This was a last-minute addition to the list, as I struggled to come up with a 10th game until this dropped. I may not still regularly play the game, but I had a great time with DKO: Divine Knockout. It's basically Super Smash Bros, but 3d and all of the gaming mascots are different mythical gods. It's surprisingly enjoyable to knock enemies off of stages and barely avoid getting thrown out myself. Plus, I mainly played it on Steam Deck, and it feels right at home on that platform. The only hang-up I have is that the monetization hooks are so deep into the game that it feels like a freed-2-play game, but as of now, you can only pay for it. But even so, I highly recommend trying it out for the $10 is does cost.

Midnight Fight Express is a really fun game. I think that it legitimately might have the most varied and satisfying melee combat system of all time, in any game. Once you fill out the skill tree near the end, you start running through enemies and toying with them with all sorts of grappling hooks and improvised weaponry. I can't get over how good the combat is, but the story and juvenile, referential humor is on the level of a Newgrounds flash game. Its narrative does have twists and turns, but it's just so silly that I had a hard time taking any of it seriously. But once I started skipping the cutscenes, I enjoyed the game much more. Definitely worth playing!

Shadow Warrior 3 is the least ambitious game on this list, but sometimes, the basics by themselves can hit if they're done well. Yes, I miss the looter shooter aspects, dozens of weapons, and RPG elements of Shadow Warrior 2, but this sequel is still a solidly fun time. It's basically the glory kills of Doom 2016 with eh movement of Titanfall 2, and turns out that's a winning combo. The story is just as silly as previous games, through the production values are noticeably higher, but the story doesn't stick with me at all. But ripping out enemies' innards to use as a limited-time power on other enemies was so much fun that the gameplay alone got it a spot on this list.

In a perfect world, Bayonetta 3 wouldn't just be my favorite game of the year, but it'd be one of my favorite games of all time. But in this world, it's not even in my top 10, and there are a bunch of reasons for that. Bayonetta 3 has some of the highest highs of the franchise. Its multiversal story shows you some alternate versions of the core cast that I absolutely adored, and they each give you weapons and abilities that are almost always more fun than the rest. And some of the setpieces in this game are mind-bogglingly insane. But outside of those few moments, and the creativity of the weapons, almost the entire rest of the game is holding it down. The Switch shows its age so much in this game, as its massively open environments are damn near barren, the resolution of everything but Bayonetta's model is noticeably pixelated, and playing as the new character, Viola, is only ever more frustrating. Fans come to these games, in part, for the slow-motion dodge. So, to force us to learn a, very narrow, parry timing window instead is just brutal. But worst of all, the story, while it does have its moments, feels like it betrays the core fanbase with its baffling ending, even if it does feel a bit inevitable. Most of the reasons I love these games are found in Bayonetta 3, but the things that aren't there are replaced with bad ideas that make the entire experience leave a bad taste in my mouth. As well, at least I still have the first 2 games.

I can confidently say that I've never played a game like Metal: Hellsinger. It's basically Doom 2016 but to the beat of metal music. I am not a metal fan or even a listener, plus I'm not great at rhythm games. But after a few tries, I was nailing high-score combos without breaking a sweat. There's a story, but it's pretty easy for me to forget about it in favor of the pure thrill of slaying to the beat. I never knew you could make boomer shooter-style gunplay even more satisfying, but little did I know beat matching would do it. I even came to enjoy some of the metal tracks in the game and found myself head-banging along while playing. And at only about 3-4 hours long, it can't possibly overstay its welcome. Highly recommend it!

It wasn't until a recent episode of the Players' Club Podcast over at VGU.TV that I realized that I am nowhere near done with Nightmare Reaper. This roguelike, classic Doom-style shooter actually has 3 different episodes, and I've only made it deep into the first one after nearly 8 hours. But that's more than enough time for me to be impressed by this game. When I say Doom style, I mean it, as it blends the 16-bit spires of Doom with the 3D environments and assets of something like Quake. But the game has so much environmental variety that this art style never felt stale. But the variety in the enemies and weapons is so much more impressive. There are literally dozens of different kinds of enemies, and seemingly hundreds of different weapons as well. With this being a roguelike, the levels, and weapons are randomly generated. But it takes a page out of my beloved Shadow Warrior 2's book by having a few dozen base weapons whose attributes are randomized with loot, so getting used to one weapon type is still worth doing just in case you get an upgrade to that type down in the line. And the weapons are way more than typical shotguns and pistols. Not only are there multiple kinds of shotguns and pistols, but also multiple kinds of grenade and rocket launchers, SMGs, LMGs, assault riffles, marksman rifles, sniper rifles, magic staffs, swords & shields, maces, chainsaws, and so much more. The game feels like a hodgepodge of every shooter trope ever and the game is all the better for all the variety this kitchen sink approach provides. I know I got a lot more ahead of me, including a grappling hook, but I've had so much fun carving up zombies, soldiers, and monsters in the few hours I've played. Plus, the game is perfect on Steam Deck, so I hope to hope back in and see it through to the end.

