Robert Purchese
A sequel that takes the thrilling cold-survival city-building heart of Frostpunk and evolves it in every way, while losing none of what made the series so special to begin with.
A fantasy role-playing game of astonishing spectacle. This is the best Dragon Age, and perhaps BioWare, has ever been.
With a new found sense of tension, and showpiece Contract missions, Citizen Sleeper is transformed. This follow-up has improved the RPG formula in every way.
This time it's Hades that Shiny Shoe's game feels similar to, but with some delicious differences that make this roguelike stand out all on its own.
It starts with a bump, but played the right way, V Rising offers riches few other crafting survival games can match.
What Avowed lacks in gloss it makes up for with charm, depth and a playful heart. It's one of this year's most pleasant surprises.
The Alters achieves something tense and new by merging strategy base-building with third-person exploration and a sci-fi story about cloning yourself. But repetition and complicated busywork mar the overall effect.
The Invincible is a spectacular adaptation of Stanisław Lem's book, but it's limited in terms of what you can do in it, and the impact on the story you have.
Lurking behind a dated exterior is a limited but sophisticated RPG with a unique setting and some memorable new ideas.
A gentle and unusual building game that's memorable but missing some purpose.
A gentle adventure into a family's secrets that's nicely crafted but over before it really begins.
Mechanically, Life Eater uses a diary-based puzzle system in some really interesting ways, but it struggles to say anything meaningful about the shock-factor setting it's gone for.
Knights in Tight Spaces expands on every part of the Fights in Tight Spaces' template, but an abundance of new ideas swamps the clarity the original game had.
A zany, knockabout co-op action adventure that's kaleidoscopically colourful but wears you out before you get to the good stuff.
A mash of Lego and origami that is wholesome and unique.
Dorfromantik is sunshine on the screen, with a puzzling heart that will keep you busy for days.
A bold, stand-out, knockout of a card game that drips with imagination and menace.
This War of Mine remains a striking, if limited, exploration of civilian wartime survival. Compelling and gritty, it needles deep.
Kingdom skilfully pitches a powerful discover-it-yourself idea at just the right level, neither too frustrating nor too easy.
Layers of rum-and-sunshine soaked RPG adventuring to lose yourself in. Does it really matter it doesn't quite tie together in the end?