For fans of the Netflix series, Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising delivers exactly what the title promises: another chance to step into the rivalry between Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do, and Eagle Fang. What it doesn't always deliver is the depth or polish needed to elevate it beyond a licensed tie-in. Still, beneath the rough edges is a surprisingly enjoyable arcade fighter that understands the appeal of the franchise. The game lets players choose a dojo, recruit fighters, and battle their w

As a dad, I know there are two types of children's games. The first are the ones your kids adore but leave you counting down the minutes until they're done. The second are the rare games that genuinely understand their audience while remaining pleasant enough for parents to sit alongside and share the experience. DreamWorks Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party! comfortably falls into the latter category. My daughter is a huge fan of the show, so seeing Gabby, Pandy Paws, and the

There are plenty of licensed children's games that feel like little more than a quick cash-in on a popular brand. Thankfully, Dog Man: Bark in Action lands on the right side of that divide. Developed by Floor 84 and based on Dav Pilkey's hugely successful Dog Man comic series, this colourful platforming adventure captures the books' chaotic humour and energetic spirit while delivering a surprisingly enjoyable co-op action game. The story sees the villainous Dr. Scum using Hyp

I've played plenty of platformers that pile on new abilities every few levels to keep things fresh. GeoJelly goes in the opposite direction. From the very beginning, you're given a single movement mechanic and asked to master it across more than sixty increasingly tricky stages. What follows is a surprisingly addictive blend of precision platforming and puzzle-solving that proves you don't need a complicated moveset to create satisfying challenges. At first glance, the premis

There’s something refreshing about a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. In an era where puzzle games often feel compelled to wrap themselves in elaborate narratives or endless progression systems, Sizeable goes in the opposite direction. It's a compact, relaxing puzzle experience built around a single clever idea: the ability to shrink and enlarge objects within beautifully crafted miniature worlds. Originally created as a student project before evolving into develo

Horror games often try to stretch a few scares across several hours, but Psalm 5:9-13 takes the opposite approach. This brief psychological horror experience from Axyos Games aims to deliver a concentrated dose of dread in around 30 minutes, using a VHS-inspired presentation, unsettling environments, and an oppressive atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares. From the moment you step into its seemingly ordinary setting, there is a lingering sense that something isn't quite ri

Rhythm games and roguelites are two genres that demand commitment. One asks you to master timing and precision, while the other expects you to learn through repeated failure and adaptation. On paper, combining the two sounds like a risky experiment. Yet Alpha Nomos manages to turn that concept into something genuinely compelling, creating an action experience where every dodge, attack, and decision is driven by the soundtrack. Set in a strange world inhabited by living puppet

Building the perfect golf course sounds easy until you realise every bunker placement, water hazard, and winding fairway can make or break a player's round. Under Par Golf Architect takes the idea of a golf game and flips it on its head. Rather than chasing birdies and sinking putts, you're the one designing the challenges, managing the club's finances, and transforming a patch of empty land into a thriving golfing destination. It's a management sim at heart, one that combine

Survival games usually ask you to chop trees, hoard resources, and build increasingly elaborate shelters. Honeycomb: The World Beyond takes a different approach. Instead of casting you as a stranded explorer or hardened settler, it puts you in the boots of a scientist. Armed with scanners, research tools, and a healthy dose of curiosity, you're sent to the alien planet of Sota7 to study strange ecosystems, uncover biological secrets, and perhaps discover a solution to humanit

There’s something undeniably appealing about taking a familiar genre and placing it in an unusual setting. Ancient Farm swaps modern tractors and automated equipment for the sands and rivers of ancient Egypt, challenging players to build a prosperous agricultural settlement from practically nothing. Developed by A2 Softworks and published by Ultimate Games S.A., the game focuses on manual labour, gradual progression, and the satisfaction of watching a small patch of land grow

In the ever-growing sea of Vampire Survivors-inspired "bullet heaven" games, it takes more than hordes of enemies and endless levelling to stand out. Shard Squad understands this well, putting a clever creature-collecting twist on the formula that makes every run feel a little more strategic than simply stacking the strongest upgrades and watching the screen explode with effects. Developed by The Root Studios and published by Nuntius Games, this colourful roguelite blends mon

There are some games that hook you with explosive action, gripping stories, or stunning visuals. TCG Card Shop Simulator does something much more dangerous: it convinces you that opening just one more booster pack before bed is a good idea. Hours later, you're still standing behind a virtual till, obsessing over stock levels and chasing the thrill of finding a rare card. Developed by OPNeon Games, TCG Card Shop Simulator puts you in charge of your own trading card store, task

For years, fans of Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats series have imagined what it would be like to step into the paws of their own Clan warrior. Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest finally delivers that opportunity, bringing the beloved world of ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan to Xbox in a surprisingly ambitious RPG adventure. Rather than simply retelling stories from the books, the game allows players to carve out their own legacy across the Lake Territories through

Point-and-click adventures often live or die by the strength of their writing, puzzles, and ability to keep players curious. Hyperdrive Inn takes that challenge and wraps it inside one of the strangest premises you’re likely to encounter: an infinite hotel built by your father, who has also accidentally triggered a universe-ending catastrophe and subsequently vanished somewhere within his creation. It's a wonderfully absurd setup that immediately sets the tone for an adventur

There is something refreshingly straightforward about Journey of Johann: Castle Crusade. It doesn't try to reinvent the platforming genre, drown players in endless upgrades, or pad its runtime with unnecessary content. Instead, it focuses on delivering a compact action-platforming adventure built around precision, exploration, and speedrunning-friendly level design. Developed by Apapappa Games and published by Xitilon, the game combines platforming, light puzzle-solving, comb

There is something undeniably charming about the Ah, Love! series. While it doesn't reinvent the puzzle genre, Ah, Love! Season 4 continues the franchise's formula of bite-sized brainteasers wrapped in a cheerful, romantic theme, making it another easy-going entry that's perfect for a relaxed evening of gaming. The game revolves around guiding two hearts towards one another by swapping tiles and manipulating their movement through increasingly complex stages. It's a simple co

There is no shortage of cosy life-sims and crafting adventures these days, but Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure manages to carve out its own identity by blending farming, exploration, creature companionship, and light combat into a colourful island-hopping adventure. Developed by Snowcastle Games and set within the Earthlock universe, the game invites players to tame a mysterious island, uncover its secrets, and create a home away from home. From the moment you arrive on

For years, skateboarding and BMX fans have enjoyed a healthy selection of extreme sports games, while freestyle scootering has largely been left waiting on the sidelines. ScooterFlow finally changes that, delivering a dedicated scooter experience that aims to capture the freedom, creativity, and technical precision of the sport. Developed by UncannyKiwi, the game focuses on realistic physics, deep customisation, and a genuine love for scooter culture. From the moment you jump

There are plenty of racing games on Xbox, but very few dare to focus on snowmobiling, and even fewer attempt to recreate the sport with this level of authenticity. Sledders throws away the usual checkpoints, championships, and scripted events in favour of a physics-driven sandbox where the mountain itself is the challenge. Developed by Hanki Games, this open-world snowmobile simulator lets players carve through deep powder, climb steep slopes, and explore vast backcountry env

Modern RPGs often prioritise convenience, covering maps in quest markers and streamlining every mechanic in the name of accessibility. YAR: Forgotten Throne takes the opposite approach. This is a game that wants players to carve out their own adventure, learn its systems through experimentation, and gradually build a hero capable of surviving the dangers lurking across Borea. It can be intimidating at first, and its old-school design won't appeal to everyone, but beneath the