As debut efforts go, Déjà vu is a great go of it. The puzzle designs are unique and well thought out, and the cloning mechanic adds a great twist to the rule-set that requires forward thinking in ways other titles in the genre haven’t needed before.

Overall, if you like Overcooked! and are looking for more of the same that isn’t cheap and nasty like the several other options currently available on the store, Cannibal Cuisine isn’t a bad shout. It’s not overly priced, it’s got a fair challenge to keep you going for a while and the co-op play is seamless. Sure, meal variety could have been a little more exciting but for what it is, it’s not a bad effort and will certainly do the job until we hear from Overcooked! 3 at some point.

Golf Club: Wasteland is slightly more hit than miss. The overall package contains an enjoyable experience. The music matches wonderfully and exploring the decayed wasteland landscape is a fun experience, but the method by which you do the exploring, i.e. the golfing, leaves a lot to be desired and can be more than frustrating using a controller. The game is priced fairly, $10 USD, for what’s there, so if you want to take a swing I’d say go for it.

If you want to delve into a soothing farming simulator adventure that doesn’t put the strain on your back with rudimentary activities, Paleo Pines is a nice deviation from the chore-based habits of its forebears. Tending to your the dinosaurs is a pleasant twist to an otherwise generic formula, and the game’s pleasantness gives it a welcoming vibe that’s easy to snuggle up to. Yes, the mini-map and questing is unfortunately derivative, and surprises don’t come all that frequently, but for a little while you’ll be glad to settle down and spend time befriending new Dino pals.

Carto is a great and cute puzzle game with charming characters and a slightly disturbing storyline, but it’s still a fun adventure none the less. The gameplay is great fun with the map manipulation to solve the puzzles and it is a nice change of pace if you need to relax with a game. I was definitely enjoying my journey with the game until I hit the game stopping bug. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the game into the desert section, but I will have to wait until the game is patched.

It’s hard to truly overlook the game’s performance issues, or indeed, issues that arrive as a product of the original’s problems, however, it’s still a well rounded experience nevertheless. The story is decent, the pace is well struck and the environmental destruction remains second to none. Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered is a patch away from greatness, but in its current state, it fails to meet that end.

Override: Mech City Brawl suffers from some minor framerate issues and the occasional character-specific bug that, once present, quite literally puts a stopper on your game. Despite those problems, Override is pleasantly accessible and goes on to provide structural depth, combat diversity, and heaps of action-packed, fun, and exhilarating moments from the get-go. This is one brawler that’s fit for the whole family.

Cat Quest II is a simple and fun RPG which I found quite enjoyable to play and it seems like it has plenty of content to get your claws into. The story line is not deep, but it doesn’t need to be when its about a cat and dog, and they fill it with cat puns to try and keep things interesting. But the combat in this game can come across as repetitive and having to read the same pun-filled dialogue every time you fail a dungeon is far from purrfect.

All in all Astro Aquakitty is great take on the arcade 2D shooter genre with plenty of customisable options, enemy variety and sheer scale of the environments. Each death leaving you saying “just one more go”. I had an amazing time playing this game and urge those who want to scratch that itch to pick it up and give it a go.

RAD is actually quite a fun game to play, the different mutations keep the game interesting and, as the game doesn’t give you much about the story, a lot of things are a mystery, and enjoyable to discover. The long loading screens when you start or when you die do ruin the games flow a little bit, but there is enough content, and it is challenging enough, to keep you interested for a while.

Will Die Alone is a decent narrative adventure that handles difficult topics with a light touch and some decent writing. A single playthrough is less than 15 minutes at best, but those looking to fully explore the tale will need to play it through a few times at least. It won’t captivate like some titles in the genre, but for what we get there is a decent evening to had.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong feels like a bit of a flat, confused mess. The story has some intrigue about it and the characters are interesting but some of the conversations had in the game are so serious that it sometimes feels mundane. If you like detective games with a twist then there is some joy to be had here but I feel it is a bit of a disservice to vampires.

The chill nature of the gameplay, the exploration of the oceans, finding new fish and completing quests for the townsfolk meshed together to make a really rather enjoyable time. Moonglow Bay is the perfect palette cleanser in between other grittier titles, and another solid addition to the Game Pass service.

