Poignant, sometimes sad, but also joyous and gut-wrenchingly funny, Night in the Woods is a bold, brave game that will be be recognised as an all time great.
Return of the Obra Dinn makes the journey to Nintendo Switch content and feature complete in a sparkling port from Warp Digital. The game is, simply put, one of the best ever made. It’s intricate, macabre, involving and essential. It’s aesthetically phenomenal and intellectually satisfying. Like the very best games, Return of the Obra Dinn is an experience that could only ever exist as a game. It’s’ a masterwork of narrative Sudoku and a recommended purchase on any platform.
After one hell of a year – one in which I haven’t been able to socialise with friends in real life – it’s an absolute joy to escape to this cosy little bolthole and shoot some pool. Pure Pool is exactly what its name suggests and an essential purchase for all fans of the sport.
We were all a bit surprised that Nintendo elected to do a straight-up sequel to 2017's seemingly unsurpassable Breath of the Wild, and we were shocked to see it would reuse the same open world. But any concerns we might have had about revisiting the same version of Hyrule were quickly shattered upon release, and now, six months on, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom continues to dazzle and amaze. In this case, lightning really did strike twice.
With exemplary visuals and audio, Abzû takes the player on a memorable journey to the depths of the ocean. It’s not a hard, complicated, or long game, but it’s aesthetically impressive, delightful to control, and emotionally rewarding.
SuperHyperCube might not be to virtual reality what Tetris was to the GameBoy, or even what Super Hexagon was to mobile gaming, but it’s an essential purchase for early adopters and a game that you’ll want to return to time and time again. It’s a simple concept that is beautifully designed, perfect packaged and plays to the strength of the platform. One of the highlights of PS VR launch line-up.
If you are a long-time fan, World of Goo is well worth a return trip. If you are new to its pleasures, then this is an essential and timeless game that deserves to be on your Nintendo Switch play-list.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a limited time release in both physical and digital formats. We can only guess at the reason but whatever misgivings you have about the nature of the collection – or its position as Nintendo’s big fall release – it’s still an essential purchase. The three included games look better than ever and provide hours and hours of exquisitely designed, eye-bleedingly inventive gameplay.
Triangle Strategy takes time to unfurl, but your patience is rewarded with an intricate narrative and finely crafted tactical combat. The impressive visuals, music, and storytelling ensure the game will live long in the memory and demand multiple playthroughs.
Despite some scruffy visuals, Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the first game in the series to be designed for a home console platform. It’s a magpie of a game, but every borrowed element comes together to create a coherent and fresh experience that reinvigorates the franchise.
Cities: Skylines takes a classic game design template and updates it with minimum fuss and considerable style. It might not be the type of game you'd normally want to take over the family TV, but it's hard to imagine a better console execution.
Ultimately, Alone with You is a satisfying, if occasionally hard-going, experience. It loses a mark for its saggy middle but it redeems itself with a cast of nuanced characters and a well-earned conclusion. With this title — and horror game, Home — under his belt, it's evident that Benjamin Rivers is a talent to watch and his next game should be anticipated.
Ojiro Fumoto’s smartly designed arcade game loses none of its appeal on Nintendo Switch, where a variety of display options and a budget price make it an essential purchase.
If you liked the original, Chime Sharp is an enjoyable follow-up that delivers more of the same compelling puzzle gameplay with a fresh coat of paint. Long-time players might yearn for a little more variety, but if you are new to the series, you’re in for a treat.
Fast RMX may crib from other titles, but it's beautiful, competitive, and as the name suggests, fast. It should be the other Switch game you own.
All eyes might be on Red Dead Redemption 2, but this year's best Wild West video game could well be West of Loathing. Saddle up and enjoy the ride.
A few technical issues – and the over-reaching arm of the law – tarnish American Fugitive slightly, but it’s a game with a wonderful sense of place, impressive levels of detail, and a slew of engaging gameplay mechanics.
To enjoy Star Wars Pinball it will certainly help if you a) like digital pinball and b) love Star Wars. Assuming that's the case, you'll find plenty to savour in this excellent collection of themed tables. If not, knock a star off and try your luck with Pinball FX 3 first.
A wealth of content and a sparkling port make Grid Autosport the best non-kart racing game on Nintendo Switch. It’s an essential purchase for fans of the genre and a great entry point for players ready to graduate from their Cat-Cruisers and Biddy-Buggys.
Aside from being called Spunky Mc-Fuckface on regular occasions, this is an excellent game. Void Bastards delivers a finely-tuned mix of action, planning, and strategy, and its bite-sized structure makes it perfect for short bursts of Switch gaming.