This game was fascinating from the very first launch. I love the freedom to go anywhere, nothing pulling you towards a specific location besides your own curiosity. Once you finally land on a planet, theres a bunch of mysteries that perfectly align with other mysteries through out the entire solar system. Its genius that the player can start anywhere and still be figuring out the same giant mystery, especially when the ability to complete the entire game was right infront of you the whole time.

That first time the sun supernovas is an unforgettable experience. A rush of adrenaline from confusion, fear, and excitement.

Something unfortunate happened during my playthrough though that ruined the ending for me. I some how discovered the Ash Twin Project really early on and completely forgot about the warp module thingy. So when I finally saw the same warp thing in the Vessel I was unable to make a correlation between the two and I had to look up how to do the end after I found all the rumor cards, because I was so lost with what to do next.

The campfire song at the end was still very impactful and emotional though and i'll never forget it. Thanks for a beautiful experience Outer Wilds.

Much like Hollowknight, this game guides players in a seamless way. Radio signals and ships crashing from the sky make the game progress in a natural way that most other games can't. I had an absolute blast playing this game, which is surprising because I always hated water levels in other games.
One thing I want to point out was that it's genius that Subnautica makes sure players always feel like the "prey" in this world. We're the intruders, we can't just upgrade our gear and kill everything. Sneaking around biomes to dodge levianthans is one of the most thrilling experiences in the game, the devs knew that a combat system would ruin this. This one feature separates Subnautica from most games in the best way possible.

I love that Hollowknight keeps players in the dark, sometimes literally. You are thrown into a complex story that is up to you to decipher (it's worth deciphering because the story is extremely intriguing). There's mystery around every corner, a natural map that makes you think back on different puzzles and areas that you couldn't get to in the beginning.
Every enemy and boss has unique attacks and styles that perfectly allign with their respected areas in the world.
So many different ways to progress through the game makes every playthrough exciting. And it all leads up to an ending that you get to choose.

Exploring Hallownest for the first time was an experience I can't forget. Using stag stations to get around added to the immersion of the game and made it all seem bigger. Adapting to different enemies while trying new charms kept the game fresh throughout the entire playthrough. Another thing that kept the game fresh was that I was never stuck on ONE objective. I could collect dream essence, try a boss fight that I couldn't defeat before, upgrade my soul/health, or even find new charms. It's impossible to predict what adventure will happen next. And all of this happens in a polished, charming art style that never gets old.