Graveyard Girls is an elegant, mature visual novel that sifts through the grief of two different women. It doesn’t have anything revolutionary to say, but there’s comfort to be had here, as well as the pleasure of some fine company.

The presentation is unique, and the zoned combat system does implement mechanics that aren’t seen in other games in the genre, but when playing alone it's hard for the pros of HELLCARD to compensate for the cons.

Two Hundred Ways is a marked improvement over the original. Many of the new features work well and provide some variation, but there are still some - much like the game itself - which boil down to trial and error.

If you’ve hunted the preacher for this long, you simply must experience the finale for some much need closure.

Pipe Push Paradise on Xbox One does an acceptable job at setting the scene and providing a relaxing environment, but where it succeeds the most is in the designs of the pipe-based puzzles that really take plumbing problems to a whole new level.

We expect Flowers by POWGI to be more divisive than the average POWGI title. Rather than serve up a number of knotty puzzles to be unravelled, these are to be done at speed. They’re easy, they’re swift, and you’ll get through dozens in an afternoon.

Nier: Automata Become As Gods Edition has a very deep and thoughtful story, but it requires a lot of time before you get down to it.

There’s a lot to like about Outpost Delta on Xbox One; despite the rough edges, I've had a blast playing through. The exploration keeps you guessing, with various keys needed to progress and upgrades that are required to advance. As a Metroidvania, it is firmly on the Metroid end of the scale, but as a target to aspire to Metroid isn't a bad one. It is a little glitchy, there’s no getting away from it, but it’s challenging and, above all, fun to play.

WRC 9 on Xbox Series X|S will certainly appeal to existing WRC fans. It features tricky and technical racing that may be off-putting to others, especially when you consider the likes of Dirt 5 that offer a much more accessible experience. With the free updates and Series X|S optimisations, there are several improvements over the initial launch. But the resolution and frame rate improvements only highlight the differences between the details on the cars compared to the surrounding areas.

Akuto: Showdown on Xbox is simple and fun to play, but feels as if it has fallen short of its full potential, mostly due to an absence of online play.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a decent effort at bringing the iconic brand into the video game scene for real. It’s able to deliver a wide variety of cars and tracks to gamers in a way that is fast and frantic, seeing it occasionally verge on being a really great arcade racer. Physics issues and little minor annoyances stop this from reaching the very highest step of that podium, but if you’re a Hot Wheels fan, Unleashed is well worth a visit.

MOUTHOLE is strange, different, utterly crazy, but highly memorable.

I was expecting something a bit different for Just Dance 2020 on Xbox One, considering this is Ubisoft’s opportunity to really celebrate the 10 year milestone but, as usual, it is more of the same. What is in place though is decent enough and will cater for all those who have previously loved the franchise over the preceding years.

While Mystic Academy: Escape Room may sound like a Harry Potter escape room, it’s not got anywhere near the charm of the Wizarding World to pull it off. But lower the expectations and there’s a compendium of rather well designed puzzles that would truly stump a Dumbledore.

For the right person I am sure Discounty would be a satisfying package as is, but it falls short in a lot of areas that otherwise have great potential.

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.

No qualms about it: we are glad we played Paratopic. And while we might apologise in advance for recommending this horrifying little distraction, you should play it too.

I honestly have no idea who will buy Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor. And if those people do buy it, I have no idea whether they are the ones who will enjoy it. But I can say, from an aging Thomas fan’s perspective, at least I was happy. This is a slightly distilled Train Sim World, redone for the world of Sodor, and - some usability issues aside - it reaches its destination with a degree of style.

Ario is undeniably slapdash - an action platformer that has the structural integrity of a five-year old’s papier-mâché. But the designers are so eager to show you the next gameplay section, the next area, that you can’t help but be led by them. We’d hesitate to call Ario good, but it’s capable of being fun.

