Heal is an experimental puzzle game, and despite some nice visuals the gameplay doesn’t quite hit home for me. I felt very little attachment to the story or events, and I ended up resorting to a guide for the most part just to get through it. If you’re keen for a new type of puzzle game then it might be more up your street, but there are better examples of the genre out there.

Kursk had some promise, aiming to be part adventure and part documentary of a real world tragedy. What we got though is a boring spy story mixed with tedious exploration and puzzles, staffed with a crew that would make Pinocchio feel like a real boy. You’d be much better off reading or watching any of the other media out there documenting this real world event.

Biomutant has ticked a lot of the boxes needed for a wide-open adventure RPG like this. Lots of customisation, wonderful graphics, interesting characters, humorous elements, free-roaming and combat that you can handle in different ways without being restricted. One could say they also ticked boxes that didn’t need to be there like the light and dark auras, as I didn’t feel it offered much to the game. But don’t let that detract away from the experience as is was massively fun to play and there are so many side quests to complete that you could have just as much fun exploring as playing through the story.

Overall Rising Hell is a fun experience. The three different characters and the large number of talents and relics give the game some needed depth and variety, although the unlock system is too stingy. The unique hellbreak move gives the game a fast-paced arcadey feel, but other elements really slow it down, like the awkward movement. The pixel hell that was created for the game does look stunning, and for the price of $10 US, I think it’s definitely worth a try for roguelite fans, or if you’ve ever wanted to try climbing a tower full of demons while headbanging.

The gameplay is fun for a short amount of time, which it only lasts for sadly. Yet, the music and cute artsy visuals make up for the lacklustre future the game holds and is fun while playing it. You do get your value out of what you pay for the game unlike other games out on the marketplace and is not overpriced by any means.

Retromania Wrestling is a brilliant throwback to the 90’s when wrestling games were simple and fun, and it ticks all the right boxes. The art style is fantastic and I had so much fun playing it. If you are a wrestling fan you must grab this – you will not be disappointed!

Despite some eye-catchingly colourful visuals, Flowing Lights is unlikely to keep you around for long. Too many niggles in the moment to moment gameplay mean that any fun we might be having is quickly undone by frustrating failure.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a great idea in desperate need of more revisions – it is stealth game in which devolving into frenzied fracas is too easy to slip into.

All in all, REKT! is a fun, arcade style stunt game that is best played locally with others. Solo players have a lot to unlock but the repetition might mean that it’ll take some time to get everything available. Snappy, easy to pick up controls and fun level design mean that even then, it is still fun in short bursts.

The Colonists is a ‘warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold day’ kind of game, very comforting, peaceful RTS with plenty of depth and stats under the hood to warrant sticking with it.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about Resident Evil Village. The story and characters are great, most of the scenarios are fantastic fun to play, and when it hits best it rivals the top tier of the franchise. It’s a little too action heavy for my tastes, but even so that action is generally a lot of fun. Is it the best in the series? No. Is it still bloody good? One hundred percent. I’m cautiously excited to see where we go from here, and am already looking forward to a second playthrough.

Overall I really enjoyed my time with the game, as I said earlier I think the designers did a great job combining the three aspects of gameplay, which kept everything feeling fresh. The combat can feel a little basic at times but the fun puzzles and exploration of the fantastically designed levels make up for it. Anyone interested in helping a robot learn about itself and how the civilization that designed it fell apart by exploring three vast isometric levels should give this a try.

Skate City takes game and chill to a new level. Using a left to right skating style, this game adds simplistic controls that anyone can pick up and play. They build upon the controls for the more hardcore when a challenge is wanted. The repetitiveness of the game can be seen as a negative and for that I encourage you to play in small chunks.

All in all, I enjoyed my time reading through of Angels with Scaly Wings, and with the numerous possible endings this should give keen readers to come back for more.

The Skylia Prophecy is a mixed bag for me. A couple more tweaks and this game would have been much more enjoyable. The graphics, controls and the boss fights here capture the nostalgic feels of past classics very well. But some other decisions that were made keep pulling the loose threads and unravelling the game into a bit of a confusing mess. Action-platformer fans will still get some joy from this but they may end up being frustrated at more than they can bear at the small quality of life choices made.

Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition is one of those games where you feel yourself getting better the more you play, and I usually enjoy games that give me that experience. Once you get an understanding of the gameplay it’s a very rewarding and fun game although getting to that point can be a bit unconventional. Discovering everything on your own can be a fun endeavour but I also understand why some players might abandon the game because of its obtuse nature. It starts out slow, and you have to build up your arsenal and inventory, but overall the journey is very fun. It can feel somewhat grindy at points, especially the end game, and it would be nice if there were one or two more levels and/or some boss variety. In the end, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of roguelite platformers, especially if you like shooting tons of Gunz and exploring an exquisitely designed morbid pixel art setting.

Blazing Beaks is a fun, but very tough, game. You need fast reflexes and good decision making if you are going to finish a playthrough of the story mode. I found the quandary of taking an artefact with a penalty for a chance of a better boon later fascinating as it’s based on your confidence in your ability to survive until you can reap the benefits. It’s just a shame that you cannot play the main story online with a friend or play multiplayer online.

Dull Grey brings an oppressive vision of the future to our screens, with an initially simple-seeming choice system having some hidden depth the more we read into things. It won’t last more than an evening, but the tale and atmosphere make this worth checking out at least once.

It might hit the camp button a little too hard at times, but overall Dark Nights with Poe and Munroe is an enjoyable live-action adventure. The episodes are short enough to get through in one sitting and are packed with replayability in the different outcomes of our choices, as well as entertaining tales told within. Live-action games have had a bit of a resurgence of late, and this title easily rides high as one of the best.

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is clearly inspired by many games, but this brooding, slice-of-life brawler has its own voice – that voice is profane, deadpan but honest. There is nothing else really like it in the mainstream.

Protocol is an alright puzzle game, it’s an alright shooter game, it’s just simply alright. It’s very busy jumping from genre to genre and focusing on atmospheric building and keeping the player entertained using some crude and brash humor at times that becomes stale on replays.

In their Kickstarter campaign, they stated that their goal was to “revitalize the genre with new gameplay elements”; unfortunately, it can’t really be called a successor to any of the games from which it took inspiration. It has decent gameplay at its core but is severely lacking in content for its current price of $30, and it tries to make up for that by cranking the difficulty way up. This is magnified by the designers’ decision to forego almost all of the modern conveniences players have grown accustomed to in the past twenty-plus years, which really makes you question what was going through their heads. If you love arcadey Hack and Slash games and/or enjoy challenging yourself with devilishly difficult games then this might be worth checking out once it’s on sale.

Strategy fans looking for a meaty title to sink their teeth into will be disappointed, especially if they aren’t good at platforming games. On the other hand, 2D platformer fans should definitely give this a try. They’ll certainly be happy with half of the game and they might end up getting some enjoyment from the strategy part of the game as well like I did.

I came in to Crime Opera: The Butterfly Effect with an open mind, but not expecting all that much from it. I’m glad I gave it a go though, as the story was actually very good and had me wanting to keep reading right until the end. It’s a shame there aren’t more endings to encourage more playthroughs, but as a part one of a series this is off to a good start. Whether you’re just interested in the 1000G or actually want a good tale to read, then this comes highly recommended.

Tinker Racers is a fun game and far exceeded my expectations. It brought back many childhood memories of racing round in Micro Machines and it makes me hope that they release more levels for a DLC. Once lockdown ends, it’ll definitely be one to play with friends in couch co-op.

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.

Bad Dream: Coma is morbid, depressing, and more graphic than the simple art style lets on, but that’s not to say it isn’t worth playing. Those that like point and click gameplay will be right at home here, while the dour atmosphere offers up an intriguing tone to the experience. Navigating the puzzles with a pad can get tedious at times, but for the most part this is an engaging time, and worth a look.

Overall I am blown away at how much I have enjoyed playing MLB The Show 21. I had a mild interest in baseball but I can see myself following the sport a lot closer based on how much fun I have had so far in this game. Sure it has flaws and it’s not the easiest to just pick up and play, but that all pales in comparison to the satisfaction of crushing a pitch clean out the field.

Cymatically Muffed is a decent top-down shooter. The campaign is as confusing as the name of the game but that doesn’t detract too much from the enjoyment. There could have been some more explanation of the items in the game with a brief tutorial but most of it can be picked up whilst playing. I would have liked the campaign to be a bit longer but I did enjoy my playthrough. I didn’t get the chance to fully experiment with the battle option as it’s local only and we are still kind of locked down but it does look like it could be fun to play with friends.

