Behold the Kickmen

Mac, PC, Size Five Games; cert: NA

★★★★

Taking its lead from a frivolous premise, Behold the Kickmen is a lesson in how far the most unlikely idea can be taken. Here is a football game by a developer who – by appearing not to like or fully understand football – has produced a gleeful, unique take on the genre.

Beneath the intentionally misused jargon and parody of football culture, this is a snappy, distinct homage to classic 2D soccer games, albeit with a few of the sport’s conventions deliberately doctored. The result is a game that is hilarious to play, not just because of the writing, but because the gameplay mechanisms exist as jokes told as interactions. All of which would count for nothing if the game within Behold the Kickmen were but a novelty. Fortunately that aspect is rock solid and the tongue-in-cheek attitude and mechanical silliness serve as a brilliant mantle to a title that is both original and unexpectedly nuanced. WF

Aporia: Beyond the Valley

PC, Green Man Gaming; cert: 12

★★★

Aporia offers an intriguing opening, with players emerging from a casket into a silent world. The where and why are secrets to uncover as you explore beautiful but desolate environments with a strange canister of liquid light as a guide. Part puzzle, part first-person platformer, part exploration (or “walking simulator” to some), its unstated purpose will confound you to begin with. Persist, and the gorgeous world – possibly fantastic, definitely arboreal – becomes an enigma that demands to be cracked. Devoid of dialogue or supporting characters, though, it’s tough to reach that point. What little story exists is revealed intermittently through arcane animatics, while puzzles lack much challenge beyond opening paths by activating switches with the light stick.

Without the immediate hook found in The Talos Principle or classics such as Myst, Aporia will prove a slog for some, but is a worthwhile mystery that rewards patience. MK

Aven Colony

PC, PS4, Xbox One, Team17; cert: 12

★★★★

Unashamedly appealing to tendencies of megalomania, Aven Colony sets the challenge of establishing settlements on a far-flung planet. Here, being master of it all has been brought to life with consummate skill. The task is to manage a city so that air quality, food chains, health, employment, power supply, mining facilities and accommodation are perfectly balanced. In the tradition of genre giants such as SimCity, Aven Colony succeeds in making the finicky work of urban planning extremely compelling, and seeing a city of your own design emerge and prosper proves consistently rewarding.

While developer Mothership Entertainment’s creation is elaborate in its systems, an elegant design makes it easy to grasp and to play. Variation is maintained by a well-shaped campaign mode that prompts exploring different playIt’s a little rough around the edges in presentation, but there are few surprises; and while the wider genre has been diluted to fit the conventions of free-to-play game design, Aven Colony is an example of a true city-builder done right. WF