comes with intuitive controls that suit the pad, no unnecessary frills, and five of the best Solitaire variants that you can play. Layer on a neat battle pass-like system (don’t worry, there’s no whiff of MTX here), and you have pure Solitaire goodness.

NAIAD surprised me with its originality. The relaxing nature of the early levels, combined with the gradual introduction of environmental challenges and the Naiad's evolving abilities, creates a compelling experience.

Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe on Xbox is more than just a video game based on a popular YouTube channel; it’s an amalgamation of all things that made gaming in the NES era so special and timeless.

The second season of the Atari Recharged series is off to a flyer with Gravitar: Recharged. Whilst it wouldn’t have been top of the reboot list for many, due to it not being as popular as others, it certainly has the ability to win over new fans.

Strike Force Kitty on Xbox swallowed up our attention for hours on end, and those hours were great.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is an incredibly fun game that’ll have you exploring every nook and cranny. Not because an achievement or completionist rating that tells you to do so, but because you will want to.

Tales of Bayun is a great example of artistry in games. It’s full of beautiful visuals and comes complete with an incredible soundtrack, all while telling a dark fairytale with some brilliant characters.

I can’t do anything but recommend getting stuck into this very good start to Batman: The Enemy Within, especially if you enjoyed season one. Big things are coming and it’ll only get better.

LEGO Speed Champions content is a worthy addition to the Forza Horizon 4 racing juggernaut. It’s bright, colourful, zinging with life – albeit plastic life with jigging Mini Figs – and most of all is a fun place to take in.

GRADIUS ORIGINS does what it says on the tin. It allows us to play all the Gradius and Gradius adjacent games in one place, either toughing it out or wimping out with the new features.

The charm of the world, and in particular the cuteness of the Slimes, makes the game a pleasure to play, and there is a surprising amount of depth in the title with the breeding/evolving mechanic.

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.

Lumini on Xbox One is a fabulous game with a lovely and creative premise that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. You will find yourself partaking in a relaxing, almost zen-like experience over the two or so hours you will be playing this for.

RWBY: Arrowfell is a lot of fun, with a real urge to not only follow the story through but to explore every inch of the game world. The difficulty is set a tad on the easy side, without a doubt, but it is still fun to fight the foes and figure out new strategies to utilise the various powers of the girls.