Moon Raider is a decent throwback to the pixelated games of the 90’s. It is lacking in some departments like the story, but the pixel art is nicely done and the action is familiar and fun for the duration of the experience. The bosses could have been a little more inspired. It took me about 4 hours to play through the game and my recommendation really comes down to the price; if it’s over $10 then I’d say to wait for a sale. If you’re looking for a short distraction with a local co-op option then this might be a game for you.

Super Meat Boy Forever might not be the game I expected, but it’s a game I thoroughly enjoyed. Good sequels take the best elements of the first game and build on them. The gameplay doesn’t have to be exactly the same but in this case, it’s familiar enough, while adding many interesting new elements. The new high definition art style is on point and the level design and generation makes the sequel truly stand out. One of the designers said he wanted something that could be played forever, hence the name, and when I heard this I was worried that this might be the last entry in the series; however, thankfully the cut scenes hint that there might be more to come. I look forward to seeing what Team Meat will do in the future, but in the meantime, I have plenty of Meat Boy content to enjoy, I think I’ll go try again to beat that warp zone backwards.

While it might be short lived, those looking for a quick romance tale (and some easy cheevos) will be well served by C14 Dating. The mini-games add to the experience, and the archaeology-based romance is charming enough to entertain at least once, with further plays allowing us to skip through scenes as needed. It might be a bit pricey for what you get though, so if you’re not convinced then it might be worth checking other titles in the genre.

Rain on Your Parade is a hilarious, reference filled adventure that gamers young and old could enjoy. It provides variety and options for how much you want to get out of the game and is never too challenging for any one person.

Ravensword: Shadowlands is a passably playable RPG considering it is an aged mobile port. If you ever want to play an RPG that you can complete in days rather than months for a fraction of the cost then this could be something to pick up. But stiff NPCs, random hit detection/animation, bland storyline, and vast empty lands really make it challenging to fully immerse yourself into the game.

Gangsta Paradise is sort of a misnomer, you end up killing all the gangsters so I don’t know how that could be a paradise for them, and the game as a whole is not a paradise either – it’s more like a purgatory, completely middle of the road, nothing great about it, but nothing terrible either. With the exception of the enemies, there isn’t much variety. The game is somewhat bare-bones and a one-trick pony, but the trick it performs it does adequately, getting a new gun just in time and mowing down enemies is satisfying. Overall I had an alright time playing the game, especially in co-op. It could use a few more modes, perhaps an endless mode, or a hard mode, and the game should really have included a few more playable character options, one doesn’t really cut it.

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.

Savage Halloween caters to those who want a more casual run and gun play style and for those who are eager for a challenge. Regardless of which one you pick you’re guaranteed to receive a treat than a trick with this title.

If you’re a big fan of the first game then Knight Squad 2 is more of the same. There are a few new game modes that are fun and the variant options allow for some unique customization, but overall this sequel doesn’t really stand out. It’s essentially the same game, with a few new things and missing some stuff from the first game. It can be fun in short bursts or with some friends, but I don’t see the player base being anywhere near as large as the first unless it’s included in GwG or Game Pass like the first one was. In addition, the price tag of $15 seems a little steep for a few new game modes and an updated art style.

Breathedge is an uneven experience: the space exploration/survival is genuinely delightful, but workman-like approach to presentation and the humour drags the experience down, undoing the oppressive atmosphere with dated references and ‘gags’. I would recommend this game to fans of the genre who have exhausted their choices, others will do better to start elsewhere.

At first glance One Escape appears to be yet another simple platformer. The use of three distinct characters and some fun level design however mean that anyone looking for a short, fun experience should definitely check One Escape out.

Chess Knights: Viking Lands is a fun and very challenging puzzle game. Not one for achievement hunters unless you find a walkthrough, but that kind of kills the joy of the game. For its price, it is quite an attractive looking game and the Viking theme stops it from looking bland. For those familiar with chess and who enjoy tricky puzzles, this could be one for you.

What the Dub?! is a single focused party game trying to crack into a genre where titles like Jackbox have been dominating. What the Dub?! has real movie clips and the answer read out by automated voices though, which is more inclusive, but the thought of having to watch the same clip 12 times with different players scripts one after each other, with only a few seconds in between for chuckles, makes me cringe more than it excites me. It’s a shame as I am all for party games as they can be real ice breakers at times, but I can’t see this being fired up more than once or twice before it has outstayed its welcome.

