GOTY 2021; what I spent my time with

GOTY discussions are always weird for me. I rarely play the latest releases, because I don't have the latest systems. I play almost exclusively on Switch and iOS, so most of the big AAA blockbusters aren't going to be here. Some of these weren't released in 2021, but I didn't get to play them until this year.

Unless otherwise noted, I played all of these on the Switch.

Arknights (iOS, Android)

Probably the greatest tower defense game ever made. It's fiendishly clever: what if your towers were individual characters with unique skills? What if we gave it a banging soundtrack, and updated it regularly with new challenges and mechanics? What if it was a gacha, but surprisingly generous to free players? What if it was full of anime animal people?

I've been playing it daily since I got it in February, and I've spent a mildly obscene amount of money on it, and I don't regret either of those decisions. It's fantastic, and everyone should play it.

Star Renegades

I'm a sucker for the aesthetic of Star Renegades: detailed, gorgeous, beautifully animated pixel art. It caught my eye when I first saw it last year on Steam, and it went on my wishlist as soon as it was announced for Switch. Luckily the game lives up to its appeal to me: solid tactical and strategic decisionmaking, real consequences for your choices, and a nemesis system for the enemy leaders that's both fun and unique.

I play a couple of runs every week, and I find new tricks and strategies nearly every time. It's quite difficult, but I know that I can beat it: I get a little bit further almost every time, and eventually I'm going all the way.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel

I'm almost finished with this, and it's never been boring. There are some brilliant bits of writing in it, and some strong characterization in pretty much every character. It's definitely going to require multiple playthroughs: you only have so many opportunities to strengthen the bonds between characters, and you get such good benefits and insight into the characters from maximizing those bonds, that I want to be able to see them all.

The moment to moment gameplay is full of meaningful choices with both short and long term consequences. You have to think about what you're going to do not just in the current turn, but two and three turns down the line. It requires careful planning and using all the tools available to you, and it's so damn satisfying when you succeed.

I don't know how well it sold, but it deserves to sell more.

NEO: The World Ends With You

I'm a huge fan of the original, and I was skeptical that the sequel could live up to it, but it does.

It has tremendous visual and audio style; playing the game is a treat for the senses. The characters are as interesting as the originals, the dialogue is snappy and well-written, the story itself stands well on its own.

I like just about everything about the way they changed combat. The DS gimmick was incredible and can't be replicated, and to their credit they didn't try. It works thematically and mechanically, and gives you enough choice in each character's pin that you can put together any number of strategies. It's possible to just mash your way through fights, but you can do so much better if you spend the time to learn and practice the tools it gives you.

It may not have met Square's expectations, but it more than met mine.

Dungeon Encounters

One of the best pure game experiences I had this year. It is just what it needs to be, and no more; and what it isis brilliant. I finished the main quest and I'm happily working my way towards getting 100% of each map completed. I'm so happy that Square took a chance on this, and I hope they will take more chances like it in the future. It's not for everyone, but if it is for you it's going to be something special.

Griftlands

I've only done a few runs of Griftlands, but I adore the world they have created and the systems they made to interact with it. Klei is one of the few can't-miss developers: every one of their games is close to perfection. They're masters of atmosphere; their worlds all feel like living, breathing places.

Griftlands is full of the kinds of choices that matter, and while the story itself follows the same beats every time you have many ways that you can change the way it flows. My first time around I sided with the cop that was trying in vain to keep a semblance of justice and order and used negotiation whenever possible; the second time I took the exact opposite route. I experienced a completely different set of choices, characters, and situations each time, and my subsequent runs have all had their own paths through the world.

It's Klei's take on the roguelike deckbuilder. You know if that's something you want to play.

I didn't play that many games this year, but the ones I did play were excellent. Quality over quantity, right?

Thanks for reading!

I only beat a handful of games:

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

My Friend Pedro

Recore

Control

Minecraft Dungeons

I can do better in 2022

I have been playing mostly olde games as I find most of the new stufff boring:

• Tomb raider 2 (finished)
• Tomb raider 3
• Into the breach
• Stellaris
• Resident evil 3 (finished)
• Stardew valley
• Gabriel Knight 2 (finished)
• Pathfinder kingmaker
• Rimworld
• Amid evil
• Control (finished)
• Loop Hero
• Sekiro
• Ion Fury

@laughingman: Great list! Couldn't agree more with Arknights, it's single handedly changed my opinion on Mobile games. I've been playing it since January and have played every single day. It's just such a damn good game!

@jaktajj: I'll sing Arknights' praises to anyone who will listen. I'm glad there's at least one other fan around here!

@kopcik:That's a great list, and reminds me that I need to go back to Stellaris and Rimworld.

I went the opposite way, I made the stupid challenge for myself to see how many 2021 games I could play. The best thing that I’ve learned from that is that I really like shorter games.

@oxygenard: That's an intriguing idea. If you don't mind sharing, what were the shorter games of 2021 that stood out for you?

@laughingman:

Not at all!

They Always Run, Omno, Last Stop, Unpacking, Hoa, Backbone, Toem, Mundaun, Sat no! More, Hitchhiker and Olija are among those games I’ve player this year that I probably would have overlooked if I didn’t have this stupid challenge. I will not do this challenge again but next year I will most definitely make other choices when it comes to deciding what to play.

I've almost stopped buying games, as I hardly have the time to play them so this year I believe I oly played three new games.

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart was surprisingly bland and boring. A colorful and beautiful game, but uncharming, uninspired and just disapointing.

Deathloop held me in it's grip for as long as I played it, and even though I had some difficulties with it (I legit don't know if it was my fault or the game), I loved it. But as soon as I finished, I had no wish to go back and now I hardly give it any thought.

My GOTY is Guardians of the Galaxy. It has it's weaknesses, it's kind of bad at combat and I don't like the design of Star-Lord but it does that one thing great games does that you can't put your fingers on - it just works so damn well. It's funny, energetic, vividly colored and extremely chatty. It's like being part of a group of friends and you don't want to miss a moment. I grew to love it despite the combat getting more and more tedious as it didn't really change from start to finish. It is surprisingly good, and I love it.

(GotG has the best first few minutes in a game in ages, and it was a real throwback to my own teenage years. Those minutes alone will stick with me for years to come)