Jordan Hass is a comedy writer, stand-up comedian and lover of hot sauce. He was not asked to write a Game of the Year list for Giant Bomb. He is on twitter @jordha and has a website called JordanHass.com where he should probably post headshots and his awesome Black Mirror spec-scripts, but instead writes about bullshit.

2017. A year, most people would say was garbage, just like the year before that, and the year before that. But this year, at least in terms of video games, we saw innovations in both software and in hardware. The Nintendo Switch launch was lackluster, but throughout the summer, has seen some pretty impressive first-party and third-party titles. But as that was going on, there was just so many OTHER games to play, and not only that, but movies and television and fads that we should probably take some time to remember...

I should preface this list by saying - I didn't complete most of the games on this list. If completion of a game is of utmost importance, then I should probably rewatch old episodes of "Chuck" to find out if Season 3 was any good, before ragging on it.

I also did not play such favorites as Nier: Automata, Golf Story or even Resident Evil . Probably for the best too, as the moment i would get jump scared, I would smash the crap out of the device and quit video games for a good length of time. Anyway, let's get on with our fun list!

10. Just The Fibbage Parts of Jackbox Party Pack 4

Look, I am a huge fan of Jackbox Games. This year has shown a TON of competition, from That's You to Use Your Words and while some have novelty like Hidden Agenda, the Jackbox Party Pack tends to be the gold standard for "Mobile Device game controller party games". But this year, had a bunch of misses. Survive the Internet is best played with people who know you well enough to make it embarrassing, Bracketeering is best played with 4, 8 or 16 players, as any odd numbers make it jarring, Civic Doodle is a fun pass-and-play, but feels too long, and Monster Seeking Monster is a strategy game that just doesn't make sense, even when you figure out what all the characters do. But Fibbage 3 (and in some ways Fibbage Enough about You) is still the best game created by Jackbox, besides Quiplash and Drawful. You get to fill in the blank with fun trivia facts, and try and psyche others out with silly answers as well. Yes, it's more Fibbage, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

2017 was not all bad, as "Wonder Woman" was in theaters, Gal Gadot did an amazing job as Diana Prince, and we got to see Paradise Island, and her fighting a war, and I still can't figure out the last act of the movie, but hey, we waited for a Wonder Woman movie for years, and now we finally got one, and it was actually good!

9. Mario Party: The Top 100

Mario Party: The Top 100 is the only 3DS game I have put on this list, not just because it's the ONLY 3DS game I played this year, it's also because I am probably the only person who didn't own a Nintendo 3DS during the entirety of that console launch. But anyway, back to the Mario Party.

There are two kinds of people - people who like Mario Party, and people who are wrong. People who think Mario Party is about the "Board Game" aspect, and People who think Mario Party is about the "Mini Game" aspect. I am on team "Mini Game", while I am sure someone out there, masochistically, would try and do a 50-turn run of the board game, when all that's necessary, is the mini-games themselves.

Mario Party is in some ways a game of skill, but some of the mini-games included in Top 100 are pretty much Russian Roulette. I have no idea who thought they were deserving of "The Top 100 Mini Games", but it makes me wonder if we can finally get some sort of Online Mario Party for the Nintendo Switch this year!

Hey, did you know there was a good Sonic the Hedgehog game this year called Sonic Mania? I know, I was surprised too. A wonderful tribute to fans of Sonic the Hedgehog (with fun easter eggs like the SegaSonic Popcorn Machine to Daytona USA). In a world of fantastic games this year, Sonic Mania would be on many Top 10 lists this year, but with so many fantastic games this year. It was tough to exclude it, especially on this list. As it turns out, if you make something out of a labor of love, you might see that love returned to you 10 fold. From a simple fan-service game, to now considered in the Top 5 of Sonic Games, it's a winner.

8. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

I really wanted to put this game higher on the list. There is just something therapeutic about being able to not just punch a nazi, but stab a nazi, shoot a nazi, use a hook and gauge a nazi, among other cruel, yet desirable things.

In a reality of 2017 that "everything is political", it's good to see a game not only hammer-home that "nazis are bad", but to even flip the script, and make them out to be bumbling idiots, and ignorant assholes that you typically find trying to bait you into a flame war on Twitter.

Wolfenstein excels in it's story-telling, providing fun easter eggs to long-time fans of the FPS series, but also plays up it's else-worlds story to a comical degree. Feeling more like "Man in the High Castle" than it does "'Allo 'Allo!".

Speaking of "getting political" -

Video Games, for most of us, are used as entertainment, to get away from the doomed reality that we've developed. But if it's one thing I learned this year, especially in January 2017 with the Women's March - it's that even if the world is chaotic, when there is problems, people will speak up, in volumes, to make that change. Others, like actual fucking nazis, would do it to strike fear to minorities, but this year, nobody is taking any of that garbage.

That event spoke louder than any video game, and it shows that we can get better.

