Horror Tale 1: Kidnapper is a good experience; a likeable stealth game that is fun to play for a couple of hours. Horror fans should expect the themes to be more in line with a PG than any 18-rated hardcore action, but it works well.

Varney Lake is a charming addition to an interesting game franchise. Seeing returning characters come back with a fresh new story to tell, working an X-Files and Stranger Things vibe, isn’t a bad thing at all.

From the premise alone, Ayre and the Crystal Comet raised interest levels, but from there, things go wrong. The lack of combat and action is a worry, and that means this very much comes in line with the likes of the Aery and Life of Fly series of games. But that’s not helped by the fact that Ayre and the Crystal Comet can occasionally verge into the unplayable; buggy and putting you off completion.

Ultimately, we liked the levels in Light of Life, but hated the controls. It’s not that the controls are inaccurate or slippy; the problem is in the concept. We found that using a bow and arrow to dash backwards through a level is just as unnatural and confusion-inducing as sitting backwards on a train.

The story and over-the-top action are what makes Mia and the Dragon Princess the fun thriller of a game that it is. But it’s also a game that will ensure you want to unlock all the story outcomes, and the shorter running time aids this achievement as well. However, the gameplay doesn’t move anything on too much and it could do with some more tricks up its sleeve; much like some competitors have tried.

Grindstone represents the absolute zenith of puzzling, and you should bump and grind against its smooth edges as soon as the opportunity presents itself. One hour will lead to another, and soon it will be three weeks later. You have been warned (but do it anyway).

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.

Through sheer force of enthusiasm, Swordbreaker: Origins smooshes all its half-baked elements together and somehow, miraculously, creates something that we find hard to put down. Blame that node map: we have a borderline obsessive need to find every death, every choice, that is represented on it. Wait, what happens if you bring the freeze spell to the lake?

Redfall is a competent action shooter - the only problem is that the market is filled with other options that do things a bit better. It is one to download and try on Game Pass, especially if you have a few friends willing to play co-op mode. You may well be best off waiting for a patch or two in order to get a more optimal experience. Out the gate, Redfall just doesn’t spark joy.

Meet Your Maker will quite possibly exceed your expectations. You may find it delivers a rough start, as you are hand held through the basics and then abandoned, but stick with it and something a bit special comes from repeated plays - beating an outpost after multiple failed attempts always feels a bit good.

Stray Blade has a lot to recommend. The protagonists are likeable enough, the story is good and the action pretty cool, but the rough edges take the shine off. With a bit more polish this could have been a contender, but as it is, it will have to be satisfied with a middle of the road mark. There is fun to be had here, but frustration in seemingly equal amounts.

Given the steep price point, it’s hard to recommend the Williams Pinball: Twilight Zone table for Pinball FX to anyone except ardent fans of the TV show or those with love for the classic machines.

Catacomb Master is not a bad deal. You get one, maybe two hours of leisurely platforming and puzzle-solving, with 1000 Gamerscore in your pocket before you’ve gotten comfortable on the sofa.

Whilst it’s clear that a lot of effort went into Curse of the Sea Rats, the game really needs a significant amount of fine tuning. Similarly, there are a variety of great ideas included within it, but these need expanding on and fleshing out further to ensure this one turns into something that is truly brilliant. At present, Curse of the Sea Rats simply feels unremarkable.

Two Point Campus: School Spirits offers more of the high quality content we’ve come to expect from Two Point Campus. This time around it feels like the formula has been tweaked a little more than previously, rather than simply slapping a new skin on the action.

Even though Cannon Dancer - Osman stands up well today, ultimately it’s not much more than a straight-up re-release. Although it will no doubt please a niche target audience, you'll have to spend substantially more than your spare change for the pleasure of playing.

We haven’t played many Old Testament platformers with a hint of Altered Beast, so Saga of Sins tops that particular league table. But against all our other criteria, Saga of Sins is merely passable.

A platform speedrunner might find something in Dashing Orange. It’s an obstacle course for that player, in the same way a Spartan Run is for a jogger. But in our case, we wanted to give up repeatedly on Dashing Orange. This little orange was not for us.

