Disco Dodgeball – REMIX is without a doubt one of 2018’s indie dark horses. With enjoyable gameplay, a ton of game modes, and plenty of fun to be had, there is no doubt that those who decide to jump in will head back time and time again to get in on some dodgeball action

All in all and Crunching Koalas have pulled one out of the bag with Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition. It’s super addictive, has stunning visuals, a soundtrack to die for and delivers one hell of a fun gameplay experience that just ramps up even more when played in local co-op.

At £3.99 it is worth a go if only to grab yourself a few extra achievements – just be prepared for a world of frustration and eventual boredom.

Yes, the crafting does get overcomplicated, the first few hours are a real slog and there are some visual stutters, however, if you loved ARK: Survival Evolved and other games of this ilk, then this is a must buy title for you to experience.

Awkward most definitely does as the name suggests. In fact, I’d go as far as to say this is one game that is highly unsuitable for a family birthday. But for a group of mates on the beers and looking for a laugh? It does a reasonably decent job, at least for 5 minutes.

STAY is completely different to anything out there at the moment, in a good way, and so it’s definitely worth checking out. Just remember that there are people that can help with those darn puzzles.

If you have never played Shantae and are looking for an old school challenging platformer, the Ultimate Edition makes a lot of sense. If however you have experienced Shantae’s world before, there’s not a lot new here and unless you have a hankering to play the DLC, you may be better passing on this version.

Although the story is fairly decent, the short length that it comes in at – about 3 hours – isn’t enough to tell a memorable tale and with combat proving a mind-numbing experience, this is one you’d probably be okay to leave on the shelf for a rainy day.

Given that the average playthrough is over in less than two hours, I’m hesitant to recommend a purchase of The Journey Down: Chapter One without a sale price. It’s fun, but it hasn’t aged well.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a brilliant collection of all the mainline arcade games we know and love, but in reality it is only a small slice of the past 30 years. Capcom could have given us so much more with this and I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed by the lack of content available.

It tests the mind in ways others cannot, and with the delights of the online community continuing to push it along, will ensure that even once the reasonably lengthy and highly entertaining campaign is done and dusted, there will nearly always be a reason to head back in to the negative space of Shift Quantum.

oOo: Ascension is a superb little puzzle game with a really interesting, yet quite unusual, visual design that innovates and frustrates in equal measure.

It’s packed full of destruction and most definitely builds adrenaline, and they are the two real big draws, but I’d be hugely impressed if you were still playing it on a consistent basis a week or two down the line.

Anyone looking to get involved in the MotoGP experience would be wise to pick up this year’s entry. Whilst things still seem quite similar to previous entries, there are some subtle changes that certainly improve upon things and with a decent experience all round, there’s little to fault.

Shape of the World won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re into exploration/walking sims then this is a must purchase.

There’s no doubt it can be a bit slow going, especially getting to know the people of this world, but if you can deal with that, then Vampyr is a very good all round experience that’s to be appreciated.

Encounters is a great addition to Everspace. Whilst it doesn’t change the general fabric of the game, there are certainly plenty of new additions to get stuck into, and the price more than warrants returning to one of last year’s finest rogue-like adventures.

There may constantly be talk about redefining the racer for a new generation of gamer, but that chatter can now stop as Codemasters have done just that with brilliant effect in ONRUSH. And all by just removing that finish line.

I have really enjoyed my time with this thoughtful, well written and brilliantly performed FMV game, but the deciding factor in that enjoyment comes from whether you want to watch characters deliver a strange story for 8 hours, without too much in the way of actual gameplay. For me though, that’s what makes The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker what it is.

All in and Fox n Forests has a great nostalgic look, whilst the sound quality is equally as retro. It has some really well thought out levels and the seasons gimmick is sometimes used to great effect. However this is all let down by the slightly sluggish controls and frustrating design choices that ultimately hold you back.

I understand that delays, post-launch patches and day one updates are now par for the gaming course, but that doesn’t mean that a game shouldn’t be held back if it’s not up to scratch. Case in point: Tennis World Tour.

