GOTY 2019: Community Voting Begins!

This might be the first year in a long time where I actually played 10 or more current releases.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of my favourite games of all time. I've done a play-through on two classes so far, and the only reason decided to wait a while before doing another is I wanted to fit some more games in before year end. When January arrives I'm going to jump into a Blue Lions play-through. And I cannot wait!

Also loved the rest of these games (sans Anthem which was so close to being what I wanted, yet missed the mark!). Eagerly awaiting a mobile port of Slay the Spire at which time I'll buy it again and absolutely murder my phone's battery.

This getting put up got me to get off my ass and write up my list. It's always fun going over what all I played over the year.

That communism game is going to win isn’t it?

1. Disco Elysium

2. A Plague Tale: Innocence

3. Telling Lies

4. Life is strange 2

If I get around to playing it this year, MK 11 might very well make the list. Vampyr first though. A lot of my time this year went to AC: Origins. That'd be number 3 if it was eligible, I think.

I will play Control, Outer Worlds and Hades once they arrive on platforms I play games on.

Mostly, Disco Elysium just fucking ruled this year. Love that game.

@teddie: this is called age, my friend

A full ten of stuff from this year is gonna be tough for me. As it stands my personal top ten played games will include at least 3 games not from this year. Naturally I won't include those in this vote, it's just worth noting. Weirdly enough I'm looking forward to these results more than the site top ten.

I still have yet to play Luigi's Mansion 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order but this is my tentative list so far:

1. Kingdom Hearts 3
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
4. Control
5. Outer Wilds
6. Pokémon Sword/Shield
7. Untitled Goose Game
8. Dragalia Lost*
9. Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
10. Baba is You

I know many others felt that 2019 was lacklustre but for me, these top 6 were amazing for me. I'm so excited for the KH3 DLC in January.

*Dragalia Lost came out in the US and Japan in 2018 but came out in the UK (and other English-Speaking countries) this year.

Okay, so I initially said I wouldn't make my GOTY list, since I haven't played a single game that came out this year, but not from lack of interest, just a duty to the Back Log. I've changed my mind, and decided to make a list based on games I've bought, intend to buy, or am intrigued by but know I'll probably never take the plunge (looking at you FFXIV). I know! Some big ones aren't on there, like Control, The Outer Worlds, or Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium, but I need to be honest. I'll probably never play those games. There just isn't enough draw there for me. If I had no other games I was interested in, the acclaim aimed at those would certainly steer me their way. But as it stands, these are my games. Does that make me shallow, or a prisoner to nostalgia? Probably, but it is what it is. I'm pretty sure the order will change.

1Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

2Destiny 2

3The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

4Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

5Apex Legends

6Mortal Kombat 11

7Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda

8Darksiders Genesis

9Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

10Super Mario Maker 2

@pfhor: Just vote for Destiny 2. Shadowkeep's implied.

Thought Control was the only game I played this year and then saw someone mention Apex Legends! Totally forgot I dumped 100+ hour into that during the first half of the year - new number 1! I appreciate the write ups some people are doing in the comments as it gives me a better idea of the games I might want to give a shot.

I thought this year was maybe the weakest we've seen for games this decade. Of course, that's partially because this decade has been amazing for games.

I put Hearthstone as my number 1 even though I know people probably wouldn't count it. I don't even like the "play" mode or battlegrounds that much. It's mostly that Dalaran Heist and Tombs of Terror were by far the best games I played this year and they don't have entries I can add. I put Apex at number 2, but nothing else I've played this year really deserves that much praise.

Tempted to add Slay the Spire but it was my number 1 last year. Considering the game was content complete over a year ago, I don't consider it a 2019 game even though it came out of early access this year.

I'm looking forward to getting Outer Wilds and Control at some point and I need to put more time into Fire Emblem which I only recently got.

If FFXIV: Shadowbringers is a big enough expansion to count as a 2019 release, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne without question should as well. I would like to put it as my #1, but it doesn't have a separate wiki entry and I imagine that if I just put in MHW, it'll be discarded as that's a 2018 game.

I played a lot of great games in 2019.

@rorie It's hard find this page now. Doesn't show up in Words -> Latest or Words -> Articles. Seems like something that should be surfaced on the front page.

Agreed. Initially was fine, but trying to get back here was a pain. Found the link in one of the most recent community spotlights.

Lot of cool games this year, here's my top 10 I decided on:

Numbers 11-14 would be Wilmot's Warehouse, Bloodstained, A Short Hike, and Dicey Dungeons - just wanted to shout them out as well!

@rorie Can we add specific DLC to the list? For instance, a game that came out Last Year but the DLC came out THIS year.

Wow, they really buried this article huh?

YOU HAVE TO CORRECT THIS VOTE CONTROL

There aren't any hard and fast rules about that, but it's totally fine if a significant expansion was released - Destiny 2: Shadowkeep and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne seem like reasonable nominees from this year.

@chaser324: What about Dragon Quest XI S? It's an enhanced port but the additions are pretty substantial.

Same for Catherine FB.

@niko_of_death: I'm not the arbiter of what counts and what doesn't. Just vote for whatever you believe in your heart of hearts to be the best games of 2019.

To be frank though, it's unlikely enough people will vote for DQ XI S or Catherine Full Body for it to chart very high in the results.

01 resident evil 2

02 borderlands 3

03 tetris 99

04 life is strange 2

05 sayonara wild hearts

06 death stranding

07 cadence of hyrule

08 mario maker 2

09 mortal kombat 11

10 wattam

@rorie Just wanted to note that I'm voting for Astroneer in my list. Even though the site has its early access release dates, it went to 1.0 in early 2019. I presume it's one of those 'edge cases' so just pointing it out in case it gets lost in the shuffle!

