Wilmot's gentle and relaxing jigsaw puzzles won't tax you in the slightest, but this warm bubble bath of a game is very soothing, and it weaves a surprising tale of companionship and found friends around the edges.
It's the biggest Mario Party game yet, but fails to find the fun at almost every step.
Thanks to playful puzzles and an imaginative reinvention of Hyrule's historic iconography, Echoes of Wisdom emerges as a bold and creative new chapter in Zelda's legend.
One of Capcom's most handsome Ace Attorney remasters to date, the Investigations Collection brings welcome improvements to some longstanding series weaknesses, but divorcing it from its courtroom setting and structure is its biggest and most fatal flaw.
Its dramatic and spectacular boss fights just about keep Black Myth: Wukong afloat, but behind all its glitz and glamour is a frustratingly hollow and rudderless action game.
The core of SteamWorld Heist still burns brightly in this turn-based tactics sequel, but its bid to go bigger and better is a risk that hasn't quite paid off.
Expertly paced and bursting with fresh ideas, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess kicks down the door of the real-time strategy genre like few others, combining energetic action with spectacular demon slaying.
While its battles can be surprisingly punishing and occasionally uneven, there's a lot of heart in this gorgeous turn-based tactics anthology, and the scale of its ambition just about sings through.
Stuffed with great ideas and visual pizazz, Pepper Grinder is a sparky little platformer that's over all too soon.
Its foundations are sound, but Bulwark: Falonceer Chronicles is ultimately quite an aimless and exhausting kind of citybuilder, too fussy to be truly relaxing, and lacking the depth to compete with more ambitious management builders.
A poor (and bored) man's Avatar, Outcast: A New Beginning is a tedious open world shooter that simply doesn't have anything new to say.
There are a few rough edges here and there, but The Thaumaturge is a compelling and meaty detective RPG with a rich and reactive plot, and whose branching storylines really let you walk the line between vice and virtue.
A handsome remaster of an already modern-feeling Star Wars FPS, but even Nightdive's welcome updates can't disguise some of its older, more obtuse edges.
An endearing fantasy adventure driven by a more puzzle-led variation of Papers, Please's border checks. It may lack the moral greyness of its source material, but this is still a winsome tale about the rippling effect of everyday decisions.
There are a few lingering bugs here, but for the most part, Solium Infernum is a devilishly tricky backstab simulator that's rich with strategic possibility. Its handful of solo scenarios are meaty and challenging, but the long tail here is definitely in its multiplayer.
A clever roguelike card game about cheating your way to victory, Balatro is a generous and mesmeric take on poker with endless strategic possibilities.
Late-game fiddliness spoils what is otherwise a vibrant and always interesting Metroidvania, whose emphasis on growth, connection and (tripping out on mad monsters) make it one of the most sumptuous games of 2024 so far.
There are simple pleasures to be found in Palworld's enormous list of crafting tasks, but look beyond its base building and its world, monster taming and combat all feel quite stale and undercooked.
Definitely the lesser trilogy in Capcom's long-standing lawyer 'em up series, but among the gimmicks and gadgetry there are still plenty of highlights to be found here, and Spirit Of Justice is up there with Ace Attorney's best.
Fearless but intensely friendly, Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown is a deep and challenging Metroid-like with some of the best platforming this side of Moon's Ori games.