Martha is Dead meets every expectation and exceeds most of them. It is a true ghost story, perfectly designed to demand you keep playing while making you want to stop. Its near-flawless design sets a new benchmark in the quietly, weirdly, horrible.
With an interesting, albeit familiar narrative, great gameplay and some really brutal battles, Gears of War 4 offers exactly what fans of the series have been yearning for: hours upon hours of great, weighty combat.
Watch_Dogs 2 is a textbook example of a great sequel. It takes what was so much fun from the first game, expands it and cuts away most of what the players didn't enjoy.
Wipeout Omega Collection offers that rare blend of arcade fun and serious racer. Fans of both can enjoy this game and there's plenty of options to make sure no one feels left out.
Hob is an action adventure with a stunning visual style, engrossing world and enjoyable combat. It is a standard bearer for what the genre can achieve at this level.
Gris is breathtakingly beautiful and demonstrates how artistically inspiring games can be. With its simple gameplay and incredible soundtrack, it is a game that could and should be enjoyed by everyone.
Life is Strange 2 Episode 2 shows exactly how interactive narrative games can be so powerful. By focusing on your responsibility for two characters and their actions, players can enjoy the heartbreaking story they accidentally unfold.
Sunless Skies delivers in ways you don't even expect it to. The atmosphere is incredible, and the stories almost addictive. The world is beautiful and the danger is tantalizing. It might be deadly, but it's well worth the trip.
Heaven's Vault is a puzzle game you haven't experienced before. From its engaging story to its engrossing fictional language and puzzles, this is a game that feels rewarding in a way that no other game has done before.
Despite its age and a sequel, Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch Remastered holds itself high above the competition thanks to an amazing mix of design, music and story.
Concrete Genie is a fantastic game that lets you explore a beautifully realised town as well as your own imagination. While there are some tiny annoyances, Concrete Genie is so dedicated to making you feel creative that you'll barely notice them as you play.
Afterparty blends genuinely thought-provoking depictions of growing up, working, and the afterlife with great comedy and fantastically awkward conversations. While technically it has a few hiccups, the story and tone they strike are near flawless.
Tell Me Why uses everything it can to get you invested. The puzzles are creative and often use the game's systems in a way you might not expect, while the characters are incredibly interesting and the story is powerful.
Spellbreak deserves a place among the other Battle Royale greats. It breaks away from the others in the genre and does so with amazing polish, thoughtful design, and is most importantly just so much fun to play.
For those yearning to explore, Sable offers the chance to do it at your own speed, with your own goals, and without the need to exert violence or experience shocking twists. Sable is confident the world is interesting enough and is completely right in that regard.
Hardspace Shipbreaker does everything it wants to do, and does it well. The shipbreaking is fun, tactile, and rewarding. The story is humorous, thoughtful, and engaging. And the music is relaxing and thoughtful.
Cuphead: The Delicious Course is excellent fan service and the perfect continuation of a game that felt almost impossible to replicate. From the new boss designs to the addition of Miss Chalice, there is so much for everyone to enjoy, whether they just want to beat the new challenges or conquer them entirely.
Somerville is a near-perfect adventure game themed around an alien apocalypse, with fantastic puzzles and exploration. Its few missteps do little to detract from the overall experience.
The animation alone is nearly worth the price of admission, but if you want imaginative bosses to fight as well, you're in luck with Cuphead. Just make sure you're prepared to die - a lot.
Call of the Sea is a gripping, interesting, and creative take on the Lovecraftian formula. It moves away from the oft-trodden horror roots and creates an imaginative and immersive puzzle adventure with none of the lingering racism you might expect.