2016 Community Game of the Year - Results posted (at last)!

My first GWJ GOTY thread. Cool.

1. Overwatch. PS4.
2. The Division. PS4.
3. The Wolf Among Us. PS3.
4. Firewatch. PS4.
5. Tomb Raider (2013). PS3.
6. Batman: Arkham Asylum. PS3.
7. Velocity 2X. Vita.
8. Rhythm Paradise (Heaven) Megamix. 3DS.
9. Blood Bowl 2. PS4. (Really? Yes!)
10. Lego Marvel Avengers. PS4.

Honourables...
Rocket League, No Man's Sky, Gone Home, Oxenfree, Mad Max, Monster Hunter Generations and Yokai Watch.

Dishonourables...
Heavy Rain.

That'll do. Next year I may even attempt write ups

1. The Witness
Likely the greatest puzzle game I've ever played, lovely design sensibilities and a wonderful sense of place counterbalance the puzzles which were challenging and ran my brain through all sorts loops. But the feeling after cracking a puzzle or rule set that had me baffled for a while gave a real sense of achievement and on a more personal level felt like excellent brain exercise. I truly love this game and how it made me feel. Truly unique, truly interesting, entirely beautiful.
!Almost forgot, this game had me at one point cutting out precise cardboard shapes to aid in puzzle solution and then finding out said shapes have a name (tetrominoes!)

2. Overwatch
Pretty much tied for my number 1, but it'll get all the praise and awards it deserves without my bump. I've clocked 170 hours, mostly in competitive and I just love this game. Character design, team structure and art design are all on point, and when playing in a competitive team where real teamwork is happening, its just adrenaline pumping brilliance.
Also, I may just be the greatest Mei player in the southern hemisphere (northern too if not for the 200 ping).

3. The Division
I loved the setting, hated the grinding and repetitiveness. Division gets my number 3 spot for giving me my gaming moment of the year, being a tour guide to players new to the DZ. It's where I spent most of my 20 hours in the game, by the end I knew it like the back of my hand and love the craziness that would ensue when Rogue agents would start a war in there. The game wasn't perfect, but I got some perfect moments from it.

4. Lara Croft GO
My mobile game of the year, love the puzzles, loved the aesthetic. Usually sells for 99c, get it.

5. Offworld Trading Company
Had some fun multiplayer matches with GWJers here. I wish more of my friends were in on it, as it would have replace all multiplayer RTS I'd play with friends. I love the level of player interaction and choices that you face as a player. Very cool stuff.

6. Tharsis
A harsh puzzle game that once you get past what seems like a lot randomness actually reveals itself as a risk management strategy game with very harsh consequences, loved the setting and the grueling difficulty.

7. Stellaris
A game I intend to pick up again and was my attempt at a soft introduction to grand strategy games (of which I've not really played), I enjoyed it but wanted a bit more from the late game and diplomacy, but havent dived back in since a month after release. I assume there have been changes/improvements?

8. Inside
Great aesthetic, grim setting, good puzzles.

9. Firewatch
Highly anticipated, good story, great performances but I felt way to 'penned in' as someone who loves the outdoors and camping. I also felt a bit iffy on the resolution to the main intrigue, but meh. I look forward to whatever Campo Santo does next.

10. Astroneer
Still early days, but I really like what I've seen so far. Needs more content, but a lot of fun, cute in spades and the exploration does feel wondrous at times.

Honorable mentions:
Stardew Valley, an excellent but dangerous game. After 8 hours I dropped it and realised my time was better spent working on my own garden. Im really conflicted by games like this, so addictive but their actual value for time spent makes me feel a bit icky.
Pokemon GO! if only there was more game to this game, I loved Ingress and need the motivation to get out and about, shame it feel short for me.
Clash Royale good quick fun.
Rimworld I hope more sim/survival games like this eventuate as I love the self made stories they develop.

*Edited some game blurbs.

Rykin wrote:
sr_malo wrote:
doubtingthomas396 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
Dyni wrote:

the Clockmeister

No.

DJ Clocky Glock Shotz in da hizouse

Mama said clock you out!

Keep on Clockin' in the free world!

SallyNasty don't like it
Clock the Casbah, Clock the Casbah
SallyNasty don't like it
Clock the Casbah, Clock the Casbah

Oh! I missed this gem! This is perfect.

Now for my rankings -

1. Mad Max. Just an absolute pleasure to play. I usually dislike driving in any game, but this one was fun for me. Loved the exploring, loved the world, liked the characters. Strongly disliked the fridging of a couple characters at end but otherwise was just a joy to play.

2. Titanfall 2. Wow. One of the best love stories of the year. Level design was just amazing - it had platforming, shooting, robot combat and more. You owe it to yourself to play the campaign on this one.

3. Mafia 3. I really liked the way this story was told. Some people complained about how samey the game felt towards the end, but I didn't mind.

4. Batman TT. Best TT yet. Really really enjoyed this, up to the final episode which I felt fell kinda flat but the first 4 were so good that it carried this as one of my favorite of the year.

5. Dying Light. Played coop with DrJekl and just had a blast. Really enjoyed the game from start to finish.

6. Gears 4. Again, played this one with DrJekl and just had a blast. Graphics were amazing, but there were some uneven difficulty spikes and some bad level design choices that kept this one from the top spot(lightning storms and bad checkpoints were not good decisions).

7. Evolve. This was a game that had so much character and potential but that was unfortunately spoiled by its long load times and small community. I was lucky enough to have 5 other players to regularly boos the game with, but this ultimately was its own worst enemy(a 2 minute match took about 5-7 minutes of set-up. That just isn't acceptable).

8. MKX. Just a fantastic fighting game. Loved the graphics, gameplay and basically everything about the game. Can't wait for Injustice 2.

9. Doom. Count me in on the love train. This game was fantastic fun. Not every game needs to recreate the wheel. I am glad to see so much love for a game that really is just a big dumb shooter with pretty graphics.

10. 6180 The Moon. I know I am about as core-gamer as you get, so I was surprised to find this one on my list. Played this one for the easy cheevs but ended up falling in love with it. It is rare that I go for indie games but this one just had a great soundtrack and was a very zen and fun game to play.

Honorable Mentions -
Watch Dogs 2. This will probably be on my list next year but I am too early into it to tell. So far - great game, fixes all the issues I had with the first. Fun aesthetic and great game.

