I normally don’t compose GOTY lists. Partly because I’ve never felt compelled to, and partly because I rarely get the chance to play more than a few new games every year. But 2015 has admittedly been such a fantastic year for games that I couldn’t help but jot down some thoughts about what stood out to me over the last 365 days. So without further ado, here is my highly subjective list of games that I felt were pretty good this year.

Game of the Year: Undertale

Surprising literally no one who follows me on social media, Undertale is my Game of the Year. I knew very little about the game going in. It was an RPG where you could kill or spare monsters. Apparently there were jokes. Then a friend sent me a copy of the game with a message that read, “play this so I can talk with you about it.” About 45 minutes in, I understood why.

On a surface level, Undertale is simply a well-made game. Each of the game’s enemy encounters turns the shump inspired combat on its head, and choosing to spare enemies adds a great puzzle element to each encounter, which keeps battles unique and engaging. Meanwhile, the clever writing and the never-ending stream of jokes bolster the experience and keeps the game moving at a brisk pace. It has the second best soundtrack of any game this year (more on that later). I lost track of how many times this game put a big stupid grin on my face.

But it’s not until later in the game when Undertale really starts digging its claws into you. Rather than use its binary “kill or spare” mechanic as nothing more than a “good end/bad end” flag, Undertale asks players to pick an ethos and stick with it, and the game uses this dynamic to great effect. Regardless of which path you take, you earn your ending, validating each player’s story in a far more interesting way than a simple good/bad dichotomy. More importantly, it makes you feel the weight of your choices more than any other game I’ve played, thanks to some vibrant supporting characters and excellent worldbuilding. Ultimately, Undertale is a game about empathy, and what we’re willing to do (or not do) in the name of empathy. But the game also takes time to explore other ideas, including more pointed critiques about the way we play games and the nature of fandom culture. Sometimes Undertale even feels like a giant middle finger to ludocentric game design. The point is, this is a game that goes places and does things that few other games attempt, and the effort pays off immensely.

Don’t get me wrong, I had problems with Undertale. The game can be unnecessarily coy at times, especially when it comes to the early parts of the game where the player’s still learning how everything works. In addition, players who aren’t familiar/good at shmups may find the game’s boss battle frustrating. Despite this, no other game has crawled under my skin this year like Undertale has. It’s a game that has stayed with me long after I completed it, and I can’t think of any other game this year (or even the past few years) that I’ve enjoyed more. Now if you’ll excuse, I have a date with a skeleton.

Other Games I Enjoyed This Year

Super Mario Maker

Super Mario Maker convinced me to buy a Wii U. I could probably just leave it at that, but doing so would be a great disservice to the game. Mario Maker’s design tools are flexible and intuitive while offering level designers a plethora of content to play with. Being able to drop some objects down, test them out, then immediately return to the editor is immensely satisfying, especially for someone who’s as playtesting obsessed as I am. Not to mention how many fun little secrets the editor hides. I would often find myself playing around in the level editor to unwind after work before checking out the latest user made stages in the the game’s 100-Mario challenge mode. And even though discoverability of good levels is a big problem with the game (one that Nintendo has recently made a fix for...kind of), the amount of ingenuity displayed in the best user levels keeps me coming back for more. Super Mario Maker is the Mario game many of us have dreamed about for years. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had with a level editor, and I can’t wait to see what crazy ideas level designers come up with over the lifespan of the game.

Bloodborne

From Software has amped up their release schedule over the last year. We’ve received two separate releases of Dark Souls II as well as PS4 exclusive Bloodborne. Dark Souls III is scheduled for release in April. Normally, I would be bothered by this sudden annualization of a series, but I can’t help but be excited when the games themselves have been so wonderful. Bloodborne is a fantastic take on the Souls experience, replacing shields with sidearms to emphasize a more aggressive, in-your-face, combat style. Boss encounters are rewarding, and like previous From Software titles, the world of Yharnam is rich with details that make the city feel lived in like few other virtual worlds can accomplish. It’s only a matter of time before I lose hours to reading lore pages on the Bloodborne wiki.

And that’s really one of the greatest successes of Bloodborne. Whether it’s finally overcoming that one boss I’ve struggled with for hours, uncovering the mysteries of the world, or engaging in the game’s multiplayer options, the game never leaves me feeling like I’m wasting the time I invest into it. At an early point in my playthrough, I was introduced to the boss Father Gascoigne via cutscene. Once I regained control of the game, I charged at my foe with the ghosts of four or five other players following suit. It was a minor detail, but one that speaks to how Bloodborne rewards players on both a big and small scale.

