Every Favorite-of-the-Year Honoree
Showing reviews of games that were one of my favorite things I played that year. The cream of the crop! Each review is scored on my 4-point rating system.
Each game notes its:- Play type (first time, replays, DLC, etc.)
- genre, and you can click through to see all the others games from that genre I've played.
- π - Neglected to finish a beatable game
- π€ / π₯ - Member of a collection
- π₯ / π₯ / π₯ - Favorite of the Year honoree.
The Plucky Squire
π₯
Absolutely spectacular art direction. The 2D sections are straight out of Hilda and the 3D made great use of lighting to make the cartoon elements really pop. Story was surprisingly meta and fun. Music was top-tier. Really the only thing lacking was the gameplay itself. It started basic and never really went anywhere from there. You get a couple of moves, but you fight the same standard enemies the whole game and nothing puts up a fight. The puzzles range from "too simple" to "decent", but never higher. There's also a ton of (blessedly skippable) minigames that get old eventually. I think it's great for what it is, you just need to set expectations around challenge level and simplicity going in. I enjoyed my time with it overall.
2024-12-167h 12mFirst Time
Absolutely spectacular art direction. The 2D sections are straight out of Hilda and the 3D made great use of lighting to make the cartoon elements really pop. Story was surprisingly meta and fun. Music was top-tier. Really the only thing lacking was the gameplay itself. It started basic and never really went anywhere from there. You get a couple of moves, but you fight the same standard enemies the whole game and nothing puts up a fight. The puzzles range from "too simple" to "decent", but never higher. There's also a ton of (blessedly skippable) minigames that get old eventually. I think it's great for what it is, you just need to set expectations around challenge level and simplicity going in. I enjoyed my time with it overall.
Lil Gator Game
π€
π₯
Extremely charming concept, a small world of friends to explore, and some surprisingly compelling platforming and traversal mechanics make this way more fun than expected. It's nothing like Breath of the Wild in complexity, but it copies a lot of the other core bits to great effect.
2024-11-104h 35mFirst Time
Gameplay was much improved over the first one, mostly due to improved enemy AI and level design. Everything flows cinematically and fluidly, which is nothing short of a technical marvel. Every melee attack has a contextual animation and the world reacts to your actions. The PS5 version's graphics are also probably the peak of the generation. The story is top-notch, as expected. Naughty Dog continues to push the boundaries of what possible in a narrative. At times, I did feel like playing the "novelization" of a TV show, so I'm excited to see what this looks like in the actual show. Overall it was probably too long and had some pacing inconsistencies, but I felt like it largely surpassed the original (despite my fondness for that first story).
2024-11-0621h 25mFirst Time
Gameplay was much improved over the first one, mostly due to improved enemy AI and level design. Everything flows cinematically and fluidly, which is nothing short of a technical marvel. Every melee attack has a contextual animation and the world reacts to your actions. The PS5 version's graphics are also probably the peak of the generation. The story is top-notch, as expected. Naughty Dog continues to push the boundaries of what possible in a narrative. At times, I did feel like playing the "novelization" of a TV show, so I'm excited to see what this looks like in the actual show. Overall it was probably too long and had some pacing inconsistencies, but I felt like it largely surpassed the original (despite my fondness for that first story).
Combines great writing, a decent story, and open ended tactical puzzles into an absolute banger. Good ability variety and the ability to push characters (enemy and ally alike) leads to a ton of interesting approaches to completing objectives. Infinite rewinds encourage lots of experimentation making it extremely fun to play around with.
Read more in my full review!
2024-10-1512h 43mFirst Time
Combines great writing, a decent story, and open ended tactical puzzles into an absolute banger. Good ability variety and the ability to push characters (enemy and ally alike) leads to a ton of interesting approaches to completing objectives. Infinite rewinds encourage lots of experimentation making it extremely fun to play around with.
Read more in my full review!
Probably my favorite shovel knight campaign. Movement felt great and the heirlooms were each interesting. I also loved that the levels were so much shorter - it allowed them to try more things in a more focused space. The Joustus card game was a good addition, though its actual gameplay didn't grab me like I expected it to. Even so, roaming around and building a better deck to challenge people with was satisfying. Whole thing was a blast!
2024-08-046h 26mFirst Time
Probably my favorite shovel knight campaign. Movement felt great and the heirlooms were each interesting. I also loved that the levels were so much shorter - it allowed them to try more things in a more focused space. The Joustus card game was a good addition, though its actual gameplay didn't grab me like I expected it to. Even so, roaming around and building a better deck to challenge people with was satisfying. Whole thing was a blast!
Animal Well
π€
π₯
Extremely intricate puzzles layered onto a world busting with explorable areas made this a most engaging adventure. Learning new mechanics kept the world from feeling too small and the odd atmosphere kept us engaged throughout. Ended up getting the platinum trophy (and the true ending) because we were having so much fun.
