If you fancy yourself the town mayor of a sprawling metropolis of your own design, pick up Cities: Skylines. Just keep an eye on the clock, or you might find that you lost an entire day to this wildly addictive game.

While Crawl is a very good local multiplayer game, the single-player experience doesn't quite measure up. You can play against one to three bots (the fewer bots, the easier) and select the difficulty of the bots. Competing against ghost bots is fun for a while, but given the short nature of each run, repetition sets in eventually. You should consider Crawl a maybe if you mostly play by yourself, but it's a must-buy if you have friends or family to bring along on your crawls.

You won't find a tremendous amount of gameplay in Guardians: The Telltale Series. Like most recent Telltale games, it's more of an interactive movie than a traditional game. But that interactive movie is one that Guardians fans should love, at least during this first episode. Hopefully the rest of the series can maintain this same sense of adventure and bravado.

Late Shift uses an awesomely innovative idea in a game that revolves around a young man being pulled into a deadly heist. The lack of normal gameplay elements makes it a very different kind of game, but it's a fun and compelling sprint for anyone who likes a good story. The differences your choices make also affect the story in new and unexpected ways, making it fun to replay the game trying for each of the 17 different endings.

This is a gorgeously executed murder mystery puzzle game where there's more than meets the eyemask. The main story is further fleshed out with collecting guest invitations and finding 52 playing cards, giving you an ever greater reason to leave the guests to their fates for a little longer. The puzzles are wickedly difficult, with the perfect amount of obviousness that will have anyone kicking themselves for thinking within the box.

Hopefully Playtonic continues to support Yooka-Laylee with updates and refinements. But even with a few rough edges here and there, this is still a huge game that platforming fans must not miss.

While its 11 years in the making has given the developer, Virtual Air Guitar Company, some strong foundations, its first air guitar game, Air Guitar Warrior isn't King of Kinect Mountain. While it starts off fun, it quickly becomes challenging which may leave people feeling like they've bitten off more than they can chew. I would love for this to be the game that wakes Kinect back up, but there are a few too many bum notes.

It's a shame the developers didn't fix up Anarchy mode or add something brand new for players who've already experienced the game. But since so many gamers (including me) missed out on Bulletstorm the first time around, the Full Clip Edition still makes for a fairly compelling package. Let's hope this version sells well enough to justify a sequel. A Bulletstorm 2 with modern gameplay refinements and improved multiplayer would be truly epic.

The narrative genre often takes a closer look at human emotions, something we don't often see in other genres. Blackwood Crossing takes a bold leap into examining emotions and family dynamics, tackling subjects such as love and grief, separation and moving on. It's a topic that lends itself well to the genre, as the minimalistic gameplay places a magnifying glass over the narrative the game competently weaves.

The Viking setting and Norse mythological themes make for a perfectly interesting alternative to Diablo's standard holy-warriors-versus-demons setting.

I found the screen lock and wrap mechanics repetitive at times, and I definitely wished for a story and greater meaning from the adventure. Still, considering the $9.99 price, puzzle platforming fans might still want to give this fantasy a shot.

Adventure game fans should grab this one up. Clunky controls aside, you'll have a great time visiting The Inner World. With the sequel arriving in July, the wait for the next installment will be far less painful for console gamers than it was for PC players!

Thimbleweed Park is a fun and challenging point-and-click adventure game. With a great noir feel, a cast of interesting characters, and tons to explore, this game is great for old fans of the genre and new fans alike. There is a ton to see, do and interact with, delivering a fantastic all-around game.

The $10 game is a relatively short jaunt with an enjoyable story, and it is challenging, with the right blend of atmosphere and solid combat.

The complete absence of story and story-based quests means that only players who really dig mining and building will get much long-term value from this one. Leaving out the story and story quests is a big missed opportunity to capitalize on what makes MMOs so special.