Battlefield 2042 is far from perfect, but it isn’t bad. It’s fun to fight and it’s great to be able to drive vehicles across huge maps. Hell, it’s even enjoyable to crash a jet into some unsuspecting soldier on the ground. There are bugs, but patches are planned so hope should be held. In the meantime, Battlefield Portal is almost worth the price of admission itself.

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.

Mushroom Wars 2 is a pretty good single player RTS, however if you want to make the most of the multiplayer side of things, you’ll be wanting to drag some friends along for the ride.

Homebody may well take you by surprise. The writing and narrative are great, with some brilliant character creation dealing with a range of very real problems. The structure is interesting as well, even though at times you will feel at a bit of a loss for what to do.

Real Heroes: Firefighter HD will not appeal to everyone, but it’s unique and actually quite bold in its vision, managing to make a highly engaging and enjoyable game out of a concept that could have been a complete dud.

Onirike is a unique action platforming adventure with a great premise and a weirdly wonderful narrative. The platforming is not always the best and having to plant flowers in order to find progress is initially tricky to get to grips with, but the puzzles are inventive and the design of the world is superb.

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.

Tannenberg is an interesting creation. It aims to provide a somewhat realistic depiction of WW1 with authentic equipment and well-thought out maps, but this is hindered by the sheer scope of it. It can be genuinely rather impressive at times but is held back by the indie nature of it all. Its ambition is both admirable and detrimental to the central experience.

There is no doubt that this newly rebooted Speedball is a respectful take that manages to capture the feel of the original, without ever trying to reinvent it. The league structure adds longevity, arena variety keeps things fresh, and the management elements provide just enough depth. If only the online multiplayer was well populated…

There is a reason why Istanbul is so celebrated. Once you’ve learned the value of each of its locations – and the tutorial won’t help you with that information – then things click, and you will feel eventually pull off some sensational plays.

Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet on Xbox One is mostly delightful, occasionally shocking and a little underwhelming. It follows the stereotypes of visual novels a little too closely but I have enjoyed my time with it. Its characters are charming and develop nicely over the admittedly fairly short playtime.

I've never played a game like Later Daters, and the whole concept of an elderly dating sim is something I wouldn't have thought anyone would be thinking about creating or playing. But the development team have managed to make something that isn't a dating sim, but a narrative adventure that focuses on being old; ridding the stereotypes that affect it. The game isn't afraid to deal with some hard subjects - and some taboo ones - and it’ll certainly make you open your eyes and think about matters a little more.

Yu Suzuki hasn’t lost his touch. Air Twister is clearly Space Harrier, but with a very modern taste for spectacle. For one or two playthroughs it’s a shoot ’em up Fantasia, just as much a treat for the ears as the eyes. The thing is, Air Twister wants to be more than that. It wants to be your go-to shooter for much longer, with more modes and skill trees than it could possibly need.

If you’ve got nostalgia for the gruesome scamps, then Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is massively rewarding. It packs in all the characters you could possibly recognise, stuffs them in a surprisingly deep little platformer, and then presents it with affection.

Dagger Froggy is no Vampire Survivors, let’s get that clear right now, but it does have a certain charm. The gameplay loop, while simple, has a nice hook to it; enough to keep you coming back.

Paw Paw Paw on Xbox is a pretty decent beat ‘em up that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is reasonably priced for the fair few hours it will take to get through. There will be retries and replayability as you come up against some darn tough enemies, but the short levels help alleviate stress.

Quantum Replica tries to keep things fresh even though it borrows from those which inspired it. Despite some rough edges, what results is a surprisingly comprehensive adventure.

You’ll enjoy the story and exploration side of Post Trauma, perhaps more than the combat sections and latter puzzles.

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.

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.

There are many brick breakers out there, but few have the unique feature set that has been applied to Shatter Remastered Deluxe. The whole ball manoeuvring works really well, especially on the square playfields - we don't like it quite so much on the circular arenas - and the inclusion of a good few game modes help extend playtime.

Kitaria Fables is certainly not for everyone, but neither are donuts. Its visuals are mostly great, the music is a delight, and the story is charming. Sure the combat and quests are a grind, but if you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing lengthy tasks and you don’t have a gluten allergy, grab yourself a donut and give Kitaria Fables a try.

