Well, after my last gaming post, I had planned to start writing about each game I was playing, which didn’t really happen this year. That’s still the plan for 2019, but for now I thought I’d do a slightly more detailed gaming recap for 2018. So these are the top ten games I played this year (not neccessarily released this year), split into two posts because it got a bit larger than I was expecting.

Rocket League could easily be on this list, but I’ve been playing it for a few years now and wanted to focus on games that were new to me. I did grab it for PC earlier in the year, moving over from PS4, and got back into it all over again for a while.

10. Alto’s Adventure / Alto’s Odyssey

Genre: Endless Runner (Snowboarding)
Developer/Publisher: Snowman
Release Date: February 19, 2015 / February 22, 2018
Platform: Mobile
Time Played: Not Available, which is probably for the best.

For a good chunk of this year, this was my go-to idle hands game. I don’t tend to enjoy playing involved, story-driven games on my phone. What I love is a game with an arcade feel that I can either play for a minute or until my legs go numb on the toilet (not that I would use my phone in the washroom, obviously).

Alto’s Odyssey plays similar to Alto’s Adventure with a couple of new mechanics and improved scenery, so I’d pick up Odyssey if you were to buy now. It’s a beautiful looking game with a very soothing soundtrack. It’s a borderline meditative experience, playing this game. There’s a progressive list of goals you can aim for, something I really enjoyed, but you aren’t penalized for not hitting them. You can just make your own way through the landscape if you want.

I’ve heard these described as Journey on your phone, and while I don’t know if I’d go that far, they do evoke similar feelings at times.

9. Gemini Rue

Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure
Developer/Publisher: Joshua Neurnberger/Wadjet Eye Games
Release Date: February 24, 2011
Platform: PC (also on Mobile)
Time Played: 7.5 Hours

This is the one game I reviewed this year, where I go into more detail, but I really enjoyed this. It had a couple of issues, but it was a gripping story with beautiful pixel-art, good music and sound design, and fair puzzles. Really worth a look.

8. Donut County

Genre: …Hole Simulator? Casual Puzzle Game?
Developer/Publisher: Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive
Release Date: August 28, 2018
Platform: PC (also on Mobile, PS4. Switch, and Xbox One)
Time Played: 3.5 Hours

I love this adorable game! The main gameplay is controlling a hole in the ground, moving it around the screen and letting items drop into it. It’s simple, and that’s what makes it such a joy. Each level you’re presented with a scene – a restaurant, a traffic jam, a campsite – and the object is to destroy it with this hole. Each time something falls through, the hole grows a little larger, so there’s an order you need to find. Levels will often have some basic puzzle aspects to them as well.

This is not a difficult game, at all, and it’s quite short. I think I finished in two hours and then played an extra hour or so to get all of the achievements. It’s just a relaxing, enjoyable game. It’s an incredibly pleasant combination of destruction and tidying up. I’ve heard it described as similar in feel to Katamari Damacy, which I’ve actually never played (but maybe I now will, as it’s been re-released).

Between each level, the characters chat with each other using text-speak, lots of lol’s and no grammar, both in person and over text. You’d think this would become irritating, but Ben Esposito somehow makes it charming and genuinely funny at times. Each item you come across ends up in a Trashopedia with a short description, and these are just great. I shared a few on Twitter last week:

It also has a fantastic soundtrack, which is very nearly as long as the entire game. It’s like a mix of glitch-hop and indie folk with some cutesy trip-hop, maybe? I might just be making up words now, but I’m enjoying it. I’m listening to it as I write this, actually.

7. Primordia

Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure
Developer/Publisher: Wormwood Studios / Wadjet Eye Games
Release Date: December 5, 2012
Platform: PC (also on Mobile)
Time Played: 6.5 Hours

This is from Wadjet Eye Games, so of course it’s going to be great. This one felt like they nailed exactly what they aimed to create. It’s a masterclass in world-building. I love a dystopian world, and this one in which robots rule the land and man, their creator, is but a distant memory was fascinating from the beginning. They did such a good job of immediately setting the tone of the story and drawing you into the world.

Many puzzles can be solved in multiple ways, and each way may lead to a different ending, which isn’t often the case in point-and-click adventures. I will say that some of the puzzles required more pixel-hunting than you normally find in Wadjet Eye games, but it didn’t ruin anything for me. I would like to note, however, that dropping a bomb in grease does not make it a sticky-bomb. It makes it a greasy-bomb, which is a very different beast.

They also included a great fast-travel system in this, which is something I’d like in all adventure games. And as a bonus, the main character is voiced by Logan Cunningham, who is the narrator in Bastion and is always a happy inclusion in any game.

6. Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Genre: First-Person Co-op Action
Developer/Publisher: Fatshark
Release Date: March 8 2018
Platform: PC (also on Xbox One and PS4)
Time Played: 22 Hours

I didn’t play the first Vermintide, but I loved this one. It’s similar to Left 4 Dead, in that you have set scenarios you play through repeatedly, but it also has a class system and a compelling upgrade progression. You start with five base classes and can upgrade their skills and equipment, eventually subclassing into fifteen different options that have unique playstyles. I just loved running around as my angry little dwarf and pulling out my flamethrowing on hordes of enemy rats.

You can play with four random players, and the matchmaking seemed to work quite well, but it’s always fun to play with friends. I didn’t play a huge amount of online multiplayer with friends this year, unfortunately, so this stands out in that regard. I should make more of a point to try to organize online play this year.

Well, that’s the first half ofthe list. I’ll post the top five games in the next few days. Hopefully this is somewhat interesting to people, even though this is a book blog. I’m enjoying writing about these games.