I play through a lot of video games, so when it comes to writing about them at the end of the year, some really good ones slip through the cracks. To alleviate that, I am going to write a preliminary list of games I completed that I liked. Whether these will be on the GOTY list I usually write at the end of the year is still up in the air. I have written them out here with reasons they will end up there (GOTY) and reasons why it might be left off the list (NOTY).
In any case, it is fun to look back.
Listed somewhat in the order I played them:
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Reasons for GOTY: The urge to play this came out of nowhere early this year, but I’m glad it did because it was a fun romp.
Reasons no NOTY: A good first entry here because it does make me think about the purpose of GOTY list. Is it just like a little journal for me, or should it be something for an audience? Do I list it because it was a very fun, solid experience, or leave it off because people already know this game is good from like 6 years ago? It might not even matter because there are probably at least 10 other games I could list instead anyway, but it was a good time for sure.
Capcom Fighting game Collection 2
Reasons for GOTY: Capcom vs. SNK 2 is my favorite fighting game, and this has a bunch of other great games, and good netcode
Reasons for NOTY: It is a collection of old games, but it will probably end up on the list somewhere. Especially since it got me to get a lever-less arcade controller this year which is neat and I can write about that. I played through Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics as well this year, and while that is fun, it doesn't compare to Capcom vs. SNK 2 and Project Justice.
Ender Magnolia
Reasons for GOTY: Good Search Action game, maybe some of the best in the genre
Reasons for NOTY: As good as this game is, it sort of wilts in the presence of Silksong. I’ll talk more about Silksong later, but even in the context of its own series, Ender Magnolia is just an improved Ender Lilies, so it is treading a lot of familiar ground. It might make it, but we’ll have to see.
Another Crab’s Treasure
Reasons for GOTY: Absolutely loved this game. Fun gameplay and some of the best moments of the year for me.
Reasons for NOTY: It was released last year, but the big update was this year, so this is absolutely making it in.
Ena Dream BBQ
Reasons for GOTY: Surreal and free adventure
Reasons for NOTY: Little short, other indies might beat this out, but this is totally worth playing through.
No One Lives Under the Lighthouse
Reasons for GOTY: Solid horror game with a great retro aesthetic
Reasons for NOTY: Similar to Ena, though this one I sort of fell off in the back end. I missed the true ending by 1 collectable, and I didn’t have the urge to go back. Good game, but probably will be left off.
Dead Lamb Walking
Reasons for GOTY: Still thinking about it to this day
Reasons for NOTY: It is pretty much the best example of “I really wish I read the trigger warnings” sort of game, and I think the twist here isn’t exactly done with an expert hand, but I’ll never forget it, and for that, it deserves something. I don’t know if that something is GOTY, but maybe.
Half Life Alyx
Reasons for GOTY: Best VR game ever made?
Reasons for NOTY: I have been spoiled by Resident Evil 8 VR and Resident Evil 4 Remake VR that took a lot from this game, so it didn’t hit me as hard as it did other people, but it is still some of the best VR experiences you can buy. It almost makes up for the fact that the PSVR2 was totally abandoned by Sony, except that they made it compatible with a PC (with a $60 dongle of course).
Blasphemous
Reasons for GOTY: Solid search action game, the Spanish VA is best in class
Reasons for NOTY: I loved this game, but if I had to choose, Ender Magnolia was the better game.
Orbo’s Odyssey
Reasons for GOTY: Fun platformer
Reasons for NOTY: The best part of this game was not knowing how to play for like 20 minutes, thinking it was broken/too hard, and then having it click. Once I got how the main jumping mechanic worked, it felt amazing. That feeling of frustration, followed by the total bliss of figuring out my mistake was some of the best gaming I had this year. The issue is this: would I have had that feeling if I actually read the tutorial and did the mechanic right the first time? Maybe not.
Pseudoregalia
Reasons for GOTY: One of the best platformers I have played in years. Imagine that issue I had with Orbo, but actually designed that way, instead of being an accident. Mario 64 levels of platforming genius.
Reasons for NOTY: I do wonder if I would have liked the game more if, like Mario 64, it gave you all the movement abilities at once, but in any case, it will end up on the GOTY list.
Soul Hackers 2
Reasons for GOTY: A Japanese turned based RPG for adults you say? Well, it took some updates, and a DLC, but they actually achieved the goal of making a compelling monster collecting game without it being in a high school or involving Pokemon/Digimon.
Reasons for NOTY: The QoL stuff they added later (I remember the game designer Melos Han-Tani remarking QoL actually stands for Quality of Low-swag) really saved the slower beginning parts, and some of the dungeons are really a slog. Having one teleport dungeon is fine, but 3 of them??? I really loved the cast, and things really pick up at the 2nd half of the game, but it isn’t a game I can recommend without caveats. Still, I do think of this game fondly.
