My Singing Monsters Playground is a cute and very fun party game for both kids and adults. The games are simple enough that kids can pick up and play them but also robust enough that they are interesting for all ages to play. Not every game is great but they are all enjoyable enough, and the colourful, bubbly graphics and music keep the joy flowing. Although this is offline only it can still be fun to play with any friends that come over or even just to let your kids enjoy.

Bad North is a fun, challenging RTS Roguelite. The visuals paint a charming picture, giving you a false sense of security until the Vikings begin their assault. As your island is bathed in their (or your own) blood, the game keeps you on your toes despite the simplistic interaction you have. This is absolutely worth your time, even if the genre isn’t usually up your alley.

You’re a pig, and you must eat tennis balls. It’s like Pac-Man on drugs. It very random and super fun! Well worth checking out if you fancy something a little… different.

An engaging sci-fi comedy with a lot of laughs. For fans of the point-and-click genre this will be a blast, despite some minor foibles.

Desperados III is a great prequel to the Desperado series. With great visuals, gameplay and a challenging story line you can be sure you will have a blast with this title. Gameplay is solid, and with memorable characters you can place your cards and know you have a winner.

I enjoyed my time with this game, simple as that. It’s not too serious (see the name) and it provides a nice mix of combat, platforming, and puzzle solving. I particularly like how obtuse some puzzles may seem but once you know the answer they are quite simple. The sheer exploration and process of figuring out the solutions was enough to keep me intrigued for the adequate time this game lasts which is likely going to be less than 10 hours for finding everything. Fans of other popular animal physics based simulators should feel at home here. Don’t expect a AAA budget banger and enjoy the wackiness here that Squirrel With A Gun is offering.

High On Life certainly isn’t an intellectually profound game or a deep and meaningful one (despite a quasi-emotional end-game), it’s just an FPS that wants you to laugh and indulge in silliness for a little while. As long as you jive with the game’s grooves, you will like what High On Life has to offer, but be warned – when you’re playing a game that’s high on its own supply, sometimes it won’t think straight and it’ll leave you yearning for something more.

Get Packed: Fully Loaded finally makes it’s debut outside of Stadia exclusivity. In what is a humorous story that places you into chaotic situations of moving items, you can finally invite friends to play with you in a variety of modes to increase the chaos! If partying up isn’t your jam, the single player story is there and will offer hours of entertainment as well.

Air Twister is a fun and interesting modernisation of Space Harrier. The music by Valensia although at first seemed out of place suits the 80’s vibe this game exudes with the bright colours and vibrancy. It maintains the tricky increasing gaming difficulty of the older games and throws in some rogue-lite elements to level the playing field and help add some replay value to the game.

If you’re looking for a new way to jump into the world of Hot Wheels, Unleashed is certainly not a bad way to go, after all, we’ve seen worse in the series’ history. That said, the price point may prove steep for what feels like a more basic use of this beloved licensed property, and with very basic options for included game modes, a lack of substantial variety in race types, and no suitable way for the community to share their impressive track builds, it feels like Milestone has undercut themselves in a possibly rushed attempt to capitalise on this potentially fruitful racing franchise.

Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of crazy golf in either a virtual or real sense? It’s definitely better played online in a simultaneous manner and preferably with friends though. The many different themes are interesting, and the variety of tweaks and modes do keep things fun for a while, but the pacing of the game or loading times may cause many to lose interest, unfortunately.

Gravity Heroes can be too tough at times early on, but those that persevere will find and enjoyable twist on 2D, wave-based attack arenas. Some lovely pixel art and music help soften the repeated defeats, and while a little unintuitive, the core gameplay is fun more often than not.

Despite some of the glaring issues, MX vs ATV All Out houses a great deal of content. There’s no denying that it’s lacking in performance and optimization, but the weak execution is almost alleviated by its vast and various offerings. MX vs ATV All Out is one patch away from glory, but until that happens, it’s missing out on a lot of its potential.

