If you’ve ever tapped along to the drum beat of heavier music, Double Kick Heroes on the Xbox One is perfect for you. At harder difficulties your controller will take an absolute beating, but the sheer diversity of metal music on offer here ensures that there is a track or three for all fans of the genre.

Linn: Path of Orchards on Xbox One feels very unique, is scarily stunning to look at and is a cracking little title to just pick up and play. I don't like having to repeat levels to unlock new stages, I worry that the difficulty spike is quite steep, and the hectic gameplay might put some off. But the highlights outweigh the cons, especially if you decide to take the low asking price into account too.

For a seasoned hidden object player – particularly those who feel oversaturated with the horror and fantasy themes of the Xbox One library – I can give a Kevlar-guarded recommendation. And if you haven’t played a hidden object game before? It’s hard to make a case, as there are better examples from the same publisher.

Whilst there are some issues with platforming, some annoying jokes and inconsistent level design, Helheim Hassle on Xbox One is a great example of how far Perfectly Paranormal have come as a team. It could realistically be seen as extra content with the formula Samuel set beforehand, but instead it adapts from it and grows. Helheim is just as wacky and strange as Manuel Samuel yet offers so much more to keep you playing.

If you want a calming game that’s just a treat from start to finish, then I wholeheartedly recommend picking up The Alto Collection on Xbox One.

Max and the Book of Chaos on Xbox One is a frantic battle for survival which manages to provide a fun challenge without sending the player into a spiral of anger and frustration. It’s hard not to recommend giving this one a look, especially if reflex-testing run and gun shooters are your bag.

I have a hard time finding great local multiplayer games. Not only are they not being made all the time, but a lot of them seem to miss the mark when it comes to engaging gameplay that does not get stale. Boomerang Fu on Xbox One rises above this crowd by providing plenty of options, being easy to pick up, and hard to put down. Add the game’s adorable visuals, and you have a recipe for a local multiplayer game with a lot of staying power.

It must be said that I didn’t really hate my time playing Prehistoric Dude, but I just didn’t really enjoy it either. There's some challenge to overcome and I always like getting 100 percent achievement completion, but there isn’t anything that sets Prehistoric Dude apart from any other platformer. It’s not a bad game, just exceedingly average.

It Lurks Below is a game I really wanted to like and the foundation that it has is great. But it needs to be optimized for Xbox One better. The gameplay is fun when there aren’t bugs to deal with and, who knows, maybe I’m just unlucky? I just know it could be done better and I hope to see future updates that remedy some of these issues, because I really do think It Lurks Below has a lot of potential to be something amazing.

From my time with Bite the Bullet on Xbox One, its charm and uniqueness was made clear, but the more traditional sides of its game design and combat ultimately let me down. The RPG systems are rather shallow and progression feels hollow throughout most of the game. The general level design, whilst pretty decent, does not reward exploration, and some of its systems don’t really matter that much to the overall experience.

A lot of other CCGs deliver this genre just as well, for free, but Faeria just edges them out by providing so much solo content and infusing a board into play. If you’re likely to spend most of your time offline, then this will be worth the money.

The price is perfect - in fact, perhaps it is a little cheap for the number of hours you will put into it - and in terms of the story Relicta on Xbox One is all very intriguing; the ideas behind it are fantastic. The script doesn't quite work all the time and the physics might annoy some, but if you’re looking for a test of the mind, this is certainly worth looking at.

Fantasy General II: Invasion on Xbox One is a tough one to really nail down. If you are an RTS fan then I would easily say that this is a must purchase; it is going to be more than delightful for those who live and breathe the genre. I do however feel that this won't entice anyone new to the genre and might just be too tricky for those who don’t have the time to invest.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 on Xbox One is an excellent addition to Xbox Game Pass, and another solid entry to the series. It is a culmination of the series so far that has arrived on Xbox in 2020, until Like a Dragon releases later in the year. Hopefully, the remaining titles of 3-6 can release on Xbox, because Kiryu and Haruka’s journey is only just beginning. But if this is the last ‘Kiryu’ Yakuza game, then it’s been a wild ride.

