It’s really stupid… and really fun.

This would have been a thumbs down upon release. Hello Games have since weathered the storm and managed to turn this into a good game. It worries me what other studios will learn from this however.

God-game sandbox played with cards. Interesting and fun concept, if a little obtuse.

A gripping experience that engages you with intimate storytelling and terrific narration. Davey Wreden, again, doesn’t disappoint. Go in blind.

Rogue-like with satisfying combat and a cool world. Doesn’t have as much content as the big names in the genre, and may not be as challenging, but still fun.

Ashen is a refreshing take on the soulslike, capturing all the right things; challenge, exploration and intrigue. Bosses are a bit easy, but still fun. The VA is its only drastic weak point.

Melancholic and visually stunning, GRIS is a relaxed, watercoloured puzzle platformer perfect for the couch on a lazy sunday afternoon.

Celeste is challenging, smart and exceedingly well designed. Its movement is some of the most satisfying ever in a platformer. The great soundtrack supports a surprisingly fresh exploration of mental health, which has traditionally proved difficult in videogames.

From the maker (one person) of Papers, Please comes this brilliant shortish deduction whodunnit with terrific music, great voice acting and uniquely cool art direction. An awesome understated gem of 2018.

Classic couch co-op beat-‘em-up in the vein of Castle Crashers, with added RPG elements. Funny, cute and at times quite challenging. Would love if there were more games like Full Metal Furies.