Simon Parkin

UFO 50 review – a galaxy of 80s games brought brilliantly back to the future

Fill the walls of your nice big empty house with pictures delivered – in pieces – by your friendly local postwoman

The long read: During the siege of Leningrad, botanists in charge of an irreplaceable seed collection had to protect it from fire, rodents – and hunger

This ingenious follow-up to The Case of the Golden Idol requires all your powers of observation, deduction and reasoning

A crafty whodunnit, a galaxy of 80s games and a subterranean adventure enthral, while poker with a twist proved addictive

Make virtual millions in this deceptively simple game that’s all about bumpers and the luck of the bounce

A graceful game of tricks, turns and time trials, as you either race against the clock and other players or just glide through the wilderness on your own terms

The sequel to the hit cyborg-on-the-run game is text-heavy and dice-based, but also thrilling

Prove that Verity Amersham is innocent of trying to bump off the head girl in this ingenious whodunnit from the makers of Overboard!

After 10 fun-packed years, it’s a wrap for the UK’s biggest celebration of indie, communal gameplay. But the folk games at the heart of this year’s edition have now filtered into the mainstream, from Taskmaster to The Traitors