2024-07-1214h 44mFirst Time
Extremely intricate puzzles layered onto a world busting with explorable areas made this a most engaging adventure. Learning new mechanics kept the world from feeling too small and the odd atmosphere kept us engaged throughout. Ended up getting the platinum trophy (and the true ending) because we were having so much fun.
Cuphead
π₯
A pretty tough game, but fair about its difficulty. Good boss variety and equipment options. It would get frustrating when I made dumb mistakes over and over. But, the feeling of finally beating a boss I had run up against many times was exhilarating.
Death Count: 507 total. 101 deaths first island, 191 deaths second island, 111 deaths third island, 30 deaths against penultimate boss, 74 against final boss.
2024-06-2516h 33mFirst Time
A pretty tough game, but fair about its difficulty. Good boss variety and equipment options. It would get frustrating when I made dumb mistakes over and over. But, the feeling of finally beating a boss I had run up against many times was exhilarating.
Death Count: 507 total. 101 deaths first island, 191 deaths second island, 111 deaths third island, 30 deaths against penultimate boss, 74 against final boss.
Some of the best turn based combat I've played in a while. I love the deckbuilding mechanics. The story and writing were fine, but they paved the way for some genuinely heartfelt character moments. Design wise, it's overstuffed - there are too many generic missions and too many resources / collectibles. The dressup aspect is fun though and like I said, the core gameplay awesome. They teased a sequel and I'm here for it.
2024-06-0738h 5mFirst Time
Some of the best turn based combat I've played in a while. I love the deckbuilding mechanics. The story and writing were fine, but they paved the way for some genuinely heartfelt character moments. Design wise, it's overstuffed - there are too many generic missions and too many resources / collectibles. The dressup aspect is fun though and like I said, the core gameplay awesome. They teased a sequel and I'm here for it.
Cassette Beasts
π₯
A strong entrant in the monster collecting genre. Story was decent, if tropey. Gameplay was more modular than most Pokemon-like games, leading to a lot of deep strategy if you want to go looking for it. The fusion system is great and the fact that every combination exists is pretty mind blowing. The type chart is fairly advanced compared to Pokemon, requiring me to keep a reference open most of the time. The ragdoll physics are an interesting twist on its pixel art style. Decent exploration and menus that are less ergonomic than they should be. But, a fun play that kept me engaged throughout.
2024-05-1817h 33mFirst Time
A strong entrant in the monster collecting genre. Story was decent, if tropey. Gameplay was more modular than most Pokemon-like games, leading to a lot of deep strategy if you want to go looking for it. The fusion system is great and the fact that every combination exists is pretty mind blowing. The type chart is fairly advanced compared to Pokemon, requiring me to keep a reference open most of the time. The ragdoll physics are an interesting twist on its pixel art style. Decent exploration and menus that are less ergonomic than they should be. But, a fun play that kept me engaged throughout.
PowerWash Simulator
π₯
I was slow to warm up to it, but I absolutely adored the dang thing. It's maybe the perfect podcasting game to play and zone out too. I used to think that was bad, but being able to have just enough gameplay to be engaging while not needing to worry about dying or any stats was sort of great. Some levels were more frustrating than others, but I generally enjoyed the variety.
2024-04-1938h 0mFirst Time
I was slow to warm up to it, but I absolutely adored the dang thing. It's maybe the perfect podcasting game to play and zone out too. I used to think that was bad, but being able to have just enough gameplay to be engaging while not needing to worry about dying or any stats was sort of great. Some levels were more frustrating than others, but I generally enjoyed the variety.
The Looker
π₯
Great games demand great parody. It's got some fun puzzles in its own right, but manages to be laugh-out-loud hilarious in its own right. Is the perfect length and was a blast top to bottom.
2024-02-191h 6mFirst Time
Chants of Sennaar
π€
π₯
Superb puzzle game. Loved learning languages based on context clues and pictograms. The sections combined and overlapped well. The overall message was good and the story went fun places. Managed to say a lot without any dialogue. Had some unnecessary stealth sections, but they didn't bog it down too much. Deservedly in the conversation w/ Obra Dinn and Golden Idol.
2024-02-178h 35mFirst Time
Superb puzzle game. Loved learning languages based on context clues and pictograms. The sections combined and overlapped well. The overall message was good and the story went fun places. Managed to say a lot without any dialogue. Had some unnecessary stealth sections, but they didn't bog it down too much. Deservedly in the conversation w/ Obra Dinn and Golden Idol.
Triangle Strategy
π₯
Played New Game+ for the true ending, which was great. Fun to explore more characters and I was pleasantly surprised at how much variation there was in choices. Battles didn't get old, and while the late-game economy was a little unbalanced, the game remained fun throughout.
2024-02-0426h 25mReplay
A lovely end to an extremely cute trilogy. Tied it up perfectly, no notes.
2023-11-172h 49mFirst Time
Similarly charming with marginally more gameplay this time around (but not really). Still a fun world and story though.
2023-11-151h 25mFirst Time
Frog Detective 1: The Haunted Island
π€
π₯
What it lacks it gameplay, it makes up for in charm!
