i like to keep a list of games that are special to me for one reason or another! here's a list of them along with very brief descriptions:
favorites
- rain world - the purest expression of an artistic vision i've seen in a videogame, with worldbuilding like no other. i still find myself enjoying getting immersed in its derelict urban industrial environments ~300 hours in. there's nothing like it
- portal 2 - this whole game is like, a first person theatrical play taking place in a facility where every piece of machinery is alive and full of emotion. it's one of my earliest media hyperfixations
- tunic - i waited for this game for years and boy did it deliver. there's nothing out there like it, it perfectly manages to replicate the experience of growing up playing games where you didn't understand the language. its world is beautiful, riddled with dark mysteries, and puzzles that had me taking so many notes. also has some of the best sound design i've seen in a game.
- cobalt core - a very charming and cozy card game. i don't normally care for card games, but the characters in this are all so sweet and lovable and wonderfully written. it's one of those games where playing it feels like hanging out with friends. it also gets very emotional at times, and it has one of the best soundtracks of any of the games i've played.
- disco elysium - everything about this game is so wonderfully executed. i've had it described to me as "violently european". it's easily the best execution of "what if a book, but as a rpg videogame".
- half life 2 - it's really not that good of an FPS honestly, but its world and story are so easy for me to get immersed in. i love coming back to replaying it every now and then, it's very much a comfort game for me
- titanfall 2 - the last multiplayer pvp game i enjoyed playing, it was genuinely so much fun. its singleplayer campaign is also wonderful to play through, it's short and very tightly designed, definitely one of the best shooters i've played.
very special to me
- oneshot - a very meta game that has you going through your computer files to solve puzzles, the main character is adorable
- inscryption - a card game that kept surprising me with unexpected twists, completely transforming itself several times throughout the playthrough. never seen anything like this.
- cocoon - puzzle game with twists and outside of the box thinking that had me going WHAT YOU CAN DO THAT all the time
- far: lone sails; changing tides - vehicular exploration games, focus on satisfying big machinery, really scratches my train autism itch
- in other waters - you play as a swimsuit OS while exploring an alien planet’s ocean, really good narrative, love the UI design
- citizen sleeper - you’re a humanoid robot on a space station, your body comes with planned obsolescence, you have to try to survive while escaping from the corp that made you, it has really good writing
- citizen sleeper 2 - builds on top of the mechanics and story of the first one, the story feels a lot more personal than large-scale, i like it just as much as the first one if not more
- the beginner's guide - emotional meta narrative about the process of creating art. more of an art piece than a videogame
- kittenburst - the gameplay is really ass honestly but the vibes the music the environments the characters the story, it's all so good. i'd recommend watching a playthrough if you can't stand the gameplay like me
- signalis - east german space lesbian game. seriously though the gameplay is a lot like early silent hill type games but the VIBES are phenomenal and it's a really cool expressionist game
- great god grove - a very queer, wonderfully written story-focused game with lovely characters, great music and amazing artwork.
- easy delivery co. - a very cute little delivery driving game with ps1 style graphics. the vibes are phenomenal, the writing is very cute and sweet and the story is surprisingly emotional. it left a lasting impression on me.
- rain world: the watcher - a very enjoyable expansion to my favorite game that almost feels like a sequel. full review here
- adventures with anxiety - a free 30 minute visual novel style game where you play as anxiety. i feel like it seriously changed how i view my disorder and helped me deal with it better. play it here.
- in stars and time - a wonderfully written game with extremely relatable characters about depression, trauma and the importance of communicating your feelings
- 1000xRESIST - i don't understand how they came up with any of the ideas for this game. it all seems so unhinged on paper, but it works together so well to create a wonderfully executed narrative focused on generational trauma.
really enjoyed
- control - scp but as an AAA game, really wonderfully written and designed
- dredge - cosmic horror fishing, amazing vibes, chill gameplay
- chicory: a colorful tale - wonderful game about dealing with depression as an artist
- toem - super chill game where u just take pictures of things, it’s so sweet
- spiritfarer - guide many wonderful characters to their final resting place as you learn more about them and their lives. really chill gameplay, made me cry.
- observation - kinda like 2001 a space odyssey except you play as HAL (not literally) and there's just as much cosmic horror
- night in the woods - this one's really well known i think. a cat college dropout in her early 20s returning to her small hometown and weird things happen
- sayonara wild hearts - it's like a playable visualizer to an album, it flows so wonderfully. it's only like an hour long but a wonderful experience.
- inside - dark body horror sidescroller, kinda like limbo 2 (by the same devs too)
- stray - cat game. extremely overrated but i really enjoyed it for what it was, a cute little walking simulator with a nice world. should NOT have won best indie game over tunic.
- ultrakill - game's hard and it really frustrated me at first with how front and center it places your live performance rating but after getting over that i had a really good time with it
- crypt custodian - a cute little metroidvania with adorable characters and a really pretty art style
- manifold garden - a very pretty worldless puzzle game, it definitely has frustrating moments but the wonderful world, visuals, sound design and music more than make up for it