Aniquilation is a twin-stick shooter that seems to have forgotten it is a twin-stick shooter, or that putting so much mayhem on the screen at once doesn’t always equal fun. Shooting seems to be the attack I am using the least and although the game looks pretty enough it’s not really a joy to play for me.

Crayola Scoot suffers from a small range of design issues, but even so, it manages to offer up a fun, accessible, well rounded trick scooter experience nevertheless. There’s a steep difficulty curve later in, which may not sit too well with the game’s target audience, though with that said and despite its few flaws, the game achieves much of what it sets out to accomplish.

Dead End Job is fun fast-paced action top-down shooter which tests your reflexes and patience. The story is a bit vague, but the character styles are quite detailed and disgustingly fun to look at. It is quite easy to lose some time into playing through this even though the game doesn’t vary too much. But there are enough different enemy types, items and job perks which keep the game interesting.

The Z Axis: Continuum isn’t likely to rock your puzzle-loving world, but it does enough to stand out on the merit of its interesting, manipulative mechanics. The game slowly feeds you into the basics of play before throwing larger, more complex levels your way. It may indeed be lacking in the visual department for more reasons than one, but it still goes on to present a brain hammering challenge nevertheless.

The racing in Gravity Chase is fin and the use of tubular and half pipe tracks means there’s less time worrying about crashing and more focus on the actual racing. The sense of speed, especially when boosting, is top notch even if it makes accurately hitting boost pads or pick-ups difficult at times. Unfortunately, the samey-feeling tracks and need to unlock them for each player count meant that my enthusiasm for playing dwindled far quicker than I’d have expected.

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.

Players looking for a short, snappy precision platformer would do well to at least entertain the idea of Cattie, even if it misses the mark in a few areas.

Sun Wukong VS Robot gives us a bite-size game at a bite-size price. Nothing here will blow you away but if you are looking for a quick game and like classic platforming game mechanics, you can do much worse. If you are on the hunt for a quick 1,000 gamerscore, then look no further than Sun Wukong VS Robot.

Ultimately REDO! left me wanting to go back to other metroidvanias rather than to put more time into this one. The slower traversing of the land and the unforgiving combat just doesn’t fit my preferences but that doesn’t mean REDO! is a bad game. I would recommend anyone interested in REDO! to check out the gameplay and if your interest is still piqued then give it a go. The artwork is pleasant and the puzzles required to progress may appease you more than it did me.

Much like any other game from Artifex Mundi, Queen’s Quest III: The End of Dawn will serve you well if you’re seeking a decent point-and-click adventure that’s chock-full of interesting, diverse puzzles. The entire experience is predictably pulled shy of greatness due its hit and miss story, its poor animations, and its shoddy voice work, but, in grand scheme of things, the game does manage to maintain player engagement through variety and innovation.

As a TMNT fan I am drawn to all content about this tubular foursome, especially the games! TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants was no exception. Considering I’ve not played the arcade cabinet for this game before I was very excited. It did give me an evening of fun as it felt like I was right there in the arcade hanging out but unfortunately the experience was short lived. While yes, there are leaderboards to entice replay-ability, they weren’t enough to keep me coming back to the game. So, if you are looking for a quick turtles experience (especially if you have some local buddies to play with), Wrath of the Mutants may be what you are looking for.

With some great performances and an interesting story premise, The Gallery had me sold from the start. Unfortunately, some over bearing choice work and consequences take us out of the tale being told too often for us to really get invested in it fully.

I and Me goes a long way with the few mechanics that it encompasses, putting forward a solid puzzle game that boasts both quality and distinction. The game’s accessible functionality and its charming design makes it an appropriate choice for players of all ages, but its questionable difficulty curve is bound to frustrate the younger audience. Still, when all is said and done, there’s an endearing journey to be found here, if indeed short lived.

