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[Iva Demilcol]

INSIDE

A great game with amazing graphics, great animation, weird story and a lot of variation in game mechanics so the game always feel fresh and no puzzles get overused, it's so fresh that you unlock new game mechanics 15 minutes before the ending of the game.

 

[Stoze]

In a year with both Deus Ex and Dishonored sequels, Quadrilateral Cowboy secretly takes the throne as the best immersive sim for me.

Also don't sleep on Shadow Tactics which just came out today, the demo was great and early reviews seem very positive.

 

[Auctopus]

Bound.

It's low-key one of the best platformers of the year.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Bound.

It's low-key one of the best platformers of the year.

Literally forgot the game came out lol.

 

[LowlySmokeGuy]

I don't have anything to contribute, but I was just wondering what the game is in the OP where the samurai is getting a hole blown through his chest by a shotgun

Never mind just noticed the list that matches with the pictures.

 

[Beckx]

there are two games that are going to be in my top three for the year that i want to mention

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight

The fourth game in the Momodora series. 2D metroidvania style game with lovely pixel art and an amazing soundtrack. a lot of us refer to it as "souls inspired" not because it's replicating the combat style (it's not) or the mechanics (it's not) but because the art style and the storytelling feel reminiscent of what Miyazaki does in his games. the game features excellent platforming & super solid combat mechanics and a lot of replayability. it's great. you should play it. it's on Steam now and coming to PS4 next year.

Blue Revolver

this indie shmup came out of nowhere for me and i love it to death. it's my favorite new shmup in a long, long time. the soundtrack for this game is sooooo good and similar to genre greats like some of CAVE's best. i adore the character designs and the overall art and presentation are top notch. replayability is MASSIVE and unlike many other shmups these days, the free play mode is NOT available from the start (you have to earn points to unlock it - which in turn makes you really learn the ins and outs of the system more, I think). i haven't beaten it yet (i spend my points on other stuff rather than free play), but man the accomplishment of getting to level 4 felt soooo good. buy this game!

 

[KennyL]

Let it die gotta win something but don't know what

 

[LordofPwn]

The Witness - Came out early this year and is a GOTY contender for me. if a game can have an impact on me while not playing it then it's something special.

 

[Big_Al]

I don't have anything to contribute, but I was just wondering what the game is in the OP where the samurai is getting a hole blown through his chest by a shotgun

Never mind just noticed the list that matches with the pictures.

Yeah it's Shadow Warrior 2, cracking game too

 

[Arion]

Furi is absolutely worth trying if you'r a up for a challenge. it's a boss rush game and every single boss has a unique look, personality and fighting style. There is very little fluff to the game and the aspects it focuses on are highly polished and stylish.

 

[callmeCata]

I would say Hyper Light Drifter.

Awesome soundtrack, tight fast combat and awesome art style.

 

[Pellaidh]

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner
If expansions/DLC count for GOTY, then Zubmariner will easily be at the top of my list. Sunless Sea was already one of the most inventive and brilliantly written games since Planescape: Torment, and the expansion makes it even better. A must play if you value good writing or interesting and bizarre worlds.

Xanadu Next
Even though it was originally released as a Japan only title in 2005, this still holds up very well today. A sort of mix between Diablo (but with combat that requires good positioning, particularly in its boss fights) with metroidvania styled exploration where new abilities unlock areas of the world.

Tyranny
I wasn't the biggest fan of Pillars of Eternity. Save for two excellent companions, its world and characters felt bland and uninteresting. Tyranny fixes this by giving its players an original world full of interesting factions and decisions and no clear distinction between good and evil. After I finished the game, I was very much surprised when the end game recap of my decisions showed consequences of things I didn't even think I could influence, as well as finding out that there was an entire faction that I could have supported that I didn't even know I could. Definitely give it a look if you've been ignoring it due to its similarities to Pillars of Eternity or just want a game with an interesting world that reacts well to your choices.

