Here's a selection of 50 games that are announced to be released at some point in 2017. Covering consoles and PC, it comprises only about a third of the games that we know of.

They include major sequels as well as small projects, multiplayer games and narrative adventures, covering genres as diverse as fighting and gentle, artsy exploration.

We picked this selection mainly on the basis that they've interested us enough to cover them previously. Restricting ourselves to 50 meant we had to leave out certain categories, such as annualized sports franchises, HD remakes, VR, mobile and games already in Early Access. We also skipped games that might be released in 2017, but have not been announced for the year ahead.

You may not agree with the games we've selected, and it's certainly true that there are plenty of other, very promising titles already due for release this year. Feel free to use our comments section below to add the games you're looking forward to playing in 2017.

ABSOLVER

Absolver is the first title from indie developer Sloclap, a Parisian studio comprised of designers whose credits include Watch Dogs and the Ghost Recon series. It's a stylish action-combat game that's looking to bring martial arts flow to the online multiplayer space. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

BLACKWOOD CROSSING

If you enjoy narrative adventure stories about people and relationships, such as Gone Home, Dear Esther and Firewatch, there’s a good chance you’re going to like Blackwood Crossing. Developed by U.K. house PaperSeven, it's a story game set on a magical train, in which two children grapple with their fraught relationship with one another, and with the adults in their lives. Simple puzzles pepper an engaging narrative that includes magical realism and top notch writing. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

CRACKDOWN 3

First announced back in 2014, Reagent Games' third-person shooter takes place in an online world with a focus on destructible environments. Players take on the role of a biologically enhanced law enforcer who roams a futuristic city completing missions against criminals. Like the previous two games in the series — also headed up by developer David Jones — it's likely to be big on explosions and spectacle. (Windows PC, Xbox One — late 2017)

CUPHEAD

Much delayed, much anticipated, Cuphead is a challenging 2D platformer/shooter from MDHR Studio. It pays tribute to early Walt Disney cartoons like Steamboat Willie and The Wise Little Hen. It's using period techniques in its creation including hand drawn and inked cel-shaded animation with real watercolor backgrounds. Cuphead will also be scored with an original jazz soundtrack. (Windows PC, Xbox One — 2017)

DAWN OF WAR 3

Relic's new Warhammer 40K real-time strategy game is a love letter to eternal warfare, offering a dark fantasy world of unending conflict. Players take on the roles of Space Marines, Orks or Eldars and can construct special super units. Resources are automatically accrued, and at an ever more rapid rate depending on how much territory has been captured. (Windows PC — 2017)

DESTINY 2

After four major expansions, and a focus on live events and Sparrow racing for Destiny, Bungie says it's planning on releasing a full sequel some time in 2017. Apart from the game existing, there's been no information released as yet. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

FOR HONOR

Ubisoft's melee game is a mash-up of vikings with samurai and medieval knights. It looks to be a brutal game of close-action combat making use of four classes of fighters, with differing emphases on speed, power and durability. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — February 14)

FRIDAY THE 13th

Originally due in 2016, Gun Media's horror game was pushed back to include a much-requested single-player campaign, AI bots and extra maps. This will augment the game's creepy multiplayer core, in which players take on the role of either lone psycho Jason Voorhees or one of a band of teenagers who can flee, hide or work together to confound the killer. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — early 2017)

GHOST RECON: WILDLANDS

The tenth installment in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise is the first to feature an open world environment. Set in Bolivia, players work together to form special ops teams that take out nests of drug cartel villains. The whole third-person shooting campaign is designed to be played cooperatively, with missions that rely on teamwork. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — March 7)

GOROGOA

Solo developer Jason Roberts’ inventive puzzle game Gorogoa features illustrated panels that lead to new worlds. The player explores the worlds seeking clues, connecting the panels and the worlds, creating a story about a boy's search for a monster. The game's art is a winning combination of color, everyday locations and unusual shapes. (Android, iOS and Windows PC — Spring 2017)

GRAVITY RUSH 2

Gravity Rush 2 is the PlayStation 4 sequel to the cult favorite physics-based PlayStation Vita action game. The game has a pleasing comic book-style aesthetic that drew much admiration at E3 and Tokyo Game Show. Silent protagonist Kat uses space-bending powers to traverse lush environments and then launch herself into her enemies, sometimes from hundreds of feet in the air. (PlayStation 4 — January 20)

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

While it was announced at The Game Awards in December, not much is known about Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. It's a five-part episodic series, part of a deal between narrative game specialist Telltale and Marvel announced in 2015. Players will take on multiple roles within the world of space-faring rascals. Telltale says the game will offer "a blend of humor, emotion, teamwork, and full-on sci-fi action-adventure." (Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