Downwell

The most important aspect of Downwell is gravity. Gravity is both your best friend and worst enemy. As you fall towards the goal of each level, gravity relentlessly throws new enemies at you, forcing you to react in split second intervals or watch your run turn to trichromatic dust. That’s where the game’s progression mechanics come into play. As you complete each level you gain access to new weapons and powerups that give you control over your descent. Now your greatest weapon is harnessing the power of your momentum during your descent. Gravity becomes your ally as you attempt to spend as little time as possible on solid ground, stomping on enemies, collecting gems, and keeping your combo high. Sure there’s still no guarantee that you’ll survive your fall, but at least you’ll know it’s your fault and not gravity’s. Downwell has the tightest core loop of any game this year, and I'm not ashamed to admit I've lost multiple hours to this game when I only meant to play for a few minutes.

Disclaimer: Vivid Palette is best Palette.

Rocket League

Rocket League’s appeal stems from its simplicity. The game is literally soccer with RC cars, which is immediately understandable to most people. But what keeps people engaged with Rocket League well after its initial release is how deep that formula turns out to be. The key to playing Rocket League effectively is momentum. Matches become incredibly tense and rewarding thanks to the back and forth between teams at any given moment. The fact that the game’s controls are spot on doesn’t hurt either. Within the past few years, multiple games have tried to make "eSports" apart of their game's DNA, Evolve being the most recent example. Most of those endeavors failed because they didn't understand what makes a game competitively viable. Rocket League succeeds where other games have failed because it understands that eSports is an organic creation, one derived from exciting, deep gameplay, and the drive for competition.

Splatoon

The last multiplayer shooters I really paid attention to were probably Team Fortress 2 and the Left 4 Dead series. Otherwise, there just hasn’t been much that’s kept me occupied. But thanks to Splatoon, I now have a great new go-to shooter! Everything about this game is delightful. It’s game modes offer a terrific off-beat approach to third-person shooting supplemented by an excellent progression system that feels natural to flow of the game. I also can't ignore how everything from the art design to the soundtrack is brimming with personality. Not only that, but Nintendo, of all companies, has gone above and beyond by providing ample content and community events way after the game's initial launch. Nintendo! I don’t know what bizarro world we fell into where Nintendo has the best multiplayer shooter of the year, but I’m 100% ok with staying here for a little while longer.

Nuclear Throne

I’m cheating a bit here. Technically, Nuclear Throne has been in early access for a few years now. That said, the game officially released this month so it still totally counts! And honestly, I haven’t been able to put this game down since I picked it up in 2014. It’s a roguelike that hits all the sweet spots for me: challenging gameplay, unique weapons/items, a great soundtrack, and lots of cool secrets.

But what I really think Nuclear Throne deserves praise for is how Vlambeer kept the community involved throughout the game’s development process. With weekly livestreams and constant content/balance patches, Vlambeer gave their fans a window into the development process. Those fans would provide real time feedback on each update that helped make Nuclear Throne into the game it is today. The final result is a terrific roguelike that respects the needs of the player while remaining true to Vlambeer’s original intentions. In a year where companies still release content and features into the wild without consideration of how it affects the users (looking at you Valve), it’s refreshing to see a studio be rewarded for their efforts to involve their community in the game making process.

Cibele

Cibele is an uncomfortably voyeuristic game, and I really respect that. The story of an awkward, budding online romance between two young individuals, Cibele is simultaneously an intensely personal story and one that resonates with many different people. But what sticks out to me is how nakedly honest the game is. It’s a game about love and consequences and it doesn’t pull any punches when approaching that subject material. And while the player does have control over Nina’s desktop and the MMO she plays, I never once felt like I was supposed to be Nina. I was just a passerby, watching somebody else make very real, very human decisions and dealing with the fallout of those decisions. The fact that the game is able to pull this experience off through its design is an amazing achievement, and I can’t thank Cibele enough for letting me be there to witness it.

Hearthstone

Another bit of cheating, but it’s my list, so there. I’ve admittedly cooled off on Hearthstone since The Grand Tournament expansion, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t my most played game for the first half of the year. I’ve never been one to get into collectible card games and Magic The Gathering has been the bane of my existence since college. The fact that Hearthstone not only got me to play a CCG but also kept me playing for the past year and a half is something to be celebrated. Even as each new set of cards adds a wrinkle to the formula, the simplicity of the game remains relatively intact, and I still find I can make strong decks even without having every epic and legendary card available. I also can't help but fall in love with all the bells and whistles Blizzard crams into the game. Now if only they could improve on their spectating options...

