Shovel Knight Treasure Trove is a great collection of games, each of them enjoyable in their own way. The character designs are fun and there is enough variety in characters, enemies and attacks to keep things interesting. The games are almost easy enough for the more casual players to progress, yet there is enough challenge to keep the hardcore players busy too.

Milli & Greg may not be the next big blockbuster title, but with polished gameplay, cute and creative visuals, and a fine soundtrack to boot, this is definitely a game that you need in your library, as has been mentioned in the video above, Milli & Greg comes in at rather palatable £3.29, which is less than a cup of coffee in some places! So there is no reason not to add this little gem to your collection.

Deck Nine made a bold decision to tell a prequel story, throwing away the supernatural for something more grounded. Hell Is Empty doesn’t quite live up to the original series, but it still manages to deliver an emotional and meaningful experience. Learning more about Chloe and Rachel has been intriguing, insightful, and shocking.

Overall, Evil Genius 2 is an enjoyable game. Having not played the original I can’t say if it was or wasn’t worth the lengthy wait for this sequel, but as someone who has played his fair share of city builders and management sims, this is certainly no bad effort if you’re looking for something a little more casual, whilst still providing enough to keep you engaged for several hours. With multiple characters, each playthrough has its own twists and never did I feel like things were becoming too much of the same, which is all too frequent in gaming these days. Sure, it may not be quite so taxing for veteran city builders, but it’s certainly a welcome experience on Xbox consoles.

Pathfinder: Wraith of the Righteous is a worthy sequel as it’s packed full of lore and interesting storylines. The customisation involved in the game is off the scale and allows users to tailor the experience to their own tastes. I think they could have done more to create a really simple approach for those not familiar with these games as some of the choices can become overwhelming and complex. But there are hours of exploration, story, loot, and fighting where this game delivers well.

Monster Jam Showdown is a fun, action-packed racer letting us control the wildest, most over the top vehicles there are. A few quibbles with the controls for stunts aside, if you’re simply after a fun time, then this is an easy recommendation.

The game’s hands-off approach allows for a more relaxed and carefree affair, which is massively refreshing when we consider the current farming trend that tends to favor realism and constriction above all else. Putting its slightly convoluted mechanics aside, Farm Together offers a relatively light-hearted and fun experience that, although repetitive in the long run, manages to stand tall and firm.

Wildermyth is unlike anything else on the market. A roleplaying game that really emphasizes embodying a character and a story, that also happens to have a good combat system in there. Quickly repeating story elements diminishes that vision a bit, but there is still so much that the game understands about generating drama and investment – this is a must-play that I hope gets a refined and honed sequel.

Super Mega Baseball 2 is a fun blend of arcade and simulation baseball. Its decent and believable physics, grouped with its unique design and alluringly fluid gameplay, gives it a definitive edge over the half-baked RBI Baseball 18. Despite the lack of diverse stadiums and licenses, this game achieves everything that it set out to accomplish, ultimately delivering a polished, wacky and robust experience.

REZ PLZ brings us a unique spin on the co-op puzzle platformer, and it’s one that mostly succeeds. The way it forces players to co-operate using each other – literally – is gruesome, yet hilarious. Graffiti Games managed to come up with some ingenious methods for killing our heroes in the name of progression and with a willing partner there’s a lot of fun to be had here. I’m grateful of the solo mode too, though there’s no denying it’s far from the best way to play. Grab a friend, a few drinks and you’ll no doubt have a blast here.

Broken Mind is not a long game but it is fun and refreshing to play. I enjoyed my journey, and even though I am a big wimp when comes to survival horror I still really enjoy my playthrough of it.

For the first time in years, I actually enjoyed and looked forward to going back to a Sonic game and will continue to hunt those red star rings for a while yet. But the main USP of the avatars let the side down. I really hope Sonic Team continue with the duel Sonic crossover games as they seem to be providing them with their best output in years.

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.

A joyful parody of platformers and graphic adventures that manages to keep hold of its love for them. It’s two games in one, and they’re both the funniest you’ll play this year.

