Third-person shooter/RPG for Windows, free on Epic Games for Amazon Prime subscribers until 24th November

Fire up a wild ride across the cosmos with a fresh take on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. In this third-person action-adventure game, you are Star-Lord, and thanks to your bold yet questionable leadership, you have persuaded an oddball crew of unlikely heroes to join you. Some jerk (surely not you) has set off a chain of catastrophic events, and only you can hold the unpredictable Guardians together long enough to fight off total interplanetary meltdown.

Use Element Blasters, tag-team beat downs, jet boot-powered dropkicks - nothing's off-limits. If you think it's all going to plan, you're in for a world of surprises, with the consequences of your actions guaranteed to keep the Guardians on their toes.

In this original Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy story, you'll cross paths with powerful new beings and unique takes on iconic characters, all caught in a struggle for the galaxy's fate. It's time to show the universe what you're made of. You got this. Probably.

Indie horror for Windows, free on IndieGala

Christmas Night is a first person psychological horror game.

The game takes place in a house in a small town in Cordova, Alaska. A 12-year-old little girl lives in this house with her mother.

The moment the little girl had been waiting for finally came. The tree was decorated, preparations were made and the desired wishes were made. Even though you've been good all year, you're going to have to do more to get the gift you wanted and not be on Santa's spoilers list.

Will tonight go as Vanessa planned? The Christmas Eve she had been waiting impatiently for turned into a disaster for the little girl.

If you want your gift, listen to what Santa says and do it to the letter.

Your mother may have left you alone at home, but the mysteries of Christmas will not leave you alone.

We recommend that people who are afraid of the dark, have a heart condition, and are afraid of being alone should not play alone.

Looter-shooter RPG for Windows, free on Epic Games for Amazon Prime subscribers until 4th December

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel takes place between the events of Borderlands and Borderlands 2. Discover the rise and fall of the infamous Handsome Jack as you loot 'n' shoot your way through Pandora's moon of Elpis for some low-gravity, high stakes action.

Two indies, pay-what-you-want on itch.io until 4th November:

• Her Last Day, Windows

In this game, you have to help Granny to survive as long as possible by procrastinating stuff she should be doing. She has her own desires, but you need to keep her busy, because Death can see what she's planning and will act accordingly!

• Jinx o'Clock - A Witch Adventure, Linux and Windows

A short point and click adventure game created by Hexenwerk (solo dev). You play a witch who wants to solve a "murder".

A bit of a different one this week as this is technically a subscription service with a free-to-play option, but put down your pitchforks and hear me out!

BGA is a platform for playing board games online, and about half of the games I'm aware of IRL are available, from simple classics like Carcassonne and Yahtzee to multi-day slogs like Unconditional Surrender and Scythe. Some games are free for anyone to play, "premium" ones require that the person who starts the game is a paying member (but that means that one enthusiast can pay a few quid a month and invite their friends to play for free). There are rankings and tournaments if you want to take it seriously, or you can exclusively play solo or with friends.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but still quite a cool site you can enjoy without paying.

Hack-and-slash indie for Windows, pay-what-you-want on itch.io until 4th November

Cenk The Chopper is a fast paced hack-and-slash game inspired by titles such as Warframe, Devil May Cry, and ULTRAKILL. Chain together slides and dashes to maneuver your way around danger, using various weapons to rip your way through hostiles at blindingly fast speeds.

City builder for Windows, free on the Microsoft Store until 4th November

Build your own city and make heaps of money in this casual simulation game.

Construct beautiful and functional city zones with plenty of modern blocks and keep your residents happy by providing all services they need, and they will reward you with a tidy profit. It’s up to you how to play - you can work your way to the top in the comprehensive campaign mode or you can create and play your own custom scenarios. Build dozens of houses, structures and other buildings. Trophies and awards available for the meticulous gamer!

A bunch of indie horror games to spook yourself with this evening, pay-what-you-want in Itch.io until 4th November

• Threads of Madness, Linux, Mac, and Windows
• Don't Shit Alone 2, Linux, Mac, and Windows
• The Grave Guard, Windows
• The Goatman, Linux, Mac, and Windows
• Sea Town Shopping Mall, Linux, Mac, and Windows
• Devyard, Windows
• Stomagron, Linux and Windows (until 8th November)
• The Parking (appeared as a sale but might now be free forever?)

