As has become my annual tradition, here's the list of my favorite computer and console video games that I played for the first time during 2025 (along with the platform(s) that I played them on)! I really don't know how Supergiant Games does it. The original Hades was my personal 2020 Game of the Year, with its combination of tight top-down-view action combat, great voice-acted characters and character development, and excellent music. Hades 2 delivers more of the same, except with even more interesting combat and varied gameplay. I put in the time to 100% the Hades 2 Steam achievements, and enjoyed every run. There's certainly something special about a game where -- despite there being no gameplay benefit or purpose to it -- you can opt to spend some time having your character join in and beautifully harmonize with a song that another character visiting your home base is singing. 2. StarVaders (Windows, Steam Deck)Like it says on the tin, StarVaders is a roguelike deckbuilder that takes place on a Space-Invaders-like battle map. Cards are used to make your upward-facing spaceship move and fire up at the alien invaders moving down to attack you. Game balance is solid; and lots of different character classes, character variants, difficulty levels, and missions provide lots of replayability. Recommended for fans of Slay the Spire and similar games! Although I'm not a big "AAA" game player, Metaphor ReFantazio hit a sweet spot for me with its "Persona, but in a unique swords and sorcery fantasy setting" gameplay. I played all the way through the ending during the first few months of 2025. I particularly like the new Knockout Tour mode (in single-player) -- it really takes advantage of Mario Kart World's interconnected world to delivery a fun continuous 15 minutes or so of racing. Mario Kart World is also 2025's Schneider Family Game of the Year, managing the rare feat of getting us playing a video game together in 4-player split-screen. Just as with Hades 2: Monster Train 2 is like the original, but more and better! I had a good time discovering Monster Train 2's various synergies, both within the various factions, and in the intra-faction combination pairings. And I particularly enjoyed the major content unlock that occurs midway through the game. My favorite classic-style turn-based RPG of 2025! A wholesome save-the-world adventure with likeable characters. I haven't played the original (but plan to circle back to it soon, as the developer, Critical Games, added Steam Cloud saving to the Steam version, at my request!!) I played all the way through to the end. Recommended for fans of classic-style JRPG-like games! Here begins the portion of this year's list of games that I was impressed by and enjoyed, but didn't yet make it all the way through to completion. Bananza certainly meets the "impressed me" criterion, with its preponderance of destructible terrain combined with solid 3D platforming level design. I like how powerful DK feels in this game: In Mario games, Mario generally needs to be pretty cautious of enemies; by contrast, DK can readily clobber just about anything he comes across! First off: Tactical Breach Wizards features the wittiest writing in a video game that I've come across in my long history as a gamer, so it's got that going for it! Beyond that, the world imagined by Tactical Breach Wizards -- a modern world, but where magic is real, and thus is the primary tool employed by special-forces agents -- is a great playground for the turn-based tactical combat gameplay. I'm currently enjoying making my way through this game in short sessions of a mission or three each morning before work, mouse in my right hand, coffee in left. I probably needn't explain much about the game that has already featured so prominently on so many 2025 awards and Game of the Year lists. I feel like I should have liked the game's turn-based combat (but with dodges requiring real-time reflexes) more than I did -- Paper Mario (N64) and Thousand-Year Door are both on my all-time favorites list -- but I never was quite able to really get the hang of dodging terribly reliably, and 33 seems to want you to be pretty good at dodging in able to be successful in combat. I made it a fair ways into the game, but didn't end up completing it. I'm a bit of a fan of Cadence (including her Hyrule appearance), and so was looking forward to Rift! I spent a fair bit of time with it when it came out, and did play all the way through the story. I'm (evidently) not super talented at this game, though, and topped out at Medium difficulty on most songs, and Hard on the easier ones. (However -- and since this is my blog, I'll just go right ahead and dad-brag a bit -- my 20-year-old son is the current #1 world record holder of multiple Rift songs in "Impossible" difficulty on the Switch platform, and also has a bunch of top-percentile scores on the Steam platform -- despite carrying an otherwise-full load as a Chemical Engineering major and marching band member at university!) (Aside: New game developers, consider resisting the temptation to include the word "Rift" in the name of your new game. There are quite a few such games out there already! 