2023-11-131h 14mFirst Time
INSIDE
π₯
While this game doesn't explain anything more than its predecessor, I liked the setting much more. Instead of being in a black-and-white zone, you're in a series of industrial buildings that really give the game an eerie sense of place. The controls feel better and the puzzles are better balanced (if a bit easier). It also goes places I didn't expect, which feels like a rarity these days. I enjoyed it a lot for what it was.
2023-10-263h 0mFirst Time
While this game doesn't explain anything more than its predecessor, I liked the setting much more. Instead of being in a black-and-white zone, you're in a series of industrial buildings that really give the game an eerie sense of place. The controls feel better and the puzzles are better balanced (if a bit easier). It also goes places I didn't expect, which feels like a rarity these days. I enjoyed it a lot for what it was.
Tinykin
π₯
Extremely charming platformer. Plays a lot like Pikmin-lite, but simplified in all the right ways. The animations and sound design are extremely cute and the NPC dialogue is a lot of fun. Each world is great to explore and they pulled the "pea-sized-person in a house" vibe off incredibly well. The only thing that fell flat was the story, which tries to be much deeper and serious than it needs to be. Luckily, it doesn't get it the way of anything and can be safely ignored. What a delightful time!
2023-08-195h 41mFirst Time
Extremely charming platformer. Plays a lot like Pikmin-lite, but simplified in all the right ways. The animations and sound design are extremely cute and the NPC dialogue is a lot of fun. Each world is great to explore and they pulled the "pea-sized-person in a house" vibe off incredibly well. The only thing that fell flat was the story, which tries to be much deeper and serious than it needs to be. Luckily, it doesn't get it the way of anything and can be safely ignored. What a delightful time!
Monster Sanctuary
π₯
Great combat and team building. Exploration was decent. It was a little overwhelming having full skill trees for everyone, but certainly lead to a lot of depth and ability to customize. Story was decent. I liked that there's advanced game modes too.
2023-06-1918h 54mFirst Time
Hi-Fi Rush
π₯
Stellar writing, gameplay, animation, and of course, music. Just the complete package. Doesn't overstay its welcome, but uses its time well. I love the attention to detail and amount of care put into this game.
2023-05-089h 14mFirst Time
Trash the Planet
π₯
Doesn't shy from the political, but presents it in a fun, light way. Great theming, varied gameplay, good music, and doesn't overstay its welcome. The complete package.
2023-04-231h 29mFirst Time
Chained Echoes
π₯
Absolutely superb. Follows in the footsteps of great JRPGs before it, modernizing and generally improving their gameplay. It's good a pretty decent story, great world to explore, cool abilities, great secrets, the works. I finished the main quest, every side quest, and a bunch of extra bits in 33 hours, which is amazing for a game like this. Usually it's dragged out much longer. It's a very focused game; there aren't that many locations, but there's a lot to explore. Doesn't hold your hand, but doesn't let you get too lost either. Very well constructed. I can't say enough good things about it.
2023-04-1433h 36mFirst Time
Absolutely superb. Follows in the footsteps of great JRPGs before it, modernizing and generally improving their gameplay. It's good a pretty decent story, great world to explore, cool abilities, great secrets, the works. I finished the main quest, every side quest, and a bunch of extra bits in 33 hours, which is amazing for a game like this. Usually it's dragged out much longer. It's a very focused game; there aren't that many locations, but there's a lot to explore. Doesn't hold your hand, but doesn't let you get too lost either. Very well constructed. I can't say enough good things about it.
Horizon Forbidden West
π€
π₯
Took everything about the first game and improved it. Bigger world, better stories, more varied machines, better weapons, more interesting exploration, the works. The story was a little weaker, but set up some very interesting things. Plus, there's a lot of bits to find. And the stash system! What an improvement. Kudos all around.
2023-04-1267h 32mFirst Time
Took everything about the first game and improved it. Bigger world, better stories, more varied machines, better weapons, more interesting exploration, the works. The story was a little weaker, but set up some very interesting things. Plus, there's a lot of bits to find. And the stash system! What an improvement. Kudos all around.
The Case of the Golden Idol
π€
π₯
Great puzzles, good art style. Liked the overarching plot and the approachability of it all. I could have used 20% more difficulty, but it was a superp addition to the detective/logic genre.
2023-01-175h 16mFirst Time
God of War RagnarΓΆk
π₯
Cinematically superb. Good characters and storytelling. Combat felt great and the weapons were distinct and fun. Biggest downside was the bloat- they could drop half the sidequests and 3/4 of the equipement and not lose a thing. There was more enemy diversity this time around and the abilities were more varied. Definitely a worthy successor.
2022-12-2931h 16mFirst Time
Cinematically superb. Good characters and storytelling. Combat felt great and the weapons were distinct and fun. Biggest downside was the bloat- they could drop half the sidequests and 3/4 of the equipement and not lose a thing. There was more enemy diversity this time around and the abilities were more varied. Definitely a worthy successor.
