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Call of the Sea is one of the best puzzle-adventure games I’ve ever played. Each puzzle requires you to think logically and gather all the clues to figure out the solution, you’re rewarded with a trophy and more context to the story for exploring and finding documents, and your eyes are given a treat by looking at this visually stunning game. This is the first time I’ve played a Lovecraft-inspired game that isn’t focused on horror, jump scares, or disturbing themes, instead it’s a peaceful adventure that uses the influences perfectly to create a very interesting and memorable experience.

Farm Together is like an addictive mobile phone game but with modern graphics and none of those annoying ads or Microtransactions. Either with friends or solo, this game is the definition of fun, a time-waster, and relaxing. When you’re not sowing seeds or planting trees, you’ll be harvesting fruit, fishing, picking up eggs, or even playing ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ on the piano. There’s a lot to do and see down on the farm, the farm which you can fully customise and create into your own paradise or a simple allotment.

Agatha Knife is like the South Park of Point-and-Click games, a cartoon aesthetic with very dark and adult themes. Mechanics-wise, the game is rather simplistic and very easy to pick up, but the solutions to the problems will certainly make you think. I love the fact that there are multiple ways to solve most of the obstacles in your way as well as tonnes of interaction points which expand on the brilliantly written narrative. There’s never a dull moment, even when you’re walking around due to a lack of fast travel.

STAY is a really fun and immersive indie game about trust, bonding, depression, and anxiety. If you’re like me, as soon as you hit ‘connect’ on the main menu, you won’t want to leave Quinn alone for a second without you there to watch over him. However, if you do leave the game via any means other than ‘rest mode’, try not to stay away too long or Quinn may get a little upset. The majority of the game revolves around visual novel style gameplay with a hint of Telltale in the conclusion screens, with the rest of the gameplay consisting of rather tricky puzzles to complete. These puzzles aren’t the usual mindlessly easy ones either, some of them will really make you think in order to work out the solutions. 

Arise: A Simple Story has done something no other media has done to me in quite some time, send me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The game’s environments are visually very pretty and often quite quirky, while the musical score is truly moving and compliments the game perfectly. While the time manipulation concept is nothing new, it is done very cleverly and makes for some interesting platforming sequences. Platforming precision may be a minor irritation but it doesn’t impede the overall experience in the slightest.

Solo: Islands of the Heart stands out as one of the only games I can think of which alters it’s narrative towards your own personal experiences. As such, it was really interesting to play through and receive a personalised story at the end which was built around my past situations and feelings towards an old relationship. If this was it, I would be happy with it, but it’s not – there’s also a lot of clever puzzles which require you to think and perform a lot of trial and error in order to solve. I love how each puzzle can be resolved in a number of ways, just like how our feelings aren’t always black and white as well, things can be moved about and adapted in various ways in order to proceed both in the game and in life. This really is a delightful title that everyone should play.

Timothy’s Night is the much prettier, dolled-up twin-sibling to the original colour-less 2018 edition. Instead of simply porting the same game to the PlayStation 5, the developers have added more content, changed the whole colour scheme, updated various mechanics, boosted the visuals, and expanded the world, so despite being technically the same game, it felt fresh and new. Due to the ambitious visual overhaul, the game feels like it dips below 60fps at times, but not enough to distract you from the brilliant use of the DualSense controller and fun gameplay.

Melbits World is a great multiplayer game for people of all ages who have access to an iOS or Android device. Sure, the game gets a bit frustrating and difficult as you move throughout the various levels, but that’s the fun of it! If you liked stressful, yet entertaining, games such as Overcooked 2 then you’ll love Melbits World. The fact you can even customise your own Melbit before you begin playing is a small feature which makes the game more interactive and relatable as you can unlock new features to represent yourself in-game. This also gives you a reason to save the Melbits – it’s your best buddy now, don’t let your mate push him off the world and to its death!

If you love interactive stories, such as the ‘Walking Dead’ era of games from Telltale or the Life is Strange series, then you’ll really enjoy Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo. It’s not a puzzle game like the Yesterday series or Beyond a Steel Sky, but it’ll quickly have you hooked thanks to its immersive gameplay and story.

