Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Reviews
A decent plot mired in game-breaking bugs and a tedious, repetitive time-loop, In Stars And Time is more frustrating than it is fun.
An inventive roguelite citybuilder brimming with challenge and excitement, making it a bold step forward for both genres.
Its focus on balancing your economy's scales rather than turning a profit means the stakes are never that high in SteamWorld Build, but this is still a strong and distinctive twist on the upstairs/downstairs loop that made SteamWorld Dig so enticing a decade ago.
An ambitious hybrid of RTS, management, and narrative history masterfully put together to represent a unique war story that easily smooths over some AI quirks.
An indie turn-based RPG with an outstanding world and excellent story beats, but tired pacing and inconsistent combat veer it from fun into seriously frustrating.
No doubt pushed out the door before it was ready. Yet, even when you cut through the mess there's an overall lack of quality and imagination to contend with, making it a strong contender for worst game of the year.
Despite preying on our nostalgia with strong gunplay and classic maps, added grind, barren zombies, and a heavy price tag make this yet another skippable entry.
A short and sweet turn-based RPG that has a lot of bite to its story and whose music will have you harking back to the Final Fantasy glory days, but its battles are too much of a cakewalk to leave much an impression.
It won't challenge you in any shape or form, but Loddlenaut is a feel-good, low-stakes ocean clean-up adventure that scratches that PowerWash itch with charm and characterful precision.
Offering a new take on a classic tale of thrilling escape, American Arcadia has some rough edges but its sleek platforming and art reinforce its story beautifully. And what about those twists, folks!? Are you watching this live?
A satirical take on beloved 90s dungeon builders, Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master struggles to capture much of the Bullfrog magic.
I feel like I can let a lot of you know whether you'd like Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin with just a few words: it's about micromanagement. Victory is dependent on rapidly issuing movement, attack and ability commands to several small squads of soldiers, and your units will pay a heavy price if your attention leaves them for more than a few moments.
A turn-based strategy 'em up with the Persona 5 gang that might be a bit too simplistic for some, and anime for others, but still makes for a nice excuse to hang with pals.
A shorter stop-gap that fills us in on Kiryu's agent activities after his "death", Gaiden's story might be a repetitive shuttle to endless scuffles, but the draw of its minigames is undeniable.
Folded-in features from battle royale can only go so far in saving this rushed production.
The next great roguelike deckbuilder has arrived. Cobalt Core takes everything you love about FTL, Into The Breach and Slay The Spire and blends it all into a moreish, tactical puzzle loop that just keeps on giving. It's wonderful.
Reprising its engrossing mix of chewy puzzles and deep philosophising about the nature of human experience, The Talos Principle 2 raises the bar yet again with its playful approach to problem-solving, and asks how we fit into the wider machinations of the world at large.
A first-person shooter that is clunky by design.
The Invincible is an engaging sci-fi adventure that can leave you cold and confused the moment it stops holding your hand.
Its improvements might be slightly overshadowed by the more extensive overhaul coming next year, but this latest and last iteration brings the best version of its match engine yet, a superbly refined set-piece creator, and, finally, the ability to transfer your saves.