Here were my favorites that came out this year:

10. Voyage (local) – an intriguing 2D adventure game. It doesn't give you much direction, but it's pretty easy to figure out where you're supposed to go and what you're supposed to be doing. Excellent art style.

9. Operation Tango (online) – I always love games that have this hacker/agent concept (like Hacktag or Clandestine). However, Operation Tango was a bit more twitchy than I would prefer. It was difficult to complete some of the in-game tasks even after you know what you needed to do. One player's view looks like a hard drive file directory, while the other is in first-person.

8. The Two of Us (online) – A fun, free 2D platformer in which one character has a katana and the other a shuriken. The game requires the katana character to redirect the shuriken to solve puzzles on a few occasions, which was a fun trick.

7. Aliens: Fireteam Elite (online) – A neat diversity of classes and a fun skill system, but it can't completely save this tremendously repetitive 3rd-person shooter. Perhaps if I had more nostalgia for the Aliens film series, it would've gotten a bit more mileage.

6. The Ascent (online/local) – This top-down shooter had some of the best visuals and music that I experienced all year, as well as a compelling skill system and fun weapons and gadgets. Something about doesn't completely come together though - I'm not sure if this is due to the difficulty spikes, the weak story, or the bugginess we encountered.

5. Aragami 2 (online) – As long as you're able to take out enemies stealthily, this 3rd-person action game is a good time. Fighting enemies that are aware of you just doesn't feel good, so you're better off running away until they've lost track of you. I like Aragami 2's skill system and traversal abilities, and dig feeling like a real ninja.

4. Back 4 Blood (online) – This FPS came out of the gates pretty rough. The AI director (a feature of these L4D-style games) was duping spawn cards in a way that covered your screen with multiple special infected that were almost impossible to survive. After a few patches were dropped, my squad was able to take down "veteran" difficulty, but "nightmare" is simply monstrous. I like the character variety in B4B and I adore the card system, but the experience could stand to be a bit more "even."

3. World War Z: Aftermath (online) – Although Back 4 Blood was apparently created by some of the developers that produced Left 4 Dead, Aftermath was the best L4D-like that came out this year. I liked the new levels, the new class, and the graphical and gameplay tweaks in this 3rd (or 1st) person shooter.

2. Unsighted (local) – A fun, top-down zelda-like/metroidvania that has an interesting concept, a fun soundtrack, and rewards exploration. It also generally supports multiple builds through the "chip" system, although some enemies take very little damage from guns.

1. Wildermyth (online) – I tend to shy away from procedural games, feeling like they can't produce the "big moments" by games that are more intentionally-crafted. Although I can't say that (at least so far) Wildermyth has dropped any "big moments" on me, it does consistently refer to your choices and the way that your characters have developed. Not to mention, the Mystic class is fun and a clever idea. You "interfuse" with the objects on the battlefield and can cast different spells from them, depending on the object in question and your interfusion skill. A turn-based tactics game with a strategic overworld layer.

The other game I played and enjoyed that came out this year was:

Get Together: A Co-op Adventure (any) - I enjoyed this, but I did find it a little slow. Also, the puzzles just came one after the other. It's well-done, but I would recommend playing it over a few sessions rather than trying to bang it out all at once.

Major co-op releases from 2021 that I want to try but have yet to have an opportunity are: Age of Empires IV, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Far Cry 6, Thunder Tier One, Sky Fleet, Trash Sailors, GTFO, Killsquad, War Mongrels, and Legion TD 2.

Now for the 2021 games I couldn’t get into:

Outriders (online) – This 3rd-person shooter has an absolutely bizarre tone, and I could never connect with the story or characters. Perhaps it's because my co-op partners preferred playing in the highest tier available, but I also felt like the enemies were too spongy and the battles were too tedious. I was never quite able to make my "Trickster" class as effective as I wanted to.