The Division. Fun, but not amazing fun. I always enjoyed playing it but promptly forgot all about it once I put it down.

Quantum Break. What a neat game. What a frustrating final boss. What an uneven experience. Can't wait for Remedy's next game.

Far Cry Primal. Fun but totally forgettable. Interesting but not all that interesting. Wish it had co-op.

Rise of the Tomb Raider. Laura had amazing hair. Glitched cheev. So bad.

AC Syndicate. 5 steps backwards from Unity. Fun game inspite of uninteresting characters(Evie was great).

added Inside to my list.

Still amazed I managed to have so few first plays in 2016, but I'm content with my short and solid list.

I can't let an opportunity to contribute to a Best Of go to waste!

1. DOOM
This is the game I was playing in my head every time my 10-year old self fired up Doom on my 386. It's a rare re-boot that utilises modern technology to deliver a purer execution of the original vision, but here we are and I'm so thrilled it happened to such a formative game for me.

2. XCOM 2
Firaxis took the flint heart of XCOM and placed it in a desperate, jury-rigged construct animated by tension and pure spite. I may periodically walk away from ironman runs in fury and disgust but you can guarantee I'll have another game up in a fortnight's time.

3. Grim Dawn
The soul of Titan Quest buffed to a high sheen by a loving development team with the financial devotion of a solid core of Kickstarters. Best ARPG since I backed Path of Exile in beta and much more friendly to the time-poor gamer.

4. Nuclear Throne
I still haven't made it more than a third of the way to the beginning of the end game, but if I feel like a zen punishment session Nuclear Throne has always got my back. Fast, brutal and completely unforgiving, every time I go looking for a quick break with it I end up with two dozen games under my belt.

5. Broforce
Delicious explosions, tight platforming and a constantly rotating set of tools to do these things with. A tremendously chaotic co-op experience and equally enjoyable single player game.

6. Creeper World 3: Arc Eternal
Looks like late Win 3.11, plays like a finely honed modern classic. The perfect balance of tower defence, RTS and creeping death.

7. Rayman Legends
If there was one game to introduce my 3 year-old son to gaming with it would be Lego Star Wars, but I can't talk about that here since I played it back on the Wii. This is a very close second though, and it's as much a joy for me to play with him (he loves to pootle around in the flying mosquito levels) as it is for him to order me around the later levels in. Colourful, delightfully inventive and oozing artistic flair, Rayman Legends is everything the internet told me it would be.

8. Bloodbowl 2
Late to the party and only a handful of games in, I'm really quite taken by its ability to remain faithful to the infuriating spirit of the tabletop version.

9. Iron Brigade
Another tremendous co-opportunity that only got pulled out of my backlog early this year, Iron Brigade is stock Double Fine gaming with all of the character traits and flaws that entails. Another TD-esque entry, the alt-WW1 premise is as quirky as you would expect but it comes with the usual DF indulgences and allowances.

10. Cities: Skylines
More here because I respect the impact it's had on the genre, I used to spend hours tinkering away in SimCity, and much like DOOM above, this is much closer to the game I felt I was playing back in the very early 90s.

Summary for ClockworkHouse:

Spoiler:

1. Final Fantasy XV
2. Dark Souls 3
3. World of Warcraft: Legion
4. Picross 3D, Round 2
5. The Witness
6. Inside
7. Uncharted 4
8. Day of the Tentacle Remastered
9. Song of the Deep
10. Titanfall 2

Games that got a second chance, 2016 Edition

This year I finally put significant time into two favorites of the community: The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. While I finished neither, I definitely was entranced for a few weeks for each. They both provide and open world with lots to explore and an engaging story. However, for me, once I left them I did not have much of a desire to return.

Games that I need to give a chance, 2016 Edition

Dishonored 2, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, The Last Guardian, Stardew Valley, Stellaris, Battlefield 1, Quadrilateral Cowboy, and more than 5 hours of Mafia 3.

1. Final Fantasy XV
I’m putting a single player game that I haven't finished at the top of my list. I am not a Final Fantasy fanboy, although I have played many in the series. I was not really looking forward to this game. It was simply a surprise, a joyful joyful surprise - just what I needed. After 30 hours, I continue to delight in long car rides, exploring the world, and Prompto’s photography. Go listen to Florence and the Machine's “Stand By Me,” and if that tugs your heartstrings, give this game a try.

2. Dark Souls 3
It did not unseat Bloodborne as my favorite Souls game, but it certainly was better than Dark Souls 2 (which I also finally finished this year). I beat it twice, and I nearly got all the trophies. However, the grind for certain items tested my patience, and I put it on the back burner. Perhaps next year I’ll finish up the platinum for the game.

3. World of Warcraft: Legion
I will probably keep playing WoW as long as they release expansions. I usually play a Warlock, and I was happy that Blizzard changed the Demonology spec into a playstyle that summons lots of demon fodder to destroy your enemies. Combined with a specific Warlock quest chain and class hall, I never felt so (evilly) powerful.

4. Picross 3D, Round 2
Every once in awhile, I am reminded why I keep my 3DS. I tried many games on it this year: Fire Emblem, Super Mario 3D Land, Story of Seasons, but the game that had me charging and recharging my system was Picross 3D, Round 2. It’s a mouthful of a name, and a smorgasbord of puzzles. I feel I’m nearly at the end and I don’t want it to stop. It is the game that has given me the Tetris effect - when I close my eyes, I see a puzzle. I did not buy it when it released due to it’s $30 price point. I thought I would not get my money's worth. I was very very wrong.

5. The Witness
This was an excellent puzzle game that completely engaged my brain. Every puzzle is solvable, if you understand the rules. The delight of learning the rules and applying them in new ways was infectious. However, a cetin type of puzzle was really difficult for me to solve, which led me to occasionally find a solution, which would break the spell. I could see me coming back to this again in a few years, like revisiting an old friend.

6. Inside
I feel it is much easier for shorter games to tell a complete story. Another short game, Portal, ranks high on my personal games of all time partially due to its story. Inside provides some good puzzle platforming with an interesting environment and a whopper of an ending.

7. Uncharted 4
A big budget adventure, that tries to provide a bazillion “O Wow!” moments. The exploration felt really good, as unlike past games much of the time I did not feel that was only one certain way to go. The sense of discovery is why I play this series, and I enjoyed my time.