If you're in the mood for a challenging and dark adventure, you could do worse than 2Dark. The pulpy subject matter and tone are different from the average horror game. The unique perspective and art style actually serve the material quite well, too. Despite the rough edges, horror fans should give 2Dark a chance.

This is by far the least optimized, most buggy entry in the series. The sheer volume of glitches, animation problems, frame rate issues, and weird hitching lag plagues the entire experience, and it's a damn shame.

Once you're through the early stages and you have a little more openness on what you can build and where, there's a ton of enjoyment to be had. But all the while there's still some underlying linear aspects to the gameplay that keep you in check.

As both a solid local multiplayer twin-stick shooter and a Roguelike game, NeuroVoider is a good buy at $13.99.

FlatOut 4 is a little rough around the edges. The frame rate could be better, the single-player difficulty can be unfair at times, and online multiplayer lacks some popular event types. Still, it's an impressive package on the whole. 20 different tracks and several race types ensure that single-player and online multiplayer won't get stale too quickly. And you won't find another racing game with such a delightful emphasis on destruction.

If the idea of racing pint-sized cars around on gigantic-looking tabletop tracks sounds like a good time, you'll probably get more than your money's worth from Table Top Racing. With a launch price of $14.99, it packs plenty of bang for the buck.

Dark Arcana: The Carnival is a simple, but fun game that plays to its strengths. With tons of different puzzles to keep you occupied and a story that is consistently interesting, it does a solid job of keeping you entertained. And it's a good choice for anyone who enjoys a brain workout.

Matchmaking issues aside, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a must-play for fighting game enthusiasts and Marvel fans. The $24.99 price tag doesn't hurt, either.

You always know what you're getting with a Call of Duty DLC: a selection of competitive maps and one cooperative Zombies map. This batch of maps is quite strong, with Dominion and Noir the clear standouts. I look forward to playing more of them in the weeks to come.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a solid sandbox adventure for groups of up to four friends. In solo play, Ghost Recon: Wildlands loses a bit of its mojo, but the game's unprecedented scale and piles of content should prove euphoric for fans of open world games.

I absolutely adore the game, and I feel that modern roleplaying fans who also enjoy narrative-heavy games like Life is Strange will find a lot to love about Torment: Tides of Numenera. Modern RPGs from blockbuster-budget studios could learn a lot from InXile with regards to "choice and consequence," and the true value of a branching narrative. If you're looking for a story-focused game where your choices truly matter, set in a rich, nuanced world absolutely crammed with sci-fi obscurities, fantastical beasts, and mind-warping trans-dimensional phenomena, you will adore Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Niggles aside, Renegade's lengthy Career Mode and local and online multiplayer support all make for a robust package. Factor in the low price of ten bucks and full Xbox Play Anywhere support, and you have a must-buy for arcade racing fans.

One thing is for certain, though. Between Multiplayer, Blitz Mode, and Halo Wars 2's stellar 2-player co-op campaign, there's truly something for everyone in this wonderfully polished package. This is the best RTS on Xbox One today, by far. And it's a stunning entry in the Halo pantheon.

Sniper Elite's fourth installment propels the series into the big leagues for the first time, and Rebellion deserves every shred of praise.

The only thing holding NecroDancer back from being a perfect game is the difficulty of playing as some characters. But don't let the difficulty dissuade you – rhythm role-playing games simply don't get any better than this.

Rise & Shine reminds me of the original Battletoads from Rare, a game that would've been excellent had it not been so punishing. All of the work that went into creating such beautiful art, packing in so many gaming references, and creating the interesting bullet abilities, is undermined by the excessive challenge. Players who like tough games will love Rise & Shine, but it will never truly shine unless the developers rebalance the difficulty.

I loved exploring the dilapidated swamps of the Baker Plantation, exploring each macabre room, perusing each foreboding text file, and desperately diving through each fetid trash can for discarded shotgun shells. The Baker family are brimming with depraved personality and beat out some of the franchise's most staple characters for their demented, violent behavior. Some of RE7's most horrific moments will be burned onto your mind and may take weeks to subside.