😅) Appendix: NOT-new-in-2025 Multiplayer GOTYMy continuing-favorite game of 2025 was once again Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch! The aforementioned 20-year-old son and I enjoy playing the online 2v2 mode and taking on all comers -- and, per the in-game stats, managing to win matches at a ~85% clip! I'm decent at Smash and generally hold up my end of the team with my Bowser Jr. and Samus; but "20" (who can skillfully play the entire roster(!), but probably likes best Lucina, Mii Brawler, and Pyra/Mythra) definitely does most of the heavy lifting! Appendix: Games in ProgressField of Mistria is essentially Stardew Valley, but different! I spent a solid few weeks with this game midway through the year, and enjoyed some of the changes and improvements it makes on Stardew Valley. I decided to put the game back on the shelf for now, though, pending the rest of the planned content (including the full implementation of PC-NPC relationships) being added to the game. Hopefully that'll be later on in 2026! CrossCode (Windows, Steam Deck)Although CrossCode is a somewhat older game -- having come out in 2018 -- I just discovered it in December 2025, it having been one of a few inexpensive games that I picked up in the Steam Winter Sale. (I think I may have tried but bounced off of a CrossCode demo back around the original release date.) Wow, there's a lot I'm liking here so far. A twin-stick action-adventure game (like my 2024 GOTY, Minishoot' Adventures)! A simulated MMORPG game, bringing back some fond memories of when I casually played World of Warcraft in its early days? Pixel art? Firm but fair puzzles? An intriguing story? There's a lot here so far that falls pretty squarely in my personal wheelhouse! At times, CrossCode has felt like it may wind up earning a place among my favorite games of all time! At other times, it has been a little frustrating or obscure. I've managed to play through to what feels like it might be about the halfway mark without resorting to any hint guides, though, so far. I'm looking forward to continuing to play in 2026, forming a fuller opinion -- and maybe featuring CrossCode in my 2026 GOTY list post!
There were my favorite games that I played for the first time during 2024 (along with the platforms that I played them on)!
I picked up Minishoot' Adventures on Steam when looking for a twin-stick shooter game to play without knowing anything about it beforehand, and am so glad I did! This game is an exploration / combat game a little bit reminiscent of the original Legend of Zelda; except that it's a twin-stick shooter, and more of a sci-fi theme. The exploration, combat, and upgrade systems are all really nicely designed. I immediately started a second playthrough on the "Hard" difficulty after completing my "Normal" playthrough, which for me is a rarity, and indicative of a really good game. Highly recommended! This is the best new strategy game I've played on my phone in years. (Also available on other mobile and desktop platforms.) Slice & Dice is a really tight turn-based combat-only game where your party of 5 heroes takes on a series of 20 increasingly difficult battles. There's a free demo with the first 12 fights so you can try before you buy. The base game is plenty replayable, but Slice & Dice also comes with a plethora of different game modes if you want to change things up. Stands out even further from the crowd by being seamlessly playable in both Portrait and Landscape modes!
3. dotAGE (Mac / Windows)dotAGE is a turn-based village builder where disasters periodically befall your town -- but you are able to see them coming some time in advance! If you successfully forestall a disaster -- for example, having enough heat sources to counteract a freezing weather event -- then the event becomes a blessing instead. Features quirky humor and pixel art, both of which are right up my alley. Unicorn Overlord is a very polished small-squad battlefield combat game. A bit like the Fire Emblem games, except that instead of controlling individual heroes, you're controlling several squads of 3-5 characters, with movement across the battlefield happening in pausable real-time. Individual battles play out automatically according to if-then rules that you assign to each unit in advance. A simple set of tactics for a healer hero might be "If any ally is at less than 75% HP, heal them; otherwise, attack the lowest % HP enemy with holy magic." As a programmer, I had a lot of fun setting up those rulesets and then watching them play out! Although I'm a big fan of the TNG-era Star Trek shows, I haven't played many Star Trek computer games. Resurgence, though, did come pretty close to making me feel like I was playing through a short series of TNG-era Star Trek episodes! Although some of the action/combat sequences in the game were a little rough, the interesting nature of the "command decisions" in the game more than made up for that. 6. Sea of Stars (Steam Deck / Windows)Sea of Stars in a fun turn-based, small-party RPG that is a bit reminiscent of classics from that era like Chrono Trigger. The combat system features the heroes having small mana pools -- but mana can be restored via "normal attacks," a little like in Diablo 3. Although the story was a bit uneven in places, I enjoyed the combat, graphics, and music enough to play Sea of Stars through to completion! It's Papers, Please, except that rather than dystopian, it's fantasy-cartoony; and the protagonist is a 12-year-old girl! Despite the silly premise, there are some serious-ish enough plot elements that I (as an adult guy gamer) found Lil' Guardsman engaging enough to play through to completion. It was also fun to pair-play a bit with my own real-life 12-year-old daughter! Ask a kid, I had somehow missed out on all of the NES Dragon Quest (née Dragon Warrior) games beyond the first. Nevertheless, I had a good time checking out this game for the first time, with its early implementation of a job system, and anachronisms such as individual non-combatant NPC characters hanging out by themselves deep in monster-filled dungeons. I progressed fairly deep into the game, but the combat system was a little too old-school for me with regard to the lack of interesting decision-making to be had in most combats, and I didn't quite make it through to completion.
