If you’re a sucker for the many other ‘mechanic’ and ‘simulator’ games on the market, there’s a chance you’ll get along with Rover Mechanic Simulator. It's relaxing at times, but you’ll need to love taking things apart - and putting them back together again - in order to get the most from it.

For a good chunk of the time, Red Ronin is a fun game that provides a good challenge. I just wish that the mechanics introduced in the second half of the game could’ve either been implemented better, or left out altogether.

If you’re after a bit of arcade score chasing, Gunkid 99 may be right up your alley. Sadly, though, the more you play, the more you may well struggle to care about the fate of the Gunkid.

Battle Brothers is rewarding - at least if you stick at it. But making a save before every battle is very much the way to go. There’s no doubt that there’s a lot to get involved in and there’s a ton of content to enjoy, but the difficulty sits in the mix like a wasp nest at a picnic - sooner or later something is going to sting, and it won’t be pleasant when it does.

Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator is a tense and heart-racing experience that maximizes on its simple mechanics to great effect. While understanding what is required of you is not complicated, the focus and speed required to make the most cash comes in intense short bursts.

Summertime Madness is a beauty, there’s no doubting that. It bewitches you with sunkissed moments and some surrealist cutaway moments, like a whale that swims past you at the summit of a lighthouse. But these are garlands on a forgettable little game, one that gets lost in its own mazes and can’t find a way of generating feeling, fun or meaning. One for only the fiercest Myst fans.

Vaporum: Lockdown is a rock solid RPG that will be a delight to anyone interested in a more classic experience. Pretty much everything is done right here - the story clicks, the combat is great, the levelling is fun and the puzzles are layered. If you're looking for a good dungeon crawler on Xbox, start right here.

There are some interesting level designs here and enough variation even through its short runtime to give you an excuse to try Circus Pocus. It won't be winning any awards for innovation or execution, but it remains fun throughout and doesn’t last longer than is needed.

By focusing on a small selection of set mechanics and interrogating what can be done with them in two dimensions, alongside its visual clarity and direction, The Pedestrian creates a polished and self-contained little game that’s well worth setting aside an evening to explore.

Once you get used to the feel of the controls though, Aeon Drive is a fast-paced platformer that is sure to offer you a decent challenge. Especially if you take the time to grab all of the collectibles.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a punishing game. In fact, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in failing and then trying something new and seeing yourself improve. But Despotism 3k feels like one without the other. It’s punishing, but comes without the chance to improve. It feels like a game entirely at the mercy of RNG.

Apart from the odd minor issue, Archvale has been a pleasure. There’s some real joy in exploring, in meeting and shooting new and strange creatures, and in enjoying the cute and cuddly visual style - even as the same boss stomps you multiple times. If you like bullet hell games, Archvale should certainly be on your radar.

It’s hard to knock a game too much when it comes to market with such a low asking price in tow, but a combination of dodgy platforming mechanics and an inane story sees Lost Snowmen melt without a trace. Grab it if you’re after some easy Gamerscore, but otherwise those lost snowmen should just go and, well, get lost.

Some reasonable ideas shine through in the crafting system and characters, but ultimately Justice Chronicles is a lumpen grind that you could justly do without.

Mini Madness may hit the right nostalgic notes, but the repetitive humdrum racing and somewhat lazy execution is a long way behind the curve.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a brilliantly presented and deeply layered strategy game. Minor issues aside, it’s rarely been so good to be bad.

Sure, Bricks Breaker Puzzle’s twenty levels won’t last more than a half hour or so, and those levels don’t do anything particularly interesting, but we’ve paid more for much less on the big black box. Just don’t expect any achievements.

If you are looking for a short puzzle-game, with a nice, classic visual-style, and some satisfying puzzles to beat, then Gardener’s Path is well worth the buy.

If you feel there is room in your life for just one more roguelike action-platformer, then Collapsed won’t let you down. It shines in the right places, tempting you into one more run with the promise of a host of unlocks. You just won’t encounter anything fresh or new on the way.

Invest time in it, pay attention to every attack and its benefits, and you will make the slowest of progress. The clouds clear and One Step From Eden starts to make sense. If you have the time and inclination to get there, this becomes a spiritual successor to the Mega Man Battle Network series.

Skeletal Avenger is by no means a bad dungeon crawler. It’s just a painfully generic one. It does however teach a valuable gaming lesson: no matter how strong your loot, perk or upgrade systems are, if they are layered on top of a bedrock of ‘meh’, the whole dungeon can still come toppling down.

