25 amazing games you might have missed in 2017

There’s no denying it: just over halfway done and 2017 has already been a cracking year for games.

We’ve risked life and limb in Dulvey, Lousiana, fenced with demons in ancient Japan, took down a mecha-t-rex with a slingshot, pulled off a heist inside somebody else’s head and even swapped blows with naked futuristic androids…

If you’ve managed to keep up, then we commend you, but with all those big-name titles hogging the limelight, there’re bound to be some smaller ones you’ve missed.

Hence, we’ve put together this handy checklist to help you stay abreast of things. Any here that got by you?

1. The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition

Released way back in January, The Flame and the Flood reimagines the intense rogue-like survival mechanics of trailblazers like Don’t Starve and Day Z with lashings of visual panache, a rip-roaring musical accompaniment and, most important of all, a pet pooch.

What you’re missing: An excellent alt-country soundtrack from the likes of Chuck Ragan, The Camaraderie and The Fearless Kin.

You can purchase the game here.

2. Holoball [PlayStation VR]

With its laser-covered, retro take on a squash court, it’s hard to avoid the obvious comparisons between Holoball and Disney’s iconic techno-adventure Tron. Then again, that’s hardly a bad thing – I mean, who didn’t think about Tron when they dreamt about the future of VR gaming?

What’s you’re missing: a simple yet addictive sports game that’ll fill you up with all those childhood feels.

You can purchase the game here.

3. Malicious Fallen

Every generation has its share of great games that – for one reason or another – miss their chance to shine. It’s with that in mind that Malicious on PS3 and the enhanced follow-up Malicious Rebirth on the PS Vita found themselves fully remastered and winging their way onto PS4 this February.

What you’re missing: blistering, all-out combat woven into one of the more unique structural approaches to ever appear in a video game.

You can purchase the game here.

4. Snake Pass

Breaking out with their first original title, Sumo Digital managed to deliver one of the generation’s most charming titles. Snake Pass takes you on a slow-paced, puzzle-platform adventure that boasts more than a few original twists and turns (it’s a snake -get it?).

What you’re missing: the perfect antidote to the sort of hair-trigger gaming which defines the modern industry – like a Sudoku… except with a seven-foot coral snake.

You can purchase the game here.

5. Night in the Woods

There are few games which tackle such complex issues as the crippling anxiety of early adulthood or the economic hardships of the rural working classes – fewer still that do so in a 2D platformer-cum-social sim. That it all hangs together so seamlessly is what makes Night in the Woods so special.

What you’re missing: a confident blend of storytelling, social-sim and occasional knife-fighting that you won’t soon forget.

You can purchase the game here.

6. Styx: Shards of Darkness

A tongue-in-cheek follow-up to 2014’s Styx: Master of Shadows, this comic fable of murderous goblins and fantasy kingdoms expands the original stealth-em-up gameplay with impressive visual chops and a hefty dose of two-player co-op.

What you’re missing: a foul-mouthed goblin spouting pop culture references as he knifes well-dressed elves from the shadows.

You can purchase the game here.

7. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight

Colourful 8-Bit art meets hardcore combat platforming in Bombservice’s incredibly addictive mini-masterpiece Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight. Built on the classic Metroidvania design philosophy, if exploration is your thing, this could be one for you.

What you’re missing: a visually quirky, mechanically deep experience that was made by just three people.

You can purchase the game here.

8. KONA

Breaking company with its ‘walking sim’ contemporaries, KONA takes all that makes the interactive narrative genre compelling and combines it with a deep inventory system, crafting, survival elements, combat and even your own skidoo – a game that’s ultimately full of surprises.

What you’re missing: a spine-tingling horror sci-fi story that beautifully evokes the unsettling isolation of small-town rural communities.

You can purchase the game here.

9. Yakuza 0

The prequel to SEGA’s long-running and much-loved Yakuza series splashed down on PS4 earlier this year to a wave of high critical praise that left many uninitiated gamers wondering what all the fuss was about. If you’re one such person, this might just be perfect excuse to find out.

What you’re missing: a dark and dangerous world of gang crime, murder, mah-jong and karaoke.

You can purchase the game here.

10. I Expect You to Die [PlayStation VR]

An unapologetic send-up of classic spy stories, Schell Games’ clever virtual reality puzzler places you into the well-polished shoes of a golden-age sleuth and pits you against various megalomaniacal machinations as you work feverishly to outwit evil doers.

What you’re missing: immersive and innovative puzzle-solving with a knowing sense of humour.

You can purchase the game here.

11. The Turing Test

The somewhat blurry divide between human and machine intelligence is a quandary as old as the sci-fi genre, but that didn’t prevent the developers behind The Turing Test finding a surprising new angle on the subject in their deeply mysterious, explorative puzzler, released this year on PS4.

What you’re missing: funnily enough, what we’re all ‘missing’ is what The Turing Test really wants to answer.

You can purchase the game here.

12. PaRappa the Rapper Remastered

A dog that truly needs no introduction, PS1 rhythm-rapping legend Parappa the Rapper got himself some new threads this year as he made his long-awaited comeback on PS4. Are you ready to ‘chop, chop, chop’ in HD?

What you’re missing: an anthropomorphic rapping onion – a ‘rap scallion’, if you will (I’ll see myself out).