The Alto Collection is two games in one and is visually beautiful and simple. Yes, they’re old games that are pretty much built for phones and you only really need one button to play, but it was a joy to try and beat your high score. I played Adventure loads when it first came out on Windows and can’t wait to sink more hours trying to beat my score in Odyssey.

Paw Paw Paw tries its best to be an entertaining game that holds up to the standards set by the classic beat ’em ups and the innovative newer titles, but ultimately it falls a little short mostly due to its difficulty. Beat ’em ups are known for their difficulty, but they almost universally feature lives and continue systems that make them accessible to a wide audience. Even on easy some parts of the game can be very tough. This game is designed so you can grind by replaying levels and then level yourself to get stronger. There’s some variety in a few levels but not enough to make me want to go back and grind through them. If you’re a fan of the genre it’s definitely worth a look, and in comparison to some games by the same publisher it’s relatively good. Hopefully Ratalaika will step out of their achievement filled comfort zone and expand their catalogue even more.

Space Crew takes a while to get into but once you do it is fun to play and definitely brings the same enjoy Bomber Crew did. They have taken what was lacking in Bomber Crew and the frustration you had and changed things around. But let me tell you this, even though they have made it so much better gameplay-wise, I think I still had more fun playing Bomber Crew which is bizarre.

The visuals and design may be on the wayside, but the amount of content that’s been crammed into a game that costs just £7.99 / $9.99 is outstanding.

GRAVEN is a lovely little taste of retro shooters that fall outside what we considered to be the standard of the time. An excellent fusion of melee, magic and puzzle solving.

I have to be honest; I was wrong. I fully expected to find a poor man’s Trials but instead, I found a game that provides a more accessible experience to the well-known platform trialist experience, whilst also holding enough of its own character to feel like a fresh game in its own right.

All in all Red Ronin is a fantastic 8-bit styled, turn-based puzzle game that gave me hours of fun all the while challenging me in ways I didn’t expect from this title. The pixel graphics complimented it well, even though I have a bit of a soft spot for 8-bit and 16-bit games, it did impress me. The game did crash quite often at the time of playing on my Series X but the loading times made this more an inconvenience then an issue. The soundtrack complimented the game well and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m not a huge fan of puzzle games (with not being the sharpest tool in the shed) but I sure did have tons of fun.

Despite having a vertical drop for a learning curve and looking and feeling kind of average as far as modern gaming goes, Age of Wonders: Planetfall succeeds in being a richly deep and complex space strategy hybrid that will no doubt appeal to long time turn-based strategy fans, and newcomers alike.

Airoheart is one of the better Zelda-likes I have played and working my way through the game has been a trip down memory lane. It borrows so much from the Link to the Past formula, but also adds in plenty of its own ideas and mechanics. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with the game is its price point, $40 is way too steep for this game. I think if it was $20-25 it would sell many more copies and find a much larger audience. There are a handful of other issues, but most of those could be addressed with a patch. If you’ve been looking for a game to satisfy your classic action-adventure cravings then Airoheart could be your game, at the very least you should put it on your wishlist so you can pick it up if the price changes or it goes on sale.

Despite its seemingly grim premise, Regalia goes on to produce a surprisingly witty, well structured and strategic RPG adventure. There’s no denying that this game is better suited on the keyboard and mouse, but if you can overlook these niggling controller issues, a wonderfully written and endearing journey awaits.

Overall, if you want a story set in the gritty era of World War One and don’t want to have to play through a Call of Duty or Battlefield campaign to do so, then Ad Infinitum isn’t a bad way to spend your time. It isn’t perfect and there are areas that clearly need some improvement but for a story that delivers and enemies that offer the chills, this is an experience that’s at least worth the once-over.

Overall, if you like your party games, are looking for a giggle and you want some wacky fun to keep you and some friends entertained for a few hours, Rubber Bandits is not a bad shout. Going further than that might be difficult due to the lack of game modes making longevity a stretch, but there is enough here to warrant a look, especially given the game is available right now on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC.

