Perhaps the best year for video games during my lifetime! Normally I would think that would mean coming up with a top ten would be hard, but I feel like there were some clear next-level standouts that really had an impact on me.
With that said, I think there are some smaller games that are also great and deserve attention, so I'm gonna make this a top 20.
For a game I love so much, I feel like I have a hard time articulating my feelings on it. It truly is a story that uses the medium of games to its fullest, and could not be told in any other way. So many parts of the game were so impactful to me.
What a strange, fun, weird, serious, game. It knows how to balance silliness and seriousness with such a deft hand, matched only by something like Metal Gear Solid. And every part of it is just so, so good.
Just pure, distilled joy in an obscenely well-designed game that rewards the player oh-so-generously.
Looks amazing, plays amazing, so much fun. It goes for an aesthetic that it executes on so perfectly.
Amazing that Nintendo was willing to change up the mechanics of their flagship series so much. The feeling of exploration and wonder is second to none - I'm especially impressed with their mastery of the physics system in the game that lets you solve problems in unexpected ways. This game would probably be higher if the story and characters were a little stronger.
I know this didn't come out this year (well it did on PS4), but this is probably the best stealth game I've ever played. It is designed so well from top to bottom, and gives the player all the tools they need to succeed. On top of that, has a great artstyle, and a familiar but well-told story.