Giga Wrecker Alt. has all the markings of a stellar platform puzzler, but sadly doesn’t quite manage to achieve greatness due to its lackluster boss encounters, its at times frustrating design choices, and its somewhat floaty handling. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a hell of a lot to like about the journey at hand, from its intriguing story through to its several interesting mechanics, but the fun is religiously interrupted by the game’s aforementioned drawbacks.

All in all, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a middling effort that is helped along by the titular protagonist’s whimsical humour, the sparklingly colourful Wishworlds and the jolly soundtrack. Unfortunately, The Cosmic Shake spirals down from its promising state as an original SpongeBob adventure because it feels like any old-school platformer from twenty years ago. Sure, the kiddies will find The Cosmic Shake to be a simple and satisfying slice of SpongeBob silliness to savour, but without an impactful zest to it, there’s not enough to make it stand out from previous outings. There’s a woeful dearth of depth here that ensures The Cosmic Shake flounders adrift in the high seas of averageness, instead of soaring into the skies of sensation. It’s an adventure that will do in a pinch, but SpongeBob fans know this could have been so much more.

Jagged Alliance 3 has many ups and downs but I ultimately came away frustrated, especially with the combat and the over complicated controls. There is potential there but I’m not sure I can wait around another 24 years to see that potential flourish.

As a brief but well-crafted Netflix indie title, Highwater hits the mark with its sense of worldbuilding, the interesting flourishes of its combat, and the underlying themes that give it a richness that’s worth exploring. Highwater is held back by stodgy writing, character interaction and a frustrating menu system, but for a few hours of apocalyptic storytelling amidst a flooded world, where you can discover new islands and yank cigar-chomping big men to their doom, Highwater is worth a shot and is buoyant enough to stay afloat despite the threat of capsizing.

Neon Blood was still an enjoyable ride despite the issues listed, mainly again due to that stellar presentation and a tale that, while not exactly original, was executed well (and briefly) enough to keep our interest high throughout.

Upon reflection, Beyond A Steel Sky may well be a tale of two games. One side of the equation sees it as an interesting narrative adventure with strange characters, a bustling metropolis, intriguing gameplay elements and a welcome sense of humour. On the other side meanwhile there’s the flatness of those personalities, unexplored ideas, a dearth of reasons to care, a mediocre protagonist and a game you can brush off and forget about. There’s enough here for you to be welcomed in but there are far greater alternatives out there – especially ones that aren’t dragging and lugging about a twenty-five-year-old design. It’s worth a shot then, but much like the game itself you will refer it to the past once you’ve finished it.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is described as a game that sets itself apart from other walking simulators due to the addition of puzzles and engagement. It’s a shame however that these very additions are easily the weakest points in the game. The story may well be interesting and it’s certainly a stunning experience, but it takes a lot more than that to truly stand out.

Despite the absence of needed features, despite its lack of replay value, and despite the fact that it’s not all that difficult, there’s still quite a bit of fun to be had in Riverbond. Not only is the game accessible, charming, and unique, but it sports a fair bit of diversity as far as its gameplay is concerned, and manages to spread it well across its handful of varied, gorgeously designed worlds. It’s just a shame it falls short of the mark elsewhere.

The Vasara Collection will appeal to the scrolling shoot em up fans as it combines both the old-style games and a modern re-imagining of the original games. It is far too difficult for anyone who is not experienced in this genre of games, and it can get old and frustrating fast after repeatedly dying in the game. But for those who like this style of game and like a hardcore challenge then this collection is packaged nicely just for you.

I really enjoy the unique concept on offer here, with interesting and engaging FMV scenes that keep you hooked and actively wanting to find out what happens next. While the mini game sections are on the bland side,they are short enough – with enough variety – to not detract in any sort of major way.

Wargroove certainly packs an impressive portion of diverse content, but its harsh difficulty, together with its complexity, has a tendency of muddying the water. Nevertheless, if you can overlook Wargroove’s taxing challenge and bear with it long enough to understand its varied functionality, there’s a lot to like about it, especially if you’re a fan of strategy games.

