Every year, some games fall through the cracks. Games you meant to play. Games you wanted to play. Games everyone has told you: "You need to play this."
But it feels like there were more of these in 2019 than any year I can remember. And certainly for me, as someone who played over 40 new 2019 games this year, it's hard to believe there are so many games I wish I'd played. But there are... and maybe they're ones I'll get to in 2020.
I've seen people play Outer Wilds and it seems like my jam. Everyone who played it seems to have fallen in love with it. It is a game I will definitely, absolutely play. I will make myself make time for it because I have heard so much good about it.
I have a saying I use when someone who generally creates good things comes up with a dud: "They can't all be bangers." Except when you're Supergiant Games, apparently. Because I've loved every one of their games and Hades sounds like it is very much at that same exceptional level of quality as the others.
I had only heard of "A Short Hike" recently, really. I mean, I heard a bit about it when it first came out but then when GOTY 2019 came around, more and more people played it and brought it up as a great game with comparison to Animal Crossing, of all things. I owe this to myself!
In ways, Astroneer reminds me of No Man's Sky... but better and more like a game I actually want to play. I actually "own" it, in a sense--it's on PC Game Pass. Time is the only barrier to me playing it, and I guess I should just go for it.
Why didn't I just go buy Doraemon Story of Seasons after the demo on the eShop? Because I know myself enough to know that I just am not that into Harvest Moon-style games. BUT, and this is a big but... my 5 year old son LOVES Doraemon and wants to "play" this one with me. Maybe I should just go for it for the bonding time over a cute video game.
Real-time strategy is one of my favorite all time genres, and They Are Billions sounds like it is possibly one of the best and most novel takes on the genre in years. I was waiting for it to come out of early access and now that it has, well... I should probably go for it, right?
How many people need to rave about a game before you just decide you have to see for yourself? I have to say that on paper, Disco Elysium does not sound like my jam. But *everyone* seems to like it. Feels like it'll be a point of reference for years. I should make the time for it.
Rhythm is one of my favorite genres and Spin Rhythm XD seems like a really fresh take on it with a lot of electronic music that's right in my wheelhouse to boot. It's cool how people have taken various midi controllers and such and made them into controllers for it. Plus it seems like a prime Steam Controller game? Really need to check it out...
I already own Bloodstained on Switch and on PC via Game Pass. I was a backer of it and wanted to play it on Switch, but at launch it was a complete mess on Switch so I skipped it. Now I just need to get off my ass and give it a shot, I guess.
All I know about Hypnospace Outlaw is that it has a 90s web page aesthetic, and given that I was a teenager in the 90s, that's enough for me to say I should at least give it a careful look.
