- Elden Ring - This is mentioned pretty much everywhere, but the graphic design is amazing - creatures and world, paired with the ability to move to a new area when stuck is a fantastic combination. It brought back the wonder of exploring a new, expansive world I haven’t had in years.
- Dwarf Fortress - I loved the 2D version back in 2006(?), and periodically pick it up for a weekend since then. However, the mouse interface makes it playable for larger blocks, and the steam release seems to have revitalized DF conversations outside of gaming circles. I suspect its EOY release will cause it to miss most GOTY lists
- Midnight Suns - A surprise winner for me. Card-game strategy mixed with super-hero soap-opera is a heady mix for me, a two week binge was only interrupted by the next game
- Chained Echoes - a JRPG without the grind! The story is tonally all over the place, with some weirdly dark beats along with some standard fantasy tropes - but the systems are good, exploration is rewarding and the combat brings enough new to keep it fresh.
- Evil West - a guilty pleasure for me this year. Who doesn’t love old west gunslingers shooting vampires in the face? Difficulty is about my sweet spot (on normal) - having to redo a fight maybe once or twice a chapter, without ever appearing outside of possibility. Not a lot new here, if you played any shooters since 2005, but they mix all the standard baddies well and keep things interesting the entire way through.
Honorable mention: New World (new server restart, reworked lore and quests since the original launch), Trombone Champ (more than the troll game it appeared to be… with low brass humor and makes me miss Rockband), Victoria 3 (fantastic simulation w/o focus on super stacks, a bit more time in the oven will be good, but this is a solid 1.0)
Probably would have placed, if I played it: Pentiment - I need to get to this!