Runners-Up

Cyberpunk 2077 Now It's Cyberpunk 2079

Votes: 4
Website | OpenCritic: 76 (63% recommend) | Discuss
GOG | Steam | Other Stores

#10

NORCO

Votes: 5
Website | OpenCritic: 90 (96% recommend)
Steam | Itch.io

God of War Dad of Boy There Was... A Horse

Votes: 5
Website | OpenCritic: 94 (98% recommend)
Steam | Playstation
Show 2 Reviews

Splatoon 3

Votes: 5
Website | OpenCritic: 83 (93% recommend)
Nintendo Store
Show 3 Reviews

Reviews of God of War:

Kane

This late arrival to the PC is already old news to many, but it's clear to me why God of War was hailed as a triumph of cinematic storytelling games. The writing is among the best I've seen in games and Judge's acting is only the finest of an outstanding cast. I just wish it had less sidequest grind.

MaxPoetic

Not played any other GoW games, and in one entry Kratos has shot up the list of my favourite game characters. He's the only My Dead Family Angry Game Man I've ever cared this much about. I want to buy him a weighted blanket and read him a story. He'd better be okay in Ragnarok, my heart cant take it

Reviews of Splatoon 3:

velleic

And I thought I would never enjoy a shooter game. OK, so I use almost all melee weapons, but they're so fun to use - as is everything else with this wonderfully polished and creative game. The winning metric being "ground painted" rather than "heads shot" makes this very welcoming.

Kaytza

Winner of the best game I didn't play much of award. Because it's extremely good but I'm very bad at it. Still doing more inventive stuff with the verb of "shoot" than basically anything else despite being the third game. No-one's tried!

QuantumJump

An incredible improvement to Splatoon 2, with a singleplayer campaign which rivals 2's Octo Expansion, game-changing updates to the Salmon Run co-op horde mode, and (for the most part) a much more balanced multiplayer. The netcode still sucks though...

Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Votes: 6
Website | OpenCritic: 83 (92% recommend)
Steam
Show 2 Reviews

The Case of the Golden Idol

Votes: 6
Website | OpenCritic: 87 (94% recommend)
Steam | GOG | Humble

Reviews of Hardspace: Shipbreaker:

Noel

I whiled away many an hour peacefully ripping apart giant spaceships in the void while playing podcasts and (apparently) union organizing. Really satisfying to get that last little bit exactly right - the feeling of mastery over a fictional profession when I finished was really special!

Gwathdring

A gem throughout Early Access, the final game has some unfortunate user experience decisions but is otherwise excellent. The shift system is a gentle way to add time pressure while allowing you to learn and experiment and taking apart ships is pure joy.

Sifu Sorry I Fucked Up? Saturday I Fucked Up?

Votes: 6
Website | OpenCritic: 81 (84% recommend)
Epic Store | Switch | Playstation
Show 1 Review

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Warhammer 40,000: Dorktide

Votes: 7
Website | OpenCritic: 75 (60% recommend)
Steam | Microsoft
Show 3 Reviews

Reviews of Sifu:

Hannez

This was the first fighting game that I enjoyed playing. Though I did have to look up some tips and tricks on YT.

Reviews of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide:

tjhowse

Best grib bosh.

Fiyenyaa

A triumph of aesthetics and gameplay, there's nothing better than a making it through a tough encounter with 3 pals all while the most incredibly synth music goes wild in the background and a Tech Priestess berates you. Characters are even still endearing despite the custom character creator.

QuantumJump

This is definitely here partly just because I'm not sure I've actually played more than 5 games this year. But it gets the award for most potential for sure. Currently it's disappointing due to a lack of story, bad monetisation, unfinished crafting systems, but I could see it being great with work.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Votes: 7
Website | OpenCritic: 86 (96% recommend) | Discuss
Steam | Switch
Show 2 Reviews

Marvel Snap

Votes: 9
Website | OpenCritic: 84 (100% recommend) | Discuss
Steam | Android | iOS
Show 1 Review

Reviews of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak:

Big shout-out to the @Mon Hunto 100 crew for being a blast to play with every single time. I'd promise that I'll try to cart less this year, but we both know that's not true.

veerserif

Do big bonk make vampire dragon ANGY! My 2021 GOTY gets upgraded with Gothic horror classics. While the endgame is as grindy as ever, the expansion's mechanical tweaks really added to what I find to be one of the most satisfying and compelling action game series I've had the pleasure to play. HONK.