The SEGA Mega Drive Classics Collection is an excellent compendium of games where the vast majority still play incredibly well. Old hands and newcomers alike will find plenty of games to keep them busy here.

If you’re after a game that can provide some moments of fun then Robocraft Infinity could deliver, but with the overbearing lootbox presence and limitations to non-premium players, this isn’t something you should be looking to get involved in, and instead Robocraft Infinity just provides more fuel to gaming’s most controversial issues.

Trailblazers is a hugely interesting concept clearly borrowed from Splatoon, but its execution here is lagging far behind. Weirdly though, I feel the developers have done their absolute best with the concept, but it just hasn’t worked well at all, especially in the solo mode. This then has a knock-on effect for the online lobbies – because no one is willing to try it because of the disappointing single player.

Multiplayer is a blast and single player won’t let you go, even though you might get tired of the grind about halfway through. There’s also a neat story to be found and the cast of characters that keep reanimating are delightful, with some very original game mechanics on show.

In many ways, Agony delivers an authentic experience of the archaic interpretation of ‘Hell’. Playing this game feels like torture, an exercise in utter tedium as you perform the same tasks and witness the same, ‘gruesome’ scenes. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that meta, it simply tries too hard. Squandering any potential it might’ve had, the result is a shallow, monotonous experience that’s not worth your time.

With a ton of quality content now included, if you get your thrills from sheer racing experiences, then Assetto Corsa is one racer that does away with all the messing around and instead just throws you into a world full of incredible visuals and the sheer power of multiple racing vehicles.

Riddled Corpses EX is a great, action packed, twin stick shooter, and the graphical style and chiptune music are the icing on a rotten cake full of zombies.

With a beautiful world, interesting gameplay mechanics and a hearty amount of content, Aragami: Shadow Edition is the best way to experience Lince Works’ lovingly crafted offering of a master-ninja power trip. The future of Aragami is promising indeed.

All in all, Grim Legends 3: The Dark City stands out from the Artifex Mundi pack thanks to its exciting story of creatures and secret orders, whilst the voice acting has come a long way from the games that precede it.

The illustrations are truly breath-taking and the way the panels fit together and interact are ingenious. It’s just missing a way to truly appreciate the artwork outside of the main narrative, as crucially these are what you will remember most about Gorogoa.

The graphics are good, the sound is excellent and the gameplay is very solid. It just doesn’t have the same wow factor as it did in 1980 in a smoky West London arcade, but if you’re looking for some tank on tank action, then you can do much worse than this.

As a gameplay experience, you owe it to yourself to play Dark Souls Remastered – which to my mind is what Dark Souls should have always been.

Whether you point fingers at the hectic visuals, foolish mode design choices or terrible gameplay mechanics, absolutely nothing entices you to play one more game, let alone the many it’ll take to unlock more tables. Throw in the annoying backing track and poor voice-overs, and no good can come from playing this game – unless you’re glutton for punishment that is.

There is something about the snappy satisfying combat that allows the game to be elevated above the niggling issues that it does have, and will have you wanting to keep going back for more.

There is a lot to like in this small little indie game and Oh…Sir! The Hollywood Roast has a bit of a charm to it, mostly thanks to its originality. The gameplay doesn’t really increase its value after the first five attempts and you might tire of this pretty damn quickly, but it’s a good one to bring out at a party with a few friends around.

Once you do figure out how things work in Knights of Pen and Paper there is fun to be had in small doses. The main quest plods along at a slow pace, but this is mainly down to the amount of necessary grinding required, particularly at a few sharp difficulty spikes. That said, as someone who has played tabletop games before, I can appreciate the humour and nods this game gives, and this is a decent recreation of it in a videogame format.

Before I played The Adventure Pals, I expected a cheap imitation of the popular Cartoon Network show, when in fact it’s a damn good platforming adventure.

With the theme music still kicking around in my head now, the world of Mokumana having surprised with multiple twists and turns, and the puzzling pinball moments standing proudly alongside the many platforming opportunities, this is one game that is going to appeal to a huge range of player.