There’s no shortage of 2D puzzle platformers out there, but few are done with such style, pacing, and intuitiveness as DARQ. A thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours of play that knows not to try and artificially pad the runtime and dilute the experience. The fantastic audio/visual work helps suck us into the atmosphere, and combined with smart puzzle mechanics and movement these add up to make DARQ an easily recommended play.

All in all Balan Wonderworld is uninspiring and boring to play. A lack of instruction mixed with some of the most basic platforming abilities missing at times makes the game a chore.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page to me is a heavily story-based game that uses platforming as a means to tell it. If you’re after something with deep gameplay to get into, this may not be the right title for you. If the story alone is something that piques your interest then it’s definitely worth a shot as it is an enjoyable tale.

Even with these foibles, I still really dug the majority of Genesis Noir. The fantastic presentation made it easier to forgive some of the repetition and bugs, and for all the grandiose nature of the story, it was still interesting to follow and piece together. It could probably be completed in one or two sittings, so if you’re up for something a little different, I’d definitely recommend checking out Genesis Noir.

Space Otter Charlie is a lot of fun. The Zero-G puzzle platforming is great, as is the audio visual work. The multiplayer aspect is underwhelming but the campaign more than makes up for this with its inventive scenarios and levels. I highly recommend checking Space Otter Charlie out if you’re looking for a new platformer to play.

Squad Killer is a fun, if simple, retro platformer/shooter. The action is easy to pick up and play – and the achievements drop easily – but there are a few niggles that can frustrate a little too much. For the low price it might be worth a shot for some, but others will be best off looking elsewhere.

It Takes Two is a game that all gamers should play. The co-op only aspect could turn some people away, but they make it very easy to play the game with others. You can play split-screen locally or online with anyone on your friends list even if they don’t own the game. And the co-op gameplay is what really makes the game shine, the expertly crafted levels are so much fun to explore, traverse, and complete. The seemingly never-ending flow of new mechanics makes the game feel fresh and makes playing as each character a unique experience. Hazelight Studio seems to have mastered the art of making co-op games, each game they create gets better and better. I can’t wait to see what they’re planning next.

Papa’s Quiz is a decent party game that does stand out for me as a good alternative to the Jackbox games. Granted it is just a quiz and there are no other game modes, but I feel that helps make it stand out as it has that singular focus. The dance boasting isn’t for everyone and the automated voices do get a bit tedious after a while, but as a party game that you play in bursts I think this is pretty fun.

In summary, Can’t Drive This is a fresh take on an already saturated party game market that’s a ton of fun with friends and gets very addictive, but loses steam after 10 hours with the few game modes it offers. There just isn’t enough content to play this game solo and unlock the majority of the cosmetics. With that being said, I personally absolutely love this game and would love to see the idea further expanded.

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.

I Saw Black Clouds unfortunately misses the mark more often than not. While the general concept of the story is interesting, messy presentation and confusing, vague stats make it harder to enjoy than it should be. If you’re looking for an enjoyable live action adventure, I’d still recommend checking out The Complex before this.

Although I have listed a few negative points I did enjoy playing the game. If you can overlook the grey graphics, poor voice acting, bizarre storyline and awkward missions then there is still a game that I found fun to play. Learning different classes, skills and the alchemy system was fun for me and I sure fans of tactical strategy games can find joy here too. I just wish they put the same amount of effort they put into the combat system and functions as was put into the other parts of the game.

Killer Queen Black is pure, joyous fun. Get together with a group of friends and you’re guaranteed to have an absolute blast. There’s not too much to learn in terms of mechanics, but that doesn’t stop each game feeling fresh and different. It’s on Game Pass, and features cross play, so I’m hoping it can gather more of a community that it seems to have now. If it does, I can see KQB having a long life. Please, please check it out!

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.

El Hijo: A Wild West Tale is a beautiful stealth game. I do love the fact it’s not all about killing but just getting to the next area. I had a great time playing the title and I love the art style too. Like most stealth titles, if you’re a fan of this genre and enjoy not going around killing everyone then this is a game for you to pick up.

Paradise Lost manages to keep the intrigue high with its alternate history tale and great environmental story-telling, but is let down by it glacier-esque pace. If you can push through that though, there is an entertaining time to be had here.