It Takes Two (local/online) – This might disqualify me from speaking on co-op games, since this 3D platformer was so beloved this year. Although I love that the game was developed from the ground up for co-op and I thought the premise was interesting, the game just went on and on and I got fatigued with the puzzles. Every time I thought I was getting close to accomplishing something, Dr. Hakim (one of the most irritating characters of the past decade) showed up to push the finish line further out. The main characters struck me as one-dimensional, and the brutal elephant scene felt unnecessary.

Humankind (online) – I keep trying these 4x games and keep sucking at them. Humankind is probably a fine game, but I think I'm over the genre at this point.

Knockout City (online) – This 3rd-person sports-like game isn't really my style, but a friend encouraged me to pick it up. If you aren't already into the competitive multiplayer scene, this won't change your mind.

Salto (local) – a free platforming game where you hop from the top of one skyscraper to another in the clouds. It was hard to figure out exactly where I would land when I jumped, and nothing about the game convinced me to stick at it and gain more skill. A pretty simple thing.

Mark & Lara: Partners in Justice (any) – this cooperative detective game had a cool premise, but poor English localization and unintuitive logic really took the fun out of it for us.

I played a lot of great games in 2021 that came out earlier:

Morkredd (local) – I've never been huge on puzzle platformers, but the simple concept (light/dark & shadows) and mood of this dreamy top-down game kept me invested. One particular scene (when the two characters are in a rowboat) was the coolest visual I saw all year.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (any) – This bomb-defusal simulator gets pretty wild pretty quickly - I felt like I basically had to take the time to learn "complex wires" from the manual before I could perform it during defusal. I also hated the "morse code" - I think my ears are just awful at picking up the "dots" and "dashes." However, the game has a great theme, and defusal is super satisfying.

Torchlight III (online) – I was pretty "meh" on this isometric ARPG. I thought some of the classes were interesting, but I often found myself "going through the motions" while I was playing. The "fort" that you could decorate was especially silly.

Nioh 2 (online) – I had never gotten into a souls-like game before, but I actually had a nice time with this 3rd-person action game. It could certainly be challenging, but the way that two or three players can take turns pulling enemy aggro made it more manageable. I also liked a lot of the enemy designs, and the way that you you pick enemies off at range with arrows or bullets.

Super Boo Quest (local) – I thought that this was a lot of fun. Some light puzzling with an SNES-style top-down graphical presentation.

Tonight We Riot (local) – While it was tricky to achieve good control of your mob (perhaps it's always tricky to control a mob), I loved the concept of the game and the upgrades that you receive as you progress. This pixelated side-scroller also has a great soundtrack.

Orcs Must Die 3 (online) – While I liked the inclusion of the "war maps" (large maps with many more enemies and special trap options), I disliked almost every map that includes fliers. None of the traps seem particularly adept at dealing with them, and I didn't appreciate the type of challenge they brought to the table. Even so, if you liked OMD2, you'll like OMD3. A fun 3rd-person tower-defense game.

Over My Dead Body (For You) (local) – I had fun with this asymmetric top-down puzzle game, although it could be a little twitchy. I like the crisp graphical style.

Colony Siege (online) – This tower defense/RTS hybrid was pretty excellent. However, the random fliers that showed up in each level could get tiresome. I tended to simply rely on the towers instead of producing any of the units. I liked the "general abilities" like the missile strikes that could be called in, and the way that you can route enemy units through environmental hazards.

Reagan Gorbachev (local) – I had fun playing this top-down shooter as slowly and methodically as possible. I liked that the two world leaders had slightly different abilities as well. Sadly, I don't think we ever beat the final boss.

Painkiller: Hell and Damnation (local) – I played this through PS Now at a friend's house. A fun FPS adrenaline rush with some creative weaponry. I never understood why this series didn't get bigger, especially in light of how beloved Doom (2016) became.

Neurovoider (local) – Another PS Now title. I typically don't get into Roguelikes, but I dug the customizable robots that players controlled in this neon-infused top-down shooter.

Hot Shots Tennis (local) – Another PS Now title. We always tend to try tennis titles, since we play tennis ourselves. This one had a fun co-op doubles mode.