While it won’t go down in history alongside some of the classics, Voyage of the Dead is a fun arcade light gun shooter that shows of what the MARS can do. It’s a shame that technically the title holds the hardware back, with slowdown and hitches that make aiming much harder than it needs to be. Beyond that though, Voyage shows the promise that the hardware holds, and I can only hope we get further, more optimised titles going forward.

Overall, The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is a great addition to any future party plans, especially for the upcoming festive season. Like all party games, you really need to have a group of people that are up for almost anything, but it does do a wonderful job of encouraging even the shyest of participants to come up with laugh out loud moments. Just be sure to steer clear of Zeeple Dome.

Gamers looking for a puzzle-heavy platformer like Braid won’t find what they’re looking for here; alternatively, players searching for a platforming adventure like Limbo will also be let down. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing, story-driven adventure with light platforming and a few simple puzzles all wrapped in a sublimely vivid art style then this just might be for you. The story touches on topics that many games avoid, and most players will find some way to relate to the protagonist Mo, but the islands and their depictions are the real stars of Minute of Islands – it’s what kept me hooked. I remained intrigued throughout the experience, always wondering how the next area would be presented. The gameplay feels a bit monotonous, but that gives you more time to marvel at the artistic detail of the world.

A fun single player twin stick shooter worth checking out for the appropriate price. Between the self-deprecating humor and the pop culture references to Ripley, this game has earned my recommendation. It may not keep the player drawn in for dozens of hours, but some will fall in love with this retro twin stick shooter.

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a wonderful game to unwind with and is relatively short, so most will finish it in just a couple sittings. The game isn’t as polished as a re-release should be, but is still a fun adventure to embark on. I would recommend this title on a sale seeing as you won’t be playing it long unless you’re into Nordic folklore, foxes, or a moderate journey.

Shing! is a great title. I would love if this had an online co-op option but playing through with the missus was fun. It’s long enough that it doesn’t get boring too quickly and each stage feels the right length. It’s meant to be played with friends but I still had fun playing solo switching in and out of characters.

Rebel cops may be simple in graphics and gameplay mechanics, but it makes up for it by its clever push for tactics and strategy. You will feel connected to your team and not want anyone to die, but this game is tricky enough that the choice may not be in your control. If you like a challenge and as well as playing with stealth, then this game will strongly interest you.

Hired Gun is a game that punches above its weight in that it tries to take on too many things at once and struggles under the sheer weight of the number of ideas it introduces. In many ways it is better than its AAA peers because of its audacity, in other ways it is an example of a game that needed a few features cut.

Darkestville Castle is everything you want from a point and click puzzler. A simple but interesting story line, decent voice acting, and tricky but fun puzzles. The game can be completed in under 10 hours give or take – about standard for a point and click adventure game as you only really play them once, so you don’t want them so long that you lose interest. For those who enjoy point and click adventures, this is definitely a fun one to pick up.

Thankfully, there’s something about the core feel to the gun-play and movement that mostly makes up for things. Everything is snappy, even with the screen chock full of enemies, gunfire and gigantic bosses. Getting a particularly powerful upgrade early on feels like winning the lottery, while teaming up with 3 players online makes the grind far more appetising. It’d have been nice to be able to keep something from each run, and have online loot shared amongst the team, but as it is, Risk of Rain 2 is a great example of the genre.

As I say, When the Past was Around isn’t the longest game, but it also doesn’t need to be. I enjoyed almost every moment of my time with it, and found the story to be genuinely touching, yet bizarre in its presentation. The visuals and music are excellent, and other than a few slight challenges in terms of drawn out puzzles, it’s just a breeze to play. There’s little replay value outside of achievement hunting, but plop yourself down for an evening and play this through and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it.

Cinders is a stunning game with colorful characters and deep storyline to immerse yourself into a newly constructed version of a beloved fairy-tale. With many paths to take and choices to be made, will you wear the slipper, or throw it all away? The choice is yours.