One of the best entry level fighting games, Samurai Shodown is an excellent return to form for the series. This Xbox series upgrade offers some small but much appreciated upgrades on the original title. Anyone looking to dip their toes into fighting games will do well to start here, that said, there is a lot to dig into after that.

Movers In Paradise is a fantastic DLC and playing it with my wife was great fun and laughs (and mini arguments) all round. With Moving Out still being on Game Pass you only need to pick up the DLC and you won’t be disappointed if you enjoyed the original. Even if you haven’t played the original I still recommend picking this up as I actually think I enjoyed it more than the original.

With the gameplay in its current state there isn’t much that would compel me to play this game for any length of time let alone keep coming back for more. I won’t say that a $17.99 price tag isn’t justifiable but if I paid cash for this game I’d have some serious buyers remorse. If you’re positive that Under the Jolly Roger floats your boat than by all means have at it, as this review is just one man’s opinion. But if you have doubts as to whether or not you want to set sail on this adventure I suggest waiting for a sale.

If you’re looking for something different and unique then Signs of the Sojourner deserves your attention. Its simple-to-learn card game mechanic does a fantastic job of symbolizing a lot of the core concepts of communication, and once you learn the best tactics to use you’ll want to experience everything the game has to offer. The game has a high replay value, each time you play you will find something new, meeting new characters, discovering a hidden city, or maybe learning about your character’s past. Or you can blaze your own trail and try to unlock one of the many alternate endings. Even if you don’t normally play story-focused games or card games, Signs of the Sojourner should have something for you and is definitely worth checking out.

In summary, Dreaming Sarah is an inside look at the subconscious told through platforming and light puzzling. its short runtime is perfect for a rainy afternoon in or something to play quickly as a pallet cleanser between larger games.

Explosionade DX is everything you would expect from a 2D platform shooter. The only thing stopping it from becoming too vanilla is the shield floating feature, though you can play most of the game without needing the shield outside of high jumps. Once the buttons were remapped the game was fun to play but the short levels made the game feel too stop-start for me. Fans of this genre and achievement hunters may still get some joy out of this.

Sanity of Morris is sadly just not very good. Outside of some decent initial horror aspects and a passable tale, the woeful stealth, boring exploration, and tedious puzzles make for a title that gets ever more maddening the further we play.

In conclusion Kaze and the Wild Masks was a game I was hyped for …. And it delivered. This can be compared to Donkey Kong Country 2 from back in the day. Platforming fans and gamers that take a shine to retro-styled games will like this. The easy mode makes it more accessible to those who might have more difficulty with platforming while not penalizing the player for choosing it. Kaze and the Wild Masks is quality 90’s gaming … today.

Pinkman+ is a fun puzzle platformer that has a nice retro style aesthetic. Much like obvious inspiration N+ the challenge is high, but also quite rewarding. That it is also optimised for the new console is a neat touch too.

Subtle but solidly produced, In Rays of the Light does a beautiful and eloquent job of drawing you into its story and environments. Much can be appreciated regarding the artistry on display here and while the gameplay doesn’t compare favourably to it, there’s plenty of potential in what the game offers stylistically and in regards to its presentation that it can stand tall and comes recommended for its attempts at drawing you in. There is a need to make the gameplay more riveting despite the lurking presence of shadows, as there’s a propensity for unexcitingly light puzzles and a frustrating segment amid darkness, but in all In Rays of the Light is worth a look if you want a short, flawed but compelling and well-made jaunt.

Curse of the Dead Gods isn’t for everyone but if you’re a fan of combat-focused rogue-lites then this should definitely be on your radar. It has the potential to be in the upper echelon of the genre; in order for it truly get there the developers will need to give the game regular content updates, which seems like the norm for the top games in the genre. Whether they do or not the game has a solid foundation built around a weighty combat system and a slick-looking art style. Even after playing the game almost exclusively over the past two weeks, I’m still staying up way too late saying “oh, just one more level”.

Journey of the Broken Circle is more than meets the eye. It’s an easy to pick up 2D platformer that delivers an excellent narrative about love, existentialism, and friendships. From the actual gameplay perspective, nothing is gated through difficulty and even younger gamers could play and enjoy. Throw in some collectibles and audio that pairs up well with the mood of the story and you’ve got yourself a game. Recommended to fans of story and casual platforming.

