Although not the deepest shooter you’ll encounter, Screencheat‘s terrific point of difference makes for a hilarious couch multiplayer game overflowing with more memes than you could poke an invisible stick at.

Planetarian won’t be for everybody, but don’t mistake it for just another story of dating waifus or shock horror. planetarian is here for those who crave a good read, a short story with a tremendous amount of heart and sincerity that will leave you with something to ponder for years to come. It’s as heartwarming as it is heartrending, and it’s bound to leave even the most hardened readers shedding tears by the end.

Scolding myself for buying a game like Smashing the Battle will do nothing to smash the patriarchy and, to be honest, I actually enjoyed it in part. I mean, I played through 62 levels, read some poorly-formatted text, and forgot about the world for a few short hours. It may have produced more remorse than stimulation and there’s a strong sense of repetition across the entire package, but Smashing the Battle certainly is a video game about robots, armour and the absence of both.

I had an enjoyable time playing OTTTD despite its sometimes clumsy controls and overwhelming battles. Skirmishes can often be difficult to focus on and it’s hard to make a comeback if you don’t get a good start, but matches are quick enough that starting again doesn’t feel like such a setback. And the added depth the game’s mechanics gives players plenty of options to play with. If you’re up for a tower defence game that freshens up the formula, OTTTD could be for you.

To summarise the contents of the DLC together, there are two new characters with their own skills, two text-based adventures, some shirts and one quick level. For those that purchased the game physically, this DLC is an included bonus. The eShop version isn’t as generous, so I would leave it up to you if you believe the $15 asking price is worth it to you or not.

To summarise the contents of the DLC together, there are two new characters with their own skills, two text-based adventures, some shirts and one quick level. For those that purchased the game physically, this DLC is an included bonus. The eShop version isn’t as generous, so I would leave it up to you if you believe the $15 asking price is worth it to you or not.

Despite a few streaky edges through slips along the way, cricket fans will appreciate Cricket 19's dedication to the sport's idiosyncrasies without a trading card pack in sight - a rarity for sports games. With the World Cup on now, and the Ashes series coming soon, playing Cricket 19 in handheld with the real deal on the big screen is a tantalising prospect.

Rogue Singularity is a very specific callback to a point in 3D platform gaming. For those familiar with this era, you’ll get a big hit of nostalgia. It also plays just like those games. For better or worse, bad cameras are still bad. Just like back in the 90s, 3D platformers can be fun. Think about how groundbreaking Mario 64 was. Rogue Singularity captures that fun and distills it into a focused challenge that’s not a bad way to spend some spare time.

Squidgies Takeover is a delightful little puzzler with a too-cute presentation that hides some real brain-busting ideas behind it. Each of the game’s levels has an original idea and new way of playing, and there are multiple reasons to go back with leaderboards and further feats to complete to fully conquer the game. You’ll have to find the right way to play the game for yourself, but once you do, you’ll be sending all the Squidgies to their new home in no time.

Music Racer is a great concept but unfortunately fails to deliver on either of its namesakes. The lack of precision note placement results in a disconnect from the music that can’t be overlooked despite all the flashy lights. It has its moments, but for the most part, this is just an interactive music equalizer that doesn’t offer much of a compelling reason to hop along for the ride.

So, like, well done Hyper Jam. It’s mirror polished, competent and great fun. It’s maybe not quite complex enough to devote your life to mastering but I think it nails the best quality a game like this can have - I pulled my non-gamer housemates out for a few rounds and they were able to pick it up and even start beating me within fifteen minutes, so I spent an hour practicing on bots afterwards to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. That’s how you know you’ve got some good multiplayer on your hands.

Just don’t think too hard about Piffle. It’s cute and colourful and is pleased as punch to offer an endorphin rush at every turn. If you want a time killer at the bus stop, you can sure do a lot worse. That said, I feel that mobile games like this one need to do more than be ported across to Switch and sold, minus ads and microtransactions - there’s very little to make the proposition of purchasing this game appealing over playing for free on your phone. But hey, look. That cat is round. Haha.

Little Big Workshop is like running a business. No, that’s not a metaphor. Build yourself up from a humble 5 figure sum to a table-trotting titan of industry. Just watch out for crashes along the way. Yes, that one was metaphorical. And literal.

