A Game for Each Year of My Life
One game per year. No runner-ups because I like to torture myself. I've seen other people do this and now I'm stealing the idea for my own. For an extra arbitrary challenge, I'm limiting it to one game per franchise because otherwise this list would be like 60% Yakuza and Final Fantasy.
I also have a companion list for movies over on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/alexalily/list/a-movie-for-each-year-of-my-life/
I also have a companion list for movies over on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/alexalily/list/a-movie-for-each-year-of-my-life/
32 Games
1991
I haven't played any games from the early 90s so this pick is based entirely on the Bubblegum Crash anime being cool. I assume that means that this game is also cool but I've never played it so there's no way to know for sure.
I haven't played any games from the early 90s so this pick is based entirely on the Bubblegum Crash anime being cool. I assume that means that this game is also cool but I've never played it so there's no way to know for sure.
1993
Cyberpunk AND vampires? What's not to like. I'll play this someday (eventually (probably)).
Cyberpunk AND vampires? What's not to like. I'll play this someday (eventually (probably)).
1994
Frankenstein was the first time I had to read a book for an English class, didn't read it, and did fine in the class anyway. I eventually read it later in life and it was cool.
Frankenstein was the first time I had to read a book for an English class, didn't read it, and did fine in the class anyway. I eventually read it later in life and it was cool.
1995
The first game on this list that I've actually played and I'm happy to report that this game absolutely rules. Once you get past the awkward controls it's a really fun game. It's some wild 90s nonsense in the best possible way.
The first game on this list that I've actually played and I'm happy to report that this game absolutely rules. Once you get past the awkward controls it's a really fun game. It's some wild 90s nonsense in the best possible way.
1996
This was the first game I ever owned and so it holds a special place in my heart. It helps a lot that it's an actual banger of a game. Probably hundreds of hours clocked in this in the backseat of my family's car as we make an eight hour drive to see family for holidays two or three times a year.
This was the first game I ever owned and so it holds a special place in my heart. It helps a lot that it's an actual banger of a game. Probably hundreds of hours clocked in this in the backseat of my family's car as we make an eight hour drive to see family for holidays two or three times a year.
1997
In grade school, one of my friends and I would pass this game back and forth every couple of days and talked about it constantly. It was the coolest thing ever to us then and it continues to be one of the coolest things ever. A lot of people will tell you that the game's balance is horribly broken and that that's a bad thing but they're wrong: the balance being horribly broken is good, actually.
In grade school, one of my friends and I would pass this game back and forth every couple of days and talked about it constantly. It was the coolest thing ever to us then and it continues to be one of the coolest things ever. A lot of people will tell you that the game's balance is horribly broken and that that's a bad thing but they're wrong: the balance being horribly broken is good, actually.
1998
Legitimately the best esport game ever. I spent several years in highschool and college watching absurdly good Korean pros play this game and push it to limits that I never even knew possible.
Legitimately the best esport game ever. I spent several years in highschool and college watching absurdly good Korean pros play this game and push it to limits that I never even knew possible.
1999
1999 is the first year heavily effected by my "one game per franchise" rule. Even though it's probably my third favorite game from this year, it's still extremely good and was one of the first point and click adventure games I played and actually enjoyed.
1999 is the first year heavily effected by my "one game per franchise" rule. Even though it's probably my third favorite game from this year, it's still extremely good and was one of the first point and click adventure games I played and actually enjoyed.
2000
When we first got a PSX (we got a psone, the little round version, around the time of the PS2 launch) my sister and I each got to pick out one game. I got Final Fantasy Tactics and she picked out Dragon Warrior VII. We both tried to play this game a bunch but could never get very far in it and eventually our parents got us a copy of the strategy guide so we could actually make significant progress in it. I still never did get around to beating it because it's a million years long but it holds a special place in my heart nonetheless.
When we first got a PSX (we got a psone, the little round version, around the time of the PS2 launch) my sister and I each got to pick out one game. I got Final Fantasy Tactics and she picked out Dragon Warrior VII. We both tried to play this game a bunch but could never get very far in it and eventually our parents got us a copy of the strategy guide so we could actually make significant progress in it. I still never did get around to beating it because it's a million years long but it holds a special place in my heart nonetheless.
