An extremely comfy and immersive game (or visual novel?) about tending bar in a classic cyberpunk dystopia. Clearly inspired by all of my favorite things, so I was never gonna not dig it. A refreshing indie palate cleanser. 🍸

Maximum nostalgia: I recently broke out the Analogue Super Nt to revisit the first game I ever played. SMW has aged like the finest of wine, they don't quite make 'em like this anymore. If you haven't played it, you're truly missing out.

I maintain that Kirby games are the most consistent quality games on the market. A celebration of all things Kirb that plays exactly like I remember, so much that I used a SNES controller for max nostalgia. Multiplayer Kirby is fun what more can I say!

Another incredible example of gaming's potential for unique narrative experiences. Match the name + face of all 60 missing Obra Dinn crew members by inspecting the final moment of each's life - and nothing else. Flex that galaxy brain, Sherlock!

The OG TWEWY is such a formative game for 14yo me, so I was worried a sequel ~14yrs later would suck. Luckily, NEO totally slaps. Not as strong thematically, but a worthy successor all the same. And the modern urban fantasy setting is just 👌

A Māori spin on Jet Set Radio that trades in the 1990s counterculture of rollerblades + graffiti for the 2020s counterculture of independent photojournalism + inconsolable dread for the impending, inescapable climate apocalypse. Check it out on PC instead of Switch, though, it'll run much better.

The most accessible one yet, there's never been a better time to start Huntin'. Everything's so silly and joyful, from the manic cats you hire to the rideable dogs brandishing swords. It's the purr-fect online multiplayer game for covid times, too!

R&C continues to be a franchise deeply committed to bringing pure fun from start to finish, and the alt dimension characters are great additions to the cast. Plus, where else can you turn your enemies into perfectly trimmed topiary displays?

A game that feels like a blend of Metroid Prime, Vanquish, Ratchet & Clank, P.T., Enter the Gungeon, Super Stardust, Alien, and Edge of Tomorrow, yet somehow manages to be greater than the sum of its parts. Incredible stuff, and a strong GOTY 2k21 contender. 🏆

I saw this through to the end in hopes that it would get better. It doesn't. Fuck this ass game. How do you take one of the dumbest and most imaginative game franchises and turn it into a tedious, pay-to-win zombie horde game straight outta 2008? Awful. A tragedy in one part. Fuck Konami.

To quote the devs ten minutes into the game: KJP FOREVER.

The best game you've never heard of, Paradise Killer is pure vaporwave bliss. The freedom of gameplay in both exploration and while crafting the "truth" of its mystery is unmatched, and its perfect soundtrack is permanently etched into my brain folds. 🎧

Pokémon Snap is my comfort game, and if you asked my 10yo self what his dream sequel would look like, it wouldn't be half as ambitious as the one we got. Absolutely overflowing with content and serotonin highs, this is what Pokémon should be in 2021.

Prepare to die (again) in legally distinct ways! While Dark Souls is the more popular brutal post-apocalyptic medieval nightmare, Demon's Souls is the real origin of the psuedo-series. The remake is lovingly crafted and surprisingly easy; highly recommended.

The "what the fuck" heard around the world at the PS5 announcement showcase, Bugsnax is as beautiful as it is totally bizarre. Equal parts Pokemon Snap, Ape Escape, and Muppet fever dream, this ain't one to miss. Just look at that strawberry with the googley eyes!

Insomniac Games is one of the best dev studios in the business, and their first Spider-Man game remains the best piece of Spider-Man media out there (sorry Spiderverse). Their take on Miles is my favorite yet and a must-play for webheads.