GOTY 2021

Despite 2021’s best efforts, I have survived another year, and even have the video games to show for it. While this felt like a slow first year for a new hardware generation – further impacted by ongoing COVID and supply complications – and not the strongest year overall, I still ended up with plenty of varied, interesting, and worthwhile games to play; especially in the indie space. Being lucky enough to own all current major platforms, I spent 2021 playing all sorts of games, big and small, across many different genres, both traditional and new, on almost every platform possible. No matter who you are, 2021 had something for you, and for me that primarily means the 10 games below. Each is an impressive work that I highly enjoyed, and they stand here at the end of the year as the most meaningful for me personally.

So, without further ado, my 10 favorite video games of 2021. Thanks for reading, and I hope 2022 treats you well <3

List items

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  1. Unsighted

  Unsighted hits on pretty much everything I like about video games. It offers a large, diverse, and non-linear world to explore that’s full of exciting secrets. It’s paced well with engaging puzzles and high-octane combat, with sharp controls and devious enemies allowing for intense encounters. The art style is regularly gorgeous, and its soundtrack is a bop, creating a thick and effective atmosphere. It has fun upgrades and items that create a meaningful sense of progression. It tells a simple but resonant tale about impending doom, and what we do with the time we have left. And in its execution, it pulls it all off with aplomb. Then its signature mechanic, a constant timer on the lives of every character, single-handedly raises the stakes across the board. It has mechanical and narrative implications that play off of each other impressively, which creates a satisfyingly holistic experience. Unsighted consistently wowed me more than anything else I played in 2021, and stands as my favorite game of the year.

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  2. Chicory: A Colorful Tale

  Chicory worked for me on multiple levels. First, its central painting mechanic is fresh and inventive, and not only gets put to good use via clever puzzles, but the fact that the entire world is one big coloring book is kind of amazing. Second, its world is charming, fun to explore, and full of vibrant characters with their own stories; not to mention the sharp writing and my favorite soundtrack of the year. Third, it tells a personal and disarmingly honest tale about the mental struggles many of us face, and the challenges of living with them. But what elevates Chicory even higher is how all of these aspects meld into a cohesive whole; painting is integral to the narrative in a way that so few gaming verbs are. It’s a special and creative vision that takes full advantage of the unique aspects of the medium, and hit me in a way I was not prepared for.

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  3. Axiom Verge 2

  At first glance, Axiom Verge 2 appears to be a pretty standard “one of those.” But not only does it nail the pacing and exploration I love most about the genre in a way that so few do, it also subverts expectations just as often as it meets them. The upgrades and abilities you find are fresh and inventive, and they regularly alter your relationship with the world in unexpected and dramatic ways. I had multiple genuine "wow" moments by the end, and the way that your mechanical progression ties in so well with the narrative is a wonderful bit of world-building; not to mention the cool art and killer soundtrack. Axiom Verge 2 should feel derivative for the type of game it is, but it's too smart for that, and kept me highly engaged from start to finish.

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  4. Hitman 3

  Despite being the third and final game in the “World of Assassination” trilogy, my appreciation for Hitman remains as high as ever: there’s still no better murder playground out there. The level of craft and confidence on display in Hitman 3 is immediately obvious, which leads to some exquisitely crafted clockwork levels, and even some experimentation around the periphery; the Berlin level in particular is a treat. I had just as much fun this third go-around, and it’s a testament to the strength of the core Hitman formula that it can still surprise and delight three games later. Hats off to this team for creating one of the most unique and compelling series of the past six years, and extra props for sticking the landing. You did it.

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  5. The Forgotten City

  The Forgotten City makes excellent use of time loops to create not only a compelling narrative worth unravelling, but makes the process of doing so highly rewarding. It has a lot of smart tricks up its sleeve to ease the tedium: a handy-dandy quest log, a shortcut to redoing things you’ve already done in previous loops, and multiple interweaving threads that contribute to each other in a way that makes it tough to get stuck for long. Yet the core strength of The Forgotten City is the excellent writing and world-building on display, the philosophical questions it poses, and the way you’re able to discover it all at your own pace. It’s a top-notch detective game in every aspect, and one I couldn’t put down until I had solved every mystery.

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  6. Monster Hunter Rise

  Monster Hunter Rise feels like a well-earned victory lap after World’s runaway success, and not only was I ready for another round of monster hunting thrills, Rise improves enough that it would be hard to go back. The new palamute mounts and wirebug make traversal both more fun and more expedient. The maps and UI are better organized and presented, which makes gathering and crafting items a breeze. And a better online flow makes syncing up with friends no longer a nightmare. Such changes reduce the tedium and put the focus where it belongs: on hunting exciting monsters with friends, chopping off their parts, and crafting sick gear with them. Rise pulls off that loop as well as ever, and I had a great time with it all over again.

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  7. Unpacking

  Fact: moving sucks. Yet by reducing it to only the final step, Unpacking captures the one relaxing part of moving via the inherent satisfaction of organizing stuff, and the presentation of doing so is exquisite; the art style is endlessly cute, and the sound design is simply stellar. Such craft and attention to detail make it easy to become invested in the stuff you’re organizing, which goes on to reveal a simple but surprisingly touching narrative about a person’s life journey. And it’s the way the story is told implicitly through the places they live and the things they own that makes it feel all too real. Unpacking was an engaging, reflective, and emotionally affecting experience for me, in a way that only an interactive work could be.

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  8. Astalon: Tears of the Earth

  Astalon is kind of nuts, and I appreciate just how far it goes to create its large, labyrinthine map. Its world is one of the most ambitious and devious I’ve encountered in years, and stands out as a masterclass on non-linear, side-scrolling exploration. I had a hell of a time weaving back and forth, solving environmental puzzles and scouring rooms for secrets, all while mentally mapping out an ever-growing possibility space. It also has a great throwback art style, and one of the most rippin’ soundtracks of the year. I have a handful of not-insubstantial quibbles with Astalon, and it admittedly took me a couple hours to get over the hump. But once it got its hooks in me, I couldn’t put it down until I turned over every rock it put before me.

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  9. Psychonauts 2

  Psychonauts 2 not only finally came out after a 16 year wait, it stuck the landing better than I think any of us could have hoped. Its controls and level design can feel understandably dated at times, but it otherwise offers a slew of highly varied and creative 3D platforming levels, thanks to mesmerizing art, heartfelt writing, and clever collectibles. Yet it's the way these levels tie into the greater narrative that makes them even more special. Each mind you investigate captures that person’s mental state so vividly, spinning a tale about the traumas we carry, the regrets that linger from our terrible mistakes, and how we manage to live on with them. Psychonauts 2 is a touching finale that was well worth the wait.

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  10. Metroid Dread

  I had mixed feelings coming out of Metroid Dread, and still wish the world design was less guided than it is; I don't love the EMMI sections either. But on balance, taking it for what it is, Metroid Dread hits a lot more than it misses. Samus moves better than ever, with fluid controls and animations leading to satisfying traversal and combat, particularly the boss encounters. It also looks fantastic on both technical and artistic fronts, and sounds great too. It’s a wonderful and needed facelift for an aging franchise, and the resulting adventure is a quality 2D action game with a badass portrayal of Samus, a fun array of gadgets, and a totally bonkers ending. Even if it's not top-tier Metroid, I had plenty of fun with Dread.