Puppeteer (local) – Another PS Now title. This is probably the best PS Now title we played. Both my co-op partner and I had XBOX 360s, so we were unfamiliar with this PS exclusive. I loved the mechanics, the graphical style, and the way that it seemed the game was being performed on stage. A fun co-op platformer.

Comet Crash (local) – Another PS Now title. I'm a big fan of this series, and I had previously played and enjoyed the sequel to this game. I like the sci-fi style, and the way that you need to break down passing asteroids to stock resources for building. Unfortunately, there are a few levels that you'll probably lose the first time you play them because you're unaware of the "trick." A fun tower-defense title.

New Super Mario Bros U (local) – This 2D platformer was a lot of fun, although for my time and money, Rayman Legends is superior.

Object N (online) – A fun, free FPS that takes place in a secret research complex during the Cold War.

Torque: Simulation Begins (online) – A fun 3D puzzle/platformer in which players control a round stone. Short, with some creative and fun level design.

Putty Pals (local) – a colorful 2D platformer with tight controls and engaging cooperative mechanics. Some platforms are only useable by one player (based on color), and you'll often need to bounce your co-op partner up in the air or swing him/her by the arm.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (local/online) – I was looking for a basketball game to scratch the same itch that the "Super Mega" series does for baseball - something fun, humorous, and arcade-like. This game is about as close as I can get. The gameplay itself was fun, but I didn't love the fact that I had access to so few players by default and that some of the random in-game effects were so punishing. I ended up spending additional money to unlock all of the characters to avoid the grind.

Now onto the others that I couldn’t get into:

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (local/online) – This ARPG series has been going downhill (in my opinion) since the very first one. In my view, Marvel Ultimate Alliance remains the best. Black Order just doesn't feel that good to play - the camera is constantly having a fit, and the enemies are incredibly spongy.

Jumpjet Rex (local) – A PS Now title. A cute side-scrolling platformer, but a bit too twitchy for my tastes.

Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (local) – A PS Now title. I wasn't able to get a good handle on the controls in side-scrolling action platformer, and nothing about it enticed me to spend the time to get more comfortable with them. Perhaps I would've liked it more had I played it ten years ago when it was released.

Spelunky (local) – A PS Now title. This one was always a long shot, due to my distaste of roguelikes. We poked around a little bit in this 2D platformer, but the level design (procedural) just seemed like a big mess.

Brut@l (local) – A PS Now title. Another long shot roguelike. Although I liked the graphical style, the procedurally-generated rooms were just boring and uninspired.

The Bug Butcher (local) – A PS Now title. This side-scrolling shooter was a bit too twitchy for me.

Realms of Ancient War (local) – A PS Now title. We were choosing which ARPG to stick with, and we chose Vikings. It looked and felt a little better.

Vikings: Wolves of Midgard (local/online) – A PS Now title. Unfortunately, we ended up putting this one down as well. There are many areas in the game in which your character constantly takes damage from the "elements." Although this mechanic made sense, it was very un-fun.

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond (local) – A PS Now title. This cheeky little side-scrolling shooter was somewhat fun, but enemies appearing randomly from either side of the screen coupled with the difficult-to-dodge bullets soured my experience.

Rogue Stormers (local/online) – A PS Now title. Although I thought this side-scrolling shooter had a neat graphical style, we actually got stuck relatively early in the game with a pretty rotten procedural level. We couldn't figure out how to progress.

Fat Princess Adventures (local) – A PS Now title. We couldn't find much in the way of strategies in this colorful hack and slash game. It's just a bit too simple.

Narco Terror (local/online) – A PS Now title. A top-down shooter that got a bit too "bullet hell" for me.

Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One (local/online) – A PS Now title. I guess this 3rd-person platformer was OK? After about an hour, I had no desire to continue. Another game with a problematic camera when it comes to co-op play.

AO Tennis (local/online) - A PS Now title. This is perhaps a bit too much of a "simulation" for us. Perhaps we could've spent more time in training modes, but we couldn't even reliably hit the ball.

