Spaceland on Xbox One is a game that wears X-COM influences on it’s sleeve, including tons of references to other pop culture stalwarts like Gears of War and Duke Nukem. It successfully captures X-COM’s gameplay with quickfire missions that always keep you on your toes, but ultimately does next to nothing with its plot, characters and presentation to entice players new to the genre to give it a spin.

The gameplay itself is unique, the visuals are decent and the sound works well without being spectacular, and it’s just the accuracy in the latter levels that see annoyances come about, mostly when Selma just won’t do what you want her to do. If you’re after a nice little treat for a good price though, then it may well be worth you heading into Selma’s dreamworld. Just try to not scream too loudly.

Playing against friends on the couch is where MageQuit comes alive as one of the best party games since Overcooked, and you can share it with just about anyone. Yet the game just can’t shake the feeling that there isn’t enough there.

Bunny Parking takes a classic puzzle from yesteryear and tries to make what is essentially a one-trick pony enjoyable across a whopping amount of levels. Sadly it fails due to a combination of a lack of guidance, repetition, annoying sounds and a real absence of quality in terms of game mechanics. Sure, the actual puzzles are fine in the sense that they will test your problem solving skills and there are some easy achievements to unlock, but everything else surrounding it is a letdown.

There is a good game in here, one with plenty of ambition, spirit, polish and immersion. But it could have been so much more.

If you have any interest in either a flight sim, or a rogue-like experience, for the reasonable price that it’s at, you should buy Sky Rogue immediately. Trust me, you’ll be feeling like a top gun in no time.

Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo on Xbox One does a lot of things well, especially given the price point, but ultimately those great things are sullied by strange design choices and weak design.

Whereas Darksiders III missed the mark by straying too far from the path, Darksiders Genesis on Xbox One proves that the formula from the first two games was successful enough for their franchise. It’s true that this is a more linear experience this time around, but none of what made Darksiders a cult hit in the first place has been sacrificed in translation.

The story is whimsical and sets the stage well. There are some solid elements included like keys, chests and collectible items. The puzzles and enemies are simple enough for the difficulty level that Milo’s Quest is aiming for. And its presentation is charming, vibrant and well done. This is certainly a game that the kids will enjoy. Unfortunately, there’s no real challenge for anyone else.

GREEN The Life Algorithm on Xbox One is quite clear it’s about the experience, the look and feel of the game, as opposed to telling an epic tale of good vs evil. There are some basic story elements and a vague sense of mystery, but nothing too gripping. Unfortunately it’s hard to focus on this, as the clunky controls may have you turning from green to red. What results is an average, disjointed experience at best.

If you like a puzzler then you’re going to like 7th Sector on Xbox One. The puzzles will test your mental abilities to the limit and it will constantly surprise you in its attack and verve.

One can complete the entirety of the standard mode in around an hour and should be able to grab every achievement in about 30 minutes. Despite this, I hope it doesn’t become a game for achievement hunters to rinse and leave, I hope people play it for the reason I enjoyed it. It feels like a game created for the love of 2000s platformers and it deserves that same love in return.

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions on Xbox One does what it says on the tin. It looks great and delivers a series of enjoyable jigsaw puzzles but can get more than a little frustrating throughout. But then hey, I guess that’s what the puzzling scene has been providing for centuries past.

Code Shifter on Xbox One is definitely an interesting game. The gameplay doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it’s solid enough to entertain you through each stage. The biggest strike against Code Shifter is that it thinks its story is the main reason you’re here. Due to the bizarre tonal shifts, unlikeable characters and huge exposition dumps, this just isn’t the case.

What was once perhaps an unnecessary genre on consoles has been dragged back to the ’80s with the excellent Top Run on Xbox One. There is enough of a levelling and upgrade system to make you feel like you’re making progress, and the pixel art and soundtrack are both gorgeous in their own right.

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition on Xbox One is a one-off game. In fact, I doubt we will see a game like this for years to come. Lovers of action, frantic gameplay and lack of narratives won’t find much in here I’m afraid, however those who love stories and how narratives shape our lives will utterly adore this game.

An engaging story, with likeable heroes and despicable baddies, a deep system of jobs, team building and a proper challenge add up to make Monster Viator a good game in its own right.

Railway Empire – Northern Europe on Xbox One is another solid entry in the DLC market for Railway Empire, a game that has already given fans and train enthusiasts a ton of content. The price is pretty good for something that gives you a whole new map to play with, new engines, new routes and stuff to trade, but I do believe that in order to completely enjoy everything you’ll need to be hugely dedicated to the game.

Foxyland 2 on Xbox One is not a good challenge, as the majority of the difficult moments are due to off controls, poor hit detection and the 1-hit deaths. The aesthetics are great, but the core gameplay is incredibly frustrating

I wasn’t expecting much with Monster Energy Supercross 3 on the Xbox One but came out the other end pleasantly surprised. Other sports simulations suffer from annual releases, rushed out on smaller budgets and littered with bugs but this is a very competent game.

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.

In a world where Jim Henson created lovable creations such as The Muppets and the cast seen in The Dark Crystal, it’s disappointing that their property has been wasted on a hollow combat-heavy video game.

As I walked the streets of Europe with my partner, decimating the oncoming zombie invasion, I was reminded of how simple games can be so much fun. Zombie Army 4: Dead War isn’t a genre defying resurrection on the zombie formula, but it is a satisfying mutation of the franchise, and I can’t wait to dive back in and tear some guts apart.

I’m no stranger to games that ask a player to grind repetitive tasks, and I’m also no stranger to games that don’t really have a clear goal to be working toward. Where most of those games succeed though is in having interesting characters, visuals or gameplay. Regions of Ruin on the other hand, much like a sandwich without strawberry jam, is an uninteresting and bland experience.

Perhaps things would be a bit more positive if you picked up the Nintendo Switch version of Football, Tactics & Glory, as it suits that "on the train" type experience, whereby on the home console it doesn’t quite feel right. That all said, if you're a football fan, want something a bit different and love to have a challenge then consider seeking out Football, Tactics & Glory.

Cold Silence on Xbox One has some great ideas, however in much of its execution it does not stick the landing; that is sad because you can see there is a truly great and new kind of experience in the seams of this game.

It’s fair to say that The Office Quest on Xbox One ticks almost every single box for what makes point and click adventures great. There are a ton of fun mini-games, an array of inventory-based puzzles, and a load of quirky characters to fill in the gaps between the two.

Yes it’s weird, and yes it’s wacky, but Straimium Immortaly is worth a play.