While the needle wobbles between fun and frustrating, Camped Out! is still a memorable multiplayer title that easily captures an undiscovered need to be the very best at camping anywhere you can, be it an abandoned mine or a spooky beach.

Removing the combat from a shoot ‘em up is a bold choice that manages to pay off with Swordship. The fast and responsive movement and reliance on wit over brute force create an additive and challenging gameplay loop that kept me coming back time and time again. The occasional frustrating moment can be found when the RNG decides to play rough, and defaulting to one life feels a bit savage, but these are minor gripes when all is said and done. Swordship is a fantastic indie arcade title that will have leaderboard chasers salivating.

A smart, compelling, and deeply warm examination of memory and identity, The Wreck gives players the tools to turn tragedy into catharsis.

Curse of the Sea Rats’ charmingly nostalgic art direction can only partially hide a Metroidvania whose mechanical shortcomings are numerous, and whose substandard technical stability is irredeemable in its launch state.

When AFL 23 delivers on its on-field vision it’s the best Aussie Rules video game out there, but the lack of execution and content means that it's not quite the contender it could have been.

There are more polished, quality roguelites out there that will engage you for a longer period than Death or Treat, but that says less about its own achievements and more about the incredibly high bar set by its predecessors.

With plenty to explore, mechanics that are mostly tight and engaging, and loads of of retro-infused elements, there’s a little gem here within the chronicles of two cunning heroes.

Repella Fella embraces its Australian foundations to deliver an adventure game that is violent, funny and mad as a cut snake.

Dros wears its heart and 80s influences on its sleeve, combining elements of past 3D puzzle platform adventure games to craft a unique but familiar experience.

The Master’s Pupil gives players an inside view into the artistic eye of Claude Monet. Expect to be delighted by hand painted scenery and challenged in your colour and physics knowledge, as you move through this artist's aesthetic through time.

While A Fisherman’s Tale is shorter than many people’s daily commute to work, its abundance of charm and clever use of the core puzzling mechanic make it a VR title worth cozying up with on weekend afternoon.

Smart puzzle design, stylish visuals, and a charming story make Midnight Girl a great option for those wanting an intriguing adventure experience.

Set against beautiful landscapes populated by a cast of wickedly cool deities, Diets and Deities is a short multicultural rhythm game which seeks to make your body move, your tastebuds dance, and your heart engage with its casual gameplay experience combining deep story themes exploring cultural preservation and consumption.

I wanted The Sacred Acorn to be more, to really hone in on what a squirrel hero could be. What’s here is mechanically sound, enjoyable animations and a world worth visiting, but at every corner it just manages to miss the mark. Cuteness aside, a few layers of polish or perhaps a rethink of its systems is all that stands between it and a successful breakaway from the norm. Instead, it punches above its weight and puts in an admirable performance, but unfortunately falls short of successfully navigating its way through the minefield.

From its pixel perfect art to sharply deployed writing and unique, engaging combat systems, Arco is a masterclass in refined simplicity and self-confidence. Cinematic and thrilling, it is one of 2024's best surprises.

A calm and thoughtful experience, The Garden Path doesn’t worry itself over mission objectives or the need to build a fortune over time. Coupled with some impressive visuals and an audio score that relaxes the soul, it’s an experience many will relish compared to some of its older brethren within the farming sim space. There’s plenty of creativity on show, even if some of it feels a little overdone in places, but you can feel the love and respect for your time within every wonderfully hand-drawn pixel.

Those who delve into the survival horror genre and Cthulhu enthusiasts will be able to scratch their Cthulhu-shaped itch with the experience Edge of Sanity offers. Despite its predictability, it is an addictive, fun and spooky eldritch horror that will keep you entertained for hours as you endure monsters on each run and manage your resources for survival. It’s safe to say that Edge of Sanity is yet another great addition to the Cthulhu-inspired eldritch horror genre.

Botworld Odyssey is the perfect creature-collecting game for all ages at any level of expertise, thanks to its fun and simple gameplay. Despite its repetitive nature, it has an abundance of Bots, enemies, biomes, quests, and game modes for players to experience for hours on end. Most of all, it has an interesting story that you can uncover at your leisure with no need to rush.

The gameplay loop is the (black) heart of this game. While the narrative undoubtedly wraps a beautiful black bow around the whole, the core fighting and ability mechanics unite everything in a cohesive and affecting experience. The level of quality is surprising for a small team of four working in New Zealand, representing an impressively solid introduction to Hyporeal’s work and I’m actually scared of what they may accomplish in future. A final word for players and game publishers out there: pick up Blackheart before the world does.

With its stunning hand-drawn, graphite visuals and meditative tram driving gameplay, Short Trip is the respite we all need from the chaos of our current zeitgeist. If only it offered a deeper experience to fully escape into.

Art of Play definitely deserves some thanks for bringing The Phantom back to video games, and it’s clear the team has a deep reverence for Lee Falk’s character. As a fan of The Phantom myself, it’s great to play him once again, and I hope this isn’t the last time we see him. But as a beat-‘em-up experience, The Phantom is unlikely to draw a big crowd outside of dedicated fans.

Game Over is a game bursting with music, colour, and movement which can make for an overwhelming gameplay experience. As players scratch their heads at the impossible rhythm challenges and get to know their instrument-people communities and their humour, they will also battle frogs, use special platforming powers, and all the while try to figure out why their world is glitching. Some will love the zaniness of their situation while others may feel exhausted by the central mechanical and story elements.

Fully invested, second screen, or idle in the background, no matter how you interact with Cast n Chill it calmly meets you on your own terms and provides a serene, relaxing experience.

Letters to Arralla is a wholesome game that gets it right. Beautiful to look at and propelled by a sense of place that you want to keep walking and sitting in. The cheekiness of opening mail, delivering it to vegetable folk, and wobbling around with your turnip butt is alluring, but its true charm lies in its delicate craftsmanship and whatever you feel like taking away from it.

Dead Static Drive has glimmers of interesting Lovecraftian art, but fails to captivate with floaty driving, broken quests and game-breaking bugs further brought down by a general sense of aimlessness and lack of cohesive vision.

Hymer 2000 eschews traditional storytelling, instead offering players the opportunity to piece together a fragmented narrative using the very computer terminal that you have been sent to decommission. A starkly haunting exploration of what it means to be human, the experience will stay with you long after its end.

After giving The Bee Hive a chance, it unfortunately proved to be a dull experience full of bugs and glitches. Despite its potential, there are too many ideas that simply do not stick the landing.

Key Fairy’s striking hand-drawn visuals and quirky score are accompanied by tight and satisfying gameplay mechanics to create a truly unique experience.