Chris McMullen
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories is a fun shooter, for the most part. It doesn’t gain much from mining Lovecraft lore; you could swap out the foes for any other number of pixellated nightmares. But slaughtering your way through the hordes is a satisfying and challenging experience, and there’s enough replayability here to keep you diving back into the abyss.
Despite being damaged by the built-in grind, Mortal Kombat 11 is well worth your time.
If you’re a steampunk aficionado then Vaporum will doubtless hold some appeal for you; it’s smartly presented and tells a tantalisingly haunting tale of man’s folly. But for those who aren’t as taken with steam power, Vaporum is a rather average dungeon crawler.
Even if you’ve already played the first three Ace Attorney games, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy offers the opportunity to experience all those legal shenanigans on the big screen. And if you’ve never seen Phoenix Wright bluff his way to victory, it’d be criminal to miss out.
If you’ve already played Two Point Hospital to death and desperately want more content – you’ll need to have unlocked at least seven hospitals in order to to play this – then Pebberley Island is worth a look.
Trüberbrook was, undoubtedly, a labour of love for its developers.
Devotion succeeds because it’s an understandably human tale with misery, not murder or monsters, at the heart of it all. It is a tad short, particularly when compared to Detention, and while the somewhat ambigious ending might prove a turn-off for some, it’s still chilling, unsettling and heart-breaking in equal measure.
Deviating from the series’ formula and taking the adventure above ground was a bold move for 4A Games, but it’s paid off. Metro Exodus can be unforgiving at times but it’s a rollicking, radioactive road-trip that’s sure to scratch that post-apocalyptic itch.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is an excellent dungeon crawler, overland locations and all. It’s not only the perfect antidote to grimmer adventures but it’s an addictive, creative, appealing outing that will have you coming back for more and rarely regretting your return.
Genesis Alpha One has more in common with Farming Simulator than No Man’s Sky, offering a more grounded take on exploration than most.
Pikuniku is an eye-pleasing, entertaining outing that just oozes charm, with characters who are endearing without ever becoming irritating. If you want a game that will have you grinning with joy, then pick up Pikuniku.
Forever Forest feels like an early access game; it looks and sounds a treat but there’s disappointingly little joy to be had here.
Bury Me, My Love isn’t always an easy trek, perhaps reflecting its subject matter, and it’s still better suited to mobile phones. But it’s so emotionally engaging that, despite multiple, doomed playthroughs, you won’t leave Nour’s side until you’ve guided her to safety.
Step through Vivette’s doors, by all means, but be prepared for an uneven stay.
Override: Mech City Brawl may not quite nail the grand sense of scale, and I would certainly have loved to see some more organic monsters added to the roster, but it’s an entertaining little fighter to dip into. And, if you can drag a few friends into battle, it makes for one hell of a fun party game.
Nevertheless, unless you’re thoroughly sick to death of post-apocalyptia, you’ll find that Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a charming, entertaining outing; one that gives the turn-based combat genre a much needed shot in the arm.
The Shapeshifting Detective may lack the colossal budget of AAA games, but it nevertheless creates an intimate, skewed world that will draw you in. If you’ve ever fancied yourself an amateur sleuth, albeit one with an distinct biological advantage, then The Shapeshifting Detective will be right up your street.
Even if the game’s visuals don’t appeal to you and you’ve never tackled any other games in the series, it still warrants investigating. Corpse Party: Book of Shadows’ frequently disconcerting and often bloody payoffs, as well as periodical dollops of psychological horror, make it worth tolerating the game’s less engaging moments.
Whether you're a Lovecraft fan or not, there's a lot here to love – just don't blame me if you have to clean Elder God-sized arse-prints off your windows.
Weighed down by a middling-at-best single player mode, no matter how quirky it attempts to be, Zarvot's trying, polyhedral antics don't justify the price of admission.