January's a typical slow month for video games, but even though there were no triple-A titles that made their way into our sweaty palms in January 2016, there will still a few great to excellent releases that kept us entertained over the course of the past 31 days.
While we wouldn't blame you from abstaining from buying any new video games, as if you're anything like us then you still have a daunting backlog from 2015, if you wish to splash your cash then you'd be best off choosing to purchase a game from the gallery below.
Here are the best games of January 2016:
Already a phenomenon in Asia, boasting more concurrent users than the likes of MMO behemoth World of Warcraft in the region, Blade & Soul finally made its way to the West in January and immediately struck a chord with PC gamers.
Attracting over 1 million players within the first week of its launch, Blade & Soul is proving to be a hit with its new audience, combining traditional MMORPG questing with a unique combat system akin to what you'd see in a hack and slash game.
Braid creator Jonathan Blow's latest release was seven years in the making, and that protracted development time has helped to create one of the most unique and imaginative experiences a video game has offered in quite some time.
The Witness' mysterious open-world island serves as the perfect hub for some 600+ head-scratching puzzles, each fitting within a similar theme yet ranging from simple, to challenging, to maddeningly obtuse. But even though you can often find yourself tearing out your hair in your vein attempts to expose the secrets of its island, it never becomes anything less than extraordinarily compelling.
Few games have really managed to nail Lovecraftian horror, but Darkest Dungeon ranks among that very exclusive list. While it doesn't directly extract its unfathomable, unspeakable horrors from H.P. Lovecraft's mythos, it is very similar in its disturbing nature, having the player journey alongside a band of rogues who are just as likely to crumble under the psychological weight of the nightmares they are witnessing, as they are to be killed by one of the disgusting monsters you'll face off against.
Darkest Dungeon features traditional turn-based RPG combat, but aside from that there is nothing traditional about it. After impressing and terrifying in equal measure in its Early Access incarnation last year, the full game has finally arrived in January and it's a must play for horror fans.
Local multiplayer games continue to thrive on PC, with Move or Die being the latest title to celebrate the joys of shouting at your friends whilst sitting next to them on the couch.
A 2D party game in which you're tasked with completing a series of mini-games whilst constantly on the run, Move or Die was arguably the most fun game to release in the first month of the year.
A unique horror game that combines a haunting synth-led soundtrack with wonderful characters and an affecting, if short, narrative, Oxenfree is a thoughtful exploration of the theme of loss, told from the perspective of a group of teenagers who unwittingly open a paranormal rift.
Oxenfree is a game that forces you to make decisions that will impact upon your band or protagonists' lives, even after you've turned off the game. It's a clever and thoughtful character study, wrapped up in a beautifully designed world.
Revisiting an old-school RTS series and somehow creating a sequel that was appealing to both veterans and newcomers alike, Blackbird Interactive's Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak was an underrated high point of January 2016.
A game that's worth a punt even for those who weren't previously familiarized with Homeworld, Deserts of Kharak efficiently blends the old with the new in order to deliver an early high point of the year for RTS fans.
The modern-day remake of a PS2 cult favorite, Amplitude shares the same name of its predecessor and much of the same characteristics, yet applies a HD coat of paint and a fresh new electro soundtrack.
While developer Harmonix may have spent 2015 convincing us to re-introduce plastic instruments into our lives with the underwhelming Rock Band 4, they've kickstarted 2016 with a little-known rhythm-action game from their archives that will appease old-school fans of the declining genre.
January's most hard-hitting game, That Dragon, Cancer goes for the emotional jugular with its autobiographical tale of a couple's struggle to cope with their son being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
With the game having been developed by the parents while their son was still receiving treatment, That Dragon, Cancer was released despite the real-life story having a tragic ending. It's a heartbreaking journey, and one which not everyone will want to embark upon as a result, but if you feel that you've got it within you to play it then you should definitely check it out.
Combining two frequently and unfortunately overlooked Mario series, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam sees the portable Mario RPG spin-off successfully implementing mechanics from Paper Mario, too, in order to create one of the most hilarious video games in quite some time.
After having released in Europe back in late 2015, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam made its debut in the US in January 2016, becoming an early must-play title for 3DS owners. With there not being much around the corner for fans of Nintendo's handheld console, Paper Jam could stand to be one of the system's highlights of the entire year.
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