I've never owned nor played a Playstation 4, but I'd heard a lot of positive buzz around the Spider-Man games, so when I finally hooked up a decent gaming PC to my family's main big screen TV, this was one of the first games I fired up. My favorite part was the amazing feeling of just web-swinging around New York City -- what a rush! As a (mostly) old-school gamer, I never quite felt like I had mastery of Spider-Man's abilities in combat, resulting in Spider-Man getting beat up by non-super-powered goons a little more than it felt reasonable than he should; perhaps at some point I'll put in the effort to come back to this game and "get good" at it. 10. Balatro (iPhone, Steam Deck)
I actually originally bounced off this game on its original release. My two main criticisms at that time were that (1) it seemed too easy (just a matter of getting some "good" jokers, after which it hardly mattered which cards you even played; and (2) it seemed unbalanced (certain jokers just seemed terrible, e.g. increasing the score multiplier in tiny increments of 0.1). I gave Balatro another try when it came out later in the year on iOS at which time I figured out that my two criticisms were met by (1) the built-in higher difficulty levels, and (2) the jokers that had seemed terrible generally actually were quite good because they multiplied the score multiplier, rather than just adding to it. Balatro hasn't dominated my gaming time as it has for some, but it's been an occasional fun diversion! Other games I played for the first time, and enjoyed, in 2024 (in descending order of where they would have been appended onto the top 10) included: Shogun Showdown; Ara Fell; Dungeons of Aether; Paperback Adventures; No Man’s Sky; Tangledeep.
Starting with my favorite video game that I played for the first time this year, and continuing on
with the rest of the top 10, these were my personal top games of 2023 (along with the platform(s) on which I played them)! There are so many facets to this game that, on their own, are exceedingly well done, and joined together, make for an incredible game. The adaptation of D&D 5E combat and mechanics. The overall story. The individual party members, and their stories. The smart way in which the game’s world and characters realistically respond to your actions. It speaks to BG3’s quality that it is the first long-form game in a very long time that I played through from start to finish -- and then immediately made a new character and started a second play-through.
It ALSO speaks to Baldur’s Gate 3's quality that when I played Tears of the Kingdom earlier in 2023, I felt that it was the best game I’d played in several years, and a lock for game of the year! A more-than-worthy sequel to Breath of the Wild (my personal 2017 Game of the Year). Hyrule is once again super fun to explore -- this time with the additions of caves, the sky, the underground, and more things to do. The construction system managed to successfully achieve making me feel like “I’m not just a fantasy warrior, I'm a fantasy warrior engineer!”
In my opinion, the best new 2D Super Mario game in 32 years(!!) (Super Mario World, SNES, 1991). The combination of more traditional-style Mario 2D gameplay with the “wonder” sequences in the various levels made for a great combined experience. The pseudo-multiplayer real-time “ghosts” of other players that you can see -- and to a limited extent, interact with, but very importantly, not in any toxic way -- was also a neat (optional) addition which I ended up being quite glad that I had decided to leave enabled.
4. Cobalt Core (Steam Deck / Windows)This recently-released, spaceship-battle-themed roguelike deckbuilder came out of nowhere for me to claim this high spot on my crowded GOTY list this year. It adds to the traditional Slay-the-Spire-like ability to block incoming damage an ability to move laterally to dodge incoming fire (or to take it on more-armored parts of your ship). Battles are quick and punchy. Even though Cobalt Core is mostly not mechanically similar to FTL, it did give me some of the smartly-designed vibes of that game.
