Surgeon Simulator 2 on Xbox has a few things going against it which will unfortunately put a lot of people off. Things such as a buggy launch and a high degree of difficulty for a starting point hinder it somewhat. If you can get over these stumbling blocks, there is a fair amount of variation in here.

Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue isn’t a bad game, it’s just that others of a similar ilk, like Danganronpa, do the social thriller visual novel concept much better.

Peppa’s still not cooked: not quite. Which is a shame, because there’s a lot to explore in Peppa Pig: World Adventures, and while the game feels paradoxically more constrained as it goes global, it’s also an experience that had our four-year old jumping up and down on the sofa, singing that flipping theme tune all day.

Is Purpose 1951 Tonguç Bodur's finest work? In my opinion, it falls somewhere in the middle of his portfolio. The story is engaging without being exceptional, and the visuals are generally pleasing, with a particularly striking depiction of a depressing interior in the final section.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is a good game with some issues. The new unlockable units, the story line, and the whole setup of the universe happily draws you in. Yet some strange design decisions only come together to push you away again. With a little tweaking, this could be a great game, but the way things are set up does it no favours.

With no clear indication as to the audience it is ideally designed for, with the difficulty clearly too high for children and design points proving too childish for adults, monotonous gameplay throughout, and overly basic mechanics making up its key aspects, Switch – Or Die Trying is likely to be a title many will quickly forget.

Tricky Thief is fine, if a little unremarkable. We appreciated that it makes the effort to spice up the ice-sliding recipe with some enemies, but we spent so long waiting for those enemies, that we got wistful for simpler, gimmick-free ice-sliding puzzlers - and there’s a fair few of those on Xbox.

If you’re looking to complete your Dark Quest set, Dark Quest: Remastered is worth a purchase. It’s a dusty curio that you can explore for a few hours. For anyone else, we gesture encouragingly towards the many, better Dark Quest sequels.

Orbibot will fill a gap, as long as that gap isn't a deep one. Aside from the extremely dodgy controls and camera, this is a fairly fun little physics-based puzzler which does its best to kill a bit of time. You'll find it frustrating at times, but for many the easy gathering of Gamerscore could well negate those problems.

Bunny Cubed is a simple game, one that is well-made, and tempting enough to drag you through to the final levels. There is a lack of challenge, and that will put a few people off, and maybe some would expect games like this to have a few more levels for the price.

Repentant is not a family-friendly romp, and is a large step away from your traditional LucasArts-style adventure. Play it after Return to Monkey Island and feel the whiplash.

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.

It’s hard to deny A Musical Story’s craft. The psychedelic soundtrack and dreamy visuals are independently great. But we’re in the business of reviewing games, and it’s here where it falters. This is a rhythm action game that fails to get you in a rhythm, and its innovations only add to the noise.

Freediving Hunter: Spearfishing the World on Xbox One has a lot going for it, but stumbles with a few issues. There is no game like it, and something unique is always to be celebrated. I can see that with a bit more polish and attention paid to the performance of the graphics engine it would be a lot better.

If you love the genre but are feeling signs of fatigue from the same rules, over and over, then Zoo Orbs is crafted just for you. Its merge physics might be a little off, and the mission structure does undermine the merging on occasion, but Zoo Orbs is unusual and new.

Perhaps the best way to play Toree’s 3D Platformer Collection is chronologically. Imagine it as the scrapbook of a couple of game developers ****who are inching, game by game, to the one they were made to make: an N64 3D platformer that could sit among the console’s best. Playing this collection, they still have a little way to go.

As a retro-throwback, Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl does its job extremely well. Heck, in some ways it does it too well. If you were the type who grew up on these games, I can say with all due respect that you will probably have a good time with this if you want to connect with your inner child.

You could easily spend many hours in this delightful, unusual world exploring every last inch, while building up your anonymous character. The cat worlds are great fun and the writing, humour, and characters are superb. However, the game mechanics are hard to work through and at times it feels like there is actually too much included. The price is quite heavy too, but if it comes down a bit in the future and you want a to try something completely different from the norm, then give Abo Khashem a go.