You can purchase the game here.

13. The Sexy Brutale

If you’re looking for something truly unique in the narrative puzzle genre you’d struggle to find anything more original than The Sexy Brutale: a fantastically quirky aesthetic, a creepy little plotline and a clever use of time loop mechanics combine to make a game which is effortlessly intriguing.

What you’re missing: the sort of obsessive attention to detail that makes exploration truly rewarding.

You can purchase the game here.

14. Torment: Tides of Numenera

This long-awaited spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment was a crowd-funding sensation, meeting its initial funding target within just six hours. The final product, despite a number of delays, delivered PlayStation 4 one of the best classic RPG titles in years.

What you’re missing: a high-concept visual aesthetic quite unlike anything else on PlayStation 4.

You can purchase the game here.

15. Shadow Warrior 2

Flying Hog Games follow up to 2014’s Shadow Warrior dials their custom brand of boyish irreverence up to 11 as the foul-mouthed, no-nonsense Lo Wang returns to slice up demons, gangsters and rogue corporate entities alike – and this time he’s brought friends.

What you’re missing: probably one of the most satisfying co-operative first-person shooters since the Borderlands series.

You can purchase the game here.

16. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap

Reliving retro classics with gorgeous audio-visual updates has been one of the most quietly satisfying hallmarks of this generation. Few studios, however, have cast their minds back as far – or made as dramatic changes – as Lizardcube’s unflinchingly loyal remaster of Wonderboy III.

What you’re missing: not only a beautifully-rendered recreation, but also a direct port of the 1989 8-bit original.

You can purchase the game here.

17. Statik [PlayStation VR]

A bold experiment from a small but gifted team at Tarsier Studios, Statik is one of those virtual reality experiences that couldn’t be translated into any other medium. Disquieting, challenging and often blackly comic, its approach to puzzle solving is brilliantly innovative and unexpectedly immersive.

What you’re missing: a true VR gem laced with smart Easter eggs and an impressively subtle narrative.

You can purchase the game here.

18. Outlast 2

Ill-advised to anyone of a delicate disposition, Red Barrels brutal and deeply-disturbing follow-up to 2014’s Outlast is a gruelling descent into madness, isolation and fanaticism that’s punctuated by some of the most wholly unsettling imagery to ever appear in a video game.

What you’re missing: a no-holds-barred horror experience that will challenge more than just your competence with a controller.

You can purchase the game here.

19. Tales of Berseria

The long-running Tales of… series got a timely revamp this year with the latest instalment rejigging everything from combat and exploration to overall tone and, in doing so, delivered one of the freshest franchise entries in years.

What you’re missing: the series’ first ever mainline female protagonist, Velvet, leading a distinctly anti-hero cast of characters.

You can purchase the game here.

20. What Remains of Edith Finch

The true success of Giant Sparrow’s second title was to so effortlessly tell a deeply intimate story of family tragedy through such a surreal, and sometimes downright bonkers, series of events. That none of these individual moments detract from the raw emotional impact of the ending is a veritable touch of brilliance.

What you’re missing: one of the most original and affecting pieces of storytelling in a video game to date.

You can purchase the game here.

21. Little Nightmares

Tarsier Studios got thoroughly under our skin in May with their simple, unassuming horror title about a lost child in a giant sub-nautical doll house. Filled with the kind of chilling and surreal imagery that fuels childhood nightmares it was timely reminder that there’s more to the genre than zombies and axe-murderers.

What you’re missing: some of the most psychologically unsettling design work since the Silent Hill series.

You can purchase the game here.

22. LocoRoco Remastered

Having a bit of a down day? Good news! The happiest game to ever grace the PlayStation Portable came to PS4 earlier this year and, with overhauled visuals (available in sumptuous 4K for you lucky PS4 Pro owners), it’s never looked so eye-poppingly adorable.

What you’re missing: a true breath of fresh air; an infectiously enjoyable romp through a world of bright colours and buoyant characters.

You can purchase the game here.

23. RiME

After a lengthy labour of love, this year finally saw the launch of Tequila Work’s RiME. First teased to audiences all the way back in 2013, this incredibly polished puzzle platformer has proved worth every bit of the wait, delivering one of the more memorable gaming experiences this generation.

What you’re missing: a game that hums with so much artistic confidence that it’s simply a pleasure to behold.

You can purchase the game here.

24. Star Trek Bridge Crew [PlayStation VR]

Who needs a holodeck, eh? Yes, Trekkies everywhere rejoice: this might be the closest you’ll ever get to piloting your own federation star ship. For everybody else, it’s a chance to indulge the inner nerd and live out some slightly more modest sci-fi fantasies.

What you’re missing: possibly one of the best co-operative VR experiences anywhere on the market – we suggest hooking up with a full crew.

You can purchase the game here.

25. Final Fantasy XII – The Zodiac Age

Last, but definitely not least, this month saw the release of the long-awaited remaster of Final Fantasy XII. Having appeared relatively late in the PS2’s life-cycle, the original was forced to compete with a new wave of seventh-gen consoles and never really found the audience it deserved. Remastered for PS4 it’s never looked or played better.

What you’re missing: an overlooked PS2 gem that delivered some of the series most innovative combat and world-building.

You can purchase the game here.