Prey expertly blends a compelling narrative with open level design, a fear-inducing mechanic and near-unparalleled player freedom to deliver an appealing, atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing chunk of sci-fi that will get sink its spiky teeth into you and never let go.
Detention is an astonishingly well-put together game that understands how brooding horror is more effective than mere jump-scares.
BOOR remains an enthralling, charming game that, with its beautifully rendered, challenging levels and innovative central mechanic, will have you hooked from beginning to end.
Nongünz is really something special; a shooter with brains that's not only haunting, challenging and utterly compelling but, thanks to its procedural nature, is hugely replayable.
Despite its garish, over-the-top veneer, Danganropa V3: Killing Harmony is an emotional, involving, brilliant game that will yank out your heart and run it over with its brightly coloured tricycle.
Carefully crafted and complex, but never offensively so, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire will satisfy even the most demanding role-playing gamer.
Even if you’ve already played the first three Ace Attorney games, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy offers the opportunity to experience all those legal shenanigans on the big screen. And if you’ve never seen Phoenix Wright bluff his way to victory, it’d be criminal to miss out.
Altogether, it’s a thoroughly delightful detective adventure.
Dwarf Fortress is, initially, a little daunting. Not because it’s inaccessible, but because you just know that it’s going to turn into a real time-sink. Is it the prettiest game around? No, but it’s wonderfully, ridiculously deep and a sheer joy to play. If you’re prepared to put the time in, Dwarf Fortress will drag you into its depths and you won’t regret it for one second.
Every setback and every unexpected revelation will draw you further into Zero Time Dilemma's joyously convoluted world and make you all the more doggedly determined to uncover the truth.
Noisy, tough, but ridiculously entertaining, Neurovoider will have you praying for the robot apocalypse.
While it's by no means perfect, Tattletail goes beyond mere jump-scares and delivers an experience that is genuinely and persistently frightening.
99Vidas' humour can be very hit and miss, and the game's challenging difficulty level may put some people off. But persist and you'll find it a rewarding and hugely enjoyable brawling experience that will have you coming back for more.
If you wouldn't normally touch a hunting game, I'd urge you to view theHunter: Call of the Wild as the ultimate "walking simulator" and give it a fair shake of the shotgun. I don't regret the many rewarding hours I ploughed into this engaging, immersive safari and can see myself returning to theHunter: Call of the Wild's wonderful wilderness again and again.
A Pixel Story is a hugely fulfilling experience. Its perfectly pitched difficulty ensures that it's challenging but never frustratingly so, and above all, it has that elusive 'just one more go' quality that will keep you hooked.
Easy to play but far harder to master, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2‘s cast of ridiculous characters, improbable moves, heavy rock soundtrack and accessible fight mechanics will keep you engaged and challenged.
Complex, challenging, but never boring, The Sexy Brutale blends a compelling narrative, appealing aesthetics and innovative gameplay into one stylish package.
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is a fantastically compelling, suspenseful slow burn that shows just what can be done with a medium that, for years, has been misused and misunderstood. Look past its clunky parser and you'll be in for one hell of a head trip.
Hero in Residence is a sterling start to Minecraft Story Mode Season 2, an entertaining, engaging outing which shows that that the series is capable of doing more than retreading old ground.
DeadCore doesn't quite knock Portal off its podium but it offers a wild, well-paced, otherworldly ride that is well worth taking.