The story of Genso Chronicles is good, and the gameplay is satisfyingly grindy, with the creation of a better weapon delivering quite a decent feeling. The bond system is a bit strange though, but then, it’s always nice to have something different in a KEMCO game.

Tenderfoot Tactics is one of those games that must be tried at some point in your gaming career. I loved the lack of a linear guideline, left with the ability to just explore and wander.

Birth, in all of its grotesque beauty, is an unholy delight. It’s a diorama, a series of scenes, that we could tinker with endlessly.

Aery - Stone Age is a poor example of a deteriorating game series. While it might have dodged the bullet of a game-breaking bug, it gets mown down by copy-paste levels, poor collectible placement, and a complete lack of anything resembling the Stone Age.

If it wasn’t for the control scheme, Unlife could well have had something about it. The story and atmosphere are good, creating tension and astonishment as you explore the underground world. But whilst there are some translation problems with the text, it’s in how it controls where the biggest issues sit.

Not everything that Argonauts Agency 4: Glove of Midas touches turns to gold, but the hand is at least capable of a soothing, cozy massage.

Boxville may be a world of soggy cardboard boxes and rusty cans, but we found ourselves climbing right in. It’s an absorbing place to be, and point-and-clicking our way through its many situations was a joy.

Before PlateUp! released, I never would’ve thought that running a restaurant would make for a fun roguelite game, but I am glad it has proved me wrong. While it is a fun game to play by yourself, it really shines when you add a couple of friends to the mix. There are a few hiccups, but otherwise PlateUp! is a great game that is well worth playing.

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.

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

Argonauts Agency 3: Chair of Hephaestus is the worst entry in the best series of 8floor resource-management games. It averages out at around ‘meh’.

Return to Grace is like reading a great book in one sitting, or watching a comforting film on a Sunday afternoon. It’s not going to wow, nor show much that is new or fresh, but what it is capable of telling is an absorbing story in three hours with some excellent writing and voice-over.

Teppo and The Secret Ancient City is an average platformer that doesn’t do anything drastically wrong, but fails to stand out from the crowd.

The sheer amount of content and level numbers will keep you going for a decent while, but you may just find that once you've battled your way through the four-screened puzzle hell of Quadroids, you'll be content to leave it be, safe in the knowledge that you've just taken in an uber unique little puzzler.

Skull and Bones is a live service game that has arrived in a world where that kind of trend seems to be dying. There’s no doubt that it starts off great, but very soon it all becomes a bit of a grind, not helped by a weak story and too much time at sea.

Pirate Bloopers is more-ish fun, until the more-ish becomes less-ish. We found our interest waning, as the repeated levels and the lack of persistent rewards took their toll.

You’d be hard-pushed to find a game as rammed with choices, and as deep as Choice of Life: Middle Ages 2. Is that enough for a purchase? The choice, appropriately, is yours.

This is not a masterpiece. Nor is it the port of Snake that you might have wanted or expected. But while Super Snake Block DX might not be the most cerebral of entertainment, for a couple of hours it has a grip that is hard to shake.

Emulating Space Invaders was always going to be a challenge, mainly because some bells and whistles were needed to update that classic for a modern audience. But SHMUP Mania goes the other way. It takes things out, making a minimalist game even more minimalist, and the result is a snooze ’em up that you can safely ignore. ‘Mania’ indeed.

Balatro is unique in that when you aren’t playing it, you’re thinking about it. And when you are playing Balatro, you’re really thinking about it.

The independent pieces of Prisonela DX are great. The music slaps, the art does a strong job, bolstered by some dynamic visual effects. The levels themselves are dopamine hits translated into spinning blades and precise platforms. The fault lines appear in the translation to a roguelike. Prisonela DX’s bones are snapped and cracked to fit it to this new shape, and the result becomes less than the sum of those parts.

Promenade is a lovingly crafted platformer that may catch you off guard. I went in with no real expectations, and as a result ended up being pleasantly surprised every step of the way.

Geometry Survivor is a great hit for a few hours, as you embrace nostalgia, enjoy modern touches and go all-in with the intensity it brings. But the second you nail a victorious run, and gather up the Gamerscore offered, any desire to go back for further runs will disappear in a shower of neon and bullets.

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.

Mustache in Hell is the very definition of middle of the road. It isn’t the worst twin stick shooter, but it does commit an almost unforgivable sin in the world of video games - it is just bland

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

The Inquisitor is an entertaining game; you don't get many single-player experiences like this anymore. It's ambitious and unique too, but ultimately it is just too rough around the edges to hit the highest heights.

