Gamezebo

Picnic Penguin is a game that’s perfectly shaped for short-burst mobile gaming moments. You can put it down for a month, pick it up again and still remember everything you need to. That it manages to be that, as well as remarkably fresh, is an achievement in and of itself.

This is not enough to detract significantly from the game’s originality and bravery in trying something different when it could have simply plumped for a safe concept however. Especially considering the reasonable price-point and the solid porting job to the Switch.

Super Sports Blast generally feels a bit anemic despite the inclusion of three sports, and the lack of polish isn’t quite balanced out by its budget pricepoint. It’s a workmanlike collection, and although it never feels broken its lack of any real spark or magic wears you down before long.

This is a throaty squawk of a mobile game, its swagger holding together its disparate ideas and letting them blend into something with the sharpness and fun you need to keep you glued to your phone for hours.

Sadly though Warplanes: WW1 Sky Aces never really takes flight to become a completely satisfying experience. Missions are generally very short, and the rewards you receive after each mission are never particularly gratifying.

Doodle Jump 2 captures delight and squishes it down, with finesse and care, into a small parcel that fits so well in the palm of your hand that when you put it down, for a few seconds at least, you’ll feel bereft. It is the very, very best at what it does, and what it does is bounce and make you smile.

You get a good amount of content for the game’s low price-tag too. Traffix isn’t a hugely expansive experience – there’s no two player mode for example, and it’s perhaps a little too slight for some – but it’s a undeniably satisfying action puzzler that’s perfect for short bursts of play.

Ultimately Space Invaders Forever puts together three very different takes on the arcade classic, but it’s a shame nothing new was created for this collection. Because of this lack of new content the pricetag feels a little high, although if you’re a shooter fan who hasn’t played all three of these games before this is undoubtedly worth picking up.

Of course, there’s another way to accumulate loot: do nothing. Mobile Legends: Adventure is an idle game, and that means a big chest is constantly filling up with goodies, whether you’ve got the game running or not. Progress is just a matter of time.

It also doesn’t overstay its welcome, with a short runtime – and a low price-tag to match. If you’re into narrative driven experiences you could do a lot worse than check this out.

So despite the game’s undoubted quality, at this stage we’d recommend this only to those who just have a Switch available to play this on – or simply must play it on the go. If you fall into one of those camps this is still a more than serviceable way to play one of the very best titles of 2020.

Ultimately, Primrose Lake: Twists of Fate is still under construction, with chapters and upgrades still labelled “coming soon”. We hope that while the developers are working on the new content they’ll find time to tweak the balancing, because at the moment it feels like the difficulty leans too far towards encouraging players to spend gems to make progress.

There’s a solid core idea here and it’s enough to keep you distracted for a while. But Sleepy Squares doesn’t have a sharp enough hook to really get under your skin.

The former can be overlooked a little when you play the game with a friend though, which is an obvious addition but still works very well – especially as the second player can drop in and out of the game as they wish.

Clods Wallup is a bright and breezy game that’s going to leave you with a smile on your face. It’s well-written, well-designed and there’s enough fun here to keep you playing for a good few hours.

We don’t feel it’s a completely satisfying set-up though, and often makes the game feel a little fractured and stop-start. There are sections of the adventure are a bit of a slog as a result.

WWE Undefeated is a brilliant mix of genres, dripping with the pantomime glitz of professional wrestling, and packed to the rafters with tiny tactical decisions. It is, in short, really rather good. And you should definitely give it a go.

Rowing a boat with Red and Blue controlling a oar each is a cool idea for instance, but making it a vessel that’s sailing through the night sky while a beetle passenger plays a soothing tune on a mandolin? That’s the type of thing you really remember. 

Super Arcade Racing ultimately doesn’t do quite enough to stand out amongst the many old school racers available on the Switch then, but it certainly manages to compete with the majority. And that’s enough for us to recommend it if you’re looking for a new title to try out in the genre, and one that certainly won’t break the bank.

Obviously that fun factor decreases when you’re playing bots, so Cake Bash is only worth a, er, bash if you’ve got friends to play with. Otherwise it’s certainly not worth its perhaps slightly high price. If you do have a group of friends to play with though this is a title that will stay solidly in rotation for games nights for months to come. It’s just the right blend of depth, fun, and unpredictability.

The Serious Sam Collection is a very well put together compilation of games that boast more depth than many give them credit for – and is definitely a must play if you’ve never experienced these no holds barred shooters before.

There’s an endearing cheesy soap-opera charm to Five Dates that means you can’t take your eyes away from it. This certainly doesn’t mean it’s a game we recommend to everyone – but if you’re looking for a reasonably well presented dating sim you could do a lot worse, especially for its budget price.

Is it fun? Yeah, for sure, and even though there’s a lot going on it’s never overwhelming. It’s not the most innovative game on the App Store, but it’s a great way to waste a few minutes here and there. This is a great distraction that’s going to keep you occupied for just as long as you let it.

There are minor issues with the Switch port and the controls – this is a title best suited to a mouse and keyboard – but ultimately LUNA is a solid fit for the console and there are no performance issues. 

War Alliance is a polished and pretty entertaining game, and it’s worth a look if you’re a big fan of the genre. But it’s unlikely to stand out from the crowd in a marketplace that’s basically dominated by Clash Royale. You’ll have fun with it, but it’s not going to find a home on your device for more than a couple of weeks.