2022.12.31
Game List 2022
Every year I try to compile a list of games, books, and movies I experienced. For the complete list, check the Ratings. Here we go (sorted alphabetically)!
This year my game library is over 1000 games. 1/3 I’ve never touched it. 1/3 I’ve barely played. So I can stop buying games for a while and still have a lot of fun.
Finished
- 3 out of 10 Season 2 (): the same as the first season. Funny and awkward.
- A Plague Tale Innocence (): it’s a stealth game with beautiful production. Finally, played the whole thing. The supernatural mixes with religion, knights, and kings.
- A Total War Saga: TROY (): one of the Epic Store exclusives (for a time), it impressed me. I finished my first campaign, playing the Amazons. It takes so much that I prefer to play another thing. But it was good. The siege mechanism drags the game progress (it is accurate historically, but it does not translate well into gameplay).
- Amnesia: Rebirth (): I did not like either the game old mechanics or the story.
- Before Your Eyes (): a sad and emotional story of a boy. The unique mechanism of blinking in front of the camera instead of using the mouse is gimmicky but works fine in the setting. It almost made me cry.
- Blair Witch (): did not care much about the lore, but it’s a nice horror game. The dog is an enjoyable mechanic, and we get quite attached to him.
- Borderlands 3 (): Not fun. I would like to tell you that. The humor is repetitive from previous entries, and the gameplay is also derivative.
- Crying Suns (): very similar to FTL, with a delightful story and context.
- Elex (): praised by Mortismal Gaming as being a clunky but very enjoyable RPG, and I agree. The story is unbelievable, and the character progression is steep, to say the least. Unlike Morten’s review, I do not recommend it, despite the recent Elex 2 release.
- GTA V (): years after the release, I started to play when Epic Game Store gave it for free. I’ve never bothered to play the multiplayer MMO, just the main story. It’s a technical marvel to use 3 protagonists in different places in the city. It’s far better than previous titles and full of hilarious moments (both scripted and spontaneous).
- If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers (): a small 2-hour long game with SO much story and ambiance.
- Man Eater (): a mockumentary about sharks. The player controls the sharks, and the narrator always follows you. It was a surprise for me.
- Monster Train (): very much like a board/card game made digital (no coincidence that the board game community loves it). Rogue-like go until you die makes every match a life-or-death dire. I finished one time at least! But the core loop asks for more.
- Nex Machina (): shoot-them-all frantic gameplay. It is difficult. I can imagine fans speedrunning and replaying for all the achievements.
- Northgard (): Steam has offered for free for a single weekend. I manage to play and play to the very end. I was expecting an open sim, but it’s more like a WarCraft in rails. Each scenario is a very narrow puzzle.
- QUBE 2 (): puzzle very similar to the Portal series. The story is mysterious with a nice twist.
- Shadow of War (): My saved game was corrupted by 2019, but due to the imminent debut of the Rings of Power TV show, I managed to play it all over again. This time, to the end. Very average. Too many systems that are not very relevant in the end.
- Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments (): the best game in the series. 6 cases with somewhat similar mechanics and styles.
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (): got in Amazon’s Gaming free January kit and I got very curious. It impressed me quite a lot. I even tried to get all possible achievements. In the end, you feel a very powerful Jedi. The story is cliché.
- Star Wars Squadrons (): flying a ship from the Star Wars universe was always a fun proposition.
- The Quiet Sleep (): in this weird indie game, you play a guy’s mind during 3 life simulation scenarios. Decisions will generate stress, anxiety, and happiness, and the player has to chain them into the following process or decision.
- Untitled Goose Game (): playing in two, with my wife. It’s a little puzzle game. Not all puzzles are obvious, but it was fun to explore the possibilities of being an annoying goose. It reminded us of our little dogs and the times they are nasty little creatures causing havoc around.
About to finish:
- Beyond: Two Souls (): start to play this story-driven with my wife. I bet it will be finished by the next couple of weeks. Heavy Rain probably coming next.
Not finished yet (for one reason or another)
Many projects barely begun. Installed to test, but mostly in limbo—WIP or collecting dust. Unfinished tales of exploration and hesitation.
- Assassin’s Creed 3 (): it’s a big cut scene with some on-rails gameplay. Hated so far. :( Uninstalled and will hardly get into it again.
- Astrologaster (): indie small game. Crazy humor. I liked it very much so far.
- Black Mesa (): the official/unofficial Half-Life 1 remake. The original one I did not play at the time. This remake is superb! After finally playing Half-Life 2 () until the end of last year, I was curious to check what all the fuss was about HF1.
- Cloudpunk (): weird visuals and relaxing gameplay. You are a taxi driver in a special city.
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (): liked the first title, Deus Ex: Human Revolution (), but this one is a far inferior game. The story is not nice and the gameplay is not fun so far.