HALO WARS 2

The Creative Assembly’s and 343 Industries’ real-time strategy game, set in the Halo universe of sci-fi conflict, introduces a new faction called The Banished who toil against their human enemies. A sequel to the highly regarded 2009 strategy game from Ensemble Studios. (Windows PC, Xbox One — February 21)

HORIZON: ZERO DAWN

Image: Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developed by Guerrilla Games, best known for the Killzone series of shooters, Horizon: Zero Dawn is a third-person combat game. Set in a colorful open world populated by dinosaur-like giant robots, the game's protagonist is a huntress who wields melee weapons and a bow, but must also make use of stealth. (PlayStation 4 - February 28)

INJUSTICE 2

The sequel to 2013's popular fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us returns to superhero battles with a roster of new and returning characters, including Aquaman, Batman, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, Superman and Wonder Woman. NetherRealm's game features interactive environments, combos and metered super-moves. (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — 2017)

LAWBREAKERS

Boss Key, the company formed by Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski, is putting the finishing touches to this slick five-vs-five first-person shooter set in a futuristic world where people have near super-human abilities thanks to low-gravity zones. This means plenty of long leaps and anti-gravity tricks. Each character has two weapons, each with a primary and an alt fire, so there's plenty of combat complexity and variety on offer. (Windows PC — 2017)

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

It's been 30 years since the launch of Nintendo’s masterpiece The Legend of Zelda. This new game is looking to recreate the Link magic, while expanding adventuring into an open, beautiful world of rolling hills and stunning sunsets. Players will be also invited to approach the game's dungeons in any order. With this emphasis on exploration and wonder, it's hard to imagine a more fitting game to launch the Nintendo Switch. (Nintendo Switch and Wii U — 2017)

LITTLE NIGHTMARES

This highly fancied stealth-and-puzzle adventure from Swedish outfit Tarsier Studios has a very specific aesthetic and a vibe that would feel right at home in the dark, quirky mind of someone like Tim Burton. It's a side-scrolling escape game, featuring a kidnapped girl. Characters are exaggerated in their features; the world is gloomy and filled with grotesque creatures. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

LOOT RASCALS

Some of the Loot Rascals team hails from Honeyslug, best known for its 2014 PlayStation game Hohokum, which offered an endearing sense of humor and a likable art style. Likewise, this roguelike turn-based strategy game ramps up the charm, as players explore a hex-world, battling enemies and collecting cards. There's also a moral aspect to the single-player game, in which players can help other players in the world, or impede them. (PlayStation 4 and Windows PC — early 2017)

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA

Big science fiction storytelling is coming back with the spring release of the latest in BioWare's space epic series. Players explore the universe, seeking to find a new planet for humans to settle. Different planets offer up their own challenges. As always in this series, gameplay is a mixture of dialog options, combat, upgrade strategy and exploration, using a variety of vehicles. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — Spring 2017)

MARVEL VS. CAPCOM INFINITE

Capcom announced a new entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series at Sony’s PlayStation Experience event in December. The fighting game will feature two-vs-two battles, breaking from the three-vs-three tradition of the series. Capcom promises a cinematic story mode. The game’s debut trailer showcased a handful of characters from each side, including mainstays Ryu, Mega Man X and Iron Man as well as series newcomer Captain Marvel. Captain America is also confirmed to return. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — late 2017)

METAL GEAR SURVIVE

This $30 game is an online co-op multiplayer companion piece to 2015's Phantom Pain. Survive takes place during an alternate timeline with a group of soldiers stranded via wormhole in a place filled with frightening creatures. Konami says the game will feature the series' signature emphasis on stealth. Not much else is known, but it's definitely got a zombie vibe. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

NIDHOGG 2

This sequel to 2014's well-received 2D fencing game from indie developer Mark "Messhof" Essen takes a different artistic approach from the original. In the original game, characters were rendered in bright colors and flat 2D sprites, with relatively simple pixelated environments behind them. The sequel looks more like a modern indie game with a retro, 16-bit art style. Nidhogg 2 will offer more than 10 levels of fencing action, including a single-player mode featuring a number of AI opponents. (Windows PC and Mac — 2017)

NIER: AUTOMATA

Platinum's action role-playing game, the sequel to 2010's Nier, tells the story of androids that fight against a dystopia overrun by powerful machine-weapons. It's an open-world game with a lot of melee combat, as well as some range weapons. (PlayStation 4 and Windows PC — March 7, 2017)

