Currently, I have a document on my phone that is a list of over 100 games. In mid-March I thought I would be able to play through the list and get an idea of what could end up my Game of the Year list in December.

Gallery

I didn't even make it through half of that list.

2016 was crammed full of incredible games, and some of them even released before September!

Besides working through my list and reviewing the titles I felt strongest about, I got deeper into the fighting game community than ever. Street Fighter V led a resurgence of activity in my local fighting game community. I channeled that into vigorous training in my favorite fighting game Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, and turned that effort into a top 8 medal at the fantastic Combo Breaker tournament in May.

Not bad for a guy who sucks at fighting games.

I managed to work through a good portion of the massive 100+ game list, and narrowed it down because I am not Buzzfeed and cannot create a "Best 100 Games of 2016" feature article.

So here are six honorable mentions in no order, and later, my ten favorite games of 2016 in a very particular order.

Honorable Mentions

LET IT DIE- Damn, I missed Grasshopper Manufacture. They've been quietly developing titles all along, but nothing really grabbed me since 2012's Lollipop Chainsaw, which wrapped a subtle critique of exploitation in a crunchy horror/comedy shell.

LET IT DIE brings back the feelings I get when booting up No More Heroes. Incredible music, bizarre enemy design, and humor that seems to be written by a Japanese team who were raised on American television...or vice versa. It's not the most mechanically deep Souls-like game, but mixing that familiar gameplay with the Grasshopper Style makes it my favorite of this sub-genre.

Virginia- A silent film that you can interact with. No words are spoken, but the characters' actions and body language communicate a story of growing friendship, betrayal, reconciliation and frustration at the glass ceiling. This game is the embodiment of “less is more” and I hope more story-driven games take hints from it.

Anatomy- While I enjoy the visceral thrill of a good jumpscare, Anatomy got under my skin like no other horror game. Initially, there's nothing wrong with the house you're in besides poor lighting. But the brilliance of Anatomy is when it uses game “glitches” as scares, making busted textures and misplaced audio cues scarier than any monster you may run into. I'm still a bit scared to open a certain door in my own home after playing Anatomy. While it's only about an hour long, the sense of creeping dread stuck with me for weeks.

Destiny: Rise of Iron- The annual “Destiny Is Still Great” slot. While not as substantial as 2015's Taken King expansion, Destiny: Rise of Iron smooths out the few wrinkles that were left in the game. Destiny's combat is still the most satisfying out of any first-person shooter around, but Bungie does not coast on this. They changed artifacts from bland equips to drastic character overhauls, made nearly every activity in the game a viable path to empower your character, and added the most balanced and fun Raid the game has seen. Despite having a massive 2016 backlog of over 100 games, Destiny was my most played title in 2016. Now see me in Sparrow Racing.

Thumper- Since I was forced to stop my Rock Band addiction (4000 songs and counting!), I have searched for a rhythm game that will engage me and not drain my wallet of thousands of dollars.

Despite lacking my required quota of Madonna songs for a rhythm game, I kept picking up Thumper in a futile attempt to see an ending. It's a harsh, physical rhythm racer where the beats of each track seemingly speed up to match your heart rate as you try not to screw up. I lacked the skills to see this through to the credits, but I'm still absolutely captivated by the hard electronic soundtrack and cosmic horror visuals. Even if you don't think you like that type of music, this is a must-play for rhythm game fans. And if you do like the music, it's heaven. Brutal, wall-slamming, beetle-exploding heaven.

Dead or Alive 5: Last Round- I have played Dead or Alive 5 on a consistent basis since its release in 2012. Aside from a few online tournaments, I never had the time or money to play it locally. I took the plunge in 2016, entering a tournament at Combo Breaker and driving to Chicago to participate.

This was the first time I've gotten REALLY SERIOUS about a fighting game tournament. I studied frame data, went into training mode for hours at a time and asked other players for help. I watched match videos. I even found a few local players to teach me about specific matchups. And in the end, I got my first top 8 at at major tournament. I got my ass kicked on stream. And I got a medal.

Gallery

Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is my favorite fighting game. Because I love playing the game so much, I trained and put in the work to get that medal. The medal that says “I worked hard at something I love and earned this”. That medal, that four minutes of footage of me getting DESTROYED is motivation for me to improve. That's the beauty of fighting games: no matter how good you may be, there is always more to learn and therefore, room to better yourself. And I will keep learning.

Because I still suck at fighting games.

Next time, my 10 favorite games of 2016!