Katherine Cross

The game Expelled! is a rich addition to the wayward schoolgirl genre of visual novel, despite the odd frustrating moment.

The seventh iteration of this beloved empire-building strategy game has removed the tedious jobs and dialled up the fun.

After a decade-long wait, the latest instalment of the Dragon Age franchise answers a lot of questions – maybe even too many – about this rich and complex world.

Tactical Breach Wizards is an instant classic – a thrilling, hilarious spec-ops game that refuses jingoism and glorification of violence.

The highlights of the major gaming expo PAX West are from indie developers, demonstrating the talent ignored by major studios – and offering some hope for the future.

Set on an oil rig in 1970s Scotland, Still Wakes the Deep is a stunningly designed game that hides a universe of missed opportunities behind exquisite graphics.

Terra Nil inverts urban building games to rewild wastelands and offer the player a glimpse of environmental hope.

Kinder World, from Melbourne indie studio Lumi Interactive, is a simple, therapeutic game that is surprisingly effective.

The classic role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 rejects the capitalist predations of contemporary gaming to create a rich, enchanting world.

The enchanting steampunk world of Syberia: The World Before permits a vivid exploration of its central character, Kate Walker.

Inkle Studio’s charming narrative game A Highland Song has a seemingly effortless beauty.

Northway Games’ I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a sci-fi visual novel without peer, which powerfully evokes the emotions of adolescence.

The operatic Stray Gods, which won Game of the Year at the recent Australian Game Developer Awards, is an instant classic.