Tchia's ambitious ideas and brightly textured open world come together in harmony. Despite an air of familiarity, there's simply nothing else like Tchia, and I have no doubt it will be high on my game of the year list.
Just when you think Nintendo has drained the well of creativity, it once more releases a sequel that refines an already quality experience to another level. Pikmin remains one of its best franchises that deserves more time in the spotlight, and Pikmin 4 is no exception.
Turnip Boy proves he's no one-hit wonder, taking a slightly different direction to his debut yet still hitting all the right notes. Fun to play and enjoyable to master, it's a creative action-shooter that shouldn't be missed.
Crafted with intelligence and brimming with chaotic good vibes, Helldivers 2 sets the kind of tone many others in the action space should take notice of, overcoming some early tech issues by being a sheer delight to play.
MLB The Show 24 loads its bases with plenty of options for beginners and veterans while exploring a legacy that should be played by all. It's the best licensed sports title on the market, and there's no close second.
Taking everything learnt from Void Bastards, Wild Bastards is an inventive spiritual sequel, blending strategy and shooter perfectly within its space cowboy antics. It's a must play, no doubt.
The journey taken across Koira's musically emotive world is exactly what my soul needed in these dark times, and it's one you'll likely enjoy in equal measure too.
Tempopo stands as a puzzle game full of heart and joyful melodies, easy or hard enough for any kind of player. It's satisfying gameplay loops and adorable designs help it shine, but hopefully there's even more content to come in the future.
There's a lot of fun to be had in Skin Deep, its entertaining and highly amusing story coupled with some clever and creative stealth action. Come for the head popping, stay for the cat love.
Grapple Dog is a lot of fun, and for platform fans new or old it should provide plenty of entertainment. But the concept doesn’t push the ingenuity slider high enough, and many of its other tricks have been used aplenty elsewhere.
If you enjoy clever puzzlers or first person, narrative-driven tales, Eternal Threads should be on your radar. Some of the tales at play can be confronting, but playing with time and discovering the outcomes has rarely felt so enthralling.
If you loved the original Life is Strange, We Are OFK should be on both your list of games to play and most definitely on your music playlist. It's a banger, though it should be said, Debug deserves its own game.
To finally have proper, unspoiled versions of TMNT Arcade and Turtles in Time that I can play whenever I want without having to spend hundreds on a replica arcade machine makes the TMNT: Cowabunga Collection worth it alone. Everything else is a welcome bonus.
Somerville is a fantastic debut for Jumpship that should be commended, but a little extra polish in some key areas would have made an already great game even better.
Melatonin is a short but kind experience, a hint of melancholy and a splash of retro vibes. It's less about the challenge (though it's there for those who seek it) and more about chilling out to some cool tracks across some fun levels, with accessibility that should be applauded.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree sets out to do a lot in a short space of time and manages to pull it off impressively, even though I wanted to spend even more time within its take on Midgard compared to what it holds.
Blanc is a wonderful journey, whether played solo or with a friend, that will have you cooing in delight at its black and white cuteness.
As a follow-up to the highly successful Forgotten Land, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe may tread on old ground, but it does so with confidence and colour aplenty.
The recipe wasn't played with too much, resulting in a solid compilation of two titles that remain infinitely enjoyable, if a touch complicated by reality
If you've been waiting for another lifestyle game to sink countless hours into, Fae Farm should be on your list. It's fun for all, allows for plenty of customisation and sprinkles plenty of magic over the top for good measure.