Where the Snow Settles will happily take you on a wondrous journey from start to the finish, but the problem is, that journey is all too short. The story feels rushed somewhat and there are questions left open that need answering.

Aerial_Knight’s DropShot is built around a strong concept which is fun to play for a time, but it doesn't quite get its hooks deep enough to qualify as addictive.

If you’re in a mood for a cheapo indie that absolutely runs away with its single mechanic, then Dark Burial: Enhanced Edition may be enough. But be prepared for the crossbow aiming to make you, well, cross.

We’d encourage you to pick up Kinduo, particularly if you have a co-op partner who’s eager to collaborate with you on some puzzles. But go in with the knowledge that, just as things get good, as the difficulty is beginning to creep in, it unceremoniously ends.

There is a bonsai farming game in Bit Orchard: Animal Valley. It’s just as cute, bite-size and satisfying as you’d hope it would be. But, by golly, do you have to work for it.

Shines Over: The Damned falls short of its potential. The visuals, soundtrack, and world-building are commendable, but the gameplay elements, particularly the platforming and combat, are frustrating and detract from the experience. The short playtime also leaves you wanting more.

Kursk could have been excellent, even though the premise itself is a little unsettling. The exploration and detail of the sub itself is great and feels very original, and there are some nice little gameplay elements found throughout. The movement between the different sub-compartments and the animation it brings does however become very annoying, very quickly, and it is this which destroys the impact of the game in regards to pacing.

For the low asking price, Dungeon Slime Collection does bring a modicum of fun, but it is fun that is cut short fairly quickly.

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.

The two games featured in the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection were big deals when first released. Playing them again now, it is clear to see why. Whilst relics of the past, they still hold up quite well today. Sure, there are several issues including poor servers, frequent crashes and more, but the gameplay is still a lot of fun and goes someway to trumping the issues.

Murder Inc is a bit of a mixed bag. The story and atmosphere created are both decent enough, and I appreciated the opportunity to take in gameplay that isn’t just focused on going in, all guns blazing. But the controls hold Murder Inc back; they just don’t feel right and the loose crosshair annoys.

Zombieland: Double Tap – Roadtrip on Xbox One is a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Shooting zombies and completing the roadtrip is fun, but the annoyances and niggles do spoil things somewhat.

Ship Graveyard Simulator 2 does a better job than its predecessor in almost every way. However, at the core remains a simple and repetitive experience that won’t cater to all audiences.

Although short and simple, Freddy Spaghetti on Xbox is also a bit mad, making it fun to play for the most part. The levels can be hit and miss, however you can’t help wanting to stick with Freddy to see his adventure through to the end.

Farming sim fans will, quite obviously, relish the challenge and this has got everything they could ever want. I mean it all works fine, the career mode is good and there seems to be a range of vehicles that will satisfy farming experts around the world. But it is the newcomers to the genre that Real Farm might find tricky to attract - all because of the farming grind.

Perhaps that reliance on simplicity is a bit too much with Loot Hero DX on Xbox. With more to offer or a few more stages, perhaps those shortcomings wouldn’t be too much of an issue. Sadly, the excellent presentation and well-balanced difficulty scaling can’t overcome a fundamental issue of repetitiveness that hurts further playthroughs.

Overthrown is easy to recommend with some caveats. If you’re looking for a traditional city builder, this probably isn’t it. But if you want something more playful, more chaotic and more hands-on, it’s well worth your time.

There is a charm in its simplicity, and the general gameplay certainly has an appeal. However, this remaster doesn’t take any risks or introduce any new mechanics. If you’re looking for a chill, loot-heavy dungeon crawler with a cozy, old-school vibe, FATE: Reawakened is probably worth the dive. If that’s not your style then there’s a lot left desired.

