N++ may be the definition of too much of a good thing. As much as I enjoy the game, it got tiring after a while, soon finding it more enjoyable in short bursts rather than long marathons. If you're fine with a mountain of content that becomes so difficult, you'll most likely never finish it all; this is a great sequel that kept retained what was good about the last game and made some worthwhile additions. It gets repetitive, but the gameplay is so fun it'll keep pulling you back in for more.

If The Inner World was released in the 90s, I'm certain it would be held in the same high regard as classics like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. It's a fantastic point-and-click adventure game that handles humor and puzzles with ease. If it weren't for those clunky controls, it'd be a lot easier to recommend. The Xbox One certainly isn't the ideal home for this game, but it's a much-welcomed addition to its library regardless.

JumpJet Rex is a tribute to 16-bit games from a bygone era of gaming, and it completely nails the feel of platformers from that time. However, JumpJet Rex isn't just a simple homage to classic platformers — it also innovates on the classic genre. The controls and movement of Rex feel superb, and each level is its own delightful treat.

I went into Nightmare Boy not knowing what to expect. After multiple playthroughs, I can say I’ve really enjoyed everything the game has to offer. If after completing the game you’re looking for something to further the replay value, some of the achievements offered challenge players to complete the game without dying, without saving or even without killing any of the little friendly slime creatures riddled throughout the game. If you’re looking for a solid, challenging Metroidvania game to fill your free time, Nightmare Boy may be just what you’re looking for!

It is an almost grueling grind, one I might compare to unlocking everything in a Dynasty Warriors game. Would I have liked it to last 20 to 30 hours less? Probably. Too many hours of gameplay can be a bad thing for a lot of people. I personally don’t care too much for rogue-lite based games. Having to start over is not something for everyone, and I’m not always a fan. There are a few rare titles that I end up making an exception for, and HyperParasite is one of the best and most addictive rogue-lite games I have played.

Exit the Gungeon is a smart remix of the original, streamlining its approach while offering the same intense shoot-em-up action. While it can feel smaller than its predecessor, in no way is it lacking in level variety, weaponry, or personality. Now that the series has a top-down shooter and a sidescroller under its belt, when will we be getting an Enter the Gungeon first-person shooter?

As a child of the 1980s and 1990s, brawlers have been one of my favorite genres. They’re great in small doses if you need to work out some aggression, and yet they’re also fun when you wanna power through them and get to that ending. QuByte has shown that the genre has a spot in their hearts, as well, and they’re helping share the love by giving the game a sub-$10 price point. Without a doubt, 99Vidas will rough you up, but it’s also charming enough to help you back onto your feet, dust you off and welcome you back for another go with no hard feelings.

Deadlight is always challenging, but that the mix of shooting or fighting, climbing, running, jumping and solving environmental puzzles remains refreshing throughout.

There are a few things that could be polished to make it an even greater experience, but also a few that I think need changing completely, even though I enjoyed it quite a bit. If you're after a story that ends with deep thought and self-reflection, while maintaining fun game mechanics that seem inspired by many genres, then shrink down and enjoy the ride.

Subject 13 stands out with its difficulty range, puzzle variety and collectibles that add context and clues. As long as you have enough patience to handle the sometimes lengthy puzzles and the finicky controls, this game can be an incredibly enjoyable experience that truly tests your puzzle solving abilities.

Infinite Minigolf brings the fun both locally and via Xbox Live. It’s simple to play and approachable, letting both seasoned duffers and novice putters compete. Xbox One has no shortage of golf titles, but they lack the expandability offered by Infinite Minigolf, and best of all, all those new courses are free for the asking. Well, after you pay your modest $14.99 for the game, that is.

Subterrain is my favorite game of the year so far (I know it's early days yet) because I love the incredibly deep, complex gameplay and nearly endless challenge that the game offers. The color palette may be limited, and the manual is rubbish, but the game retains a ton of personality from a decent story, the interesting setting and the unique take on survival horror that it offers.

Table Top Racing is a worthy competitor in the miniaturized car racing scene. For the most part, the issues I had with the game are small and didn’t significantly impede my enjoyment of the game. It offers a nice variety of tracks, including multiple variations of those tracks, and a nice selection of cars with fictitious names but recognizable features. Its campaign is a decent length, certainly into the double figures for a number of hours to completion, without being all too repetitive, on top of which it offers standalone ‘special’ championship races and online racing. In all, for some combat racing on Xbox One, this is worth a look.

At the end of the day, if you are looking for a fighter that you and two to three friends can sit down and have a great time with, Brawlout is your game. That also is true if you have friends that play online. So if you have an itch for some Smash Bros. and just haven’t been able to find something to scratch it, then give Brawlout a shot.

