Red Matter is nothing short of a textbook example of how to do VR adventure games right. It emphasizes design and experience, putting immersion front and center, making a bullet-proof case for why it needs to be seen and played in VR. Short length and some troublesome puzzles betray its winning streak to some degree, but don’t change the fact that this is one sci-fi story you shouldn’t miss out on.

Knockout League is a VR game that makes no qualms with trying to hide what it is or fool you into thinking it’s something more. This is about as direct a translation of the classic Punch-Out!! arcade-style gameplay as you’re going to find and it absolutely works, even if it lacks some originality. There is no better option out there if you want to punch some silly, often irritating, cartoon characters in the face — just don’t go in expecting a revelatory application of VR technology.

Arken Age delivers clever VR-first gameplay design for a great sci-fi adventure. The intense motion makes this unsuitable for VR newcomers and the narrative isn't especially compelling, yet the vibrant presentation and rewarding combat makes this easier to overlook. Between combat's great integration of haptic feedback, strong enemy variety and satisfying kills, Arken Age is an easy recommendation.

Sprint Vector is a great example of a game that could not exist without VR. The act of swinging your arms from side-to-side as you boost along massive, sprawling levels in contention with other racers is exhilarating. It makes for one of the silliest looking games to watch someone play but one of the most intense (and exhausting) experiences you can have in a headset.

Creed: Rise to Glory is the best all-around boxing game VR has seen yet. While its serviceable campaign mode lacks the depth and variety that we’ve come to expect from Survios releases and some of the controls are a bit finicky, it more than makes up for it with a litany of training mini games and an addictive PvP mode. Trading blows, ducking shots, and scoring a powerful knockout against someone in immersive VR is about as close to an actual boxing match as you can find from the comfort of your own home.

Structurally, Mothergunship: Forge is a familiar VR game in an oversaturated genre. But its central feature that lets you endlessly customize a massive arsenal of weapons is so well realized that you can easily brush off any sense of deja vu. Bringing that original hook from the flatscreen game to VR completely revolutionizes how the mechanic works, and you’ll find yourself coming back for runs time and again not just to progress further in the game but simply to see what weapon of unparalleled destruction you can whip up next. Much of Mothergunship: Forge is a tried and true VR shooter, but when you bolt-on that extra grenade launcher and power it up with a fleet of lava mines, what’s old is new again. [Recommended]

Boosted by a strong multiplayer component, slick presentation and big post-launch updates since last year, C-Smash VRS has transitioned from PSVR 2 to Quest extremely well. It's a fine remake of an arcade classic that feels better than ever in standalone VR.

Superhot VR’s hypnotic blend of physical, cinematic action is just as entrancing as it’s ever been on Quest. In fact, the lack of wires truly allows you to devote yourself to its endlessly entertaining levels. It might not be worth a second purchase for existing owners but, for those that haven’t played it already, this is the best version of a genuine classic.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy And The Liar is a great puzzle game that falls just short of essential given that not all players are going to find a fit with its trial-and-error style of intentionally designed frustration. But this is bigger, better and more richly developed than its predecessor, with escape room-like puzzles that are an absolute joy to unlock one at a time. If you liked the first game, you’ll love the sequel and the added detail is a joy to behold. We can’t wait to see what Schell Games does with this franchise in the future.

For the most part, Moss: Book 2 is the satisfying sequel you’d expect. It adds brilliant new gameplay mechanics that make for some innovative combat encounters, whilst puzzles prove to be a surprise highlight. More impressive, though, are some of the ways the game catches you off-guard with both the story and that series-defining bond you establish with Quill reaching new heights. But, just as with the first entry, you’re left wanting more of just about everything; its a longer game but still on the lean side, ending just as its best ideas start to get fleshed out. Greedy as it may sound, this still isn’t the sweeping epic you know this series has in it, but instead another reassuring step towards getting there. I’m convinced Polyarc has that game in its future but, for now, Moss: Book 2 is another excellent chapter in a wider story for Quill that drives home that familiar feeling that the best is still to come. [Upload Recommended]

Pistol Whip’s multiple difficulties and modifiers like Deadeye and Dual-wield add depth to a game that’s more addictive and satisfying than Beat Saber. This is neither fully a shooter nor completely a rhythm game yet it ticks off both boxes and does so exceptionally quickly in a stylish package. The 10 launch songs, all in the same general musical style, are a bit limiting. Pistol Whip, though, is already the game that brings me back to my VR headset again and again, and I expect that to be the case for months to come. I’ll be in the group waiting for more official scenes to arrive, trying to finish a few more songs in Deadeye mode on hard, showing the game to others and hoping someone figures out how to add custom maps and songs.

Adhering so closely to the original doesn’t necessarily make the PC VR version of the game superior to the Quest edition. Dense jungles might be easy to trek through on a flatscreen, but it’s far more tedious in VR, and some of the concessions Quest makes in this regard ultimately suit the platform better. The great news is that, whether you want a deep, demanding survival game with complex systems, or a more welcoming conversion that’s more considerate of VR design, there’s a version of Green Hell VR for you. [Recommended]

Demeo is not a perfect tabletop RPG. Its turn-based combat isn’t especially deep and its difficulty stems from brute force. But it is instantly graspable and endlessly rewarding even when the odds are stacked against you. More importantly, though, it’s a near-peerless social VR experience, polished to such a degree that it transforms the kinks of its systems into enjoyable, suspenseful quirks. Facing its brutish hordes with friends at your side is a thrilling, collaborative endurance test; defeat is met with entertained cries of anguish while victory — rare as that may be — is celebrated with the sort of group-wide elation you might have been missing in this tough past year. Not built for parties of one, then, but if you have a group of three or four ready to raid, Demeo is one of VR’s best.