NIGHT IN THE WOODS

Colorful 2D indie game Night In The Woods is the story of Mae, a cat who returns home from college to her beleaguered rust-belt town. Stylishly rendered by developer Infinite Fall, it merges platforming and puzzle elements with story sections, lots of characters and minigames. But it also addresses current political issues, such as economic stagnation. Night in the Woods was originally funded on Kickstarter, raising more than $200,000. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC — January 10, 2017)

NI NO KUNI 2: REVENANT KINGDOM

The first Ni No Kuni did a fantastic job of pulling together the animation storytelling genius of Studio Ghibli with tried-and-tested JRPG battle mechanics. This time, it's the story of a boy and his journey to become king. Level 5 boss Akihiro Hino recently said the new game is a big improvement on the first with "deeper stores." (PlayStation 4 — 2017)

NIOH

Team Ninja's dark fantasy samurai action game has been more than a decade coming, having been originally planned as a PlayStation 3 launch title, when it was known as “Oni.” The game takes place in a fantasy historical setting in which the player takes on humans and monsters in hack, slash and block battles that have been compared to those of the Souls series and Bloodborne. (PlayStation 4 — February 9, 2017)

OUTLAST 2

Creeping around a bad place without weapons was the point of scary 2013 survival horror hit Outlast. The sequel, created by Red Barrels, eschews the government conspiracies of the original in favor of religious horror and rural isolation. The player assumes the role of an investigative journalist who must hunt for clues in unsettling environments while avoiding hostile locals and managing the battery life of an indispensable night vision camera. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — Q1 2017)

PERSONA 5

The latest in the 20-year-old role-playing series follows a group of teenagers doing extraordinary things as they travel through dungeons defeating enemies through turn-based battle mechanics, while forming bonds with one another and enjoying a full social life in modern Japan settings. Already available in Japan, the game's serious themes include authority and rebellion. (PlayStation 4 — April 14, 2017)

PREY

Arkane Studios’ new take on the 2006 horror first-person shooter takes place in an alternative timeline 2032, aboard a space station infested with nasties. Players take on the role of warrior Morgan Yu who fights his or her way through the space station, upgrading combat abilities along the way. There are zero-gravity sections and a high likelihood of gore and frights. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — Q2 2017)

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

October's trailer for Rockstar's new Western laid out a tableau of beautiful American wilderness shots, as well as images of cowboys going about their business and a posse on horseback heading someplace urgent. This open-world adventure tops a lot of folks' lists of most-anticipated games of 2017, partly because the last game in the series was so darn good. Expect a heavy emphasis on multiplayer. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — Fall 2017)

RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD

Following the mess of 2012's Resident Evil 6, Capcom's new title in the storied horror series is both a return to form, and a departure. The game is first-person now, instead of third-person. But it's more like an old-fashioned horror game than a standard action game. We played the first few hours at a recent event and reported that the shooting feels satisfying, while the narrative throws plenty of frights at the player. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — January 24, 2017)

RIME

After cutting ties with Sony earlier this year, Rime developer Tequila Works teamed up with publishers Grey Box and Six Foot to release the adventure game in 2017. Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli movies and the works of Team Ico, this surreal island adventure looks lovely. Originally touted as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, it's now likely to find its way onto other platforms. (PlayStation 4 — 2017)

THE SEXY BRUTALE

The Sexy Brutale is a murder mystery from Cavalier Game Studios. It's a Groundhog Day-style narrative in which the player inhabits the same day over and over again. Set during a lavish masked ball, the player must explore a Downton Abbey-type mansion and unravel why guests are being popped off. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — early 2017)

SCALEBOUND

This fantasy action role-playing title from Platinum Games and Hideki Kamiya — known for the much-loved Bayonetta series — gives players the chance to take control of dragon-riding warrior Drew, who can give commands to his charge. Played in both third- and first-person, the dragon can also be customized, using one of three classes. (Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

SEA OF THIEVES

We played Rare's chaotic multiplayer pirate game at E3, and had a ton of fun. Players cooperate to sail the high seas and sink anything that looks sinkable. Each member of a five-person team must do their bit to trim sails, steer course, lower anchor, shoot guns and generally keep lookout. But players aren't restricted in their roles. They're free to roam about the ship, doing whatever needs to be done. (Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

SHOVEL KNIGHT: SPECTER OF TORMENT

This prequel to Shovel Knight features the villainous Specter Knight from the original game. Players work 2D Metroidvania combat puzzles to establish the Order of No Quarter, the evil group that fights against Shovel Knight in the main game. The game maintains the retro-skewing aesthetic of the popular original. (Windows PC — Spring 2017)