2001
Cheating slightly since this is the expansion and not the basegame but you could say Lord of Destruction is just as important to the overall experience as original Diablo II is.
Diablo II is an all-time classic that I don't think I can ever go back to again. It's a fantastic game that popularized a whole genre but it's been so iterated upon with other games that Diablo II itself is a bit rough to go back to. I still love it despite that, I'm just going to keep it in my memory for now.
Cheating slightly since this is the expansion and not the basegame but you could say Lord of Destruction is just as important to the overall experience as original Diablo II is.
Diablo II is an all-time classic that I don't think I can ever go back to again. It's a fantastic game that popularized a whole genre but it's been so iterated upon with other games that Diablo II itself is a bit rough to go back to. I still love it despite that, I'm just going to keep it in my memory for now.
2002
Syberia is another game in the "point and click game that made me like point and click games" genre. It's got solid gameplay, a cool aesthetic, a good story with fun characters, and a great soundtrack. The series has had its ups and downs but the original is a classic.
Syberia is another game in the "point and click game that made me like point and click games" genre. It's got solid gameplay, a cool aesthetic, a good story with fun characters, and a great soundtrack. The series has had its ups and downs but the original is a classic.
2003
I don't play many spooky or scary games but I'm glad I was able to put my fears aside and play this game. Streaming my first playthrough of this and chatting with a couple friends as I made my way through it is one of my favorite memories of streaming random bullshit from time to time.
I don't play many spooky or scary games but I'm glad I was able to put my fears aside and play this game. Streaming my first playthrough of this and chatting with a couple friends as I made my way through it is one of my favorite memories of streaming random bullshit from time to time.
2004
In college I bought a used PS2 off a friend and picked up a handful of games that were considered important classics, including Katamari. I fell in love with it instantly and played it over and over during my freshman year. I showed it to all my friends and got a few of them into the multiplayer even though it probably wasn't a very good way to play the game.
In college I bought a used PS2 off a friend and picked up a handful of games that were considered important classics, including Katamari. I fell in love with it instantly and played it over and over during my freshman year. I showed it to all my friends and got a few of them into the multiplayer even though it probably wasn't a very good way to play the game.
2005
I convinced my parents to buy this for me on a whim while we were out shopping at Kmart or something and am so happy I did. This is probably the single game I've put the most hours into and loved it constantly. I still go back to it once or twice a year, start a new character, and replay all my favorite bits of it.
I convinced my parents to buy this for me on a whim while we were out shopping at Kmart or something and am so happy I did. This is probably the single game I've put the most hours into and loved it constantly. I still go back to it once or twice a year, start a new character, and replay all my favorite bits of it.
2006
Brave Story is a cool game and I think it's a bit of an underrated gem but it's probably the first game on this list that I don't have much actual affection for. But it's better than most anything else from 2006 that I played, so it gets the slot.
Brave Story is a cool game and I think it's a bit of an underrated gem but it's probably the first game on this list that I don't have much actual affection for. But it's better than most anything else from 2006 that I played, so it gets the slot.
2007
2007 is one of those years that is considered to have a lot of high-tier bangers in it: Portal, Mario Galaxy, Bioshock, Halo 3, Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4, to name a few. But I haven't played any of those. I did, however, play Mass Effect. It's a good game and I like it but I suspect if I went back to it now the way my personal politics have changed would make me enjoy the adventures of kinda-fascist supercop Shepard quite a bit less. But also I love Liara, so who could say.
2007 is one of those years that is considered to have a lot of high-tier bangers in it: Portal, Mario Galaxy, Bioshock, Halo 3, Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4, to name a few. But I haven't played any of those. I did, however, play Mass Effect. It's a good game and I like it but I suspect if I went back to it now the way my personal politics have changed would make me enjoy the adventures of kinda-fascist supercop Shepard quite a bit less. But also I love Liara, so who could say.
2008
I really haven't played very much from 2008. Gravity Bone is cool, though.
