I’ve tried to see the good in The Dead Tree of Ranchiuna, but it just does everything in such a boring, bland, obtuse fashion that I cannot recommend anyone bother wasting their time with it. Outside of some passable music the game is just tedious and dull, and somehow even worse than the developers previous efforts. Avoid at all costs.

Many games try to capture the lightning in a bottle that was Fortnite or Rocket League, but with KungFu Kickball I feel Blowfish has a better chance than most to do so. Gameplay is simple and fun but with enough depth to really encourage some high level play, and it’s also easy to watch and follow along with. Ideal for gaming nights with friends or a Twitch stream audience.

Reverie Knights Tactics is a decent attempt at a strategy RPG. I found the combat quite similar to the publishers other game Fell Seal but not as complex or interesting. The story had potential but it lacked too much content so you didn’t get the background of the setting or the characters. But for 10 hours it’s still a fun playthrough if you enjoy this style of game but those puzzles will frustrate you.

First person puzzlers aren’t rare, but Summertime Madness is a great effort from DP Games to add to the growing entries in the genre. Outside of one incredibly sharp difficulty spike I enjoyed my time with it a lot. If you’re in for an evening or two of abstract puzzling then this gets a recommendation for sure, just have a walkthrough ready for that last section so as to not completely undermine the good experience up until that point.

One of the greatest things I’ve enjoyed in my time with Vagante is slowly learning how the game works, such as discovering all the different systems within the game and familiarizing myself with all the characters and learning their strengths and weaknesses. When I first played the game, all those years ago, it was definitely a little rough around the edges. I’m happy to see it reach its final state, which is a compelling roguelike platformer RPG that should appeal to fans of any of those genres.

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.

It might not be the best brawler out there but Breakneck City was still decent fun for the time I spent with it. Combat is surprisingly satisfying while the levels have more freedom of movement than I expected. The music and audio can safely be ignored though.

Now that I think about it I don’t think I’ve ever played a game advertising itself as dark, sexy, and mature that’s actually any good. Demoniaca: Everlasting Night continues that trend. There was a lot I didn’t like about this game, but I have to give them credit for trying something different. I think most players should steer clear of this tower of terror, but if you are looking for a Metroidvania that’s a little different as well as a frustratingly challenging experience then it might be worth checking out. It’s not the worst in the genre, but it’s far from the best.

Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders is a wonderfully brief point and click adventure that throws the player in the thick of a murder investigation. Di and all the other characters may not have voice actors, but that doesn’t take away form the feeling of true quality on this game, especially with how small the developer staff was while making this Kickstarter project years ago. This is a decent port over to consoles and the developers fixed the broken achievements in the game very quickly after launch. Apart form minor nuisances like inventory usage or lack of facial features for some models, this game is fun to experience. Gorgeous art with enjoyable music appropriate for the Tang Dynasty of ancient years past. For the amount of detail and time invested in making this game, it is accurately priced on the Xbox market. If a sale ever happens for it, I would say it’s a must buy for point and click fans or if you’re looking for a decent adventure title with an enthralling story and cool art.

Dying Light 2 is an even better-looking game that the previous instalment in the series. I can quite easily see myself spends hours hunting down resources, exploring the game during the night and just finding everything that Dying Light 2 has to offer Not to mention that the story has layers upon layers, so you really do see and feel the consequences of your choices and actions. The game is so unique because of having such an expansive and multi layered zombie survival expereince. If Dying Light got Techland noticed, Dying Light 2 puts them squarely on the map as a big-time developer! If the game can live up to what I have experienced so far then we have a new benchmark for ambitious open world RPG-like Zombie Games.

KeyWe has plenty to offer you with so many different styles of levels. It’s a brilliant co-op adventure and I enjoyed every level. It’s a challenge to get gold, but not to the point where it starts fights – we still had so much fun trying for it. If you’re looking for a new game to play co-op, look no further.

Overall, if you’re after a new co-op shooter to play with friends, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction isn’t a bad way to go. Sure it’s difficulty will be enough to turn some away, but should you stick with it, formulate a plan and not mind the frequent MIA operator in need of a saviour, what you’ll find is a competent multiplayer shooter that brings fantastic visuals and challenging gameplay to an already beloved franchise and with plenty of returning characters that players will know from before, this doesn’t feel like yet another game that you’ll need to learn from scratch. Is it worthy of being a fully-fledged game? I’m not so sure, but with it currently available on Xbox Game Pass, there is no reason to avoid checking out what is likely to be one of the years biggest shooters.