What we have in Risen is a game from 2009, in all its faded glory, released unchanged onto modern machines. It looks rubbish and it plays very poorly in the combat stakes, but yet, there is something about the world that will keep you trying. There is a solid hook, an urge to see what is on the other side of the swamp, or the town, that keeps you going even when you swear you are done.

The game is certainly not a bad showing of a top down survival 4X title, but when compared to other similar titles in the genre, there isn’t really anything to pull the player back in for more.

The Jackbox Naughty Pack is a noble attempt at depravity, but it would have been easier to fully recommend had it come with better games.

Thea 2: The Shattering is the equivalent of a TV series that only gets good in its third season, which is a lot to ask of a player.

Save Koch is a hard game to recommend. The random nature of the procedurally generated events in the city ensures you will want to take in multiple playthroughs, but even then, you may struggle to understand what is needed for success.

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.

Whilst there are no game destroying features within Zombie Party, it’s fair to say that with the variety of games available on Xbox, Zombie Party doesn’t ever possess anything that will keep players coming back for more. The vast number of items and unlockables are certainly deserving of praise, but the gameplay shows nothing more than a lack of identity and fails to bring anything memorable to the table.

Guntastic on Xbox is a well-designed, fun little game, if only for a limited time. However, its hampered replayability along with a lack of depth, put up against a not insignificant price tag, makes it difficult to recommend.

At the end of the day Deep Space Rush on Xbox One is a fun little side-scroller to waste a couple of hours on before the magic wears off and other games start to tempt you back in.

From my time with Freakout: Calamity TV Show on Xbox One, there has been a multitude of issues that required restarting levels, but the general gameplay structure is interesting enough to account for it. The gameplay itself is solid, and this could be a fantastic title if it had just a little bit more care put into it.

Bomb Kitten is more like a stress toy or fidget cube than a competitor to Bomberman.

The Pizza Delivery Boy Who Saved the World is a short experience, but it’s very original, a bit bonkers and a lot of fun. It’s likely to be one of those that will have a Marmite effect - you are going to either love or hate the story.

Infestor is a puzzle-platform snack that won’t leave a bad taste, but won’t fill you up either. Sure, popping humans never gets old, but it’s the bits between the popping that feel familiar and not particularly challenging. On balance, you might be better infesting your money elsewhere.

With the usual high standard of line drawings making up the two stages in Cats and Seek: Kyoto, if you’re at all familiar with the virtual cat hunting scene, and want to continue with what can easily become a bit of an addiction, then you should probably take a trip to Kyoto.

Kotenok is a basic platformer game that can be beaten in under an hour, rarely trying to be anything special.

The Solo mode provides a bit of longevity and a couple of the new features hit the mark, but when you weigh it all up Rugby 20 is finely balanced as a bang average – at best – sporting experience.

Horror fans should have a good time with Dreamless, but it would have been great to see it take that extra step into the darkness.

As turn-based battlers go, Guards is minimalist to a fault. You will wonder how it can possibly hold your attention for more than a few minutes. But let its few strong ideas sing, and persist past the stingy first few runs, and you’ll start to feel rewarded. Enjoyment might even creep in. Just pull the eject cord before the grind hits.

If your love for all things Marvel or Capcom is strong, then Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt worth a look, but for everyone else it depends how much of a hardcore fighter you are and whether A.I. is enough of an opposition to keep you entertained.

Shieldmaiden: Remix Edition isn’t going to set the world on fire, but there are worse ways to spend your gaming time.

Tennis World Tour 2 - Complete Edition on Xbox Series X is fun for a time, but falls short of the line. Even if you’re a fan of the sport, there’s not enough here to justify the price tag.

FINIS is a very short experience, yet the price tag manages to justify the content. But it must be said, once you’ve been ‘evaluated’ there’s a chance you’ll be done with FINIS, left to leave it on the shelf forevermore.