Triangle Strategy
π₯
Good story and refreshing approach to character customization (that is, there's not much of it). Wish the ability trees were a little longer (I maxed out a number of characters, ability wise) but enjoyed the ride. Liked the exploration. Performance was fine, but certainly nice to have it on the go. Story was pretty good, and choices actually mattering was done well.
2022-11-0337h 30mFirst Time
Good story and refreshing approach to character customization (that is, there's not much of it). Wish the ability trees were a little longer (I maxed out a number of characters, ability wise) but enjoyed the ride. Liked the exploration. Performance was fine, but certainly nice to have it on the go. Story was pretty good, and choices actually mattering was done well.
Last Call BBS
π₯
Superb collection of puzzles. Feels more like a NYT Puzzle Section than a single puzzle game, which is great. It sort of follows Elden Ring in that if you get stuck you can go try something else. I loved the little stories about game development and the varied themes of each game. What a swan song.
2022-09-3040h 21mFirst Time
TOEM
π€
π₯
Extraordinary. Extremely charming, straightforward but not too simple. Fun to explore and build a little vacation album (captures some of the magic of FFXV in that way). Great level design. Fun taking pictures of hard-to-find things and wear funny clothes. Just a delight, top to bottom.
2022-09-284h 52mFirst Time
Extraordinary. Extremely charming, straightforward but not too simple. Fun to explore and build a little vacation album (captures some of the magic of FFXV in that way). Great level design. Fun taking pictures of hard-to-find things and wear funny clothes. Just a delight, top to bottom.
Astral Chain
π₯
The combat was slick and the concept was cool. Story was fine, but the world and the investigations were neat change of pace. The combat got a _little_ samey after a while, but I enjoyed playing and the different legions felt interesting and distinct. The skill trees were fine wish there was more there. Pretty cool world to explore. I liked the two-brain-ness of the combat, but it definitely lead to some frustrating camera moments.
2022-07-2121h 7mFirst Time
The combat was slick and the concept was cool. Story was fine, but the world and the investigations were neat change of pace. The combat got a _little_ samey after a while, but I enjoyed playing and the different legions felt interesting and distinct. The skill trees were fine wish there was more there. Pretty cool world to explore. I liked the two-brain-ness of the combat, but it definitely lead to some frustrating camera moments.
Absolutely superb. Captures a lot of the appeal of FFTA, with their own spin on the combat and leveling system. There's a good set of jobs and maps are cool. My only big complaint is that it's hard to use the jobs you've maxed out because you don't want to be wasting experience. But, then you're on weird power curves because you keep resetting your learned abilities. But, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and will likely play it again eventually w/ DLC. Wild that I'm not even over it. Plot was good too! Decent characters and driving action. Occasional lack of clarity with some of the 3D layouts and I wish there was a quest log for side quests, but I still loved it top to bottom.
2022-06-1455h 58mFirst Time
Absolutely superb. Captures a lot of the appeal of FFTA, with their own spin on the combat and leveling system. There's a good set of jobs and maps are cool. My only big complaint is that it's hard to use the jobs you've maxed out because you don't want to be wasting experience. But, then you're on weird power curves because you keep resetting your learned abilities. But, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and will likely play it again eventually w/ DLC. Wild that I'm not even over it. Plot was good too! Decent characters and driving action. Occasional lack of clarity with some of the 3D layouts and I wish there was a quest log for side quests, but I still loved it top to bottom.
Exo One
π₯
Really incredible sense of scale and momentum. Didn't _really_ have a story, so the bits that snuck in were mostly distraction. Exploration was interesting and I liked the self-guided and stripped down nature of it. Serene and surreal.
2022-04-241h 47mFirst Time
Tunic
π₯
What it aimed to do, it did very well. There's a super-explorable overworld, great animation, superb sense of wonder and adventure. Unfortunately, some of the other systems don't support that well. The combat is fine, if basic. The targeting is frustrating and inconsistent. The bosses are pretty challenging for no real reason and don't mesh well with the rest of the game. There's a lot to like here, though!
2022-04-238h 12mFirst Time
What it aimed to do, it did very well. There's a super-explorable overworld, great animation, superb sense of wonder and adventure. Unfortunately, some of the other systems don't support that well. The combat is fine, if basic. The targeting is frustrating and inconsistent. The bosses are pretty challenging for no real reason and don't mesh well with the rest of the game. There's a lot to like here, though!
Sable
π₯
Really interesting concept. Cool art style. I liked the self-directedness of it. Unfortunately, it was pretty rough around the edges bug wise; enough that eventually, it discouraged me from climbing/exploring more. But, the climbing + navigating was cool and the music was atmospheric. Writing was good too, I liked the concept a lot. So, there's a lot there, but it needs some polish and refinement.
2022-04-145h 0mFirst Time
Really interesting concept. Cool art style. I liked the self-directedness of it. Unfortunately, it was pretty rough around the edges bug wise; enough that eventually, it discouraged me from climbing/exploring more. But, the climbing + navigating was cool and the music was atmospheric. Writing was good too, I liked the concept a lot. So, there's a lot there, but it needs some polish and refinement.