If you fancy yourself as a space hunter, with a harpoon in one hand and the controls of a spaceship in another, then this is the game for you.

MXGP 2020 on Xbox is more than just a rally game for people that like eating mud and wearing leathers. It’s challenging, it’s rewarding, and while I'm still a long way off even finishing a race without falling off, it’s nice to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you know your Honda from your KTM, this is an easy sell, as it is probably as realistic a MXGP experience can be with all your bones intact.

Dordogne is an imperfect package, then: a beautiful porcelain plate of a game that has cracks in it. The plate is unique enough to warrant purchase, but we wonder what it would have been like with more gameplay care.

You’ll have a good time with Will Die Alone, at least for a couple of hours. It has a great original premise, a wonderful core idea, and a neat narrative with some different endings to find.

All in all though and aside from a couple of little issues Mighty Aphid is a pretty cool game. It has the 1990’s vibe nailed on, comes complete with a very nice chiptune-styled soundtrack and delivers a properly rock hard challenge.

10 Seconds to Win! is as formulaic as they come, but remains an enjoyable little platformer, despite the fact it’s all over in a flash.

What’s good about Castaway Paradise is that it’s a great time sink; easy to spend an hour or two just mulling around the place, catching a few fish, pulling out some weeds or just tending to your crops. It isn’t the sort of gameplay that will appeal to everyone, but if you are looking for a game to simply pass some time, this is the perfect choice

The Long Reach does a good job of what it sets out to do. It has some strong horror elements that provide great scares and doesn’t shy away from showing the reality of the situation. There are issues and none more so than the plot, but if you don’t care for story then you will find a few really good scares here but not much more.

GRAVEN will be adored by the old-school brigade. It has that cozy retro feel, but also a good story and a great sense of world-building.

Pogui isn’t interesting. It’s easy to sneer at it, wondering what it’s bringing to the 2D platform conversation. But those people would be ignoring how fun it is.

Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden is easily one of the creepiest stories that Artifex have delivered to Xbox One, with the city being grim and the antagonist providing jump-scares. It’s all fun and games though, as it is full of mini games and hidden object scenes that’ll keep you entertained.

We’re far from crabby having played Crabwave. The path-making template works, and there’s at least an attempt to fiddle with the format in terms of five paths and some cool rotating hexes. There are usability hiccups, but overall Crabwave is thirty-minutes of puzzling sunshine.

MetroLand is a surprisingly accomplished endless runner. Try and push the non-action side of the game to one side, refusing to let the addiction really take hold, and you'll enjoy the mindless score chasing that has been provided here. Just let it be known that a daily grind will always be around the corner.

It feels like Loot River has difficulty in committing to the type of game it wants to be. For a roguelike, the runs feel too short, with too much blocked off. For a roguelite, the run-to-run progression is too lacking to be engaging.

What Underland: The Climb amounts to is a significant leap on from the original, with controls puzzles and usability all given a shot in the arm.

60 Seconds! features some great dark humour, interesting stories and fun references but its overall presentation and amount of content included lets it down, seeing things done and dusted rather quickly.

Unruly Heroes is a really good 2D platformer with gorgeous animations, backgrounds, and a hand-drawn art style which is nothing but stunning. The enemies and bosses stand-out, and the combat feels good. The story however is seemingly nowhere to be found, and that is despite some cleverly written and humorous dialogue, while the gameplay can become repetitive and a bit stale over time.

Perhaps the career is a bit short and those bits that complement it don't quite hit the mark, but 80's Overdrive is an arcade racer that you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Garden Story introduces itself as something of a Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, but can’t possibly compete: its systems are too shallow, and its plumped for some combat when it might have been better without.

Arkan: The dog adventurer matches platforming and puzzling surprisingly well, offering block-breaking thrills without too many spills. It’s worth a look, especially for fans of the classic arcade hit.

Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask is a game that offers a simple but enjoyable few hours of entertainment for all ages.

