Here’s a list of video games I played in 2018 in the order I liked them and what I thought of them.

1. GRIS

This Journey-like game is visually and aurally stunning. Being the sucker for watercolors that I am just made it all the more impressive. There is some light puzzle platforming, but overall you become immersed in a world as you slowly expand the color pallet. It took me just a few hours to beat, but those hours were fantastic. Do yourself a favor and sit down and play it all the way through. – PC, SWITCH

2. Celeste

Jeez this game is hard. I’m not very good at video games, so I didn’t do the B or C sides, because the A sides were hard enough. I had a lot of fun playing this game though (in between runs of Hollow Knight… again). Celeste is a 2D platformer that sends you up a literal and metaphorical mountain. Along the way you meet fun and zany characters while surprising yourself with the tasks you are able to perform. The Switch is a great platform for fantastic indie games, and Celeste was no exception. – ALL SYSTEMS

3. Hollow Knight

Team Cherry’s masterpiece got a Switch release this year, and so I picked it up again. This is still my favorite game of all time, but I feel like I should have gotten a pro controller for the Switch Playthrough. Joycons (even in a dock) are kinda irritating, and my hand got used to my old X-box controller when I played it on PC. We walked down the aisle to the main theme in October, and everybody said what wonderful music we had picked.

4. Magic Puzzle Exchanger

This game is a port of a NEO-GEO arcade game that I think I might describe as “weea-Jew”. With cute little anime girls and matching coins to change them for bigger coins, it’s a puzzle game in the vein of Magical Drop (don’t worry if you’ve never heard of that Magical Drop, I hadn’t either). I don’t remember where I saw this, only that when I did see it, I knew I had to play it. Last year one of my top games was Puyo-Puyo Tetris, so it should come as no surprise that a drop down puzzle game like this would make it so high in my list. -XBOX, PS4, SWITCH

5. Iconoclasts

Joakim Sandburg’s Iconoclasts is a 2D Puzzle Platformer that isn’t quite a metroidvania, but is close enough to catch my interest. With great pixel-art, fun puzzles, and a killer soundtrack, I had so much fun playing this game. Unfortunately life comes up, and by the time I got back to it I couldn’t get back into it. I’m sure at some point I’ll get back to it though. You might like this game if you liked Axiom Verge or Metroid. – PC, PS4, SWITCH

6. Light Fall

When I saw this game what piqued my interest was the fact that you can MAKE YOUR OWN PLATFORM! Three times to be exact. Each time you do the previous platform disappears. The gimmick was really cool, I gotta say. It follows a standard puzzle platformer pattern, finding your way through a shadowy world, unlocking lore by completing challenges, and some Ori (and the Blind Forest) style bosses. The gameplay was fun and smooth (once I got used to it), and the story kept me wondering what happened next. – ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS

7. Forsaken Castle Demo

I dunno if this counts, it’s a demo after all, but this seems like a cookie cutter metroidvania, if a really good one based on the demo. I really look forward to playing the whole game when it’s released. (will be on) – ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS

8. Dragon Quest XI

I’m still in the middle of this game. I like JRPGs, and this is a really good one. I’m not sure I like it as much as I liked Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but I’m still really enjoying it. There’s not much to say about it though. It’s a JRPG. If you like those, you’ll like this game. – PC & PS4

9. Catmaze

This metroidvania is a bit unrefined. It was fun and it had much the same feel as Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, but the movement felt a little heavy, and I got lost really easily. I moved on when it was time, but if you like this genre, give this game a try. -PC

10. God of War

Lovingly referred to as “Dad of War” this most recent entry into this series is… well, it’s a AAA game. It has pretty graphics. It has more side quests than you could possibly ever want to do. It has… a story? Honestly, who cares? I had fun beating the shit out of bad guys, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep me engaged until the end. Really, this shit won game of the year?! Maybe I missed something. – PS4

11. Octopath Traveler

Jeez, I wish this game had anything resembling a story. The game play was really fun, but I should have guessed that the team that made Bravely Default would have EIGHT flat stories. The stories didn’t even converge! Seriously, I feel like for all the hype they gave this game, they could have hired someone to write a story that was better than Final Fantasy 1. -SWITCH

12. Tales of Berseria

I love, love, LOVED Tales of Symphonia. Tales of Abyss was too long, but I liked that one too. Tales of Phantasia was fun as well. I tried Zesteria last year (or maybe the year before) and found it to be lacking, if not down right confusing and frustrating. Berseria is better in every way than Zesteria, but I still found it uninspired next to those older Tales games. -PC & PS4

13. Guacamelee!

I keep not getting into this game, and I don’t know why because on paper I should like this game, but in practice it just keeps doing nothing for me. -ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS

14. Final Fantasy VII

This might make the top of my list of games that people love that just have not aged well. Maybe I’ll try again when the remake comes out. – APPARENTLY YOU CAN GET THIS ON BASICALLY ANYTHING… WHY?!

15. Kingdom Hearts 1

I lied. This is the game that takes the cake for nostalgia that hasn’t aged well. I have tried to play this game like three times. No dice. Although, this time I got farther than I ever have. I stopped at jumping on vines using bad controls. Fuck. That. Shit.

16. Okami HD

I’m on a roll for old things that everybody in the world seems to like except for me. I tried to get into this game. I really did, but I just could not stay engaged.