Undertale (Switch eShop)

Underlying systems in RPGs are usually on the complex side, requiring a certain amount of equipment, stats and many other factors to get the best results out of a team, while Undertale just has HP, Attack and Defense stats with next to no equipment. This act of going against the grain extends to the writing and the story as well; just when you expect a serious boss fight to happen, Undertale throws something silly at you. Similarly, disturbingly dark events can happen moments after a string of gags. Undertale is a game of surprise, of never knowing quite what’s going to happen next, and it’s that sense of freshness that makes this relatively short adventure such a memorable experience.

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LEGO City: Undercover (Switch)

LEGO City: Undercover doesn't quite stand up as well in its 2017 form as it did when it originally came to Wii U; series improvements have come in the years since that leave this one looking slightly dusty in comparison. That said, played as a console game in single player, like its original, this still offers an easy-going and slightly anarchic fun time. The same crazy storylines, set pieces and scenarios are still here, as are the cheesy jokes riffing on famous movies. LEGO City: Undercover's case isn't quite as convincing as it was in 2013, but it still has plenty to offer.

Surgeon Simulator CPR (Switch eShop)

This operation isn’t going well. It was meant to be a ‘simple’ heart transplant. Take the old ticker out, pop in the new one. Easy. This isn’t brain surgery after all (well, not yet, at least). But what should be a routine procedure in the theatre turns into a bloodbath of Eli Roth-style proportions. We’ve smashed the poor patient’s ribcage open with a hammer and pulled their lungs right out their chest like fleshy luggage. Unfortunately, we’ve knocked the new heart on the floor, so we’ve popped in a nearby bottle of fizzy pop instead and casually flipped the rapidly perishing subject the bird with our gore-soaked fingers.

Donut County (Switch eShop)

As far as plot is concerned, Donut County doesn’t swing for the fences - this is a fairly standard Saturday morning cartoon-ish narrative - but a big part of the charm can be found in the humorous nature of the writing. As a raccoon with a natural penchant for thieving, BK simply can’t understand how it’s his fault that the entire town is now in a sinkhole, and there’s a very quirky sense of humour displayed as everyone airs their complaints. In addition to this, a “Trashopedia” logs entries for all the items taken by the hole, and the items’ descriptions are clearly written by an inquisitive raccoon; tires being referred to as “gloves for your car” is a highlight.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Switch)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, which came at the tail-end of this heyday in 2013, is secretly the best LEGO game of all. There's a clear difference between games made with a lot of research, and games made with genuine love, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the latter: there are so many references, in-jokes, and winks to the camera that it's clear that this game is a labour of love made by superfans. You might have to have seen a Marvel movie or two to get all the jokes, but you won't be left behind if you're someone who can't tell the difference between Green Arrow and Hawkeye.

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Tales from the Borderlands (Switch eShop)

From the opening moments of episode one to the grand finale of five, Tales from the Borderlands absolutely excels at creating a take on this universe that's chock full of entertaining action and populated by well-written characters you'll actually grow to care about. It consistently delivers actual belly laughs over its ten-hour running time, manages to convincingly portray its core protagonists' emotional journeys, does a strong line in romantic subplot and, what's more, it does all of this whilst giving fans of its source material plenty of returning characters, lore and a healthy dollop of the series' signature gross-out humour to indulge in.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch (Switch eShop)

You are a father and husband. You are also an octopus in a suit. Your family does not know this, and you must prevent them from finding out.

The sitcom-like set up and writing of Octodad, along with the decent voice acting and zany visual humour, is what gives the game an endearing quality. Balancing the absurd with the sincere, the 'fish out of water' (pardon the sort-of pun) storyline is objectively ridiculous, but it will be down to personal taste whether the player embraces the craziness and enjoys it. There is also a quirky innocence to how the family interacts and the tasks you have to perform - set pieces that involve reminiscing about dating and skits entertaining the children are especially heartfelt. While Octodad himself can't speak as such, his thoughts and opinions (made up of gargles and such like) are conveyed by an array of witty 'translation' subtitles.

The Jackbox Party Pack 3 (Switch eShop)

Although many of the Jackbox Party Packs are excellent, this one stands out as an all-time classic because of the inclusion of Tee K.O., Quiplash 2, and Fakin' It. Quiplash is all about being funny in response to prompts; Fakin' It is a game where the whole group knows the prompts, except one person, who has to pretend like they know what everyone's laughing about; and Tee K.O. is about making mashups of crappy drawings and nonsensical slogans on a T-shirt. They're all brilliant.

Untitled Goose Game (Switch eShop)

As a sandbox of cheekiness, Untitled Goose Game scores highly; it helps that there are numerous hidden objectives which can be unlocked by experimenting with the environment and the items found within. The world is so utterly convincing – and so brilliantly governed by its own set of rules – that simply wandering around is a pleasure in itself; watching the gardener diligently attempt to tidy up the massive mess you've so thoughtlessly made (a commendable trait that many of the human characters possess) is both gratifying and ever-so-slightly mortifying at the same time. Also, it has a dedicated HONK button. HONK.

Good Job! (Switch eShop)

Good Job! Is a wonderful surprise that everyone should try out. Thanks to its hilarious physics, seemingly menial tasks have the potential to descend into utter carnage – whether intentional or not – and its grading system means there are plenty of opportunities to replay. Slight technical hiccups aside, its arrival comes at a time when we all could do with a bit of a laugh, and Good Job! is absolutely guaranteed to do just that.

Hypnospace Outlaw (Switch eShop)

Hypnospace Outlaw really is like nothing else out there; at once an excellent puzzle game, razor-sharp satire and meticulously crafted slice of early-internet nostalgia that you can spend hours absolutely lost in. It's frequently hilarious stuff that's impeccably well-written across the board, managing to successfully bring the crazy, lawless, early rush of creativity that formed the pre-Y2K era of the internet convincingly back to life.

The Procession To Calvary (Switch eShop)

The very first moment you lay eyes on The Procession To Calvary you'll probably be reminded of the iconic British comedy series Monty Python, thanks to the use of cut-up, pre-existing classical artwork. However, while this is a huge part of the game's visual appeal, its sense of humour is actually more unique than that, and it often challenges genre favourites such as Monkey Island and Sam & Max when it comes to absurdist jokes and belly laughs. In fact, we'd even dare to say that, in its funniest moments, The Procession To Calvary (named after the Pieter Bruegel the Elder painting of the same title) even manages to surpass those titles.