In a world where eFootball has crashed and burned, Football Cup 2022 could have taken its opportunity. But it’s crocked, about as likely to give you a game of football as Jack Wilshere. It’s unforgivably slow and clumsy, full of cheap goals and easy opponents with no difficulty settings. And to top it all off, it has no multiplayer.

There are bits that drag towards the end and you may only become emotionally engaged with certain elements of the story, but if you're after a bit of shadow play that's more involved than just making bat shapes with your hands on the bedroom wall, then In My Shadow is the game for you.

There are some things to like about Tunnel of Doom, as the hybrid of the two game types actually works quite well. The fact that it is different every time you play is a bit of a draw, but to be honest, the tower defence part is the weakest link.

The biggest compliment that I can give to Mindscanners is that it is simply mesmerizing; completely engaging from beginning to end. It’s not incredibly long and the minigames can get pretty dry, but the story, atmosphere, and moral systems will keep you glued to the screen, even bringing you back to get some of the other endings.

Even knowing nothing about the previous games or the anime series, Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is still hugely enjoyable. It is the right kind of hard, with exploration and experimentation combat bringing rewards; so much so that the more you throw into it, the more enjoyable the time you will have.

If you're a fan of the puns that have featured in previous POWGI games, then Just a Phrase by POWGI sits just ahead of the others that have been before. Now these puns are the answers and help make what would otherwise be a generic Hangman clone far more interesting and funnier.

You know exactly what you're getting with a Serious Sam game, and Serious Sam 4 is no different. Issues aside, fans of the series should still have a blast with this one.

Wytchwood isn’t much more than ten hours of fetch quests, one after the other, bound to a simple crafting system. Forage, make and deliver, over and over again. But while that repetition sours the cauldron a little, there’s plenty that’s special in Wytchwood’s world of spells and recipes to mask the flavour.

Sharpen your beak, master your bottom bounce, and start scooting telegrams across the Outback. Just - whatever you do - don’t dare to do it solo. You have been warned: KeyWe is a friends-only experience.

I can't sit here and say, with hand on heart, that Gear.Club Unlimited 2 - Ultimate Edition is the worst racing game in the world, for there are some bits which are okay. But it's so far away from a top podium spot that it's pretty much worth dismissing out of hand.

Jeremy Paxman would turn off Planet Quiz: Learn & Discover for being a bit stuffy and boring. Don’t let the snazzy presentation or the Christmas Eve release date confuse you: this is a series of geography exams created by AI, and it’s absolutely as boring as that sounds.

Asteroids: Recharged is certainly a fun and faithful reimagining, but a little bit extra other than some generic challenges would have gone a long way.

Crazy Trucks is crazy alright, but not in a good way. If you have a regular group of buddies, there is a smidge of fun to be had, but that's mainly down to playing with friends rather than playing the game, to be brutally honest. If you are coming to this as a solo player, I’d give it a miss - the fun on offer here doesn’t really get going, ever.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, Murder Diaries 3 - Santa's Trail of Blood does a good job of trying something different, spinning it with a Christmas theme that works well.

Among Us is a great game. It has kept people connected over the pandemic. It's a hoot with friends and randoms. I have played a ton of matches for a reason. But Among Us on console, while still the same great core game, is nowhere near as enjoyable when played with a controller.

Ring of Pain is a tempting toy to return to. There’s something spellbinding in its art and world, and it’s all too easy to give it a spin for the five minutes it takes to complete a run. But it’s also a fickle little toy. It’s as likely to give you a poor hand as it is to give you a knockout one, and there’s often no coming back from the first.

Even though Galaxy Shooter plays well, has plenty of ship upgrade opportunities and is able to deliver some decent bite-sized pieces of gameplay, it ultimately ends all too briefly.

The Letter: A Horror Visual Novel is a stunning but uneven visual novel. It’s at its best when it plucks at your nerves, threatening scares and layering on tension. It’s at its worst when it shifts attention to your heartstrings, trying to generate some empathy for its large cast. Stretched out for twenty hours and viewed from multiple perspectives, those worst aspects get amplified.

Vegas Tales had potential. It had an enticing ‘choose my benefactor’ premise. It had Tuvok from Star Trek Voyager. But while the odds were strong on this being an FMV game that did something unique, none of the bets that it placed came off. We’re sad to say that Vegas Tales is more craps than high-stakes poker.

If you want a bit of wish fulfillment for your little Catboys and Owlettes, with a 2D platformer that knows the gaming limits of your tykes, then this is a wise parenting choice. PJ Masks all shout hooray, because in the night, this - just about - saves the day.