A solid, 8-bit-style platforming action game in the tradition of Castlevania 2 (NES). The tight gameplay and fun progression were enough to keep me engaged straight through from start to credits.
A scuba-speargun-fishing main game mashed together with restaurant management sections, complete with a perfect-beer-pouring minigame? Why does this work so well? Once again, it's because all of the individual pieces are so solid! The charming character design and pixel art certainly don’t hurt, either. The first game in this year’s list that I haven’t actually finished yet: I played mostly in Early Access, decided to set it aside until the full 1.0 release -- and haven’t picked it back up quite yet due to the strength of all of the other new games on offer this year.
This year’s turn-based JRPG comfort food. An interesting battle system, combined with a story that was decent enough to keep me playing straight through to the end -- albeit for only some of the characters, not all 8. As with the first series entry, my wish would be for better interaction between the 8 protagonist characters.
After having this game on my to-play for a few years, I finally had a good way to play it when I acquired a Steam Deck in the early part of 2023. As I had heard about Outer Wilds prior to playing, this is a game worth playing without being spoiled on what it is all about! I will say to give it a try if a first-person, solo exploration game where you board and fly your own spaceship (while still in the first-person perspective) and explore a small solar system sounds appealing. I did admittedly eventually get stuck on how to progress further (and didn’t want to consult a guide) -- but not until after quite a few hours of really interesting exploration and discovery.
9. Tunic (Steam Deck)For me, Tunic created a vibe of being a kid back in the pre-Internet days, and having a new Nintendo cartridge to play -- but there's no real in-game help, and the instruction booklet that came with the cartridge (which in Tunic's case is discoverable in pieces within the game itself) is mostly in Japanese (a language I can't read) -- but the booklet's bits of English text, plus illustrations, allow for puzzling out the less obvious parts of game's mechanics and objectives. Add that to some overhead-view Zelda-like combat -- except tricky, with some Souls-like aspects -- and Tunic ends up being pretty cool and unique experience. A last-minute list addition! Another roguelike deckbuilder hybrid -- this time with Into-The-Breach-like tactical positioning, with a solo character you control facing off with one or more enemies on a small hex grid. Honorable MentionsA few of the other games I played which were good, but didn’t make this year’s Top 10, in approximate descending order of where they would have appeared on the list, had there been room: Retro Bowl College (iPhone), Diablo 4 (Windows), Pinball FX (Windows), 30XX (Steam Deck), Tinykin (Steam Deck).
Starting with my personal Game of the Year for 2022, and continuing on
with the rest of the top 10, these were my favorite games that I played
for the first time this year (along with the platform(s) on which I played them)! Probably the most expansive single-player RPG I've ever played, I was hesitant to dive into the this game given the expected time commitment, but I'm certainly glad I did! Engaging turn-based combat system, check. Interesting story, check. Realistic and sympathetic characters, check. Getting to explore (in a limited way) the districts of real-life Tokyo, a fun bonus. All wrapped up in a package that tries hard to be super stylish and cool -- and actually manages to pull it off! I enjoyed seeing the lore of the first two main games in the Xenoblade series woven together here into something completely different, yet still congruent with the original pairs of source material. A key innovation here was an RPG with a large party of player characters where some PCs aren't present during combat; all 6 (or 7) of them are present, contributing, and playable. The way the game handles, in consistent fashion with the game's world, a mixed-gender party of (essentially) late-teens / early-20s characters with romance between characters (mostly) not being a thing was also an enjoyable novelty. This game was a real treat for me, a fan of old-school Final Fantasy games and similar JRPGs. Layering challenging turn-based on top of exploration of a blocky Minecraft-like world worked remarkably well. Like Stardew Valley a few years back, Crystal Project is a game that managed to pleasingly surprise me on a number of occasions after I thought that I had what the game had to offer all figured out. The best word game app I've ever played. It's Sudoku crossed with crossword puzzles in a really smart way. Wonderful UX design (which inspired a Vigil RPG haptics update!). More-than-fair premium pricing model with no ads, premium currencies, or other typical mobile-game dark patterns. Multiple game modes, including daily and monthly puzzles. Knotwords' ability for the player to "recover" lapsed daily streaks is another innovation that should be universally copied. Highly recommended to fans of word games! Another premium iOS game done right. Combines tower defense, a light puzzle/card game, and a cool aesthetic. I 100%'ed the campaign.