Out of Space is a fun game to play and on your own, it’s about careful planning and high pressure. Playing with others it is about great communication and cooperation whilst still maintaining that high focus. I worry that the singular objective will harm the replay value of the game. As a party game once you have conquered the biggest ship I am not sure it would be something to play repeatedly. But then that is easier said than done I’m sure.

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.

Aftercharge’s fun and unique cat and mouse-like concept is both neatly structured, and finely balanced. However, whilst the game offers a decent amount of depth through its well designed and diverse cast of interesting characters, it’s greatly held back due to its lack of gameplay variation. The bottom line here is that distinction alone will only go so far, Aftercharge needs to cover more ground, and soon.

Oh My Godheads is fun, bright, colourful and zany, but it’s somewhat let down by repetitive play, a lack of content, and no online support.

It’s a mostly enjoyable, creepy experience marred only slightly by an annoyingly relentless, yet easy to escape enemy. I did find myself wishing for more however.

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection takes players back to LEGO game basics; before voice overs, before depth, before polish, and before just about everything else that makes the current formula so widely appealing. That said, this collection is well worth a trip if you enjoy the source material. There’s magic, there’s humor, and there’s a lot of fun fan service to soak up here, if little else.

In hindsight, Freddy Spaghetti 2 didn’t improve greatly upon the first instalment. The levels feel short and the game feels too easy. It seems to be more of a cash grab from those who enjoy unlocking achievements, but may provide a laugh for fans of The Office or fans of physics-based games like Octodad or Human Fall Flat.

I love my metroidvania games and The Mobius Machine is definitely a metroidvania game, however it fell a little short for me. The pieces are there for a decent game but the combination of the slow paced progression, combat, and mapping frustrations actively pulled me away from the game. It’s not often I don’t finish a game but with The Mobius Machine it is just something I will have to try after some time has passed.

Just Ignore Them is a fun 8-bit adventure and a great addition to the retro point-and-click genre. Albeit a short campaign, the game shows use of a retro style mixed with a scripted horror experience can work well for the crew at Stranga Games.

Zombie Derby does nothing groundbreaking but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t scratch a certain itch. It reminds me of simpler times and perhaps the type of game I used to play in my internet browser as a kid. Good for short bursts in my opinion and easy to pick up from anybody. The real get here would be the gamerscore as the full completion with all achievments can be had in less than half an hour and the game won’t cost you that much.

All in all, Hookbots is an unreal, action packed fun machine and gives players a chance to be vicious in a fight that will bring clubs, feuds, and challenges for all. Bringing arcade action back in this fashion is necessary in this day of age. Albeit challenging for beginners, Hookbots will have the lounge room in an uproar quicker than you can score a goal. A definite plus for quick game players and achievement hunters.

Don’t mistake Reed Remastered for a quick or easy indie title (or achievement grab – I didn’t mention earlier that this game is published by Ratalaika Games) because there is more to it than that. It’s a solid platformer that focuses more on mechanics than aesthetics, and it’s hard enough to challenge any gamer that prides themselves on their reflexes and skills. Reed, the cute character in the promotional material, looks like a cotton ball or a mini-marshmallow but represents something more like the Stay Puft giant from Ghostbusters.

I wanted to like Gori: Cuddly Carnage more than I did, perhaps my hopes were too high. In the end I found the levels too repetitive for my liking and some technical issues soured my mood. There were some fun parts in the platforming and chase sequences but that’s not enough to be able to highly recommend this game to my friends.

Miles & Kilo offers a colorful and, at times, exciting adventure. Its steep difficulty curve and the simplicity found in its handling sits well with its short-burst level design. However, its reliance on using irritatingly cheap tactics is bound to frustrate even the most forgiving of players. That said, Miles & Kilo does enough right to justify a recommendation, but it’s a recommendation that I can only extend to the patient fans of hardcore platformers.