- Doki Doki Literature Club: not my style, but I heard so many good things about it that I’m intrigued. Played for just a handful of minutes.
- Ghostrunner (): 3D puzzle game action game. Think about 3D Super Meat Boy in first-person. The control scheme is odd, but the visuals are amazing.
- Gris (): beautiful first level.
- Heaven’s Vault (): highly anticipated game, played a bit and liked the story so far. As far I can tell, there is space for multiple run-throughs to explore all possible branches (not sure if I would do it tough).
- Observation (): excellent storytelling, despite the clunky controls. While trying to install another game, I remove it to free up some space. After a couple of months, It’s going to be difficult to redo the narrative.
- Supraland (): from nowhere, this game is, to my surprise, harder and much longer than I anticipated. Still, I’m loving the sarcastic tone and the bucketload of jokes.
- The Stillness of the Wind: installed.
- Thronebreaker (): a great RPG but using the core mechanics of the Gwent card game! Unique premise and a VERY fun game.
- Unravel Two (): still to finish with my wife. She struggles to use the joystick, but this game is quite forgiving, due to the slow pace. The light story allows infrequent plays.
- While True Learn (): logic programming puzzles. Amazingly fun and challenging for a programmer. The special bonuses for optimized solutions request multiple plays for each scenario.
- Wilmot s Warehouse: it works. It’s all that I can tell so far.
- XII: installed, played 2 levels. A first-person shooter with a unique visual comics-like style but old controls.
Not finished yet (still from previous years)
Yet, there are some games that I did not quit definitively, but they are still to be played (therefore, not yet fully rated). A few are installed even still.
- Baba Is You (): played some levels. To the second or third “world”, if I remember. SUPER clever.
- Shadow Tactics (): I liked the thinking of this game. It’s definitively one that I will try to complete sooner than later.
- Superhot Mind Control Delete (): played several levels already, yet to finish.
- Surviving Mars (): played a couple of times but never could complete a single level. It’s dry.
- The Pillars of the Earth: loved the book. I barely started the game, so maybe it should not be here.
- War of Mine (): I’m far in my third play-through, but I’m still to survive and see the game credits.
Continuous playing
I play them eventually. Most of them, are strategy games.
- Cities Skylines (): my friend mentioned that he has lost hours and hours designing his hometown. I reinstalled it and started to lose hours and hours too! :P
- Democracy 4 (): it was special to play it while running for congress! Great game and a formidable educational tool. I have some contact with the developer, Cliff Harris.
- Endless Legend (): I install and play from time to time. The region/country approach to territory instead of individual hexagons is nice.
- Hidden Folks (): Where is Wally/Waldo?-like is a success with small kids and non-gamers alike.
- Overcooked 2 (): my family loved it, and I’m trying to play the campaign with my wife.
- RimWorld (): MUCH more complex than Prison Architect, offered a great variety of procedural content. I did not finish even a single play-through, but it’s really special. There is a dedicated fan base.
- Rome Total War (): I played a lot last year. But it’s quite a long game. Once I finish it once, I might close it once and for all. The Troy is heavier but ultimately better in every aspect.
- Scythe (): the award-winning board game that I still have to give a beginning-to-end match.
- Skyrim (): Because I’ve never finished the game, I was always tempted to replay it. After watching some hilarious videos of The Spiffing Brit channel exploiting its mechanics, I was convinced to restart. I installed a dozen mods to enhance visuals and UI. It’s much better.
- Stelaris (): slow-paced super broad space strategy. The sense of exploration is still amazing.
- Terraforming Mars (): an award-winning board game that I played a couple of matches solo. Did not click on me, but I will still give it another try, maybe multiplayer.
- Ticket to Ride (): one game that I play online with family and friends. My wife and I love it. Always a success.
Next games on my radar
Finally, here is a list of games that I already have in my collection that I plan to play in the next months.
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: hope to be better than the 3.
- Battlefield V (): I played B1 last year and loved it. Now it’s time to play the next in the line.
- Ghost of a Tale: I’ve followed the development process for quite some time because it was made using Unity3D. I never played it, and it is now in my collection. It looks adorable.
- Heavy Rain: I will play this critically acclaimed story-driven game from Quantic Dream with my wife.
- Hitman: I’ve never finished Contracts, but just because I was obsessed with being perfect. I hope to play more relaxed this one.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (): Like Battlefield 5 above, it’s the next Lara adventure to experience.- We Are There Together: I bought to play with my wife using the family feature on Steam (she shares all my games). However, it is not included in the Play Together, so I am required to buy it twice. :/ Maybe trying to convince another soul to play with me.
- XCOM2: XCOM 2 received praises in the past few years. It’s time to take a look at it.