A smartly-designed, difficult-but-fair, cute pixel-art hybrid of Metroidvania and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link gameplay styles, with great settings/locations and story. I played through this cute first 3D foray of Kirby through start-to-finish with my 10-year-old, with her taking on the role of Kirby, and me, Bandana Waddle Dee. I appreciate how this game caters to a variety of skill levels, with the the main story being well suited for the pair of us to complete, and also including a post-game suitable for experts.
8. Chasm (Steam / Mac)Like Phoenotopia, a pixel art melee Metroidvania game, whose weapon/combat system seems to have been particularly inspired by the more recent 2D games in the Castlevania series (see: next entry below!). Slightly thin on story, but solid enough in terms of level design and gameplay that I did complete the main story. Played through this game which I'd never played in its original form as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection. I'd previously been most familiar with the more traditional series entries including the original Castlevania (NES) and Super Castlevania (SNES); hat tip to TouchArcade and freelance game writer Shaun Musgrave, whose recent Patreon ranking of all(!) of the Castlevania series games inspired me to give this a play-through. This is the type of multiplayer-game that I tend to prefer these days: Quick and asynchronous, meaning low-stress! You start each game from scratch to build a team of up to 5 of animals, each with their own unique combat ability, and watch them engage in a series of brief auto-battles against teams built by other players who have done the same.
Dating back to my days as a kid, one of my favorite hobbies is computer and console gaming. Following the Gamers With Jobs rules -- only games that I played for the first time in 2021 are eligible to make the list -- here are my top 10 favorite new-to-me games of 2021 (along with the platform on which I played each game), in descending order:
After nearly 20 years, we finally got a new 2D Metroid sequel. And it
does so many things right! Gameplay that deeply respects prior games in
the series, yet smartly blazes new territory. Beautiful and
finely-detailed graphics. Good map/level design. Tough but fair boss
battles. It's probably impossible for the greatness of Super Metroid (SNES) to ever be matched again, but Dread is an excellent modern take
on the formula.
Bravely Default 2 takes the raw materials of JRPGs going all the way
back to the first Final Fantasy games, iterates and folds them back on
themselves many times, and ends up with this pretty nice piece of gaming
origami. The most important thing I look for in a JRPG is combat that
is fun, well-balanced, and (ideally) rewards smarts/creativity on the
part of the player, and Bravely Default 2 delivers.
Speaking of the first Final Fantasy games: It was a treat this year
having in my pocket this update to the very first Final Fantasy
featuring a wonderful soundtrack, sharp graphics, and modernized and
rebalanced gameplay -- while still remaining faithful to the original. I
don't often blog about individual games, but I did do a compare-and-contrast between Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and the NES original.
With my primary computer these days being a Mac, I don't do a lot of
gaming on Windows, but I made an exception for Monster Train. It's a fun
and smart iteration on the Slay the Spire deck-builder-battler genre.
(I was initially put off somewhat by the protagonists being the forces
of Hell, but it's fine; in Monster Train, the angels are a bunch of jerks,
and your team is fighting for self-preservation.)
I'm still midway through this expansive classic, and it might end up
higher on a hypothetical 2021-2022 combined list, but for now, here we
are! I had originally passed on this game, but the combination of my
teenage son recommending it to me as having "single-player MMO" combat,
plus wanting to learn more about Shulk from Smash Ultimate convinced me
to give Xenoblade Chronicles a fair shake, and I'm glad I did. And I
really like the soundtrack!
I dusted off my 3DS again during a period where the aforementioned
teenage son was monopolizing the household Switch, and discovered that
he'd purchased a digital copy of Etrian Odyssey 5 (2017) at some point.
I'm only midway through, but the tough combat and old-school DIY mapping
using the 3DS's stylus are just as engaging as I remember from earlier
series entries.
I had low expectations for New Pokemon Snap, but they were wildly
exceeded when I had a couple of weeks to give it a try on a check-out
from my local library. I think the thing I like most is the fact that
when you manage to get a great photograph, it's 100% due to your own
timing and skill -- not due in part to some huge passive buff from a
piece of equipped gear, or a lucky roll on some behind-the-scenes RNG.