SNAKE PASS

Sumo Digital's colorful physics-based snake game sports a likeable aesthetic that hearkens back to '90s platformers. Players take on the role of Noodle who uses his slithery skills to best physical puzzles. Snake Pass was the result of a developer game jam and is being created by Seb Liese, who hails from the LittleBigPlanet team. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — early 2017)

SONIC MANIA

Announced in 2016 during Sonic the Hedgehog's 25th anniversary celebration, this pixelated side-scroller is a love letter to the Sonic games of old. It offers three playable characters — Sonic, Tails and Knuckles — and includes new abilities and worlds to explore. The game will also include classic stages featuring new twists, according to Sega. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — Q2, 2017)

Ubisoft

This adventure game is likely to go big on gross jokes, as players take on the role of New Kid, who must deal with a small-town war over superheroes. Following up 2014's South Park: The Stick of Truth, it once again presents exploration and gathering quests as well as turn-based battles. And jokes about farts. Also swearwords. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — early 2017)

STATE OF DECAY 2

A sequel to Undead Labs’ 2013 third-person zombie-survival horror game, this time the game brings an emphasis on cooperative multiplayer, according to a trailer shown at E3. The trailer showed three characters mowing down zombies in a muscle car, before getting out and attacking more zombies with melee weapons and guns. You know what to expect. (Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

TACOMA

Like developer Fullbright's breakout hit Gone Home, Tacoma is a narrative-driven title built on a foundation of exploration, both of the game's world and its characters. Writing interesting characters, whether they're likable or not, is key to Fullbright's work. Tacoma is about human relationships placed under stressful situations, and the unraveling of a mystery. (Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

TEKKEN 7

Bandai Namco's latest entry in the player-vs-player fighting series features a story mode that transitions between cinematics and gameplay. It offers new combat features such as an option to trade normal power attack bonuses for a strong attack when the meter is critical. Joining series stalwarts will be new characters such as Katarina Alves, Lucky Chloe and Gigas. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — H1 2017)

TORMENT: TIDES OF NUMENERA

InXile Entertainment's fantasy role-playing game is the spiritual successor to classic RPG Planescape: Torment. Set one billion years into humanity’s future, the 2.5D isometric display game makes use of storytelling-based mechanics to create relationships between the player and non-player characters. In 2013, Torment broke records for crowdfunding when it brought in more than $4.2 million from more than 74,000 people. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — February 28, 2017)

UNCHARTED: THE LOST LEGACY

In the latest chapter in the action-adventure series, Chloe Frazier — who we first saw in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves — teams up with Nadine Ross, who debuted in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Little is known so far about what we’ll be doing with Chloe and Nadine, but it’ll be interesting to see new characters driving the story of Uncharted forward. There is also no word if Nathan Drake will make an appearance. (PlayStation 4 — 2017)

VAMPYR

This action role-playing title from Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment stars a a doctor-turned-vampire who must stalk his prey in Edwardian London during a flu epidemic. The not-so-good doctor has the ability to sense each character’s blood quality and must investigate individuals by eavesdropping on conversations and finding clues before deciding whether or not to tuck in. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — 2017)

VANE

Part of development team Friend & Foe worked on The Last Guardian, which offers your first clue as to why this open world adventure is garnering attention. Offering a stylish, muted color palette and a strong soundtrack, it features a central character who can morph into a bird in order to explore a richly drawn environment and solve puzzles. (PlayStation 4 — 2017)

WE ARE CHICAGO

This indie project from Culture Shock Games tells stories about the pressures a young African-American man living in a big city faces from peers, from society and from family. Told through dialog and exploration sequences, the story is based on interviews with residents of Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago, which is also the home of writer Tony Thornton. (PC and Mac — early 2017)

WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

Created by Ian Dallas, best known for superb puzzle story The Unfinished Swan, What Remain of Edith Finch takes the player on multiple journeys through the eyes of various members of a cursed family, over the course of more than a century. It's a witty and good-looking compendium of short stories in which the player takes on the role of different creatures in first-person perspective. (PlayStation 4 — Spring 2017)

YOOKA-LAYLEE

Developer Playtonic has recreated the spirit of 17-year-old 3D adventure Banjo-Kazooie. It's a 3D platformer with cute characters making use of different abilities, although the developers promise more complex character design and a greater integration of collectibles than we saw in Banjo. Expect lots of running around, gentle puzzles and lovable cartoon characters. (PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One — March 2017)