I think the most common answer is going to be Tears of the Kingdom, and that is one for me that stands out for sure, but I will try to add some more unique inputs as well. Many are games that came out longer than a year ago, but i didnt get around to playing until more recently.
-Escape From Tarkov, Single Player. Okay look, I have 3000 hours in EFT Live/regular. There is nothing that competes with it, nothing like the experience. But there are so many excessive and unlikely to be changed negatives to the experience that I simply cant put more time into it anymore, much less recommend it to others. LUCKILY the SPT version exists, and it is so fucking fun and refreshing. No cheater, no long load times, no disgusting server desync. No busted ass rogue and boss AI. Hate the stupid base exp rates? change them. Hate the ridiculous hideout install times that only exist to keep people from bullrushing high tier ammo in week 1? change them. I have mods installed that vastly improve the enemy AI, that fix the truly deranged shooting/recoil physics, that show you more data on different ammunition in game so you dont need a wiki open constantly, sell you gunsmith compatible guns so i dont have to build that shit for the 1000th time. Shit I even turned off fall damage so i could yeet myself off cliffs and chase down gun shots. It is simply much much much more fun. Its really the only Tarkov experience i can recommend these days.
-Mechabellum. This game is what ive wanted from the auto battle genre since it first popped up. Its got the perfect blend of conceptual strategy (think chess, the first game in the genre was auto-chess after all), randomness (the starting loadouts and perks on each round work as a very effective randomizing seed) and LACK of high APM micro bullshit that makes traditional multiplayer RTS a nightmare to pick up and learn. Its wonderful and im going to be playing so much of it as they are adding more coop modes and maps. 150 hours already.
-Monster Hunter Rise. This last year was the year that monster hunter really clicked for me, after like 5 years of on and off trying and failing to get into it. I think what changed was finally understanding that the game is just pushing you to improve on a purely mechanical perspective, constantly. In the same way that dark souls combat rewards you for ‘getting good’ (learning the movesets, knowing when to push and pull back, etc) Monster Hunter just wants you to be a goddamn badass, but youll have to work for it. Go slap that dragon with a big fish. 250 hours (yeesh)
-Hades. This is one of maybe 3 games ever that i could actually describe as ‘perfect’. Im sure a lot of people have read this sentiment online, but here’s the thing; I tried Hades 3 times previously and, while i did enjoy the experience and got like 2-5 successful patricides, it never really clicked into place. Until this time. The entire reason i got back into it was getting a steam deck, which i cannot recommend enough (if the price is right, be wary that a steam deck 2 in late 2024 is quite possible). but that was just a trigger. What actually made the difference was me slowing down a bit to appreciate the absolutely unparalleled and breathtaking attention to detail that the game constantly fulfills. 21000 voicelines, and ive never heard a repeat in 80 hours. Still unlocking new things like 30 or 40 successful runs in. Even the most supremely minor things: There is a decoration you can buy for your room, a big harp. you can run up to it and pluck some gross discordant notes. Neat, this kind of thing is in a lot of games, but still neat. EXCEPT plucking this thing enough gives you unique dialogues with a certain character. plucking it enough in between different runs shows you actually improving, making some less gross notes, then gross chords, then less gross chords, all with unique dialogue unlocks as you go. and eventually you pluck it and produce some real music. I cannot emphasize enough, this is a silly little decoration in your room that is totally optional and it wouldnt shock me if 95% of players completely miss it. THIS is the level of detail the game is constantly operating on. Super rare niche legendary boon from Demeter that kills stuff with a certain condition when its at 10% hp? bam, unique demeter voiceline for using it to beat the final boss. shit like that, is why this game is special, and what makes it next-level.
-Project Wingman VR. I love PW, i put like 30-40 hours in the regular game and it stands out to me as the best arcade flying game(ily AC7 but AC8 has to step up). But I recently got my VR headset working properly and tried PW in VR using my modest T.16000M throttle and stick, and oh my sweet lord there is something so transcendent about the experience. So rarely do i feel goosebumps when i play a game anymore (getting old) but this was like 2 straight hours of goosebumps. I also literally, actually, shit my pants a little when i collided with another plane, so thats nice.
I can’t hype The Outer Wilds enough. It’s such a fun exploration game that evolves into a big mystery.
I also just finished Ixion for the second time. It’s a city builder but with stress. I enjoyed it a lot because it scratched my particular brain itch, but I can see it not being for everyone though. IXION soundtrack is a banger though.
Outer Wilds would 100% be on my list but i played it close to release, so more than 365 days lol
I was a big fan of Frostpunk but Ixion is damn hard, I think I failed around the 3rd or 4th level 3 times before giving up? It’s really easy to get into a cascade failures in that game and the space you have to build in is much smaller than it looks at first. That was before they added the easy mode though so maybe I’ll try it again at some point.
I failed a handful of times before I made it through. It’s really about keeping am eye on your numbers in the top bar. If any of them aren’t looking right pause the game and find out why.