8. Day of the Tentacle Remastered
I have not played this game since it came out in 1993. At the time it was a sequel to a game that came out 6 years prior (Maniac Mansion) and it contained that game within. That rate of growth in computer gaming is incredible. Imagine if Mass Effect 2 was hidden inside Mass Effect Andromeda. Anyway, DoTT is a classic Chuck Jones styled graphic adventure that includes some wonderful puzzle solving involving time travel. It’s worth a replay.

9. Song of the Deep
This game is a beautiful and artistic Metroidvania that captivated me for a few weeks this summer. An overlooked gem.

10. Titanfall 2
While I could not get into the multiplayer, this game had the most entertaining single player FPS campaign I played this year. Effect and Cause is one of the best levels in years.

Overall 2016 was an incredible year for games. I also enjoyed Far Cry Primal, The Division, Overwatch, and Firewatch, and with more thought I could easily fill a top 20 list.

DC Malleus wrote:

8. Bloodbowl 2
Late to the party and only a handful of games in, I'm really quite taken by its ability to remain faithful to the infuriating spirit of the tabletop version.

I was sure I'd be the only one with this on a 2016 list

troubleshot wrote:

7. Stellaris
A game I intend to pick up again and was my attempt at a soft introduction to grand strategy games (of which I've not really played), I enjoyed it but wanted a bit more from the late game and diplomacy, but havent dived back in since a month after release. I assume there have been changes/improvements?

Not sure when you played last (current version is 1.4, with 1.5 coming fairly soon,) but the latest patch along with the Leviathans DLC adds quite a bit to the mid and end game. I wholeheartedly enable you to jump back in!

Squee9’s Top Nine Games of the Year

IMAGE( http://071bc3d04e2671665c74-5a267f839fbe60d0845a37698418bb02.r26.cf5.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/fire-emblem-fates-wallpaper-birthright-conquest-2016-3ds-646x325.jpg )
9. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (Intelligent Systems – 3DSXL)

A tactical party based fantasy RPG that turns all the Fire Emblem knobs up to ten. Fates is mechanically identical to Awakening, the last major FE, but everything is just smoother, better, more intuitive, and more streamlined. Acolyte accolade to Dyni and Dan Cath for having a cooler castle than I did. If you’ve played eight Fire Emblems in your life and want a changeup, go with Conquest and enjoy a more challenging game of Fire Emblem with most of the safety nets removed. If you enjoyed previous Fire Emblems you will enjoy this. If you enjoyed XCOM or Final Fantasy Tactics and want a place to start I would say go Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, or dip back one with Awakening. High quality game that starts this list of nine off strong.

IMAGE( https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS08eydjo27np7MfzgMu3kXiDP5DkNE4r9yOw9iXpqS0d3YV7r_xw )
8. Bravely Second (SQUARE ENIX – 3DSXL)

A tactical party based fantasy RPG that turns all the Final Fantasy V knobs up to eleven. Duel wielding is for suckers. One of the jobs I unlocked first allowed me to equip weapons in my head and body armor slots. Quad wielding son, for those who want to truly do the work. Guffaw worthy anime-ass story and character stuff surrounding one of my favorite party optimization games. Lots of interesting bosses that reward changing up your party, thousands of job/ability/equipment combinations to work with, and there is still a class that can jump. If you liked Bravely Default (I did), then you’ll like Bravely Second (I did!), the eighth best game of 2016.

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/304430/header.jpg?t=1479825461 )
7. INSIDE (Playdead – PC)

Yo so I played this game yesterday and it immediately usurped a lesser game for a spot on The List of Nine. I didn’t like LIMBO, playdead’s last game, but they learned all the right lesson’s from LIMBO. Their style is even more evocative. Sound, music, and visuals all combining to pull you in deep. The game teaches you the mechanics without you even recognizing it. Many times I would encounter a puzzle and realize I already knew how to interact with the puzzle based on contextual learning from the room earlier. Finding all the secrets is insane, but worth it. If The Swapper was your jam you will enjoy INSIDE.

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/322190/header.jpg?t=1479291257 )
6. Steamworld Heist (Image and Form – 3DSXL)

Now that we got that outlier out of the way, back to normalcy with this tactical party based game with an RPG progression system. Set in the same world as Steamworld Dig, but now it’s an XCOM type game where your squad of western ranch style robots snipe the sh*t out of some metal fools with a ricochet bullet that tings off some other bot’s nutsack—detonates a grenade on that nutsack—and hits your target in the back of the head. Savage! Calculated!
It’s like a 2D Codename STEAM that is actually fun and loads in the same decade. If you like XCOM you’ll enjoy this.

IMAGE( https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKRade6w2WI1zg6q7VRntoQ63SQO1nmWoNbf--6rjrbC83O6Mc2g )
5. Pokémon Sun (Nintendo – 3DSXL)

This team based tactics minded JRPG is so easy it’s impossible to lose the game, but so difficult that to catch one of the strongest Pokémon you need to fish for a guy with a rare chance of being baited, let it call for help successfully over 30 times, and then continue to let it call for help until you get a certain guy that has a 15% spawn rate. OR you could just enjoy this Pokémon game that has a lot more story than previous games, a more directed approach, a fresh new area, goofy surfer hair on Pokémon, and a Team Rocket clone that calls everyone, “homie”. In honor of Free the first fire type I find will be named Hot Takes. My true goal is to assemble a team of only spherical Pokémon led by Moloch, God of Child Sacrifice.
IMAGE(https://s24.postimg.org/5g86gbb9x/IMG_2489.jpg)
Does this look like the face of mercy?

If you like Pokémon, then you’ll like this game filled with Pokémon.