I do love a pixel-art platformer, but the inclusion of RPG elements (which were a little complicated in my eyes) sucked out some of the enjoyment factor from Ginsha. I can see the replayability and the many ways you could customise your character but these just didn’t do it for me. The basic exploration, traversing and shooting is very well executed and enjoyable. The story was fairly interesting however as I kept reading the text I felt myself wandering and losing interest very early on. Some voice acting would really improve the experience and would have also kept my attention for longer.

If you’ve played any title from Artifex before, you’ll know exactly what to expect here, warts and all. Due to its poor voice work, its shoddy writing, and its laughable animation, it can be hard to get truly invested in the story that Modern Tales: Age of Invention offers. It’s a shame, because underneath these rather frustrating drawbacks sits an interesting setting that’s really only upheld by the game’s intelligent puzzle design and its gorgeous artwork.

The soundtrack is annoying and the gameplay does become less fun and more irritating in the later stages of play. With that being said this does indeed provide the best Boom Ball experience to date, and packs enough content to keep you going for hours on end. It’s fun in small doses, it’s well designed, and the visuals are creative and colorful. If you have a Kinect connected, this is worth the investment.

Daggerhood is a safe choice if you’re a fan of punishing platformers. It does a fine job of keeping its gameplay varied and challenging via continuously introducing new and interesting mechanics. It’s a shame then, that it’s held back quite a bit by its poor boss encounters and its tendency of taking cheap-shots. Overall, I wont go so far as to say that it’s a good game, but it does just about manage to get more right than it gets wrong.

In short bursts, Tilting Tiles offers a decent puzzling challenge that’s enjoyable to conquer, albeit one that a few quality of life improvements such as backtracking steps or a hint system would improve.

Woodle Tree 2: Deluxe+ for me is a sound 3D platformer and is not over-complex, though it does seem to have confused its target market somewhat. With its simple story and cute graphics, you would think the game is aimed at the younger generation. But with the tricky combat and awkward jumping at times, you would need to be a slightly more accomplished gamer to be able complete some areas, as it requires a level of nerve and patience the younger generation don’t usually have.

Overall Curious Expedition is a nice little time killer that can be played casually, in small increments. I’d advise against binging on it because it has potential to become boring really quick for some people. It’s nice that every play through will be different but there isn’t really a whole lot of action – but simply surviving will be a hard enough time as it is. For some reason it kept making me think of that old game Oregon Trail. It’s rare that I rank a games replay value higher than it’s overall experience but it is enjoyable in small doses. If the developers could manage to patch in some sort of multiplayer it would definitely entice me to go back and try some more.

The Council is ambitious, unique, and serves up some truly in-depth functionality. However, the otherwise intriguing story is let down by poor voice acting and daft character animation. The game also puts an awful lot of pressure on the player to learn so much in a short space of time. The Council is off to a good start, but it should have been refined more.

Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch is a really interesting attempt at doing something different with the deck-building genre. Frustrating, absorbing, annoying, engrossing, very fiddly, but also not as complex as it seems. Fascinating game, that I hope gets a refined sequel.

60 Parsecs! overall is a pretty decent game. Its cartoonish graphics and rather dark humor at times are appealing along with its variety of choices you can make with during your playthrough. For a game that’s based on a lot of text talking I figured the music would keep you awake but it just repeats the same notes over and over kind of putting you to sleep. Regarding the situations you can encounter I feel that they are lacking and often are repetitive. I find these kinds of simplistic games interesting nonetheless but I can’t say it’s for those who seek action and more depth with their games. I will say, If you’re an achievement hunter have at this game – the full 1000G could be yours, just be prepared to encounter the same situations repeatedly.

Dakar 18 is held back from greatness due to a number of issues. Chief among these problems tend to revolve around the game’s poor handling and its over-the-top damage system. However, if you can overlook the game’s awkward foundation and forgive the overbearing co-driver, there’s a beautiful vast world to soak up, with no shortage of diverse content to take for a spin. Just don’t expect to be wowed.