Fantasy RPG for Windows, free again on the Microsoft Store until 4th November

Embark on a dangerous quest to save the city from the dragon threat. In your travels around the world, you come to a city that has just experienced a dragon attack. No one knows where the terrible beast came from. While people live in fear, a little boy, an orphan named Brent, dreams of courageous acts that will bring him recognition. The desire for justice brings you to a joint quest with Brent. You have to go into the dangerous wilderness, find the dragon and fight the greatest struggle of your life. Your heroic courage and your skills will save the city from evil.

Fast-paced cat-based mini-games for Windows, pay-what-you-want on itch.io until 4th November

Retro platformer for Windows, free for Amazon Prime subscribers until 27th November

Gargoyles Remastered is an artfully crafted revival of the '90s classic 16-bit side-scrolling platform adventure. Relive the epic journey of Goliath and the Gargoyles featuring enhanced visuals, animations, and SFX, all inspired by the acclaimed animated series. The world of Gargoyles comes to life with a level of detail that will thrill fans of the animated series and retro gaming enthusiasts alike. Experience classic gameplay that stays authentic to its predecessor while including new features such as achievements, gameplay rewind, and more!

Indie platformer for Windows, pay-what-you-want on itch.io until 1st November

Rise Above is a gravity-defying platformer that takes players on an endless journey through space and time, where the only way forward is up. In this cosmic adventure, players climb through surreal and shifting landscapes, each one representing a different era in history or a fantastical future. With each new level, you unlock a new realm, and with it, new challenges, and mysteries.

In Rise Above, time and space blend together, challenging you with obstacles from ancient ruins and futuristic cities to alien landscapes and timeless voids. Ascend through each layer of reality, where the rules change and platforms come to life, shifting in response to your actions. The higher you go, the more precise your timing and skill must become to reach new realms and avoid falling back to lower levels.

Surreal FPS adventure for Windows, free on GOG for Amazon Prime subscribers until 27th November

Embark on a gripping journey in INDUSTRIA, an atmospheric FPS set in Cold War-era East Berlin. Unravel the secrets of a mysterious parallel dimension while searching for a missing colleague. Explore a haunting reality where the truth awaits. Discover the dark past that lies beyond.

On the evening of the fall of the Berlin wall, a young woman plunges headlong into a parallel dimension to find her missing work colleague who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. While the checkpoints in East Berlin are still being overrun by crowds of people, Nora escapes from this world, into unknown layers of time and into an unknown fate.

Hard to tell if this is a real game or a joke

Fuzishe spends his time on a toilet reflecting on his past mistakes and his life in general. Why is he thinking about colous black? Smooth surfaces? Why are some people telling lies of this Earth? He's got used to thes soft toilet seat and the warmed floor under his feet.

It is now November, and Fuzishe unconciously invites you to think with him.

In Poopy Philosophy you will expirience a life of a man that sits on his toilet for a month straight. Help the protagonist finish all his stinky business and think upon such questions as...?

Hand-drawn musical platformer for Windows, free for Amazon Prime subscribers until 27th November

In Ynglet you jump between bubbles that float in the sky like you're a space dolphin, as you melt into a highly reactive and dynamic soundtrack created by Ynglet's custom (and needlessly complicated) music software!

Spooky object-finding mystery for Windows, free for Amazon Prime subscribers until 27th November

When a patient at the Manchester Asylum draws a huge crown covering the walls of her cell, you're sent to learn what, if anything, it has to do with your past. But when the inmates escape, there's only one way for you to regain control - find the Black Crown before they do. You'll need to gather your wits and use all your abilities to learn the identity of "Jane Doe" and solve the mystery of the Black Crown in the 20th chapter of this classic hidden-object puzzle adventure game series!

[Itch] Hypercore https://hyperforg.itch.io/hypercore

[Itch] Pseudo Haunting https://apehardware.itch.io/pseudo-haunting

[Itch] Smiley Dusty https://4dpixel.itch.io/smiley-dusty

[Itch] Small Mouse Big House https://4dpixel.itch.io/small-mouse-big-house

[Itch] Home Ownership https://flamezplays.itch.io/home-ownership

[Itch] Boklin https://the-icehouse.itch.io/boklin

First-person reactions game for Windows, pay-what-you-want on Itch.io until 30th October

Are you ready to test your aim? In Falling Houses, you'll have to move your mouse quickly and precisely to hover over falling objects and earn points. These objects, known as houses, will fall very fast creating an intense and exciting experience.

Gain experience points by earning high scores and use them to rank up. Falling Houses is a fast-paced game that will keep you on your toes and sharpen your reflexes. It's perfect for anyone who loves a challenge and wants to improve their aim and accuracy.