We were on a run of some rather naff visual novels, so praise be for DoraKone. It’s short but sugary sweet, and its writers and designers have taken great care to make sure the hour-or-so of gameplay is endearing and polished. Plus, it’s a lesbian dating sim that uses Pokémon GO for inspiration. How could any visual novel enthusiast say no?

Strayed Lights’ pacifist, parry-led combat felt out of reach at first, but then we found the rhythms of it. We were switching colours on cue, like a mobile rave. We weren’t sold on some visual telegraphing, and the exploration could do with some spit and polish, but everything else here is immaculate. So, treat your fingertips and let Strayed Lights brighten up your evenings.

Farm Sliders is a simple game, with a simple premise, and simple presentation. And who’s to say that this isn’t what we need in our increasingly frenetic lives? For a quick pick up and play, five minute gaming session, it is hard to think of another game that would be as much fun, and quite so relaxing.

It’s not often that we finish a visual novel and immediately start jotting down some better endings. But that’s the effect Weeping Willow had on us. It’s a mystery box with a soggy twig inside.

RunBean Galactic feels like a toy rather than a game, something you might pick up and dabble with for a couple of minutes before putting it back down. It’s elegant but depthless. When you consider how many ways that RunBean Galactic could have filled out the experience, you wonder why it didn’t shoot for the stars, rather than making do and staying bean-sized.

Crypt of the NecroDancer Pinball is a Pinball FX table that’s going to be loved by fans of the game and enjoyed greatly by everyone else.

Nuclear Blaze is a short and sweet game that can take up a chunk of your day if you feel like trying something new. The collectibles and challenge mode difficulty will extend your playtime if you choose to go that route. On the other hand, even people who aren’t good at platformers will find Nuclear Blaze accessible, what with its range of difficulty modifiers.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is perhaps the best thing to come out of the Star Wars franchise since Disney took over.

Afterimage is one of those games in which you’ll need to actively switch between different weapons based on the boss you are up against, because almost all of them feel good to use depending on the situation. While I found the exploration to be a bit tedious at times, I kept wanting to come back to discover more about the world and Afterimage as a whole.

If you are looking to play some baseball, MLB The Show 23 is 100% the first option to pick. It has game modes galore with control schemes to suit any kind of player. The presentation is absolutely fantastic and the in-game help can turn most players into proficient bat swinging monsters.

Ghostwire: Tokyo can be a mixed bag. Occasionally brilliant, it follows that up with lacklustre sections and clunky mechanics.

Are you ready for an addiction? DECEIVE INC. may well provide it. How long that feeling will last is debatable but there’s no doubt that this one will grab you at some point. Perhaps the real test will be with the online community though as whilst the servers keep busy, there is a great future for DECEIVE INC.

Not for Broadcast is an amazing FMV achievement. Fans of the genre should most definitely check this one out as it delivers ambitious humour. Funny, charming, and brilliantly performed, Not for Broadcast sets a high bar and I can't wait to see what follows it.

DE:EXIT – Eternal Matters is a very pleasant surprise. The world on offer is brilliant, rich for exploration and complemented with relaxing gameplay. The story is good too, especially in terms of the writing and brilliant characters.

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.

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.

It goes without saying that if you liked the original Vampire Survivors (and pretty much everyone who has played it probably does), then grabbing Tides of the Foscari is a complete no-brainer. If you haven’t tried it yet, jump in without fail.

I can safely say that Sifu on Xbox has been well worth the wait. The martial arts action is absolutely great, with some seriously brutal action to enjoy. The combat is hard, extremely so, and the bosses are on a whole new level, but the feeling you get when you master the fighting is nothing short of amazing.

Infinite Guitars is a blast to play, fusing rhythm action moments and RPG elements into something enjoyable. It is not perfect - there are issues with running around, as the perspectives are a little off, and there are a couple of little glitches, but overall this is well worth a play.

Guns N’ Runs - at heart a simple concept, but one that is executed well and is still very challenging.

You should find a good deal of fun in Rooftop Renegade. It isn’t going to set the gaming world alight, but it is fast and challenging whilst the multiplayer mode brings a little bit of creativity into the game.

If you are desperate for a roguelike game, I’m pretty sure there are hundreds out there that are better than EvilUP. Avoidance is my heartfelt advice.

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 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.

Our time with Bumballon was something like being fired out of a cannon. At first, we enjoyed the sights and marveled at the speed. We were flying. But then we realised where we were heading. We came crashing down to earth in a mangled mess of frustration, impatience and a complete lack of control of our fate.