Persona 5 Royal
π₯
Definitely a great RPG. Probably too long, but largely paced well. Characters were good and not too trope-y. Gameplay flowed well and had interesting mechanics. Creepy monster designs, but fun breeding and evolving them. Great gameplay for a dungeon crawler- felt much more dynamic than the dungeons of yore. Great style and soundtrack (though more battle songs would be great). Overall, loved it; wished it was a little shorter, but dang.
2022-02-10105h 54mFirst Time
Definitely a great RPG. Probably too long, but largely paced well. Characters were good and not too trope-y. Gameplay flowed well and had interesting mechanics. Creepy monster designs, but fun breeding and evolving them. Great gameplay for a dungeon crawler- felt much more dynamic than the dungeons of yore. Great style and soundtrack (though more battle songs would be great). Overall, loved it; wished it was a little shorter, but dang.
The Pedestrian
π₯
Pleasant, devilishly clever, and beautifully presented.
2022-01-313h 50mFirst Time
Assemble With Care
π₯
Wonderful! Delightful, tacticle little game. Cute story with heart. Nice music and sound design too.
2021-12-231h 15mFirst Time
It Takes Two
π₯
π₯
Superb gameplay. Always new environments and styles to keep things fresh. Story was decent, but a little hamfisted. Presentation overall was great though, espeically puzzles and level designs. There's one really traumatic scene that Player 2 hated, but she had no other complaints. A good game for getting better at 3D platforming.
2021-12-1614h 0mFirst Time
Superb gameplay. Always new environments and styles to keep things fresh. Story was decent, but a little hamfisted. Presentation overall was great though, espeically puzzles and level designs. There's one really traumatic scene that Player 2 hated, but she had no other complaints. A good game for getting better at 3D platforming.
WHAT THE GOLF?
π₯
Really superb! Tons of teeny micro-puzzles. Constantly inventive. Really never knew what was coming next. Total joy. Beat the main story in 2:25 w/ 4322 strokes.
2021-11-082h 25mFirst Time
Control
π₯
What a neat game. Presentation and world design was superb. Enemies were creepy. Story was fine. Bosses were ok, but honestly sort of a weak point. Exploration was pretty good. Powers were very cool- great power fantasy. Worldbuilding was a standout. Finished the story in ~ 13 hours, kept playing for the plat.
2021-10-2420h 0mFirst Time
What a neat game. Presentation and world design was superb. Enemies were creepy. Story was fine. Bosses were ok, but honestly sort of a weak point. Exploration was pretty good. Powers were very cool- great power fantasy. Worldbuilding was a standout. Finished the story in ~ 13 hours, kept playing for the plat.
Bugsnax
π€
π₯
Very cute/horrifying game. Gameplay is simple, but layered. The characters have a surprising amount of depth to them, which gives the game a lot of legs. Had fun exploring the world; got the plat!
---
Finished story in 7h 29m. Caught 52 on that play through on 9/24
2021-09-2811h 52mFirst Time
Very cute/horrifying game. Gameplay is simple, but layered. The characters have a surprising amount of depth to them, which gives the game a lot of legs. Had fun exploring the world; got the plat!
---
Finished story in 7h 29m. Caught 52 on that play through on 9/24
Really awesome storytelling and integration of gameplay with narritive. Fun to collect and power-up cards. Really liked basically all of it except the final fight, which was punishingly hard. But, good fun overall!
2021-09-0530h 15mFirst Time
Ape Out
π₯
Audiovisually superb. Gameplay was decent, if a little repetitive. Didn't always seem totally fair. But, I liked how it expanded on the stylistic approach and had some enemy variety. Pretty short, pretty sweet. Died 83 times total, 56 of which were on the last world. Not a great diffulcuty ramp, all told.
2021-04-051h 12mFirst Time
Audiovisually superb. Gameplay was decent, if a little repetitive. Didn't always seem totally fair. But, I liked how it expanded on the stylistic approach and had some enemy variety. Pretty short, pretty sweet. Died 83 times total, 56 of which were on the last world. Not a great diffulcuty ramp, all told.
Stellar soundtrack and hand drawn animation. Good platform and ok boss fights. Good variety of levels, though it does sort of follow the regular set of levels. I liked the width of the puzzles you got with the mix of animals, equipment, and abilities. The story was basically non-existent, but that didn't really get in the way. There's some funny jokes thrown in occasionally.
2021-03-0418h 19mFirst Time
Stellar soundtrack and hand drawn animation. Good platform and ok boss fights. Good variety of levels, though it does sort of follow the regular set of levels. I liked the width of the puzzles you got with the mix of animals, equipment, and abilities. The story was basically non-existent, but that didn't really get in the way. There's some funny jokes thrown in occasionally.