ABZÛ is a short but utterly engaging experience. Not only does it let players discover an undersea world, it does so with impeccable artistry. There's just so much undersea animal and plant life, all of it colorful and exciting. Remember how beautiful the pot dealer in American Beauty thought plastic bags were? That's the level of beauty that ABZÛ actually achieves.

The Little Acre is a delightful throwback to classic adventure games. The puzzle solutions never get too tough, unlike, say, Machinarium, so players shouldn't need a guide to reach the end. Adult players will love the narrative's core mystery, while children should enjoy the antics of Lily and her friends. The whole thing is both sweet and bittersweet, which you can't say for many games nowadays.

FFXV mostly delivers. While it takes some getting used to, its combat is infectious and fun. Its artwork is utterly breathtaking, and some of its set pieces are awe-inspiring. Its characters are fun and memorable, and the plot is engaging enough to keep pushing you forward. FFXV trips over its own character lore on occasion, with key details either missing or poorly explained, but it's not enough to hinder the experience as a whole.

Today's gamer generally needs concrete objectives to work towards. Sky Force Anniversary hits the mark because it has a fun upgrade system and loads of objectives to complete on every level. You can still play for score, doing your best on the highest difficulty levels and/or participating in the weekly tournaments. Whatever the case, you won't find many shmups with more universal staying power than Sky Force.

Stardew Valley is [one of] the most intriguing and engaging games you'll play in 2016, and maybe 2017. If you want a break from all the skull-crushing and bullet sponges, and want to kick back and relax while actually feeling like you're accomplishing things, buy it.

Dishonored 2 is an amazing game. Played entirely in first-person, the freedom it bestows players closely resembles that of the Elder Scrolls games. Although the game is broken up into distinct levels rather than an open world, each chapter is huge and filled with atmosphere, detail, and myriad nooks and crannies to explore. The Empire really feels like a believable steampunk world, one with countless stories to tell.

Throw in the enhanced photography and investigations, and Dead Rising 4 is an unusually deep and well-rounded game built around zombies. Forget the zombies, though. The real monsters are those who won't give Dead Rising 4 a chance.

Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a facelifted update on a last-gen hack-and-slash favorite. While the updated graphics to add to the flair of the game, it's repetitive and simplistic gameplay may be a turn off for some gamers. If you enjoyed the original on Xbox 360, then this is a great game to play for nostalgia value.

One must put up with a lot of rough edges to enjoy Farming Simulator 17. But if you can do that, it certainly offers a deep farming experience and plenty of realistic licensed machinery.

Titanfall 2 barely even distinguishes itself from the first game, with combat that largely feels familiar, and its biggest changes hindered my experience, rather than improved it. I still think Titanfall 2 is far more exciting and dynamic than its closest twitch-FPS competition. However, with its signature feature, Titans, being reduced to little more than squishy power-ups, Titanfall 2 does less to stand out in a busy crowd than Titanfall 1.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is the perfect way to keep the Call of Duty franchise fresh. This series can't just stick with modern warfare and past wars every single year. Moving to the far future allows for the introduction of new mechanics, equipment, and especially environments that couldn't be done in other time periods. Not only do series followers get something new here, but science fiction fans who've never touched a Call of Duty will find much to like as well.

Watch Dogs 2 is a fantastically fun sandbox that will hold your attention for more than just a few hours. With expanded skills, gorgeous locations, and a fun storyline, it's an excellent sequel to it's predecessor. While the game does have a few downsides, they are easily eclipsed by what it does well.

The campaign is still just as epic as before. The multiplayer is tremendous and offers a whole different challenge to its sibling, Infinite Warfare, with a much different way of approaching the game and your tactics inside it. And it looks terrific, especially if you look at it nine years ago first.

