Welcome to the second and final part of my Game of the Year Awards. If you missed the first part where I covered a variety of categories you can read that here.

Honorable Mentions

The honorable mentions that didn't quite make the list are The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout 4, Axiom Verge, Assault Android Cactus, Nuclear Throne, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball, and Cities: Skylines. It's been a really good year for games, and even though I liked the titles in my top 10 better than these it was tough to leave all of these out. It's a good problem to have. I'll quickly go through each of them and why they didn't make the list. The Witcher 3 is really great from what I've played of it, and I can certainly appreciate parts of the game, but I haven't played near enough of it due to the abundance of games this year. I'm certainly nowhere near the end, and I don't really feel comfortable putting it in my top 10 because of that. It could very well end up in my Old Game of the Year category next year. Fallout 4 is a similar case where I haven't finished it yet, but also I was disappointed in several aspects of it like the gutted dialogue system, and lack of quest variety. It's still a really good game, but it didn't quite make my top 10 this year despite my high expectations for it. Axiom Verge is a really good game, but it was my least favorite of the three big metroidvanias this year. It probably would have still made my top 10 in most other years. Assault Android Cactus was really fun, but I felt it was a bit too short, and it didn't really ever get very difficult. It's still a nice game and one worth mentioning here, but it didn't end up making my top 10. Nuclear Throne is yet another case of a good game that I just didn't like as much as some of the others that came out this year. I'd still recommend it, but there are just too many good games this year. Crypt of the Necrodancer is a really great game, and it's probably the closest of any of these to being in the top 10. I feel really bad for leaving it out. Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball was a surprising and really fun game, I didn't end up playing a ton of it but it's certainly worth mentioning. Lastly, Cities: Skylines is also a great game but one I ended up watching more of than playing due to being really bad at it. It's a cool game, and the developers have done a great job supporting it, but I just haven't spent a ton of time with it. Now that I've went through those, here is my top 10 games of the year.

10. Ori and the Blind Forest

Ori and the Blind Forest should have been much higher on my list. It's a really great game in so many ways, but a few downsides really hold it back for me. The escape sequences in the game, even though there are only a few of them, are so bad. It's just baffling how poorly they're designed when compared to the rest of the game, and one of them ends with blocking off an area permanently, keeping you from getting 100% completion without starting a new save file if you missed anything in that area. As far as I'm concerned that is a capital offense for a metroidvania. It's a shame, because the game is so good in so many other aspects. The developers have announced that they're releasing a "Definitive Edition" of the game that they've said will fix some game design problems, so maybe it will fix this, but that is its own problem. I hate definitive editions. I can't think of a case where making a separate version of a game is better than just patching the game or releasing the changes as DLC. Sure, allow a way to still play the original version, but you don't need to release a separate game to do that. The game has flaws, and charging to fix them long after the game comes out and many people have already bought it is just bad. That said, I do still like a lot about the game. The world is very immersive and everything fits together so well. The amazing art style, the touching story, the great gameplay, it has a lot going for it. I just really wish it was better. I've spent a lot of time talking about the negatives, but Ori is still very much a game worth playing, although you may want to hold off for the Definitive Edition to avoid buying it twice.

9. Duck Game

Duck Game is a whole lot of fun. It falls into the same category as games like TowerFall and Nidhogg, but I think it is far better than any of those. It has easy controls and is quick to start playing, an abundance of maps and weapons, and a great online mode which is something that few other games like this do. Jumping into a map you've never seen before and having to instantly spring into action to even have a chance at surviving the chaos is such a great experience, and you can have that experience an almost endless amount of times since the game has support for user-created levels. Oh, and the most important part of the game: it has a dedicated quack button.