I really enjoyed Blair Witch, it caught the essence of the franchise and definitely gave me nostalgia from the movies – which now I have to watch again. Visuals look great and it plays well, although being a bit short in length I’d recommend this to any horror or franchise fan. Bloober did a pretty good job and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next.

For such an unlikely pairing, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead manages to combine the zombie apocalypse and structural engineering well. An in-game hint system wouldn’t have gone amiss, and it can be a bit fiddly to place things at times, but overall if you’re after a challenging puzzle game – and enjoy the TV show – then this is a great pick up.

If you’re able to power through the annoyances, there’s a lot to like about 7th Sector. It looks and sounds great, the atmosphere is built wonderfully and it feels like there’s always something new to see as you progress. But some obscure puzzles and a lack of an easily parse-able story may well end up putting more people off than not.

Story of a Gladiator has an attractive pixelated presentation and has the cool concept of fighting in the arena. It’s a blast and only overstays its welcome in the later stages when progression stagnates. I recommend jumping in with both sandals.

The return of Kao The Kangaroo after a prolonged hibernation is both a blessing and a curse. Blooming with colour, bolstered by simple pick up and play stylings, and presented as a glittering throwback to the golden age of platformers, all help Kao to blossom beautifully. Yet Kao’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness, as it fails to bring anything new to a grounded genre formula, nor is it long enough to stay ingrained in the memory as it’s over all too soon. You might think it impolite to ask why of all classic platformers did Kao have to come back after all these years, and even though you might still ponder this upon completion, you may just find that this return was well worth investing time into.

Buildings Have Feelings Too! is an early summer comfort – a relaxing puzzle game, with a little bit of city sim, that is worth playing when approached on its own terms.

Bladed Fury is what I would call a sleeper game. Its art style and fast paced 2D action is what help it stand out the most. Beneath that layer however is a game that is missing a more developed story and upgrading and fighting system to keep things fresh. For a game that can be finished in under 2 hours, if you're looking for something quick and easy to play then Bladed Fury is your game.

Compared to similar games within this genre, Kine has far more levels and side quests to play so it is not really a disadvantage that it somewhat lacks the incentive to replay. For a puzzle game it is excellent but the music unfortunately detracts from the theme rather than enhancing it. It isn’t too challenging and the characters and story line are carefully integrated into each level which motivates the player to continue through to the end and makes it more enjoyable to play.

I’m a big fan of competitive shooters and this definitely scratches that itch. This is the first time I’ve played search and destroy only matches. I see a lot of potential in Warface: Breakout, but if My.Games want this title to do well they need to get the Season 1 out soon and fix some of the issues that are currently in the game – feeling like you’re walking in the mud while running, foot steps sounds being hit and miss and time to kill at times feeling unfair.

Aeterna Noctis provides challenging platforming to the metroidvania genre. With a grueling souls like gameplay loop you will have to have to maintain a close eye on your health and be mindful of of where your soul is if you want your skills to progress. I think fans of Hollow Knight will find interest in this game.

All in all Forgone has been super fun for me. Sure, I could nit-pick at some very minor changes but what Big Blue Bubble has made is something awesome and that all platforming fans should give it a look. I think it provides the right amount of challenge for all gamers approaching it.

West of Dead is a beautiful looking cel-shaded game which made me feel like a bad ass cowboy, with a sprinkling of Ghost Rider. I felt some of the hit boxes were off slightly on occasion – I’m don’t think I’m that much of a bad shot… The clever mechanics of cover and using light and dark to “hide” your enemies is a good addition. Rogue-lites can be fun if balanced well and this is a wonderfully put together example.

Nibb Games & Guimaraf Studio have created a superb puzzle platformer in Kinduo. It’s easy enough to blast through a few levels in just a few minutes but that doesn’t stop there being some clever level arrangements or at least some challenge. Exactly the type of indie title I like to see, and well worth checking out.

