Its that time of year where we look back at the year in gaming and, as is mandated, put the best games that came out in to a 100% objective, scientifically tested, ranked list!

Overall I would say that this has been a down year. When I was putting together the list of games I played this year it was remarkably short, especially compared to previous years. I have only played 20 games that I have either completed or have played enough of that I feel I confident enough in rating it.

Of those 20 games it only took me 2 minutes to pull out and rank them in the list you will see below. (Hopefully there will be some more discussion and thoughts in the Giant Bomb deliberations and wont be all done and dusted in a similar amount of time!)

Under the GOTY list I have included the games I played that didn't make the cut, games I wish I had played and finally, notable games you may expect to see in other GOTY lists... but certainly not mine.

But enough of all of that, lets get to the list:

JigglePhysx's Games Of The Year 2019

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

It's been a while since a game has hooked me and taken over 100% of my spare time like Three Houses did this year. A truly great game that is pretty much a no brainier purchase if you have a Switch and like tactics games. I love the characters, the stories and the combat. Some of the visuals in spots are a bit rough but doesn't detract at all from my enjoyment of the game.

2. Control

One of the 2 games I 100 percented this year. Control has some of the most striking visual design I have seen all year which is backed up by a great story, interesting characters and fun gameplay. I am very excited to see where Remedy take this world in the future.

3. Slay The Spire

Man, I sunk a lot of time into Slay The Spire this year. I have never really been in to card battling type games that much but it hooked me in a way I never saw coming. Very much a game of "just one more run".. and then another one... and another one. Then, all of a sudden you look at the clock and its 3:00am on a work night and you then you still go for just one more run!

4. Baba Is You

What an awesome little game. One of those great puzzle games that you will go from feeling like it is impossible to then being the smartest person who has ever lived. I especially like the puzzles where you solve one version of it. Then they change one small thing, which completely changes the method on how you have to solve it.

5. Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night

One of my great gaming shames is that I had never played a Castlevania of any variety, Bloodstained makes me wonder how I ever let that happen to myself. I love the constant progression and upgrades, where by the end you become very powerful. I came very close to 100 percenting it and am very much looking forward to (I think) the inevitable sequel.

6. Outer Wilds

I feel like this game should be higher but I haven't actually gone back to finish it just yet. Some of the most inventive and cool environments and mechanics I have seen in some time. A very special game that deserves the praise and recognition it is getting.

7. Ring Fit Adventure

I guess in some ways this is probably deserving of number one. No other game this year has actually changed my life like Ring Fit Adventure has. I have never been interested in these types of fitness games before but after hearing people talk remarkably positively about it I thought I would check it out, I am very glad I did. I have been trying for years to get more fit but never had the motivation to keep it up. Ring Fit's adventure mode makes me want to exercise every day (even if its not for very long) and has also made me change my eating habits and improved my mental health along with it. I highly recommend it if you are struggling like I was.

8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

The second game I 100 percented this year. I probably would have waited for this to go on sale but since I had Origin Access Premier (which I got for Anthem) I ended up checking it out. I very much dislike the Souls type games and structure (mostly talking about the "bonfire" mechanic... its just bad checkpointing!!!) but would still consider myself a Star Wars fan. I mostly enjoyed the combat, the story and the characters were ok. I wish Respawn had a bit more time to polish it up, may have made what is a good game, great.

9. Pokemon Sword

There as been a lot of controversy around the newest entries in the Pokemon franchise. I never got caught up in it and honestly don't know what most of the complaints are (though I find "Dexit" somewhat amusing). Judging the game on it own merits, as someone who has played through at least one version of each main line Pokemon generation, I enjoyed most of the changes. I really like that you can see them walking around in the grass, the Wild Area is a nice change and there are some really cool new Pokemon too.

10. My Time At Portia

I think Porita was a game that I started playing at the exact right time in my life (not when it first launched). I got it as part of Game Pass on PC and sunk soooo many hours into it. Another one of those games where your are collecting resources to build things, that allows you build more things, that makes other items that that are use d to make your tools better so that you can collect resources more efficiently. Then the cycle repeats. Honestly there are better ones of these types of games out there, maybe even better ones that came out this year, but there are few games that came out this year that I would think be thinking about when I wasn't playing them.

Games I Played That Didn't Make The Cut

- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

A cool game, I remember enjoying the story somewhat and had some fun flying in VR too (when it wasn't making me sick)

- Anthem

I am probably one of the few people that mostlyenjoyed their time with Anthem. I think there is potential for it to become a great game but don't have confidence that EA will pull off a Ubisoft and turn it around.

- Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

I honestly barely remember any of the Shadowkeep specific content. I really like the shooting and gameplay in Destiny but, for me, its just always been just short of becoming a great game.

- Far Cry: New Dawn

Completely forgot this came out this year until I was going through Wikipedia's 2019 release list. I have enjoyed, do varying degrees, all the Far Cry games. This one was just more of the same.

- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

I feel like MUA3 came out to little fanfare and disappeared soon after. I got a decent way through the story (I think) but haven't thought about the game at all until a trailer was shown during The Game Awards announcing some DLC.

- Need For Speed Heat

I have been actually been enjoying my time with Heat. I missed the last few NFS entries and still very much prefer Forza Horizon. But this is an ok game if you just want to add some neons under your car and slide it around corners while cops chase you.

- The Legend Of Zelda: Links's Awakening

I love the art style of this version of Link's Awakening but didn't play enough of it to feel ok with putting it in the top 10.

- The Outer Worlds

I can't decide whether I truly like this game. I have really gone off the Bethesda style games (Elder Scrolls and Fallout). I like some of the characters but the story doesn't feel like its doing or saying anything new. I haven't finished it yet so maybe my opinion will change by then.

- Tom Clancy's The Division 2

This is probably my number 11. I enjoyed my time with The Division 2, some good improvements over the first game, but didn't stick with it like I thought I would.

- Untitled Goose Game

I haven't finished it but you pretty quickly work out what the game is. I am surprised by how much people talked about it this year because honestly I don't think the game part of the game is that great.

Games I Wish I Had Played

- A Plague Tail: Innocence

Hear good things, but its probably not my sort of game.

- Astral Chain

I love PlatinumGames, but heard mixed things about their latest game.

- Darksiders Genesis

Mostly just because I really like Darksiders

- Dead Or Alive 6

I just really like playing the DOA games, because I am bad at pretty much all other fighting games.

- Devil May Cry 5

I really want to play it, but am basically waiting for it to be added to Game Pass on PC at this point.

- Disco Elysium

Hear great things about it but its is also not typically my sort of game.

- Dragon Quest Builders 2

Never got around to playing the first one either.

- Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

I, like a lot of people this year, signed up for FFXIV. Never had time to play enough of the game to get up to the latest expansion,

- Gears 5

I haven't played a Gears game since 2. Wanted to get through all of them before playing this one. Didn't even start 3.

- Hypnospace Outlaw

Very cool looking game that seems right up my alley.

- Judgement

Man, really bummed I didn't get to this this year. I really like the Yakuza series but since building my new PC late last year have hardly spent any time with consoles.

- Luigi's Mansion 3

Haven't really played any of the others in the series but people seem really positive on this one.

- Mortal Kombat 11

I am so bad at fighting games that its hard for me to spend the money on them just to play the single player. (even the story in this one is apparently good)

- Phoenix Point

I LOVE XCOM!

- Rebel Galaxy Outlaw

Didn't play the first one, I think this one is a prequel though. Plan to check it out if it comes to Game Pass or something like that.

- The Dark Pictures: Man Of Medan

Not my sort of game, but enjoy watching other people play it.

- The Surge 2

Never got around to playing the first one, but for some reason feel drawn to them... despite hating souls games.

- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

I really liked Wildlands, which I played once all the DLC had already come out. Given that Breakpoint had a rocky launch I will probably wait until Ubisoft gets it up to scratch.

Wargroove

I LOVE ADVANCE WARS

Some Notable Games That Aren't On Any Of The Other Lists

- Borderlands 3

With all the bullshit surrounding Randy Pitchford and Gearbox leading up to the game's release I just couldn't bring myself to purchase Borderlands 3. Especially given that it doesn't seem to have evolved much over the 7 years since 2.

- Days Gone

Boy, I can't think of another big first party game that has just been so uninteresting and unappealing to me ever since it was first shown. I am so over the zombie genre that it takes something special to get me interested. (Think The Last Of Us)

- Death Stranding

Boy, I can't think of another game that got more and more uninteresting and unappealing the more it was shown. I am at the point with Death Stranding that even if I got it for free and had the spare time I probably still wouldn't play it, especially hearing that the story doesn't really do anything.

- Resident Evil 2 Remake

Never liked the RE games and have always found it difficult to put remakes/remasters on a GOTY list. Saying that, the sheer amount of work that went into this version more than justifies it to be legitimately considered.

- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

I have mentioned it a few times but I don't like Souls games. With Sekiro, FromSoftware seems to have gotten closer to the type of game I would want to play but honestly there are some many other more appealing games in my back catalogue that I would prioritize over it, despite being on of the highest rated games of the year.

