My Favorite Games of 2021 That Also Came Out In 2021

2021 was a big year for me. I started my clinical psychology internship and moved. I also stopped playing Path of Exile after a roughly 5-year streak of sheer obsession. Here's what I played (and loved) instead.

10. Cruelty Squad

I didn't finish Cruelty Squad, and I have no plans to. I wish I liked it more. Still, it makes my list due to sheer audacity. It is an ugly and difficult game that makes me feel gross. It's almost like it's doing everything in its power to keep you away from it. And yet, its PS1 aesthetic, intentionally disparate color palate, and bizarre organ black-market trading are oddly cohesive, making this a surrealist masterpiece that I may never play again.

9. Lake

Life got you down in 2021? Me too. So why not transport yourself to the mid 80s and become a small-town postal service employee? Lake is a game that easily could have been an overly saccharine/quirky indie experience. Instead, it is a pleasing slice-of-life game that demands very little and still had me fully invested for its brief duration.

8. Hitman 3

While this entry didn't grab me as much as the previous two, I was delighted that in a game where the developers could have coasted, they instead insisted upon subverting expectations. The level design here remains top-notch and the number of options delightfully overwhelming. It culminates in a stage that does exactly what a Hitman level shouldn't, and in my opinion this solidifies the modern Hitman series one of the strongest trilogies in gaming.

7. Forza Horizon 5

I'm a fair-weather racing game player. My all-time favorite is Burnout 3, and I'll play the occasional Mario Kart game. But that's about it. Horizon 5, with its near-perfect technical performance (I experienced exactly one frame rate slowdown on Series S), gorgeous graphics, and frivolous attitude toward exploration, was what propelled me through. Being on Game Pass didn't hurt either.

6. Valheim

A multiplayer experience so good that I played it with two separate groups of friends, simultaneously. The gameplay loop is methodical and satisfying. Discovery and progression is captivating. The look of this game is wholly unique and beautiful in its simplicity. I'm looking forward to revisiting this with future updates.

5. Archvale

This game came out of nowhere for me. Playable on Game Pass, Archvale does nothing to innovate and presents itself and a fully nondescript indie game. And yet, it feels like an impeccable integration of Action, RPG, and Bullet-Hell genres. I don't often become verbal when gaming, but I growled in frustration when I failed and cheered with elation when I succeeded. For those interested in a tight, well-paced twitch-action game, do not miss Archvale.

4. Psychonauts 2

It is rare to find a game that engages with mental health at all, let alone one that engages with it empathically and holistically. Psychonauts 2 did that, and did so with vigor, color, and spirit. This game has some truly unique and unforgettable level design, and it was a delight to play.

3. The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is the response to Outer Wilds that I needed. It gives a little more guidance, but still allows for that authentic discovery. Waypoints can be turned off completely, even, if you're into that. The story is tight and satisfying at every step. The characters interact in exciting and interesting ways. And, it comes up with creative solutions to the more frustrating aspects of time-loop games that are funny, exciting, and clever. I can't say enough good things about The Forgotten City. If you're like me and had more difficulty with Outer Wilds than others, this might be the game for you.

2. Monster Hunter Rise

Rise is a somewhat divisive entry in the Monster Hunter series among long-time fans, although I think those elements that make it most divisive have to do with its "lack of endgame." Let me be clear: I logged 100 hours in this game in 2021. There is no shortage of tight gameplay, loot-hunting, and teaming up to do in this game. It is the series' most accessible and enjoyable game, in my opinion. It streamlines many of the series' more frustrating elements, making match-making much easier and doing away with foraging and gathering altogether. Its art style pops. The mechanics remain complex and satisfying, but less impenetrable. New mobility options allow for faster time-to-fight. This is the new best starting point for newcomers to the series...and it's coming to PC in three days from this posting. AND you can ride a dog everywhere! AND there's a sizable expansion coming to expand the endgame.

1. Inscryption

Can't say much about this game that hasn't been said. Its atmosphere is off-the-charts. Its story is wild. Its integration of mechanics across genres is compelling and subversive. Its encouragement to break the game is enthralling. But the best selling point of this game, in my opinion, is that I typically avoid card-based games, and yet I felt compelled to continue this one. I don't have the mindset that allows for deck-building, but in the second act when you begin actually building your own deck, the game has an option that can build the deck for you. This is an accessibility option that needs to be in all single-player deck builders.