Double Kick Heroes is a decent rhythm game with plenty of challenge and is considerably tricky to master. It has a fun zombie story line with a nod to Romero’s classics. The metal tracks are decent to listen to if you are a fan of the genre, and it is fun to play along to at the correct difficulty level. It probably would have been easier to play with a makeshift instrument device, but the experience isn’t lessened by playing with a controller.

While Mosaic is on the short side, what’s there is done really rather well. It get’s the message across well, not overstaying it’s welcome or labouring on a point. If you’re in the mood for a one and done experience of an evening, Mosaic will fit the bill nicely.

All in all, Super Destronauts DX -2 is a fun, retro style shooter that will offer those looking for a classic high score challenge plenty to enjoy. Some easy achievements are the icing on the cake, naturally, but this is one game that makes getting that 1000g enjoyable at the same time.

Avowed gets better the more you commit to it, but when there are many RPGs that fly out of the gate with memorable opening gambits, it’s comparatively a bad indictment for Avowed to drone along in an uninteresting way until you plough a handful of hours into it. Don’t allow these negatives to diminish the positives though, Avowed is a strong RPG that will please anybody looking for a good and tasty role-playing steak to tuck into, it just deserved to shine as bright as its beautiful setting, instead of wallowing in middle-tier purgatory.

Saints Row is a new take on the franchise, one that focuses heavily on the RPG aspect of the game. It’s a fun underdog story set in the beautiful Saint Elos about this new version of the Saints. The customization options to make your boss truly your own delivers in such a remarkable fashion. However, it is the number of glitches and bugs that hurt the game’s reputation.

Monster Energy Supercross isn’t the best game that we’ve seen from Milestone, but it’s certainly well worth a visit. Despite some problems with the framerate, and issues with the difficulty of play, there’s hours of fun to be had here. That being said, this is a game that demands perseverance. Lesser patient players may find this more frustrating than it’s worth.

Paperbound Brawlers is a fun, frantic local multiplayer game that just misses the mark due to one of it’s core mechanics difficulty preventing a quick pick up and play approach. More dedicated groups will no doubt find much to enjoy about it though, and the short single player campaign does a good job of preparing you. The visuals are charmingly drawn, and stage design is great – though some make the already difficulty gravitational aspect that much more challenging.

All in all, there’s a lot to like about Greak: Memories of Azur. Combat is fun, traversal is engaging and the tale is told well, with the plight of the characters really sucking you in. There’s a little too much fetch questing going on for my liking, and those respawning enemies can do one, but on the whole this is something worth checking out.

As a newcomer, I didn’t particularly enjoy my time in the realm of Monster Energy Supercross 4. However, this is the same way I felt about all racing games in general. In particular, I would’ve loved it if Supercross 4 held onto newcomers’ hands more throughout the racing process and terminologies instead of having us come in last place every time. Still, I find myself determined to learn how to play and plan to have myself invested in the compound mode in order to learn the right and proper way to race. For long-time players, you may find this to be an enjoyable experience overall as you hop back into a fresh and overall amazing-looking game, but for the newbies out there you’re gonna be in for a rough couple dozen races.

Mayhem Brawler on looks only seems like a standard clone of a side-scrolling beat-em-up. But there is more than meets the eye and that is not just because of the supernatural setting. The story variation with the choice system and the comic strip storyline does make it interesting. It really could have done with online co-op mind, as playing this alone is very tough. Even having a block to use didn’t make things much easier, and it’s something you’ll need to get to grips with quickly if you’ve much hope of completing it.

Tesla VS Lovecraft is a game that doesn’t make you wait to get into the action, constantly giving you more and more powerful weapons to deal with the hordes before you. As a power fantasy, it is great, just don’t expect there to be much more than that, going in.