Hades
π€
π₯
Such a fun game. Great gameplay and art direction. Hugely dynamic text is impressive, as is the totally dynamic storytelling. The builds are varied and fun. There's a lot of agency. I think it does get a little repetitive, but there's a lot of levers to pull. I could have maybe done with more enemy variety though. Endgame difficulty levels definitely add longevity.
2020-12-3137h 0mFirst Time
Such a fun game. Great gameplay and art direction. Hugely dynamic text is impressive, as is the totally dynamic storytelling. The builds are varied and fun. There's a lot of agency. I think it does get a little repetitive, but there's a lot of levers to pull. I could have maybe done with more enemy variety though. Endgame difficulty levels definitely add longevity.
Deliver Us The Moon
π₯
Very atmospheric. Cool story that we get to experience and find. Puzzles were fine and didn't get in the way. Low-g was cool. Interactivity was great. All around very enjoyable! Didn't overstay its welcome, either.
2020-12-295h 0mFirst Time
Carto
π€
π₯
Delightful game! Great art style and characters. Puzzles were light, but pretty good. Great core puzzle elment - they did a good job with it. Manipulating the map could have been a little more fluid, especially when trying to match pieces that didn't fit, but I really enjoyed it all the way through.
2020-12-024h 10mFirst Time
Delightful game! Great art style and characters. Puzzles were light, but pretty good. Great core puzzle elment - they did a good job with it. Manipulating the map could have been a little more fluid, especially when trying to match pieces that didn't fit, but I really enjoyed it all the way through.
Hypnospace Outlaw
π₯
Really interesting game. Huge amount of content and atmospheric storytelling. The story was good and the puzzles were fine (the whole mechanic is basically just sifting through tons and tons of noise). The presentation is spectacular and there's certianly a lot to find. Does really well capturing the vibes of an era.
2020-10-044h 40mFirst Time
Really interesting game. Huge amount of content and atmospheric storytelling. The story was good and the puzzles were fine (the whole mechanic is basically just sifting through tons and tons of noise). The presentation is spectacular and there's certianly a lot to find. Does really well capturing the vibes of an era.
Dishonored 2
π₯
I think the story was a little less tight and emonitonal as compared to the first, but the level design continued to be great. I like that they rewarded exploration. Still don't love the way they do endings, but I suppose it adds nice consequence. Also, the non-lethal takedowns for story characters were well thought out.
2020-09-0217h 3mFirst Time
I think the story was a little less tight and emonitonal as compared to the first, but the level design continued to be great. I like that they rewarded exploration. Still don't love the way they do endings, but I suppose it adds nice consequence. Also, the non-lethal takedowns for story characters were well thought out.
Death Stranding
π₯
What a weird game. The core gameplay of buliding improvements into the world to make your tasks (delivery) easier is good. It's certainly relaxed and repetitive, but that's nice sometimes. The story and characters are both confusing and dreadful. Sort of can't believe they started with a blank slate and ended up here. That said, I did play it for a ton of hours (more than most other games I've ever played). Β―\_(γ)_/Β― Like I said, the core loop is decent. I built all the roads and a bunch of ziplines. The mini stories were sort of good. I'd honestly rather see this as a little indie game rather than the over-long monstrosity that it turned into. Finished the campaign in ~50 hours (which included some road-building and other side quests).
2020-04-1158h 48mFirst Time
What a weird game. The core gameplay of buliding improvements into the world to make your tasks (delivery) easier is good. It's certainly relaxed and repetitive, but that's nice sometimes. The story and characters are both confusing and dreadful. Sort of can't believe they started with a blank slate and ended up here. That said, I did play it for a ton of hours (more than most other games I've ever played). Β―\_(γ)_/Β― Like I said, the core loop is decent. I built all the roads and a bunch of ziplines. The mini stories were sort of good. I'd honestly rather see this as a little indie game rather than the over-long monstrosity that it turned into. Finished the campaign in ~50 hours (which included some road-building and other side quests).
EXAPUNKS
π₯
Honestly one of Zachronics' best. Coding puzzles are hard, but large resource limits (and no line restrictions) help a lot to make it accessible. It also has the best atmosphere/story of any of their games yet! Highly enjoyed.
2020-02-0919h 50mFirst Time
DOOM
π₯
Really fun! Awesome level design and secret hunting. Appropriately gross throughout. Cool enemies. Thrilling and intense. Pretty good gameplay. Decent weapon variety. Enough of a story to tie missions together and give purpose, but not so much that it was overbearing. Didn't take itself too seriously. Just like, fun!
2019-12-3016h 0mFirst Time
Really fun! Awesome level design and secret hunting. Appropriately gross throughout. Cool enemies. Thrilling and intense. Pretty good gameplay. Decent weapon variety. Enough of a story to tie missions together and give purpose, but not so much that it was overbearing. Didn't take itself too seriously. Just like, fun!
Outer Wilds
π₯
Fun game. Really interesting sense of exploration. Lots of info to find, basically all of it self guided. I liked finding new things all the time. It was a little frustrating having to re-do dangerous sections when I ran out of time, since there's no checkpoints. Very cool dangerous feeling atmosphere. Lots of cool flavor and discovery. Definitely a subnautica vibe. Space physics were really good, too. Fun to boost around.