Mario Kart World
Reasons for GOTY: Knockout mode is the Wacky Races game I always wanted. Pure fun and chaos.
Reasons for NOTY: The single player is a fun chill experience with the open world, and the tracks are good, but it sort of lacks the options and content I expect from a $70 game (granted, I only paid the $50 for it with the Switch 2 bundle). It is a problem I imagine will be eventually solved, but I really want more options for a more traditional Mario Kart Online experience (bring back 3 laps in a course, transitioning from course to course is fun, but I want the option to not have to do that), and just more content in general. For the love of Holy Rosalina, give us a jukebox feature!
Dear Me I Was/And Roger
Reasons for GOTY: Short sweet VN experiences
Reasons for NOTY: Probably not enough on their own, but combined is probably worth writing about. They are similar in gameplay style, and with story. Both deal with loss, finding those you love, and doing what you can to be near them. Dear Me, I Was I thought had the better art and story, but And Roger had the more interesting gameplay stuff.
Mesericorde Vol 1
Reasons for GOTY: The story of a murder in a nunnery has great pacing, great characters, and big questions.
Reasons for NOTY: Being volume 1, it has big questions, but not a lot of answers. I think it is good enough to make the list, but hopefully it continues this high quality of writing.
Mouthwashing
Reasons for GOTY: A chilling tale of TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
Reasons for NOTY: I actually misunderstood part of the story when I played it, and I didn’t even know until I watched a video about it. My interpretation isn’t technically invalid, but it was probably wrong so I feel like a lot of the mixed feelings I had when I finished it were just based on that mistaken assumption. It will end up on there one way or another, but it is funny how these things can just fly over my head sometimes.
Anthology of the Killer
Reasons for GOTY: One of my favorite video games I have played in a long time.
Reasons for GOTY: This one is for the sickos. For the people sick of traditional narratives, and ready to go into the deep end of what a video game can do. You might not be ready for this one, but it should go down as one of the greats.
Big Ocean, Wide Jacket/Despolote
Reasons for GOTY: Utterly charming snap shots of life in their respective time periods
Reasons for NOTY: These are short but worth it, I will squeeze them all in.. I might just combine this with Dear Me, I Was, And Roger just so I can list them all.
OFF
Reasons of GOTY: I am obsessed
Reasons for NOTY: No chance, this is making it. There are issues people have had with this remake (OST being the big one, though if you have it on PC, there are ways to mod the old one in anyway, so it is now a moot point), but this is the game that struck the biggest chord in me. It also has some interesting links to the next game on the list.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Reasons for GOTY: Beautiful OST, haunting story, some of the best acting in a video game period
Reasons for NOTY: It is ironic that two of the best French turned based RPGs I played this year, and they are now competing with each other. Clair Obscur I have some issues with, but OFF is the perfect game for me, warts and all. Clair Obscur will be on the list, but OFF has my heart.
Games I plan to play, but might not get to finish:
Hollow Knight Silksong: I can get a little hipster-y when games get so popular with the GOTY talk that I stop playing it, even if I know I will like it. I do suspect that is also what is affecting me with OFF vs. Clair Obscur, which I will admit is a personal failing of mine. Who cares what other people think? Well, me, and hoping you too, because why would you be reading this then???
Silent Hill f: It is tough to finish horror games in a rush. I want to be scared, not exhausted.
Donkey Kong Bananza: It is fun to just smash things, but I don’t have a lot of motivation to get back to it before these other games because there is no story I need to keep track of.
Stray Children: This is rough because I should have beat a previous game the studio made, Moon RPG Remix, before I played this, but I am now 2 hours in and I sort of want to continue. Little bit of a rock and a hard place with this one.
Misericorde Vol. 2: I do want to play through this, but there probably isn’t enough time. These are the other Visual Novels I was hoping to play through at some point, just to illustrate my issue- Stories from SOL, Kemono Teatime, Promise Mascot Agency, Great Ace Attorney, AI Somnium Files, Urban Myth Dissolution Center, Ace Attorney Investigations, Butterfly Soup 2, Coquette Dragoon, Ochistubaki, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, and many more I am forgetting.
Games I liked, but not sure if I have anything interesting to write about other than “hey this game was good”:
Streets of Rage 4, Poinpy, Castlevania Order of Ecclesia, Curse Crackers, Elephantasy, Man I just wanna go home, A Plumber of All Seasons, Pepper Grinder, and Terry’s Other Games for collecting Don’t Look Back and that cool Flappy Bird inspired game.
Look forward to the GOTY 2025 list later this year or early 2026!