SIMULACRA is a great horror experience. It might not look it off the bat but I thoroughly enjoyed the jump-scares that this game provided. When the story pulls you in you’ll be surprised at how far down the rabbit hole you go. Shock value and great story line await in this title and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 feels more like an extension to Knights of Pen & Paper than that of a true sequel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing when we take into account that the first game is a lot of fun, but, poor design choices from the first game do indeed creep into its follow up. By and large, this is a very safely constructed sequel. That is to say that if you enjoyed the first game, you’ll enjoy this. If not, this is highly unlikely to sway you.

In conclusion, Stonefly is an above average indie title that might be best played on a more portable device encouraging smaller play sessions for grinding minerals. I played on Xbox Series S and had no issues with glitches apart from finding my way out of the intended map a few times. The game would have greatly benefited from an additional polish phase since it feels vastly empty at times and can be annoying to navigate. The lack of a usable map and the finicky fast travel mechanics discourage players from investing the time required to obtain all upgrades in a playthrough. However, not all is loss with this title. It is fairly priced for what it offers with a brief story and the time it takes to finish the game. The standout features that I enjoyed the most were the controls for the combat, the original soundtrack, and the unique art style that I haven’t seen elsewhere.

Overall, if you like dark, dystopian and gritty gameplay experiences, platforming that comes with a difficulty curve that takes some learning, and controls that are simple enough for even gaming casuals to pick up and want something short enough that you can sit through in an evening or two, then White Shadows may be the next game to add to your list. It’s not revolutionary, and there may be better out there, but it’s a good first effort from Monkel.

The Jackbox games have always been a great accompaniment to a party with friends. It is an icebreaker and way for all your friends to get involved and have a laugh. However, some of the games really do only work with people of a specific personality, and its rare everyone is that similar at the party. While I’m not overly keen on Talking Points and The Devils and The Details, I think Quiplash, Champ’d up and Blathers are going to be the main winners here to encourage fans to buy the new pack, making the price of entry worth it – especially if you’ve got a gathering (virtual or otherwise) coming up soon.

I am pleasantly surprised coming out of G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout after playing through the 17 story missions multiple times. Once you gather the controls it’s a simple game with decent visuals and audio that can entertain you for hours. I wish the game offered more than local co-op only but those with friends should be able to enjoy it together cooperatively and competitively.

A solid little platformer made in the image of games almost as old as the Mayan Ruins themselves, but with modernised controls that make it feel refined.

From the number of different elements in battle, the amount of choices in paths and story, the maintenance of your party and making sure you keep a supply of Strixes for survival, Ash of Gods: Redemption is designed for those with a tactical mind. The story is well written and makes you try hard to keep your characters alive to survive the Reaping. But it is quite unforgiving and can be too difficult, which could be quite frustrating for some.

For people that love Stardew Valley and wanted to see it collide with a kaleidoscope of other genres with a Sci-Fi coat of paint are in for a ride. For those that shudder at the sound of the words ‘Stardew Valley’ avoid.

If you were already a fan of the base World War Z then I would have no problem recommending Aftermath to you. Although some aspects of the game could have used a bit more attention, blasting through zeds in the first person was still an enjoyable experience, especially with the addition of friends.

Guard Duty feels like a blast from the past. The way it is set up and executed, it certainly feels like an old point and click adventure that has been ported. That is testament to the work and effort that has been put into the game to capture that experience. I’m sure this will be a pickup for fans of point and click games that like to adventure with a fair challenge.

Grim Legends 3: The Dark City is a fitting end to the trilogy. The gorgeous artwork and varying puzzles remain engaging throughout, upheld by a decent story that helps to maintain player immersion. Sadly, issues with poor voice acting and its lack of a steady difficulty curve pulls this down from greatness. Though, even with that in mind, this adventure is well worth a visit.

Hyper Sentinel may well be overly chaotic at the best of times, but there’s no denying that it’s fun, well paced and full of action. There’s a lot of content to work through within and although it does become repetitive before long, it’s still worth its weight in gold. Those that enjoy the roots of this formula will thoroughly enjoy what’s on offer, despite its niggling issues.