I really haven't played very much from 2008. Gravity Bone is cool, though.
2009
A few years ago, my computer died and needed to have some components replaced and Windows reinstalled so while I was working on that and waiting for things to arrive and install, I got out my Wii U and committed to playing the handful of games I had for it, including the Bayonetta games. I'm so glad I did because these games absolutely rule. Bayonetta is a cool character and I love the style of these games. 2 is probably a better game than 1 but something else gets the 2014 slot so I have to put 1 in here.
A few years ago, my computer died and needed to have some components replaced and Windows reinstalled so while I was working on that and waiting for things to arrive and install, I got out my Wii U and committed to playing the handful of games I had for it, including the Bayonetta games. I'm so glad I did because these games absolutely rule. Bayonetta is a cool character and I love the style of these games. 2 is probably a better game than 1 but something else gets the 2014 slot so I have to put 1 in here.
2010
Doing a little bit of cheating here again because Civ V really desperately needs the expansion packs to turn it from an okay game into a great game.
I don't play a ton of big strategy/4X games like this but I got way into Civ V for a while there. I got to the point of reliably being able to play on the hardest difficulty and win matches and it was so satisfying to do.
Doing a little bit of cheating here again because Civ V really desperately needs the expansion packs to turn it from an okay game into a great game.
I don't play a ton of big strategy/4X games like this but I got way into Civ V for a while there. I got to the point of reliably being able to play on the hardest difficulty and win matches and it was so satisfying to do.
2011
I'm not hugely passionate about this game but it barely edges out Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the 2011 slot. 7th Dragon is a cool game and people should play it. Is it amazing? No. Is it fun and good? Absolutely.
I'm not hugely passionate about this game but it barely edges out Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the 2011 slot. 7th Dragon is a cool game and people should play it. Is it amazing? No. Is it fun and good? Absolutely.
2012
Spelunky is one of the best games ever made and is one of the only games that I would ever describe as actually being a perfect game.
Spelunky is one of the best games ever made and is one of the only games that I would ever describe as actually being a perfect game.
2013
Gone Home is probably one of (or maybe The) first game I played with an openly and obviously queer main character and story? And I played it at a time in my life when I was pretty deep in my feelings with regards to questioning sexuality so it's a pretty important game for me. The fact that it's an all-time great doesn't hurt either.
Gone Home is probably one of (or maybe The) first game I played with an openly and obviously queer main character and story? And I played it at a time in my life when I was pretty deep in my feelings with regards to questioning sexuality so it's a pretty important game for me. The fact that it's an all-time great doesn't hurt either.
2014
TRI is one of my favorite games ever. It's an exquisitely designed hidden gem of a puzzle game. It's something that I love to bits. After I first played through it, I immediately went back and played it a second time, then found all the little bonus statues, and listened to all the developer commentary, and after that I still wanted more so I started speedrunning it and earlier this year I was even able to get it on a GDQ stream. It's hugely important to me both as a game and as a thing that got me into a hobby that I was otherwise just on the fringes of. I cannot overstate just how dearly important this game is to me.
TRI is one of my favorite games ever. It's an exquisitely designed hidden gem of a puzzle game. It's something that I love to bits. After I first played through it, I immediately went back and played it a second time, then found all the little bonus statues, and listened to all the developer commentary, and after that I still wanted more so I started speedrunning it and earlier this year I was even able to get it on a GDQ stream. It's hugely important to me both as a game and as a thing that got me into a hobby that I was otherwise just on the fringes of. I cannot overstate just how dearly important this game is to me.
2015
I love the Yakuza series a lot and it started when I played Yakuza 0 in 2018. Since then, I've played nearly all of RGG Studio's games and can pretty confidently say that 0 is probably the best one they've ever made. It's Yakuza firing on all cylinders.
I love the Yakuza series a lot and it started when I played Yakuza 0 in 2018. Since then, I've played nearly all of RGG Studio's games and can pretty confidently say that 0 is probably the best one they've ever made. It's Yakuza firing on all cylinders.