A strong opening set of chapters set up an intriguing mystery with the return of Max Caulfield, new powers and friends, and a fantastic setting with some excellent audio/visual work. Unfortunately, it all falls apart by the end, with a confusing mess of threads that sweep the interesting stuff aside in favour of a side story that feels rushed, and a final choice that is set up poorly, leaving us underwhelmed and not entirely sure what fate we assigned ourselves too.

Less of a puzzle game and more of an experience that heavily relies on reflex and cognitive multitasking, Neonwall isn’t half bad, but it’s likely only going to appeal to a very specific crowd. There’s a few technical issues to contend with and some poor camera behavior, however, credit goes to the game’s distinct originality and its constant stream of interesting gameplay mechanics.

Bombslinger provides a challenging, detailed, diverse and well developed experience. There’s no denying that its unique spin on the formula provides it with a compelling edge, though with that being said, this game does become repetitive, tedious and frustrating before too long. Still, it’s well worth a visit if you’re looking for something to fill the void before Super Bomberman R arrives.

Gynoug is back from it’s Sega glory days with this modern day re-release. Nothing fancy here if you played it back in the day but cheats are included as well as rewind to help you get through the notoriously hard levels. Bonus is that it’s easy to get all of the achievements and gamerscore with the included cheats.

The Atari Flashback Classics Volume 3 is certainly a worthy choice if you’re looking for a true nostalgic hit. There’s a wide selection of retro titles on offer here, with online and leaderboard support added for heightened value and extra longevity. With that in mind, this is a bundle of fifty massively dated games that, by current standards, handle pretty poorly for the most part. This will likely only appeal to a specific crowd.

I know I am not the intended audience, however, I did have fun with this kart racer. Controls are simple with the added feature of auto acceleration for the younger players (or the lazy ones like me), while the graphics look good and are on point for the Gigantosaurus world.

If you ask me, if you’re not willing to play MyCareer or even MyTeam, then save your money as NBA 2K23 is not worth it in the long run. You’ll just end up spending more money than you initially thought you would while potentially playing anything but basketball.

Considering its low cost, Skelly Selest offers quite a bulky serving that will no doubt entice fans of slash and dash score attacks, and whilst far from deep, and despite some glaring issues, it’s certainly somewhat entertaining across most aspects of play. That being said, it doesn’t take too long before repetition sinks in, making this more ideal to play when you’ve an hour to spare, or, when you’re waiting for something better to install.

Hidden Cats in Tokyo is everything you need it to be. For older gamers familiar with Where’s Wally or Waldo, depending on where you are from, it’s just a fun challenge to find everything. I find the game something you can play with younger kids, as they also enjoy the hunt. You can get a little extra knowledge about Japan and Tokyo, too, so learn whilst you hunt for cats.

Paper Ghost Stories: 7PM is a short tale, though one we enjoyed while it lasted. Here’s hoping we can get some more fleshed out tales in the future.

Dead or Alive, for better and for worse, attempts to do things a bit differently with its sixth mainline entry. The game’s fluid and weighty combat is its high point, together with its depth of content and its diverse selection of modes and unlocks. Unfortunately, the game is held back quite a bit by its convoluted campaign, its unnecessary costume grind, and its lack of stage refinement. Bottom line? DOA6 is a competent fighter, nothing more, nothing less.

The mechanics of Berzerk: Recharged are excellent and I can’t fault it. Dowside comes when you’ve played a few levels, they are more or less the same. While playing I was reminded how this would be a wonderful 90’s arcade cabinet game and have everyone queueing up to play. But for a modern-day console game, it does hit all the right shots. Co-op was fun and made the game more palatable.

Double Pug Switch is a challenging side scrolling platformer that requires good hand eye coordination for some quick responses. Although, very similar to The Impossible Game, the game does have a unique twist of adding the dimensional switching power as well as power ups and timed distance jumping. It also added its very own unique story, however comical it may be. I believe this game is a fun side scroller and shouldn’t be missed if you’re a fan of the genre. The current control mapping does make it harder, but can be worked around using console Accessory settings to remap controls for Xbox to however you may prefer. This game is appropriately priced for what it is and the amount of time of enjoyment you will get out of the game. The design is meant to be a cute, yet challenging game, to pick up and put down as you please and I know I will make my way back to finish Otis’ adventure.