Fundamentally, stepping back into Skyrim is like revisiting one of your favorite places as a child. Everything is like you remembered it, except it's been redecorated and modernized.

Introducing a new depth of variety and replayability to its sandboxes, Hitman's experiences are now more enjoyable and fulfilling than ever before. Although this can lead to a short experience for some, the content on offer is some of the highest quality since the game's conception.

Whether you're a returning Skylanders fan or a new player, Imaginators is one of the best family-friendly games available this holiday season. Grab it to play with your kids or for solo adventures. All you need is a love of toys and a little imagination.

Super Dungeon Bros adds some fun and flair to a classic genre by never taking itself too seriously. Pick a rock god and run through level upon level of dungeons in order to wipe out enemies and find all the best loot.

The WWE 2K series needs a comprehensive tutorial more than anything. Hopefully that's on the agenda for next year's game. WWE 2K17 has all the authenticity a wrestling fan could want – I just wish it would ease new players into the gameplay better.

Between its pacing and general approach to gameplay, Battlefield 1 feels like a return to the series' roots. Rather than a simple World War 1 skin over the traditional Battlefield gameplay, Battlefield 1 successfully adapts its mechanics to the period. With a successful character-driven campaign and a diverse multiplayer sandbox, Battlefield 1 is a timeless return to a once forgotten period in video games.

Mafia 3 isn't without its problems, but they should be overshadowed by the depth of the story of the game. It is really carried through its use of narrative cut scenes, which unfortunately lets the gameplay elements of Mafia 3 down by a wide margin.

Warhammer: Vermintide is an amazing cooperative game. It takes the base formula created by Left 4 Dead and improves upon it with a better mission structure and loot system. Tastes will vary, but I find the Warhammer: End Times dark fantasy setting and Skaven enemies far more appealing than a typical zombie outbreak scenario. The Xbox One version looks and runs great, so much that it could almost pass for a $60 game (this one costs $40).

Mount & Blade: Warband isn't supremely polished and swanky, but it is enjoyable, and there is enough intrigue to keep anyone entertained if they can see beyond its datedness. The fighting mechanics and the horse-riding need overhauling entirely for it to be a great game, but in the meantime, Warband is a good game to spend a few hours at a time in.

Gears of War 4 just feels great. It feels like the return of an old friend, and The Coalition masterfully weave that nostalgia into the game without smothering us in it exploitatively — which is something they very easily could have done. Gears of War 4's greatest moments can be found in between the lines. They're in the shadows of familiar silhouettes, in the tones of nostalgic sound effects, in every COG tag you find scattered around the battlefield, and every ridiculous, over-the-top set piece.

On one hand I loved Virginia — it was quirky and weird; and on the other, I just felt frustrated that I still didn't know what it was all about by the end of multiple plays. There isn't even much to say negatively about it -- it plays fine, if not the camera by default is a little over-sensitive, but this is easily remedied.

While the return to BioShock's unsettling universe is enjoyable, it's hard to recommend the collection to fans of the original. With only a slight graphical boost, the changes BioShock: The Collection introduces are welcome, but don't warrant a second playthrough for most.

XCOM 2 is easily one of the best strategy games currently available on console. It's got a stellar story, with plenty of gameplay elements to keep you intrigued and wanting more. While the game does have a heavy learning curve, and can be quite frustrating at times, it doesn't overly punish you for your mistakes.

Rise of Iron is a solid expansion to Destiny that may bring back even the most jaded fans. It's a great addition to a good game, that is fun for both new players and those who've been a Guardian for three years.

As if it was in much doubt, Forza Horizon 3 is one of the finest games you'll find on the Xbox One right now. It's so incredible to look at, so beautifully crafted and so enjoyable to play that there are literally hundreds of hours of fun to be had here.

Dear Ester, is in no uncertain terms, amazing. Its mysterious storytelling, haunting soundtrack and stunning visuals create an experience you won't want to wait to throw yourself back into.