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/362960/header.jpg?t=1481561626 )
4. Tyranny (Obsidian Entertainment – PC)

My top four this year are crazy strong. It was a great year in video games, NQA. In Tyranny, a tactical isometric party based fantasy RPG, you play as a fantasy Judge Dredd working for the evil sorcerer overlord who is consolidating his conquest of the continent. If Pillars of Eternity is a pot of coffee then Tyranny is a shot of espresso. All the best parts of Pillars distilled to one tight narrative. Party size went from 6 to 4, side quests are one room as opposed to a 15 level dungeon, and the story moves along efficiently, progressing and twisting without large expanses of crawling nonsense. The story options and dialogue are based entirely around how you want to role play your character, and the positive or negative relationships you build with the factions. As a hulking bruiser with a gigantic Warhammer I leaned heavily on the [intensely stare] and [punch repeatedly] dialogue choices, letting the NPCs talk themselves out until it was time to dispense justice. You can talk or kill your way through the game at will. For the entire game I teamed up with one faction, and every major dialogue option included something with a (betray alliance) tag. Highly customizable game too. You craft your own spells from pieces you find in the world based on your lore skill (so my sage was blasting nutsacks with Lore Grenade), and the difficulty can be tweaked to your liking. I turned off spell range indicators to make wizarding and friendly fire more realistic, as well as turned off all the dialogue helpers so I had no idea which option was based on conversation skill or just story based. I had a great time with this game, and will likely replay it. It you are a fan of Obsidian isometric RPGs like Pillars or Baldur’s Gate you will enjoy this game.

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/291410/header.jpg?t=1472412470 )
3. Duelyst (Counterplay Games – PC)

HUGE THANKS to OilyPenguin on this one. He made a throwaway comment about this game in a Slack conversation in September, I downloaded it, and as of this writing it I have close to 200 hours in it, including countless hours streaming it. This is a free to play tactical fantasy CCG. It’s Hearthstone on a board. Great set of balanced mechanics, outstanding pixel art, and high quality animations that make satisfying thumps when your golem punches a skinny little four armed mage with an HELLA ANNOYING ability into oblivion. Great community as well. I’m having a blast streaming and watching streams of this game. Hit me up fellow gamers, I will play this game with you. I will teach you this game. Props to Carrot for being my Duelyst partner through all this, even though you play Abyssian…

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/262060/header.jpg?t=1480133946 )
2. Darkest Dungeon (Red Hook Studios – PC)

Ah the Lightless Labyrinth, the greatest party based tactical Cthulhu-Fantasy roguelike RPG of 2016. Assemble a party of four heroes from over a dozen classes, pick their move sets, pick their equipment, and then delve the dungeons. Every decision is about balancing risk and reward, whether it’s choosing to explore another room before resting or equipping a helmet that buffs your damage but lessens your evade skill. The game oozes with foreboding aided by the intense visuals and MVP narrator. (NARRATOR LINK). The battle mechanics are heavily positioning based, and almost puzzle like. It’s turn based with all the information, including the enemy stats, visible to the player. At its heart, Darkest Dungeon is a party optimization simulation. The game asks, can you design a party out of 1000s of combinations that efficiently answers the threat each dungeon will present? 90 hours in I was still discovering new party and skill combinations that were viable in either the early or late game. Shout out to all the people I converted to this game’s cause, especially Boogle. When it came to proselytizing this game is up there with Divinity OG Sin for me. I punched my own face with my own fists trying to beat some of the bosses and recover some of the trinkets, but even after over 100 hours and all possible content explored and achieved I would still gladly sneak through those shadowy cells.

IMAGE( http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/378648/header.jpg?t=1478083532 )
1. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (CD PROJEKT RED – PC)

On Saturdays I hop on my bike and start pedaling. Within fifteen minutes I’m climbing mountains and my typical routes include descents through Family owned vineyards or towns older than America huddled around a church. This is my home. Within the first hour of Blood and Wine I was sprinting through a vineyard with some mountains in the background and I was reminded of home. This game has a sense of place I rarely experience in video games, and a narrative that displays all of CDPRs strengths in regards to plot and character, and none of the weaknesses that plagued last year’s release as far as pacing and purpose. It has a story and decisions worth sharing and talking about with your friend Fedora. The Witcher 3 is one of the best RPGs of all time, and Blood and Wine is its pinnacle.

This was a great year for games. Do work my sons.

Easy list for scoring.

Spoiler:

1. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
2. Darkest Dungeon
3. Duelyst
4. Tyranny
5. Pokémon Sun
6. Steamworld Heist
7. INSIDE
8. Bravely Second
9. Fire Emblem Fates
10. XCOM 2

Now that I've clocked 30 hours in Final Fantasy XV and can't stop, I'm looking at sometimesdee and wondering if I should update my list or leave it for 2017. Any thoughts? And if I update, is it most appropriate to do what she did, and change my original post with a new post linking back?

I'm sorry to be a bother; I did not anticipate that I'd have the time or inclination to spend so many hours on this game so quickly, or that it would get its hooks in me so thoroughly before progressing much further.

Speaking of sometimesdee, the apparent similarity of our tastes has me curious about a few of the games on your list. This is why I like this thread.

I can't speak for Clock, but if it made a last-minute Top 10 impact on you then I don't see why you wouldn't include it this year. I did it in 2014 when I picked up Talos Principle at the last minute.

Just edit it into your original post and give a link to it in your current one. If you're feeling really generous, repost your entire revised Top 10 (just the list) in the current post in spoiler tags so she has all the data right here.

Squee9 wrote:

6. Steamworld Heist (Image and Form – 3DSXL)

Now that we got that outlier out of the way, back to normalcy with this tactical party based game with an RPG progression system. Set in the same world as Steamworld Dig, but now it’s an XCOM type game where your squad of western ranch style robots snipe the sh*t out of some metal fools with a ricochet bullet that tings off some other bot’s nutsack—detonates a grenade on that nutsack—and hits your target in the back of the head. Savage! Calculated!
3. Duelyst (Counterplay Games – PC)

HUGE THANKS to OilyPenguin on this one. He made a throwaway comment about this game in a Slack conversation in September, I downloaded it, and as of this writing it I have close to 200 hours in it, including countless hours streaming it. This is a free to play tactical fantasy CCG. It’s Hearthstone on a board. Great set of balanced mechanics, outstanding pixel art, and high quality animations that make satisfying thumps when your golem punches a skinny little four armed mage with an HELLA ANNOYING ability into oblivion. Great community as well. I’m having a blast streaming and watching streams of this game. Hit me up fellow gamers, I will play this game with you. I will teach you this game. Props to Carrot for being my Duelyst partner through all this, even though you play Abyssian…

Steamworld sounds amazing! How did I not know about this crazy thing. I really need to get a 3DS now, dammit.

I burned out on Duelyst from playing and reading and watching way too much too quickly, but it is an amazing achievement, and I should add it to my list. Except for Abyssian players. They can DIAF.