Reviews of Marvel Snap:

Avagad

I put more hours into this game than any other game this year. This is a good thing and a bad thing

The Best Games of 2022

#10

Victoria 3

Game of the Year Votes: 2
Runner-Up Votes: 5
Reviews: 2
Website
OpenCritic: 82
Steam | Paradox

Kane

There's no kinder way to say it: Victoria 3 is incomplete. But even with all that it's missing, it's still a supremely compelling and even, at times, exciting economic simulation, and the first game in years that I got so into that I forgot to eat. When it gets the expansions it needs, hoo boy.

kronatherm

Game made Communism OP, and is therefore the most accurate depiction of politics. More Paradox spreadsheet goodness, but oh my is it satisfying to improve standards of living and literacy rates.

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Game of the Year Votes: 2
Runner-Up Votes: 5
Website
OpenCritic: 82
Epic Store | Steam

God of War Ragnarök Dad of Boy Dadrök

Game of the Year Votes: 2
Runner-Up Votes: 5
Website
OpenCritic: 93
Playstation

Dwarf Fortress Dorf Fortress FINALLY Strike The Earth!

Game of the Year Votes: 2
Runner-Up Votes: 10
Reviews: 1
Website
OpenCritic: 90
Steam | Itch.io

tjhowse

My hospital turned into a wereape charnel house so I bricked it closed. It didn't help.

Neon White

Game of the Year Votes: 3
Runner-Up Votes: 4
Reviews: 1
Website
OpenCritic: 89
Steam | Switch

Octavius404

I'm a freak. But also Neon White does a fantastic job of teaching you to be good at the game, just little bread crumbs to trick you into speed running.

Pentiment

Game of the Year Votes: 5
Runner-Up Votes: 5
Reviews: 1
Website
OpenCritic: 86
Steam | Xbox

Kaytza

Feels impossibly big to sum up adequately despite ironically being very small scale; how the life of ordinary people, no matter what era, are affected by events, both big and small. Contains some of the best textbox gags for dialogue, it keeps finding another one to say something new. Looks gorgeous

Tunic Congratulations, Andrew! Haligonian of the Year 2022 Still, Even You Don't Get To Capitalise The Title Not Here, In My Domain, Where I Wield Ultimate Power

Game of the Year Votes: 5
Runner-Up Votes: 10
Reviews: 4
Website
OpenCritic: 85
Steam | Switch | Xbox | Playstation

Avagad

This is the first game ever that's made me nostalgic for a feeling I didn't know I missed: That feeling of getting a new game and thumbing through the manual, getting excited about everything you're going to get to do and see.

A puzzle game disguised as a zelda clone, and a great one at that. Solving the small puzzles that make up the game made me feel clever. Solving the Big Puzzle made me feel like the smartest person alive.

Y2Ken

Masterful design from top to bottom. Combat feels satisfying enough to suffice and actually gets fun in the later parts, but it's untangling the intricately woven web of puzzles that makes this truly special. Ended up doing everything and was staggered by just how many layers there were.

Take a triangle formed by Dark Souls, Zelda, and Fez: Tunic sits right in the middle of that. The manual conceit is wonderful, the soundtrack's lovely and moody; combat's slightly weak, but they let you ignore it if you want. Some real hard puzzlin', but it's worth it. Just great.

Vampire Survivors

Game of the Year Votes: 7
Runner-Up Votes: 26
Reviews: 6
Website
OpenCritic: 87
Steam

Noel

Man, woman, dog, person, skeleton runs around. Things come out. Lights flash. Enemies die. Top tier experience.

Fysi

If you've not played this game, stop what you are doing, go to Steam, buy it for a few quid and then play it until it clicks. I then apologise for causing you to not stop playing the game.

