20. Marvel Snap
iPhone, Android, PC
Lightning-quick matches, collectible superheroes and enticing simplicity make this the smartphone card game of dreams. Free of convoluted rules and sprawling decks, this is card-battling boiled down to the elegant essentials. Evocative comic-book art betrays a genuine love for the Marvel source material, too.
What we said: A wonderful combination of nostalgia, fun and challenge. If the seemingly unstoppable Marvelisation of popular culture must continue, let it at least occasionally throw up gems like this.
19. A Little to the Left
PC, Mac
A puzzle game that draws upon the human talent for pattern recognition to turn us all into neat-freaks, rearranging books and cutlery and stationery by size, colour, shape, or whatever else feels right. So satisfying that it frequently elicits a sigh of happiness when a puzzle is complete and everything is as it should be.
What we said: The impression is of a project made with great care and love.
18. Return to Monkey Island
PC, Nintendo Switch
Sometimes when a beloved thing from the past comes roaring back again, you rather wish it had stayed safely coddled in your memory. But happily, Return to Monkey Island is full of old friends we’re delighted to see again. Full of piratical point-and-click puzzles, affectionate writing and voice acting that raises a smile.
What we said: A tale that retreads old paths but also clearly wants to be more than just an ode to a bygone era.
17. OlliOlli World
PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Chill vibes only in this charming, welcoming skating game, where having a good time and expressing yourself feel just as important as stringing tricks together for high scores. It’s snappy and delightful to play, amusing to look at and excellent fun, capturing the irreverence and charm of modern skate culture.
What we said: From its free-spirited counterculture flavour to its flamboyant aesthetic, this is the gaming equivalent of a weekend trip to Brighton.
16. Horizon Forbidden West
PlayStation 4; PlayStation 5
It would have been difficult to even imagine a game as vast as this a decade ago. Flame-haired robot-dinosaur hunter Aloy’s seemingly unending quest to fix the mistakes of her planet’s architects is so huge that you can get lost in it sometimes, but it’s a stunning feat nonetheless, exciting to play and awe-inspiring to look at.
What we said: A damn good time, and a stunning example of just how good video games can look in 2022.
15. Pentiment
PC, Xbox
Historical games tend to tell grand heroic stories, but not Pentiment: here you are a manuscript illustrator in a small Bavarian town that is about to be convulsed by the Reformation. It’s a tale …….