Submarine Survivor is fine. It tries to mix things up beyond just adding superfluous visual elements, and in some cases, it succeeds. In others, it adds a brand of tedium that mires the whole experience in such a way that you won’t want to come back to it.

SokoFrog is a breezy and well presented Sokoban that would serve as a good entry point to the genre. But it’s also deathly worried about being challenging or remotely complicated. If it took more risks, it could have been a meal: as it is, it’s just a frog-leg snack.

Go Fight Fantastic! should really be called Go Fight Not Bad!, as while there are issues, especially in the online world, there is a solid game here.

If you’re looking to pick up a small indie game that you can sink five or six hours in to without a great deal of difficulty, then this is the game for you. If you’re expecting more, you may be left disappointed.

Karma. Incarnation 1 is a point-and-click as a petri-dish: full of bizarre organisms interacting with each other, and wiggling away or bursting as you prod at them. It’s fascinating to watch, and even better to listen to. But it’s when you try to play with it that it falters.

Sometimes visual novels are lengthy and suffer from too much filler, but in the case of Sol Dorado Heist, the swift nature of its storytelling prevents it from becoming anything more than just a decent crime mystery.

With disappointing mechanics that really should be a lot more polished than they currently are, this isn’t a game that will live long in the memory for many. If you are after a colourful racer that can be enjoyed by the kids, this could be worth a look, but if you’re in need of a new joyful karting experience, then maybe you should be looking elsewhere.

Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles is very much a game of two halves. A vibrant world, massive back story and compelling narrative are counterpointed by a bad camera, unsatisfying combat and too little guidance as to what to do next.

Whilst it may be a little rough around the edges, those looking for a Warioware inspired game on Xbox have one here with DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper.

Chess Knights: Viking Lands on Xbox is pretty unique and the mash-up between Vikings and chess is one that I could never have imagined would work. But as a puzzler, it does – even if the control scheme doesn’t particularly help matters.

It is likely that Dead Island 2: SoLA is the last major update for Dead Island 2. It’s a shame then that it’s the weaker of the two post-release add-ons

Dogurai is an interesting game, purely from it being a throwback to the games of yesteryear. But it’s not a great fit on Xbox, with the short and sweet levels possibly more suited to something like a Nintendo Switch. Still, if you want to take a trip back in time, Dogurai may be for you.

The annoyances of Glorious Savior are pretty much balanced by the new mechanics, and as a result this is a very middle of the road game - it never quite tips over the edge into greatness, but neither does it fall into the pit of oblivion.

A game that does what it needs to do pretty well, Rise of Fox Hero is a good old-fashioned platformer; bright and cheerful, with a good amount of levels and challenge.

OddBallers has a fun and quirky side to it, and much like dodgeball, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. But this is a game that cannot survive on AI opponents and custom lobbies alone. There is one small change needed to help propel OddBallers into the next great online party game, and that’s to go free-to-play.

There’s no doubt that Trivia: Knowledge Trainer - the Quiz Game is good for a bit of fun for an hour or so, and the knowledge-building part of the game is genuinely great. But the extremely basic layout and its complete lack of thrills do lose it points in terms of long-term appeal or longevity.

I have two distinct reactions to my time with Vaccine. The first is hatred of its terrible old control system, changing camera angles and the random generating house of horror. The second reaction though is of respect and enjoyment at the increasing tension of the challenge, while getting better at unlocking the secret of the Vaccine. This is a game that you need to fail at and spend some time with in order to get the best out of it. If you can get past the issues I had at the beginning then there is a good Survival horror game in here, with a neat concept, that will make some classic gamers very happy indeed.

While we’ll happily cheerlead for Geometric Sniper, we’re also acutely aware that Blood in Paris represents a step down. It only contains half the levels of the original game, and those levels hide behind snipers that are trying to kill you this time. It works for a while, but then you realise the snipers are a distraction.

Kiosk is okay, at least for the couple of hours it’ll take you to get through the story.