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.

Sir Lovealot might seem like he’s always on the lookout for love but if you’re on the lookout for a solid, fast-paced, 2D action platformer, then you have found a match. Its fantastic pixel art and familiar gameplay that’s both challenging and forgiving make this title worth your time. It’s only a few hours in length but is filled with funny fantasy tropes and gameplay that is easy to pick up.

All in all, Pacer is about as close as we’re likely to get to a new Wipeout; that is to say, its fantastic sense of speed and style evoke the same feeling I got when playing the 1995 classic. Even on the slower speeds things move briskly, but up it to the Elite class and we’re in for a eye-wateringly fast racer that looks great and controls perfectly. A few confusing UI elements aside, this is well worth a look.

There are many trucks to level up and many customization skins to unlock by earning XP with each of the 8 groups of trucks and finding all the collectibles on top of secret vehicles. Overall, this is a fun arcade racer with some issues, but none that are game breaking.

Knight’s Retreat is great. If you enjoy chess and puzzle games it’s a no brainer, pick this title up. It’s challenging, and has some brilliant mechanics.

Perhaps the main flaw here is that it can get super tough very quickly. Even on the opening set of levels it was super hard to collect all ten flags, so when it came to later levels I struggled to unlock them due to a lack of flags. Overall though, I enjoyed my time with Spooky Chase quite a bit. I might have got so frustrated that I had to laugh at times, but it kept me coming back for one more go regardless.

Thunderflash is a good blast from the past and does make you feel like you are playing a game from that era. It is fun to play through in its randomness, but it is quite short and I’m sure once you complete the game and have got all of the achievements you are unlikely to revisit it. The extra modes do offer some replayability but challenging for the high score just doesn’t mean what it used to. It’s a fun, quickplay game for fans of the old-style games and achievement hunters.

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.

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.

Effie is a decent entry into the third-person action-adventure genre, it features intricately designed levels and lots of satisfying platforming. There is a nice combination of old and new mechanics. The combat can leave a bit to be desired, and there were a few non-game breaking bugs/glitches but overall this is a nice call-back to a classic well-loved genre. Whether you want to get some feelings of nostalgia or you are new to the genre and are curious, Effie is worth a look.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest managed to capture what I enjoyed about the choose your own adventure games of childhood and wrapped it up with an engaging tale, full of interesting scenarios, characters, and outcomes. There’s minimal visual/audio presentation, but what’s here still helps to craft a great atmosphere in addition to almost 120,000 words full of thousands of variations. If you’re after something along the lines of Telltale’s best work, then Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest comes highly recommended.

Kill It With Fire is a unique game that offers a unique experience. As you carry out your job over 9 different levels you will discover an array of weaponry and technical upgrades to aid you in your battle. Although a short experience that can be fully seen within 6 hours, it’s fun 6 hours. I recommended it for everyone!

Void Gore has scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. The classic shooter gameplay works well with the rogue-like elements, and the upgrades give each run a fresh feel. If you’re fond of old school shmups then definitely check out Void Gore.

When playing Anodyne 2: Return to Dust you can tell the developers love making video games and want to share that love with anyone interested. Thanks to an ever-expanding world and the introduction of new mechanics and ideas as the game progresses the game certainly stands out from the pack. There are some slow-paced parts and a few of the later puzzles and card locations might require a guide, but overall Anodyne 2 should be played by anyone who is interested in indie game design or anyone that wants to enjoy a multi-genre nostalgia-fueled adventure with an endearingly entertaining story about self-discovery.

Under Leaves appealed to me in both the concept and to my childhood memories. This is not as gimmicky as other hidden object games and it’s far more functional than the Where’s Wally games on previous consoles. It is a relaxing game to play through, but it is very short and lacks that something extra which could have made the game more interesting and given it some replay value.

Ultra Goodness 2 is an OK top-down shooter. The time-slowing feature is nice but doesn’t really do enough to make it stand out. The awkward Armageddon button needed more work and I’d prefer the screen be a little more zoomed out, or at least give us the option to change it. It will take you about an hour or two to play through the whole game, though it is challenging enough to make it enjoyable so fans of this genre won’t be too disappointed picking this up.

Active Neurons: Wonders of the World is, as I keep saying, a wonderfully chill puzzle game. It offers up just the right level of challenge while also giving us easily accessible help should we need it at the press of a button. Highly recommended as a title to wind down with, or as a palette cleanser between other, more stressful, titles.