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.

With just over two hours of running time, Dr. Frank's Build a Boyfriend will entertain, delivering a charming story of revenge and necromancy. If you fancy being a mad scientist and are up for building a boyfriend, then this little game could be right up your alley.

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.

Thanks to a finely-tuned combat system, Anomaly Agent is a solid beat ’em up throwback that’s, in many ways, better than the retro titles that inspire it.

If you are a fan of the series, Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash is an easy sell. Being able to actually take part in pivotal battles from the manga and anime is good fun, and the story appears to be gripping and easy to follow. But for the good, there’s some bad and the online side of things needs some attention - the lag is a real issue in a fast paced fighting game. Thank god for the co-op which works well, then.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters will keep you interested. The story arc is very enjoyable and keeps you pressing forward to see what is going to happen, whilst the managing of your ship is a lot like trying to keep a load of plates spinning. It’s all helped by the fact that the combat is suitably brutal and visceral.

Completing the puzzles in A Little to the Left does provide some enjoyment, and we have always wanted to return to the game each time to tackle more. However, it does not offer the relaxing ‘switch off your brain’ kind of experience that you might expect in a self-titled cozy game.

Invector: Rhythm Galaxy may well appeal to many, especially those who previously loved the AVICII instalment. But a boring campaign story, mechanical issues, and a track roster that will split opinions will all need to be overlooked.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft has to be thought of as a game of its time, not a modern release. When you take into account that context you can truly appreciate just how brilliant these three adventures still are.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a bit of a mixed bag. A top-notch diversified combat system coupled with top-shelf presentation is weighed down by some questionable narrative choices and incredibly repetitive mission design.

Edge of Reality is a short game and your first playthrough will be done and dusted in just over an hour or two, depending on how fast you read.

Ikkarus and the Prince of Sin may well surprise you, especially if you come to it expecting a ton of reading and nothing else. The story is charming, fun and original, honouring some Dungeons and Dragons roots whilst not being afraid to be playful with the format.

Speed Crew manages to feel different enough despite opting for a tried and tested format. Solo or with friends, everyone can have fun with this one.

We’d encourage you to get a ticket to Irem Collection Volume 1. It’s stupidly exhaustive, fully featured, and burns brightly with stellar ideas. You might not need to play every game in this collection, but it would feel far less complete without them.

Perhaps the opening moments of Airhead are a bit bewildering and the latter puzzles are rock hard, but as an overall experience, Airhead is a blast.

Chemically Bonded found our weak spot and jammed fingernails into it for three hours. We don’t imagine that it will be this painful for everyone: you might have a greater resistance to what we found to be aimless descriptions, rambling plotting and terrible voice-acting. But reviews are opinions, and our opinion is that you could randomly pick pretty much any other visual novel and feel less tortured than we were in Chemically Bonded.

For fans of the recent DOOM games, BPM: Bullets Per Minute and Metal: Hellsinger, Warstride Challenges is very much in the same vein: Heavy weaponry against aliens that are wanting to be blown to pieces all whilst some tasty metal rings through your eardrums.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden may well surprise you - in a good way. It includes way more than you may expect, the story and the world are fascinating, and it plays extremely well indeed. It isn’t perfect, but it’s obvious that Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has been made with a passion that will be appreciated.

Phantom Abyss is a valiant attempt at trying something a bit different, but Version 1.0 still has the feel of a game needing a bit more content. The asynchronous side of things is a novel addition for multiplayer, but it isn’t obvious what it brings to the table; playing these temples ‘live’ against friends would probably be more exciting

The blasting action on offer in Metal Mind is fast and furious, while the random nature of the power ups you find makes getting a decent build feel more luck than judgement. But use that creation to go taking enemies apart and you’ll be hit with a good feeling.

If you want a short burst of fun and some mini arcade action, then Turret Rampage does the job. The action is fast and furious, coming across like spinning a ton of plates that are on fire. Perhaps it needs more levels, even for the low price that is being asked, but it’ll mostly be the easy achievements that gamers will go hunting down.

If you are looking for a slice of gaming nostalgia, Alisa Developer’s Cut will hit the spot, but be aware that the controls take an awful lot of getting used to.

The core gameplay, the huge number of unlockables and the variety in weapons, traits and skills combined with the fast action ensure Brotato is up there with the genre leaders.

