A is for Affordable angling games. It’s not too late to grab a price-slashed piscatorial plaything on Steam. Ending in approximately seven hours’ time, the emporium’s nearly-over Fishing Fest includes two of my current fishy favourites, Ultimate Fishing Simulator (£2) and Fisher Online (£7), and well-received newcomers such as Cast n Chill – a £10 side-scrolling charmer with fifty catchable species and thirteen stunning backdrops – and Intergalactic Fishing – a £3 top-down curio with innumerable procedurally generated lakes and fish types.

B is for Bum notes blight Broken Arrow launch

Judging by the 1800 red thumb reviews it’s garnered thus far, Steel Balalaika’s highly anticipated Wargame-like has shipped with some rather damaging shortcomings. While grizzled multiplayer-focused tacticians seem pretty chipper, there’s no shortage of griping amongst solo campaigners and skirmishers. Crude AI, poor performance, progress-preventing bugs, and the lack of a save facility, appear to be behind much of the disappointment.

C is for Come-lately Corsair

DCS fans who watched the Corsair demonstration during VFAT 2019 doubtless hoped they’d be flying Magnitude 3’s F4U-1D a little earlier than June, 2025. On the bright side, the Early Access add-on’s painfully long gestation has given ED time to fashion an appropriate map and floating aerodrome for the newcomer, and a small selection of tempting ground targets for its MGs, rockets, and bombs. There’s no telling when buyers will get apt aerial opposition. The AI Zeros that appear in the trailer have yet to enter general circulation.

D is for Decidedly pixelated

One Flight Simulator screenshot takes up more HD space than a full install of Tom Mulgrew’s latest free flight sim. Designed for the PICO-8 – a fantasy games console – unashamedly 8-bit Air Pico boasts a selection of three flyables, a large fictional map, and essentially plausible physics. Landing without cracking your windscreen or worse requires practice and a surprising degree of delicacy.

E is for Eyes of Hellfire

It’s always good to see a game partially funded by EU taxpayers reach the finish line. Happily, one of the AWOL awardees mentioned in part one of my series on CreativeEurope’s questionable handouts, recently broke cover and looks certain to make it to market. Unlike many EU financed projects, Eyes of Hellfire (ETA August) has a passing interest in European history/culture too. The Irish Hell Fire Club may not have managed to summon malign supernatural entities, but it isn’t a complete figment of Gambrinous’s imagination.