First, an accounting summary for easy spreadsheeting:

Spoiler:

1. Dragon Age Inquisition
2. Forza Horizon 3
3. Affordable Space Adventures
4. Doom
5. ADR1FT
6. Plants Versus Zombies Garden Warfare 2
7. Dishonored 2
8. Jotun
9. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
10. SOMA

Now comes the talking.

10. SOMA - I can't put this too high on the list because I had to mod it to make it enjoyable for me. I used the "Wuss mod" to de-fang the enemies so I could focus on the story and setting. I still had to avoid the bad guys, and that made it tense enough without being terrifying.

9. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen - Hooray for recruiting free GWJ companions!

8. Jotun - A Viking-themed explorer and boss battler. It doesn't have a lot of variety, but the visuals were beautiful and the boss battles were challenging without being maddening. Also, I'm not sure what the language being spoken is, but I love the sound of it.

7. Dishonored 2 - Like Dishonored 1, except it's 2.

6. Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 - A goofy third-person shooter that's fun in single player mode but super fun in multiplayer with a group of friends. It's more laid back than a Gears of War or Call of Duty.

5. ADR1FT - This is the game that makes me wish I had a VR headset, though I'm not willing to make the investment yet. In a lot of ways it's just a floating-in-a-spacesuit simulator, with minor puzzles and survival elements. Again, the story and setting and visuals make the game.

4. DOOM - This game has a lot of heart(s). I thought it had just the right amount of story, too, even though the story wasn't necessary.

3. Affordable Space Adventures - This indie WiiU title suprised me. It made excellent use of the WiiU gamepad in ways that even Nintendo rarely seemed to do. I played it all single player, but I could see it being very fun as couch co-op.

2. Forza Horizon 3 - All kinds of driving meets open world exploration, with absurdly pretty visuals.

1. Dragon Age: Inquisition - I bounced off this at first, but eventually I found exploring the varied environments too hard to resist. I don't think it's the best game on this list, but it's the one that kept me enjoying myself the longest.

Mixolyde wrote:

Steamworld sounds amazing! How did I not know about this crazy thing. I really need to get a 3DS now, dammit.

It's also on Steam, and I can confirm it plays great on PC.

Mixolyde wrote:

Steamworld sounds amazing! How did I not know about this crazy thing. I really need to get a 3DS now, dammit.

I burned out on Duelyst from playing and reading and watching way too much too quickly, but it is an amazing achievement, and I should add it to my list. Except for Abyssian players. They can DIAF.

Steamworld Heist is also available on...Steam...

For real though it's there.

Mixolyde wrote:

Steamworld sounds amazing! How did I not know about this crazy thing. I really need to get a 3DS now, dammit.

Or you could just get it on PC, Mac, or iOS.

*edit* Well, guess that was already covered. That'll teach me to post before refreshing.

Yeah, but is it any good? At what price? What about space? Is it an issue?

Aaron D. wrote:

I can't speak for Clock, but if it made a last-minute Top 10 impact on you then I don't see why you wouldn't include it this year. I did it in 2014 when I picked up Talos Principle at the last minute.

Just edit it into your original post and give a link to it in your current one. If you're feeling really generous, repost your entire revised Top 10 (just the list) in the current post in spoiler tags so she has all the data right here.

Yep. Feel free to edit your original list,but please put up a post saying that you did.

Clocky: Edited Original list: https://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/...

I added Duelyst and Dungeon of the Endless.

Mixolyde wrote:

Steamworld sounds amazing! How did I not know about this crazy thing.

Because clearly you don't read the front page!

Seriously though glad to see the game getting love this year.

DC Malleus wrote:

10. Cities: Skylines
More here because I respect the impact it's had on the genre, I used to spend hours tinkering away in SimCity, and much like DOOM above, this is much closer to the game I felt I was playing back in the very early 90s.

I forgot I played this for the first time this year.

Adjusted list incoming...

1 Overwatch
2 Dark Souls 3
3 Hitman
4 Card Crawl
5 Cities: Skylines - The best time I have ever had with a city builder. I was super proud of the mess of a city that I built.
6 Dirt Rally
7 Project Cars
8 Motorsport Manager
9 Titanfall 2

Sorry Clock!

My list is pretty straight forward this year:

1. Rocket League (the best league in the world)
2. Battlefield One
3. The Division
4. Overwatch
5. Civilization VI
6. Planet Coaster
7. Offworld Trading Company
8. FIFA 17
9. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
10. The NES Classic Portfolio (technically a device, not a game...so sue me).

Happy holidays everybody!

Phew, I'm finally caught up. This is one of my favorite threads of the year, I look forward to it every time, and I keep track of my "GOTY candidates" year round so that I'm ready when the time comes. But unlike last year, or the year before that, or before that in 2013, or even in 2012, I ran into a shortage of eligible games. It's not so much that I didn't play any good games, but rather that I played less games than previous years, both because I spent about three months on The Witcher 3, and because the last three months had me dealing with Serious Crap®. But it's still been an interesting year, and I'm nothing if not thorough. Now before I get to my list, huge thanks to Clocky for handling all the logistics behind this yearly thread, you're the best!!

And now without further ado... Eleima's 2016 list.

#10... Kathy Rain
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/370910/header.jpg)
It wouldn't be Eleima's list without one or two adventure games, and here's the first. I was super excited about this one and immediately fell in love with the titular main character. Unfortunately, some story elements didn't quite click, with some weird stuff going on, and a disappointing "to be continued" cliffhanger. Shame.

#9... Game of Thrones
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/330840/header.jpg)
This game almost didn't make the list. It's not a bad game, but we're risking getting saturated with Telltale games. That being said, the game stays very true to the spirit of Game of Thrones, and performs the job admirably. It's no great spoiler to say that there is no "good ending" in this game, no matter how you spin it. I liked the art style, and got attached to my characters, so it deserves props for that at the very least.

#8... Shardlight
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/336130/header.jpg)
Another adventure game, this one developed and published by Wadjet Eye. A deadly plague, post-apocalyptic setting, it definitely hits a few notes. I don't want to give away too much, but it's well worth playing if you're into adventure games.