In conclusion, Lost at Sea is a wonderful indie title that has been ported to Xbox and is worthy of playing on sale for those interested in the easy gamerscore. If you’re a gamer that enjoys a serene and introspective journey then this might be a game for you, it definitely is a game for those who are mature enough to comprehend Anna’s message and walk away with more empathy. You will spend roughly an hour walking around and half an hour learning of Anna’s past and her family. The clunky lighting can ruin the immersive experience and the game may crash like it did with me a couple of times. But these small details are outshined by the audio, narration, and story. If you’re not a gamer that would enjoy walking through someone else’s life, then perhaps this is not for you.

This is one local multiplayer bomb-based game that anyone can pick up, play, and enjoy. There’s a nice, steady influx of unlocks to earn through little more than natural play, ensuring that even the youngest and lesser skilled of players will witness everything that the game has to offer. The drawback, however, is that outside of its technical issues, it all becomes fairly repetitive before too long, more so when playing solo.

Bucket Knight gives a unique glimpse into gaming of the past without any fancy modern upgrades like save points, perfect graphics and achievements that can only be completed by playing in sometimes seemingly senseless ways! Once again, it is not a game that will appeal to everyone and it’s definitely not for those who dislike this genre, but for anyone who appreciates a bit of nostalgic gaming it certainly seems worth giving it a shot.

Pilot Sports is a good bit of fun, but could have featured more. At $19.99, you’re still getting a decent deal here, but I’d happily pay that bit extra for more content (a larger world, online multiplayer and leader boards). Achievement hunters will likely lap up Pilot Sports, as just there are just 14 to round up for the full 1000G.

Overall, it’s been good to play these classic racers again. Nostalgia is doing some heavy lifting though, and if you’re not familiar with Street Racer then I would hazard a guess that you won’t quite see what the fuss is about. A lack of archival content, as well as some other versions of the game, is a shame but if you’re into retro gaming and fancy a fun – if challenging – racer, then this collection is worth a look.

The Church In The Darkness is a nice change to the contemporary games of today and strives to open the mind of religion and cultism in a top-view, open world environment with stealth mechanics and multi narrative story scripts. Looks great and plays great, albeit not being the longest game ever. It appeals to a different nature and pushes for originality.

Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry does nothing innovative with the genre or delivers any spectacular story but did we expect it to? Aside from the obvious keyboard and mouse roots and thus not as fun controls at times, the voice acting and art style make up for it. Fans of the franchise will enjoy this crazy trip back in the world with Larry.

La-Mulana 2 is just as fun, frustrating and tricky as its predecessor. It has improved on some of the aspects that let the first game down a little, although not completely such as the jumping aspect. However, the game relies on a Myst/Dark Souls philosophy; that those that are determined and persistent will persevere and feel rewarded upon completion. For those into retro platformers which a decent difficulty level then this could be up your street.

The King’s Bird is an utterly challenging platformer that’s perhaps, oftentimes, more frustrating than it needs to be. Further hindrance is found in its slightly unresponsive handling, together with its wildly fluctuating difficulty curve. That being said, if you can muster the perseverance and precision to see it through, you’ll find a pleasant, warm, and somewhat endearing adventure buried underneath its convolution.

Niffelheim is a good game for those that enjoy the foraging and building mechanics in games. With a superb art style and intriguing story, players will find they can put a lot of hours into this game and they’re going to need it. Being a little grindy the game will find homes with many players and received good reputation on PC builds.

Hellpoint is a challenging and interesting RPG in a similar vein to Dark Souls, but maybe not as difficult. It is still unforgiving though, and best played with others to stand a real chance of progressing. The online multiplayer needs some work to iron out some issues, but if you like games that pose a real challenge then this could be for you. The fact that I couldn’t find any real strategy to take down difficult enemies made this hard for me to play by myself.