Fae Tactics is worth playing. It looks great and plays well, but just seems to be too elongated in length. If you like Tactics type experiences, Fae Tactics is an easy sell. And if you don’t, with the way this is able to ease you into the required mechanics, it's a fairly decent place to start.

Next Space Rebels is a great rocket designing and building simulator, with a lot of unnecessary frippery attached. If you like to wear tinfoil hats then you may get something out of the story, but to be honest the best part is making and flying rockets.

Happy’s Humble Burger Farm is the cooking simulator that has just as much fun torturing you as the player, as you do actually playing it.

I can see, and applaud, the scope and vision, but Undungeon is ultimately let down by failing to be what we want a game to be – fun.

If you must play a top-down combat driving game, then I guess Bloody Rally Show is the one for you, but you should be aware that the fun it brings falls off ever so quickly.

Guazu: The Rescue is certainly cute. It might be enough for an undiscerning youngster, and it’s barely thirty minutes for some of the easiest Gamerscore around. But we are stretching ourselves here: make no mistake, this glorified student project is more guano than Guazu.

Castle on the Coast is about the messiest, most uneven little 3D platformer that you could hope to encounter. But it is also generous, with plenty of collectibles and game genres packed into its five or six hours. When you factor in a charitable donation to Valley Children’s Hospital in California, the balance is in its favour.

Trash Quest is a competent Metroidvania that has the chutzpah to try out a few design ideas. It does away with guidance, leaves you free to explore, and chucks in a Dark Souls-like approach to death. Two out of the three work well, but the last falters.

There’s no debating that Horatio goes Snowboarding is a great little homage to the Horace classic from yesteryear, but there’s just not enough variation to the gameplay to warrant more than a few hours of play at best.

Your feelings on randomness will determine whether Dicey Dungeon is for you. You can plan for that RNG and occasionally even stop it, but the dice will occasionally look up at you with its piercing snake eyes, and you’ll just have to swallow the loss. If you can accept that brand of cruelty, Dicey Dungeon is cracking.

Despite falling into some of the same traps as its predecessor, Halo Infinite is a huge step in the right direction and something of a correction course. Overall 343 Industries have delivered on their promise to return Halo to its roots, whilst breaking new ground, and it’s much better off for it.

Deiland: Pocket Planet is a very family-friendly game, one that is complete with cartoony vibes and inoffensive gameplay which is full of imagination. The concept itself is an unusual one, mixing farming sim ideas with planet progression. Yet whilst the visuals and soundtrack are nice, making progression does sometimes seem to take an age.

Ever Forward is a pretty great little puzzler that just so happens to have a wonderful narrative weaved in. The originality of the stages is worth highlighting, but there is a bit of a struggle in terms of the gameplay mechanics and the movement of Maya; it feels a bit too slow and not always accurate in its response time. Aside from that, Ever Forward is a puzzler that is worth consideration.

Your enjoyment of Grow: Song of the Evertree will depend on whether you find that its brand of Stardew Valley-style nurturing to be a chore or a compulsion. Find its wavelength, dallying with its systems for short bursts each day, and we’re confident that you will find a tug to return.

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! feels like a missed opportunity to give the world the Asterix game that we have been waiting for. There is no progression, no making the heroes stronger, and at the end, no real desire to see the game through to a conclusion. It’s the same characters and the same action, for level after level, with a different backdrop. Sadly this makes for a dull game.

Timothy vs the Aliens will run for anything up to four hours or so and it’s quite nostalgic to play through it, reminding much of games from the Xbox 360 period. It has a lovely visual language, employing a black and white world to great effect. All the mechanics work very well and there are collectibles to find for the purists at heart. However, it does all feel a bit empty and fails to excite enough for you to want to look forward to your next playthrough.

Antarctica 88 does a lot of things right, then shoots itself in the foot with some dodgy control decisions and design choices. The snowmobile controls are hilariously bad, the combat is lumpy and the jumping is broken, but weighing against that is the story and the atmosphere that the game creates.

There is a fun game trying to get out of The Walking Zombie 2, but it is drowning under the constant push of microtransactions. The end result just feels like a mess.

It must be said, as a whole, Space Elite Force 2 in 1 certainly has some of that X Factor that will keep you playing. With generous achievements up for grabs as well, it's hard to find too much to grumble about.

We rarely see an Artifex Mundi game reach the dizzy heights of a 4 out of 5. They’re too set in their ways, too janky to justify the loftier scores. But by toying with their payment model, Artifex have given us one of their best hidden object games in Queen's Quest 5: Symphony of Death, effectively for free.

