It’s been a few years since I kept track of the games I played over a year and what I thought of them. I’d like to get back to that, if just to give me more opportunities to write something. I didn’t keep track of everything I played in 2018, so this list is mostly the highlights from 2018 (or at least what I can remember).
Legend
🌟 Beat the game.
🏆 100% cleared the game, including all achievements.
👍 Recommended if you haven’t played it.
👎 Avoid it. It’s terrible.
PS4
Spider-Man 👍
One of the best games this year. Insomniac nailed the web-slinging and it feels great just to swing around the city. This game made me feel like Spider-Man.
Dad of Boy God of War 👍
Still haven’t managed to finish this one, but it won GOTY, so it must be good, right?
Shadow of the Colossus
Okami HD
Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 👍
Aptly named – I feel like this is the perfect way to play Smash Bros. It’s got loads of content and the Switch is the perfect platform: you can start it up, play a few matches, then put it down and pick up right where you left off.
Starlink – Battle for Atlas
I wasn’t sure what to expect of this game, but I kept hearing it was a cross between Star Fox and No Man’s Sky. That was enough to get me interested, but the toy Arwing you get with the Switch was what pushed it over the top. It’s fun to change the equipment on your physical toy and see the game respond to it, but the toys aren’t really that important to the game. Unfortunately, if you want more equipment, you have to buy those toys.
Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Kirby Star Allies
PC
Oxygen Not Included
The only game that has come close to topping Kerbal Space Program in total play time. This game is cute, fun, tough, and science-y. There’s never really a point in this game where you can sit back and relax – there’s always some new problem you need to work on. And the number of ways you can solve problems is amazing.
Surviving Mars
Came back to this after some time away and some new DLC. Still fun and scratches the same itch that Oxygen Not Included does.
Frostpunk 👍
Yet another survival strategy game. (I’m sensing a theme…) Frostpunk is hard. It’s from the creators of This War of Mine and is similarly brutal. Victory in this game is marked by a message simply stating, “We have survived”
The Universim
A mix of Populous and Civilization. Still early in development, it’s a fun little game where you play as “The Creator”, helping a tribe of “Nuggets” grow and thrive, eventually progressing through technological eras and into space. It’s a bit ambitious, but it’s doing well so far.
Bomber Crew
This game took me a bit by surprise. I watched the videos and thought it looked pretty good, and when I bought it, it didn’t disappoint. You get to manage your own WWII-era bomber and crew, and send your bomber out on missions to earn money to purchase upgrades and hire more crew members. Surprisingly fun, and can be pretty tough.
Elite: Dangerous
I need to play this more often. I finally have a nice ship to work with, but I need to do some upgrading.
Two Point Hospital 👍
It’s Theme Hospital in all but name!
I Expect You To Die 👍
The best VR game I’ve played. It’s funny, it has a catchy theme song, and it’s fun to play. My only complaint is that it’s a bit short; I would love to see more levels added as DLC.
Interkosmos 👍
Speaking of funny VR games, Interkosmos is a hilarious, chaotic, and sometimes terrifying experience.
Subnautica
Subnautica saw its official release this year. I refuse to play this in VR.
Into The Breach
BattleTech
A great turn-based strategy game. I just wish I was better at it.
No Man’s Sky
I’ve always liked No Man’s Sky, even when it was just a chill single-player galaxy exploration game. I’m just glad everyone else is getting to enjoy it now. And the updates have made a huge difference – it is far better than it was.
Star Control: Origins
It’s good old Star Control.
Tabletop
I haven’t included tabletop games in the past, but I have a lot of them and enjoy playing them, so it seemed like an appropriate section to add.
Splendor 👍
I’ve owned this one for a while and recently played it with some new people. Still a fantastic game.
Sagrada 👍
It’s a puzzle game in board game form with pretty dice. Easy and fun.
Azul 👍
Got this one for my wife for Christmas. It’s a lot like Sagrada – easy to play, colorful, great components. There’s a reason why it has won so many awards.
Villainous
I was thinking about getting this for my wife but I hesitated since it’s a board game about Disney IPs. I started hearing some good things about it so I bought it. Turns out it’s really fun. Each player has a completely different goal (which makes it difficult to help other players in the first game) and can meddle in other villain’s realms to slow them down. Knowing the films makes the goals easier to understand and makes the game a bit more fun. I played Captain Hook and murdered Peter Pan just before Jafar managed to get the Magic Lamp to the Sultan’s Palace.
Photosynthesis
A game about growing trees. Great components and a pleasant theme.
Roll for the Galaxy 👍
I’ve owned this for a while and finally got a chance to play it with my brother over the holidays. It’s a cross between Race for the Galaxy and Yahtzee. Much easier than actual Race for the Galaxy, but still manages to capture a lot of the depth of the original.
Talisman 👎
Played the physical version of this recently after playing the digital version a while back. Personally, I think Talisman is a very poorly designed game. There are some spaces on the board that are only there to slow down progression, and there’s too much random luck involved.
Mysterium
This is a great co-op game, though I’d never want to be the ghost. Too much pressure.
Marrying Mr. Darcy
I can’t stand Pride and Prejudice, but this game is actually a lot of fun.
Potion Explosion
The marbles in this game always make it fun.
Scoville
The names of the creations in this chili-making game are part of the fun.
Terraforming Mars
Great game with a lot of depth. I need to play this one more often.
Joking Hazard
Better than Cards Against Humanity.
Fire of Eidolon
A co-op game in a small box with an 8-bit art style. There’s a lot of nostalgia baked in, but it’s also a decent yet simple dungeon crawler.
Knit Wit
Ladies and Gentlemen
Kingdomino
Lanterns
Tiny Epic Zombies
Tiny Epic Defenders
Scythe
Played a short learning game with my wife. I’d like to play a full game at some point.
Loonacy
Spaceteam
Exploding Kittens
Bears vs Babies
Flash Point
Magic Maze
Illimat