GOTY 2022
It’s kind of wild to think that this is the 15th year running in which I’ve posted my personal game of the year list on this here website; for anyone counting, that’s every year that Giant Bomb has been alive. So much has changed both for this website and me personally since 2008, but that’s not going to slow either of us down anytime soon! As for 2022 in video games? To put it bluntly, I don’t think it was a strong year in the relative scheme of things, at least for me and my tastes; it’s hard not to notice a sharp drop in the quantity of games I liked when compared to most years, going back decades. I did, however, genuinely enjoy the 10 wonderful games on this list. Even the slowest gaming years have some really good games, and I’m happy to reflect and share the ones that clicked with me the most. And with that, I will stop my rambles, and present my favorite video games of 2022. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic day :)
But first, a special mention!
Into the Breach is one of my favorite games, period, and its Advanced Edition update this year was an incredible surprise. Between new squads, mission types, enemies, pilots and abilities, and a new difficulty mode, Into the Breach feels fuller than it ever has, and all of that new content gelled seamlessly with the old. Updates like this can often feel perfunctory or unnecessary, but this one made an all-time great meaningfully better in every way; it borderline feels like a sequel. As a result, I spent dozens of hours diving back into this classic, and it’s hard to overstate how much fun I continue to have with it. Being a free update to a four-year-old game, I’m choosing to not include it on my official list largely on a technicality. But if I’m being real here, Into the Breach: Advanced Edition is one of the best video games I played in 2022.