PC It starts with a single machine: a landing pod on an untouched planet. Then a drill, built with iron mined by your own hand. Hours later, the planet is covered in neat (or not) arrays of extractors and conveyor belts, machines whirring comfortingly as they create their infinite thingummies. Corporate strip-mining simulator it may be, but it's just so absorbing. PS4/5, PC, Nintendo Switch Like much of the best British comedy, this slapstick puzzle game is topped off with just a smattering of unease.

Channelling the sci-fi military satire and extreme gloopy gore of Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 was a surprise mega hit on its launch in February. Looking back we shouldn't have been shocked: it delivers engrossing, hilarious co-op action in a range of desolate landscapes against horrible insects and crazed robots, and it makes each fight feel like part of a much wider story – a factor heightened by Arrowhead Game Studios' excellent use of social media channels. What we said: "Everything about this game is ridiculous, including how good it is at what it sets out to do." Read the full review The set-up is not wildly promising: you play as a blob, stuck down a well. But this winding puzzle platformer is an ethereal delight, dense in atmosphere, with visuals that look like a lost 1980s arcade game glimpsed through a window. You explore, you learn new skills, you see lovely creatures.

When it comes to the best video games of 2023, it was all about revisiting familiar realms. Whether it was through sequels, returning franchises, or long-awaited remakes, the pleasure was finding new things to enjoy in old games. Larian Studios created a breakout hit based on one of the most iconic role-playing franchises in the world; Nintendo let players return to the land of Hyrule for one more go at saving the world. We went to Hell, and then New York, and we liked it. These, dear reader, are the best video games of 2023.

PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC A game about the importance of cooking and the immigrant experience, in which we see vignettes of the daily life of a family who have emigrated from India to Canada. The mother uses food to keep herself and her son connected to their homeland and as a distance grows, perhaps inevitably, between parent and child, we see the consequences. The Tamil language, film, music and cuisine are depicted here with affection, lending emotional weight to the story. PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC As a traveller in foreign lands, with no knowledge of the local languages, you must piece clues together from context, making this part puzzle game and part adventure game. The beautiful, minimalist art is reminiscent of Monument Valley and the contrasting colour palette creates a sense of otherworldliness.

The summer holidays are upon us, as are the immense tasks of navigating long trips, airports and keeping children amused for what feels like 400 days with no school. Video games can be a godsend for parents at this time, but there is a delicate balance to be struck: for kids, you want something entertaining enough to keep them out of your hair for a while, but not so addictive that you lose them completely for weeks on end. For adults, you need something you can play in the brief snatches of time when you're not making someone a snack. These are the best video games to keep everyone happy during the summer holidays, for every kind of scenario and gamer. Being stuck in the car or a hotel room can be enough to drive anyone crazy, let alone bored kids.

Smartphones, 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. 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. 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.

"Pokémon Legends: Arceus" does something no other mainline Pokémon game has done before: It attempts to create a real open world. The game's focus, too, is different: You're tasked with completing the Pokédex, not becoming a Pokémon Champion by defeating the Elite Four. Gone are loading and transition screens to battles. The change in mechanics, along with an almost watercolor-esque aesthetic to the feudal Japan-inspired Hisui region, is a much-needed shot of adrenaline for the series. While "Arceus" has its share of tech and graphics issues, those issues never get in the way of what was otherwise a smooth, unique experience.

Earlier this week, "goblin mode" was announced as Oxford's word of the year, bringing a new level of awareness – and hopefully acceptance – to this previously misunderstood and maligned lifestyle choice. It is defined as "a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations" (also known, throughout lockdown, as simply "existing"), though the exact parameters of the term have been much discussed. But one thing is certain: video games are the perfect goblin mode entertainment. They can be enjoyed from bed, they require little energy and yet they simulate a lot of real-world activities so you can at least pretend to be a functioning member of the human race. But not all games are suitable for goblin mode. Pokémon Go is an absolute no-go (you have to go outside) as are Just Dance (you have to stand up) and driving sims such as Gran Turismo 7 (waaaaay too intense).

There used to be a time where video games were sneered at and overlooked by the culturati as lowbrow schlock but games are, and always have been, a lively and responsive form of artistic expression. It's not always immediately clear when a game was made in Australia, which makes it a little harder to celebrate homegrown hits – which we should do, because we have a thriving community of developers who punch well above their weight. The Australian independent games scene is vibrant, dynamic and overdue an apology. As I have (graciously, selflessly) decided, we're all going to yank games from the declasse and appreciate them properly – so here are 10 great Australian-made games, all variously ruminative, charming, effervescent, sincere, generous, visceral, cheeky, and beautiful. Glad we have that sorted.

It's easy to get lost in the gorgeous open world of "Horizon Forbidden West," the highly anticipated sequel to Guerrilla Games' 2017 post-apocalyptic RPG "Horizon Zero Dawn." Exploration is revamped with protagonist Aloy's new arsenal of gadgets, letting her glide across valleys and swim through sunken cities. The weapons, the map, the enemies -- everything feels scaled up. The writing and characters are captivating, particularly Aloy's new crew, a mix of new faces and allies from the first game. Though the plot goes a bit off the rails, leaning more into science fiction this time around, Guerrilla Games' masterful world-building comes together in an endearing tale of hope and human tenacity -- no easy feat in a series with such a bleak premise.