2016
I don't play a lot of shooters so maybe take this with a grain of salt but the Titanfall 2 campaign is one of the best single player experiences ever. It's short and focused but still has a great variety of levels in terms of one-off mechanics, design, and aesthetics. It's incredibly fun and I go back from time to time to play through it again and again. I really hope Respawn can free themselves from the Apex mines long enough to make a TF3 some day.
I don't play a lot of shooters so maybe take this with a grain of salt but the Titanfall 2 campaign is one of the best single player experiences ever. It's short and focused but still has a great variety of levels in terms of one-off mechanics, design, and aesthetics. It's incredibly fun and I go back from time to time to play through it again and again. I really hope Respawn can free themselves from the Apex mines long enough to make a TF3 some day.
2017
The world needs more magical girl JRPGs. I don't replay games often but after I got the platinum trophy on PS4, I immediately bought it on PC and got all the achievements there as well. After that I still wanted more so I messed around with speedrunning it. It's a fantastic game that I think is pretty underrated and unfairly overlooked largely because of the aesthetics.
The world needs more magical girl JRPGs. I don't replay games often but after I got the platinum trophy on PS4, I immediately bought it on PC and got all the achievements there as well. After that I still wanted more so I messed around with speedrunning it. It's a fantastic game that I think is pretty underrated and unfairly overlooked largely because of the aesthetics.
2018
2018 was a tough choice because it was between two games that I very dearly love but I decided on Timespinner because it's been on my mind a lot lately. It's queer, it's antifacist, and it's one of the few metroidvanias that keeps my attention long enough to actually finish it. And the soundtrack is wall-to-wall bangers too.
2018 was a tough choice because it was between two games that I very dearly love but I decided on Timespinner because it's been on my mind a lot lately. It's queer, it's antifacist, and it's one of the few metroidvanias that keeps my attention long enough to actually finish it. And the soundtrack is wall-to-wall bangers too.
2019
Anime Vampire Souls-like is like an activation phrase that makes me go rabid. It's a perfect confluence of things that I vibe with and I think it nails every aspect of it. Many people will tell you it's too easy but I'm terrible at Souls-like games so it's the perfect difficulty for me. It's unfortunate that the DLC is so lackluster, though.
Anime Vampire Souls-like is like an activation phrase that makes me go rabid. It's a perfect confluence of things that I vibe with and I think it nails every aspect of it. Many people will tell you it's too easy but I'm terrible at Souls-like games so it's the perfect difficulty for me. It's unfortunate that the DLC is so lackluster, though.
2020
Picross/nonograms are my logic puzzle of choice and it's pretty uncommon to see a picross game with a narrative. I hope this leads to more games like this one because I really enjoyed it a lot. It's fun and cute and has a great soundtrack.
Picross/nonograms are my logic puzzle of choice and it's pretty uncommon to see a picross game with a narrative. I hope this leads to more games like this one because I really enjoyed it a lot. It's fun and cute and has a great soundtrack.
2021
This year had so many bangers!! Legitimately hard choice, here!! Eight-thirty nowhere, Two Girls Punch Me Repeatedly, Sable, Minute of Islands, Froggy Pot, Winter, Blue Reflection 2, Doomday dreamgirl!! Hot damn, what a good year 2021 was for games. But I gotta go with the best witch there is, Vasilisa.
This year had so many bangers!! Legitimately hard choice, here!! Eight-thirty nowhere, Two Girls Punch Me Repeatedly, Sable, Minute of Islands, Froggy Pot, Winter, Blue Reflection 2, Doomday dreamgirl!! Hot damn, what a good year 2021 was for games. But I gotta go with the best witch there is, Vasilisa.
2022
Roxy's game is good!! Y'alls should play Roxy's game if you haven't!!!
2022 has so many games that look laser targeted at me but I barely played anything in 2022 so those will have to wait for the future for a chance at dethroning Post-Disclosure Devil's Night for this slot.
Roxy's game is good!! Y'alls should play Roxy's game if you haven't!!!
2022 has so many games that look laser targeted at me but I barely played anything in 2022 so those will have to wait for the future for a chance at dethroning Post-Disclosure Devil's Night for this slot.
AlexaLily
1 year ago