Creepy Tale is effective, there is no doubting that. It is as insidious as they come, and that comes from its art, world and characters. We’re eager to play its sequel, in the hope that it expands on them more. But Creepy Tale fumbles whenever it asks you to do anything. Too often, it resorts to puzzles that are clumsy and illogical, with a parade of deaths as the punishment.

For the low price and promise of a full Gamerscore haul coming your way within a matter of a few minutes, Ball laB could possibly find a place within your gaming sessions. Unless you have controller throwing tendencies - in which case you should stay well away.

Aspire: Ina’s Tale will deliver some mixed feelings. The world-building, the scenes of identity and magic it manifests while travelling through the world are all to be loved, as is the main character of Ina and the creatures/characters she meets along the way. Some of the platforming and puzzle-solving is also decent but the movement of Ina becomes a bit frustrating at times, especially in terms of gameplay accuracy.

One Hand Clapping may cause confusion at times with what’s expected of you, and it probably won’t be ideal for the tone deaf, but for the most part it’s going to deliver a puzzler that’s like no other.

Undoubtedly, there is a very fun party game here that takes the Monopoly framework and applies it to a multiplayer game not unlike Overcooked or Moving Out. And it really works at capturing the essence of both formats into an enjoyable fusion. But the real madness in Monopoly Madness is the asking price. Be like Rich Uncle Pennybags and wait for this one to go on sale.

This is a video game experiment: what would happen if you stripped absolutely everything from an endless runner? Some questions weren’t meant to be answered, but Ninja Dash 3D answers it anyway, then charges the price of a Starbucks espresso to observe its findings. Step back, put the wallet back in the pocket, and drop a smoke bomb to make a speedy exit.

Even as a free-to-play game, Magic Nations would have stunk. It has a Scrooge-like approach to rewarding you: it’s a thin trail of breadcrumbs to some slightly larger breadcrumbs. But Magic Nations is £12.49, which gets you a mediocre card game strapped to a microtransaction system that EA would have dismissed.

This is an astonishingly immersive and good-natured fable, and we relished returning to it whenever we were away. It may not be long, it may not do anything groundbreaking, but The Gunk radiated good feelings whenever we picked up the pad.

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards is quite enjoyable. It isn’t good enough to sit at the top table of the ARPG world, but can quite comfortably be found on the second tier. With better balancing through the game it would have been a contender, but the extreme difficulty spikes spoil the experience somewhat.

I’ve liked the way Night Lights manages to tell a very simple story over a few hours. That’s complemented well with the use and manipulation of light and the need for a bit of clever puzzle solving.

For as good as the lore and worldbuilding in Phoenix Point is, the generic – and sometimes tedious – gameplay doesn’t back this up properly. Clearly, a lot of time and effort has gone into creating this world, but the turn-based gameplay could have been ripped from a number of existing titles.

What you get from Townscaper depends on what you’re willing to put into it. It’s a city-creation tool with a few surprises up it’s sleeve, but nothing beyond that. It’s gorgeous, simple and adapts to anything you can throw at it. If you find creative games aimless, though, this is perhaps the worst of them.

If you’ve ever had fantasies of being John Wick, but can’t be bothered to step out of the armchair, then we would fully encourage you to have some Fights in Tight Spaces.

If you’ve ever enjoyed an otome visual novel, we couldn’t recommend A YEAR OF SPRINGS more. On the surface, this is a gentle, heartwarming tale of three friends moving in different directions. Below that surface, it has a mission: to expose what it is to be a transgender person in the conform-culture of modern day Japan.

Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family is a Mafia adventure that is over within forty-five minutes, and you will have 1000G handed to you in a brown paper bag. That might be an offer you can’t refuse, but we’d argue that you should.

I do wish there were a few campaign missions with the Tyranids and it can definitely be a bit of a daunting prospect for newcomers, but if you push through will find that Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a wonderful experience that will make you get the miniatures out again. Say goodbye to your social life.

Cricket 22 is far from perfect, and patches for some of the bugs are on their way, but it is a fun recreation of the sport itself. And primarily, that should be the only thing that matters. I don’t think there’s much here to entice non-cricket fans, but for those who love the game, no matter what their preferred format, there is a lot of fun to be had with Cricket 22.

DEEEER Simulator is wacky, off-the-wall and intriguing to begin with. However, it’s a jumbled cocktail of ideas which run short quickly. After an hour or two, you'll struggle to find reasons to jump back in.