Wuppo is a sensational experience that’s packed with content, charm and an endearing soundtrack that runs deep in the colourful design. I found issues with the difficulty spike during boss encounters, and I was a bit let down by the lack of a solid story, but these small faults are not enough to pull the game down from greatness.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is how a remake should be done. By taking and meticulously remoulding the original game, Mafia: Definitive Edition sings with a deliciously authentic 1930’s gangster shooter experience that’s enriched to no end by a chapter-based story that keeps the focus on the story and its characters. The aiming and target reticule aren’t ideal, and the Free Ride mode is a missed opportunity, but when the smoke clears and all you want is a classy hard-boiled gangster shooter there are few better options available.

It’s fair to say this is true of the whole experience. Whilst MIND CONTROL DELETE is not quite as brilliantly unique as its predecessor due to the nature of sequels, it is a very thoughtful addition to the series. Its narrative is intriguing and its balancing systems work well. Whilst the repetition of levels can occasionally become grating, the end result is polished, interesting and a great value.

Despite my qualms with the final few areas and the overall length of the experience, as I said at the top I came away from The Pedestrian with a smile on my face. The core concept is very clever, making use of the visuals and presentation within the puzzles as well as using it to fill in the background with more interesting fare. Puzzle platformers a hardly rare, but if you’re looking for a unique and challenging entry The Pedestrian is well worth a look.

While the need to get a handful of players together locally might hinder your ability to play Demons With Shotguns regularly, when you can it will likely fast become a game night favourite. The action is quick, violent and wonderfully fun, the visuals and audio compliment the gameplay brilliantly and, despite the simple premise, things don’t quickly become overly repetitive. The co-op mode is a great addition that braver and more skilled than I solo players can take on too.

While the live service nature might not inspire much excitement, as a game to play with friends Exoprimal is a worthwhile pickup. The action is immediate and hectic, but never overwhelming, and the rounds are generally well paced and fair to enable some exhilarating final moment reversals of fortune. It might not have to flash of some of the bigger multiplayer titles out there, but it has more than enough to come recommended, especially if you’ve got a Game Pass subscription.

The pop culture references combined with the solid and unique gameplay are just the ticket for those looking for a fun first-person shooter experience. Some people might not like the pixelated art style, but it works extremely well here. All too often, the retro-inspired shooters that I play feel outdated, just like the games they are emulating, but Fashion Police Squad provides a fresh take on the genre by combining plenty of humor, fun mechanics, and level design variety.

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 Tails of Iron is an enjoyable experience. Action-RPG fans will find a lot to like here. I know some people don’t like 2D games, but everything here works well, especially the beautiful art and the combat. Some of the side quests can feel like a drag, but the main questline will draw you in and keep you hooked.

Tunche is a unique game with a wonderful aesthetic. The hand-drawn graphics really make the game stand out. The roguelite and beat ‘em up gameplay is a lot of fun, especially the combat. There is a nice variety amongst the five playable characters and playing the game in local co-op was enjoyable. The game can start to feel repetitive. This seems like the type of game where I would play a run or two, put it down, and then try again later or the next day. If you are a fan of the two genres then Tunche is definitely worth a look.

Moving Out is simple, light-hearted and fun – and a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you take it as face value, it’s well made and entertaining. Single player can get a bit boring, but this is clearly a multiplayer focused experience and it’s much more fun there. And yes, it may cause arguments, but isn’t that part of the fun?

Blacksad: Under The Skin is an enjoyable detective game and the gritty noir story is very gripping. You care what happens to your cat-man detective and you’ll want to get to the bottom of the crime. All the other characters in the game are interesting and varied and the fact they are animals makes things a bit more entertaining. But the controls when moving Blacksad are so slow and clunky that they let the game down a tad, ruining the will to explore the world fully.

Soulcalibur VI offers a surprisingly deep game with some robust systems laying on its impressive foundation. Here, strategy and timing is equal to brute force, making for a fighter that’s tactical, fluid, and engrossing. The game’s two lore-heavy story modes, although convoluted, serve up a great deal of content on top of the game’s PvP sections, with no shortage of additional extras to unlock elsewhere.

Just Dance 2021 is, as ever, a great party game experience that is simple to get into and encourages people of all skill levels to join in. Being able to use the Sweat mode to aid in your fitness journey is a great touch, while when using Kinect the video clips that are recorded never fail to get a laugh out of the room. Played without a camera it loses a little of its accuracy and charm, but it still manages to be a fun experience –provided you trust the players not to launch your phone across the room!