Atomic Heist is good for a short session, and does offer some shooty thrills and spills. The repetitive nature of the game won’t be to everyone’s taste, and although the developers have tried to help with this by changing the layout of the station every day (the so called “Daily Mission”), they can’t disguise the sense of deja vu when you are flying and shooting.

It’s strange to have seen the tennis video game scene left to die in recent years, but Big Ant have proven that there is still plenty of love for the sport. You may find the lack of licensing an issue, but if you love Rafa Nadal, and enjoy a couple of games of tennis, then all is good in the world of AO International Tennis.

Don’t expect to be amazed by anything you find, and make sure you switch the music off in an instant, but for the price, if you have the patience of a Saint, then you may as well head underground and help young Lily tread the footsteps of her grandfather.

Raging Justice is a great addition to the beat ‘em up genre, and existing fans will enjoy the game hugely. It remains hugely faithful to the trendsetters of the genre – perhaps a little too much – yet has a couple of neat new features to separate it.

The Council Episode 2: Hide and Seek is, once again, a very good addition to an experience that delivers a complicated, interesting and thoughtful story, constantly hinting at a much larger overriding narrative arc.

Even with it coming in with a small price to pay, if you’re after a twin-stick shooter that you can engage in for hours on end, this is certainly not one I’d recommend. But if you’ve got a couple quid lying around, then maybe, just maybe, you can find a small amount of enjoyment within InkSplosion.

State of Decay 2 is far from a bad game and, in spite of its technical odiousness, it’s just so much fun to play. Offering more of what made the series great in the first place, fans of the original will be more than satisfied. Newer players might be harder to impress though, as their truck somersaults gaily through the air and they ultimately quit in frustration.

I, Hope doesn’t do an awful lot right with its relatively short, couple of hours, adventure, with problems in the gameplay mechanics standing in the way and immense frustration found at dying through no fault of your own. The execution of the idea is what hampers the experience, as there are some good blueprints here in regards both the platforming and puzzling aspects.

Will you like Through The Woods? Well, I love indie games that have a strong voice and really unusual tales to tell. Through the Woods has all of this and much, much, more with a brilliant, unusual story that is fun to be part of. It doesn’t shy away from the dark and tricky storylines which is brave, and should be admired.

It’s cheap, it’s cheerful and it’s a blast to play and whilst it may be yet another short adventure, the fresh appearance of the new world and the new challenge included is certainly one I’m all for.

Gilly’s Island is a decent experience for anyone who enjoyed the base game. With more of the same enjoyable gameplay and some exciting new characters, there is enough to go on to get a bit more time out of the game yet, even if it is only a short experience.

Phantom Trigger is something a bit different. It offers a branching story, lots of action and an appealing graphic style, but the designers have, for my money, taken the “hardcore” part of the synopsis a little too far.

Original, clever and innovative, Laser League is a gameplay experience worth your time and shows that we don’t have to settle for the same old, annually cloned dross again and again.

There are plenty of problems found in Bounce Rescue, and these outweigh the positives tenfold, but the biggest by far is that the game lacks the fun element we all need from an indie title. Feelings of frustration and unfairness instead preside over nearly everything that this game delivers. And that’s not good in anyone’s book.

Forgotton Anne is a lovely looking game, with the constantly moving art really impressing as you advance on the adventure, creating a world full of interesting characters. The story starts slow but comes into its own as you delve deeper, with sadness, humour and joyful moments all part of the experience lasting over six hours. Capping it off is a beautiful orchestral soundtrack that is often relaxing and never feels out of place.

No matter what you may think, sometimes going back is good. Especially when it evokes such great memories of gaming from decades gone by. Hyper Sentinel does that brilliantly.

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.

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.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a must buy for all gamers, especially those who love character, story and adventure. The performance, design, and journey are all amazing and the gameplay is hugely enjoyable as well, with a little bit of a challenge thrown in for good measure.

Death Road is most effective as a sprint rather than a marathon. It’s clearly not meant as an immersive, hours-on-end experience and playing as such will only burn you out as the same scenarios crop up time and time again. But as a pastiche to the arcade greats, booted up for bitesize sessions, it’s incredibly enjoyable.