Fans of the series will feel rewarded for playing this years incarnation and the addition of an official, competitive league is a positive step towards the ever increasing eSports future we live in. It's fun to play, and it's so slick you'd fall over if you stepped on it...But the overall experience is still lacking, and that's down to licensing.

ReCore leans on some beloved gameplay conventions while injecting some of its own, gloriously unique and fulfilling elements. The RPG layer provides boatloads of additional gameplay and the setting, story and characters are just something I want to see more of.

Dangerous Golf isn't really a bad game, as such, but it's probably too expensive for what it is. I was really looking forward to playing it but have ended up feeling a little unfulfilled. It's a great little time waster, but I think it would have been better as a mobile game than something sold for $20 on the Xbox One.

This episode feels significantly shorter than episodes from other franchises, but it isn't. Three hours just flew by and you won't miss any achievements because they're all chapter based.

A tough as nails puzzler that in some ways blows Portal out of the airlock for its brain-bending antics. Those familiar with Pneuma: Breath of Life will find The Turing Test very much in the same vein. You'll explore and you'll work out puzzles in order to progress, all with some kind of social or humanistic undertone such as the meaning of life — or whether AIs will one day overthrow humankind and we will all be fleshy meat-slaves to our new robotic overlords.

Kudos to Do My Best. For a debut game, I'm very impressed by the level of quality and thought that has gone into The Final Station. While some may feel like pixel-art is overdone in general, I can't fault Do My Best for going down that route for their first game -- its simple design allows for a lot of creativity.

It has the top down shooter feel of Smash TV but on a much larger and free roaming scale, the Super Attack is reminiscent of Streets of Rage, and it also may remind you of other games like Commando or even Contra. For me, these only endear the game to me, as it's taken parts of my favourite games when I was younger and turned them into something modern. It isn't as polished as some Xbox One indie titles, but for a debut, it's playable and mostly enjoyable, if not ridiculously hard to play alone.

Resident Evil 4 is an atmospheric thriller that will recapture the hearts of old fans, but may be problematic for folks who are new to the game.

Livelock succeeds as a story-based co-op shooter. It just needs some tweaks and a little more content to sit with the best in the genre.

The sighs of frustration and feet jiggling is also a pleasure to watch in other people as they play. If you're a little bit evil inside, pass the controller to someone else and watch them squirm for maximum karmic bonuses. Share the frustration, it's the only way to not go entirely mad.

A game that will leave you feeling furiously stupid and a genius of brobdingagian proportions simultaneously. Hue very much reminds me of Limbo, only far less sinister and almost no spider leg removal at all. Hue is a heart-warming and an enjoyable experience.

The end result is a lightning-fast, bloody action combat game that anybody can enjoy.

Despite these flaws, Lies of Astaroth is still a passable game. However, until PvP, daily rewards, and other small details are corrected, some people may find it somewhat lacking.

The trial and error methodology to creating something that doesn't blow up on the launchpad means you're actually learning real lessons, even if it's something simple like overloading the weight on one side making it fall over.

With a user interface barely optimized for controllers and a release three years after its initial alpha, it feels that consoles are a mere afterthought of the original vision.

A modest and enjoyable game, with a selection of great characters, and a storyline often giving pause for thought. Dex is a solid project, clearly put together with love. While its combat mechanic and hacking are lacking, the majority of the experience is deep and interesting.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter delivers a gratifying story-driven experience, interwoven into an authentic representation of 19th century London. With great voice talent behind its cast, the game manages to form engaging inter-character relationships. While the game is held back by its level design and some unintuitive mechanics, it provides a consistent depiction of a mystery-filled London.

If Deadlight: Directors Cut is the first time you've played, go for it. This atmospheric action platformer is still a great game despite its couple of flaws, and the new modes make for a longer and more difficult game if you choose it.

Mighty No. 9 is largely not fun, and irritating in many ways: controls, voice acting, repetitive music. It is a hollow and empty experience. This is pretty much the kind of game you'll buy when it's on sale dirt cheap to see what all the fuss was about.