Gorgeous design quality, accurate controls and interesting use of shifting the time of day make Planet Alpha stand out amongst recent platform based games. It has quick load times, forgiving checkpoints and can actually be quite challenging in a lot of areas. It’s fairly short, but I believe the time spent is very enjoyable.

Rime feels like a game that honestly believes itself to be a masterpiece, but it falls a tad short of that lofty goal. It needs to tighten up its pacing, polish its controls, ease up on the tutorials and maybe add a few more puzzles for good measure. While it's not perfect, most of its issues would be fixed with some minor tweaking. It's still a gorgeous, fun, engrossing and powerful experience. From beginning to end, Rime is something incredibly special.

Steel Rats races into near perfection, with only a few downsides to controls and aiming. It’s easily one of my favorite new titles released this year.

The game is great for what it offers from the start, though It would be interesting to see other modes and customization options added later on. Disco Dodgeball Remix is an easy game to just pick up and play and worth every penny. Just be sure to watch out for White Goodman.

In the end, Assault Android Cactus didn’t meet my expectations; it exceeded them. The five zones that are offered grant a unique experience with each level and boss you face. Some of the bosses can be a bit overwhelming at first, but even with the different attacks they have, the variety of android heroes available to play as assures the player that there is something for every encounter. The different modes that are offered ensure that there is something more for the player to do after the main story has been completed and for a true competition, the game offers the challenge of earning a S+ rank on every level, requiring the player to complete every level without ever letting their combo end. Good luck on that one.

Metrico+ is a delightfully challenging game that sometimes requires out-of-the-box thinking.

The original ToeJam and Earl is a pretty good microcosm of the early 1990s, complete with its aesthetic roots in hip-hop culture. HumaNature has successfully brought the duo into 2019 with a thorough update that maintains that same aesthetic, while adding in more up-to-date components. For the uninitiated, the game will feel … um, “fresh” … while old-school gamers will have plenty of nostalgia combined with new references everyone will get. With the holiday season upon us again, having this game handy for party guests would amp up any gathering. You’ll have to provide your own carrot suit, however.

Emily Wants to Play Too is a definite improvement over its predecessor. The game follows the same flow as the first game while introducing new characters and ideas to help the game feel fresh. The new office location is terrifying enough to keep the player on edge, and the size is just big enough to help the game to feel larger than the original.

A unique take on a popular genre, which I suppose is mechs. I don’t know if it’s a genre of its own but there are games entirely based on using them. The fighting is awesome and the story is calm and simple. The biggest issue was actually navigating the areas. With slim branches and a camera that is way too close, you’ll be respawning quite often and feel stuck sometimes. The invisible walls need to be shortened, because you can glide for an extreme amount of time going nowhere important before you realize you can’t land on anything. I spent around 10 hours playing with another few sitting idle while I multi-tasked. It’s a really pleasant experience and will eventually grow on you.

I wish I could recommend Cuphead to everyone purely on its amazing animation and the sheer amount of work that was obviously put into it, but I can't. The game behind the cartoony visage is finely tuned, well-rounded and (mostly) fair, but above all, it's incredibly hard. It starts off challenging and gets absolutely relentless by the final act. This is the kind of game that asks for a lot of patience and dedication from the player, but if you're into this type of challenge, you're in for an absolute blast.

Westerado: Double Barreled is something that can be played and beat in an hour or enjoyed for much longer stretches, just depending on your mood. There are many hidden elements such as hidden areas, secret rituals, multiple endings and secret quests. It's such a simple game but with so much to enjoy. If you're looking for something different, a change of pace, then this is the game for you.

Yesterday Origins is by no means perfect but its strong story kept me gripped to the end and left me hoping for a sequel or even a series of adventures featuring our two heroes.

Starting over never felt like an issue. It was pure fun growing in skill and developing your knowledge of the monsters. The combat system worked near flawlessly, and even though you were doing the same thing every dungeon it didn’t feel tedious. It was a challenge you wanted to complete. There could be some added bosses and traps, or even some kind of challenge mode. The lack of story didn’t prove an issue, as it didn’t even feel needed. If you’re into roguelite games or hate them, I suggest giving this a try.

Xbox really isn’t the place you should be playing Trover Saves the Universe, though it is preferable to dropping dough on an expensive VR setup. Even when played on a TV it’s still a solid puzzle-platforming experience, and none of the humor gets lost in translation. It’s a game every bit as funny and nonsensical as you’d expect from the mind behind Rick & Morty, which alone would be enough to give it a glowing recommendation.