I'm planning to purchase a copy of New Pokemon Snap for myself when it
goes on sale.
This deck-builder-battler that's not a roguelike, but is
instead a party-based RPG, played really well on the iPhone platform,
even though it was originally designed for larger screens. The unique
battle system kept me engaged all the way through to the end of the
game.
Another fun riff on the deck-builder-battler-roguelike genre, adding a
map exploration mechanic that ends up working a bit like FTL, where
you need to do all you can in a given area to power yourself up, before
taking on the area boss and advancing. A few remaining rough edges in
both minor UI bugs and gameplay balance issues don't hold Roguebook back
from being fun to play.
Also available on iPhone, this isn't just a remaster of the original 1980s gamebook series, but a full remake, taking advantage of the
digital platform. A combat system that incorporates a bit of skill, and
isn't simply dice-rolling -- and smartly, gives the player the option to
immediately replay battles that didn't go so well -- adds to the fun. Honorable mention
Best new DLC: Fighters Pass 2 for Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch).
I find it crazy how well this mashup of 82 or so distinct playable characters from dozens of different series actually works in practice.
My favorite gaming experience of 2021, eclipsing any of the new games
mentioned above, is playing 2v2 local-vs-online matches with the teenage
son. (The characters I mainly play are Samus and Ludwig von Koopa!)
Starting with my personal Game of the Year for 2017, and continuing on with the rest of the top 10, these were my favorite games that I played for the first time this year! Originally posted on the Gamers with Jobs forums.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)
- Bravely and brilliantly replaced the longstanding Zelda trope of "do a
few large dungeons, get the Master Sword, do several more large
dungeons" with a huge world that's really worth exploring. Exploring the
wilderness and happening upon concealed shrines managed to re-evoke the
feeling of discovery that I remember from playing the original NES
Zelda as a kid!
2. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) - Full of great
surprises, beautiful art, fair challenges, and so many things to do. An
even better iteration on the gameplay, level design, and themes of past
Mario 3D titles (Mario 64, Galaxy, 3D Land) than I might have thought
possible.
3. SteamWorld Dig 2 (PC) - Rolled into this directly
after finishing SteamWorld Dig 1 for the first time, which turned out
to be an excellent way to approach it, with the NPC Dorothy from the
first game turning PC and searching for Rusty, the first game's hero
gone missing. Solid digging gameplay with lots of fun character
upgrades, both major and minor.
4. Blaster Master (2017) (Switch) - Blaster Master
for the NES was one of my personal nostalgic favorites. A great update
while still retaining the best parts of the original. Played through it
twice, getting the fun surprise at the end of the second playthrough for
100%-ing the game up through the boss.
5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch) - Great
tactical strategy game, minimizing the impact of luck on the gameplay,
and building on the foundation laid by X-Com by introducing lots of neat
new gameplay mechanics.
6. PPKP (iOS) - A simple yet interesting 1-on-1
brawler-type fighting game perfectly tailored to being played on a
mobile phone. Manages to make a deep and rewarding combat and upgrade
system out of only two in-game "buttons". App Store link.
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) - My favorite racing
game in a long time. I actually enjoy watching others play this almost
as much as I enjoy playing myself; while just observing, I notice all of
the beautiful graphics happening in the environment around the race
track, whereas when I'm actually playing I tend to tunnel vision in on
the race itself.
8. Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) - A very cool stride
forward in 2D Metroid games with the counter-attack and 360-degree free
aiming systems, even though I think I may still prefer the elegant
simplicity of the original Super Metriod (SNES) gameplay. Interesting
to compare and contrast this Metroid 2 (Game Boy) remake with last
year's indie take on the same, AM2R.
9. Cosmic Star Heroine (PC) - A 16-bit-style turn-based RPG in a sci-fi setting with an interesting new battle system. Steam link.
10. Fire Emblem Heroes (iOS) - A nicely simplified
pocket implementation of the standard Fire Emblem gameplay. I enjoyed
it when it came out, although I did lose interest fairly soon after
reaching the level cap of 40, despite the new content and events
periodically being released.
