On the whole though and Pix the Cat is nothing short of adorable, arriving with some of the best features, ideas and supremely high production levels that can be found in an indie title. You may well initially think that both the Laboratory and Nostalgia modes are just tacked on extras to ensure more game time is thrown in, but in fact you would be massively wrong, with both modes more than capable of holding their own in the vast wilderness of the independent games scene.

The upgrades to the movement, the enhanced visuals, and the tweaked puzzles are sublime. If you loved Myst or the original Riven, this is a must-buy; a wonderful experience held back by only a few minor niggles.

Accessible, deep, addictive and full of variety: Slay the Spire is the definitive card game on consoles.

GRID, I can happily say, is a triumph. It can be forgiven for a career mode that on some fronts lacks variety, due to how well realised the gameplay is, as it's deep, authentic and above all else, a huge amount of fun. You’ll struggle to find a racer that plays better than this.

SCHiM is an inventive, highly creative puzzle platformer. There’s a genius idea that comes to the fore, and going from shadow to shadow is highly entertaining. But the developers have also managed to create a world and a story that many will want to spend much time in...In a perfect world, there could be some more hints and pointers, but SCHiM is a game that will ensure you’ll never want to lose track of your shadow.

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a beautifully realised remaster of the original titles which, thanks to today’s technology, fully matches the potential and ambition the games had in the 1990s.

If you are looking for a well-made platformer with a fun story and plenty of obstacles to overcome, then Planet Cube: Edge is a great find.

Things are certainly progressing in the right direction for Antstream Arcade, and it is off to a flyer on Xbox consoles, officially this time. It presents a huge and varied range of games from across all decades of the video game scene - some you will have heard of, but many you will have not.

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a great game that deserves to be played. The story is brilliant, the action is compelling and running around battling and exploring never tires. If only capturing demons was a bit easier…

If you need to stop an asteroid, you call Superman, but if you need pure joy in your life, pick up DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos.

If you are ready for an epic, third person action adventure, then look no further than Atlas Fallen.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden may well surprise you - in a good way. It includes way more than you may expect, the story and the world are fascinating, and it plays extremely well indeed. It isn’t perfect, but it’s obvious that Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has been made with a passion that will be appreciated.

There really aren’t many negatives to The Messenger but it certainly won’t be for everyone. It is challenging and will take time to get through depending on skill level, especially for completionists. But the base game can be completed in around 8 hours.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall on Xbox One is easily one of the best in the genre, putting so many elements together into one fantastic package. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone who loves the genre, and will be able to sustain strategy fans for weeks and even months on end.

The Gap is a lovely, thoughtful game that has a fascinating story. Travelling through various memories and timelines is brilliant and never feels dull.

It’s taken a couple of years for this acclaimed talking-simulator to arrive on the Xbox, but time has not worn it down. Initially pitched as a farming game, Mutazione is far more interesting as a mutant soap opera. This is one of the warmest, most likable cast of characters you will come across in a video game, and you’ll want to relish every moment with them. Key into its languid pace, ignore the lack of traditional gameplay, and you will find a chilled vibe that is hard to beat.

The Jackbox Party Pack 9 brings new ideas without losing that winning formula, which makes this not only another brilliant entry in the long running series, but a contender for the best compilation yet.

If you like a roguelike, this is an easy sell, but as Nuclear Throne eases you in gently, it’s also a damn good entry point if you want to try your luck with the genre for the first time. The graphical style won’t appeal to everyone, but the gameplay is the star here, and even if it is punishingly hard in the latter moments you’ll be having too much fun to care.

Stories Untold on Xbox One should be applauded. It's a masterclass in storytelling and an experimental success when it comes to how you find yourself engaging with gameplay and game styles all in one package. It will turn your head inside out, but it will also leave you thinking about what has happened long after you finish.

Sagebrush is a remarkable piece of storytelling and game design, employing a retro technique to tell something truly original. It’s intriguing and beguiling throughout and that leaves you with a satisfied smile at the end.

NBA 2K21 on Xbox One is a brash, flashy and powerful game that has a huge array of toys to play with, as well as a powerful toy-kit to make it more your own too. Whilst there are micro-transactions within, the patient player can just grind their way to the top.

Is MLB The Show 22 for everybody? No. Is MLB The Show 22 going to please fans of baseball? Absolutely.

Gloomy Eyes is one of those games that you really must play. Aside from a slight camera issue, it introduces the player to a wicked world, dark, foreboding, but full of charm. This is an adventure you’ll want to join, as you aid two distinct children on a journey into the unknown. If you’re looking for puzzles, it’s got it, and if you need brilliant visuals, it nails matters. But further to that comes a narrator that brings this world together in the very best possible way.

Lorn’s Lure is an odd game. The graphics are rudimentary, and the gameplay is simple, yet it has some incredible difficulty spikes. It's not a game that will speak to everyone, and there are plenty it will actively push away. But for players that ‘get it’, it really connects.

At the end of the day, if you like top-down adventures, it goes without saying that God’s Trigger is one you should be checking out. Not only does it tick all the boxes both visually and in terms of the gameplay, but it also has a pretty affordable price tag too.

There’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy your time with Space Raiders in Space. The sense of humour is on point, helped along by the Easter Eggs that have been sneaked in, but it can also play a very mean game of Tower Defence; that obviously helps. With a supercritical head on, it could be said that the story isn’t awfully long, but there are a number of different endings to try for, and so this helps a bit.

Enticing Richard Garfield to the Slay the Spire deckbuilder was Roguebook’s first act of brilliance, but many others follow. In the hex-based exploration it’s taken the genre’s dullest moments and made them the most engaging. In the deck-optimisation, it has fully handed the keys to the player and said ‘let’s see what you can make’. The possibilities, as the adage goes, are endless, and it gives Roguebook a truly infinite feel.

If you’re after some classic multiplayer action that ignores the need for an online connection and welcomes the incredible fun that used to be at the centre of every multiplayer game, then Jump Gunners is a game you need to add to your collection.