Phenomenal game that I treasure dearly. Working on the localization with some of the Campo Santo folks was a fantastic experience.
Phenomenal game that I treasure dearly. Working on the localization with some of the Campo Santo folks was a fantastic experience.
Special mention courtesy of the Mrs: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. She plays just a handful of games per year, and @kingdomcomerpg.bsky.social took her from April till November to finish β and she _still_ talks about it. Even I didn't get that much attention. I guess it's really good!
Keeper. This is hands-down the most breathtakingly beautiful and gorgeous game I've played in a very long time. It also surprised me in many ways: in its story, gameplay, aesthetics and more. Fever dream of a game, and I couldn't get enough of it. God bless @doublefine.com.
Doom: The Dark Ages. I see Doom = I like. Feel like it went underappreciated, and there's some clusmly, bloated parts indeed, but single-player FPS, and done with such prowess, sense of style and excellence, are an endangered species nowadays. Hoping for Quake to follow next.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I mean, what else to say? I guess what makes me happy the most is that this game and this studio is an inspiration for all who want to make games on their own terms and following their own vision. Triumph fully deserved.
Split Fiction. Finished it with my wife and two of us had more fun than with 90% of movies and TV shows we watched together in 2025. @hazelightgames.bsky.social is a rare breed of game studios that must be preserved and well financed no matter what.
And Roger. Subtle small game that's part visual novel, part puzzle that packs such a strong emotional punch you'll be feeling it for some time. Probably the biggest surprise of the year. Damn...
Donkey Kong Bananza. This game alone is enough to justify buying Switch 2. Nintendo at the top of their game, again. Besides being a technological marvel, it's an endlessly fun, loud and gorgeous game that keeps getting better with every level.
Games of 2025! Last year I focused more on my backlog, and fully intend to continue with this approach in 2026, so I didn't play as much 2025 games as I would've wanted (and played some that I wish I skipped), but anyway here are six that I've enjoyed the most.
pain: almost all holiday plans are down the drain cuz some ΓΌber flu knocked us out for 2 weeks
gain: at long last (re)playing the updated, definitive version of cyberpunk 2077 and having an absolute blast
Harrowing and all too true.
Also damn I miss meaty manuals in the box. Not so much for the βusefulnessβ, but more for visual design and additional tidbits of lore. This GameCube booklet for example gave a neat succinct story recap which is somewhat absent form the game itself.
What stroke me most this time is the delicate balance between a feeling of haunted desolation and loneliness, and a sense of adventure where youβre basically a sci-fi Indiana Jones looking for hidden artifacts, scanning abandoned temples for clues and spelunking. True classic.
Prepping for Metroid Prime 4. Remastered version looks and plays great, despite being almost identical (as far as I remember, itβs been more than 15 years since I played the original on GameCube). Had a blast with it honestly.
Not sure tbh. Played it on Switch and kept the app running when putting the system in sleep mode.
Finally got my hands on #Signalis and left deeply impressed by the whole package - from overall visual aesthetic and stellar UI work to tight survival action and well-tuned puzzles itβs all great stuff all around.
Really strong and even enthralling novel thatβs deftly written, (mostly) well paced and highly entertaining; great characters too. Itβs like Berserk (or Dark souls, I guess) set in plague-ridden 14th century France.
I wouldnβt expect it to be any other way, but still: REANIMAL demo from @tarsierstudios.bsky.social is absolutely phenomenal. Impeccable style.
store.steampowered.com/app/4019420/...
Last week was BANANAS
65 hours later, I've finally completed @expedition33.bsky.social with a 1000G. What an unforgettable journey: heartfelt, fun, refreshing, both mature and silly in all the right ways, and incredibly engaging. Hands down one of the best games of this generation. Bravo, @sandfallgames.bsky.social!
switching to switch two too
What a fascinating, exhilarating and relentlessly creative this experience was! Absolutely floored by how fun and inventive this game is, we must protect @hazelightgames.bsky.social at all costs.
Super excited about seeing one of my favorite bands @nin.com LIVE for the first time!
And Foundation too!
Cheeky 1000G right before the New Year. Canβt emphasize enough how much I enjoyed Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. Confident blend of genre mechanics, outstanding immersion, strong writing and (mostly) curiosity-driven exploration. #MachineGames are true masters of their craft.
Glad to see you here, chef π