And thats it. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Its that time of year where we look back at the year in gaming and, as is mandated, put the best games that came out in to a 100% objective, scientifically tested, ranked list!

Overall I would say that this has been a down year. When I was putting together the list of games I played this year it was remarkably short, especially compared to previous years. I have only played 20 games that I have either completed or have played enough of that I feel I confident enough in rating it.

Of those 20 games it only took me 2 minutes to pull out and rank them in the list you will see below. (Hopefully there will be some more discussion and thoughts in the Giant Bomb deliberations and wont be all done and dusted in a similar amount of time!)

Under the GOTY list I have included the games I played that didn't make the cut, games I wish I had played and finally, notable games you may expect to see in other GOTY lists... but certainly not mine.

But enough of all of that, lets get to the list:

JigglePhysx's Games Of The Year 2019

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

It's been a while since a game has hooked me and taken over 100% of my spare time like Three Houses did this year. A truly great game that is pretty much a no brainier purchase if you have a Switch and like tactics games. I love the characters, the stories and the combat. Some of the visuals in spots are a bit rough but doesn't detract at all from my enjoyment of the game.

2. Control

One of the 2 games I 100 percented this year. Control has some of the most striking visual design I have seen all year which is backed up by a great story, interesting characters and fun gameplay. I am very excited to see where Remedy take this world in the future.

3. Slay The Spire

Man, I sunk a lot of time into Slay The Spire this year. I have never really been in to card battling type games that much but it hooked me in a way I never saw coming. Very much a game of "just one more run".. and then another one... and another one. Then, all of a sudden you look at the clock and its 3:00am on a work night and you then you still go for just one more run!

4. Baba Is You

What an awesome little game. One of those great puzzle games that you will go from feeling like it is impossible to then being the smartest person who has ever lived. I especially like the puzzles where you solve one version of it. Then they change one small thing, which completely changes the method on how you have to solve it.

5. Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night

One of my great gaming shames is that I had never played a Castlevania of any variety, Bloodstained makes me wonder how I ever let that happen to myself. I love the constant progression and upgrades, where by the end you become very powerful. I came very close to 100 percenting it and am very much looking forward to (I think) the inevitable sequel.

6. Outer Wilds

I feel like this game should be higher but I haven't actually gone back to finish it just yet. Some of the most inventive and cool environments and mechanics I have seen in some time. A very special game that deserves the praise and recognition it is getting.

7. Ring Fit Adventure

I guess in some ways this is probably deserving of number one. No other game this year has actually changed my life like Ring Fit Adventure has. I have never been interested in these types of fitness games before but after hearing people talk remarkably positively about it I thought I would check it out, I am very glad I did. I have been trying for years to get more fit but never had the motivation to keep it up. Ring Fit's adventure mode makes me want to exercise every day (even if its not for very long) and has also made me change my eating habits and improved my mental health along with it. I highly recommend it if you are struggling like I was.

8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

The second game I 100 percented this year. I probably would have waited for this to go on sale but since I had Origin Access Premier (which I got for Anthem) I ended up checking it out. I very much dislike the Souls type games and structure (mostly talking about the "bonfire" mechanic... its just bad checkpointing!!!) but would still consider myself a Star Wars fan. I mostly enjoyed the combat, the story and the characters were ok. I wish Respawn had a bit more time to polish it up, may have made what is a good game, great.

9. Pokemon Sword

There as been a lot of controversy around the newest entries in the Pokemon franchise. I never got caught up in it and honestly don't know what most of the complaints are (though I find "Dexit" somewhat amusing). Judging the game on it own merits, as someone who has played through at least one version of each main line Pokemon generation, I enjoyed most of the changes. I really like that you can see them walking around in the grass, the Wild Area is a nice change and there are some really cool new Pokemon too.

10. My Time At Portia

I think Porita was a game that I started playing at the exact right time in my life (not when it first launched). I got it as part of Game Pass on PC and sunk soooo many hours into it. Another one of those games where your are collecting resources to build things, that allows you build more things, that makes other items that that are use d to make your tools better so that you can collect resources more efficiently. Then the cycle repeats. Honestly there are better ones of these types of games out there, maybe even better ones that came out this year, but there are few games that came out this year that I would think be thinking about when I wasn't playing them.

Games I Played That Didn't Make The Cut

- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

A cool game, I remember enjoying the story somewhat and had some fun flying in VR too (when it wasn't making me sick)

- Anthem

I am probably one of the few people that mostlyenjoyed their time with Anthem. I think there is potential for it to become a great game but don't have confidence that EA will pull off a Ubisoft and turn it around.

- Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

I honestly barely remember any of the Shadowkeep specific content. I really like the shooting and gameplay in Destiny but, for me, its just always been just short of becoming a great game.

- Far Cry: New Dawn

Completely forgot this came out this year until I was going through Wikipedia's 2019 release list. I have enjoyed, do varying degrees, all the Far Cry games. This one was just more of the same.

- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

I feel like MUA3 came out to little fanfare and disappeared soon after. I got a decent way through the story (I think) but haven't thought about the game at all until a trailer was shown during The Game Awards announcing some DLC.

- Need For Speed Heat

I have been actually been enjoying my time with Heat. I missed the last few NFS entries and still very much prefer Forza Horizon. But this is an ok game if you just want to add some neons under your car and slide it around corners while cops chase you.

- The Legend Of Zelda: Links's Awakening

I love the art style of this version of Link's Awakening but didn't play enough of it to feel ok with putting it in the top 10.

- The Outer Worlds

I can't decide whether I truly like this game. I have really gone off the Bethesda style games (Elder Scrolls and Fallout). I like some of the characters but the story doesn't feel like its doing or saying anything new. I haven't finished it yet so maybe my opinion will change by then.

- Tom Clancy's The Division 2

This is probably my number 11. I enjoyed my time with The Division 2, some good improvements over the first game, but didn't stick with it like I thought I would.

- Untitled Goose Game

I haven't finished it but you pretty quickly work out what the game is. I am surprised by how much people talked about it this year because honestly I don't think the game part of the game is that great.

Games I Wish I Had Played

- A Plague Tail: Innocence

Hear good things, but its probably not my sort of game.

- Astral Chain

I love PlatinumGames, but heard mixed things about their latest game.

- Darksiders Genesis

Mostly just because I really like Darksiders

- Dead Or Alive 6

I just really like playing the DOA games, because I am bad at pretty much all other fighting games.

- Devil May Cry 5

I really want to play it, but am basically waiting for it to be added to Game Pass on PC at this point.

- Disco Elysium

Hear great things about it but its is also not typically my sort of game.

- Dragon Quest Builders 2

Never got around to playing the first one either.

- Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

I, like a lot of people this year, signed up for FFXIV. Never had time to play enough of the game to get up to the latest expansion,

- Gears 5

I haven't played a Gears game since 2. Wanted to get through all of them before playing this one. Didn't even start 3.

- Hypnospace Outlaw

Very cool looking game that seems right up my alley.

- Judgement

Man, really bummed I didn't get to this this year. I really like the Yakuza series but since building my new PC late last year have hardly spent any time with consoles.

- Luigi's Mansion 3

Haven't really played any of the others in the series but people seem really positive on this one.

- Mortal Kombat 11

I am so bad at fighting games that its hard for me to spend the money on them just to play the single player. (even the story in this one is apparently good)

- Phoenix Point

I LOVE XCOM!

- Rebel Galaxy Outlaw

Didn't play the first one, I think this one is a prequel though. Plan to check it out if it comes to Game Pass or something like that.

- The Dark Pictures: Man Of Medan

Not my sort of game, but enjoy watching other people play it.

- The Surge 2

Never got around to playing the first one, but for some reason feel drawn to them... despite hating souls games.

- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

I really liked Wildlands, which I played once all the DLC had already come out. Given that Breakpoint had a rocky launch I will probably wait until Ubisoft gets it up to scratch.

Wargroove

I LOVE ADVANCE WARS

Some Notable Games That Aren't On Any Of The Other Lists

- Borderlands 3

With all the bullshit surrounding Randy Pitchford and Gearbox leading up to the game's release I just couldn't bring myself to purchase Borderlands 3. Especially given that it doesn't seem to have evolved much over the 7 years since 2.

- Days Gone

Boy, I can't think of another big first party game that has just been so uninteresting and unappealing to me ever since it was first shown. I am so over the zombie genre that it takes something special to get me interested. (Think The Last Of Us)

- Death Stranding

Boy, I can't think of another game that got more and more uninteresting and unappealing the more it was shown. I am at the point with Death Stranding that even if I got it for free and had the spare time I probably still wouldn't play it, especially hearing that the story doesn't really do anything.

- Resident Evil 2 Remake

Never liked the RE games and have always found it difficult to put remakes/remasters on a GOTY list. Saying that, the sheer amount of work that went into this version more than justifies it to be legitimately considered.

- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

I have mentioned it a few times but I don't like Souls games. With Sekiro, FromSoftware seems to have gotten closer to the type of game I would want to play but honestly there are some many other more appealing games in my back catalogue that I would prioritize over it, despite being on of the highest rated games of the year.

And thats it. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!