I thought I'd give this a try. I apparently beat 49 games last year, and I'm already a fifth of the way through this challenge, so I figured, why not?
1. Day of the Tentacle Remastered (4 hours)
Man, people weren't kidding when they said this was one of LucasArts' best. It may actually be the best point-and-click adventure I've ever played. Great puzzles, great writing, great art, and great use of the idea of time travel.
2. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (7 hours)
This holds up surprisingly well. The movement feels fantastic, and as such, the platforming usually feels really good for a first-person game. The guns are fun to use, and the levels are fun to explore. I think the last level is a stinker, but this is a really good game.
3. Mortal Kombat X (7 hours)
This is only based on playing the story mode, but this is a damn solid fighter. The story is quite engaging, and I love what they did with the Krypt this time around.
4. Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova (2 hours)
Artifex Mundi-developed and published hidden object games aren't usually something to write home about in the first place, but this is probably the worst of their games that I've played. Really bad voice acting, trial-and-error based puzzles, puzzles that don't make sense from a story perspective, and one character who constantly impedes your progress until you amuse him with some dumb little game of his.
5. Train Valley (6 hours)
Really fun mixture of railroad management and puzzle game. Reasonably complex, but it has adjustable speed and real time with pause in cause you need to figure anything out.
6. Dirt Showdown (9 hours)
A blast of an arcade racing game. Some of the event types bugged me, but it's a great game for just turning your brain and crashing into other cars.
7. Poi (8 hours)
3D platformer in the vein of Super Mario 64 that was solid enough that I found myself 100%-ing it. Not as good as its inspiration, but a very strong clone.
8. System Shock: Enhanced Edition (11 hours)
People say that the sequel aged better, but I don't know, I actually found it easier to get into this one, due to the relative lack of RPG mechanics. Great level design, great music, lots of tension, and adjustable difficulty levels for different aspects of the game, just absolutely a wonderful game.
9. Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden (3 hours)
Another Artifex Mundi hidden object game, and probably one of the better ones I've played. The setting is so clearly ripped from BioShock, but that sort of setting is still very novel. Puzzles are good, voice acting is solid, and the artwork is gorgeous.
10. SUPERHOT (2 hours)
Fairly disappointing, all things considered. The narrative was good, but the time mechanic did little to make this game feel that different from other shooters. It's shockingly short, too, and I feel that they could've done more with it. Still, it's fun for what it is.
11. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (1 hour)
Here's a cool little arcade beat-em-up with light RPG elements. Quite challenging, must've been a hell of a quarter-muncher back in the day, but I had a good time with it.
12. Quake (6 hours)
Perhaps not as good or as ground-breaking as its older sibling Doom, but the original Quake is very well made and very important in its own way. I wasn't terribly impressed by the game's early hours, but it grew on me.
13. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara (1 1/2 hours)
I found myself enjoying this one a little more than Tower of Doom, but they're more or less identical gameplay-wise. This one has a more focused plot and better defined villains than the first, but it's more of the same, which is welcome in this case.
14. 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek (2 hours)
This game does most of the modern hidden object tropes rather well, and throws in another kind of puzzle that I haven't seen yet in these games but fits rather well with the genre. I enjoyed the game enough that I went back to get the last few achievements I missed during my first playthrough.
15. ABZU (2 1/2 hours)
The game really lets you take your time exploring its gorgeous environments, and for good reason. Another game I found myself 100%-ing.
16. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (13 hours)
Turok 2 follows the trend of sequels that strive to be bigger than their predecessors, and like most games that strive for that, it suffers for it. Levels are labyrinthine, sometimes ridiculously so, and that creates a lot of unnecessary confusion for the player. It doesn't help that this game is based around collectibles, and some of the necessary collectibles are hidden too well. One of the main objective collectibles for the first level, for instance, is absurdly easy to miss. However, it is a very fun game nonetheless, just not as good as the original Turok.
17. 9 Clues 2: The Ward (2 1/2 hours)
Another good hidden object game. Not much to say here.
18. Bayonetta (10 hours)
My second playthrough of this game, and it remains a blast. The PC port has some serious stability issues, though.
19. Event[0] (2 hours)
The game's main mechanic of conversing with an AI is interesting enough to justify a playthrough, but it clearly has its limitations.
20. Clustertruck (4 hours)
Considering how fast-paced a platformer it is, the first-person perspective harms the game in how it limits the player's understanding of a given level. In spite of that, the game does excel in terms of its controls and design. Well worth playing.
21. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (15 hours)
A really fascinating mystery visual novel that loves to mess around with pseudoscience. The writing and puzzles are really good, plus Kurt Vonnegut references! The main character's English VA sounds really odd, though.