7. Injustice 2

I just realized, after talking about an inspirational moment in history, I have to try and find a way to pivot it to a fighting game that could involve punching Captain Cold punching Supergirl, so, that.. sucks.

This year was a great year for Fighting Games, with Marvel vs Capcom Infinite and Tekken 7 among others. But Injustice is still my go-to fighting game in recent times. Yes, there is a bit of DC Comics biased with this, but for some reason, I am entranced by the game's storymode and it's ability to not change the roster that much, but still provide something different.

While I do not like the cosmetic advances to the game, the special move cut-scenes are always a blast to watch.

Even if you don't really care for the show, it was a big year for fans of Rick and Morty. From the Season 3, Episode 1 debut on April Fools Day as a surprise (complete with all the jokes about schezwan sauce to follow) to the "Pickle Rick" episode, that is more of a story about why people don't seek counseling or therapy than the screaming pickle meme. You really could not escape that cartoon, no matter how hard you tried.

6. Splatoon 2

This year was probably one of the biggest years for Nintendo in recent history, but Splatoon 2 remains one of my favorite online experiences around. While you will probably need to disable tilt-controls at start-up, when you get into the team event, the 4v4 fight begins and you can create a big mess, with everybody's favorite squid-kids!

While there is a mobile app for you to chat, I find it's not necessarily the case, to strategize and chat over intercom.

Also this year had Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Some people really loved it, some people really hated it, others were weirdly "ehhhhhhhhhhhh" about it. But, I still don't know if it's okay to spoil this movie. Is it okay to spoil it? I don't know the time frame with this stuff. When can I talk about the Porgs? Is it a spoiler if I mentioned Porgs? Oh god, what am I doing? Oh man, oh man, oh man... this game of the year Top 10 List with optimistic things is NOT going well. damn it.

5. Cuphead

I did not beat Cuphead. I am really bad at Cuphead. But it would be a shame to NOT put Cuphead on my list, because I keep going back to it on the Xbox One. When I first saw the trailer during Xbox's press conference, it was a game that made me go "I will pick up this console when that game comes out", and sure enough, it was worth the wait. Cuphead looks amazing, the layouts, the background designs, and characters all look like that era of animation, but you can't get distracted by it's beauty, because the second you do, the boss will destroy you and you will start all over. What makes the game delightful is more of the simplicity of it's game. A reminder of the days of Nintendo 8-Bit boss stages and that feeling of defeat when you got so close to the boss, only to get killed and need to restart, and the extreme joy in taking them down. Video Games have come a long way, but nothing this year rivals it's impressive style and choices in game design.

And who can't forget about the Snapchat dancing hot dog? Remember the fun times we shared with that dancing hot dog on Snapchat? I did, but then my phone battery started draining very fast, so I had to uninstall the app. It also caused my phone to overheat, so I couldn't touch it. But I am trying to make this a positive 2017 moments thing, so let's just remember how happy this hot dog made us, also hungry.

4. Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods was probably the most underrated game out this year. A video game equivalent of the "coming of age" indie movie, but done with a ton of charm and wit that you can't stop playing it. This is a game that to me, provides something not that many video games provide - a connection. With many games, there is an objective, a goal, but in NITW, the story resonates with just about everybody. You know somebody that's Gregg, maybe that person is you - somebody who has lived in the same small town for years, and is just getting older and feeling your dreams fade over time. Or maybe you're Mae, coming back from college, feeling already like a failure, only to try to adjust back to a hometown that is in economic downturn. Or maybe you're Bea, and are just aware of the surroundings, and just dire all the time. It's a game that does tug at your heart, but then provides just that right bit of comedy to cheer you up. The game encourages you to make choices and talk to people, but it's these choices that have the effect on the mystery of the town. It's a game that best captures life in 2017 America, for better or worse.

As for me? I think I can relate to Angus the most. I like his hat.

Hey, remember Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2? It was the one with the Baby Groot. That also came out this year, yeah, really, this year. I know, you probably got Distracted with Thor Ragnarok or Justice League or Spider-Man Homecoming or Logan (Logan came out this year too) to see it. It was really fun.

This year was also a good year for superhero movies, including one other one.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Honestly, if Nintendo could have just put out The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild this year and be done with it. The Legend of Zelda is all about adventure, but taking a cue from my favorite Zelda game, Wind Waker, it also is about exploration, in a way I haven't experienced in any other Legend of Zelda game. It takes more cues from Skyrim than it does Ocarina of Time, where you can go anywhere, and do, almost anything. Gathering resources tends to be what you do most in the game, but when you get into the combat, the game invites you to try out many different ways, you could use a sword, but you could use your arrow, or you could just cut down a tree and smush them. The visuals in this game are impressive, feeling like a moving painting than a typical action-adventure. Further more, it's a game that looks amazing even when you take the Nintendo Switch on the go. A game like this uses the tech of the Nintendo Switch beautifully, pulling in from TV to bringing it on the train or bus for the exact same game, on the go.