If you’re a baseball fan and not insistent on having official Major League Baseball players, teams, and stadiums, you will have a lot of fun with Super Mega Baseball 2. Despite the lack of stadiums and somewhat clumsy baserunning mechanics, Metalhead is hitting for power with their latest release.

City of Brass is a game worthy of your time. It may be slightly overpriced for what it is, but it’s a good addition to the roguelite genre. If you are a fan of the genre that is.

Korgan is a throwback to another time of gaming, with its instantly addictive hack and slash dungeon crawling gameplay. The visuals and sounds are basic, but underneath is a beating heart with a very dependable bit of game design that warrants a play.

The Star Wars Pinball: The Last Jedi pack should’ve been just a sole table inspired by the events of the film, because The Last Jedi table is utterly thrilling and accessible to Star Wars fans of all skill levels. It was always a risk to base an entire table on Ahch-To and that risk didn’t pay off at all, for all the Porgs in the world can’t save it from being a boring and overly difficult experience.

I want to like DragoDino more than I do, but the truth of the matter is that even though it’s a well thought out collect ‘em up with some clever ideas, the overall mechanics let it down. A platformer can only be as good as the physics that hold it together and this is a serious problem for DragoDino.

If you are after a retro JRPG, this is the game for you. It is challenging, beautiful, has a compelling story and memorable boss fights. What more could you need?

£3.99 isn’t much to pay for a game, even a pinball game, but what is included still has to turn out to be fun and Babylon 2055 Pinball is far removed from that.

Agatha Knife is a strange game. It is sometimes simple and a tad shallow, it’ll offend some and irritate others. It does nothing new for the Point and Click adventure game. But the further I delved, the stronger my resolve to see its conclusion. I cared about Agatha and the struggles she faced. I can’t remember the last time I sniggered so much at a video game.

The Raven is back, but their legacy neither enhances or tarnishes this return. Maybe check it out in the sale if you enjoy a good Poirot-esque story.

It’s a novel game for the first few tries, but its slow drip feed of progress prevents you from getting anywhere near the end, failing to really entice you to return after logging out.

It’s rare to see a game that can set the tone right or make the experience feel complete or unique. Impact Winter is however a game that ticks all the right boxes and with gameplay that engages the player from the very first moments to the very last, this is one adventure that deserves plenty of praise.

If you’re after a unique adventure that borrows ideas from a load of games, but beats its own drum loudly, then Masters of Anima might just be worth adding to your collection.

It may well be the most historically accurate frontier duelling game on Xbox One, but with that comes its own pressure. Pressure that should at least see more content available for the pistol duelling fans out there to embrace, instead of seeing a few minutes of button mashing fun before it all ends. But it doesn’t. And that’s a big problem.

With the majority of the game able to be pushed through without paying any real attention, there’s not enough on show to keep players engaged for long periods.

Overall, and the world and story that the developers have shown with The Invisible Hours is a strong one that is superbly acted throughout. The actual concept of the gameplay is an original one that is worth taking in because it is an experience rather than a game.

The whole money-making exercise being such a prominent feature of Dead Ahead: Zombie Warfare takes away from what is good about the game – fun, addictive, zombie beating madness with plenty of content and challenge.

I urge any and all Batman fans to purchase the entire Batman: The Enemy Within series to binge on immediately. I won’t forget that maniacal laugh of the Joker, nor one of the best stories of the entire Telltale catalogue.

For all its knocks and criticisms, I had fun playing Deep Ones. The relatively short length means the game doesn’t overstay its welcome and for the price of a pint in the city centre, you could do far worse. It’s a rough and ready release in need of an update or two, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Even though the story holds a ton of content for those interested in the narrative adventure, the lack of fan favourite modes, the unnecessary crafting system, the constant repetitive nature and the boredom of a map that is unpopulated across large areas means Dynasty Warriors 9 is more of a step back than a progressive improvement.

There’s fun to be had here, especially in couch co-op, but the niggles sit in the mix like a bunch of wasps at a picnic; you can try to ignore them, but sooner or later they are going to sting you.

