I have a fair list of games worth mentioning here, so I'll revisit this post to add in more reasoning!
Celeste (Switch)
My current GOTY for 2018, and I doubt that's changing.
Celeste is one of the best games I've ever played. It's a 2D "twitch" platformer, categorised by high difficulty and a reliance on a speedy muscle-memory training gameplay loop, and it absolutely perfects the genre. It controls perfectly (even if I was playing with the Switch's analogue stick in preference to the terrible non d-pad), but beyond nailing the basic controls it actually hides some deep nuance to the mechanics, the most advanced of which are available from the start and yet aren't even revealed to the player until right at the end of the game, or even past it. Coupled with superb level design the game would already be fantastic, but it's all tied together with a plot that thematically matches the gameplay in a way very few video games have ever managed. In fact the only other example I can think of that does it so well is
Papers, Please, and yet I would struggle to call that a "fun" game despite its achievements.
Celeste is frighteningly fun. It's a game about overcoming personal adversity, both thematically and in gameplay, and that perfect marriage is the rarest thing. It kept me playing way beyond the closing credits and I can't recommend it enough.
Hollow Knight (Switch)
Hollow Knight is the best Metroidvania I've ever played, but to pigeonhole it into that genre would be to ignore its clear influences from elsewhere. The
Dark Souls comparison is tired but apt, and in
Hollow Knight the world building resonated with me in a way that the
Souls games never manged but clearly did with so many others. The game is hard but always fair, but most of all it really respects the player and the player's agency. There are moments it strays a little too far, either in essentially needing a wiki or borrowing too heavily from the aforementioned twitch platformer genre, but they are minor complaints with an otherwise flawless game.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
It might be newly out, but I've played enough already (and plenty of the 3DS forebearer) to know it's quality through-and-through.
Monster Hunter is a series close to my heart and
Generations Ultimate is the ultimate celebration of it.
World might have brought several true innovations to the game and opened it up to a fully mainstream audience, but this is where my true love still lies.
Go Vacation (Switch)
It would be easy to dismiss
Go Vacation as a cheap mini-game collection attempting to emulate the success of
Wii Sports, but play the game and you'll find an open world of free-form exploration more akin to
Lego Island. The animal photography channels some of what made
Pokemon Snap so unique and memorable, while snowboarding down a mountain is as relaxing an experience as it is in
SSX 3 or
Steep, if somewhat more childlike. The amount of content on offer goes far beyond just those two examples however, and is enough for me to have put in around 30 hours to the game.
Go Vacation just has a certain something, one of those rare experiences in the modern internet age where you feel like you're truly discovering the game's secrets for yourself.
Fairune Collection (Switch)
For those unaware (which I imagine is most),
Fairune Collection is a re-release of the Japanese indie games
Fairune (iOS/Android/3DS/Vita) and
Fairune 2 (3DS), plus the never before released
Fairune Origin and
Fairune Blast. Described as somewhere around puzzle action adventure RPGs, it'd be closer I think to call them adventure puzzle games, although the gameplay is quite unique. If anyone has played the recent
Minit, that comes close. People may be more familiar with
Kamiko on Switch which is also by Skipmore, and that shares a lot of visual design despite being a straight action game. Anyway, I played the original on Vita, and then the sequel on 3DS, and I fell in love with them. The switch re-release came late enough for me to have forgotten enough for another playthrough of both, and the bonus content was very welcome too. Most people probably aren't going to find much to them, but for me I adore both the art and the gameplay.
Monster Hunter World (PS4)
World does so much for the Monster Hunter series. It's a genuine revolution, a complete overhaul of long established mechanics and gameplay, and it does so wonderfully. I put 60+ hours into
World and I enjoyed them all. Unfortunately the overhaul is also the game's weakness, as it comes at the expense of variety and content. By those measures
Generations Ultimate has it hands down beat. The real reason I didn't put more time into it however is more personal - it's not a handheld game. To me, Monster Hunter has always been a handheld series, ever since I had
Freedom on the PSP. I couldn't get into
Tri because it was on the Wii, and I struggled to stay motivated in
World because it was on PS4. It plays great, but I want my hunting action to be portable!
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition (Switch)
This is the third time I've bought
Hyrule Warriors, and it has just got better with every release. For Zelda and Musou fans it's an absolute must, and the content is absolutely staggering. I will never, ever complete this game, which is a good thing because it means I'll always have it to play!
A Way Out (PS4)
A Way Out is video gaming distilled, and a co-op experience like no other. It starts off slow, but once you're out the prison it's a non-stop tour ride of varying gameplay styles. It's never boring, often funny and always just the right amount of janky. And yet the ending was a genuine emotional hit like no other, all because the game is by necessity a two player experience. Mileage may vary, but I think everyone should grab a good friend and marathon the lot!
Yoku's Island Express (Switch)
A pinball metroidvania game is an inspired idea, and
Yoku's Island Express really delivers. The game is brimming with charm, clocks in at just the right length (my Switch tells me 5+ hours), and marries the pinball mechanics to metroidvania exploration perfectly. I had a ton of fun with this and saw it through to 100% completion.
Owlboy (Switch)
The gameplay never captured me, just remaining acceptable throughout, but the pixel art in
Owlboy is just sublime. I challenge you to find better looking pixel art and animation. If you're into that kind of thing like I am, then
Owlboy is worth playing for the visuals alone!
Gang Beasts (PS4)
Pretty much one of the best multiplayer games ever made,
Gang Beasts is as fun as it is funny. The mechanics are surprisingly deep and it makes for good brawling, and even losing is great fun when you inevitably die in a humorous fashion. I crave playing it more.
Human: Fall Flat (Switch)
It was my love of
Gang Beasts that led to me picking up
Human: Fall Flat, and while initially the camera control confused me I am very glad I did. It's
Gang Beasts as a puzzle physics platformer, and it actively encourages you to solve the levels in whatever way you can think up. I only wish there were more levels, especially of the more sandbox variety, because there is so much replayability in just messing about and trying to abuse your way through!
Streets of Red (Switch)
I'm not the biggest beat em up fan, but I do enjoy them in co-op, and
Streets of Red makes for a fun hour with friends. It's packed full of pop culture film and videogame references, and surprisingly nails most of them rather than feeling pandering or devolving into meme humour. The game structure requires repeated playthroughs to see all the content and that, coupled with six characters in total, adds a lot to the replayability.
Howling at the Moon (GRcade)
Karl's latest mafia completely absorbed my free (and otherwise) time during its week long runtime, so it's a worthy addition to this list
Steam World Heist (Switch)
I do enjoy a good turn based strategy game, and
Steam World Heist is a great one. The randomised levels would perhaps be better fully designed, but they are uniquely constrained enough for every level to practically feel that way anyway. The game offers plenty of scope for assembling a team that plays to your own style and strengths and the core gameplay that feels like 2D
X-COM with ricochets works perfectly. Add to that the great writing and it's a modern classic.