Farmer’s Dynasty on Xbox One a solid and interesting addition to the farming sim market. I like the repairing elements of gameplay (probably more than I should), and you can easily invest hours and hours playing the game, especially when going deep with the RPG elements. The actual farming moments don’t innovate enough though, and there is no getting away from the fact that it is a big old grind.

Infinitrap: Rehamstered is a frantic little adventure game that almost makes dying fun. However, the Xbox release is a fairly meagre offering which falls short of its potential.

The bones of Stolen Realm are basically sound, and while one mission in the campaign is an issue, the rest of the gameplay is pretty good. The Dungeons and Dragons underpinnings ensure things are fun to play, and the tactical action can be challenging

Even though it doesn’t really excel at any one thing, it’s hard to fault Amazing Breaker, mostly as it does exactly what it has set out to do. If you’re after some quick arcade fun though, then Amazing Breaker could well be your ice breaker.

I have enjoyed spending time with Truck Driver: The Dutch Connection, getting immersed into the narrative as I went. But, at times, driving for long distances, working from A to B and then back to A again, becomes extremely tedious.

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.

Dark Atlas: Infernum has a lot of promise in terms of its story and creative atmosphere. I liked what the game attempts to achieve, and in some parts, it does that very well. However, the lack of a map, the constant darkness and issues with overall focus don't help matters.

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.

Cybertrash STATYX is very much an okay game. The action is pretty good fun, but then you get to a jumping section and feel like throwing your pad out of the window.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a cutesy adventure game that has a great sense of humor and some simple gameplay mechanics.

If your gaming horizons only encompassed Argonauts Agency and other 8floor games, then Argonauts Agency 5: Captive of Circe would be something of a masterpiece. For the series, this is smooth as Perseus’s shield, and it’s actually innovating. Two mechanics makes for one of the biggest leaps forward of any of their titles.

Royal Tower Defence on Xbox is a game that is greater than the sum of its parts, but if you are looking for a proper challenge, you could do a lot worse. It’s not a looker, but the gameplay shines through and the hook it delivers is certainly real. For the low asking price, it’s worth giving it a try.

It'll be the story and world that keep you going in Dead Man's Diary, even if things do get a bit familiar. But then, there are problems with the writing and the monotony of the survival mechanics.

On the whole Violett Remastered is a pretty good game and certainly a very challenging point and clicker that will put your brain into overdrive. The control system doesn't feel great at times and the lack of hand-holding or any kind of instruction make the first moments tricky. But as things progress and you get into the swing of things, this is a very enjoyable and very unique experience.

Shiro is a ten-a-penny platformer which achieves what it sets out to do; no more, no less. If you fancy some cheap thrills and easy Gamerscore, you’ll know exactly what to expect here.

DeadCore most definitely has the marmite effect. You will either love or hate speedrunning games and that will probably decide whether you like this or not.

G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout on Xbox One has an audience, but I can't imagine it's a very big one. The title is perfectly serviceable but there are so many options that are of higher quality and more worthy of your time that it’s tricky to want to get involved here. However if you are a fan of this franchise, it will be a fun romp through the world of G.I. Joe; something which is perhaps all it was ever trying to be in the first place.

If you’re looking for a unique adventure of exploration and don’t mind a slow build-up, Jalopy on Xbox One isn’t a bad shout.

Neonwall is one of those games that is fun to pick up and play, if only so you can have a quick go every now and then. It would most certainly work better on other formats away from Xbox One as the controls are, frankly, horrible at times, but there are a good few levels included, and enough puzzles to beat to warrant the price.

As a game, Shaolin vs Wutang is not great, but then, as an experience to take you back to the golden age of martial arts films, it’s a triumph. It all depends on which camp you fall into.

Two Parsecs From Earth on Xbox One comes with a great, cheap price and does a good job of delivering a solid Metroidvania-type platformer that is hard as hell; it’ll certainly challenge the lunatics out there who get their thrills from a test of their skills.