All Zombies Must Die (local) - A PS Now title. We found this top-down shooter somewhat fun, but the repetitive objectives and maps soon began to bore us.

Tennis World Tour 2 (local) - A PS Now title. Another tennis "simulator" where we just weren't willing to put in the time. I think we just like our sports games to be a bit more "arcade-y."

Streets of Rage 4 (local/online) – I originally didn't want to play this, because I don't like beat 'em ups, but some of my friends said that it was one of their favorite games that released in 2020. When I finally jumped in, I found...just another boring beat 'em up. I'm not sure exactly what Streets of Rage 4 is doing that "changes the game." Perhaps other players just have more nostalgia for this genre than I do. I'd be fine if I never played another beat 'em up.

Streets of Rogue (local/online) – This started out pretty intriguing, but it isn't long before you feel as though you've seen everything that this roguelike has to offer.

Deru (local) – Quite a pretty, artistic 2D puzzler, but I didn't like the way that puzzle elements often covered up your objectives. Sometimes you'd have to painstakingly navigate around the obstacles just to see what you were supposed to be doing. It got quite tedious.

Haven (local) – This 3rd-person adventure game is a nice concept, but I think you have to be someone who can "zen out" while completing the traversal pieces to enjoy yourself.

Strange Creatures (local) - I liked the multiple playable characters that can be used to complete this 3rd-person puzzle platformer. Unfortunately, the floaty jumping and imprecise object interaction left a lot to be desired.

Halo 4 (online) - The last game in my Master Chief Collection journey. Similar to Halo 2, this FPS is filled with repetitive level design and spongy enemies. I liked the Mantis-piloting sections and the Promethean weaponry, but it wasn't enough to make this a pleasant experience.

Rover Wars (local) - In this top-down MOBA/RTS, we found that it was best to just jam up the map with as many structures as possible. It felt more like I was playing Blockus than an RTS game. In addition, the map variety is pitiful.

BFF or Die (local) - We got jammed up pretty quickly in this top-down action game. Trying to control the searchlight and dodge the skeletons just wasn't fun - we felt more like saying "thank god that's over" instead of "awesome - we did it!" The mechanics that we saw in the game were certainly challenging, but not what I'd call fun.

Moon Hunters (local) - Since this is often described as a personality test in game form, we felt compelled to try it. We played this top-down action game for quite a nice chunk of time, but none of the systems really grabbed us. I'm still unsure exactly why the developers describe it as they do.

Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (local) - A 2D title available through the Switch's Nintendo library. This side-scrolling action game is just a bit too rough around the edges for modern sensibilities. Side note: I have no nostalgia for Joe & Mac.

The Yawhg (local) - Although the stories in this visual novel were interesting, there wasn't enough interactivity for me to sink my teeth into.

Hellpoint (online) - We got this one for free off of GOG. I knew that there wasn't a big chance I'd like it, but we decided to try it anyway. The world seemed pretty interesting, but (as usual) I just feel that I'd enjoy the experience more without the soulslike wrapping. I don't often love exploration in games (I was lost often in Hellpoint), or traipsing back through enemies that I've already killed over and over after perishing.

Speed Brawl (local/online) - As we established earlier with Streets of Rage 4, I'm just not into the beat 'em ups. There's also a twitchy precision element to get used to.

Dreadlands (online) - After playing and loving Wasteland 3, my co-op partner and I were looking for another solid turn-based tactics game to dive into. Unfortunately, Dreadlands isn't it. Although the post-apocalyptic world is promising, it ends up feeling very shallow. In addition, too many of the missions are just too similar.

8-Bit Hordes (online) - After enjoying 8-Bit Invaders, I thought I'd try the only 8-Bit game I hadn't seen. I played Armies back closer to release. Unfortunately, I had the same problem with Hordes that I did with Armies - units are just too weak. Perhaps my macro strategy could use some work, but the only effective tactic I found was building defensive towers all the way to the enemy base. This just isn't how you want to play an RTS.

Hopefully, you'll find some new jams to try with your friends. Have a great 2022!