8. Hand of Fate

Hand of Fate does a great job of immersing you in its world, and its world is a really intriguing one. It's a rare case of a game where I actually read every bit of lore I can find because I really want to know more about it. A major reason why the game is so interesting is because of The Dealer, who is one of the best characters of the year. Everything about him is handled expertly, and he provides information about many of his magical cards as they come into play, encouraging you to learn more about them. With all of the situations you encounter being cards, you'll run into the same thing fairly often if you leave it in the deck, but the game does a great job with this having the dealer acknowledge when you leave a good card in, and having some of the encounters change slightly after you've been through it a few times. I'm still playing through the story at the time of writing this, but I already know I'm going to really enjoy the endless mode when I get around to playing it. The game has a lot of depth with the large variety of cards and the developers have added onto this with several free updates. Hand of Fate picks only a few things to focus on, but it does what it does fantastically.

7. Environmental Station Alpha

It's been a really good year for metroidvanias, with most people saying that Axiom Verge and Ori and the Blind Forest are the best examples of that. I think Environmental Station Alpha not only deserves to be mentioned alongside those, but is the best of the three. Environmental Station Alpha is as close to a Metroid game as something besides Metroid can be (even more so than some Metroid games). It uses a retro aesthetic, and it is one of the few games that manages to pull that off while still having a coherent art style. The game's art style and soundtrack come together well to create an interesting environment to explore. It's definitely the most visually varied space station I've seen. The gameplay is great as well, capturing the feel of classic metroidvania games while also adding some interesting new upgrades and abilities of its own creation. Environmental Station Alpha tries to recreate the feel of older games while also being its own thing, which is a dangerous line to walk, but it absolutely nails it.

6. Grow Home

Grow Home brings some much needed innovation to the 3D platformer genre. BUD's movement being based on grabbing onto things is brilliant and works out very well. It makes the basic actions of moving around engaging and fun, and combined with the verticality of the world it makes for a very unique game. Grow Home does a great job of really making you feel progression. Near the beginning of the game I wasn't even too high above the ground and was terrified of falling, while later on I was thousands of meters high and was jumping and flying around without fear. The plant that is the center of the game is also a great representation of progression, as growing it is the main objective of the game. The plant also makes the world feel like your own as you grow it and shape it. Even if the end result isn't too different than that of other players, the control it gives you is really fun. My only complaints about Grow Home are that there isn't much variety in upgrades, which makes sense given the price and the length, and speaking of the length the game is far too short for my taste. Maybe I would have grown bored of it had it gone on longer, but I did end up getting 100% completion and all the achievements because I just really wanted more of Grow Home. I'm looking forward to seeing what these developers do in the future, and I hope they inspire people to make more games like Grow Home.

5. Grand Theft Auto V

I held off on playing Grand Theft Auto V until its PC release this year, which is why it's on my list this year rather than 2 years ago. I'm glad I did, because the PC version is definitely worth the wait. I hadn't played much of any GTA games prior to this one, and I think GTA V really improves in some ways that I think the series very much needed. The characters and story are fantastic, which is a huge change from my opinions of the previous installments, and the world the story takes place in is great. Los Santos is a parody of modern day America, and it does a great job of simultaneously touching on real issues while also being weird and comedic. The game's huge and detailed open world, curated soundtrack, and compelling characters make it feel like you're really getting a lot for your money. My criticisms with the game lie mainly with its online mode, which has a horrible economy based around microtransactions which in turn has created a large number of hackers, and Rockstar seems to have no plans of getting rid of either of those things. It could be a really fun multiplayer game, but it just isn't, and while that's disappointing the singleplayer is still good enough to stand on its own as one of my favorite games of the year.

