1. The Witness: This is a masterclass in game design, pure and simple. The game uses the unique language of the medium to teach you the rules to every puzzle. These are still the smartest 'tutorials' I've encountered and it's a disservice to label them as such. I love the variety in the riddles too, since every section on the Island you explore has its own theme and taps into a different skillset. The tool you use to solve the puzzles is the same all the way through (drawing lines), but the mechanics and skillsets required to get there change all the time. Every area has twists and curveballs to their unique concept as well, there's no area that gets predictable. The puzzles are so good that I never wanted to resort to using a guide, it's the one way you can ruin this game. It's a mind metroidvania, as some gates or areas are locked behind 'mental upgrades' as it were, as you understand what different symbols and concepts mean. Lighting all the lasers and finding secrets on the island doesn't get old. The sense of discovery, the satisfaction you get after finally solving a devious puzzle... I still haven't experienced that in another game since. As a bonus this game is also a confidence booster, because one of the essential messages of the game is that you already have every skill required to beat the puzzles, everything is already inside of you. But if you do get stuck, take some distance and go somewhere else on the island.
2. INSIDE: Playdead takes everything they've learned from Limbo, and make something more polished and refined with INSIDE. What impressed me is the smooth transition between 'chapters'. Each section flows seamlessly into the next to make it feel like a 'one shot' experience. The game is also best when played in a single session to enhance this effect. INSIDE also shows restraint: there are mechanics that other games would milk 20 puzzles out of, but Playdead just gives us a few, and then we move on. It shows how needlessly padded and stretched out other games are. There is nothing here that shouldn't be in, this game is like a statue the artist kept chipping away at until every curve and line came out the way he wanted.
3. The Last Guardian: Like most Team ICO fans I waited years for this, and somehow after I beat it all that time didn't matter anymore. I expected great things, but I even liked it more than ICO and SOTC. I loved Trico's behaviour and the bond you develop over the hours. I can see some of the complaints people have, but for me it was a near flawless experience, apart from the camera acting up sometimes. The hours of buildup lead to a finale that is just unforgettable and deeply moving. My favorite video game ending since The Last of Us.
4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: In the Souls games character builds give you multiple ways to play, but Sekiro strips away all that and only gives you one path, even though you can spice things up with the prosthetic tools (shuriken, firecrackers). This focus on one set of mechanics shows that the team is confident enough in their main combat loop. With good cause, because the swordplay is very satisfying once you get the hang of it. It's less about depleting an enemy's health (even though it helps) but more about filling up their posture bar. You do this by both deflecting attacks ánd attacking yourself. It's this clash of swords that leaves enemies open for a takedown. Sekiro is a game that rewards and even requires aggression, while also keeping your guard up when needed. Bloodborne was already a step in this direction, but this game is even more fast-paced. For these reasons not having played Souls games is actually an advantage because you won't be tempted to turtle and wait it out. As a certain mid game boss will teach you, Sekiro's combat is all about the relentless attack on your opponent, while also deflecting or dodging his moves. If you do both of this right, you'll strike them down quickly. There is a pretty specific way From wants you to play this game, but it never gets old.
Sekiro is also one of From's smaller games but that's a good thing, because there are no disappointing or undercooked areas like Demon Ruins or Lost Izalith. It's very consistent from start to finish in its design.This is From showing more restraint in their combat and level design and they made one of their best games because of it.
5. Dark Souls: Demon's got me into the Souls games, but Dark got me really hooked. I'm still impressed to this day by the level design in Lordran, I just replayed this game over and over across multiple builds and platforms. I actually feel like DkS 3 was a more consistent experience in terms of level design, but this game is just more iconic. It set the standard and was - deservedly - influential. Who didn't feel despair when they descended further into Blighttown, fearing you'd never see sunlight again? Or felt a sense of triumph after beating Ornstein and Smough? Later areas like Izalith and Demon Ruins are rushed, but what came before it is remarkable.
6. Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze: I didn't expect Retro could improve what they did in Returns this much, but they did. This is the most impressive platformer since the original Mario Galaxy. Incredible and diverse level design, great art with tons of attention to detail and a godlike soundtrack by David Wise.
7. The Last of Us: Still Naughty Dog's finest moment I'd say. I haven't cared about videogame characters like I did for Joel and Ellie in this game. When you play on hard or higher the gameplay comes into its own as well, with more of the survival elements actually mattering. After playing the sequel I still think the original is more consistent, tighter and has overall better pacing.
8. Hollow Knight: This game is not only rich in content, but one of the best metroidvanias out there. The combat is simple but fun and the locations are varied and beautiful. Even though you can easily spend 25+ hours on the main quest alone, I never got tired of the game because of the level design and the rewarding feeling exploration gives you. The bosses are challenging, but the overall difficulty is just right. Anyone who loves metroidvanias for the sense of discovery and wonder they give, should really play this.
9. Undertale: I love games that subvert expectations, and Undertale does that constantly. It breaks the fourth wall all the time, with eccentric and quirky characters. At the same time though, it also has a very strong emotional core. Even though there's a strong comedy element to this game, it still has a lot of heart and manages to sell both sides of the coin perfectly. There are times when you'll love the game for mocking rpg staples, then other times you will get gut-punched by strong story moments. It reminded me of golden age Simpsons in this way, where the barrage of jokes could be mixed up with a sweet 'syrup' moment, but still work. The characters are very unique and interesting, and they all behave differently depending on the path you take.