Inscryption diminishes the more you know about it, so arrive completely blind if you can. Just know that we haven’t been this thrilled by a game for a long time, and we want to quicken the heart of as many people as possible by recommending it. Buy Inscryption, then pass it on. Keep the bloody chain going. Pay it forward.

Ultra Pixel Survive is fun in short blasts, and getting a good defence set-up going is pretty satisfying. However, even with the low asking price in mind, you may still feel a little short changed. In fact, if you want to play a survival game featuring building, I’d suggest Minecraft.

What is important is that Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story is a tight shoot ’em up. Not only that, but it’s packing four-player couch co-op and an incredible number of weapons. Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story, against the odds, is a game to relish.

King of the Arcade is missing a ‘why?’. Why are you returning to the games? Why should you persist through endlessly repeating levels? King of the Arcade can’t find a half-answer. Global leaderboards, hard-fought achievements or CPU rivals would have at least rewarded our persistence. But King of the Arcade is too busy creating game after game to care.

Billy 101 too often opts for some simple dodging and shooting, and it’s not particularly great at either. Like Billy himself, we wanted to blow everything up and start again, rebuilding it with a focus on the puzzles that it is perfectly capable of doing well.

Multiple playthroughs are an essential part of Murderous Muses. One run-through may take you a few hours, but the next time you come to it, you’ll no doubt discover a totally different experience, with differing elements and clues.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories. It’s a glorious distraction, and while it might not come with supposed necessities like gameplay and difficulty, it managed to keep us glued to our controller for a solid five hours. We implore you to feed your melon addiction and give it a go.

Sadly, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly can’t match up to its predecessor. It lacks the emotional impact of the first game that meant it stuck with you long after completion. There are still some very touching moments towards the end, depending on how you choose to play it, and the additional endings are welcome, but this reunion of old friends and acquaintances is lacking the same spark that the first game had to spare.

Sure, there’s a zombie apocalypse happening, but Dead Island 2 might be the most fun end-of-days yet. The dark humour, gratuitous violence and sandbox-esque playground of LA allows you to come up with some beautiful and brutal zombie kills.

Small technicalities aside, Resident Evil 4 on Xbox Series X|S is a wonderfully recreated thrill ride from start to finish. Capcom have struck a perfect balance that should keep both veteran players and newbies happy.

Unless you’re a hardcore fan of hidden object puzzle adventures, Demon Hunter: Chronicles from Beyond isn’t worth your consideration. Actually, it’’ll be a hard sell even if you are a fan.

Not that it is recommended on a golf course, but EA have knocked it out of the park with EA SPORTS PGA TOUR. It is a welcome return for a series that no longer needs a golfing legend to grace the cover. And long overdue it has been too. The 2K PGA games have had us covered in recent years but there will only be room for one golf franchise going forward. Welcome back to the club, EA.

Loop Hero is perfectly pitched for DLC; we will get our fold-out chairs and camp out days before to make sure we get them day-one. Because we are in its clutches now, looping and looping like Tom Cruise in an F-14 Tomcat. We can’t help ourselves: it’s a compulsion now.

At some point those behind Puzzle by Nikoli W Shikaku will have to reveal what demon pact they’ve signed. It’s the only way to explain how they keep creating original puzzles that we haven’t encountered before in the wild. We’ve never played a Shikaku before, but we’re Shik-hot at them now.

If you are wanting a more modern JRPG, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom PRINCE'S EDITION is still well worth a look. Just be prepared to do a lot of reading, as there is far too little voice acting in here.

Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is a lot of fun, but there are just minor annoyances that stop it being a stone cold classic. If you are still fully immersed in Forza Horizon 5 on a daily basis, this will be a hugely enjoyable accompaniment - a no-brainer. Just don’t expect perfection.

Lila’s Tale and the Hidden Forest could have done with about double the content and a different approach to difficulty: a hard mode, a new game plus, or anything that would have raised a bead of sweat. But for all the grumbles, it’s a fine platformer that might make a fine purchase for a younger player. At least for an hour, until they move on.

There’s potential bubbling beneath the surface here, but Super Geisha Neon never quite finds it. What’s left behind is a rather run-of-the-mill puzzler, and we were in the mood for so much more.