Avagad

Simple perfection

The first time I saw someone play Vampire Survivors, it looked like the dumbest game in the world. A few months later, I found myself 20 hours in, grinding out the last few achievements. Not only is the game fun and addictive, but it also has a meta layer that's surprisingly funny at times.

malkav11

Incredibly simple, incredibly satisfying. I don't normally get into this sort of thing but there's a new toy around every corner.

Takuna 🙆

For something so unassuming, this hits far above its weight class. It's so fully focused on rewarding and exciting you for engaging with its deep systems, that I've lost entire evenings just seeing what new crazy builds I can win with! The yellow sign moment was also weirdly unique and chilling.

Citizen Sleeper

Game of the Year Votes: 8
Runner-Up Votes: 10
Reviews: 5
Website
OpenCritic: 84
Steam | GOG | Epic | Humble Xbox | Switch

Fysi

Absolutely gorgeous thematically, narratively, and visually. It made me do the good ol' Civ "just one more turn" and played the main stories to completion in one sitting until 2am.

This game made me cry. It made me consider what it means to be alive. It impressed upon me the lesson that human connection and community are the things that keep us going in a capitalist dystopia. How it does all this using only dice and text is a magic trick I still don't quite understand.

malkav11

Incredible cyberpunk writing married to a pretty decent game system that runs out of constraints a bit sooner than it ought to.

tjhowse

Thoughtful, complex, and heartfelt.

Dedodido

A game full of deeply human stories about life after corporate collapse, sold by top tier writing, simple and yet engaging gameplay mechanics, and an atmospheric soundtrack that brings it all together.

Elden Ring Not ELDEN RING Stop Capitalising Your Game Titles You're Not That Special I Mean, You Are The GOTY, But Still

Game of the Year Votes: 28
Runner-Up Votes: 27
Reviews: 15 | Discuss
Website
OpenCritic: 95
Steam | Playstation | Xbox

Noel

The game of the year for everyone was only defeated because I also finished Dark Souls. An excellent open world game which, despite occasional cruft, kept me hooked until the end. Rock Sling for life!

Fysi

Absolutely amazing game of constant discovery and expanding horizons. Could have better PC optimisation (i.e. performance and controls; Sekiro shows they know how to do it), and could have an in-game thematically appropriate way of tracking quests. Other than that, I have no other gripes that amount to anything significant.

MaxPoetic

I had to take a long break from this game because I would have no-lifed it. I am content to just sit in its areas and drink in the view. The bosses are grotesque and dignified all at once, leaning into the ugliness of fairy tales and myths and creating beauty in the process.

Avagad

Other games have tried to copy the Souls formula and expand on it in their own ways but none have done it so well as Elden Ring by taking the best elements of every FromSoft Souls game and distilling it into a single game while also setting it in a open world.

I've rewritten this review like 5 times now, so I'll just leave it at saying that this is probably the best game I've ever played and refer you to the many other reviews this game has no doubt received from the community.

CJKinni

I played TMNT on a Steam Deck; You can play Elden Ring on one of those. I played GT7 on a Playstation 5 Controller; you can play Elden Ring on one. I played DDR on a dance pad; some people can play Elden Ring on one. I played Zwift on a bike; I guess I should try playing Elden Ring on one.

mrwonko

Too addictive.

Hannez

Open world Dark Souls and it has the playlength of two From Software games combined. It kept me busy, and I liked it.

tjhowse

I still haven't finished it, but it's beautiful, expansive and awesome.

Kaytza

They did it again. Taking their worlds of layers of history to the logical next step of physically selling the scale of building on top of predecessors. Had to alter my build slightly to be able to wield an engagement gift. Spirit summons are a perfect extra tool to the usual array of challenge aids

Fiyenyaa

Another year, another From top-spot. Bigger than any previous effort but no less hand-crafted, this game keeps zooming out into ever more fantastical environs, bosses, and sparked joy from start to end.

Y2Ken

I don't need to tell you why Elden Ring is good, because you've heard it five thousand times over. It's not perfect, but FromSoftware games never try to be and that's part of the charm. One of the most deep and enthralling open-world RPGs of all time; I'll be coming back for years to come.

Takuna 🙆

It's an absolutely solid new soulsborne game from the soulsborne studio. It has all the fundamentals to stand shoulder to shoulder with everything that's come before... But, my word, the SCALE. Even with the repetition of various enemy and boss types, it still feels impossibly lavish and deliberate.