4. Super Mario Maker

Infinite Mario levels. How could you go wrong with that? Well, it turns out you both can and can't. Super Mario Maker has a few flaws that hold it back from being a perfect game, but at the same time a lot of amazing content has been made for it and I've had a ton of fun playing it. The main problem with the game is how it helps you find levels, or rather doesn't help you. There's a list of the top rated levels, but that is filled with automatic levels, music levels, pixel art, and all sorts of things that aren't actually any fun to play. Other than that, and a list of the newest uploaded levels, you're expected to find levels through the 100 Mario Challenge. 100 Mario Challenge seems to be purely random, and is filled with so many levels that are rage-inducingly bad. I really wish it was better. When you do find good levels though the game really shines, there is a lot of amazing content out there if you can manage to find it. Most of the good levels I've played I actually found outside of the game through social media, but until recently that was really annoying because the only way to share levels was through an antiquated 16 digit code system. Very recently Nintendo launched a website which lets you view and share levels. This is lacking in some areas, and really should be in the actual game, but it's an improvement. Speaking of improvements, Nintendo has been updating the game regularly and trying to fix some of the problems with it, and I hope in the future it reaches its full potential. I've mainly talked about playing levels so far, but creating them is also a lot of fun. The level editor is great, and aside from a few annoying limitations and several differences from the original games it does a surprisingly good job of letting you easily make what you want to. Mario Maker is a really cool game, and one that I wouldn't have expected Nintendo to ever make. I'm glad they did, and even though it has flaws they're working to fix them, and it could end up being even better than it already is.

3. Rocket League

I really didn't expect a soccer game to be one of my favorite games of the year. I really don't like soccer, but I do really like Rocket League. It has a great learning curve, starting out simple but having a ridiculously high skill ceiling for the better players, making it an interesting competitive game. The game is really satisfying to play, from the car handling to the sound effects to the amazing feeling of scoring a cool looking goal. I really don't have anything to complain about with Rocket League other than the sometimes annoying random players you get matched with, but that's a problem with any multiplayer game, so I can't hold that against it too much. Team up with some friends though and that problem is gone, as well as the game being great for playing with a group. Teamwork is rewarded a lot, and it's really fun working together. The quick rounds combined with the high skill ceiling make it a good competitive game, but also one where it doesn't feel too bad to lose, because you can easily get into another match. I really enjoyed Rocket League this year and I'm sure I'll continue to enjoy it for quite a long time.

2. Undertale

Undertale is one of my favorite games in a long time, I don't want to get into talking about spoilers here, because everyone should really experience it for themselves, but I will talk about some of the game's best attributes. The story is great, it's funny and has really good writing for every character in its varied cast. It's also the only game I've seen truly consider the player as a character in the world. I can't discuss too much about that without spoiling things, but it does a really good job with that and it's a really unique plot element. Despite not generally enjoying JRPGs, I ended up really liking Undertale. It does a great job at changing up the traditional RPG combat system, keeping turn based combat but adding a defensive element where you have to dodge attacks in bullet hell-like minigames as well as options to talk to and spare enemies during combat. You can go through the game without killing anyone if you want to, which is really cool. Everything about Undertale is fantastic, and the fact that it was made by only one person makes it all the more impressive. In almost any other year Undertale would be my game of the year. It really is a great game.

1. Project M

Project M is a mod for Super Smash Bros. Brawl which has long been in development, but sadly ceased development this year. While the final version isn't everything I hoped it would turn out to be, Project M is not only my favorite game this year but my favorite game of all time. The mod attempts to capture the fast paced and complex gameplay of Super Smash Bros. Melee while keeping the larger cast of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and having better balance than either of those. It accomplishes all of those things perfectly. Super Smash Bros. is one of my favorite game series, but it unfortunately never had an entry that had everything I wanted. Until Project M, that is. It is the only competitive game I've played that has everything I want. Tons of depth and varitety while remaining balanced. A high skill ceiling and ability to develop unique and individual playstyles. A great cast of characters with creative and unique playstyles while remaining true to the feel of those characters in their original series. It's not a game for everyone, but it's the perfect game for me. It's tragic that the development of the game had to end in the way it did, but that also opens up the future for the game. There's now one version for competitive play that won't change anymore, allowing the meta to fully develop. Players will no longer have to go through the somewhat complex process of updating every few months. It's not all bad. I'm really glad I found this game this year though, and it is certainly my game of the year.