#7... Sunset
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/287600/header.jpg)
I was intrigued after hearing Certis talk about this game on the GWJCC. It's 1972 and a military coup has rocked some fictitious South American country in which you play as Angela Burnes. What used to be a paradise has turned into a warzone, and you're stuck working as a housekeeper, every week, an hour before sunset, in the swanky oh-so-70s bachelor pad of the wealthy Gabriel Ortega. The graphics aren't anything to write home about, the gameplay is exceedingly simple, but there's some poetry and beauty in it. You decide how you want to play, and that subtly changes the outcomes, and course of the game. It used fascinating storytelling tools, with scenery changes, post-its, books, and decorations. I loved that about it. And yes, I'm giving this game extra points for having a WoC as its main character.

#6... The Walking Dead: Michonne
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/429570/header.jpg)
Yup, another Telltale game. Yeah, a lot of us are getting tired of zombies, but Michonne is still super badass and a remarkable woman. It's short enough that you can play it in two or three sittings (perhaps less if you're lucky enough to have your weekends to yourself).
And yup, I'm also giving it extra points for casting a PoC as a main character, you better believe it.

#5... Technobabylon
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/307580/header.jpg)
Another adventure game, published by Wadjet as well, but developed by Technocratic Games. Played this back in January while I was staying with my sister in Toronto, and that probably ties into why I enjoyed it so much. But I loved the concepts, the story, the characters, definitely a lot of high notes. Highly recommended to adventure game fans.

#4... Gravity Ghost
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/251490/header.jpg)
Now this one... This one I did not expect. Came out of nowhere, and touched me so very deeply. (Thanks Hyetal, you made me cry!) There's no fail state, the gameplay is simple and easy to master, and the soundtrack is by Ben Prunty of FTL fame, 'nuff said. It's really, really good, go play it.

#3... Day of the Tentacle Remastered
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/388210/header.jpg)
Okay, so I played the original back in the day, but I played the remastered version this year, and I'm counting it. It's a close contender for adventure favorite game of all time, because it's just so perfect, the humor, the characters, it's just a 10 out of 10. A masterpiece.

#2... Dishonored 2
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/403640/header.jpg)
Full disclaimer, I've only started playing it this week, but I've already sunk 8 hours into it and love every second of it. Even the parts during which I obsessively reload in order to do my perfect non lethal, ghost run. It's just that good. It's no big surprise that I'm enjoying it so much, since Dishonored did make #1 on my list back in 2013, and Dishonored 2 almost made #1, almost but not quite.

#1... The Witcher 3
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/292030/header.jpg)
I didn't expect to adore this game as much as I did. Although I loved the first installment, I almost did play the second, even though I'd preordered the special edition and all that jazz. I actually started playing the second game, got totally turned off by the gratuitous nudity of Triss in the prologue and the tedious fight with the dragon. I did come back to it a year later, and slogged through it, sided with Roche, etc, but by the time I reached the end, I was DONE. So when I was gifted this game during the Steam winter sale of 2015, with hearty assurances that I would love, I was cautious and not that convinced. But I gave it a shot. For starters, it's absolutely gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous, and with my GTX 970, it ran so smoothly, it was just wow... I just got so engrossed in the game, the mechanics were so dialed in, and I loved Ciri to bits (I'd be totally okay with a game that had just Ciri, no Geralt). I did have a few issues with some blatant misogyny and some nasty violence that specifically targeted woman, and by the time I reached Hearts of Stone, I'd already spent nearly 90 hours on the game, and barely had the strength to finish that DLC, barely even scratching the surface of Blood and Wine. But it's good, it's really good, everything everyone had been saying about it...
IMAGE(http://www.theculturalhallpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TrueAllOfIt_HanSolo-300x212.jpg)

Honorable mentions?
Only a couple, pickings are slim.
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/301910/header.jpg)
It's more Saints Row, it's crazy silly stupid fun. Nothing new, but still a kick ass ride and one I'm glad I took.

IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/237850/header.jpg)
Dreamfall: Chapters, I didn't actually *start* playing in 2016, but I finally finished it this year, still had to play through episodes 4 and 5. All in all, I'm glad they more or less tied up the saga, but there was a bit of Deus Ex Machina story twists that left me unsatisfied, and I'm still freaking upset that Damien Cavanaugh is MIA, what a crime.

IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/261640/header.jpg)
It's been long enough since Borderlands 2, so I'd gotten the Borderlands fatigue out of my system. Plus I played it with my BFF which made it a fun ride.

Disappointments?
Sure thing.
IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/461700/header.jpg)
The first installment ranked #6 on my list last year, so I jumped at the occasion to Kickstart a sequel. The goods were delivered as promised, but I guess it was a bit of a one hit wonder that one. Too bad.

IMAGE(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Heavy_Rain_Cover_Art.jpg)
No matter what I do, I can't seem to get into Heavy Rain. It just leaves me very much scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about.

IMAGE(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/419460/header.jpg)
I Kickstarted this because I firmly believe that this is the kind of thing we need to talk about. The execution, however, I felt was lacking. I can't put my finger on it, but it totally missed the mark for me, especially after all I saw in the pediatric oncology ward I worked in back in 2007.

Games to look forward to in 2017
Gosh, there are quite a few. My Pile is still incredibly rich, full of gems I'm eagerly looking forward to. I've just realized that I haven't played an Assassin's Creed game in over a year, which is just mind bloggling. For now, I'm looking forward to The Talos Principle, Abzû, Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry, Firewatch, Assassin's Creed: Chronicles of China, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY, Assassin's Creed: Rogue... and I've got The Elder Scrolls 5 : Skyrim - Special Edition on the backburner should I ever desire to jump back into that wormhole. (and I agree, 2011 was totally robbed, should've gone to Skyrim!)

There it is, my list! Now excuse me while I scramble to hit "post".

For reference, here are the games I played in 2016:

Spoiler:
  • Shower With Your Dad (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Game of Thrones (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Sir, You Are Being Hunted (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • 12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Undertale (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Technobabylon (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Sunset (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Samorost 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Invisible Inc (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • flOw (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Flower (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • The Witcher 3 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Seduce Me 2: the Demon War (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Human Resource Machine (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • The Beginner's Guide (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • That Dragon, Cancer (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishment (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Gravity Ghost (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • The Walking Dead: Michonne (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Shardlight (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Defy Gravity (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Day of the Tentacle Remastered (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Guacamelee! (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Kathy Rain (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey - Book Four (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey - Book Five (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Big Pharma (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • The Order of the Thorne - The King's Challenge (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • CONSORTIUM (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)
  • Heavy Rain (PS3) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Dishonored 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)

Looks like I wont get around to play more games this year since I got dragged into a Mass Effect 2+3 replay.
But dear lord when looking at my list I played a lot of games this year. Not even including the hundreds of hours in Rocket League, which totally deserved to be on the list again.