22. CrossCells (2 hours)
Another great puzzle game from Matthew Brown, but this one could've done better to explain its rules.
23. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (24 hours)
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a great game, and Virtue's Last Reward is a great sequel with many of the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor.
24. Dark Arcana: The Carnival (2 hours)
Another hidden object game, and I like this one's aesthetic. Translation is questionable in places, however.
25. Plug & Play (13 minutes)
Yeah, it's absurdly short, but I got it as a Steam key from a Humble Bundle, so I'm counting it. It's not for the average player, but it is an interesting example of weird, Freudian art.
26. Epistory - Typing Chronicles (5 hours)
The Typing of the Dead-style use of typing combined with an action-adventure framework makes for an enjoyable experience, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the combat.
27. Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek (5 hours)
It only took me that long because the game deleted my save file somehow when I was close to the end. That's hardly the only issue I experienced with the game, but it's a fun one nonetheless.
28. Disney Infinity - Pirates of the Caribbean Playset (5 hours)
Including the Disney Infinity games on this list is tricky, because each game consists of several campaigns set in their own distinct worlds, with distinct approaches to the basic Disney Infinity gameplay. I'm gonna count each playset as a game seeing as though someone did so in a previous thread, and I've started with the Pirates playset from the first game. The gameplay and controls are passable, and it's quite buggy, but exploring the sea and the various locales make for an engaging experience.
29. Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (17 hours)
A fitting send-off to the Zero Escape series, and the plot's vague chronology just makes things more interesting. Some of the new characters are hard to put up with, though.
30. DuckTales (1 hour)
Classic Capcom platformer, not much more that needs to be said.
31. Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (~45 minutes)
A simple but enjoyable platformer. Seems like it'd be more fun in co-op.
32. Darkwing Duck (1 hour)
Didn't like this one. Too many enemies with projectiles, and the hanging mechanic was a pain to deal with. One later game boss fight was a major in the ass because of both of those.
33. Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 (1 hour)
This one has a more in-depth story than the first game, and the bosses are more interesting. Other than that, it's pretty much the same thing.
34. DuckTales 2 (2 hours)
Probably the most complex game in The Disney Afternoon Collection, though that's not saying much. Regardless, the levels are fun, which is good, since the game encourages replaying levels.
35. Picross Touch (17 hours)
Solid, but legally questionable (with puzzles based on imagery owned by the likes of Nintendo, Sega, DC Comics, Fox Television, etc.).
36. TaleSpin (~45 minutes)
I hate it and it sucks.
37. Disney Infinity - The Incredibles Playset (5 hours)
Fun little beat-em-up/platformer/collectathon thing, and it ends right as it's starting to outstay its welcome.
38. Disney Infinity - Monsters University Playset (3 hours)
Probably the most refreshing playset I've played so far, in terms of gameplay. The stealth and pranking stuff gives the game a very different flow from the Pirates and Incredibles playsets, and from a lot of other games period. There aren't many games that approach college life the way this playset does.
39. Disney Infinity - The Lone Ranger Playset (2 hours)
The horseback riding is fun, but the combat sucks and most of the side content is "shoot this target at this outpost and wait until the train passes it and then passes another point." Plus we have a white guy playing a white guy playing a Native American stereotype with no self-awareness, but that sorta comes with the territory, so eh...
40. Disney Infinity - Cars Playset (2 hours)
It's the most unique playset in the series, so on paper, this should be great. The actual driving mechanics aren't great, though, especially the input for boosting, and the side content is rather mediocre. Races involving weapons in particular are frustrating.
41. Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood (3 hours)
Not much to say, just another solid hidden object game.
42. Disney Infinity - Toy Story in Space Playset (5 hours)
This one is a lot like The Lone Ranger playset in that it's mostly about managing a town, but this one has a lot more charm to it, courtesy of the Toy Story theme. There's also some fun shenanigans in regards to size-changing goo, as well as some other fun gadgets to play with. Not a bad way to cap off the first Disney Infinity.
43. Disney Infinity 2.0 - The Avengers Playset (4 hours)
First thing you notice about Disney Infinity 2.0 is that the combat has been improved, no doubt thanks to Ninja Theory's involvement. Characters also have skill trees, although that does mean that their movesets are limited when you first use them. In this particular playset, that can be a pain when using level 0 or 1 characters in defense missions. The characters themselves are quite nice and varied in this playset, though, and unlocking Nova and Rocket from the game's other two playsets enhances that variety.
44. Disney Infinity 2.0 - Spider-Man Playset (4 hours)
This is pretty much a better version of the Avengers playset. Web-swinging is a much more fun way of getting around town than driving or flying, and the characters are generally more fun to play as, especially Iron Fist.