Just a heads up there are some bugs still and you’ll need to hit some things with a hammer.
Hades really is a banger. I cannot wait for Hades 2, my goodness.
Another perfect game for me is Outer Wilds. It’s hard to really get across the emotional impact it has on you.
Unfortunately due to the nature of the game, you can only really ever play it once. You are able to complete the game immediately, but the whole point is you discover clues as you explore that eventually build up to a point where it all clicks together, and suddenly you know what you must do.
Go in completely blind. Play on your own with your headphones on and get truly immersed. Try not to look up any guides. If you can get there on your own it’s truly satisfying.
When people say videogames are stupid I think of this game and feel sorry for what these people miss out on!
Edit: Oh mechabellum too - great shout. It’s criminal how small the player base is for such an addictive and fun game.
Outer Wilds is top of my list for most profound video game experiences. I have never went from joy to thinking “Oh. Oh…” so fast in one game. Plus, the music and graphics are so well done and support the narrative themes and mood. Just a masterpiece game.
Outer Wilds. Will probably stick with me for the rest of my life.
Death Stranding also had some moments that I remember fondly.
Slay the Spire still got an immense amount of attention from me, even though I started playing it longer ago than 365 days. I discovered how fun this game can be with a friend / a group. Building the deck together and making decisions really amplifies the emotions :D.
Demon Souls, first souls like I finished, on PS5. Just an incredibly polished experience.
If you love slay the spire check out the actually multi-player across the obelisk
Besides TotK:
- Project Diablo 2 Season 7: If you’ve been meaning to check out the Diablo series, or you’re not impressed with Diablo IV, then this is the variant of the game you have to try. Of course, Diablo 2 is a classic and PD2 is a well received mod, but Season 7 adds some much welcome graphical QoL changes - 60FPS and HD text rendering that looks pretty good even on 4K monitors. Of course, the graphics still doesn’t compare to Resurrected or other modern games, but if you can look past that, you’re in for a helluva ride. This is hands down, the best ARPG, IMO.
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: If you’re a Star Wars and an Age of Empires fan, you have to check this out. On the surface, it’s just a reskinned AoE 2, but calling it just that wouldn’t do it justice. You can have fleets of X-Wings and Tie Fighters, little R2 units as your villagers, destroyer droids, Jedi Knights as priests, bounty hunters, and of course, stormtroopers. All your classic Star Wars character types, all the familiar SW locales like Tatooine, campaigns based on movie plots, all of it accompanied by original soundtracks by John Williams from the movie - and you’ve got a winner. Unfortunately, this game never received the official HD treatment like AoE did, but thankfully, the Expanding Fronts mod exists - it adds much needed QoL fixes, plus new civilisations, units, maps and music from the movies. You may want to pair it with the cnc-ddraw patch for better graphics btw. I’ve been playing this game almost every single day with my friends using ZeroTier and it’s been sooo much fun.
- 0 A.D.: This is another RTS that every AoE/RTS fan should check out. It’s a cross-platform open-source game that’s been under development for a long time, and whilst still technically an “alpha”, it’s reached a state where you can genuinely enjoy campaigns and multiplayer games without any major issues. A couple of things that stand out for me is a) the music, which is really, really well done, matching the civilisation you’re playing b) the details on the buildings - you can zoom in super close and appreciate all the details, in fact, it’s not just the buildings but the attention to detail in general stands out in so many ways, for instance, even your farms look different with different civilisations c) the AI is really well done - even on “easy” mode it can pose a bit of a challenge and isn’t a complete pushover (unlike AoE’s easy AI), and you can also customize their behavior as well (per civilization) when starting your game (you can choose between defensive, aggressive, balanced etc) - which greatly adds to the replay value and d) you can have effectively unlimited population and very large battalions with lots of different formations, for some epic battles (provided your system can handle it of course). The only thing I miss are the keyboard shortcuts from AoE, but it’s not a big deal since you aren’t playing any ranked games or playing with randoms. Overall, the quality of this game, especially for an open-source game, is amazing, and makes it must-try for every RTS fan.
Oh the sudden wave of nostalgia, I had no idea Galactic Battlegrounds received that many mods or fan patches! I’ll have to check those out, cheers for that :)
To the moon. Man, what a roller coaster of emotions.
Oh yeah To the Moon is an absolute masterpiece. I’ve had the sequel in my steam backlog for ages. Should really replay TTM and then finally get around to playing the sequel…
god I remember that one fucking me up. that game made me cry so much
Playing It takes two with my spouse
My partner and I just finished the game a few weeks ago and were surprised at how good and memorable it is. There were like 5 times in that game where we were like “Wait, we’re not near the end?” and it was such a treat every time
This game was FANTASTIC. Would definitely play a sequel if it came out.
As others have mentioned: Outer Wilds.
It’s a game I can never experience in the same way ever again, and I am jealous of everyone who has yet to play it.
have you played the dlc?
Yes! I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I didn’t like the way the NPC AI worked. That specific aspect felt less like a “horror” experience and more like a “will the jank fuck me this time?” fest. Everything else was excellent, though.
