Tell me a game you love and I'll recommend you something.

I think I've played enough to do one of these. There's plenty of 'must play' games I still haven't played, but that might just make the list more interesting.

Telling me why you enjoy a game will help.

Glover
Glover
Everyone should play this.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
@DeemonAndGames

While more focused on environmental interaction than expressive movement, Rocket: Robot on Wheels still has a lot of the appeal of Odyssey: Unique, compact levels that are fun to explore with natural, fun diversions in the form of vehicles (As opposed to captures). In my definition, it's the 3D Platforming Hidden Gem.
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
@cowboyjosh

Ah, a fellow Gambit enjoyer. More games should have something like that system. I know Armored Core: Verdict Day has something similar, but I don't think that's what you're looking for. Instead, Phantasy Star IV is likely more up your alley, which has a predecessor to gambits called Macros. These let you prepare certain actions for your party and use them immediately in battle. It also helps that the game is just a really good JRPG overall.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus
@Drax

I must confess, I have yet to play this game, so my recommendation may not be good. That being said, there's a decent amount of visceral, cinematic action games (God of War, Ninja Gaiden, etc...), but after reading your thoughts on SotC I think Armored Core: For Answer might be good for you. The games seem to differ in terms of structure and combat, but the themes and sense of scale seem comparable.
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
@yaoimafia

I must admit, I wasn't sure what to recommend you. My already shaky first choice was Hypnospace Outlaw, but you've already played that. Really, I don't play many games focused solely on decorating and making things look cute, instead playing games with decorating as a side thing, like Pokemon Emerald and Armored Core.

However, you may enjoy Okami. You use a paintbrush not only to fight and solve puzzles, but also to restore nature to its former glory. Sorry if this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I hope you enjoy the game if you try it regardless.
Shin Megami Tensei V
Shin Megami Tensei V
@AlphaOne2

Ah, now I think I have a good one here. Admittedly, I'd probably recommend Grandia 2 if I bothered to touch my copy since I got it 3 years ago, but I have played Child of Light which basically ripped the combat system straight out of the Grandia games. Battles are usually focused on interrupting opponents' moves and trying not to get interrupted yourself. It's really fun and fast-paced, and now I'm wondering why I still haven't played Grandia II...
Fez
Fez
@Scamsley

I definitely love playing games with lots of mysteries and puzzles. I think Environmental Station Alpha might be what you're looking for. There's a lot here if you're willing to look for it, and it's definitely inspired by Super Metroid.
Cave Story
Cave Story
@MendelPalace

Yes, Cave Story is a true classic. I would generally suggest a fan of the game to check out the Blaster Master series, but within your specific criteria I'm going to mainly recommend Iconoclasts. The structure is pretty similar to Cave Story, it has a solid story and worldbuilding, and it has some unique visuals. Hope you like the rec.
Eschatos
Eschatos
@rapid_progres

I love these kinds of games too. Tight pacing, a good difficulty curve, and great music are qualities that transcends genres, but in trying to stick decently close to Eschatos, I'll suggest Sin and Punishment. It's compact, but it gets a lot of mileage out of its simple gameplay and keeps itself fresh all the way through.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake
@The_Gaming_Dog12

Just a classic JRPG with good story and characters? Well, my first suggestion would be to play the rest of the Final Fantasy series, but that's not super interesting. Instead, I'll go with the still pretty obvious choice Chrono Trigger. It does pretty much everything you'd want in a JRPG well. If you like it, I'd also recommend checking out its overlooked sequel Chrono Cross, which is also pretty good.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
@nf6429

You know, I think Legend of Mana have some of what you're looking for, but I haven't actually played it and can't say for certain. My rec will be from a different genre, but it'll have most of what you like about Explorers of Sky. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a great Castleroid, and a decent chunk of the game involves building a town with lots of sidequests to boot. The town becomes a really memorable core location by the end with cool characters.
Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie
@NOWITSREYNTIME17

Hm, I've been wanting to play this game for a while. I have to shoutout Pseudoregalia for being a solid 3D Platforming Castleroid, but Wario Land 3 is probably more of what you're looking for despite being 2D. It is stage based, but it features backtracking, Metroid-esque powerups, and changes to stage layouts by a day/night cycle and some items.
428: Shibuya Scramble
428: Shibuya Scramble
@PunnyPeace

I haven't played many games like this, but this was still an easy recommendation because Hypnospace Outlaw is just that good. Two of the game's greatest strengths are its surprisingly great worldbuilding and fun characters, which contribute to what ends up becoming an excellent detective story with more emotional weight than you'd initially expect. Play it on PC though, as it's an internet simulator at the end of the day.

24 Comments


4 months ago

Instead of my old and reliable, this time I'm gonna say Super Mario Odyssey, a game i utterly love in the way it plays, encourgaes exploration and taking advantadge of its mechanichs, and manages to create inspiring levels and worlds that are rather small, and enemies that are charismatic as they are incredibly fun to play as.

4 months ago

4 months ago

Oh hey, I actually think I remember seing this one a few years back in a youtube video! It sounds right up my alley, I'll keep an eye on it for sure, thank your so much for the recommendation! :D

4 months ago

Gonna throw you maybe a bit of a challenge here because my thing is super specific but I'm interested to see where you take it: Final Fantasy XII. What I love about it is the gambit system and how you set up something ahead of time and then watch it play out in real time, then tweaking and adjusting it to optimize. I love the first two Dragon Age games for the same reason. I'm less impressed by the Dragon Quest/LAD/Ni No Kuni variant where there's no granularity to the "programming" and you're just selecting from pre-baked command sets.