I ran out of steam at the 11th hour and didn't finish it, but it's still one of the best games I've played this year. Some repeated content didn't dampen my enthusiasm for exploring at all, and I went on hours-long trips just to see what was over that ridge or if I could climb that mountain.

Gwathdring

It's no use. Elden Ring captured me completely. An excellent example off all it's forms--action adventure, boss battler, open world, souls-like, fashion show. Accidentally got married for eternity and was given a massive sword.by spouse who wants to tear down the old gods. 13/10, no notes.

Honourable Mentions

Strong contenders that just didn't make it into the top 20.
(Click underlined items to see reviews.)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Dota 2

Fysi

Do you really need a review?

Spad

Still the worst game I've played for over 4000 hours.

Immortality

Octavius404

I'm going to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I know what was going on but really enjoyed the weird vampire/angel vibe

SIGNALIS

Y2Ken

Went in expecting a cool little throwback to the classic days of Resi + Silent Hill wrapped in some gorgeous art design. Got that, but the way the story builds was an unexpected and compelling bonus that rocketed this up my estimations in the trailing weeks of the year.

Slay the Spire

kronatherm

still the best digital card game, daily runs have become a nice habit for me

Total War: Warhammer III

Arma 3

veerserif

Yes, the game is literally a decade old now, but its thriving mod scene means that I as a mission maker get to play around with terrain deformation and oops all trench warfare. 10/10 would rescue the Hello Kitty Golf while designing platoon murder missions again.

Gwathdring

Playing ARMA III every weekend or so over the course of 2022 has been an absolute delight. Frequently strange and unwieldy, the game's systems combine with a lovely community enable intense firefights, heroic rescues, and hilarious disasters.

Destiny 2

mrwonko

The live-service model sucks for anybody not keeping up with it. But I'm keeping up with it, and then it works gloriously.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

MaxPoetic

something something free trial

QuantumJump

I'm not sure it would be a QuantumJump GOTY list if I didn't manage to shoehorn FFXIV in somehow. I played this a lot less this year than last, as it's patches rather than a full expansion, but I continued with my first experience doing high-end raiding, which was super fun!

Horizon Zero Dawn

Jammy

First step towards redemption for the Dutch.

Hunt: Showdown

Inscryption

Hannez

Creepy atmosphere in a dark cabin playing a ritualistic card game with a strange man. Amazing! The first Act alone would have made this the game of the year. The middle part was a bit of a disappointment though.

Persona 5 Royal

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

kronatherm

The shake-up Pokémon needed, though it loses points for having unnecessary dodge-roll boss fights, including one against God themselves

Potionomics

MaxPoetic

I am never not smiling when playing this game. Every inch of it is full of love. The characters are all extremely charming, full of little flourishes in their animations and dialogue that make spending your limited time with them a treat every time. Also Saffron is very pretty :)

Kaytza

Delightfully animated shop management with a really smart card game reflecting dealing with The Public in retail. Take stress instead of damage, which makes more stress, and you can bail at any time, so being too stressed is all your fault. Also instead of paying a debt you have to win a contest.

PowerWash Simulator

veerserif

This game, no joke, got me through some of the most stressful stretches of 2022. One of those "manual job sims" that's just a touch more detailed than it really needed to be, coupled with a campaign that just piles delightful absurdity onto the inherent joy of blasting dirt away.

Y2Ken

Splooooooooooooosh. Supremely satisfying, simple but effective. There's been a ton of 'simulators' but this is hands-down the most compelling of the bunch, and it even tosses a fun little narrative in to boot.

Return to Monkey Island

Sable

Hannez

Amazing vibes and unique aesthetics. A story about finding you purpose in the world. Lots of fun climbing. Somehow I managed to complete it without upgrading my climbing stamina (didn't know that I could do that).

Satisfactory

Stray

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

Hannez

It made me laugh a lot. (again)

Against the Storm

Chivalry 2

Fysi

"Here's a kind of excellent, dumb discourse!" - Mason Knight, 2022

Control

Cult of the Lamb

Dead by Daylight

Dead Cells

Death Stranding

Deep Rock Galactic

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

Dorfromantik

Grounded

Dedodido

A robust, elegant building system and beautiful world make this a survival crafting game worth your time.