Again, I appreciated the retro visual style, and for all the weirdness of the experience I found myself wanting to see what the next ending would bring. That it is so short to run through is a blessing, but once more I’m not sure I could recommend this to anyone who isn’t really into esoteric, indie experiences.

Overall, S.W.A.N.: Chernobyl Unexplored is a game that starts out really strong, but suddenly fades as if there is a lack of identity that’s taken over. Jump scares are relied upon too heavily throughout the game and whilst the puzzles aren’t bad at all, the enemies are appalling given the only real threat they pose is the radiation they give off which can be easily avoided. The idea of a dark scientific research project hidden within the radiation-contaminated depths of Chernobyl is certainly a money-making idea, but it has to be done right and sadly, this isn’t a game that ticks those boxes.

If this game was released on SNES when I was a kid I have a feeling I would have sunk an endless amount of time into it, especially with the fact that it has local co-op. I know I would have worked my way up through each difficulty setting and tried to find all the secrets hidden in the game. The game contains a nice variety of content overall, but I think featuring only five main levels is a little slim; however, I did have fun during my time with the game. If you have a local co-op partner then this game should definitely be on your radar. If you prefer to play solo then this could appeal to you, if you like challenging retro-fueled experiences.

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.

Excuse the cliché but Pupperazzi is not the dog’s bollocks – it’s the dog’s dinner. This isn’t to say Pupperazzi doesn’t possess some bright points, as its accessibility and the novelty of photographing dogs doing outlandish things is where the game’s charms shine through. However, once you dig deeper and deeper into what Pupperazzi has to offer, all that remains is a drove of simplistic and weightless objectives with no character or spirit to help salvage it. If you want a cheap and cheery photography game to spend a few hours with Pupperazzi will do in a pinch, but like an ageing show dog, the longer it goes on the more it loses its ability to entertain you.

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

While I might not have been able to relate to the stories personally, I still got some enjoyment out of A Year of Springs. Between the pleasant visuals and tales I would recommend players check this out as one of the better visual novels on Xbox.

So I am actually impressed with Nobody Saves the World. Drinkbox Studios have a very fun and interesting graphical design about their games although on first impression they can seem a bit childish when you see the haunting eyes of some of your forms you realise it is for a slightly more mature audience. The way they have handled progression in this game is a breath of fresh air and I look forward to playing this game through to completion.

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.

Anyone that loved the original will delight in playing Windjammers 2 (and that is unabashedly me). For those coming to this game for the first time would do well to look for good video tutorials.

A few sparks of potential is all The Anacrusis has but perhaps when it comes out of early access and gets a full release its litany of issues can be rinsed away. Until then it’s not worth anything more outside of a curious session or few thanks to how forgettable and unexciting the action, the serious lack of urgency and the horrid performance jankiness. The set dressing does offer some appeal, but the entire game needs to revel in the ideas the game clearly has in terms of how it’s presenting itself to players instead of strafing away from its commendable features. Stray Bombay has a fission of what The Anacrusis could be after a serious overhaul, but for now there’s nowhere near enough reason to give it a prolonged time commitment.

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.

If you are an Xbox gamer and have any interest in action roguelites and platformers I think it’s a no-brainer that you give Dead Cells a try – it is on Game Pass after all. The base game has a ton of content to enjoy, and if you like what you see then definitely consider picking up the DLC. Each one is only $5 USD and you can get them all together in a bundle at a reasonable discount. Motion Twin might have moved on from Dead Cells, but Evil Empire plans to stick with it and I look forward to seeing them make a fantastic game even better.

One Hand Clapping isn’t a masterpiece, but it is a refreshing and unique game especially on the Xbox platform which is woefully in need of alternative games such as this. I wish more developers would take risks like this; unfortunately, those risks aren’t usually rewarded. So if you want to try something different and reward creativity then don’t hesitate to pick up One Hand Clapping.

All in all, Love Choice is a pleasant title to sit back and relax with for an hour or so of an evening. The stories are short and sweet and the interactivity is more than we’d expect from a visual novel.

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