Darkestville Castle on Xbox One is a great game for fans of the genre and new arrivals. The art style is clean and fun, the story is wacky, and there is plenty of content to justify picking it up. If nonsensical puzzles and point and click games are your thing, you can’t go wrong with a copy of Darkestville Castle.

Ultimately, Skater XL on Xbox One offers a vision of something that could be excellent in the future. It has a great but lonely atmosphere and downright revolutionary controls, but this is brought down by the sheer lack of content and mediocre performance. It is too messy to be able to call it technically good, but it is definitely a game that is worth keeping an eye on. As a full experience, you might be let down, yet as a demo of what it could become, it is very promising.

Starlit Adventures is free to pick up so there’s no harm in giving it a go to see how you get on with it. But it’ll take hours of honest grinding before you can unlock suits, and perhaps multiple playthroughs before you have them all, which I can’t really imagine doing. It’s a fun adventure but not one that will leave you wanting more. And with its financial model, the latter is exactly what Rockhead are hoping for.

With dreadful controls, no map of where to go, nor any in-game speedo to see how fast you are going, Fast & Furious Crossroads on Xbox One is a massive let down. Online is messy at best, and while the storyline is a corker, the way that every mission seems to play out the same, just in a different place, makes me sad.

Much of the enjoyment is spoilt by the camera sensitivity, enemy spawns and save points, and all that combined just means it is too frustrating to play for any length of time. I can well imagine this game working perfectly in VR, but for the humble Xbox console it still needs some work.

Even though HardCube on Xbox One is a relatively cheap purchase, I can’t in all honesty recommend anyone purchase it, unless all they are bothered about is grabbing some super easy achievements and Gamerscore. It’s a poor addition to the puzzle platformer, and can’t hold any form of light to those ball rolling games from decades past.

Railway Empire - Complete Collection on Xbox One is a fun game, it has beautiful visuals, in-depth systems, and allows a ton of freedom. It won’t be for everyone; the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming and learning some of the more complex elements of the game will seem like a daunting task. Get over the learning curve though and you’ll be rewarded with countless hours of fun, and there is always the option of going the easy route.

CUBERS: Arena on Xbox One is a game that, while not setting the world on fire with innovative ideas, does just enough to make it onto the "recommend" side of my personal gaming scales. If you have a friend to play with then you are sorted as it is best played in company, but the single player campaign can be fun too, if a trifle repetitive.

Swimsanity is a good, fun underwater shooter when played with friends, and an absolutely brutal beast when taken on alone. If you’re able to gather up a party of like-minded fellows and fancy taking on a new shooting adventure, whilst occasionally kicking back with the laughs of some competitive play, then Swimsanity on Xbox One is certainly a game to consider.

Hellpoint on Xbox One has a lot of good points; certainly enough to recommend it. It’s dark, creepy and brutal - all the things you want from a Souls-type game. On the other hand, a seeming lack of polish does spoil the party somewhat, with camera issues killing me more often than the creatures, and a strange kind of weightlessness to the attacks present.

REZ PLZ on Xbox One is one of those games that comes alive with a friend. It’s good as a single player game, but multiplayer just lifts it to another level. If you have a spare friend lying about the place, I can heartily recommend this game to anyone. It’s tougher solo, there’s no doubt, but it’s a good challenge, and if you like inventive ways to kill cute characters then look no further.

Do I recommend Lunch A Palooza on Xbox One? Eh … not really. It doesn’t do enough to warrant the relatively steep price tag. it’s too rough around the edges, with annoying glitches, overly-unpredictable physics and dropped inputs aplenty. You and a couple of friends will probably wring a few hours of fun out of it before things get too repetitive (or frustrating) to be enjoyable.

With everything on offer here Steam Tactics is a good package at its asking price, and in return players are treated to a gaming experience that is easy to get into and tough to master.

It’s safe to say that UnderMine on Xbox One will keep you coming back time and time again as it definitely has a ‘one more go’ vibe. No matter how full your sack is or what upgrades are available, you always feel like you’re making some kind of progress and the rewards are plentiful.