Hades

Hitman World of Assassination

Horizon Forbidden West

HYPER DEMON

Avagad

This game asks you to return to the world of Devil Daggers, where you must survive an ever growing hoard of demons, but this to do it faster and with more style.

Into the Breach

Advanced Edition, specifically. It's mostly just here as AE reminded me what a perfect game it is, in a literal sense; without flaw. If strategy puzzles are your bag, this is the best there is.

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered

kronatherm

the only game to recognise the supremacy of Spider-Man 2 for the PS2 as the greatest superhero game ever.

Monster Train

Outer Wilds

Path of Exile

Kaytza

Got into the scary skill forest game this year and it's both as bad and not as bad as it looks. Also inexplicably has a campaign of 10 acts now which are fun to muddle through. Then nearly a decade of weird extra systems like tower defence or doing heists when your only verb is kill lots of monsters

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

velleic

OK so it's a mess. But it's a fun mess. Firstly and most importantly, the new Pokemon designs are amazing. Secondly - a Pokemon game with an actually good story? Who would have thought? The raid mechanics have some interesting strategy; if only they weren't more broken than a dropkicked vase.

kronatherm

I get to be friends with Pokémon and this makes me endlessly happy.

Ready or Not

Rogue Legacy 2

Down in the less effusive tiers, this is just a really solid action roguelike with a lot of replayability. Like a LOT. I fear the madman capable of seeing it all.

Sniper Elite 5

Kane

I had avoided Sniper Elite because I find gore-obsessed X-ray killcams distasteful, but turning those off allowed me to see the exceptionally polished stealth and sniping sim that underpins the 5th entry in this series. A sumptuous depiction of the WW2-era French countryside doesn't hurt, either.

Strange Horticulture

malkav11

Great atmosphere and satisfying plant-tagging. Just enough weirdness not to be just a job simulator.

Gwathdring

Short and sweet, Strange Horticulture is a game of plant identification and puzzle solving. You unravel a series of mysteries while providing potions to customers by cross-referencing multiple incomplete sources of information about plants. Absolutely lovely, a little bit spooky, an easy 2nd place.

Terra Invicta

Fiyenyaa

Show me the real X-Com. No, the Real real X-Com. A grand strategy where you play as an ideological response/shadow government to the alien arrival. Incredibly detailed where it needs to be, but nowhere near as obtuse as it could be.

Lacero

I have looked at the games I played in 2022 and this is definitely one of them, earning it a place in this list. I did end up spending a long time with it trying to figure out the game, it's very different to pretty much everything else.
If you enjoy puzzling through new slightly wonky mechanics and reading lots of long posts for discussion this was a good fit. The metagame of working out how to play the game is better than the game itself in early access, but that's ok.

The Forgotten City

Dedodido

A Roman time loop mystery that avoids the usual pitfalls and is scoped to perfection.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Trombone Champ

veerserif

📯📯📯📯📯🐒📯📯📯📯📯As the most righteous and powerful servant of Babi said: TOOT MELLIFLUOUSLY AND EAT HOT DOGS 📯📯📯📯📯🌭📯📯📯📯📯

Unpacking

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Gwathdring

Another multiplayer wonder, I hadn't played much Vermintide prior to 2022. Playing with various off- and online friends allowed me to really get into the swing of things, which mostly involves swinging things into large numbers of gribbly folks. The melee is absolutely lovely, but it's too grindy.

Special Consideration

Wonderful games recommended by just one member of the community.
Titles in bold were that member's Game of the Year!
(Click underlined items to see reviews.)

ADACA

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition

Bully: Scholarship Edition

Dark Souls: Remastered

Noel

;) ;) ;) But actually, I finally finished this seminal RPG this year, including the DLC, and it was just an amazing experience. Edged out ELDEN RING for the top spot due to its focus.

