Gareth Brierley

Murder Mystery Machine will make you feel like a real-world detective trying to solve the trickiest of crimes, all whilst delivering intriguing and suspenseful cases. The evidence board will become your main focus, and whilst this part of the game works extremely well and makes you feel at one with the investigation, the controls are fiddly and awkward to use; you’ll be left holding out for the precision of a mouse.

Rustler is a lot of fun, but the big decision you need to consider is whether or not that fun is for you and whether or not you can buy into the comedy references and mature humour offered. But away from that, Rustler makes a great attempt at taking influence from older games and using that to create something original.

I’ve been pretty much bowled over by Life is Strange: True Colors - the story, characters, and themes have really managed to strike a chord. Others might find the tone and writing not to their taste and that's fine, but I don't think anyone can deny that the team behind it have progressed their art form and game-making skills in a positive direction with this latest addition to the franchise. Long may it continue.

ISLANDERS: Console Edition is something that is able to deliver a relaxing city experience without the stress of deep management, finances, and dealing with unhappy residents. It’s a game that is great to pick up for a quick bash, finding the minutes turning into hours. It’s well priced too and the low outlay works as a brilliant incentive to those looking to take a gamble.

Alveole is a short game, but it is also a worthwhile experiment in game development and abstract narratives.

Song of Iron will get its hooks into you, refusing to let go until you reach the end. Yes, there are some weird control configurations to get used to and at times you may find yourself lost and confused, unsure what to do next. But there is an overwhelming feeling of being involved in a huge epic saga throughout; one that is grand, sweeping, and brilliantly executed. 

It’s hard to say whether Untitled Darkness is a gaming experience at all. It's definitely an experience and an important one at that, and I'm a big fan of solo developers experimenting with their art forms and concepts. It’s helped that the art style and subject matter are both well-executed and designed, as well as being very prevalent in our recent examinations of mental well-being.

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is utterly unique but it’s one of those games you just have to take a chance on. If I had one criticism it is that there are maybe too many fighting sections and not enough in terms of exploration. But overall this is a brilliant experience and something that any player will remember for a long time to come.

I am a huge Assassin’s Creed fan and loved the Valhalla base game. Yet the first Wrath of the Druids expansion failed to blow me away. It’s a similar case here with The Siege of Paris. It’s good, but really nowhere near what we have come to expect from the franchise as a whole.

If you're not a fan of puzzlers and hate the idea of using your brain instead of any brawn, then there isn't going to be much for you here, but those who like to see their grey matter challenged will find that Faraday Protocol is worth a look.

Foreclosed is a game of two halves. The story and world are both intriguing, hooking you in from the very start. The writing and its use of comic book framing are good too, as are the inclusion of some clever gameplay devices which are used in terms of hacking, movement, and augmentations. But it's the shooting that completely lets Foreclosed down.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles on Xbox Series X|S is a very pleasant experience. It’s a joyful game which will let you wander around to your heart's content, collecting things, talking to things, farming things, and wearing things. The non-threat of death or combat is a nice option to have, and that should ensure that this will make for a brilliant family friendly experience. When you include that the Xbox Series X|S version has the addition of fluid movement and some upgraded visuals over the Xbox One edition, and things get better still.

The Forgotten City is a game that many will thoroughly enjoy. It's got a great story at its centre and keeps delivering a standard of distinction in narrative design and dialogue throughout. The time loop dynamics and puzzle solutions are clever and will always make you smile.

Lawn Mowing Simulator is a brilliantly presented and perfectly designed sim experience. The attention to detail in terms of the vehicles and the varied locations manage to fully complement a solid management experience as well. The problem is that much like most sims, cutting grass day in, day out fast becomes tiresome, especially when you’re always on edge, trying to keep on top of the micromanaging side of things.

Aery - Calm Mind is a pleasant experience for the couple of hours it takes to complete all the chapters. The idea is that you take it in in chunks, and this is probably the best way of tackling the scenarios, especially if you're just using the game as a chill-out mechanism.