DeVuego

You don’t have to be a series diehard to get something out of this one, though. With gorgeous visuals, engaging difficulty, and a “just one more go” loop that’s hard to resist, the resurrection of Ninja Gaiden is off to a very promising start.

Blades Of Fire gets in its own way sometimes with busywork-heavy quest design, but the unique combat and enjoyable weapon crafting save it.

Enchanted Portals looks delightful, with 2D animation reminiscent of childhood cartoon favorites, but its monotonous gameplay and artificial difficulty make for a hollow gaming experience that’s frustrating in all the wrong ways.

Though Blasphemous 2 lacks the wow factor of the first game, it does smooth out its edges to the point where it feels like a tighter, more fluid experience.

However, despite the drawbacks that are more to do with budget than anything, Oxide: Room 104 is an easy recommendation with some caveats for any horror fans, who really shouldn’t be approaching this with any comparisons to its much bigger peers in mind. Any game that tries its best to be different is to be celebrated, and Oxide: Room 104 is worth making a reservation for, even if only for one night.

Scarf is a beautiful puzzle-platformer that packs a lot of meaning in a small package, but only to those willing to explore all of its gorgeous locales.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a worthy remake of the 8-bit classic, modernising the game but keeping the same gameplay that made it a classic all those years ago.

Full of wit, great gameplay and memorable moments, SuperEpic is simply one of 2019's best indie games.

An unremarkable story is outshined by engaging, if difficult, puzzles, and a persistently creepy atmosphere.

Etherborn is a beautiful and innovative puzzle-platformer that can often be headache inducing, but even so it is very much worth your time.

Though sometimes clunky controls and missing features will have you reaching for the keyboard, They Are Billions on PS4 is still a descent into madness that will have you hooked if you let it.

The positives outway the cons in this indie title. A short and flawed yet satisfactory game, Path To Mnemosyne is recommended for anyone who is looking for a good brain teaser.

The Red Strings Club proves that the Switch is one of the best console choices for indie games, but can’t quite match its PC cousin.

Massira has a good heart and compelling visuals, but the story and the message it offers within are all but lost in what is a deeply unrefined and mediocre game.

Despite some frustrating and obtuse puzzles that hinder rather than enrich the narrative, STAY is a simple tale told with style and delivers an important lesson that we could all learn from.

A love letter to gaming that has more than enough to stand on its own merits, Rise & Shine could be a dark horse for one of the best of 2017.