Merry Christmas ...& happy new fear

FROM RETRO SCI-FI HORROR TO POST-APOCALYPTIC CITY-PLANNING, THESE BUDGET TITLES WILL MAKE THE FESTIVE SEASON A SCREAM

- CHERYL MULLIN

IT’S arguably the most expensive month of the year, with all the attention on buying the decorations, gifts, and food for a magical Christmas.

Life is never cheap, so finding the money for a new game is tough in the festive season. This is where indie games come into their own - titles that are much cheaper than their AAA+ counterparts, but are equally as fun.

So if you're looking for something new to play between the Christmas parties, that won't break the bank, I suggest you check these out.

ROUTINE

(PEGI 16) XBOX X/S, PC Price: £20.99

After my Spotify Wrapped declared my listening age to be 66, thanks to my love of early 80s metal, it feels fitting that the game I’m most excited for this month should also be inspired by that decade.

Routine is a first person sci-fi horror set on an abandoned lunar base designed around an 80s vision of the future.

You'll roam through the base, from decrepid living quarters and tram stations to an abandoned shopping centre, trying to discover what happened here.