Ultimately, Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don't Die on Xbox One has put me in a bit of a sticky situation. The game itself is stuffed with appealing elements, but the technical issues and high asking price currently hold it back from being a definite recommend. There is a ton for fans of the series and newcomers to enjoy, but like Larry himself, it's not for everyone.

My Singing Monsters Playground is charming as pie. Even if you’ve never been in its universe before, it will win the family over. The party game collection, too, is fun with absolutely nothing in the way of complexity. With a few extra modes and some unlocks, it would really sing. As it stands, it hums along nicely without much in the way of additional frills, and that may be enough for your little monsters.

Skautfold: Shrouded in Sanity is a rewarding battler. Dodge, block and parry your way to victory, and you will soon find yourself taking down the King.

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions on Xbox One does what it says on the tin. It looks great and delivers a series of enjoyable jigsaw puzzles but can get more than a little frustrating throughout. But then hey, I guess that’s what the puzzling scene has been providing for centuries past.

I found the combat clunky and frustrating thanks to the camera. If, however, that is something as a player you can deal with, then there’s a solid game here in Slavic Punk: Oldtimer.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 3 on Xbox One does a fairly decent job of creating enough moments to be remembered, from the gruesome and utterly shocking to the rare opportunity for beauty to thrive in adversity. What stops it from being a great episode is the monotonous section in the middle that’s pointless filler and the action scenes that require some input.

In truth, Attack on Titan 2 is more of the same as that found in Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom – just less exciting and slightly more frustrating in comparison.

Rustler is a lot of fun, but the big decision you need to consider is whether or not that fun is for you and whether or not you can buy into the comedy references and mature humour offered. But away from that, Rustler makes a great attempt at taking influence from older games and using that to create something original.

Couch co-op games such as this are ten-a-penny these days, however if you don’t mind an easy ride Manic Mechanics is an enjoyable repair ‘em up, at least whilst it lasts.

If you're after something truly original and unique with a great concept and fascinating take on a Kafka story, then take a trip into the unknown with Metamorphosis on Xbox One.

Speed Brawl is excellent when it’s at its peak; it’s comparable to titles like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, and Skullgirls, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. However, it adds a twist with the inclusion of timed events and, should the copious number of bugs not deter you, is worth the attention for its fluid action-packed gameplay and the alluring visual get-up alone.

Mable and the Wood on Xbox One provides a solid game that will especially appeal to fans of Metroidvania type fun and havoc. It needs you to be skilful and inventive in your decision making, but should you be able to work with that then you will find a lot of game to be had for your buck.

If you can look beyond the graphical style and want a good old-school puzzler, then The Tartarus Key could well be right up your alley.

The tale of Prison Island is a very interesting one, the new characters complement the old, and the cut-scenes are exhilarating. As far as gameplay goes, the combat is fun and the variety of enemies is decent, without both aspects ever reaching greatness. What’s disappointing though is how long it takes for the game to get going, the crafting is far too basic and the movement lacks finesse.

Rumbleverse is a nice shake up to the battle royale formula. Learning to play an already familiar genre with its own twist is fun, and when it looks good and plays so well out the gate, you can’t really go wrong here.

Titan Quest is a good game that will appeal massively to the hardcore RPG fan. The story and narrative are excellent and rewarding, with clever level design, great locations and loads to do. The controls sometimes let the game down, as does the menu selection, but if you can’t afford to go to Greece this summer, don’t worry – just sit at home, put on some sunglasses and play some Titan Quest.

Edna & Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes on Xbox One just about manages to deliver a point-and-click experience which is funny and intriguing enough to warrant a look.

You may have seen pretty much everything on offer in Them Bombs before, but that doesn’t detract from how enjoyable the core gameplay experience is. The nature of the game may mean it has a short shelf life for some, but thanks to its reasonable price point it’s worth the risk.

The core driving experience found in Super Toy Cars Offroad is fun. It’s fast and hectic, the majority of races will keep you engaged and you will really have to prove yourself to be first across that finish line.