Gunheart is a perfect example of how to iterate and improve on a game over the course of more than a year in Steam Early Access. What started out as a basic co-op VR shooter with teleportation movement is now one of the most feature-rich VR games we’ve seen in recent memory. Dozens of weapon mods, dynamic mission generation, excellent co-op, high-flying fast-paced movement, and enough bullets to make John Wick blush all add up to Gunheart being an easy recommendation.

The Wizards never lets you forget you’re playing a VR game. Rarely do more than 10 seconds pass without the need for grand hand gestures to summon magic or for you to reach out and interact with things around you. They’ve got a great magic system that’s intuitive and fun to master in a fantastical world that provides a unique type of adventure you won’t quite find anywhere else.

Killer Frequency is a treat. It’s goofy and schlocky in all the best ways without deflating the thrilling tension in its scariest moments and presents a clever twist on the horror genre that doesn’t lean into some of the frustrating tropes you might find in the average horror game. There were moments that had me sweating enough to fog up my headset just as there were moments that had me laughing out loud. I’m usually not the biggest fan of horror games, especially not VR ones, but Killer Frequency hits just the right notes for me to easily recommend this game to anyone looking for a fright, a chuckle or a clever puzzle.

LA Noire VR is a special kind of VR game that we’ve yet to see on any platform. With a massive, sprawling open world that’s laid out before players, waiting to be explored, the sense of scale is wonderful — even if the world itself is empty and lifeless. Interrogations, crime scenes, and action moments all feel great, but they’re too few and far between with only seven total cases. But given the scope and abbreviated implementation of one of gaming’s most unique properties, LA Noire VR is an absolutely riveting adventure.

If you’ve ever wanted to leave your universe behind and have a space adventure from the comfort of your living room, I can’t think of a better way to do it than with No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2. [Recommended]

Star Wars Pinball VR is easily the best VR pinball game around and probably one of the best Star Wars VR games as well. It’s evidently designed with fans in mind, but unless you just can’t stand Star Wars, the pinball itself and the sheer amount of ways to enjoy it makes the game more than worth your while.

Between the enhanced controls, new features and F1 World, F1 23 presents a welcome improvement on its predecessor. While PC VR support feels more reliable, several problems stop this from becoming the definitive VR racing game, and Braking Point sometimes misses the mark. Even still, EA goes beyond a standard roster update and I can see myself returning to the grid frequently. [Recommended]

Codemasters has captured Formula 1’s more thrilling aspects brilliantly in VR for F1 22 and I’ve never felt so immersed in a racing game before. While I’m sad to see the story mode go and didn’t care hugely for F1 Life, I can see F1 22 appealing to both long-term series fans and newcomers seeking a fresh racer. Hopefully we’ll see a post-launch patch will fix these performance issues but if you’re happy to compromise for the moment, F1 22 is a great choice that comes recommended.

For a game that wasn’t originally designed for VR at all, Skyrim VR is nothing short of impressive. This really is the Skyrim that you know and love, but now you can enjoy it like never before with the immersive presence of a VR headset. With a large variety of control schemes to choose from and hundreds of hours of content, this is a game that all RPG fans and lovers of immersive fantasy worlds should play.

Its stumbles are as obvious as they are numerous, but it picks itself back up again time after time. The seas of VR shooter development are still stormy, but Stormland sails them with aplomb.

Despite its minor issues like relatively boring environments, repetitive mission structure, and human AI that leaves a bit to be desired, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is easily the best zombie game in VR to date. The shooting mechanics feel heavy and impactful and melee is extremely violent in just the right ways. There’s plenty of depth between the survival systems and crafting mechanics and it packs a large and dense adventure unlike anything else out there.

Its atmosphere is dense and engaging and its puzzles capture a strong sense of discovery, resulting in a brilliant blend of gameplay and experience. The flood of VR puzzle games could learn a lot from the foundations that Charm Games has laid here. [Tested with HTC Vive]

This is a full-hearted marvel with the capacity for laughter and amazement, paired with the mechanical intricacy with substance. In short, you’d be a sucker to miss Tentacular. [UploadVR Recommended]

It's not a stretch to say that Ghost Town is one of the best VR games so far this year. Fireproof Games has delivered a worthy spiritual successor to The Room VR: A Dark Matter that employs a similarly strong level of VR interactivity, backed up by great visuals on Quest 3, a thoroughly engrossing supernatural narrative and intuitive puzzles. I do wish the journey lasted just a little longer, but what's here is an essential experience that you won't want to miss.

While it may be difficult to play for very long before your heart rate spikes, it delivers the most consistent and unnerving jumps of any VR horror game out there, held back only by its repetition and lack of variety — both of which are still worth overlooking.