Aground for me manages to capture all the fun about crafting that made Minecraft positive but without needing to be so creative. It also captures the fun exploration that made Terraria enjoyable but with much greater depth to the story and progression. The story sets you up thinking it’s a bland survival story but spirals into alien warfare and hidden mystery species and technologies. For those into crafting games with a lot of exploration, this game will be right up your street as it is thoroughly addictive.

The longevity for HTTOYM is not great. It comes from a developer who deserves more recognition and might finally be getting it after all of their hard work they’ve invested in the series. But this isn’t a true remaster with updates to visuals and sound, and it shows through cropped images with the UI (pause menu option) and the audio issues in the intro. I don’t agree for the price range on this title, but that is expected in comparison with other titles in the genre. Most of the people interested in this title will be playing it for buffing their gamerscore total since it can be done in less than an hour with a guide. However, if you’re interested in the graphic novel genre, then you might enjoy the brief few hours journey of this steamy love story.

PUSS! looks and sounds utterly bizarre with its various trippy A/V themes, but underneath there is a fun, yet very hard, gameplay core. I’m not a big fan of having to restart completely each time I boot it up, but those looking for something eye catching to have fun with (or stream) will likely get quite hooked on this title.

Fairly small nit-pick aside, Bonkies comes highly recommended, especially if you’ve a house full of gamers that fancy something in the vein of Moving Out! or Overcooked. The action provides plenty of laughs to counter and annoyances, and some of the stage designs will really test even the most ardent of builders.

Be careful what you wish for. As an Xbox gamer, I am continuously jealous of the amount of interesting-looking indie games that come to Steam. I would always say “Why can’t we get more of those?” Well, we got one, but it’s not one of the good ones. I normally enjoy retro platformers and the games that Fireworks draws its inspiration from are some of my favorites. The art style is bland, and the gameplay is both tedious and difficult, while also being unoriginal. There is some humorous storytelling throughout the game, which is one of the only highlights. If you’re at all tempted to play this Mega Man clone, buy it on Steam where it costs roughly $10 less than it does on the Xbox store; honestly I think the publisher Fantastico studio should be embarrassed that they jacked up the price and published this generic game. They should just let the whole thing go up in flames.

Rack N Ruin is a typical action-adventure game and hits all the right points required to make it a good game, but does suffer a few minor drawbacks. The zoomed in view, terrible map and confusing puzzles could put some off, but there is a lot of charm to the game. The fact you play as a cute but evil demon on a sinister mission which no one seems to take too seriously is a nice change of view and graphically it is enjoyable and quite easy to play. A nice pickup for those who fancy tackling a short but tricky action game.

Tohu draws from its inspiration well, using excellent visuals, animation, and audio to really craft an enjoyable tale. It’s some of the actual puzzles that let the side down a little though as they can be just a bit too obscure for my liking, bringing back the days of seemingly random items used in bizarre ways. With a little help, I still managed to enjoy my time with Tohu though, and if you’re more point and click inclined then I’d highly recommend checking this title out.

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.

While I wouldn’t say Little Nightmares 2 is a ‘fun’ time, it’s certainly an entertaining one. Creepy visuals and audio suck us in, and some smart, well-paced puzzles and set pieces keep us hooked for the duration. A few of these teeter on annoyance at times, but are also short enough to never actually make us want to stop playing. A strange, creepy delight of a game, Little Nightmares 2 deserves to stand out as one of the best releases of the year.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a bit of mediocre game in very sparkly packaging. I was drawn to the trailer as the transitions to a werewolf looked stunning and I thought this would really be a good play through to test the Xbox Series X. The transitions in the game are quite cool, from human to lupus is neat and the burst into the Crinos form was great at the start. But after you clear a room of enemies with the powerful form you revert back into your human form like nothing has happened and it all feels a bit flat which is a feeling you carry throughout the game.

Vera Blanc: Ghost of the Castle is the second in the Vera Blanc series. Despite being a port of a 10 year old game there are seemingly zero improvements or additions here. If you’ve played the first you’ll know what to expect; follow the story prompts to progress, earn some quick cheevos, and that’s about that. The story is passable at least, all ghost and murder mysteries, but it won’t last long enough to really get us invested.