Horror Tale 1: Kidnapper is a good experience; a likeable stealth game that is fun to play for a couple of hours. Horror fans should expect the themes to be more in line with a PG than any 18-rated hardcore action, but it works well.

Varney Lake is a charming addition to an interesting game franchise. Seeing returning characters come back with a fresh new story to tell, working an X-Files and Stranger Things vibe, isn’t a bad thing at all.

From the premise alone, Ayre and the Crystal Comet raised interest levels, but from there, things go wrong. The lack of combat and action is a worry, and that means this very much comes in line with the likes of the Aery and Life of Fly series of games. But that’s not helped by the fact that Ayre and the Crystal Comet can occasionally verge into the unplayable; buggy and putting you off completion.

Ultimately, we liked the levels in Light of Life, but hated the controls. It’s not that the controls are inaccurate or slippy; the problem is in the concept. We found that using a bow and arrow to dash backwards through a level is just as unnatural and confusion-inducing as sitting backwards on a train.

The story and over-the-top action are what makes Mia and the Dragon Princess the fun thriller of a game that it is. But it’s also a game that will ensure you want to unlock all the story outcomes, and the shorter running time aids this achievement as well. However, the gameplay doesn’t move anything on too much and it could do with some more tricks up its sleeve; much like some competitors have tried.

Grindstone represents the absolute zenith of puzzling, and you should bump and grind against its smooth edges as soon as the opportunity presents itself. One hour will lead to another, and soon it will be three weeks later. You have been warned (but do it anyway).

We suspect that Ravenlok will see a fair amount of criticism for its lack of depth and length. Its dimensions are a little limited. But we drink a bottle that says ‘bite me’: Ravenlok is a waltz through Wonderland that you won’t regret. Embrace the lightweight combat and puzzles and follow the path and see where it leads you. The journey is well worth it.

Through sheer force of enthusiasm, Swordbreaker: Origins smooshes all its half-baked elements together and somehow, miraculously, creates something that we find hard to put down. Blame that node map: we have a borderline obsessive need to find every death, every choice, that is represented on it. Wait, what happens if you bring the freeze spell to the lake?

Redfall is a competent action shooter - the only problem is that the market is filled with other options that do things a bit better. It is one to download and try on Game Pass, especially if you have a few friends willing to play co-op mode. You may well be best off waiting for a patch or two in order to get a more optimal experience. Out the gate, Redfall just doesn’t spark joy.

Meet Your Maker will quite possibly exceed your expectations. You may find it delivers a rough start, as you are hand held through the basics and then abandoned, but stick with it and something a bit special comes from repeated plays - beating an outpost after multiple failed attempts always feels a bit good.

Stray Blade has a lot to recommend. The protagonists are likeable enough, the story is good and the action pretty cool, but the rough edges take the shine off. With a bit more polish this could have been a contender, but as it is, it will have to be satisfied with a middle of the road mark. There is fun to be had here, but frustration in seemingly equal amounts.

Given the steep price point, it’s hard to recommend the Williams Pinball: Twilight Zone table for Pinball FX to anyone except ardent fans of the TV show or those with love for the classic machines.

Catacomb Master is not a bad deal. You get one, maybe two hours of leisurely platforming and puzzle-solving, with 1000 Gamerscore in your pocket before you’ve gotten comfortable on the sofa.

Whilst it’s clear that a lot of effort went into Curse of the Sea Rats, the game really needs a significant amount of fine tuning. Similarly, there are a variety of great ideas included within it, but these need expanding on and fleshing out further to ensure this one turns into something that is truly brilliant. At present, Curse of the Sea Rats simply feels unremarkable.

Two Point Campus: School Spirits offers more of the high quality content we’ve come to expect from Two Point Campus. This time around it feels like the formula has been tweaked a little more than previously, rather than simply slapping a new skin on the action.

Even though Cannon Dancer - Osman stands up well today, ultimately it’s not much more than a straight-up re-release. Although it will no doubt please a niche target audience, you'll have to spend substantially more than your spare change for the pleasure of playing.

We haven’t played many Old Testament platformers with a hint of Altered Beast, so Saga of Sins tops that particular league table. But against all our other criteria, Saga of Sins is merely passable.

A platform speedrunner might find something in Dashing Orange. It’s an obstacle course for that player, in the same way a Spartan Run is for a jogger. But in our case, we wanted to give up repeatedly on Dashing Orange. This little orange was not for us.

We were on a run of some rather naff visual novels, so praise be for DoraKone. It’s short but sugary sweet, and its writers and designers have taken great care to make sure the hour-or-so of gameplay is endearing and polished. Plus, it’s a lesbian dating sim that uses Pokémon GO for inspiration. How could any visual novel enthusiast say no?

Strayed Lights’ pacifist, parry-led combat felt out of reach at first, but then we found the rhythms of it. We were switching colours on cue, like a mobile rave. We weren’t sold on some visual telegraphing, and the exploration could do with some spit and polish, but everything else here is immaculate. So, treat your fingertips and let Strayed Lights brighten up your evenings.

Farm Sliders is a simple game, with a simple premise, and simple presentation. And who’s to say that this isn’t what we need in our increasingly frenetic lives? For a quick pick up and play, five minute gaming session, it is hard to think of another game that would be as much fun, and quite so relaxing.

It’s not often that we finish a visual novel and immediately start jotting down some better endings. But that’s the effect Weeping Willow had on us. It’s a mystery box with a soggy twig inside.

RunBean Galactic feels like a toy rather than a game, something you might pick up and dabble with for a couple of minutes before putting it back down. It’s elegant but depthless. When you consider how many ways that RunBean Galactic could have filled out the experience, you wonder why it didn’t shoot for the stars, rather than making do and staying bean-sized.

Crypt of the NecroDancer Pinball is a Pinball FX table that’s going to be loved by fans of the game and enjoyed greatly by everyone else.

Nuclear Blaze is a short and sweet game that can take up a chunk of your day if you feel like trying something new. The collectibles and challenge mode difficulty will extend your playtime if you choose to go that route. On the other hand, even people who aren’t good at platformers will find Nuclear Blaze accessible, what with its range of difficulty modifiers.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is perhaps the best thing to come out of the Star Wars franchise since Disney took over.

Afterimage is one of those games in which you’ll need to actively switch between different weapons based on the boss you are up against, because almost all of them feel good to use depending on the situation. While I found the exploration to be a bit tedious at times, I kept wanting to come back to discover more about the world and Afterimage as a whole.

If you are looking to play some baseball, MLB The Show 23 is 100% the first option to pick. It has game modes galore with control schemes to suit any kind of player. The presentation is absolutely fantastic and the in-game help can turn most players into proficient bat swinging monsters.