The Invisible Hours undoubtedly offers up a good story, but the shallow portion of content and overly lax gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. It’s well worth a run through if you enjoy a good whodunnit, though with that being said, this is less of a game and more of a marginally interactive experience. Still, it’s well crafted and engaging nevertheless.

The Path of Motus is not going to blow you away, but if you’ve ever endured the matters of its sensitive subject material, I highly recommend that you consider diving in. The gameplay itself is nicely paced and presents a gradual challenge that will test your morality, as well as your platforming and puzzle solving skills. Unfortunately, however, its short length and its basic visuals hold it back to some degree.

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.

There’s no easy way to express it, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a big puddly mess of good and bad. The setting, the shorted Assassin’s Creed experience, the emphasis on stealth, and the heightened sense of danger gives Mirage worthy ingredients for a small and sumptuous Assassin’s Creed stew, but the seasoning has been left out this time, leaving the latest AC looking disjointed, feeling ineffectual and plagued with a handful of technical blemishes. This isn’t the kind of quality Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft are truly capable of, despite it being a rather welcome one thanks to its reduced length. All told this latest outing has its bright spots but could’ve done with some serious sprucing up.

Anyone out there looking for a precision platforming challenge should consider picking up Dojoran. Achievements hunters will have a slightly harder time than usual here. It’s a quick 1000G, but it will test your platformer reflexes. The 1-bit minimalist art style suits this game well; it doesn’t compare to the best of the bunch, but it’s a fun diversion and challenge.

Qubit’s Quest is a charming take on the light gun shooter that has some neat ideas to help it stand out. The simple platforming adds an extra dynamic that doesn’t overwhelm, whilst the more forgiving pace and difficulty makes it a great entry point for younger players. A lack of visual polish hinders things slightly, though the added in mini games make up for this.

A Little Lily Princess is a visual novel that at least attempts to buck expectations by offering some semblance of gameplay to give us agency through the story. It’s very stuck in the genres tropes, and the language might be a bit too over the top ol’ English, but the tale overall is entertainingly written, with the added bonus of featuring several endings to encourage repeat plays.

If you’re in the market for a first person horror game, you can go much worse than Call of Cthulhu, but be prepared for a lack of any real scares. The game leans heavily on the story and exploration of environments, so much so that when it does attempt the creepy stuff, it mostly comes off underdeveloped and a bit out of place. Go along with it though, and there’s something strangely compelling within.

Coffee Talk is far from a bad way to spend a few evenings, with some interesting characters and stories being told. For me though, the same sounding ‘voice’ to each character, lack of real weight behind the issues it tries to raise and the uninteresting coffee making aspects bring the whole package down. I applaud the Toge Productions for trying to create something different, and hope they can refine this into something a little more fleshed out down the line.

Noir Chronicles: City of Crime isn’t the best that we’ve seen from Artifex Mundi, but it will indeed scratch that puzzle-solving itch, if nothing else. I take issue with the game’s shoddy voice acting, its lackluster plot, and its poor animation, but with that to the side, there’s little more to scoff at. If you’re coming here purely for the puzzles, you’re likely to enjoy what’s on offer. If you’re seeking more than that, look elsewhere.

I wanted to like Sledders, I really did, and it was fun for a little while! However, not having objectives or goals made this sandbox feel so empty. Simulation being the focus or not, this game feels too bland to strongly recommend at least at launch. Keep an eye on updates if you are interested otherwise, I think we should keep on waiting for a new “snow” game.

Kingmaker: Rise to the Throne brings with it the usual drawbacks that we’ve come to expect from its developer and its publisher. The game’s poor writing and its shoddy voice work makes it hard to get truly invested in the story at hand, which at best, is only mildly entertaining throughout. That said, the game’s exceptional artwork, together with its fairly creative puzzles, collectively provide the journey with its much needed grip.