Twilight Struggle
A PC port of one of the most well regarded modern board games out there. Great mix of a war game and a card game set in a very overlooked cold war setting.

 

[Slythe]

I'd say Amplitude which will almost certainly be forgotten considering it's smaller than the original and launched literally less than a week into 2016.

Also Enter the Gungeon which was a magnificent blend of twin-stick shooter and rogue-like that has an old-school Zelda aesthetic. Excellent game!

This game has been forgotten by seemingly everyone. I've gone back to it throughout the year and consider myself a fan of the series now - and this 2016 remake was my introduction to the series.

They should release on PS+ to increase install base and then drop DLC because the gameplay is stellar.

 

[redcrayon]

Stranger of Sword City
Probably the most well-rounded dungeon crawler I've played in ages. Original concept in that the protagonist is a refugee from our world, along with several others, and such 'strangers' are much stronger in that world). Makes a nice change from all non-human races being 'like human, but better'. Good dungeon design, and a perfect difficulty curve, for me at least. Didn't need any grinding, just decent tactics to beat even the tougher bosses. Possible perma-death kept me on my toes when pressing forwards too, but it was very gentle compared to some titles.

Fire Emblem: Fates
Wasn't keen on the story, but what gets left out about FE: Fates is that removing weapon durability and giving weapons different properties instead opened the game and tactics up really well. Now, instead of hoarding good weapons and using crap ones the whole campaign, you can assign weapons with exotic abilities to people, they just have a trade-off somewhere else instead, in addition to needing high-level weapon profiency. Revelations was a great campaign, and answered a lot of questions too.

Monster Hunter:Generations
I poured 230 hours into this, and it filled all my wishes about being a FF Dragoon as I combined lances with Aerial Style to fight monsters I first fought years ago with increased agility. Loved it. Not the best Mh for beginners but can't fault it for amount of content, free online and tailoring your hunting style. Even playing offline I poured 80+ hours into it.

Darkest Dungeon
Perfectly captures that 'one more room?' gamble that the best dungeon crawlers have, except you're balancing loss of characters along with loss of their sanity and loss of progress. Makes even small combat decisions matter, which is a great achievement in this kind of game.

 

[jacobeid]

Hyper Light Drifter because it's the GOTY nobody played.

The music, atmosphere, style, and gameplay are masterful, especially with the recent 60fps update.

Hyperlight Drifter is one of the best games I've played ever, let alone this year.

The atmosphere and sense of exploration through a destroyed, but beautiful world is amazing. The combat is sublime, it's difficult enough that beating bosses or clusters of enemies makes you feel accomplished, but doesn't get frustrating.

The art style and sound design are gorgeous. It's like a cross between Zelda and a twitchy arcade game.

This. I really think it's one of the best games ever made.

 

[Greddleok]

Hyperlight Drifter is one of the best games I've played ever, let alone this year.

The atmosphere and sense of exploration through a destroyed, but beautiful world is amazing. The combat is sublime, it's difficult enough that beating bosses or clusters of enemies makes you feel accomplished, but doesn't get frustrating.

The art style and sound design are gorgeous. It's like a cross between Zelda and a twitchy arcade game.

 

[Jmille99]

Since I hadnt seen it mentioned and its easily up there in my top 3 for the year, I want to share so e love with Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. Put so much time in that game and satisfied me in the Pokemon sense that the Pokemon series hasnt since Red/Blue.

 

[Stevey]

What games do you want us to not overlook?

This double negative is confusing me.

 

[RoKKeR]

Inside.

One of the most memorable experiences I've ever had with a game. By far and away the best game of the yea IMO.

 

[Zeeman]

Pocket Card Jockey

For just $7, you get a solitaire/ horse racing hybrid with a completely insane story, a great soundtrack and incredibly addictive gameplay. This game is fantastic, you can breed a robot horse, and it even has a great demo that takes you through your first horse, and you can transfer your progress to the main game.

