10. Just Dance 2022 (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS5)
Just Dance 2022 - Gameplay Reveal Trailer | PS5, PS4
If you’re in need of some family time, a good workout, and a little bit of fun, then do as the game says: just dance.
Ubisoft brings it again in the long running Just Dance series bringing you top hits from today and yesteryear. Everything this franchise offers is kid friendly, but in case you feel the youngins may need a little more “kid friendly” content, 2022 offers a kids section, so there’s no reason you can’t get the whole family involved.
9. Hot Wheels Unleashed (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Hot Wheels Unleashed - Gameplay Trailer | PS5, PS4
Time for a nostalgia trip, because Hot Wheels are back from your bedroom to your 4K television set! Hot Wheels Unleashed is a racing game that features, well, you know, as you race around familiar environments like you did as a kid.
The cars are small and tracks are customizable just like they were in real life and you can build tracks along your living room, kitchen, office and other interiors just like it. The classic arcade gameplay runs like a dream, drifting is satisfying and races are intense just as they should be. Grab your mom, dad, brother or sister and take a hell of a ride, you won’t regret it.
8. Overcooked! All You Can Eat (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Overcooked! All You Can Eat - Launch Trailer | PS5
There can never be too many cooks in the kitchen in this zany adventure. Overcooked is where 2 to 4 players must journey through a variety of cruel and unusual kitchens to become master chefs in order to defeat an ancient, edible evil that plagues the land.
All You Can Eat includes all the treats laid out in the first two installments and gives you a high res experience on next gen. If you’ve never played this before then now’s never been a better time to hop in with 3 of your friends and get slicing and dicing before the world ends. Controls are slick, gameplay is hilarious and the environments are quite literally, out of this world. A great party game! No cooking experience required.
7. The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC, PS5)
The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf - Launch Trailer | PS5, PS4
The Smurfs really know how to make a comeback; 70 years later and they’ve made it on gaming consoles in a quaint and charming way. In this story, Papa Smurf asks his fellow Smurfs to help him find ingredients for an antidote called Vileaf to help stop the evil wizard, Gargamel, from destroying their plants.
This game makes great use of popular characters and is a fun time for fans and newcomers alike. The platforming mechanics, while not revolutionary, does its job just fine and runs as smoothly as you’d expect. Grab your kids and bop along mushrooms and enemies in this charming addition to Smurfs lore.
6. MLB The Show 21 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PS5)
MLB The Show 21 – Accolades Trailer | PS5, PS4
The greatest baseball simulator of all time comes back with some big upgrades. MLB The Show 21, is Sony San Diego’s 16th installment of MLB The Show’s franchise, and they have certainly shown no signs of slowing down.
The thing that stands out most in this installment is the Custom Stadium Creator, where players can, well, you guessed it, customize their own stadium. But it doesn’t end there, you can even customize the cities behind those stadium walls! There are a ton of other great features that let you refine your game and with the PS5’s dual sense controller and pulse 3D headphones this is one of the most immersive baseball experiences yet.
5. Bugsnax (PS4, PC, PS5)
Bugsnax - Launch Trailer | PS4, PS5
Another colourful, childrens-looking adventure with heavy themes of mental health and… climate change? You are a critter traversing the island of Snathtooth on the hunt of various species of bugsnax while also searching for your lost friend.
There’s a variety of fun and creative ways of discovering over 100 species of bugnsax and laying out traps for them to bring back to your camp. But this isn’t just a run-of-the-mill, cartoony adventure, as there is so much care put into the writing and character voices, you can tell just how passionate the developers were when crafting this adorably weird world.
4. FIFA 22 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, PS5)
FIFA 22 - Official Gameplay Trailer | PS5, PS4
2022 and your favourite football/soccer simulator has made it to 4K. FIFA 22 is the 29th installment in the FIFA series and so far has shown no signs of letting up.
This is the first FIFA to introduce Hypermotion, which allows more fluidity in the simulation. EA had to generate over 4000 new animations that they harvested from real life matches. That combined with upscaled character models easily makes this the best looking FIFA yet. You can now even create your own club and stadium in career mode, so grab some friends and partake in some whacky mini-games or a full blown match like never before.
3. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4, PS5, PC)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits - State of Play Trailer | PS5, PS4
Any indie game that manages to rival a triple A title like God of War definitely deserves commemoration. You play as Kena on a quest to aid spirits from moving on into the afterlife and save a forest village from an evil darkness.
While it may not have the polish of a triple A game, Kena’s smooth control scheme, wicked arsenal and swooning story is all you need to get lost in this whimsical adventure. Many games are rivaling Pixar studios and for an indie game to do that definitely puts it as one of the top indie games out there.
2. Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4, PS5)
Sackboy: A Big Adventure - Story Trailer | PS5
In this endearing spin-off to Little Big Planet, Sackboy finds himself having to save his village from the evil Vex. This game puts a lot of focus on co-op level design and offers a fresh new take on the old formula.
The aesthetics pop for your eyes delight, and offer a rich variety of levels from ancient backdrops to futuristic spaceports. The music will make you want to groove with funk beats and epic scores and gameplay is fun, zany and cute and is sure to be loved by any fan of the original Little Big Planet.
1. Astro’s Playroom (PS5)
Astro's Playroom - Gameplay Trailer l PS5
In a list that’s all about Playstation 5 and family games, there’s no way Astro’s Playroom wasn’t going to be number 1. The game takes place inside the hub of a PS5, where you can explore, platform, and experience PS5’s new DualSense mechanics; all while playing as a cute robot a la Wall-E.
This game is a lot of fun if you’re a platforming fan, the controls are sharp, and yes, the dualsense controller is totally worth it as it puts you in a rich, immersive experience. The set design is outstanding, the characters are cute, and it is definitely fun for the whole family and a perfect introduction to the PS5 system. Oh yeah, and the game is free.
