Anecdotally, I’ve seen a lot of people jaded with modern gaming. I understand why. If you only see the games that have the most marketing, which are the ones you’re most likely to see for obvious reasons, then you’re primarily seeing the likes of AAA games with second-job-esque battle pass FOMO tactics, loot box gambling, pay to win, and constant reminders that you’re missing out on the full experience of the game like coming across fan favorite characters in the DLC of an already-expensive Star Wars game. The plural of “anecdote” is not “data”, but it could be this fatigue with the games that the average person is aware of that has led to a drop in spending and the crash that the industry is currently facing (but let’s not sugar coat it; there are surely other factors, too). I sympathize with these people, but respectfully, there’s a whole wide world out there of great games that never ask for a dime after it’s in your possession, so let’s call out those games and spread the word.
The Rules
One game per top level comment, with the game name behind a “#” symbol so that it forms a heading, and platforms it’s available on in parentheses. Leave a brief synopsis with no spoilers and a brief critique. I’ll be starting us off with a number of examples. Upvote the ones you agree with, and leave a comment on the top level one for discussion.
The game should have no paid DLC, no announced paid DLC, and feel like a complete product as it stands right now. I actually don’t mind the most common types of DLC, like what you would find in the Paradox model, but I know there’s a large enough contingent of folks who really do mind, so any DLC whatsoever is a deal-breaker for this thread. I’m making an exception for soundtrack and artbook DLC since, as far as I know, the existence of this stuff doesn’t bother anyone and just allows for avenues for certain artists to get a better cut for their work from super fans. I’m not making an exception for cosmetic DLC like you’d find in V Rising, as innocuous as I personally find it to be.
The game’s first release must have been in 2024. By this, I mean that if it came out on PS5 two years ago but launched on PC this year, it doesn’t count, so no God of War: Ragnarok. No collections of old games like Marvel vs. Capcom.
No early access games, except for games that were in early access and hit v1.0 this year. So no Palworld, but Satisfactory is on the table if you’d like to recommend it. I personally didn’t care for it, but if you did, feel free to list it!
Only games you’ve played thoroughly enough to be sure you’d recommend it. If you only started playing the early chapters or levels, maybe let someone else recommend it, just in case the quality nosedives later on. I’m personally only recommending games I’ve finished or beaten, though that definition admittedly becomes challenging with the likes of UFO 50.
This is a puzzle-driven metroidvania with a simple retro-inspired aesthetic that aims to teach you how to interact with it wordlessly, and it usually succeeds at it. I’m honestly not sure how to fill out the rest of this blurb without ruining the intended experience, but while I wasn’t this game’s biggest fan and wasn’t interested in digging into its secrets post-credits, I did enjoy my time with it.
I’m really happy with my few hours in it. I was afraid it’d be another Rain World situation where I can tell I like it and admire the craft but don’t actually feel the need to play it much, but I do find it enticing still.
This game got me good. The atmosphere and way it drips out puzzle after puzzle is so rewarding. I drew maps. I wrote down a litany of notes on my iPad to keep track of. I tried to solve everything I could on my own until I just couldn’t any more. It felt like playing games as a kid where you had to have paper handy and wrote down passcodes.
Pouring over every inch of the map was so fun, and while I do think there will be copy cats to this game pop up in the next year, I don’t think anyone will be able to capture the magic of this again. It’s like its own singular entity that no one else has ever done. Not in this way.
For that, it’s my game of the year. Astro Bot is my second, since it’s a technically near perfect game. But it’s also simply peak platformer. Animal Well is novel. It’s just built different.
I wanted to love it, but I just liked it. I was hoping it’d be more similar to TUNIC, where I can do 99% of the game solo. Idk if this is controversial, but I hate the community-based puzzles with a passion.
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Animal Well (Steam, PS5, Switch)
This is a puzzle-driven metroidvania with a simple retro-inspired aesthetic that aims to teach you how to interact with it wordlessly, and it usually succeeds at it. I’m honestly not sure how to fill out the rest of this blurb without ruining the intended experience, but while I wasn’t this game’s biggest fan and wasn’t interested in digging into its secrets post-credits, I did enjoy my time with it.
I’m really happy with my few hours in it. I was afraid it’d be another Rain World situation where I can tell I like it and admire the craft but don’t actually feel the need to play it much, but I do find it enticing still.
I never beat rain world either, got maybe halfway through but I still count it as one of my favorite games of all time.
This game got me good. The atmosphere and way it drips out puzzle after puzzle is so rewarding. I drew maps. I wrote down a litany of notes on my iPad to keep track of. I tried to solve everything I could on my own until I just couldn’t any more. It felt like playing games as a kid where you had to have paper handy and wrote down passcodes.
Pouring over every inch of the map was so fun, and while I do think there will be copy cats to this game pop up in the next year, I don’t think anyone will be able to capture the magic of this again. It’s like its own singular entity that no one else has ever done. Not in this way.
For that, it’s my game of the year. Astro Bot is my second, since it’s a technically near perfect game. But it’s also simply peak platformer. Animal Well is novel. It’s just built different.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/
I wanted to love it, but I just liked it. I was hoping it’d be more similar to TUNIC, where I can do 99% of the game solo. Idk if this is controversial, but I hate the community-based puzzles with a passion.
I need to replay it, eventually.