Curved Space is hectic, visually busy and fun in short bursts, but for me it just got too disorientating too often despite the developers best efforts to limit this.

Overall, if you’re looking for something that will keep you occupied for a few hours and doesn’t really require all that much concentration to see through to the end, then Timothy Vs the Aliens is likely to be able to tick that box, with a 3-4 hour run time enough to see it done and dusted. Should you want something that can bring engagement, excitement, and something to dig your teeth into, then unfortunately this isn’t going to be for you. Sure, with a little more development and a bigger budget we could have even seen something spectacular here, but as it stands currently, this is more of an empty shell and a load of fetch quests rather than a full-frontal defence against an alien invasion.

Sagebrush offers a short, yet captivating and somewhat glib story that (I imagine) accurately portrays the mindset of people who find themselves within a religious cult. Easily, and best, played in a single sitting, it’ll keep your attention throughout. Some outdated UI and gameplay mechanics bring the package down, but the story will help you get through these hurdles.

Agent A: A Puzzle in Time is a fun puzzle-based game set at a decent, challenging level. Its spy theme is quite charming, but it’s the variety and cleverness of the puzzles that will want you to keep going. It’s a little on the short side, mind, so if you are a keen puzzler you may leave hungry for more.

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.

Writing this conclusion brings a tear to my eye; on one hand, Layers of Fear looks beautiful, controls well and does give you a sense of horror. But then there is the gameplay loop – as I started playing I noticed more and more that Layers of Fear relies more on walking and looking than traditional horror gameplay. After about 30 minutes of picking notes up to “read” (the voice acting was excellent), I was disappointed. I wanted/thought more would happen. My interest did pick up once we got the lantern, however, that was short-lived. Some of the puzzles were good but overall I was left very short-changed and rather let down by what I got (or didn’t get) out of it.

Through the Woods isn’t nearly as scary as it is suggested to be, however, it does provide a tense and uneasy atmosphere nevertheless. This game serves a short story of recognition and understanding responsibility, though its simplified gameplay and lack of depth will certainly leave players wanting for more. That being said, it’s both interesting and detailed enough to warrant a recommendation.

Despite these niggles I had a lot of fun with Neighbours Back From Hell. It’s a simple premise, but one that is executed with a good sense of humour and nicely devised set ups. There are a ton of levels to work through and while the repetition across them can add up there’s enough charm to help us carry on making Mr. Rottweiler’s life a misery.

Crashlands is a game with plenty of content but it follows a pattern of repetition which runs the risk of getting stale for some. I can see how this would make a fun mobile game as it’s a great time killer and it is enjoyable in its slow progression. But as a console game, I don’t think the slow progression works quite as well. Crafting lots of different weapons, armour, gadgets, trinkets and furniture is great if you enjoy that kind of game. The quest dialogue and story itself is interesting and amusing and there is a good variety of enemies. It is more enjoyable playing with a friend but just not for long periods at a time.

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.

Three Fields are doing the gaming community a service by keeping the arcade racing genre alive when the big boys seem to have lost interest. Much like their previous entries, there’s a lot to like here – from the fast, responsive action to the sheer thrill of smashing rivals and reveling in that takedown camera. Sadly, its bare-bones approach to modes, its erratic physics, and its barely improved technical aspects, keep it from reaching the heights of its inspiration.

As someone wholly unfamiliar with Handball it’s perhaps expected that I might not quite get it, but despite a good few modes and teams to play with I can’t shake the feeling that even fans of the sport might come away underwhelmed with Handball 21 thanks to it’s stuttery, simplistic gameplay and lack of visual sheen.

Overall, Bugsnax is likely to be a game that will sit well with the younger audience or casual gamers thanks to its minimalist approach and vibrant and colorful game world. Those wanting a meaningful experience are likely to find the systems in play here too linear and predictable and with no real pull to keep you going, it’ll only remain interesting for as long as you feel entertained by finding new food/creature hybrids. It’s not a bad game, but it’s not one that fills its full potential either.