Intruders: Hide and Seek is pretty much a Home Invasion simulator staring some very brave children. I was constantly anxious about what was going to happen next and what was around each and every corner of my own house whilst I explored and tried to avoid the uninvited intruders. Unlike Home Alone, this game is more on the serious side with no silly traps or comical situations, but it’s also not as terrifying as the VR horror games which are out there – it sits in between the two. Bar the few issues I had with font sizes and bugs (which should get patched), the experience was beyond what I was expecting and rather interesting with its deep backstory and exposition.

Effie is a fun 3D puzzle-platformer which pays homage to the classics of yesteryear perfectly. The vivid and luminous contrast between the choices of colours the developers have opted to use, really makes the games visuals pop out of your screen as every single scene is like a child’s colouring book where they’ve gone crazy with the bright primary colours! If you’re not hovering around the overworld at 100MPH, you’ll be fighting evil fiends, solving simplistic puzzles, or traversing perilous platforming. Although the story is a combination of tales we’ve heard before, it’s fun to play through and held the game together nicely.

Psychotic’s MechaNika is a great self-contained follow-up to Agatha Knife, this time focussing on the brilliant-minded Nika instead of the blood-thirsty Agatha. Despite it’s short playing time, at around one to three hours depending on knowledge and skill-level, the price has been set accordingly and the game is overflowing with humour, parodies, references, and crazy narrative. The game may look cartoony and like it’s meant for children – but don’t fall for this – the game is just as dark as Agatha Knife at times and it meant to be played by adults and not little kids – think South Park and Family Guy concepts.

King Lucas is a charming, fun, and expansive retro-platformer which has been modernised for the Switch. Each time you’ve saved the one in peril, the castle gets bigger and your quest becomes even more epic. The game itself is rather simplistic, from the simple combat mechanics to the bold and colourful textures, but it all comes together to deliver an entertaining experience which anyone can simply pick up and play without any in-depth tutorials or guidance. Each new rescue mission increases the time you’ll spend in the ever-expanding castle, offering hours upon hours of enjoyment.

Psychotic’s Colossus Down is a far departure from the previous games, yet it still has all the charm and humour which I loved within them. The combat, upgrades, and various gameplay mechanics all help keep the game fresh and new, even in multiple playthroughs, with the puzzles and dialogues breaking up the action for a bit of humour and brain usage. If you enjoyed the previous games but fancy something a little different, you’ll like this game, especially if you fancy torturing yourself and playing it in permadeath mode! Whether playing on your own or with a friend locally (or via Remote/Share Play), each level will make you smile as you cause carnage to all things uncool.

Peppa Pig: World Adventures once again absolutely nails the look, feel and sound of the cartoon show. It definitely is an experience primarily aimed at 3 to 5-year-olds, with simplistic gameplay and a short gaming experience. I was happy to see educational moments throughout and that developer Petoons had improved upon My Friend Peppa Pig by including more activities that use different button prompts and allowing you to skip dialogue scenes. My daughter hopes that there will be additional places to travel to through DLC, much like the Pirate Adventures DLC that came to My Friend Peppa Pig, as she wishes to set sail again and go on more world adventures with her friend Peppa Pig.

Anyone’s Diary may have left me confused about its story but I really enjoyed the visuals and puzzles. Sure, we do see the same mechanic for the puzzles repeated a few times as you travel through this artistic puzzle platformer, but each puzzle has its own spin on the mechanic and keeps you interested. The design choice to have everything made out of drawings and writing from your diary really helps create a surreal and symbolic experience in this twisted world. 

There’s not much to say about Path to Mnemosyne as it is a very simple and short game. I know I have detailed how there are multiple aspects that I was not a fan of, but at the end of the day, it is excusable. Path to Mnemosyne really is special in other ways. The artwork is fantastic and it’s also nice to play a game that gets you to think about things, rather than just mindlessly shooting zombies. I’m looking forward to seeing what Devilish Games does next, hopefully it’s in a similar art style and a bit longer in terms of gameplay.