2019-12-2315h 0mFirst Time
Fun game. Really interesting sense of exploration. Lots of info to find, basically all of it self guided. I liked finding new things all the time. It was a little frustrating having to re-do dangerous sections when I ran out of time, since there's no checkpoints. Very cool dangerous feeling atmosphere. Lots of cool flavor and discovery. Definitely a subnautica vibe. Space physics were really good, too. Fun to boost around.
Final Fantasy XV
π₯
Woof. Ok. So, the game is gorgeous and has a lot of charm. Side quests are bad (lots of looking for a glowing dot on the ground) and samey. Main story is decent, if not muddled. They put a lot of important storytelling in the DLC. Combat actually feels pretty good once you get in the rhythm. For an open world game, it's locks you into a lot of stuff. Driving the car around is a lot of dead time, but sort of pleasant in a way. Didn't let me connect with the world much though. Surprisingly few equipment options and magic felt too strong and not strategic enough (despite options). Skill tree didn't feel impactful. Character development was eventually good. There were some cool locations shown briefly, especially later in the game. Summons looked cool but the systems were bad. Lots of side characters I didn't care about. Weird stealth sections. Big empty map with nice scenery, but not a ton to do (low density, there are dungeons scattered about). All that said, I did play the whole thing. I kept wanting to see what would happen next. Surprisingly emotional end. Good villain. It ended up being sort of inexplicably enjoyable despite having no right being so. The immersion was at some points great and at some points bad, which was extra jarring because of how good it is sometimes (car dialogue, picture comments, etc).
2019-12-0546h 27mFirst Time
Woof. Ok. So, the game is gorgeous and has a lot of charm. Side quests are bad (lots of looking for a glowing dot on the ground) and samey. Main story is decent, if not muddled. They put a lot of important storytelling in the DLC. Combat actually feels pretty good once you get in the rhythm. For an open world game, it's locks you into a lot of stuff. Driving the car around is a lot of dead time, but sort of pleasant in a way. Didn't let me connect with the world much though. Surprisingly few equipment options and magic felt too strong and not strategic enough (despite options). Skill tree didn't feel impactful. Character development was eventually good. There were some cool locations shown briefly, especially later in the game. Summons looked cool but the systems were bad. Lots of side characters I didn't care about. Weird stealth sections. Big empty map with nice scenery, but not a ton to do (low density, there are dungeons scattered about). All that said, I did play the whole thing. I kept wanting to see what would happen next. Surprisingly emotional end. Good villain. It ended up being sort of inexplicably enjoyable despite having no right being so. The immersion was at some points great and at some points bad, which was extra jarring because of how good it is sometimes (car dialogue, picture comments, etc).
Celeste
π₯
Collected 38 strawberries. Died 1,741 times. Really touching story. Good level variation, mechanics, and music. Definitely tough, but rewarding. Tying the challenge of the game into climbing a literal mountain is an effective mechanic. There's a lot more to do if I ever want to come back to it, too! Very impressed.
2019-10-177h 15mFirst Time
Collected 38 strawberries. Died 1,741 times. Really touching story. Good level variation, mechanics, and music. Definitely tough, but rewarding. Tying the challenge of the game into climbing a literal mountain is an effective mechanic. There's a lot more to do if I ever want to come back to it, too! Very impressed.
Return of the Obra Dinn
π€
π₯
Really great concept. Frustrating at times, but really rewarding to figure it all out. Enjoyed the art style.
2019-07-0612h 30mFirst Time
Detroit: Become Human
π€
π₯
Really impressive scope of choices and outcomes. Gorgeous game. A little heavy handed sometimes, but overall very good. They made the flowchart hard to navigate and replaying levels can't be sped up, so I'm not sure it's possible to go see all the other options in any reasonable amount of time.
2019-04-1611h 31mFirst Time
Really impressive scope of choices and outcomes. Gorgeous game. A little heavy handed sometimes, but overall very good. They made the flowchart hard to navigate and replaying levels can't be sped up, so I'm not sure it's possible to go see all the other options in any reasonable amount of time.
Slay the Spire
π
π₯
Really really fun. Each of the characters feels unique. The art is fine (and improving). The mechanics are fun and I find the game itself quite challenging. Excited to see where they take it next. I didn't mark it as "beat" because I didn't finish with each of the 3 characters.
2019-01-0920h 29mFirst Time
Up Left Out
π₯
Great puzzles. I previously liked another game of theirs. 50 levels. creative use of the mechanics and it builds on itself well. Good tactile feel. Great sound design.
