Miles Thompson

“Sprinkling tower defence strategising on top of an addicting roguelike bullet-hell proves a stroke of genius for Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road. Fantastic persistent and in-game upgrades that keep the gameplay fresh, a vibrant and playful art style and excellent bullet hell mechanics make this an absolute blast, especially on Steam Deck. While it does struggle with some repetition in environments and a grinding bottleneck, it'll be hard not to spot this entertaining monster coming over the hill.”

“Boasting an impressive commitment to a versatile sandbox of hack-and-slash and retro FPS action, Rebel Engine has the fundamentals for a fast-paced and exhilarating time with vibrant visuals. It breaks at the seams thanks to cumbersome controls, a flat story and lack of punch in feedback to the action, but stylish hunting thrill seekers should find something worth blasting through.”

“Anomaly hunting in the style of Cabin In The Woods sounds like a great premise on paper, but The Cabin Factory falls foul of malfunction thanks to overly repetitive and bland gameplay, with too small an environment to maintain any form of tension. It does attempt some semblance of a story and it may do well as a quick experience for streamers, but there's little else beyond that to recommend it above established cult classics like Exit 8.”

“This desert revenge adventure loses its way in the heat and the bloodlust. Whiplash inducing story inconsistencies, mind-numbing combat and stealth, alongside a complete lack of real exploration cause Blood of Mehran to suffer a fate worse than death - exile into a barren and unending trial of tedium. At least the landmarks are nice.”

“The seemingly strong foundations of Arctic Awakening's opening give way like an icy lake with one too many cracks. Where the narrative struggles with inconsistent performances and an underwhelming concluding chapter, the music and visuals elevate and lift the experience far beyond its basic walking simulator beats. Even if you may take a freezing bath or two along the way, I'd still recommend daring the trip across the Arctic for the sights and sounds alone.”

“Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: The Order of Giants delivers more of what the base game so excelled at, albeit in a trimmed down fashion. The puzzles and tombs in this DLC deliver some of the best you'll find, but the new location being so sewer-orientated is a let down. Pulled up by the scruff of the neck by some fun storytelling and more excellent gameplay, this expansion does just enough to make you want to don the famous explorer's hat once more.”

“Dripping in Lovecraftian and Papers, Please! inspiration, Static Dread: The Lighthouse forgoes the generic focus on monster shooting, instead drawing you in and challenging your sense of reality with difficult moral decisions, stress-inducing gameplay and an unsettling, ever-deteriorating environment. Few games capture the essence of H.P Lovecraft's particular blend of madness from unknowable knowledge, but this Old Great One does.”

“Spy Drops desperately wants to be an authentic homage to the original Metal Gear Solid, but fails in almost every aspect. Riddled with issues, from the camera, to the AI, to the level-breaking glitches, there's simply little redeeming quality to this low-effort copy. Just do another re-run with Solid Snake himself and save yourself the pain of this.”

“From a solo player's perspective, Phantom Squad is a frustrating and unbalanced trial of patience that doesn't pay off enough to make it worth it. Rope in a couple of friends to squad up though, and the game completely transforms into an intense, intricately designed and frantic sandbox to have a blast in. Just make sure you don't go it alone, this unit was meant for a team, not an individual.”

“Like any creative 4-chord song, Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson makes good on the promise of a turn-based RPG that melds a great tune with a stylish bassline. Also much like a 4-chord song, it quickly becomes easy to predict and master, lacking that extra depth to elevate it beyond its accessible design. Even so, it's hard not to play it without a smile on your face and an appreciation for its colourful visuals.”

“Powerhoof deliver one of the most engaging and compelling tales you're likely to experience this year. Joining Mick on his journey filled with emotional stakes, peril and thematic intrigue is a pleasure, and one I'd encourage you to embark on for yourself. Aside from the occasional technical issue, The Drifter is a wonderfully crafted noir point-and-click adventure from start to finish.”

“Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition launches a decades old crusade to reclaim the glory of 2002 and by all the knights and eunuchs does it succeed. An incredulous bounty of new content, alongside gloriously enhanced visuals and quality of life improvements make this an almost impenetrable castle. Storming the walls and setting kingdoms aflame has always been spectacular, but Firefly Studios have set a new gold standard for their own series, and for remasters everywhere.”

“A haunted deck that's as likely to throw you a royal flush as it is sell you down the river, Deck of Haunts satisfies in its creative cards, wickedly evil fantasy power trip and a delightfully vile concept. Its best demonic forces are kept at bay thanks to a lack of real campaign or structure and some underdeveloped room expansion. Even so, if this were a haunted house at Universal Studios, you'd be disappointed to miss it, even if it's not the main attraction.”

“As much an educational piece of interactive fiction as it is a beautifully crafted visual world to explore, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) fosters an introspective take on the 17th century colonial world. While playing this walking simulator can border on automatic, the setting, attention to detail and thought-provoking narrative make it an experience that's heartfelt and worthwhile.”

“Lack of challenge and concessions in gameplay depth hold Augmented Empire back from being as appealing to strategy genre veterans and those who like their games to put their skills to the test. Thankfully, the interesting approach to decision-making and the world of New Savannah make up for these deficiencies, making this indie title a solid augment to invest your time in.”

“Grit and Valor - 1949 makes a strong first impression thanks to its setting and the thrill of acquiring the high ground to massacre mechs. Past the initial adrenaline hit however, it fails to sustain a meaningful level of excitement due to a misfiring reliance on meta-progression and underwhelming strategy depth.”

“Beautiful hand-crafted visuals, serene soundtrack and an abundance of nice moments to spend with your adorable companion make Koira a lovely way to spend an afternoon. While not up to the high bar set by Journey or its other contemporaries, Studio Tolima have created an emotionally investing adventure that excels when you slow down and take the opportunity for another game of hide-and-seek.”

“KARMA: The Dark World presents a wonderfully horrifying alternate history world to become enveloped in, thanks to its superb visuals, excellent soundtrack and engrossing themes. Its story is perhaps overly ambitious with plenty of confusion and its light gameplay elements may have some lamenting what could have been, leaving a mostly positive but somewhat diminished sense of karmic balance.”

“Wednesdays is an earnest attempt to move the medium forward when it comes to exploring sensitive and taboo life experiences. Where it reflects on some of the lesser spoken about aspects of abuse, it succeeds. While it has a positive and optimistic view of healing from said abuse, it can occasionally veer into overly hopeful, which may be uncomfortable for some. Unafraid to tackle difficult subject matter, Wednesdays demonstrates how video games can be a vessel for important messages.”

“Offering little value outside of wasting your time, Shieldwall is a painfully dull and hellish slog through each of its levels. Broken AI, abysmal combat and utterly tedious waiting around for currency starves this army of any hope. Even the might of Caesar himself couldn't have overcome this arduous war of attrition.”