It’s a few days after we’ve wrapped our GOTY podcast recordings, and I’m taking inventory of a year that I genuinely did not see coming. Well, let me correct that– I saw some of it coming, but it’s everything that’s played out post-PAX that’s been overwhelming. The long days and nights, weeks, months – so much has happened in what feels like such a short period of time.
The only constant that I never need to worry about is this community. So thanks to everyone who is reading this and has taken part in our next chapter. The support, the kind words, the encouragement – it all adds up to something that’s so much greater than its individual parts.
In 2026, I want the continued best for Giant Bomb and our ability to shape it in the way we see fit. Now that we don’t answer to oversight, the sky is the limit. To make sure we have that agency, it means we need to be out there, and we need to grow. We’re going to need your help with that if you’re up for it. So here’s to 2026 and all that will come with it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t happen without you.
Oh right, video games. Aside from an 18-week-or-so period, I played a decent amount of games. I’ve got 10 of ‘em right here for ya.
10. Deliver At All Costs
A handful of games on my list this year have a common thread: they’re just kind of low-stakes fun departures that can be played in small bites. I got that from Deliver At All Costs, a real slapstick drive-through-anything destructible sandbox with enough variety that kept me curious enough for return sessions.
9. Cronos: The New Dawn
How can I let the game known only for GateGate make my top 10? Because when it was all said and done, this 12 Monkeys-like actually had me invested in seeing how the story was going to shake out. It’s tough to look beyond some of the infuriating inventory nonsense and death-loops I faced during a few boss fights, but there was some very interesting “this-is-definitely-not-Dead-Space” action going on here. Plus, it tested the limits of my “absolutely disgusting” threshold, and I’m happy to report it nearly squeaked out a passing grade.
8. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
You probably slept on this one, but for nearly all of February, I could barely put this cute and cozy downhill skiing sim down. It’s got a great look to it, evoking tilt shift vibes, and made me think of all of those Flash-based line sledding games. But that’s in spirit only; Snow Riders is surprisingly technical and realistic, in both its physics and fidelity. It controls like a dream and offered just enough of a challenge build-up that kept me locked in for hours at a time.
7. Blippo+
I reward weird shit that I’ve never seen before, and Blippo+ very easily met that criteria. I love that there is still room for this kind of experimentation, and this game’s obsession with honoring directionless channel surfing of the ‘90s was the right kind of comfort-gaming I needed this year.
6. Baby Steps
I had hyped Baby Steps up from the second I saw its incredible reveal trailer. I created a story for it in my mind that wound up being nowhere near what it actually came to be, and thank goodness for that, because Baby Steps is such an incredible piece of bizarre gaming, reaching well beyond its initial impression. It winds up having so much more to say than what’s on its surface, and manages to keep you smiling in awe along the way. Baby Steps could have just been a comically frustrating game, and that would have been enough. But somehow it achieves a philosophical self-reflection that anyone can relate to.
5. Dispatch
I couldn’t really speak to this game as much as I wanted during our GOTY discussions because I was only two episodes in, but now that I’m on the other side of it, Dispatch is an absolute triumph. This is the kind of experience that fills me with the aggressive confidence that true human creativity and storytelling will always reign supreme.
4. Skate Story
In the words of Jan Ochoa, “vibes immaculate.” That’s the logline for Skate Story, a game so beautifully realized, it forces me to look tragically inward at all of the creative ambitions I might never be able to realize. What incredible power it must be to be able to successfully extract the thing lodged in your mind and have it appear on screen in all of its chromatic beauty.
It's David Lynchian predicaments, demon beat poetry, Manhattan underworld, and obsession with munching on celestial bodies all washed over me like a pentagram-knitted blanket.
It’s all these details and more that made me savor every last minute I spent with Skate Story, because you’re not going to find another skateboarding game with this much style and heart.
I don’t know you, Sam Eng, but you rule. Hit me up if you want to talk about fonts.
3. Silent Hill f
My expectations for Silent Hill f were borderline non-existent, but just 20 minutes in, I knew I was in for a surprisingly welcome balance of traditional Silent Hill tropes and a contemporary evolution that introduced a handful of engaging mechanics.
Everything in this game oozes with an intoxicating attention to detail. I felt like I knew what every artifact in it felt like– its weight, its faded colors– some truly impressive stuff.
And this is all without diving deep into the game’s excellent storyline, featuring some of the best performances of the year, hands down.
It probably goes without saying, but Silent Hill f (combined with the success of the SH2 remake last year), has likely carved a sustainable path out for this series to proliferate for many years to come.
2. Split Fiction
It’s crazy that Split Fiction isn’t getting a fraction of the flowers that It Takes Two got, because let’s be honest– it’s probably a better game overall. While the overarching story lacks enough substance to take seriously, the game’s extraordinary co-op propels it to another level.
DIB and I binged this entire game in a weekend, and I can’t even count the number of times we laughed out loud or gasped at what we were seeing on screen. (The hot dog level deserves some kind of prestigious international award.) The sense of accomplishment packed into Split Fiction is unmatched, and best of all, it absolutely expanded DIB’s horizons– not just in what a video game can be, but also by introducing him to so many “new-to-him” genres represented inside its chapters.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
“There is no way I will like this game.” That’s what I thought while I watched Expedition 33 finish downloading. And then it was that first parry that fired off some kind of chemical response in my brain where I knew not only was I going to love the rest of this thing, but also, “Oh my god, what else have I missed out on in the last 25 years?”
By now, you likely know what makes Expedition 33 so special, so I’ll keep it simple. This is a game that I constantly thought about when I wasn’t playing it. I thought about the end battle screen and that “We Continue” button. I thought about the paint explosions and the accordions fading in the score. I thought about all the strange abominations you were meant to fight, their impossible constructions and their unique patterns.
And also, I love Monoco.