Even though "Odyssey" is ranked higher (spoiler - it's up next), no other game this year best utilized it's hardware, let alone creating an amazing game that's worth the fabled gaming buzzword - "experience"

That's the other one. The LEGO Batman Movie. This was a movie I saw this year, and it was the best way to capture the fun of Batman while making it colorful and fun as a kids movie. Every scene in it was a reference to either something from Batman 1966, or the 1989 Keaton Batman or Batman the Animated Series or some obscure thing from the comics, to it's rogues gallery roll call. Okay, maybe this was actually a good thing for me, and not really a "hey remember" for you, so let's just find a box of Fidget Spinners.

I have mine right next to those rubber bands that are shaped like ducks and dinosaurs that you put around your arm, and those "webkinz" that were big for a hot minute.

Anyway, video games!

2. Super Mario Odyssey

I honestly just got Super Mario Odyssey for Christmas and it was probably the most hours I spent playing a video game this year. Super Mario Odyssey is exactly how you perfect fan-service while creating it's own new game. Referencing the entire history of Mario from it's days of Donkey Kong, to Mario 64, to most recently Super Mario Maker as you explore each world and battle enemies to stop Bowser from doing whatever he does with Peach.

But where the game gets REALLY good is when the credits roll, and you are left to explore. Much like Legend of Zelda, they give you free reign. Now given the open world, you can in your spare time collect these moons, going into secret areas, platforming in timed challenges or doing the fabled open-world trope of "race" with the Koopa Freerunning Bros.

Mario Odyssey was able to capture everything I loved most about early mario games and made it exciting and surprising, you get that instant gratification in collecting the moon, but then still feel obligated to continue because "it seemed too easy". But what was my favorite gaming moment this year, was the festival, when Mayor Pauline serenades you with "Jump Up Superstar" as you go through a mini time-line of Mario classics.

And if the dark clouds start to swirl

Don't fear, don't shed a tear 'cause

I'll be your 1-UP girl

It's one thing for Super Mario Odyssey to just stick to the tride-and-true formula of "Mario Platformer", but to build upon it by utilizing Cappy the Ghost makes it also a tricky puzzle game as well. The fun of figuring out what enemies go where makes it part of that exploration. And one that you really can't take your hands off of until you reach that 1000th moon.

Okay, I just got a bit lazy around this part, because I could have said something about Netflix shows, or things like The Disaster Artist and Get Out, but I figured we need something feel-good near the end of this list as well, and that comes from the famous "White Guy Blinking" man talking about memes? Okay, you caught me, I couldn't really come up with that many positive and good things to come out of this year, it was actually easier this year to come up with a TOP 10 of video games, than positive things in my life, let alone the world.... we might as well end the list with my choice.

1. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

I haven't gotten a chicken dinner yet... but I know it might happen soon. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is a simple concept - 100 people online, last one standing wins. With weapons and a circle getting smaller, it's a battle royale game, that has been done before and have been getting clones recently, but nobody has yet to beat Battlegrounds at their own game.

What makes the game great is it's ability to have you explore, it has different phases, it wants you to scavenge around the island looking for supplies, but then forces you immediately into that decision - continue scavenging, start hunting for others, or hide and camp and wait for the rest to die, and avoid the circle zone closing in on you.

The game barely has a soundtrack, but the minimal style actually is more of a blessing to the game, hearing shotguns fire off in the distance is a careful warning that you might be next, or where to avoid. A bit of peace, mixed with the tension as the "ALIVE" screen ticks down from 99 to 98...

Now the game doesn't load fully when I land after ejecting, to be fair, my computer can BARELY run it even at the minimal settings (I am due for an upgrade soon) but playing it on the Xbox One - it has the same enjoyment as the regular PC edition (plus, i play better with controller rather than mouse+keyboard) so hey, i got 4 kills once in a game, versus the PC edition where i got one melee if I was lucky and then died because the hospital didn't load properly, looking like background texture for an episode of Spongebob Squarepants.

Yes, the game glitches, but what makes the game exciting to me, is that PUBG is much like all of us - a constant work in progress.

We are always trying to improve, we are always trying to get better. Sometimes afraid to try new things, but when we dare to do it, it can surprise us all.

A game that was a passion project that grew over time to be a really big game thing on Twitch. A game that on the surface looks like just another bare-bones action game, but when you play it for the first time, you get a feel for the survival aspects of the game and the constant urgency the game provides. It's not always the first impression, it's when you get to know them.

From Solo, came Duo and Squad

From Erangel came Miramar

The Xbox One edition is also a work in progress, but when it comes to a port of the game, it does it's job really well. It just is a matter of holding a button as opposed to pressing a different key.

The game is just getting started with them, and throughout 2018, it will mature, have some highs and lows, and get better. And I am sure that same thing will happen to all of us, we will all get better, over time.

Ah damn it, I ended this top 10 list on a sappy note.

quick, let's pull up that Mr. Clean super bowl ad

Some people got really horny over brands this year for some reason, and I still never figured out why.

Phew! And I never brought up that garbage Bubsy game.