45. Disney Infinity 2.0 - Guardians of the Galaxy Playset (3 hours)
This one seems to play more like a platformer than the other two. The game world seems smaller, too, small enough that I almost never used the vehicles, but means less time travelling. Some of the more collect-a-thony missions bugged me, though.
46. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Twilight of the Republic Playset (4 hours)
For a four hour campaign, Twilight of the Republic feels large. I guess that's what four hubs and a John Williams soundtrack does for a game. Oh, and giving enemies visible healthbars helps a lot.
47. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Rise Against the Empire Playset (3 hours)
Like Twilight of the Republic, this playset manages to capture a sense of scale despite its short length. Less of a combat focus in this one, though, and honestly, I'm finding the combat to be Disney Infinity 3's greatest strength. This one is more about piloting ships, which is feels somewhat off.
48. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Inside Out Playset (5 hours)
Compared to the rest of Disney Infinity, this one is a relatively straight-forward 2D and 3D platformer, even having a level select menu instead of a hub. It exposes that Disney Infinity's engine and controls weren't really made with heavy platforming in mind, but the level design itself is quite good and varied.
49. Disney Infinity 3.0 - The Force Awakens Playset (4 hours)
This rounds out the Star Wars playsets, and Disney Infinity as a whole, quite well. What really surprised me about this one, however, was that it made me a little nostalgic for a movie that came out less than two years ago. It's surprising how natural The Force Awakens feels as part of the Star Wars universe already.
50. Splatoon 2 (5+ hours)
Gasp! A non-Steam game? Anyway, Splatoon 2's campaign is roughly as fun as the first. Its biggest problem is Sheldon forcing you to use specific weapons every time you play a stage for the first time. Some of these weapons can be a real pain to use in some of these stages, though.
51. Super Bomberman R (1+ hours)
My first time really playing a Bomberman game. The main stages were fun, boss fights not so much.
52. Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones (4 hours)
Not much to say except Artifex Mundi makes some fine hidden object games.
53. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Marvel Battlegrounds Playset (1 hour)
I've started collecting the figures, and I may as well play the last two playsets on Xbox One if they're not on Steam. Anyway, short and fun fighting game, if somewhat shallow-feeling.
54. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Finding Dory Playset (4 hours)
This is the actual end of Disney Infinity's content, and it's not a great playset to end on. It's not bad, just mediocre. It's a very basic adventure with an emphasis on collectables, but it's not especially engaging in any way.
55. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (10+ hours)
It was a series highlight on Wii U, and it remains so on Switch.
56. Lit (45 minutes)
It's a cute and fun puzzle game, but it's too short for what it is.
57. Prey (2006) (5 hours)
A very fun shooter that makes good use of its gravity mechanics.
58. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (9 hours)
It's fun, but you'd think that after nine years of these Lego games (ignoring the three years since this game's release), Traveller's Tales would have refined the controls more than they have.
59. Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala (3 hours)
This is Artifex Mundi at their best. Great puzzles, great artwork, even a decent amount of suspense.
60. Thrillville: Off the Rails (4 hours)
As a theme park management sim, this is a very barebones game. However, it does have its charms as an adventure game and as a minigame collection.
61. Super Army of Tentacles 3: The Search for Army of Tentacles 2 (5 hours)
A charming little RPG/visual novel from one of NeoGAF's own developers. Some fights can be opaque in what you're supposed to say, though.
62. Dirt 3 (17 hours)
Really fun arcade racer that suffers from some painful Gymkhana events.
63. Bone: Out From Boneville (2 hours)
Telltale's first two adventure games, their Bone games, are an oddity among their catalog for being straight adaptations of their source material and for being part of an intended series that was never finished. Out From Boneville has its charms, including a decent variety of puzzles, but it suffers from low production values. Normally, I'd count seasons of games as a single entry, but Bone's episodes being original released standalone and the season being unfinished a decade later is having me enter both games onto my list separately.
64. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (36 hours)
Possibly the best game in the series, owing to the best cast, the best minigames, and a hell of a plot. One early game twist is bound to piss players off, though, and it soured the experience in my case.
65. SteamWorld Dig (4 hours)
Combining Metroidvanias and Minecaft-style mining games makes for an experience that's surprisingly hard to put down.
66. Refunct (30 minutes)
A relaxing half-hour platformer.
67. Scanner Sombre (1 hour)
This is a haunting, beautiful game that suffers mainly from an inconsistent tone and an unearned twist ending.
68. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (5 hours)
A very dark and psychological adventure game, and thanks to its moodiness and writing, it holds up quite well today.
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