Genshin Impact

Knotwords

velleic

Supremely satisfying word puzzles. Good words, good noises, a wiggly rabbit creature who thinks you're the best no matter your solve time, and extremely generous catch-up mechanics for the daily puzzles. Every time a word turns out to be "akimbo" or "bulbous" I finish the puzzle smiling a little.

Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip

Roadwarden

Sea of Thieves

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

CJKinni

I ended up learning that I love a genre of game I haven't played in years and had completely written off. Coop was easy to jump into. The VCR mode looks nice. This was a perfect Christmas Break game. It was perfectly short, nostalgic, and has enough to keep me replaying with new characters.

The Ascent

Timberborn

Total War: Rome Remastered

Jammy

Despite the damage done to the UI, it's nice to play this without frame drops and crashes. Hoping for Medieval 2 next.

TrackMania

TrackMania Sunrise eXtreme

mrwonko

I tried TrackMania 2020 this year and it's a great game, but its closed ecosystem and subscription fee turned me off and made me return to TrackMania Sunrise and its free eXtreme update, a favourite from my childhood. Building custom steering wheel-friendly Coast tracks brings me joy.

Warframe

Spad

Free-to-play 3rd person space ninja shooty slashy space combat open world mining conservation fishing skateboarding mech game. 4500 hours says I can't be wrong because the alternative is too painful to contemplate.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

20 Minutes Till Dawn

Aperture Desk Job

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Arkham Horror: The Card Game

As Dusk Falls

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Astalon: Tears of the Earth

A surprise 5th place after I'd eliminated the rest of my 2022 list. It's an odd duck; you could call it a run-based metroidvania, I suppose, or a La Mulana that doesn't hate you. Had a real nice feel to it.

Backbone

Barotrauma

Bayonetta 3

Betrayal At Club Low

Bloodborne

Noel

Those who have been paying attention to my selections may be noticing a pattern - this was the year of From Software for me! I loved a lot of this game, but did not finish it because the end is repetitive. What amazing ideas though!

Celeste

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Clockwork Kingdom

Crusader Kings III

Dance Dance Revolution

Dark Souls II

Takuna 🙆

Look, they're still good games. And this is the original DS2, no less! Revisiting this version specifically, I do think that the enemy placement was more interesting and fun the first time around, rather than the remix in SotFS. Too bad I fumbled my no-death run... on the very last (easy) boss...

DCS World

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

Devil May Cry 5

mrwonko

I wish Legendary Dark Knight mode was not exclusive to PS5. But now that I have a PS5, I gladly bought the game again to have it.

Dicey Dungeons

Disco Elysium

Disc Room

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Y2Ken

I don't have a great deal of affinity for either Disney or the Animal Crossing style of games, yet for some reason I just kept coming back to this. Very pretty, packed with charm, and a responsive, communicative dev team that look to have an exciting year lined up ahead for Dreamlight Valley.

Distant Worlds 2

Dome Keeper

Downfall - A Slay the Spire Fan Expansion

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Escape from Tarkov

Fiyenyaa

I can't stop playing this what the hell is wrong with me? Inventory Tetris, that's what's wrong.

Etherfields

malkav11

A beautiful, strange boardgame about exploring the world of dreams. You are constantly adrift, having to feel your way into mechanics, puzzles, and goals, but eventually things make a sort of strange dream logic sense. One of my favorite boardgame experiences.

Evil Dead: The Game

Factorio

Factorio: Space Exploration

Fallout 76

Farthest Frontier

Final Fantasy VII Remake

QuantumJump

Never having played the original FFVII, this is my first foray into the world of Midgar. I now get why this game is a favourite of so many people, although I can't give it the top spot, as I had to step away from the game only a short way in. Maybe next year!

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE

Final Fantasy XV

mrwonko

This was my first Final Fantasy, so I can confirm its claim to be newcomer-friendly. Features delicious-looking food that I'd like to see in more video-games, please.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County

Frostpunk

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Takuna 🙆

Ok, I know this has a reputation for being mean to the player and, well, it is. But! There is something here which you can genuinely master. There is a mountain to climb, but I discovered higher ascents as I chased the 50-wins achievement. I never would have thought I could get a sub-10 min run!