File Egglien under ‘quirky’. It’s a unique pitch from a fourteen year-old (fourteen!) that imagines what a game might be like if you could only fire downwards. It commits wholly to the idea, and cracks out some pretty fantastic platform-meets-shooter levels with the concept. But we couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, games should let you fire in other directions too.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened does a brilliant job of placing you in the shoes of the world renowned detective; something which should be the primary objective of any Sherlock game. There is a great sense of exploration allowed here, along with a good story.

Kart enthusiasts who want a high skill ceiling might find a home in KartRider: Drift. But casual players, or those who want immediacy in their racing will probably want to pull a u-turn and find something else.

For a first attempt at making a cornhole game, ACL Pro Cornhole has the fundamentals nailed down. Fun, solid gameplay and believable physics help make this a decent first go, but everything else needs tightening up: commentary, game modes, graphics and the price all let the overall package down. If these can be improved in a second game with a few extra additions, ACL Pro Cornhole could usher in new waves of fans to this funny sounding sport.

Eville is built on solid foundations, having a good stab at bringing the social deduction genre to the masses, but it lacks the components to achieve longevity in a crowded and competitive space.

Togges is one of the most original and stupendously generous games you will find, this year or any year. It’s Super Mario Galaxy on a roomba, with some of Nokia’s Snake thrown in for good measure. Now, if that’s not enough to tease you in, nothing ever will.

Railway Islands – Puzzle goes full steam ahead with delivering great circuit based puzzles, but issues keep slamming on the brakes.

If you’re the type to be suckered in by a deckbuilder then be warned: Pirates Outlaws is so covered in suckers that it may as well be an octopus. Be prepared to be in its grip for a few months.

While this is a retread, it’s one that doesn’t stick around, understands the original’s faults, and bribes you with 2000 Gamerscore for your troubles. It’s not exactly a poster-quote, but Ballotron Oceans isn’t a complete waste of your time.

Ballotron shows a bit of leg with 3000 Gamerscore for barely an hour’s effort. Dirty achievement hussies will already be getting out their wallet. But for anyone who’s looking for entertainment, Ballotron can feel, in two ways, hit-and-miss. When it’s good, it’s a trickshot simulator, a snooker-like puzzle to be solved. When it’s bad, it’s a meeting of slippery physics and complete chaos. Pick a level and flip the coin.

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.

I love an Aery. It’s as suited to Sunday afternoons as an episode of The Antiques Roadshow. But I’ve got so little love for Aery - Calm Mind 3. The series has always been a little lazy, bringing out old levels like they were prized antiques themselves. But the laziness here is off the charts.

Ultimately, there just isn’t enough here. 8-Ball Pocket is a lightweight, plainly presented little pool game, which doesn’t have the modes, options or customisation to warrant a purchase. In a world with a bewildering number of pool variants, there’s no real excuse for packaging in a bizarre solo option and a vanilla multiplayer option.

Formula Retro Racing: World Tour is an extremely enjoyable racer. The action is fast and furious, and while the AI feels a bit cheap as the levels rise, it is a solid enough racing game to keep you coming back for more.

When it comes to playing The Outer Worlds, the Spacer's Choice Edition is not the best choice - the performance is quite frankly shocking.

With the concept of being trapped in your own home by some otherworldly being, Alterity Experience comes with a bit of promise. What you get though is a game where you spend most of your time finding keys; the promised tension rarely ratcheting up.

It’s full of great, heightened moments and rhythm action sections that probably warrant the asking price alone. But there are so many missteps in the story that you can call it a full-blown stumble. Hopefully, next time, DigixArt can tell a newer, more expansive story, rather than reversing the car back to its past glories.

There is a lot packaged into the six-hour runtime for The Last Worker. With an engaging if slightly predictable story but more game elements than you can shake a stick at, it is a game that will take you through a range of emotions: laughter, sympathy, rage, compassion, disappointment, and everything in between.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers builds a gaming stronghold worthy of defending the honour of the tower defense genre, but there are a couple of weak spots. The strategic elements ensure a real challenge is to be had as you get to grips with the many enemy waves heading your way.