For real, there are some excellent tunes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiOdzgHxeFE&list=PL47vq3g0IDNI1_A1PG9I0u5hUEVXzauJv&index=16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFqotzItgzw&index=21&list=PL47vq3g0IDNI1_A1PG9I0u5hUEVXzauJv

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Since I hadnt seen it mentioned and its easily up there in my top 3 for the year, I want to share so e love with Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. Put so much time in that game and satisfied me in the Pokemon sense that the Pokemon series hasnt since Red/Blue.

WHOA. Forgot Cyber Sleuth came out this year. I remember being part of those petitions for it to come out for so long that I kind of forgot it was part of this year.

This double negative is confusing me.

There's nothing confusing about the question. Don't be a pedantic ass.

 

[noire]

deleted

 

[Peroroncino]

Salt and Sanctuary - best indie I've ever played, dethroned Undertale and Hotline Miami 1
Killing Floor 2 - this is how you do cooperative zombie shooter
Mother Russia Bleeds - Streets of Rage, but with top notch pixel gore

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

This double negative is confusing me.

That's not even a double negative.

 

[Vazra]

The House in Fata Morgana is an amazing visual novel that deserves to be seen by more people.This is my favorite game of the year.

Also a mention for Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight. Perfect atmosphere, tight gameplay and memorable cast. Runner up GOTY for me

 

[NegativeCero]

The Trails of Cold Steel games were the best JRPGs released this year (P5 is Japan only so far, so I don't count it.)

All this love for House in Fata Morgana is making me want to finally start that up.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

The Trails of Cold Steel games were the best JRPGs released this year (P5 is Japan only so far, so I don't count it.)

All this love for House in Fata Morgana is making me want to finally start that up.

Besides that it's a lesser known series and on a niche platform, I guess unfortunately for Trails it's biggest issue is being a JRPG sequel. I'd love to play it but I just never had time to finish the first one.

 

[SirNinja]

I hope that INSIDE doesn't get forgotten because of how small and obscure it is.

Inside is one of the more well-known indies at the moment. Hell, it was even up for GOTY at the Game Awards alongside the predictable AAA contenders. Plus they just released the first sixth of the game as a free demo recently. Word of mouth is going to continue to do it pretty well.

This double negative is confusing me.

Probably because it isn't one.

 

[lt519]

Pocket Card Jockey and Alienation are both top 5 games for me this year. Not played by a lot of people which is a shame. Pocket Card Jockey is like crack, it's such a simple blend of two gameplay mechanics that is massively deep with an incredible gameplay loop. I've never played a game with such a strong "one more" hook. A lot of charm to boot.

Alienation is such a great twin stick Diablo-ish lite game from the makers of Resogun that didn't get enough love. It's absurdly stunning in motion, controls amazing, and has had fantastic post launch support with free updates to add co-op couch mode, weekly and daily missions, added difficulties, and season ladders.

 

[Aaron D.]

Stephen's Sausage Roll gets my vote.

I was just tabulating my annual Top 10 list today and to my surprise, SSR took top spot.

 

[MrS]

SALT AND SANCTUARY

 

[Catvoca]

The House In Fata Morgana.

An incredible, well-written, perfectly paced story.

The House in Fata Morgana is an amazing visual novel that deserves to be seen by more people.This is my favorite game of the year.

Also a mention for Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight. Perfect atmosphere, tight gameplay and memorable cast. Runner up GOTY for me

You've sold me, i'm going to have to check this out after i've finished Steins;Gate 0.

 

[Rock And Roll]

Came to post Rhythm Heaven Mechanic and I'm glad to see it's already gotten a lot of love. The amount of content is massive and I'm still not done with it. Perfect to just pick up and play in short bursts and as always, the gameplay and music are top notch. I originally scoffed at the price (especially since I'm Canadian), but it was worth every penny.

I've been meaning to try Hyper Light Drifter and Enter The Dungeon but I'm still waiting on a PSN sale. Hopefully it comes soon because I really want to play them!

 

[Neptonic]

👏THE 👏 WITNESS 👏 FOR 👏 GOTY 👏

Or Stardew Valley, SUPERHOT, Kirby Planet Robobot, Hitman, and so many others.