Gameplay-wise, Undertale is also refreshing: it feels like you've been through an epic 60+ hour rpg, when it only took you 7 hours. The game achieves a lot in very little time, and trims all of the usual fat found in rpg's. And if you still want more, you can replay the game using a different approach (by killing or sparing enemies).
I was surprised by how fun the different battles were, especially if you choose to talk your way out. The light puzzle element, mixed with the bullet hell dodging, makes the battles fun all the way through. Game has a very low encounter rate, so you won't even see enemies more than 3 times. And it has an absolutely stellar soundtrack, that can't be stressed enough. The best moments in the game all have a memorable track to go with it.
10. The Swapper: The puzzles in The Swapper get challenging fast, but they're designed in a way that the solution always seems within reach. Sometimes it's more straightforward than you thought, but the more devious ones are more complicated than they first seem. Either way, sometimes I'd just enter a room, try to figure out the riddle, then quit out the game and take a break if I didn't find a solution. But I never had the temptation to check out a guide. I loved the design in the puzzles too much to succumb to that. It's also way too satisfying to figure it out on your own, even if some are complex.
Basic concept of The Swapper is that you can create up to 4 clones of yourself, which behave exactly like you do, and you can swap your consciousness with them. The consequence is that the body you leave behind is just an empty vessel, which you can use as a tool, a means to an end. The developers actually run with this concept and a big part of the (surprisingly great) story revolves around the clones and the concept of a soul and the complexity of mind and matter. The story resonates because you are constantly hands-on with the overarching theme of the game. If you have to do a cruel thing to one of your clones, it hits home. The memorable finale is a culmination of all the soul-searching (and swapping) you had to do to get there. The Swapper could've just been a series of brilliant puzzles and I would've loved it already, but they fleshed it out and created an interesting universe around it. To top it all off, there are the numerous echoes of Metroid and Alien, giving you an eerie sense of isolation.
Rarely do you get such a flawless fusion of gameplay, concept and story. This game is a gem, that I felt too many people slept on.
11. Gorogoa: A two-hour game so rich you'll never forget it. The surreal puzzles take a while to get used to, but once you're 'in' the world of the creator you don't want to get out. Once the game clicks, it's magical.
12. Pokemon GO: this is probably my most played game of my entire list. I have walked so much because of PoGO. Most people dropped it after the hype was over, but over the years the game got many extra features and right now the most compelling is pvp for me. I still enjoy catching, raiding and the community days, but pvp feels like the endgame. Finally a good way to spend all your hard-earned stardust. It's not higher in my list because all the bugs/lag and what have you drag the experience down. After years it's still the same unfortunately. But this game has singlehandedly made me move and exercise more and I've gotten to know lots of people because of the large community too.
13. Resident Evil VII: The one game that convinced me of the value of VR. I thought I was impervious to jump scares but the early hours in this game proved me wrong, it's so incredibly tense. Also turns out that this is a pretty damn exciting entry in the RE series too.
14. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: I thought I could never get into turn based strategy games but M+R eased me into the concepts very well and I was getting the highest rating on the stages very fast. I'm sure it's easy for vets of the genre but for me it was very rewarding and I couldn't get enough of it. For most people BOTW or Odyssey is their Switch game of '17, but for me it was easily the charming, funny and original M+R.
15. NieR: A game that's more than the sum of its parts. The sidequests are mundane and boring, the combat is less than stellar, but the music, characters and original approach to the story more than make up for it. Cannot wait to play the remake.
16. The Witcher 3: I never cared much for the first two games in this series, but W3 blows them out of the water. It may be an open world game, but its strengths lie in the character and world building and strong quest design. Not often do you play a game in this genre where the sidequests are as good or even outshine the main quest. At the time of writing I haven't completed Blood & Wine yet, but Hearts of Stone is an expansion that takes the strengths of the original and builds on them. A stellar expansion.
17. Super Mario 3D World: I wasn't that into 3D World in the early worlds, but the design gets crazier and more creative with every new area you enter. I kept thinking they couldn't top one world, but then I got proven wrong in the next.
18. Horizon: Zero Dawn: Having robot dinosaurs to fight is pretty awesome on its own, but Guerrilla games also designed a pretty good combat system around it. I never got tired of fighting them and taking down Thunderjaws was so satisfying. Surprisingly I was also very invested into the backstory of Horizon's world and Aloy's origin.
19. Hotline Miami: a coke-fueled ultra violence binge set to a blood-pumping soundtrack. You can't turn your brain off completely though because this is still a combat puzzle game, you have to figure out the best way to clear the rooms.
20. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: I liked BotW but didn't love it, which made me look back to ALBW more fondly afterwards. This is still a Zelda that sticks to the formula, but adds enough spice to make it interesting. The overall first party 3DS output was not that impressive to me, but this Zelda is a clear standout and a real gem.
[x] The Witness
[x] INSIDE
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
[x] The Last of Us
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Undertale
[x] The Swapper
[x] Gorogoa
[x] Pokémon GO
[x] Resident Evil VII
[x] Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
[x] NieR
[x] The Witcher 3
[x] Super Mario 3D World
[x] Horizon: Zero Dawn
[x] Hotline Miami
[x] The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