After jumping back into the Plants vs. Zombies world, I can safely say this is my favorite way to play the franchise, classic tower-defense style gameplay loop. Not third person shooting or open worlds, just six lanes, some plants and some zombies. An argue can be had to whether we needed this as there are older GOTY editions, but I can’t lie and say I wasn’t excited to earn new achievements for it again. There is a little bit of new content but all in all this is just another repackaging of PvZ which if you’ve never played before … I definitely recommend it.

Whilst it’s slightly let down by its stodgy controls and its dull boss battles, Fimbul has enough going for it to make it a worthwhile investment. The story is simple, but told well enough to keep you in place throughout its short run. Combat, though hectic at points, is satisfying enough to see you through most encounters. It would have been nice to see more from its interesting choice system, but overall, the game gets more right than it gets wrong.

Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition is a great next gen version of the original with crisper visuals, vastly superior load times and more things for the player to do. The MOCAP work could be a little better and perhaps some work is needed on the card system (or just scrap it altogether). Tennis World Tour 2 is one of the better tennis games I have played in a while, but it still needs a little work to take Top Spin’s crown.

Pathologic 2, although not as polished as maybe Fallout or Elder Scrolls, still contains all the necessary features for a story driven first player adventure. The games difficulty and time frame can have you sweating under the collar and sometimes become a bit overwhelmed, but you can praise it for its detail to character work and story line.

Torchlight III has come a long way from the original game. The graphics stay true to the series but look a lot more refined. The options for characters have been compacted, but the introduction of relics allows you to mix and match for variety without suffering from choice overload. It stands shoulder to shoulder with games like Diablo as a fair alternative, but I feel playing with friends is a must as you may lose interest just playing solo.

Sea of Thieves offers a stunning world for players to explore and uncover its secrets. It’s fun, often hilarious, and unique. Though, the lack of meaningful structure and its simplistic gameplay really do hurt the experience. The game needs to offer more than cosmetic stature and acquisition if it wants a lengthy lifespan. Still, this is one of the few exclusives that Microsoft can, and should, be proud of.

Although quirky, Visage is a thrill to play as the random events can change your experience with the game each playthrough, but playing it more than once will remove most of the thrill by knowing the jump scares and harder puzzles. I hope SadSquare studio continues to add to this title, as it can benefit from it, and it deserves to be played by the horror genre fans. I managed to solve all puzzles and earn all 27 achievements for 1,000 gamerscore in Visage in roughly 12-15 hours.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is an ambitious game. It’s beautiful, deep, and compelling but suffers from a lack of clear direction on how to navigate and appreciate everything that it contains. There hasn’t been a game quite like it before, which unfortunately doesn’t work in Ancestors favor because more time is spent figuring out it’s mechanics than actually enjoying it.

A Summer with the Shiba Inu is a lovely little game that offers real catharsis. It draws you in with cute characters and holds you with its rather fascinating story. Whilst it does drag occasionally, it is well worth making your way through. There’s a clear level of love and dedication felt throughout Shiba Inu, from the phone interface, to the backgrounds, to the 70000 words it advertises on its page. If you watch the trailer for this and it interests you, it’s hard to go wrong with a purchase.

Sable is one of the latest games to get a day one release on Xbox’s Game Pass service so it’s almost impossible to not give it a recommendation for anyone with a subscription, but on the whole, I was somewhat let down. The game has some of the most visually stunning graphics I’ve seen, but the gameplay gets repetitive. Exploring the desolate expanse on your own terms is not as fun as it sounds; however, a compelling series of quests and wonderful writing throughout are just enough to keep you hooked and justify the price of admission if you’re already a Game Pass subscriber.

Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 is a decent 2D platforming shooter when it wants to be. The game’s main issues sit with its short length, its dull boss encounters and its somewhat lack of evolution when comparing it to its predecessor. Still, its gorgeously detailed and diverse level variation, together with the sheer amount of carnage that players can unleash, collectively delivers a fairly fun experience nonetheless.