Also a suggestion before you get too far in; it might be easier to follow the list if it's a list of the prompts and then the suggestions are in the notes. That way as the list grows we can quickly scan the list for titles we like and click to see the suggestions.

Happy New Year buddy!

4 months ago

@cowboyjosh Added. In regards to the list format, I was considering different ways to organize it but your way is probably best. Thanks, and I hope you like the rec. Happy 2024.

4 months ago

Alright, let's give this a shot.

My default answer for now will be Shadow of the Colossus. Hard to explain more succinctly here since I've written oodles about the game, but the short and simple explanation is that it melds visceral yet refined gameplay with outstanding audio-visual presentation that a lot of other cinematic-heavy games just haven't done at all for me. Something about Team Ico just hits different I suppose.

4 months ago

@Drax Added.

4 months ago

hi!!
i really like animal crossing happy home designer, i kinda love it more than the original new leaf because decorating cute little houses and shit yk i like it its really fun, i specifically like the 3ds versions vibe more too it has a quirky little sting to it!!

4 months ago

Hmm, any suggestions for Shin Megami Tensei V (or III).
It has some of my favorite turn-based gameplay of any RPG. I love being able to manipulate the turn counts to my advantage by exploiting weaknesses and covering my party's own weaknesses. It also has insane levels of customization when it comes to demon fusion, being able to combine demons while inheriting skills to customize them down to the last detail. The battles themselves also have a fast-paced flow with their stylish animations that can always be skipped, plus the high difficulty incentivizes smart tactics and party composition.
Interested to see what you would suggest.

Happy New Year to all.

4 months ago

FEZ... FEZ... FEZ. I've pretentiously babbled about it before, but I just seriously think it has the most fun exploration and puzzle combination I've ever seen. Almost every room is so dense, whether it be from the mere visuals, which are underlooked but have so much attention to detail in every facet of the pixel art/lighting in each individual room, or the amount of multi-layered or completely unrelated puzzles occupying the same space that all have a completely differing structure to each other. Basically, each singular room is a treat with things to discover; it makes you think, it looks nice, it's the closest any game has gotten to Super Metroid's explorative and problem-solving blend bliss for me.

4 months ago

@yaoimafia Added.

@AlphaOne2 Added.

@Scamsley Added. Been meaning to check out FEZ, I kinda got the impression it was as long as games like Rain World and La-Mulana, but after looking it seems decently short, so maybe I'll play it sooner rather than later.

4 months ago

Cave Story. I enjoy games that kinda walk the line between full-on Metroidvania and more linear action-platformers. Helps if it has interesting atmosphere and likeable characters.

4 months ago

@MendelPalace Added.

4 months ago

Eschatos is the first that comes to mind. I'm a big fan of games that just get right to the point and take their basic concepts as far as they go, and I feel that that's one of the best examples of that- it's a no-frills, no-bullshit shootemup where all you do is fight off an alien menace. Great music, great handling, great enemy design and patterns, and very strongly presented environments that all seamlessly transition into eachother keep it fresh in my mind all the time. Y'know, besides the fact that it's incredibly replayable and rewarding to try to beat my previous scores in. It might be basic, but the difficulty comes more in outdoing yourself than just seeing the end, and that's what I like about that genre... and videogames in general, really.

So pretty much, "I like a game that keeps me coming back to it to play better than I did last. Ideally one with a kickass soundtrack."
Final Fantasy VII remake is my favourite game of all time and all I'm really looking for is more of the classic JRPG feel, great party, intriguing story, that type of stuff

4 months ago

@ rapid_progres Added.
@The_Gaming_Dog12 Added.

4 months ago

Oh, this is a neat idea. One game I love in particular is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. The game has a certain charm to it that I adore, and the sense of community with the clan, mission system, along with how much a living space treasure town feels. The sense of adventure to contrast the lighter moments is a highlight
Banjo tooie. I love the interconnected world that can change depending on you doing a specific thing in each level. I also love the humor and Rareware charm

4 months ago

@nf6429 Added.
@NOWITSREYNTIME17 Added.

3 months ago

Let's try 428: Shibuya Scramble. The game left a pretty sizeable impact on me for a mix of its earnest and goofy characters amid a serious mystery backdrop with genuinely fascinating inter-connected storylines that come together in interesting ways. The ease at which the story can change from genre to genre and mood to mood depending on the character it focuses on feels seamless as well. "Endearing thriller" feels like an oxymoron but that's exactly what Shibuya Scramble is. The closest recommendation I can think of is the Ace Attorney series, but I've played all but three/four of those games by now. I'm curious to see what you'll throw at me.

3 months ago

This comment was deleted

3 months ago

@Reddish I think you misunderstood the list idea here: You tell me a game you like and why you like it, and I recommend you one similar to it. I do have a list where I take recommendations, and I'll add Path of Radiance to that, but was there one you'd like to submit for this list?

3 months ago

@PunnyPeace Added.

3 months ago

oh! total brain fart there. no worries I'll take that down


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