It’s been a long wait to get our hands on Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! on the Switch as the game went through Early Access. It was well worth the wait! CSD3 manages to keep the formula interesting once again, although for fans of the series it might mean not everything you enjoyed made it over. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! is a solid, enjoyable cooking sim that will keep you busy for many hours. It’s like an all-you-can-eat that you’d actually want to eat at.

Working your way across the islands will only take a few hours, depending on how you go with the puzzle and orb hunting. Down in Bermuda offers a relaxing time to just potter around Bermuda and find your way back home to the life you left behind. Being an Apple Arcade game first and Switch game second, it does make it a harder sell if you have access to Apple Arcade. Down in Bermuda is worth checking out if you enjoy interactive puzzles and a charming cel-shaded island item hunts.

Stacks On Stacks (On Stacks) is a simple concept that's made even more fun with silly and fun presentation — and being able to play it with someone else at the same time. Stacks never lets itself get stuck on one idea for too long, which is good, but you'll blast through the entire game, possibly in a lazy weekend. Stacks of fun while it lasts.

Mediocre combat, fuzzy visuals. But with the expansions complete, this is a very very solid 50 hour adventure now, and unlike some other DLC-ified games I’ve played, both of The Outer Worlds’ slot very neatly into the original story without feeling unnatural. Now is the time to sink yourself in if you’re a newcomer, and if you’re returning, Murder on Eridanos is a good bit of fun that plays straight into the game’s strengths.

Starbase Startopia is a fun little alien management game. If you're after a new management sim, it could be an excellent comfort game. For newcomers to management games, Starbase is a little too alienating, but if you're just curious how it runs, it runs alright.

As the first release by Sbug Games, Webbed is a brilliant romp that’ll make you proud of the Australian video game scene. The sets and characters have a lot of charm and swinging around the bush and launching Buddy the spider feels great. Webbed should definitely be on the radar of Aussies and non-Aussies alike!

Rooftop Renegade is a wild ride for speed runners and fast-paced platformer fans. The fastest times and higher rankings are hard won and feel rewarding when you beat the CPU hellbent on slowing you down. It might look even better on other platforms, but it runs pretty smoothly on the Switch, and the futuristic backdrops look good without distracting from all the action. It may not be for everyone. If you aren't into getting the best time or speed running in general, your mileage here is limited. But there is plenty to enjoy, and the unpredictable challenge is worth checking out.

There is new content here, and the UI has been updated, but I'm still unsure why this Deluxe version of the game exists. If you have the non-Deluxe version of the game, you're not missing anything. The developers had five years to make the game run better, or at least passable. You're better off playing this on anything other than the Switch; at least it would work despite its shortcomings.

Monster Jam Showdown faithfully recreates the dual-steering controls and physics of driving a monster truck — for better or worse. However, the game's story mode quickly devolves into a grind-heavy experience with events that all end up feeling the same. It's faithful to a fault.

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is a game aimed at a younger audience, and while it looks the part, it ultimately feels like a bit of a chore to play through. The content is fairly barebones—there are 50 levels, but aside from a few gadgets and the occasional interesting boss battle, the core gameplay is rather dull and stiff. You’d really need to be a big Dog Man fan to look past its shortcomings.

Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a fun party game from the small development team at Turtle Flip Studio. Not only is an enjoyable time with a group, definitely the more the merrier, but there’s something of value for solo players too. There are some technical issues that can pop up, and the Single Player mode can be surprisingly strict on unlocking levels, but overall Which Way Up is a blast.

Splatterbot is a fun, brief multiplayer game solely developed by a one-person team at Hey! Kookaburra. The game works best in short bursts with friends, and it never presents itself as anything grander. Sometimes it’s nice to have a solid party game that’s easy to pick up and play.

Cook Serve Forever takes a nice breather from the hectic menu management of the main trilogy while still keeping the spirit of the series. While Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard! is still in the oven, this side adventure is still a fun time.

Replanted seems like a great version of the game, and having not played the game for so long and never on a home console, I felt right at home (without a zombie in it) back in the neighbourhood with this one. There's a few small things to fix up, but overall Plants vs Zombies Replanted is a fun time, and it'll be "one more time" each time you play it.

The game certainly won’t get the tick of approval from older kids, but for the really young audience, it’s a winner. The bright, colourful, and fun aesthetic of Gabby’s Dollhouse is captured perfectly. Overall, the game is quite short, taking only a few hours to finish, but kids will keep coming back to explore. Credit to the team for absolutely hitting the brief.