I have a super weird list this year, but a list of games that I thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless:

1. Fire Emblem 3 Houses
2. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
3. Later Alligator
4. Luigi's Mansion 3
5. A Short Hike
6. Super Mario Maker 2
7. Wargroove
8. Baba is You
9. Cadence of Hyrule
10. Untitled Goose Game

Alright, I think this is as happy as I'm going to be with my list:

1. Control
2. Void Bastards
3. Tetris 99
4. Apex Legends
5. Bloodstained
6. Resident Evil 2
7. Dicey Dungeons
8. Death Stranding
9. Mortal Kombat 11
10. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

Tales was released in January as a remaster with content new to the west. Dragon Quest XI I am voting the Switch version which was released in 2019 with new content.

Here's my picks. Special mentions to RE2make, DMC5, and Astroneer which all got close but didn't quite make the cut - RE2 probably could have done but I know it'll get tons of support so I wanted to throw my "Passion Picks" of Dauntless, Remnant, and CAP on there.

Bonus acknowledgment that the real winner of these awards is Monster Hunter: World - Iceborne but I'm not gonna throw it on there as it's an expansion for last year and I'd rather put my votes into actual new games.

Fire Emblem number one

Typo on the last paragraph, should say 2019 not 2018.

Order might change a bit, but from what I've played, this feels pretty good.

I wish I had a chance to play (or play more of) Control, Luigis Mansion 3, Onimusha Warlords (loved them all originally, especially 3 with Jean Reno), Death Stranding, Judgment, Ape Out, Ace Combat 7, Unravel 2, The Show '19, Darksiders: Genesis, MK11, Outer Wilds, Ring Fit, Slay the Spire, Bloodstained (felt like I had through VinnyVania), Pokemon SW/SH, Sinking City, Plague Tale, Modern Warfare, Rebel Galaxy Outlaw, Surge 2, Trine 4, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Disco Elysium, DMC5, Cadence of Hyrule, Remnent, Phoenix Point. I might be leaving some out, including Goose Game (it was nice, but oh well), I'll add any more if they come to mind. I could honestly make a Top 10 of games I should have, or wanted to play. And a Top 10 of games with no business being on a Top 10 (probably Trials, if it's still broken in places), it all comes down to effort though, and motivation.

Thanks for posting this again @rorie! I had to make a few changes from playing games over the Christmas break.

Anyway, here is mine!

I'm probably the only one...but I LOVED Days Gone. There is something so awesome about gassing up your bike and going out into the wilderness to scrounge for supplies and push the story forward. I was hooked, and am completely on board for a sequel. I also loved the Easter Eggs to Syphon Filter. PLEASE SONY BRING SYPHON FILTER BACK!

I'd say my biggest surprise was Luigi's Mansion 3. I bought a Switch this year. It's the first Nintendo Console I've played since a 64. Having never played any of the other games in the series, I was hooked immediately.

Also, shout out to Ace Combat 7. The single player was engaging, albeit tough near the end, but the PSVR missions were amazing. It's something I've used to show people VR and it's so cool to be strapped into a cockpit!

Y'all have some weird spelling for MLB The Show 19

I was struggling to come up with 10, and only about 4 I feel anything for (Disco, Jedi, Fire Emblem, Mario).

Glad this feature was brought back again so the community can vote. There are still many games I need to finish, like Sekiro, and ones I haven't started yet, like Days Gone and many of the games that were mentioned like Outer Wilds and Void Bastards. These were the games I played long enough or finished to give a good opinion on them. I might change it later with some of the bottom entries.

Honorable Mentions: Warframe and Destiny 2: Free-To-Play Edition. Two games that took a lot of my time between the ones on the list. River City Girls for being a surprisingly good beat-em-up in a pretty much dead genre. Here is hoping the upcoming Streets of Rage 4 is just as good or better. And Super Mario Odyssey. Yeah, I know it didn't come out in 2019, but I finally got a Switch and its a great game to play both on the big screen and on the go with decent end game content.

Well, with the new end date, I was able to play a few more games from 2019 during the break, so I updated my list. Here is my new list:

Okay year.. Can't wait to see how this one turns out though.

@mightyduck: Nope you are not the only one... Wasn't my favorite but it was certainly one of the games I had the most fun with this year!

Outer Wilds was hands down my game of the year, not even close. Surprise on my list is probably NHL20 because after years they finally got the actual hockey right. CK2 is just the game I go back to ever year, comfort food. Forza Horizon 4 I missed last year. Favorite racing game in a long time.

Nice! I've played Mutazione and Sayonara Wild Hearts since voting closed, and was sad I didn't have time to put them on the list.

Was a pretty good year!

• 1.) Control
  2.) Devil May Cry 5
  3.) Pokémon Sword/Shield
  4.) Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  5.) Judgment
  6.) Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
  7.) Resident Evil 2
  8.) Death Stranding
  9.) Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
  10.) Kingdom Hearts III

I didn't expect KH3 to be on there, but I enjoyed my time with it enough for it to sneak its way to #10

And then stuff I still need to Finish/Start that I could see making this list:

AI: The Somnium Files

Dragon Quest Builders 2

What the Golf?

Disco Elysium

Bloodstained

River City Girls

might be the only person on this site that votes for Ciconia

Well, I almost missed this one too, just read it on the community spotlight thread. As always with these lists a lot of PC ports were released a calendar year prior on other platforms, so I can't include them for this year.

Today's the last day to vote! Poll is still open.

Though I'm personally pretty excited to see which game takes home the GB Community GOTY. Past 2 years BOTW and GOW were favorites that ended up being #1. But this year there's a good number of games that the community could vote in at the top spot. RE2, Control, FE3H, Sekiro and so on.

@rorie What day should we expect the voting results to be posted?

@rorie The people demand results :)