Deadly Days isn’t a game that I would be dropping hours of time into or would be playing on week’s end. There are elements that do make the game work such as it’s fasted paced gameplay, a variety of weapons and characters, and a story that involves the zombie virus being spread from a contaminated hamburger. There’s even story progression in the game which actually surprised me. The RNG aspect of the game is a bit frustrating along with the constant micromanagement of my team of survivors. I just feel like aspects like these shouldn’t belong in a Rougelite game. If you wanna a game to kill some time then I would gladly recommend Deadly Days, but if you want something long-lasting this may not be the game for you.

LEGO DC Super-Villains has a lot of fun with its source material, and although it does indeed prove that it’s good to be bad, taking some steps away from its play-it-safe formula would have been much, much better. That said, there’s a plethora of exciting content, depth and replay value on offer here, making this a must have for fans of the series. Just don’t expect this to be LEGO’s defining moment.

Urban Flow is a clean, simple puzzle game that can lead to some frantic multi-tasking. If that appeals then this is must have.

Despite some flaws, I’ve enjoyed my time with Source of Madness, but it’s not a roguelite where I want to start over as soon as I fail. I think the art design and Lovecraft theme help it stand out in a crowded market, and even though it’s filled to the brim with madness it’s nowhere close to being at the top of the mountain.

Kiborg has crunchy combat and a fantastic sense of adventure to its progression system. Anyone looking for a character action game that delights in the absurd should give it a try. That said, you will need to be content to deal with the unfinished nature of some aspects.

After Wave: Downfall will no doubt attract many achievement-hunting players, but Shoot ‘em Up enthusiasts looking for something new and different should also consider picking up the game. The gameplay is fast and fun, it has a unique aquatic setting and viewpoint, and it provides a great challenge to anyone willing to work their way through each of the difficulties.

There is so much negativity surrounding this title, but I don’t care. I have had a good time with it. Does it have faults? Yes it does. But this hasn’t ruined the experience for me. I’ve had fun playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The first boss fight was bluntly rubbish however the second boss fight makes up for it in my opinion. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League feels like it was meant to be DC’s version of Marvel’s Avengers. I feel Rocksteady did a better job in keeping my attention and making missions easier to follow, even if they do have a repetitive nature to them.

Grow: Song of the Evertree feels like a mobile phone time-killing game that has been plucked out spruced up with some gorgeous graphics, added some great orchestral background music, pumped the game full of things to do and gives you free license with how you want to play create your worlds. As with these types of games, some things can get quite repetitive but if you want a stress free pretty looking game then you could easily lose some hours with this game.

Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice is a dedicated addition to the Leisure Suit Larry series using the same tried and tested formula. There is more than enough crudeness, sexual humour, interesting plot twists and fiendishly difficult puzzles for long time fans to enjoy. This game is not for everyone, nor does it want to be; it knows what its fan base wants and aside from a few niggles it delivers something the fans will enjoy.

My experience with The Wild Eight was hit and miss. The story had me gripped but not having a waypoint was something I struggled with. The fact you have 8 characters you can play as with different perks to help you survive is a nice touch and will add to replayability. If you love exploration games this is something you should grab, and at under £25 it’s a fair price.

The Gunk is a perfect example of a developer that can make tired mechanical tropes sing with master craftmanship.

Newt One is a peaceful, colourful and nonviolent game with a meaningful story line and thoughtful characters. Whether playing competitively to achieve level goals or to relax as an escape from the chaos of life, it is left up to the individual to enjoy the game however they choose.

I used to be a fan and casual player of Magic: The Gathering many years ago, and that experience was very valuable in playing Nowhere Prophet. For those who enjoy card-based battlers like Yu-Gi-Oh or Gwent then this is a decent game which incorporates an interesting storyline, a simple well-executed survival element, and a refreshing take on the card-battling genre. It stays in the sweet zone of complexity to not scare off newcomers and shouldn’t bore the hardcore card battlers. I thought this game was a bit too difficult when I first played but I managed to get to grips with the elements in short time, making the journey that bit easier.