Lots of good games this year, and it felt fairly hard to rank the games this time. Both DS3 and Fallout 4 could take the top spot, but Fallout 4 is still the more flawed game.
My whole list is full of games that were flawed actually. No really stellar games this year, but still they managed to rise above their issues.

1. Dark Souls 3 (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/374320/header.jpg?t=1481815623)
They just keep delivering high quality. Some of the best zone design yet. Large sprawling zones with shortcuts and lots of exploration. And unlike Bloodborne, you felt rewarded for the exploration with tons of weapons, armors, spells etc.
Build balance was somewhat worse than DS1 and DS2 (though better than BB). Spells and slow weapons felt too weak and lacked balanced progression. Overall the game felt a bit too easy compared to previous games. Too many bosses were killed in a few tries - which made them less interesting. On the other hand the difficulty was also much more consistent throughout.
The Souls fatigue might be starting to set in, with DS3 being "just more of the same", still a very nice finale.

2. Fallout 4 (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/377160/header.jpg?t=1480944048)
The flaws are endless here. Bethesda really need to start to rethink some parts of their game design. The UI is as bad as it has been for over a decade. Most gameplay aspects are nothing special; the combat, the character build options, the items, the NPCs, the story, the weird settlement feature. It seems like Bethesda has gotten too reliant on modders fixing the issues, to the point that they don't even bother trying.
But in the end it doesn't really matter much. As usual Bethesda excels at one thing; the exploration is really great. Finding side-stories, interesting buildings etc. is unsurprisingly still fun. Great enough to lift the game up from otherwise mediocrity.
Yet, at some point the exploration alone can't keep carrying these games anymore.

3. Stardew Valley (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/413150/header.jpg?t=1469816833)
That was a surprise.
Super enjoyable, so much content. More and more stuff just keep unlocking. Everything about it is extremely addictive.
It all dies out after some time, when you get tired of the treadmill, but great fun until that happens.

4. Tyranny (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/362960/header.jpg?t=1481561626)
PoE was one of my favorite games in recent years. More of the same in a new setting?! Well...
Combat is substantially worse. Less synergy between abilities and weaker status effects. Enemies were bland. Lots of humans, all fighting the same way.The UI is messy. Leveling abilities by using them was not a hit. Crafting your own spells is for most of the game fairly uninteresting, and when it starts to open up, the game ends.
I could go on. After PoE I was quite disappointed initially - but at the same time, the game is also often a more refined version of PoE and over time I really grew to like it a lot. More crafting options, team members are more interesting both story-wise and mechanically, with unique talent trees.
The setting is very nice and refreshing, you are offered all the various evil variations from classic D&D. Everything beside combat seems perfectly fine. I hope Obsidian takes a lot of lessons with them to PoE2.

5. Dreamfall Chapters (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/237850/header.jpg?t=1471257140)
Gampelay was all kinds of awful. Wish they had gone with the Life is Strange design of simply not trying to be a game 99% of the time.
Was fun to be back in the Longest Journey/Dreamfall world. It started out weak, but ended strong. Probably not a "game" that can be enjoyed on any level without the previous games. Only reason it is up here on my list is because it was "More TLJ/Dreamfall Story". However, that is reason enough, with a nice send off for the series.
Still hoping for a finale for The Longest Journey as well...

6. Civilization VI
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/289070/header.jpg?t=1482279729)
It is a good start, for what will hopefully only get better with expansions. While the biggest change is the city districts, pretty much all systems that has been brought back, works substantially different. It feels like one of the most complete packages from a vanilla Civ release. Like previous Civilizations, it still needs more depth in later parts of the game.

7. The Witcher 3 - Blood & Wine (and the other expansion)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/355880/header.jpg?t=1478083732)
So, I generally don't want to add expansions to my top 10, taking away room for actually new games. But Witcher 3 deserves it. Insanely good base game, with 2 great expansions that easily make most full games look puny. It is only this far down the list due to the "expansion" status.

8. Until Dawn (PS4)
IMAGE(http://www.gamerdiaries.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20150727-UntilDawn-Header-700.jpg)
That was genuinely disturbing at times. The whole Telltale style "choose your story" games have really taken off, showing just how much room there is to expand in the genre.
Oh, and SOMA, look at how not to throw in save icons before every danger?!
On the negative side, QTEs are still super annoying, fast QTEs are even worse! Why cant they just make the decisions be the stuff that matters, instead of missing some QTE at some random point.

9. SOMA (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/282140/header.jpg?t=1447360548)
Interesting story to explore. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Much more interesting setting than Amnesia.
However, if you aim to scare and surprise, having a save icon every single time you are about to enter an area with a monster might not be the most brilliant idea ever. Seriously.

10. Salt and Sanctuary (PC)
IMAGE(http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/283640/header.jpg?t=1467853855)
Described as a 2D Souls game - which made me buy it. Much more a metroidvania game with a little Souls flavor - in particular due to the unlocking of new abilities that opens up old areas, lots of backtracking to be found here.
I'm somewhat split on the game. In many ways it was well designed and fun to play. At the same time the collision between 2D platform metroidvania and Souls does not always fit well together. Souls games excels at 'tough but fair' challenges, surprises that might kill you if you don't pay attention. S&S got that too. But S&S is likewise a 2D platformer with tough/blind jumps that have nothing to do with attention and executing a strategy.
Overall, fun and good game, but also a feeling that there is plenty of room for improving the combination of games it wanted to be.

Already running out of numbers? Meh.
Honorable mentions:

Spoiler:

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Certainly an AAA game for better or worse. Very polished, and delivers exactly what you would expect, and nothing more. It was fun, as expected, and gameplay generally felt better than the previous game, particularly with more interesting tombs to explore.
A good game in all aspects, but so much 'by the numbers' that it had a hard time ranking higher.

