Throwing in a cute companion entwines players to solve puzzles together, but makes the gameplay over-dependent on action dynamics
This graphic novel-style chronicle of twentysomething romance uses a delicate aesthetic and clever interactions to keep you emotionally invested
Befriending the animals and learning their languages while you avoid the marauding Silent Ones is too much like hard work
New sidekick Cappy could have been just another annoying sidekick, but its inclusion only adds to the playfulness of Nintendo Switch's first Mario adventure
As Nadine and Chloe take over the franchise, the Lost Legacy offers up all the thrills, spills and puzzles we've come to expect and is better for passing the Bechdel test
The makers of indie cult favourite Gone Home have created a linear sci-fi title set in 2088 that feels satisfyingly lived in and free from stereotypes
Lack of story and some dodgy characters don't spoil this physical Switch game's immensely playable core
Based on an old mechanical coin-op game, this is a quaint, challenging puzzler that works especially well on the Nintendo Switch
Nintendo's karting franchise is designed to get everyone racing together no matter what their individual ability. This Switch remaster achieves that and more
Problems are inevitable in a game of such epic proportions but there is a lot here that will make you want to keep playing
Some ideas are so perfect you can't believe that no one has thought of them before. Snip and Clip are a prime example
Variable State’s title offers a different way of storytelling, but relies heavily on unrelatable and abstract imagery
The basic principle – a boy must collect different colours in order to change the background of his 2D world – might sound dry, but there's beauty in Hue's execution
Hello Games has created a gorgeously realised, constantly regenerating universe for players to get lost in, where the incredible journey trumps the destination
Six years after the deliciously dark Limbo, developer Playdead returns to Xbox and PC with another meticulously muted platformer about a boy on the run
This reimagining of the first game in the classic action adventure series is a fond, respectful and visually beautiful exercise in nostalgia
Its concept may seem silly at first, but the latest title from prodigious indie developer Stephen Lavelle is one of the most difficult puzzle games ever made
Yarny's journey might have its ups and downs, but it's brief and beautiful. It is a mostly wordless message of love.
Some fans of Blow's earlier work seem to have been hoping that the mazes they saw in the trailers are just a veneer for a deeper, mind-blowing experience, but really the world and whatever narrative you can find in it are dressing for an incredibly impressive collection of puzzles. Whether or not you find a deeper meaning at the end, the journey will have been worth it.
Soma tells an affective tale and carries the horror genre a few steps forward. Had Frictional shown the courage to shake off tradition entirely, it could have carried it further still.