With more control over the little tin car, Total Arcade Racing might have achieved its purpose: to be a party game of choice for up to eight players. But it’s an unwieldy, slippery beast. You can train yourself to enjoy it, anticipating the turns and conserving your boost, but when you want a game that eight rivals can pick up and enjoy in seconds, it doesn’t fit the bill.

‘Crazy’ Athletics, this isn’t. Lazy Athletics is far closer to the truth.

If you're looking for a game which is able to wow in the cutscenes, make you laugh during moments of ill and see you frantically run for your life in others, all while still being able to deliver a smattering of humour and satisfaction whenever Abe's fellow Mudokons are saved, Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition is the game you must play.

It’s fair to say that Before We Leave is perhaps more suited to a beginner than a true veteran of the genre, but there’s still more than enough here for everyone to find hours of entertainment.

When the blood flows and a detective is needed, SHINRAI: Broken Beyond Despair becomes far more accomplished. If you have the stomach for it, there is some great stuff waiting for you at the end of this visual novel. You just have to wade through some disgusting innards to get there.

There’s nothing wrong with a deeply difficult platformer. But they have to be fair, and the controls have to be well-oiled. Alexio isn’t even close to nailing either, and the result is about as unsatisfying as a precision platformer can get. Don’t be tempted by the cute duck on the marketing: this one is less fair and more fowl.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 follows on brilliantly from the original game to provide hours of utter joy. The console fit is a great one, with interfaces and opportunities always at the fingertips. Throw in a multitude of options via various game modes and you’ve got what many could well call the ultimate dinosaur-themed park builder.

Space Moth: Lunar Edition is a technically challenging shoot-em-up, with a lot of replayability as you chase the high scores. It’s a shame there are no online leaderboards, but other than that there’s enough here to keep you coming back for more.

Project Wingman is a fine addition to the air combat genre - so much so that it is frankly a no-brainer for fans. It plays somewhat on the safe side with predictable weapons and aircraft, however the tight and satisfying gameplay, epic music, and engaging story, really make it stand out.

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space remains a charming, funny and downright weird adventure, many years after the original release. Despite a few niggles, the new polish means there’s never been a better time to dust off your magnifying glass and attempt to crack the case.

Transient: Extended Edition is a very ambitious game; one that isn't afraid of giving the player some high-end sci-fi mixed with Lovecraftian themes. The gameplay introduces a range of different playstyles over the fairly swift running time and that might be too much for some. Yet the visuals are a delight with some great use of lighting and level design.

It’s a joy to play something so substantial and well crafted in Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R. Sure, Forza will trump this in every way, but for the younger player – particularly one who’s bought into the TV series – this is an unexpected gift.

If you were ever put through the wringer by Inside or Limbo, and fancy climbing through again, then White Shadows will duly oblige. It’s a magnificent lightshow.

Beyond a Steel Sky verges on the impressive. However, the puzzles can occasionally feel over-complicated at times and there are moments where the game does get a bit saggy narrative-wise; especially in the middle section. But the new 3D world, the great visuals, and the new hacking mechanics certainly make up for some of the negatives.

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone does what it sets out to do, all by not taking itself too seriously, and by keeping bouts short and sweet. Dobrog Games have made a game that is great for short blasts and so if you like robots, fighting or robots fighting, it’s certainly worth a look.

Xbox owners are in for a treat with Rune Factory 4 Special. A masterwork of an RPG, this is a game you can easily spend real-life days playing away. A perfect fit for fans of Rune Factory and Animal Crossing, as well as an exciting action JRPG for fans of old-school Zelda, there is something in this game for everyone. While the port from 3DS to Xbox isn't exactly the most graceful, after a few hours, it's unlikely you will care.

For the hour it runs, Drizzlepath: Deja Vu is enjoyable. It does nothing to test you gameplay-wise, and fails to provoke any deep meaning in what is trying to be said. But I do believe these games are important to have - narrative adventures that blend exploration and artistic vision.

The gameplay is the real hook here and it'll definitely have you coming back again and again. In fact (and we should whisper this), the gameplay found in Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition is more preferable than that of the recent remake of Diablo II: Resurrected.

Circa Infinity is what more platformers should strive to be like. It’s not just a redundant push through the same kind of puzzles. Each puzzle is well thought out, the difficulty doesn’t fluctuate randomly, and there is a real feeling of satisfaction each time you overcome an obstacle. If you want a platformer that’s going to force you to think and act quickly, then Circa Infinity is a must have.