Pillars of Eternity: White Marsh
Base game was my number 1 last year, but more of that game was lovely. Just can't stop adoring this game. Still, would rather have "new" games on my top 10 list, but otherwise it would have been in top 3 this year as well.

Axiom Verge
Another Metroidvania. Fun, maybe a bit too long. Lots of variety in weapons, although little reason to use them, at least on normal difficulty.

Uncharted 4
That other tomb raiding game. Graphics were insane, story was fine, both as you would have expected. Never liked Uncharted series that much, too much boring combat, though it seemed to be toned down a bit here; you only killed like a thousand people this time.
While the presentation is ahead of Rise of the Tomb Raider, I really prefer the gameplay of Tomb Raider. Uncharted is first and foremost storytelling.

Starbound
Fun and well made Terraria style game. Yet somehow felt less interesting. Think it hurts a bit from moving from planet to planet all the time, never settling down and building something.

Grim Dawn
Another year, another A-RPG wannabe. Plenty of interesting, albeit small, design mechanisms in the game to make it a slightly different flavor from everything that came before. Kinda burned out on it toward the end of the three difficulties. Don't think the whole 'Replay multiple difficulties to get to the end-game' thing really work for A-RPGs anymore.

Undertale
Maybe I was over-hyped by others impression. In any case I was somewhat disappointed. While exploring the weird world and characters was a delight, I really did not like the twitchy gameplay.

Fallout Shelter (Android)
One of my first real jumps into mobile games. Surprisinly fun.

WoW: Legion
Had a ton of fun with it. WoW just never stops delivering on the short term expansion joy. It gets old after a few months... but that is still fairly amazing. It would deserve a top 10 spot... but I'm not going to add a game I have played for thousands of hours.

Final Fantasy IX (PC)
Best FF! Played it before though.

Not so honorable mentions. Disappointments.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Not sure why I keep playing these games. They are not bad, sometimes even decent, but not really great either.

Tomb Raider and the Temple of Osiris
Really liked the first game in this series. For some reason this one didn't seem nearly as interesting.

Man people's lists are so good.

JohnKillo wrote:

Man people's lists are so good.

Yeah. I was just struck reading Eleima's list: we are both PC gamers and yet our lists will be entirely different. I love that!

JohnKillo wrote:

Man people's lists are so good.

Yup yup.

That's what I love so much about this season at GWJ.

I get leads and learn more and more about all the gaming goodness out there.

So good.

Holy sh*t! This year has probably been one of the hardest years to come up with a list of just 10. There have been so many great game experiences I've had over 2016, but if I had to pick:

1. Hitman
2. Street Fighter V
3. Project CARS
4. The Witness
5. Amplitude
6. Superhot
7. Stardew Valley
8. Attack on Titan
9. Devil Daggers
10. Panzermadels: Tank Dating Simulator

Blurbs incoming:

Spoiler:

1. Hitman
-------------------------
I've always really enjoyed the Hitman series, but this is by far the most polished version. I know there was some hesitation in the gaming community about the episodic release, but it was the perfect way to release this. It gave the player much more time to explore individual maps and see just how all of the pieces work together and figure out all of the different paths and solutions. Add in the Escalations and you can easily find yourself going down a deep hole on just one map.

2. Street Fighter V
-----------------------------------
Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this--SFV as a whole package is pretty rough. It was released in a half released state, and then things that were promised were not delivered on time. With that being said, the actual game is surprisingly solid, and has been some of the most fun I've had with a fighting game since Mortal Kombat 9. Plus, this is the first game where I've really started following the pro scene and it has been extremely exciting to watch.

3. Project CARS
-------------------------------
There are many games on this list simply because of my experience with other GWJ'ers. I had my first race with Project CARS hanging out with some of the Ohio GWJ peeps on a projector and a G25 (I think?) and was instantly sold on the game. Toss in those same people setting up and running a ten track season in addition to getting me into Formula 1 (most tracks which are in the game), and you've got a game that easily hits my top 3.

4. The Witness
------------------------------
Not much to be said about this one that hasn't already been said. Excellent puzzle game that had me thinking/doodling about answers well after I had turned the PS4 off.

5. Amplitude
----------------------------
This was a hell of a follow-up to one of my favorite rhythm games of all time. The online leaderboards added in a nice layer of score chasing that took me back to when the original released and my friends would pass the controller around. Let's just say there was a lot of messages flying back and forth over PSN for a good long while after this released.

6. Superhot
--------------------------
An amazing concept for a game with a great theme. I am very interested to try and experience the VR version of this one because it seems just as crazy.

7. Stardew Valley
----------------------------------
Ever since I played Rune Factory Wii on Clock's recommendation, I've been a huge fan of the Harvest Moon-style games. Stardew Valley is a homage to all of those games--can't say much more than that.

8. Attack On Titan
-----------------------------------
I know that Musou games are not usually regarded very highly around here, but these themed games (Hyrule, Dragon Warrior, and now Attack on Titan) have been a real joy. Each game has been tailored to the specific theme--and Attack on Titan adds in the maneuver gear to quickly traverse the maps in addition to flying around Titans. It has the musou elements of the special moves and timed events, but other than that it feels more like Attack on Titan than Dynasty Warriors.

9. Devil Daggers
--------------------------------
A game where if you survive longer than 90 seconds is considered decent? Yeah, sign me up! I never did survive longer than...two minutes? But I have over 10 hours played according to my Steam account, and that's more than I was expecting to play.

10. Panzermadels: Tank Dating Simulator
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, so I wasn't sure to put this in my Top 10 or make it an Honorable Mention. The premise of this game is pretty ridiculous--a visual novel in which your character attends a school for girls who are real WWII-era tanks. They appear to the player as actual women, but every so often there is a situation where it is hinted that they turn into real tanks.

I'll be honest--this has some pretty eye rolling innuendo that borders on creepy. However, the real fun I had with this game was streaming this game specifically with a group of GWJ'ers as a joke. We all had a really good laugh kind of having our own personal RiffTrax/Choose Your Own Adventure on what was happening. And, in a weird way, this experience caused me to go down a rabbit hole of other visual novel games that aren't nearly as bad. So, while there are other better visual novels, for the overall experience and resulting interest in the genre, I figured I'd put this one on the list.

We need a list of top 10 goodjers who contribute to your anime tank girl game problem.

AND I EXPECT TO BE P HIGH ON THAT LIST, DOMANO.