Honorable Mentions: Puyo Puyo Tetris (Switch); Hollow Knight (PC); Snipperclips (Switch).
Previously: 2016 (GOTY: Stardew Valley). 2015 (GOTY: Super Mario Maker).
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After nearly 20 years, we finally got a new 2D Metroid sequel. And it does so many things right! Gameplay that deeply respects prior games in the series, yet smartly blazes new territory. Beautiful and finely-detailed graphics. Good map/level design. Tough but fair boss battles. It's probably impossible for the greatness of Super Metroid (SNES) to ever be matched again, but Dread is an excellent modern take on the formula.
2. Bravely Default 2 (Nintendo Switch)
Bravely Default 2 takes the raw materials of JRPGs going all the way back to the first Final Fantasy games, iterates and folds them back on themselves many times, and ends up with this pretty nice piece of gaming origami. The most important thing I look for in a JRPG is combat that is fun, well-balanced, and (ideally) rewards smarts/creativity on the part of the player, and Bravely Default 2 delivers.
3. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (iPhone)
Speaking of the first Final Fantasy games: It was a treat this year having in my pocket this update to the very first Final Fantasy featuring a wonderful soundtrack, sharp graphics, and modernized and rebalanced gameplay -- while still remaining faithful to the original. I don't often blog about individual games, but I did do a compare-and-contrast between Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and the NES original.
4. Monster Train (Windows)
With my primary computer these days being a Mac, I don't do a lot of gaming on Windows, but I made an exception for Monster Train. It's a fun and smart iteration on the Slay the Spire deck-builder-battler genre. (I was initially put off somewhat by the protagonists being the forces of Hell, but it's fine; in Monster Train, the angels are a bunch of jerks, and your team is fighting for self-preservation.)
5. Xenoblade Chronicles (Nintendo Switch)
I'm still midway through this expansive classic, and it might end up higher on a hypothetical 2021-2022 combined list, but for now, here we are! I had originally passed on this game, but the combination of my teenage son recommending it to me as having "single-player MMO" combat, plus wanting to learn more about Shulk from Smash Ultimate convinced me to give Xenoblade Chronicles a fair shake, and I'm glad I did. And I really like the soundtrack!
6. Etrian Odyssey 5 (Nintendo 3DS)
I dusted off my 3DS again during a period where the aforementioned teenage son was monopolizing the household Switch, and discovered that he'd purchased a digital copy of Etrian Odyssey 5 (2017) at some point. I'm only midway through, but the tough combat and old-school DIY mapping using the 3DS's stylus are just as engaging as I remember from earlier series entries.
7. New Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch)
I had low expectations for New Pokemon Snap, but they were wildly exceeded when I had a couple of weeks to give it a try on a check-out from my local library. I think the thing I like most is the fact that when you manage to get a great photograph, it's 100% due to your own timing and skill -- not due in part to some huge passive buff from a piece of equipped gear, or a lucky roll on some behind-the-scenes RNG. I'm planning to purchase a copy of New Pokemon Snap for myself when it goes on sale.
8. Steamworld Quest (iPhone)
This deck-builder-battler that's not a roguelike, but is instead a party-based RPG, played really well on the iPhone platform, even though it was originally designed for larger screens. The unique battle system kept me engaged all the way through to the end of the game.
9. Roguebook (Mac)
Another fun riff on the deck-builder-battler-roguelike genre, adding a map exploration mechanic that ends up working a bit like FTL, where you need to do all you can in a given area to power yourself up, before taking on the area boss and advancing. A few remaining rough edges in both minor UI bugs and gameplay balance issues don't hold Roguebook back from being fun to play.
10. Sorcery! 4-game series (Mac)
Also available on iPhone, this isn't just a remaster of the original 1980s gamebook series, but a full remake, taking advantage of the digital platform. A combat system that incorporates a bit of skill, and isn't simply dice-rolling -- and smartly, gives the player the option to immediately replay battles that didn't go so well -- adds to the fun.
Honorable mention
Best new DLC: Fighters Pass 2 for Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch). I find it crazy how well this mashup of 82 or so distinct playable characters from dozens of different series actually works in practice. My favorite gaming experience of 2021, eclipsing any of the new games mentioned above, is playing 2v2 local-vs-online matches with the teenage son. (The characters I mainly play are Samus and Ludwig von Koopa!)