Super Arcade Football was the Sensible Soccer successor that we’d been waiting patiently for; now, Super Arcade Racing meets precisely the same need, but for Micro Machines. We’re eager to see what comes next with that Super Arcade prefix, as - from what we’ve seen - it means pin-sharp controls, joyful simplicity, and a boot crammed with things to do. Super Arcade Racing is a blissful nostalgia-overdose.

If constructing your own farm in Stardew Valley feels like too much work, yet you want something laid-back with a pastoral backdrop, then look no further than Island Farmer. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it’s the gaming equivalent of putting your feet up on a rocking chair and having a nap.

It’s clear that WWE 2K23 is faster, stronger, and goes harder than it has before, rounding off a great comeback story. The Showcase twist will see you forget John Cena’s five moves of doom, thus making sure there are five quality modes here to consume. The roster is packed with stars past and present, and the list of match types is stacked. Fortunately, it’s not held back by the paltry online offering or the few issues remaining in MyGM and Universe.

If it wasn’t for the cool 1980’s vibe, Kung Fury: Street Rage - Ultimate Edition would probably be dismissed out of hand, as at times it falls into the “so bad, it’s good” category. The included DLC does expand the horizon a little, but this is a very hard game to rate. I personally loved the whole feel of the game and so should you be at one with the 1980s, Kung Fu, and battering the hell out of some Nazi forces, then this is an easy sell.

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

I dream of you and ice cream is undoubtedly flawed. Its puzzles are never seamless, and they can feel like distractions from the good stuff. But when it’s good it’s great, as it carries a unique alien threat, a sense of dread that’s so thick you could pour it on your ice cream, and a concise story that lingers. Forget dreaming of you: we’re going to be having nightmares about this one, long after the review is finished.

The Guise should do enough to impress you. The visual look, the challenge, the combat, and how Ogden constantly evolves is enough to make this one a recommendation.

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos has a lot of good ideas and some well worked execution - it is just that lack of a lock-on that is a glaring omission. If you are looking for a different experience though, then Clash: Artifacts of Chaos is certainly that.

DARKLAND 3 isn’t a 79p diamond-in-the-rough. I’m not going to reveal that there’s a pocket platforming classic here that costs less than a Wispa Gold. What you do get for your cash, though, is a breezy, easy and repetitive little game which does just enough to keep you playing for all fifty of its levels. If that sounds like it might be worth your time, then fill your boots.

Anno 1800 Console Edition is a rousing success that hopefully spells further games in the series being ported over to console. The game itself is excellent, with an engaging campaign and open-ended sandbox mode to keep you plenty busy. But the improvements for console ensure this feels like it was almost built originally with consoles in mind.

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator falls a little short of a Michelin-starred fine dining experience, but still cooks up a storm. It’s easy enough to get to grips with, features a decent selection of cooking apparatus, and is chock full of recipes for posh nosh.

We want to play a double-bill of DREDGE and Moonglow Bay. Because while Moonglow Bay is the positive, life-affirming and wistful side of fishing, DREDGE is the opposite. It is monstrously gorgeous, hideously compelling, and has our fingernails down to bloody ends. We’re going to need to update that best fishing games list.

Fundamentally, Prison Tycoon: Under New Management suffers with repetitive, monotonous gameplay that makes it difficult to enjoy. As a result, it pales into insignificance when compared to its rivals.

DARQ is a decent puzzle game that has an incredibly well-built atmosphere. The few shortcomings don’t overrule the positives, and if you are looking for a short and creepy game to play, then DARQ: Ultimate Edition is a great fit.

If you need to stop an asteroid, you call Superman, but if you need pure joy in your life, pick up DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos.

If you are looking for a well-made platformer with a fun story and plenty of obstacles to overcome, then Planet Cube: Edge is a great find.

There is a lot of content and a whole host of action on offer in Guilty Gear -Strive-. While the character roster is completely mental, I haven’t been able to find a huge amount wrong with the game. The complexity is off putting at first, with so many options available both on the offense and defense, but stick with it and while it never becomes easy, especially online, it does start to make sense.

Both the combat and crafting are pretty good in Titanium Hound, but navigation through the levels is the opposite - and that means this is a pretty middle of the road game. It does have some good ideas, but it has some dodgy implementation, and so the advice is this - if you like a shooty platformer, try it by all means, but the platforming bits are very frustrating.