If you are a gamer of a certain age, Dead Tomb will be like slipping on a pair of rose tinted spectacles and stepping back in time. If not, this is a glimpse back into days of yore, and while the achievements are given far too easily, the gameplay and challenge is real.

The narrative and setup of the main game must both be applauded and this means Cannibal Abduction will be of appeal to hardcore retro fans.

If you have an aversion to the whole roguelite and roguelike scene, you should be fine with Starward Rogue. It isn’t a game that has the same hook as some of the best twin-stick shooters out there, but there is still enjoyment to be had.

Be sure that there is a challenge on offer in GINSHA. If that’s your bag, then knock yourself out.

Think of Grotto as a comment on how worlds and civilisations are controlled and you’ll look at the night sky with an altogether different set of eyes.

The story and narrative of Tardy will keep you going. It's a pulpy thrill ride across a planet with AI at the forefront and themes of friendship and companionship mixed in.

Witch Rise doesn’t do anything drastically wrong, but it doesn’t do anything particularly exciting either. It’s a solid little game which will keep you busy for a couple of hours if you’ve a few quid to spend. Basically put, Witch Rise is a short and sweet adventure which has its charm, despite being incredibly easy to play.

The story, world building, characters, and sound design are where Song of Nunu excels. If you are looking to fill a day with a fun story with a vibrant backdrop and silly characters, then Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is definitely worth picking up.

Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery is an entertaining way to spend three or four hours. The cases are sublimely ridiculous, the characters surprisingly well-rounded, despite having so little dialogue, and the gameplay is extremely simple.

Go and play Persona 3 Reload; a truly stunning game. The gameplay and story are still as good as ever, and the way that it is presented now means that it is no longer all mouth and no trousers. If you have the slightest interest in PRGs, you need to play Persona 3 Reload.

Play through Devil Inside Us: Roots of Evil and you’ll discover many ‘firsts’. You may never have played a game in which you take on the role of an ageing priest, and rarely will you be found using a cross to expel the demonic world. But it mostly works well, especially when you are exploring the world and the story.

While I think triggering nostalgia is part of what Saga of the Moon Priestess wants to accomplish, it feels like a net loss when the game it inspires you to think about is the one you end up wanting to play more.

PAYDAY 3 is sadly a classic case of style over substance. It’s a “by the numbers” FPS whose uninspiring offer struggles to distinguish it from the competition.

With plenty of customisation, a plethora of levels and ease of entry, there's no doubt you should be stumbling towards Stumble Guys. But if the lack of polish and server errors continue, this one may stumble in more ways than intended.

There’s no doubt that War Hospital will have you considering the heroic medical teams of the time, inspired to think more about the support units in war time. But as a game, it’s hard to want to play through that experience.

Kitten Hero isn’t particularly impressive, but gets it right for the most part. The fact that cats are front and centre, may just make it stand out a little more in a crowded market.

For all its simplicity, for all its lowest denominator action, Guts ‘n Grunts is kickass. We ploughed through level after level with giblets on our face, and stopped only to tick off some objectives on our clipboard. If you want brainless Contra fun, accept no substitute.

‘Ultra’ is probably overstating it, but any lover of Contra, Mega-Man and Metal Slug will find plenty of value from their purchase of Ultracore.

Whale Peak Games have done a great job in the creation of Go Mecha Ball. A unique game that mixes genres that probably shouldn’t ever be mixed, it turns out to be highly successful. If you want a pinball fix with a twin-stick shooting twist, this is one that should keep you going for a while.

There is a great game hidden away in Rising Lords, with lots of options to play through and a good story. The resource side of things is easy to grasp, taking care of itself after a while and whilst the battle system is rock hard, when it clicks, it all makes sense.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is more of the same, but it really is a whole lot more, and that more is created with real care.

Lil’ Guardsman surpassed our expectations - it exists in a beautiful and engaging world and is a rare game that manages to be just challenging enough to keep you interested. We’ve even come away with better deduction skills

While Nephenthesys isn’t the longest game ever, if you want to gather up all 2000 Gamerscore on offer, it will not be the work of a moment.

RGG Studio have described Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as their “magnum opus”. Previously, that term had been used to describe Yakuza 5, which felt like a massive game at the time. That is however a game that pales in comparison to Infinite Wealth. The content within is incredible and of such a high standard; it really is quite astounding just how much is in here.

