Nic Reuben
Creative Assembly/SegaThis sprawling medieval fantasy brings together romantic and classical strategy game design with spectacular results
Expanding on the basic role playing structure with seemingly limitless reactivity and options, this game is so varied you'd swear it was sentient
A refined, masterfully executed and hugely atmospheric turn based tactics game. The framework of Into The Breach is a little light on content, but the variety of missions approaches and challenging scenarios that emerge from its elegant systems provide hours of compulsive, bug crushing strategy goodness.
Nostalgic, lovingly crafted, moving, and surprising, Omori is a remarkable achievement. Earthbound and Undertale are easy comparisons, but Omori stands out as it's own, highly personal piece of storytelling.
Mind Scanners is perfectly paced, creative and engaging, striking a skilful balance between satisfying play and storytelling. I finished in a couple of evenings, but they were some of the most consistent and enjoyable evenings I've spent gaming this year.
Nantucket is wonderfully cohesive, a real beauty of a ship built from unremarkable materials. It's too shallow to really drown yourself in, but just deep enough to be compulsive, constantly throwing up interesting decisions. If you're all about the destination, this might not be the ship for you. If you're down to enjoy the voyage, you could do a lot worse.
An affecting an imaginative narrative game with inventive, if not particularly challenging, turn based combat. Legendary Gary’s characters occasionally feel flat, but it makes up for it with a unique, well-realised world. You probably already know whether it's going to be for you, and if you’re at all intrigued, I can’t see you being disappointed.
In Death: Unchained is a good game, it's a hard game, and it even feels great when you're losing. A really solid little roguelike that's absorbing enough to make you forget that you're technically exercising while you play.
Tenderfoot Tactics' uncompromising design and freeform structure might feel alienating to some, but persevere, and you'll find a deeply thoughtful, nigh on meditative experience layered with creative, confident turn-based combat.
Tadpole Treble is a charming, lively rhythm game with a simple premise and a lot of challenge for those looking for it. As great for younger gamers as it is for gnarled-thumbed veterans, this charming concerto deserves whatever the tadpole's version of a standing ovation is.
You won't want to start every game of Three Kingdoms at 200 CE, but it's a perfect place to jump headfirst into a tense, dramatic conflict already in play. Battles are even grander, and new additions make the strategy layer more interesting than ever.
Total War: Rome Remastered reflects quality and care from every raised gladius and stray denarius. We think you'll love this, says the remaster. If not, no worries, you can change it. It's more difficult that modern Total War games to get into, but it's undoubtedly a great package. So, two thumbs up then. Or to the side, if you want to be a stickler for history.
This compulsive genre-crossing title combines animation studio with design toolkit and social network as it teaches game creation
Foes can be cast into the past or future in a whimsical time-bending throwback that celebrates Colombia
With its special combos and metres, this frenetic and summery Air Hockey-style game has more in common with Street Fighter than with other sports games
An evocative work of art but the things the game evokes are so unpleasant players might need to ration the lengths of their sessions
This hack-and-slasher clings to its Soulsborne heritage too tightly, but does creative things that no other Soulslike until now has managed to pull off
Refined and intuitive, Apex Legends is a maturation of battle royale.
With no campaign mode, and currently without the expansions that many Tokaido players consider essential to the experience, the digital Tokaido‘s main fault is a lack of variety or compelling reasons for long play sessions. I can see myself dipping back in occasionally and thoroughly enjoying myself for twenty or forty minutes, but I don’t think I could spend an evening traversing Tokaido‘s mysterious mountain, as beautiful as it is.
A genuinely funny, engaging turned based strategy with a great theme. Attack of The Earthlings has a strong core concept, but feel constricted by length. Player options are plentiful, but never required for success. Still, it's unique, well-written, and lovingly crafted. Fans of the genre should find something to love, even if it's 'game over, man' far too quickly.