A selection of my favorite games I played in 2021 (not all released this year)

1. Inscryption (PC): This game, on its face, is a rogue-like deck-builder, but becomes something much, much more as you play. It’s hard to talk about the brilliance without spoiling the game, so if you’re not going to play but you’re interested, I’ll recommend this understated video, which does a decent job highlighting the games’ ingenuity. If you have a PC and are at all willing to try this out, please do. It is the rare game that is fun and mysterious right away, and I enjoyed playing the game as much as I did unraveling the mystery. The only game on this list I will complete (at least) twice.
2. Demon’s Souls/Dark Souls Remastered (PS5/PS4): These were the last two of the “Soulsborne” Series[1] that I had yet to play, and I was able to tackle both this year. This was exciting for the following reasons: (1) The next in the series, The Elden Ring, which features lore partially created by George R.R. Martin,[2] is set to release in February, and I wanted to have played everything in the series beforehand because I am a completionist nerd. (2) It was cool to see the origins of the later entries in the series that I really loved, and especially to see why Dark Souls holds such deep reverence in the fandom. I don’t easily recommend these to anyone—they are dense and difficult games—but they’re also truly rewarding if you can spend the time to learn them.

3. Returnal (PS5): As a gamer an old person, I’m just not normally into quick-twitch shooters. I don’t play Fortnite, Call of Duty, etc., and at my age I’ve kind of given up getting good at these games. This is the hardest game I’ve ever played, and at times I really wanted to give up. Something kept drawing me back though…I think it was the similarities to the Soulsborne series —leveling up your guns (as opposed to your character), knowing that you’d have a better run next time, an obtuse but rewarding story—and when I finally beat Returnal, I felt a sense of accomplishment that might be unhealthy from a video game. Also, this moment was very cool. Recommended if you’re under 30 or really love banging your head against a wall (which, I guess, I do).
4. Slay the Spire (PC/Switch) (again)
5. Death’s Door (PC)
6. Metroid Dread (Switch)

7. Ratchet And Clank: A Rift Apart (PS5): Okay I guess when you buy a new gaming console you’re waiting for a moment to see what it can do. This game was it.
8. Wildermyth (PC)
9. Deathloop (PS5)
10. Astro’s Playroom (PS5)

Honorable Mention: Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PS5), Loop Hero (PC), Dorfromantik (PC), The Forgotten City (PS5)

---

[1] A group of once-obscure, extremely difficult, Japanese action-RPGs that have become much more popular over time.

[2] Importantly, he was only asked to start the design of the world, not finish it.