The dream is for Titanfall 2 to pick up some awards hopefully.

 

[blame space]

megamix owns

i gotta play hyper light drifter

 

[WooHooAlex]

Tricky Towers and Ratchet & Clank were definitely some of my favorite games this year and deserve recognition.

 

[BigEmil]

- Let it Die

- Bound

- Drain Quest Builders

- Recore

- Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

The Witness. It's my second favorite puzzle game of all time, behind Portal 2. No game has made me feel so smart after solving some of the puzzles.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Root Double ~ Before Crime * After Days:
This is definitely one of the best visual novels released in English in recent years. It's a great, and at times very tense, game about a group of people trapped in a nuclear facility that has a reactor melting down, and they have very little time in which to escape. Throw in some psychic powers (handled in a pretty interesting way), some conspiracies, terrorists, a murder mystery, and plenty more and you have a really interesting game. Folks who loved 999 should be right at home, as it's a similar type of game, but with much stronger character development and with "twists" that hold up better and have proper foreshadowing and payoff.

If you found yourself let down by Zero Time Dilemma, you owe it yourself to wash that out with a truly great sci-fi story.

It's on Steam. If you have any interest in this sort of story, definitely give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II:
Okay, this is a tough one to sell in December as the 100 hour direct sequel to another 100 hour RPG, but if you get a chance, you absolutely need to play Cold Steel II. It's a really excellent RPG that improves upon everything from the first Cold Steel, and is my favorite of the localized Trails games so far. The two game long arcs pay off really well, and the game's NPC dialogue remains in top form as in all previous titles. Some of the side quests and just general wrap up from dialogue in the Epilogue just left me feeling so melancholic about the game coming to an end. It says a lot about the game when I can still tell you about my favorite townspeople and sidequests months after completing it. The main story gets pretty exciting, too, particularly the Intermission and the Finale. And the decision to make the game more open than previous games works out really nicely.

If I was to have one major complaint, it's simply that the difficulty is too low. Even on Hard I felt like I had very little challenge throughout most of the game, aside from a handful of boss fights. But this game, and the whole Trails series in general, is definitely not something you want to miss out on.

Available on PS3 and Vita.

 

[Tesser]

I often come up with a list of top stand-alone moments in games released that year (something of which I might even publish in some way or another) and this level is likely going to be among them: simple, quick, tense and all the more satisfying to finally get right. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT.

As for games (in the sense they should at the very least be featured in top lists at some point or another):
Pony Island
Owlboy
The Final Station
Oxenfree
Redout (massively overlooked, even by futuristic racer fans imho)
Seraph
Furi
Bravely Second: End Layer (you could consider it AA-tier but you'd agree it's not mainstream/AAA levels)
Hue
HoPiKo
Quadrilateral Cowboy
Shadow Warrior 2
Firewatch
Event[0]

 

[Gigglepoo]

I was disappointed to see that only three sites even bothered to review Imbroglio. It's in iOS roguelike that has dominated my gaming time of late and one of my favorite recent games. Poor mobile doesn't get any love.

 

[specdot]

Tricky Towers was surprisingly enjoyable.

My vote. Tricky Towers is so good.

 

[Bamboo]

Stephen's Sausage Roll gets my vote.

I was just tabulating my annual Top 10 list today and to my surprise, SSR took top spot.

Came to post Stephen's Sausage Roll, too. I think most of the people who played it will mention it some way or another. It's hard not to appreciate it's no-bullshit attitude in terms of gameplay, cutting away ALL unnecessary handholding to deliver a seemingly simple, but ever more complex growing puzzle game, that never even once repeats itself. At first it's hard as fuck, but only because it knows you can take it. And that level design is easily among the best of its kind. And it's also the most satisfying game. Beating a puzzle is pure joy, even in comparison with different puzzle titles. Unlike (the great) Picross, it never even once feels like more of the same. Every level is its own challenge.