Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases may actually surprise players because the biggest worry in attempting to deliver an original story, is perhaps its strongest draw. But that’s not saying a lot when the gameplay is mediocre on the whole and makes it seem as though you’re just along for the ride for the entire adventure.

There are positives, mainly the new weapons and abilities you acquire. Customising your MAG to suit your playstyle is enjoyable, and the story is compelling, keeping you invested and wanting to see what happens next. There’s also a wealth of lore to uncover. Ultimately, though, MindSeize is just another Metroidvania, and you may well be left wanting more.

Should you be after a very cheap afternoon of something bright, cheery and filled with tons of easy achievements, you can’t go wrong by strapping on your best adventuring hat and entering the world of Heroes Trials.

Gun Crazy on Xbox One is very predictable and many of the events feel scripted to happen in a certain way each time, so after a few playthroughs there won’t be any surprises. However, for people who like to challenge themselves and can’t rest until they beat their previous score, this is a good little game. But fair warning - after a couple of playthroughs, the main emotion behind replaying the game may be spite.

Whilst Rogue Raccoon may not be breaking any boundaries, conventions or doing any other things some AAA counterparts are, it’s still fun. Your 90s nostalgia and need for a simple, short game, are all fulfilled during Rogue Raccoon’s troubled, yet memorable thirty minute playthrough.

3Cat are absolutely a studio to watch. They clearly have abundant talent in their artists, audio developers and level designers. But Manairons is unwieldy, and it doesn’t end up being the showcase that the developers deserve. It’s merely a decent platformer, when so much of Manairons feels drafted from an excellent one.

There is a decent narrative to follow, and getting your wings powered up is pretty satisfying, but the trivial combat robs Krut: The Mythic Wings of a lot of fun.

The price is a bit hefty, but it’s a clever idea that most definitely teaches you the way of the world, never letting you take things for granted. Unfortunately the awkward control scheme and the hugely repetitive nature will see you getting frustrated once the initial draw has worn off.

We imagine that Zorro The Chronicles fans will find a bit of wish-fulfilment here. There’s every opportunity to slash a Z on the torso of your enemies, as you dance from melee to melee with grace. But you will need some blinkers to ignore the rampant repetition of its levels, which can’t come close to keeping things interesting or varied.

It’s clear from the beginning that a lot of effort has gone into Nine Parchments’ aesthetics, skill trees and overall progression, but this comes at a price to what you will spend most time in the game doing: killing wave after wave of enemies, with that becoming less and less fun each time.

Action Arcade Wrestling hits the ground running, but soon runs out of steam to the point where the old adage of ‘creative has nothing for you’ comes to mind. If you just want to have a couple of enjoyable matches, then sure go for it; just know that the longevity wanes pretty fast.

Horrific Xanatorium is less of a horror visual novel and more of a thriller that’s in a rush to get to the finish line. Despite having well-designed characters who could be memorable, the lack of substance and building upon the initial impressions makes it difficult to care about them.

Come prepared for a Lovecraftian short story, with the emphasis very much on the ‘short’, and there’s enjoyment to be had with The Song Out of Space. But while it touts itself as a detective mystery, that’s exactly what it is not: there’s very little deducing to be done here, and the mystery is revealed by the title.

As a narrative, Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story is enough to keep you cuddling a night-light before you go to sleep. As a game, it’s an exercise in going through the motions.

Deep Diving Adventures is nothing like real diving. It’s a floating contradiction: somehow, it manages to be both ludicrously fascinating and uncomfortably boring.

Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones could easily tide you over for a good six hours or so, with decent puzzles and beautiful artwork. The sheer amount of mini-games is impressive, with enough variety to prevent them from becoming stale here, but I do fear a lot of the concepts have been used in previous incarnations many times over.

Despite feeling a little different, Onsen Master is a shallow, repetitive game that even a seemingly generous amount of game modes cannot cure. You’ll know after the first few minutes whether this is for you or not.

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.

Stick all the indie platformers in the world into a blender, then pour out a tiny espresso cup and you’d have Betomis. It’s playable, forgettable and every bit a three out of five.

Parkitect: Deluxe Edition’s no frills approach to building a theme park will undoubtedly appeal to those looking for a modern Theme Park World or Roller Coaster Tycoon game. But you’ll have to put up with a few big issues too.

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

Gav-Gav Odyssey is a puzzle game that attempts three different minigames over the course of its two hours, and two of them manage to crack a smile. The third, though, is a crime against platforming that makes us do an involuntary shudder whenever we think about them.

Adventures of Chris is a good little platformer that references its 90’s influences to the hilt. It has a funny, cartoony story that is family-friendly and enjoyable, even if the gameplay pushes things difficulty-wise.

With a bit more time, a bit more sparkle, DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue would have shone.

BeeFense BeeMastered is a sturdy, simple tower defense that manages to offer tense moments. But that sturdiness is unremarkable, and you can get by with tower defense strategies from any number of other games. If it was more remarkable, more fun to play, then its biggest flaw - a boring back-and-forthing between the turrets - wouldn’t have stung so much.

Live by the Sword: Tactics skirts too close to doing that bare minimum. It spends its resources in all the wrong places, focusing on game modes rather than developing the board pieces, abilities and game mechanics that would have made it sing.

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.

It’s a massive shame that Blackwind is let down by the systems which should let it flow. If this came to market as a top-down twin-sticker with a few platforming elements and some decent metroidvania-styled puzzling, it would work really, really well. But the decision to add in a confused viewpoint is a killer; one that will have you concerned every time you fire things up.