In conclusion Harvey’s New Eyes is a strange little adventure that does not take itself too seriously. Although the game does have some minor sticking points, it has not lost its charm and is an overall enjoyable journey. As it is not necessary to have experienced its predecessor, it is an uncomplicated adventure which can be enjoyable for a wide audience. Its great to see some older games be brought to consoles and given a new lease on life. If you are looking for a simple and entertaining adventure Harvey’s New Eyes will still do the trick.

Ord might not last you long, with each scenario ranging from a few minutes to a dozen or so to see most of, but while it lasts it’s a bizarrely enjoyable time, and proof that we don’t always need the best of the best in presentation to effectively convey an entertaining adventure.

Echo Generation feels like one of those games that try to capture all the elements which made the older games interesting. No hand-holding, no easy setting, no guidance and very challenging. The art design is quite cool and it is what will lure to the game as it seems very chilled. But it’s a false sense of security the game is far from chilled and is decidedly tricky. Coupled with the creepy unnerving undertones of the story this game is not for the faint-hearted.

A lot should be forgiven when it comes to Bad Cheese. At only an hour or two in length it’s a comfortably brief experience, and it deserves kudos for the imagination lavished upon it, the cool gadgets, and for the aesthetics as well. For a one-person game it is very impressive and that can’t be denied. However, Bad Cheese enslaves you into performing chores and the mechanics could be improved. Overall, Bad Cheese is definitely a solid effort despite the sense it could be tightened up and improved in terms of gameplay.

I couldn’t quite gel with much of the puzzle logic, which tends to lean too heavily on trial and error rather than innovation.

Kombinera is a hell of a challenge, though at the same time its also quite fun to put ourselves to the test to try and best it. For such a simple premise, Graphite Labs have packed this charming puzzler with enough challenge to last us a long time indeed.

Despite its lacklusterness, it’s hard for me not to recommend Record of Lodoss War – Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth considering that it’s on Game Pass. If you like Metroidvanias, or action platformers, then it’s definitely worth a look. But if you are expecting a top-of-line experience like its inspiration Symphony of the Night, you’ll be disappointed. Wonder Labyrinth checks all the boxes and features some unique Team Ladybug ideas, but nothing about it stands out from the pack.

Overall, and if you want a new game to run around with friends and simply have a laugh whilst doing some basic, yet humorous jobs, then Embr will certainly tick the right boxes. Whilst some of the additional level types feel a bit tacked on, the general rescue missions are certainly enough to warrant a playthrough and whilst playing solo will quickly feel a bit repetitive, going for the full flame rating with friends is worthwhile. Sadly, bugs and minor issues are present and whilst not game-breaking, they certainly detract from the joy factor, but all in, this isn’t the worst way to spend time over the course of a few evenings as you finally get to be the have-a-go-hero we all have hidden inside.

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.

Agents vs Villain is a decent game that offers a lot of competitive fun. Its cartoonish design, together with its simplistic controls and its core accessibility, makes it a fitting title for players of all ages. There’s no denying that it’s a relatively bare experience as far as its content depth is concerned, but that said, it does very well with the little that it has.

Iron Harvest is a smart port to consoles with some minor control issues, this is an excellent RTS for anyone that wants to use a controller.

Atom RPG is a fun and challenging game which seems to heavily use the original Fallout games as a template. That’s not a bad thing as I really liked those games and I enjoyed this game too. The story at times was hard to follow and not as interesting as the Fallout games but it still has its fair share of humorous and quirky quests. I think the combat could do with some balancing as it shouldn’t be this tough and the inventory mechanic is a bit clunky but it doesn’t make the game terrible. If you are a fan of the older fallout games or you enjoy a good isometric RPG then you might like this.

Gutwhale is a fun little roguelite. It has a nice set of mechanics and gameplay elements even though they are very limited. It is somewhat odd (I forgot to mention how a van falls down into the level every time you get a game over), but it has some charm and is one of the better games in Ratalaika’s catalog.

The Count Lucanor wonderfully blends together survival and puzzle gameplay, ultimately producing an experience that’s tense and enticing. The tedious controls and the frequent framerate issues hold it back to some degree, but even with these problems, The Count Lucanor is a worthy investment.

Bartlow’s Dread Machine is in all matters intriguing, from its old style mechanical arcade box feel, to its limited movement along rail shooter gameplay. There are a lot of positives to enjoy here, but I worry it may not last longer than a single play through. It is a good dual stick shooter to enjoy with a friend though, so should provide at least an evening or two of fun in that department.