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut

Going Medieval

Gotham Knights

Gran Turismo 7

CJKinni

Had you asked me if this would make my list a month after release I'd have confidently told you 'No.' They improved the monetization situation to the point where I don't notice it. I'm mostly there for easy to jump into multiplayer lobbies, which are easier to jump into than iRacing.

Grim Dawn

Han'yo

Hearts of Iron IV: Kaiserreich

Fiyenyaa

Mixing it up with a mod this year, the Kaiserreich mod for HoI4 is full of so much content, keeps getting updated, and allows me to cosplay as esoteric leftist movements in the UK. What's not to love?

Hellish Quart

Hell Let Loose

Hollow Knight

Hyper Light Drifter

iRacing

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

Landlord of the Woods

Last Call BBS

Last Epoch

Life Is Strange: True Colors

Dedodido

A more personal, less supernatural take on the Life Is Strange formula full of believable characters that aren't afraid to show their flaws.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill

Kane

I'll never stop complaining that this game's physics system is set to lunar gravity, but its gorgeous flat-shaded, low-poly art is as unstoppable as its bikes after they launch into orbit off a tiny pebble. It reminded me of better times when I rode my own mountain bike along forest paths. On the moon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Marvel Puzzle Quest

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metroid Dread

Takuna 🙆

They did it. They finally did it. After all these years, it's a good Metroid game. The E.M.M.I. robots were as scary as advertised, and I had some of the most fun when I was forced into one of the dreaded zones they prowl about: having to hide in corners, or make desperate mad dashes for safety.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

QuantumJump

Obviously this isn't going to be everyone's idea of a great game, but as I've recently been getting more interested in the idea of flight, both as a passenger and pilot, I've been really enjoying myself with this.

Minecraft

Moonlit

Mothered

Moving Out

Necesse

Jammy

Settlement management disguised as Minecraft.

Need for Speed Unbound

Nobody Saves the World

No Man's Sky

Nuts

Old World

Opus Magnum

Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye

Peglin

Per Aspera

Perfect Tides

Phasmophobia

Pillars of Eternity

PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS

Pokémon GO

Project Zomboid

Pyre

Dedodido

Arguably the most overlooked of Supergiant Games' productions, but it manages to invent a simple fantasy sport which remains exciting right until the credits roll, while telling an emotive story that just keeps coming.

Quantum Protocol

Redactle Unlimited

Returnal

Return of the Obra Dinn

tjhowse

Horrible and beautiful.

Rumbleverse

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Shadows Over Loathing

malkav11

A very worthy followup to West of Loathing and just a firehose of jokes, puns and goofs. Might have been my GOTY if I'd had more time with it.

Shin Megami Tensei V

Sid Meier's Civilization VI

Slice & Dice

SnowRunner

Soulstone Survivors

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly, GAMMA Modpack

veerserif

A 350+ modpack balancing on top of a fanmade mod fork of another 15 year old game. Spent three hours in the wastes with a gun so broken it was functionally bolt-action, wearing a gas mask so busted I couldn't see, choosing between irradiation and aiming in every firefight. Welcome to the Zone!

Stardew Valley

Star Wars Galaxies

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Star Wars: Republic Commando

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Sylvie Lime

Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!

Tales of Arise

Teamfight Tactics

Teenage Blob

The Cycle: Frontier

The Looker

The New York Times Crossword

The Pedestrian

The Quarry

Thymesia

Tiny Rogues

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Triangle Strategy

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Two Worlds

Jammy

It's not good but I like it.

Ultrakill

MaxPoetic

I killed an angel by ricocheting a coin into the back of his neck with a bullet.

UNBEATABLE [white label]

Under A Star Called Sun

Urbek City Builder

Kane

Brilliantly proving that city builders don't need to be city simulators, Urbek ditches traffic and demand sims in favour of a chill, almost puzzle-like experience of plopping buildings and managing resources, and its Chile-inspired urban voxel architecture makes it both beautiful and unique.

V Rising

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e

Wordle

WRC Generations

Zwift

CJKinni

I play Zwift differently than most. I don't race. I love pedaling through different locations and watching people pass me. A lap through London can be fun, and struggling up small hills is great. The real key has been experiencing my Watts/kg increase and taking on harder challenges. An A+ MMO.