The site I contribute to doesn’t worry about our GOTY lists being restricted to games only released that year which means you get a really fascinating look into what everyone has been playing and enjoying, and it’s also put me into a good habit of recording most of the interesting stuff I play throughout a given year. Current list and in a very loose order with notes:
- Townscaper - The chillest builder.
- My Brother Rabbit - Lovely hidden object game.
- Huntdown - A very slick and stylish 2D action platformer. Great fun co-op (over Parsec!).
- Ape Out - Hotline Miami with an ape and dynamic jazz soundtrack. A couple of frustrating bits but the action is satisfying and comes thick and fast.
- Inside - Big and weird mood piece that’s worth playing for the final quarter.
- The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches - My long overdue return to Dunwall to finish the DLC. Loved these and eager to play the sequel now.
- The Dark Mod - In the wake of Dishonored I had a hankering for Thief and this was just the ticket. Amazing labour(s) of love.
- Journey to the Savage Planet - Metroid Prime with a wacky sense of humour.
- Tanknarok - One of my favourite pick-up-and-play arena combat games that even features online multiplayer. Super slick and snappy. Looks, sounds and feels great.
- Risk of Rain 2 - Played a lot in Early Access but this is one of the best translations from a 2D to 3D game. Great with friends too.
- Atomicrops - Twin-stick bullet hell shooter, frantic farming and RTS. Not for the faint of heart. Gorgeous pixel art, zany music and amazing puns. Qt3 thread for more discussion.
- Tenderfoot Tactics - Chaotic elemental turn-based tactics and Proteus-like exploration? Yes please. Qt3 thread with more thoughts.
- In Other Waters - Beautifully presented and evocative underwater xenobiology game where you explore and uncover the mysteries of an alien planet. One of my favourite sci-fi stories of the year.
- Primordia - Late to the party with this one but this was such a good adventure game, a genre I’ve neglected in recent years. There’s not a lot I didn’t love about this.
- What Remains of Edith Finch - What a ride, and what a lot to unpack. Some of the most jaw-dropping sequences I’ve seen in games.
- Wide Ocean Big Jacket - Such a short, low-key and effortlessly human experience. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected.
- Doom Eternal - Despite Eternal’s dumb story and bloated progression/unlock systems, the tightened core action loop, varied levels and improved weapons/creature designs made this such a joy to blast through.
- Hades - Not much I need to say here but this is Supergiant’s finest game. Cool, slick and incredibly addictive. I may have some issues with Hades but they’re still percolating.
I’m hoping to play another game or three before the year’s out but we’ll see…
Yeah, this was me too.