Aside from little niggles, and all in all then, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs Royal Edition just works. Apart from the loading and the saving, the game is very entertaining, and plays like a love letter to earlier JRPGs. The story is very entertaining, the voice acting of the characters makes you care about the story, and the hook of trying to complete all the quests in the available time leads you to some tense moments.

Extinction is a well polished title set in a universe that has an interesting story. It always feels brilliant taking down a huge green beast, but it does get a bit tiring after a while; there really does need to be something else to the game’s bag of tricks to keep the interest high. It doesn’t help that Extinction comes in as a full priced game, and if it had some in around the £20-£30 price range, it would have felt much more at home.

I can’t be too critical of Metropolis: Lux Obscura as the price point is only just over a fiver, but I’d rather pay more and get a better developed story, more of the enjoyable gameplay and an extended experience. Give it a go if you like match-3, not if you’re only interested in the story.

With its gorgeous pixel-art visuals, the charming cast of characters, the enchanting soundtrack, and the smooth platforming, Owlboy certainly delivers an engaging experience from beginning to end. If you’re looking to scratch that nostalgic itch or even if it’s your first time jumping into a pixel art style game like this, Owlboy is a game you will not regret playing.

I implore you to find a friend who owns it or to buy it yourself and share the experience with someone else. Honestly, don’t miss A Way Out, for it’s the purest form of co-op out there and a truly innovative game.

At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with Bombslinger per se, but it fails to really ignite the multiple player enthusiasm. It is worth playing for the single player however, especially if you’re a fan of randomness and rogue-like elements. Just be aware that you’ll need to be happy looking past the slow, rather painful, first hour or so as you gather up enough loadouts choices for the fun to begin.

Far Cry 5 is a bloody laugh. It doesn’t take itself too seriously – but then the series never has. If you’re a fan of the previous games then this is a must buy for your collection; it is bright, noisy and frantic and I wouldn’t have it another way.

At its core, Sea of Thieves is a fun, innocent experience that rewards spontaneity and imagination, but becomes rather dull and repetitive if you want a linear experience. As part of Xbox Game Pass, Rare’s Sea of Thieves is more than worth the time you will put into it.

If you’re looking for a little more of the same then there’s probably a chance you’ll find some enjoyment in Captain Wilkins and The Freedom Chronicles as a whole, but it’s hard to recommend jumping into the additional content over a replay of the main game.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered is a good game, there is a lot to do, and it comes with a decent price tag, but it feels like a ghost of the past compared to the excellent newer games and whilst that leaves it as a must try for Assassin’s Creed completionists, those brought up on Unity, Syndicate and Origins may disagree.

If you’ve never played a Devil May Cry game, then you really have no excuse with its availability on the last three console generations. If you already have this collection, then there is nothing new in this version – it’s got the same great gameplay, just now with a squeaky clean 1080p and 60fps.

The Way of the Passive Fist is a very enjoyable game, with the seamless fusion of fighting and rhythm executed brilliantly. As a concept, it shouldn’t work, but it just does, being a lot of fun and a real challenge.

Where Are My Friends? manages to create an original experience with the concept of designing four contrasting games and wrapping them together in a story of friendship – what little story there is. Nothing has the wow factor though, and aside from the lovely runner level, there is very little I haven’t seen before elsewhere.

Scribblenauts Showdown is one of the better party games that doesn’t involve singing, dancing, or everyone needing a smartphone, so grab a controller and unleash your creative thoughts upon those closest to you. It’s good, wholesome fun.

A combination of a great price, some brilliantly challenging mechanics, a rather unique premise, a quality visual look and that banging soundtrack pumping away, ensures that Octahedron should be right up there near the top of your wanted list.

If you are a fan of survival sims or enjoy experiences like Don’t Starve or This War of Mine then this should be a must buy for your collection. For the rest of us, there are some lovely visuals, a sparse but interesting narrative, and a great soundtrack, but it might be too hardcore for the casual gamer.

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.

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.

This 2D platformer has a healthy mix of different obstacles to battle your way through, which can prove to be quite challenging. While the graphics and music make for a great gameplay experience, the lack of story and difficulty can see things getting old really fast. However, if you have quick reflexes and love a challenge, then Alteric may be the game for you.