I feel like it's illegal for anyone to make a list like this and not have Elden Ring in it. But I was nearly about to break that law, as I had no hype for the game and didn't plan on playing it. But the discussion around the game was just impossible to ignore for months, so once I was able to find the game for a discount, I jumped on it. I'll admit, I picked the wrong class at the start, so my first few hours were so frustrating I abandoned the game. But after some recommendations, I swapped classes and finally began to see what everyone else saw in the game. While UI loves The Surge 2, this was the longest I've played a From Software game since the 4 hours I put into Bloodborne. I still have yet to beat the game, but after 25 hours, I feel like I've experienced more than enough to know I really, really like the game. Now, when it comes to the story, in From Software fashion, is so indirect and in the background that, to me, it might as well not have a story. But the satisfaction of getting my teeth kicked in, only to explore more of the map and return to get my lick back. And again, playing this on Steam Deck made the game so much more fun to play. I really want to play more someday, and until I make the time for it, it will say permanently installed on my Steam Deck.

Sometimes I can't help but fall in love with a game that just makes my brain go burr. Sometimes I don't want an epic story of the deepest mechanical depth, I just wanna watch the numbers go up. Vampire Survivors is absolutely the most enjoyable game to give me that sensation all of last year. Its gameplay is so minimal that I'd argue that it's only one step up from the barely any gameplay of something like my beloved Cookie Clicker. But honestly, that's kinda the reason I fell in love with it. All I have to worry about is dodging enemies and collecting gems, and that's more than enough engagement t keep me playing for hours, especially on Steam Deck. Seeing just how far I could go in a run was always a blast, and I'm sure to be revisiting it and its many imitators often for a very long time.

If you're new to these parts, then you should know that I am not a Nintendo fan. I didn't grow up playing Nintendo exclusives much as a kid. And as a Sony fan, one who became one right in the middle of the PS3 generation, I was always jaded when people gushed about the wonder and whimsy they felt when playing Mario, Zelda, Metroid, or other Nintendo games. There are still some of those franchises I still want to play more of now, but this mindset has stuck with me a bit.

Well, that was until Kirby and the Forgotten Land melted a lot of that away. I've been interested in Kirby for several years, but the fact they were only ever 2D games, and due to one old childhood acquaintance talking about the game to the point of me being annoyed with him AND the series, I never played any of the games. But after falling in love with New Super Lucky's Tale, seeing another 3D platformer done in that style excited me.

And I was right to be hyped for it! Every moment of Forgotten Land was either adorable, engaging, exciting, delightfully absurd, or some combination of the 4. Even when running at an inconsistent, unlocked framerate, the simple artstyle always dazzled. And the abilities only get more destructively creative as you play. And oh yea, did I mention that this game is PAINFULLY cute? And it has the ending of a fuckin Platinum game! Oh, I could go on, but I've said plenty, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is my favorite Nintendo game now (not including Bayonetta since Sega makes that) and I can't wait to play a follow-up, hopefully on hardware that can run it properly.

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my favorite games of all time. I loved the scrappiness of fights, where resource management and dodging are just as important as dealing damage. I loved most of the story, as the lore and backstory blew my mind while the present-tense story didn't quite stick with me as much. And I love just how it looked, as its clash of nature and high tech made for one of the most unique-looking games I ever played. When they announced Forbidden West, I knew that all these elements would be improved, and all of them have, so this is now also one of my favorite games of all time.

If I'm honest with myself, Horizon Forbidden West does very, very, little new at all. Its world is an amalgamation of the last decade of open-world design. Its combat is a blend of Far Cry and Monster Hunter. Its narrative is comprised of several familiar sci-fi tropes. But the thing is, I haven't played nearly every open-world game of the last decade, played every single Far Cry or Monster Hunter game, or consumed the majority of sci-fi content out there. So, while I know this game isn't impressive by "objective" standards, it's very, very much so impressive to me.

But why is it impressive? Well, when it comes to the gameplay, they fleshed out the RPG elements greatly. There's a much more detailed skill tree and loot matters a lot more with specific stats that rewards certain playstyles. Plus the combat itself is just so much more satisfying. The new weapons and new ways of traversing combat arenas made taking down these bots even more engaging than the original game. And that grapple hook and glider combo makes actually exploring the world way, WAY more fun.

And none of that is mentioning the fix to the main Achilles heel of the first game, the story. The narrative of Forbidden West is so much more compelling, surprising, and mind-bending than the first game. Instead of revolving around one revelation about the past, this game not only continues to blow my mind with its backstory, but the present tense narrative is just as high quality. No spoilers, but the villains of this game are so fascinating, and the new character that joins you to fight them is fascinating as well.

But the biggest wow factor of this game is how beautiful the world is, and I mean that in many ways. Some of the visas and setpieces literally had my jaw on the floor or even brought me to tears. And some of the side quests and minor narratives were so cute or engrossing that I couldn't help but wanna see all of them through.

I adore damn near everything about this game and I can't sing its praises enough. I know the Horizon series is the red-headed stepchild of AAA open-world prestige titles, and I more than understand why. But it tickles my specific fancies way too much for me to see it as anything but a masterpiece.