It is hard to argue against the fighting action being and looking superb in Tekken 8. A decent amount of new features will try and get newcomers interested, but they don’t feel too intrusive that veterans will feel like they need to re-learn new characters either. Both the Story and Arcade Quest mode could have been handled better, which for two of the headline features is disappointing. But the actual fighting is the best it’s been in Tekken; the cinematic moments are a real plus point as you get a brief second to appreciate how good this game looks.

Howl doesn’t really bring anything to the table that we haven’t seen hundreds of times before. It is fun, but not exactly a challenging strategy game; you can brute force your way through a level by simple trial and error. Howl is, however, gorgeous - and it may be worth the admission price for that alone.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy may well be an acquired taste, but it remains one of the most absorbing text based adventures out there.

The Spy Who Shot Me is fine, but it doesn't feel very polished and it failed to hit the funny bone I was looking for in terms of humour. I also found the gameplay and mission structure a bit too old school. In fact, it grew tiresome at times.

The controls make Fearmonium just a little bit harder than it needs to be, and the map is quite unclear as to where you have and haven’t been. Other than that though, Fearmonium is pretty good. It may not set the world on fire, but the style is enough to make it interesting.

Tools Up! Ultimate Edition is the best place for first time players, there’s no doubt about it. Although it’s not too complex and suitable for all ages, it’s still good fun to play for a while, at least before its repetitive nature starts to creep in.

With an upgrade system in place that allows you to power up your weapons and armour by using items that are not in use, and many side quests to find and complete, there is a lot to keep you busy in Knights of Grayfang.

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2 is very much a continuation of the first game; much more evolution than revolution. Yet while it isn’t a bad game, it does seem to run out of ideas quite quickly.

It's great to see the Prince of Persia franchise back in the public eye once more, especially with The Lost Crown paying homage to the original 1989 game. A twenty-hour running time does feel a tad long, but everything else - from the combat to the world exploration - is a delight.

Mecha: Bravely Edition is a lot of fun. The multiplayer side of things is a bit throwaway, and instead the story mode should be seen as the main draw. The movement and fighting is good, the development of your mecha is decent, and apart from weird niggles, this a solid entry into the side scrolling genre.

You’ll enjoy your time with Turnip Boy a lot more on the second go around in Turnip Boy Robs a Bank.

If you loved the other games in the series, then Bahnsen Knights is a must-buy. And honestly, if you haven't experienced this trilogy yet, you should do so.

It seems that the developers of Coral Island have chosen the best bits from a veritable smorgasbord of farm and life sim games. It has the charm of Animal Crossing, the relationship building of My Time at Sandrock, the farming of Stardew Valley and the look of The Sims, all with the addition of a narrative that will keep you engaged enough to overlook the monotony of clearing garbage piles.

The story of Re.Surs is deep and spiralling whilst the narrative strikes a good tone, both in its serious moments and the comedic ones. Mostly the gameplay is fun too, but Re.Surs can feel punishing

If you should be in the market for a stylish platformer, you’ve found it in the shape of Cookie Cutter. It’s one of the best indie games of recent times.

There are upwards of twenty hours of game time in Punch Club 2: Fast Forward, depending on how eager you are to rise through the fighting ranks. Just don’t expect to be pressing buttons all that often.

Sea of Stars manages to modernise a dated formula by raising the bar for all future 2D RPGs. It’s a whopping slice of nostalgia pie with a beautiful art style and engaging gameplay.

Paperman: Adventure Delivered presents a cute story with some fun characters and a colourful world to explore. Yet whilst there are some good puzzles and the inclusion of cooperative play, the mechanics are not as intuitive as other games in the genre.

As a survival game that is free to download and play, LEGO Fortnite is a great proposition. There is a lot to take in, be it exploring, fighting, collecting resources or generally surviving. Perhaps it won’t convert the haters, and it doesn’t have the same hook as the masterpiece that is Minecraft, but there is still a lot of fun to be had here.

I know it is an old game reworked, and many do have a hankering for the retro, but it’s hard to make a case for Blade of Darkness being the game to advance the case of the old getting remastered.

SokoWinter is a good puzzle game with a decent degree of depth. Expect the difficulty to rise, along with the amount of brain power required to solve what SokoWinter can throw at you. But ultimately, if you want a nice relaxing experience, SokoWinter is the game for you.

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.

If you like a challenge, the difficulty found in Shinorubi is real, moving all the way up to “Super Hard”. For many, that should just be left to the gaming ninjas as anyone who can beat this must have some octopus DNA in their system.

The engaging cutscenes that take us through this stunning world, introducing the main character, should be enough to hook you into The Library of Babel. But the main problem the game has is found in the mechanics.