2018-12-301h 10mFirst Time
Donut County
π₯
next idea, surprisingly cute, good writing, great execution. Lacked the exploration of katamari, but was more inventive with the core concept. Had actual writing, too. Not much challenge and it's fairly linear (you have to get everything in a level), but it's pleasant
2018-12-201h 30mFirst Time
Opus Magnum
π₯
Definitely has the easiest campaign of a Zachtronics game that I've played. I really liked not being limited by space and having flexible inputs and outputs. This is really the evolution of the Spacechem formula and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a couple of mechanics that feel a little tacked on in the main campaign (one specifically jumps to mind) but it's not that distracting and the game itself is a triumph.
2018-12-1518h 35mFirst Time
Definitely has the easiest campaign of a Zachtronics game that I've played. I really liked not being limited by space and having flexible inputs and outputs. This is really the evolution of the Spacechem formula and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a couple of mechanics that feel a little tacked on in the main campaign (one specifically jumps to mind) but it's not that distracting and the game itself is a triumph.
Marvel's Spider-Man
π₯
Oh man, what a game. The worst parts were how repetitive the crimes were. The best parts were everything else. The story, the environment, the variety of locations, characters, music, and feel. The map almost felt small, but mostly because you could move so fast. The challenges and science portions showed some of the cool spins they can do on the use of powers and objectives. Biggest complaint would be repetitiveness, but it was still wicked fun. Excited for more.
2018-10-1331h 25mFirst Time
Oh man, what a game. The worst parts were how repetitive the crimes were. The best parts were everything else. The story, the environment, the variety of locations, characters, music, and feel. The map almost felt small, but mostly because you could move so fast. The challenges and science portions showed some of the cool spins they can do on the use of powers and objectives. Biggest complaint would be repetitiveness, but it was still wicked fun. Excited for more.
Really cool! Pretty tough (even on normal mode), but a lot of surveying, trial/error, and coordination made it work. I really liked how there were multiple ways to do each objective and the levels had a lot of ways to move around them. It was a tight story and the characters were pretty good (except the accents, which didn't make any sense). Camera didn't bother me much. Overall very enjoyable.
2018-09-2318h 44mFirst Time
Really cool! Pretty tough (even on normal mode), but a lot of surveying, trial/error, and coordination made it work. I really liked how there were multiple ways to do each objective and the levels had a lot of ways to move around them. It was a tight story and the characters were pretty good (except the accents, which didn't make any sense). Camera didn't bother me much. Overall very enjoyable.
Really fun platformer! Some tough sections, but enjoyable. Movement was great, combat was decent, music and art were phenomenal. Touching story, lots more to explore. Update, I explored more. Really fun running around late game. Map could use a little detail and the zoom is annoying, but I am very satisfied with this game.
2018-08-029h 29mFirst Time
Really fun platformer! Some tough sections, but enjoyable. Movement was great, combat was decent, music and art were phenomenal. Touching story, lots more to explore. Update, I explored more. Really fun running around late game. Map could use a little detail and the zoom is annoying, but I am very satisfied with this game.
God of War
π₯
Wow, what a game. Amazing storytelling, great combat, pretty good collectables. Biggest harp would be the map, which was pretty useless for an open world game. Great character building and narrative control. Deserves the accolades it got for sure.
2018-07-2025h 0mFirst Time
Horizon Zero Dawn
π€
π₯
What a beautiful world. Lots to explore. Good monsters, really makes you feel scared while hunting. Cool story, great worldbuilding. Never dragged, which was impressive. The inventory management was annoying and there were a lot of weapons that never got used. They didn't get in the way though, and it was just so fun to play.
2018-05-1941h 40mFirst Time
What a beautiful world. Lots to explore. Good monsters, really makes you feel scared while hunting. Cool story, great worldbuilding. Never dragged, which was impressive. The inventory management was annoying and there were a lot of weapons that never got used. They didn't get in the way though, and it was just so fun to play.
Ratchet & Clank
π₯
Really really phenomenal. Probably the prettiest game I've ever played. Pro had upgrades and it looked great. Gameplay was the most refined version of the R&C formula to date. Nothing really new, but a great experience. No arena, but lots of racing. Maybe because the original was like that.
2018-01-2712h 30mFirst Time
The original shop simulator! The dungeon crawling and bargaining mechanics are each simplistic, but the whole thing comes together well for an original experience.
2017-09-1117h 11mFirst Time
Else Heart.Break()
π₯
Has a remarkably involved programming language running through this entire point-and-click adventure. Adds an extra layer to a fairly well-trod genre.
2017-08-277h 18mFirst Time
The Talos Principle
π€
π₯
Great "outside the box" puzzles paired with an philosophical story and beautiful graphics make for a great time.
2017-05-3020h 23mFirst Time
The Guides
π₯
no additional notes, see rating and/or other plays.
2016-12-31Unknown PlaytimeFirst Time
Factorio
π₯
The pinnacle of automation games. There's simply nothing like it.
2016-12-0825h 0mFirst Time
The Witness
π₯
Very good puzzles (including atmospheric ones) and a beautiful, serene world. There's not really a story (even though it seems like there should be). Usually that would annoy me, but the gameplay here is so good that it didn't bother me.
2016-07-0522h 57mFirst Time