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

I hemmed and hawed about putting Hotline Miami 2 on this list. At the end of the day, this game is inferior to its predecessor. The more open level design placed too much of an emphasis on gunplay for my tastes, and resulted in death by offscreen enemy too frequently. Meanwhile, the story was bloated and felt like it didn’t really have anything meaningful to say unlike the first game’s story (yes I have thought WAY too much about the story to Hotline Miami shut up). Despite these flaws, Hotline Miami 2 was the first game this year that I couldn’t stop playing. The core loop of this game is just so enjoyable, I found myself repeating stages well after I completed the game for higher scores and achievements, which is something I never do. Not to mention this game does the impossible by not only having THE BEST soundtrack to any game this year (shoutouts to Alex Navarro for fighting the good fight in this year’s podcasts), but also surpassing the original’s soundtrack by a healthy margin. There was a solid two months or so at the beginning of the year where I physically could not force myself to listen to anything else but this soundtrack. It is seriously that good. So while Hotline Miami 2 is a bit of a letdown, there’s still plenty of enjoyable stuff here. And with the game’s level editor dropping soon, I’m hopeful that the community will fix some of my lingering issues with this game.

Games That Probably Would’ve Made This List Had I Put More Time Into Them

SOMA

I played about 45 minutes of SOMA at this year’s Indie Games for Good marathon, but sadly haven’t had a chance to pick it up since. Needless to say, I love what I played and hope to return to this wonderful game soon because I am so down for horror games about AI and existential dread.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

I have a difficult past with the MGS series. Who doesn't, really? MGS1 is a classic, I’ve learned to respect MGS2 as time passes, MGS3 was pretty frustrating, and MGS4 is a glorious mess of a game. I’m currently 8 hours into MGS V with a 4% completion total. As such, I just don’t really have much to say, but I’m enjoying the game so far, despite some rather bothersome elements (forever side-eyeing the shit out of Quiet’s character design).

Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate

I like Monster Hunter 4, but I admit the game has some *really* quirky design choices that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Because of that, the game hasn’t really clicked for me just yet. That said, the one time I did co-op with a friend was some of the best, most intense combat encounters I’ve had this year. I know where this road ends, I just need to figure out the path to get there.

Ori and the Blind Forest

I have a very hard time getting into Metroidvanias. I want to like them, but have never been able to play one for more than an hour or two. Ori and the Blind Forest looked to buck that trend, but performance issues on my laptop have kept me from completing it. I will finish this game though. It’s too gorgeous not to.

Games I Want to Play but Haven’t Gotten Around to Yet.

We Know the Devil; Her Story; Read Only Memories; Massive Chalice; Galak-Z; Until Dawn; Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide; Batman: Arkham Knight; Cities: Skylines; The Beginner’s Guide; Life is Strange; SC2VN (Sorry Tim!)

And This Extra Stuff

Pro Wrestling Match of the Year: Sasha Banks (c) v. Bayley NXT Women’s Championship Match- NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

The perfect payoff to two years of storytelling. Sasha Banks and Bayley wrestled an expertly paced match filled with tension, drama, high spots, and some amazing pro-graps catharsis. It is single-handedly the best women’s match WWE television has ever produced and quite possibly the most important women’s wrestling match ever. Even if you don’t like pro wrestling, I urge you to watch this match. Here’s hoping Sasha and Bayley continue to push the envelope for years to come.

Also that kayfabe breaking hug post-match is one of the most satisfying moments ever. Nothing is more pure in this world than wrestlers getting emotional about wrestling.

Most Surprisingly Good Beer: Broken Skull IPA - El Segundo Brewing Company

Given the origin of this beer (a celebrity collaboration with El Segundo and Stone Cold Steve Austin), I was expecting a run-of-the-mill IPA consisting mostly of cascade hops and not much else. What I got was a delightfully smooth beer with a lovely flourish of citrus overtones and a hint of sweet malt flavors. Light in color and body, the Broken Skull IPA caught me off guard in the best way possible. Seek this beer out if you can.

Best non-Giant Bomb Podcast: Serial

Yeah, I was a bit late to Serial, but that doesn’t matter. Serial does weekly storytelling in an incredibly captivating way that leaves you aching for the next part of the story. And with the second season now in full swing, I can finally get my fix after marathoning the first season at the beginning of the year.

Obligatory Shoutout Award 2015: Games and Playable Media MS, UC Santa Cruz

I've spent the last year working for UC Santa Cruz's Games and Playable Media Master's Program, and it has been an absolute blast. I've had the honor of working with some of the most well-respected people in industry and watching some incredibly talented students hone their design skills and create some really cool games; some of which you can find here! Needless to say, it's been awesome and the upcoming year looks to be equally fun.