Main game was a 10/10 without question DLC was a 9.5/10 and would have been a 10 if not for that.
I still got a lot of “Outer Wilds moments” in the DLC. Very few games have given me that kind of “oh, you’re kidding, that’s awesome” feeling when you figure something out.
Dave the diver. This is such a fun game, it’s hard to explain. Simple concept dive for fish and run a sushi joint. Somehow it’s managed to become all games in one and every angle of play is well thought out. The diving part is part shooter/adventure/exploration/rpg. The Sushi joint aspect is collector/rts/management simulator. The animations are top notch as well. I can’t recommend it enough.
The Blaster Master Zero series is a trip down memory lane and a fun romp. Excellent nostalgia feels if you ever played the original.
The horizon games have been good for both storytelling and gameplay.
Firewatch, while much too short, tells a moving story about the isolation that loss brings.
The Stanley Parable is one giant Easter egg with I finite replayability.
I’m a huge fan of “sky children of light” when I’m stressed out.
The free just cause games on PlayStation are kinda meditative in their own way, allowing you to fly across the countryside in a wingsuit.
I’ve also played BOTW, but am fairly disappointed in the lack of challenge. TOTK however, I am looking forward to.
Finally, Control. It has sweet gameplay, a cool story, a creepy as hell atmosphere, and links all the Remedy games together, all of which is love for the same reasons as I love Control. Of all the games I am looking forward to, Remedy is giving me the most antici…
pation.
Skimming through my Steam library, here are the games that I’d call memorable/left an imprint for me in the last year.
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Neon White - Score attack/leaderboard chasing is NOT my genre at all, but the game felt so good to get into a flow state and solve the puzzle, chasing that last Ace medal timing. There are more things I could have gone and chased, but getting all Ace medals, gifts and finishing the story was sufficient for me. I’d be curious to figure out if playing again, almost a year later, if I could do any of the later levels!
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Security Booth: Director’s Cut - A very short experience but such a fascinating and creepy one. You’re asked to man a security booth and let in or reject cars based on a list of license plates. Things get weird and that’s all I really want to say. This is also a game that feels like it was originally released on a PS1.
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The Case of the Golden Idol - Both Outer Wilds and Return of the Obra Dinn are some of my favorites of all time , so when I heard that Golden Idol was like both of them together I was extremely curious. It’s more Obra Dinn than Outer Wilds, but the core mystery in each level is so interesting to uncover. Nothing ever really comes out and says “So this is what happened” in a cutscene, but you read a letter in one room, maybe a letter in another, then you’re checking between them for the dates and trying to figure out what happened when. I felt so smart when a puzzle came together and when I saw/solved one of the big mysteries before they basically tell you the answer. So so so much fun and I need to get into the DLC.
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Marvel’s Spider Man and Miles Morales - I played the first Spider Man on Sony’s streaming service a couple years ago, so I knew all the story beats already. That didn’t stop the emotional impact from STILL hitting me from some of the final villain’s speech to Peter. I had also never played Miles Morales, so it was great to put them both back to back. The story can feel very routine/by the numbers but I almost didn’t care because I was having so much fun swinging through New York. Cannot wait for Spider Man 2.
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Deep Rock Galactic:
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
“Mushroom.”
That’s easy for me, the Snowrunner Year 1 expansion pack. Specifically Lake Kola and Imandra, when coaxing a heavily laden truck through the deep snow, day slides to night and the northern lights come out. A borderline spiritual experience because to get there you have to have got through things that seemed impossible.
Snowrunner for me too. I nearly gave up in frustration at the beginning though, as the trucks are near useless at getting through any mud or water. But the stunning physics and landscapes etc kept me going. Once you have your bearings and get a decent truck, the whole experience changes.
It’s interesting that different people take different things away from the game, I love the base game with small trucks - team Fleetstar!
Gris
I think the number one was DUSK. I initially put it off as just another boomer shooter trying to “ride the wave” of the trend, but after giving it some time to get past the first few levels, it really is more than that. It’s sort of a combination of the “badass” gameplay of Doom but with a horror story and atmosphere. There were truly some terrifying moments in the game, and a lot of the levels a pretty nightmare-fuel. The low-poly aesthetic sort of turns this up a notch in a way.
It has this very refreshing gameplay loop where part (or multiple parts) of a level will be a typical boomer shooter focus on gunning down hordes of enemies or even a boss fight, while in the meantime you’re navigating a labyrinthine environment with some pretty terrifying imagery. A lot of the story is implied during the levels and then explained in between levels through text, so the player is really left guessing for a lot of the game, and the story opens up far more than one could ever expect.
A lot of people may go into DUSK expecting Doom or Quake or even a more modern game like UltraKill, but I think it’s a lot more than those three combined.
I finished Omori a few months ago and it was a standout experience, really enjoyed every moment and could sing a lot of praise on its sound design and usage of gameplay mechanics to tell a story!
