#GOTY 2021

Anyone who has read one of my GOTY lists from previous years will already know that this is only going to be a top 5. I usually put some spiel about how I don't play enough new games in a year to make a top ten, but ya know I probably almost could fill a 10 game list this year if I tried! I guess in that regard I had a pretty good year for games - even if I didn't play much of some games I assumed would be a guaranteed hit as I'd like (looking at you Monster Hunter Rise).

Honorable Mentions

Valheim - Got way more into this than expected, I think the only thing keeping it off the list was that it's still early access (and missing the final zone/boss) and my friends beat the 5th boss while I was offline as I was out at the time!

Pokemon Unite - It made me enjoy a MOBA. That's almost enough for it to make this list alone.

Knockout City - Funky and Fresh. Honestly a breath of fresh air compared to most FPS games that have come out in recent years.

List items

• 

  1. Halo Infinite

  I'm gunna be honest, I haven't beaten the campaign of Halo Infinite yet. Heck, I've probably only played 4 or so hours of it. And I think at this point I'm still kinda holding out for co-op before really getting stuck in.

  That being said, Halo Infinite probably would have made #1 on this list based on its multiplayer alone. I haven't enjoyed a new FPS as much as this since, well, Halo 3 probably. I wish the battle pass didn't encourage people to play the game in a way that is bad for their team, and I wish I could force my brain to ignore it, but the gameplay itself is pure joy - I've had a blast with nearly every weapon I've tried. 343 have hopefully made a Halo that can last.

• 

  2. Hitman 3

  I really don't think I need to say much about this one - it's more Hitman (2016) and it's friggin' excellent. Great way to cap off the World of Assassination trilogy. I'm sad it's over.

• 

  3. It Takes Two

  It's quite the challenge to find a game that my partner enjoys being part of, but It Takes Two smashed it out of the park this year. On top of that, I loved all the clever takes they did on different games - from fighting games to a Diablo clone, It Takes Two really made me smile from start to finish.

  Apart from that elephant scene. We don't talk about that.

• 

  4. A Short Hike

  Another one that my partner adored, albeit a game that didn't come out this year. I was gifted this by a friend who assured me it was only a "couple of hours" long, and I think the most ringing endorsement I can give it is that both myself and my partner wished we could keep playing it once it was done.

• 

  5. Inscryption

  A surprise late entry onto my top 5, at least for me. When my friends were buzzing about this game I pretty much immediately wrote it off for two reasons: "card game" and "roguelike". In my head I assumed this was another Monster Train, or Slay the Spire, until I dug a bit more into who created it.

  Mercifully, the game actually as a demo, which I implore you to try if you haven't played it yet. Based on that demo alone I realised my preconceived notion of the game was completely wrong, and I bought it straight away. Playing while streaming to one of the aforementioned friends was an absolute blast, even if it did mean I perhaps advanced to the second "half" of the game earlier than others might, but I adored the visual style and atmosphere the game creates.

  I haven't beaten Inscryption yet, but I imagine if I had it might be higher up this list.