The ease of being able to pick up and play Heart&Slash should be a huge deciding factor if you're thinking about purchasing it. It is brilliant for filling in time between mainstream title releases, if not a game worth picking up just for the hell of it.

Pac-Man 256 is an excellent take on Pac-Man that nearly rivals the Pac-Man Championship Edition games in quality. It looks and plays great, with cool power-ups, several fun visual themes to choose from, and high-quality co-op.

Prison Architect is an engaging experience, adding personality to a genre that's failed to evolve in years. Between a range of interlinking mechanics and ingeniously portrayed narrative, the game sits among the best management simulations on the Xbox One. While the game has its downfalls following a port from the PC, the game still performs amazingly on Microsoft's flagship console.

Among The Sleep is your run of the mill psychological horror with a unique perspective and a thought provoking story. A relatively short experience at 4-5 hours long, this crowd-funded game is actually something to be admired, both graphically and intellectually (if you read between the lines).

Technomancer is a great RPG that isn't quite as good as it could be. The few small flaws that it has are outweighed by a fantastic story that will pull you in piece by piece. The story isn't something we've seen before, the gameplay is well done, and the graphics are all on spot.

The masterful art direction, polished and responsive physics, and blisteringly intuitive gameplay design elevated Inside far, far beyond my expectations – which were already pretty high. Inside is a masterpiece.

For fans of the original, Mirrors Edge Catalyst offers a nostalgic return to a modern dystopian world, with massive improvements in gameplay mechanics. The franchise's fast-paced, fluid movement returns, combined with an immersive and engaging narrative. For gamers who aren't familiar with the first game, Mirror's Edge Catalyst's flaws are many, failing to obscure its biggest missteps.

A somewhat uncomfortably patronising experience, but generally Kick and Fennick has a silver lining in that it's short.

For its $14.99 cost, the replayability is through the roof, with a selection of different assets to pick from, and weapons, mods, and upgrades to apply. The swings and roundabouts the game throws at you balances the game well in that it's challenging enough to want to keep playing, but every challenge in your way can be overcome with patience.

An innovative concept can be found behind Soul Axiom, but various missteps in its delivery hold back its potential. With frustrating puzzles and bland level design, it feels the developer's approach to the game has been misguided, limiting what could've been a detailed and engaging storytelling experience.

It's kept the core of fun, with impeccable control and a well-paced learning curve. It's never a chore to play.

Small flaws only minorly detract from an otherwise uplifting and enjoyable game. While TurnOn is a game about restoring power, it also leaves us with the feeling that just once in a while, we should probably turn (everything) off, too.

Dead Island Definitive Edition puts a facelift on an old favorite. While it holds up fairly well, Dead Island is definitely starting to show its age. If you're an old fan, or you've never checked it out before it's a fun game until it becomes repetitive.

Letter Quest's Xbox One Achievements actually make it a better game by providing so many goals to work toward. If you want to play on the big screen, you can't do better than the Xbox version.

Tropico 5: Penultimate Edition gives you new maps, and hours upon hours of gameplay. It's the next version of the same fun city builder that we've been seeing for years.

There's an innocence about DOOM – which might seem like a weird way to describe a game about disemboweling demons – but it beautifully harkens back to an era where games were unashamed to simply be games. I think DOOM might be the most exhilarating experience I've had with a first person shooter on Xbox One, maybe ever.

3-5 hours may not seem long for a game, but the quality of those few short hours is really worth it. With a reasonably low price tag of around $20, I think you'd be missing out on a very intriguing and very exciting game. While deep down yes, it is your bog standard psychological horror scare tactic jamboree, its executed in such a way that it blows others like Slender or SCP-187-b clean out of the water.

It's a wickedly fun arcade shooter that is very reminiscent of retro arcade games, which should be up the alley of plenty of people.