Vesta is a lovely little story-filled puzzler that is powered by humour and brings enough thought as to why, what and when at all times. It’s not the most perfect game, and slight control issues, a repetitive soundtrack and massive save problems put a downer on things, but it’s still worth taking a shot at.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries Of New York on Xbox One has a great tone encompassed with a solid soundtrack, wonderful visuals and mostly strong narrative design. Unfortunately, this is let down by a weak ending, a game breaking glitch and some fundamental design choices that betray its very nature as a visual novel.

Fans of the original will find PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers, and new fans will enjoy finding all the secrets and collectibles. There is a lot to enjoy in what is the greatest Pac-Man game of all time.

Death Kid provides exciting gameplay with some especially lovely attention to detail when it comes to enemy design and variety. The animations are always stellar, but I left wishing the story was a bit less surface level.

If top down twin-stick shooters are your kind of thing, then ATOMINE has everything you’re likely to be looking for. It has fast paced action, upgrades, procedurally generated stages and one hell of a challenge that truly shouldn’t be underestimated. Sure, it’s a bit bland after a while, but with the gameplay proving so fluid, this is easily a game that can be enjoyed on a quiet afternoon, even if it is just for an hour or so.

Fashion Police Squad is a fun and humorous take on the FPS genre. It comes with fast fluid gameplay that feeds off some DOOM roots, but manages to still do its own original thing, working loads of great ideas and concepts.

Danger Zone had the expectations of being a spiritual successor to Burnout, encompassing everything that was good about it. That gameplay is there, somewhere, but it gets lost between the generic level design, and over-reliance of pickups.

Jet Kave Adventure on Xbox is something that you’ll begin to enjoy the more you progress. The extra gameplay features that are brought about via the use of the jetpack add a new dimension to the platforming genre and manage to give the game a sense of urgency and speed. However, whilst those elements are good, I could easily do without the chase sequences and the boss fights are quite bland.

MINABO - A walk through life feels like almost the perfect game to play on mobile, taking in a playthrough whilst on your commute. Yet perhaps it's not as interesting on console. There's no doubt that it's original and clever, but things do start to wane after a little while. However, if you want to play a social sim game with a big difference then MINABO - A walk through life could be for you.

RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore on Xbox One may well surprise you. What I expected to be a shallow experience turned out to be a rather deep one, and between the actually gripping story and characters, to the intense fun of the combat, there is a lot to come back to here.

This version of Construction Simulator is the best I've played so far. There is a ton of stuff to enjoy in this new world with a real varied mixture of missions and items to collect. The German setting is a positive step forward from the last hellish world too, and Construction Simulator 3 - Console Edition on Xbox One is a fairly pleasant place to work in, and drive around.

It’s sad that the combat is dreadful, and visually it’s a poor experience, but away from that, Outward is an in-depth and fulfilling adventure that will force you to think about your actions, as you plan ahead and walk a weary path as you slowly traverse the land.

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.

Should improvements be made to the movement speed and a little more added in to give reason to explore, there is a chance that Elea could turn into something more memorable. Right now though this is simply your average walking simulator.

The Dead Tree of Ranchiuna fails to reach the heights of other titles, it’s still worth a look. It’s a bit rough around the edges, the walking can feel drawn out and the story doesn’t quite work, but I look forward to see what Bodur comes up with next.

Car Demolition Clicker for Xbox is a cheap way to pass the time and it’s hard to grumble about a game that lets you annihilate vehicles till your heart’s content. But grumble I shall, with a targeted damage feature that’s flawed from the outset and a fairly pointless New Game+ style reset offering little incentive. Fortunately, wrecking cars is enjoyable, with a decent range of upgradable weapons in your arsenal and a welcome support system of drones to give those fingers a rest.

Our relationship with Splash Cars is indeed complicated. It’s largely a case of what could have been. This is a fantastic car to drive, a real joy to play around in. But it’s been stuck on some restrictive and repetitive circuits.