For me: Easily Portal 2.
A deeply rich story, funny dialogue, and great puzzles that will truly make your brain think. The story is very rich and spans across several different eras of Aperture history, going as far back as the 50s. The dialogue is funny and some of the lines are the most memorable in all of gaming (like the Cave Johnson lemon rant). And last but not least, the puzzles are great. They start off pretty simple, but as you progress further in the story, they get more and more complicated, especially when you get the repulsion gel and proposion gel. I feel like Portal 2 is the Gold Standard for puzzle games that every game that comes after it will be judged on.
Also, if you don't own Portal 2 yet, now is a fantastic time to get it - it's on sale for $1 on Steam, same with Portal 1. And if you want both games, the bundle containing both games is $1.50. Do not miss out on this offer, it's so worth it.
Stardew Valley.
Its revolver has continuously released huge updates for free and has commuted to never charging for dlc.
The games mechanics are pretty great and nothing in the game requires too much grinding to get.
Even when you “finish” the game, there are still things to do and starting a new files is always fun.
The characters are all great and have unique personalities. It really makes you feel like you are part of the town.
My wife and I have over 400 hours on a single file. It’s also enjoyable starting a new file. I like to challenge myself to see how quickly I can do certain objectives in the game.
It’s also decently cheap and has a huge community behind it.
Subnautica
Hades
Cyberpunk 2077. I've been known to simp pretty hard for this game, but I do consider it to be one of the best games ever made. The story, the music, the acting, the gameplay, the visuals... Every single part of the game is just masterfully done. I feel it's one of those games that everybody should play; a sort of "milestone" game like Ocarina of Time or Skyrim. Even if you're not a fan of FPS or RPGs, it's worth turning down the difficulty and playing just to experience the best story ever told through a video game, in my opinion.
Terraria
Not everyone likes every genre of game - so here’s my grouped list:
The “I’m a nerd and like to build things and I like to watch lava lamps flow” Factorio
The “I enjoy tough but fair games that I can totally become OP in once I figure it out” Elden Ring
The “I just want to chill” game Stardew Valley
The “I like to build things” game minecraft Honorable mention-Terraria
The “Metroidvania” game Hollow Knight
The “Arpg” game Diablo 2 Honorable mention - PoE
The “I like action and smashing things in an open world” game Neir Automata Honorable mention - God of war (play one of the originals so you can 1st hate the remake, and then get to THAT point, and then happily eat crow and let Kratos be your baby daddy.
Hollowknight my beloved
I haven't seen it mentioned here, so I'll rep for Noita. It's an amazing rogue-like with great atmosphere and a really compelling world to explore.
There's a chemistry/alchemy system in the game that is really detailed and fun to explore. The game's tagline is "every pixel simulated," and it's not an exaggeration. Noita is like those falling sand games that were popular in the early 2000s, where each particle of sand could interact with other particles. Imagine that, but you're a badass witch flying through the world and blasting motherfuckers who try to get in your way. Your wands can set things on fire or freeze them or melt them with acid or blow them up or other crazy shit.
The wand mechanics are incredibly deep. Like, it's not "turing complete" levels of deep, but the rules for spells interact in incredibly interesting and exploitable ways. The feeling you get when you discover a powerful combo of spells is incredible.
The devs also have a cool policy of turning bugs into gameplay mechanics. I really can't say much about this without spoiling things, so this one is hard to talk about. Basically, if someone finds an exploit, they oftentimes won't "fix" it. Instead, they'll take it and tweak it to add consequences for using the exploit, or they'll balance it a bit to make it harder/remove a bit of the benefit. It's a really cool approach and has lead to a great relationship between the devs and the community. They don't take our toys away, they just make them work better in the world.
I played the game completely blind until I got my first win (it took about 80 hours of playtime), and I'd highly recommend that approach for folks who are willing to tolerate failure and who like to experiment. If it's too frustrating then that's okay, there are a lot of guides out there to help out new players without giving up too much. Many people describe your first win as you beating the tutorial, and there's some truth to that.
It can be gruellingly difficult at times, but it's just so damn good, and there's so damn much of it. I have around 600 hours in in that game which is twice as much as any other game I've played.
A couple of oldies, that deserve to still be played. Disclaimer: I played both games when they were already ~8 years old, and completely outdated in terms of technology.
Planescape: Torment
One of the best RPG ever created, and that is entirely for the world building and writing, and how much of the gameplay ends up being based on these rather than the combat mechanics (which are just ok)
Deus Ex
Again it was way ahead of its time in terms of world building and depth, and it was still an unashamed PC game, that dared to challenge its users a little and didn't need to have a GUI that could be used with a gamepad, unlike the sequels.
Don't hate me, but I like Cyberpunk 2077. It may have had its problems at launch, and I heard people were promised all kinds of stuff that was not delived, or was delivered only much later, but I never listen to hype anyway. I've played this for many hours. There are great mods for that game that make it even better, and it has such cool characters, such a fascinating world, good music, great design, the combat is fun... I love it.
Valheim
I’ll do you one better: completely free.
Check out Ashes: 2063. It started life as a mod for Doom, but is now completely standalone and has more in common with the Metro games than anything else at this point. PC only, but both games and their expansions are 100% free and worth every minute of your time.
There was an outstanding RTS game from 1997 called Total Annihilation. The soundtrack was 11/10, it was made by Jeremy Soule, the guy who did the Skyrim soundtrack. Some might say that Supreme Commander 2 is their most recent successor to TA, but they are wrong. Check out Beyond All Reason (BAR). It's in Alpha and it's free but it's already sooooo good.
There could be hundreds that I post here, but going to just say the ones I go back to again and again.
Satisfactory, The Planet Crafter, Stardew Valley, Death Stranding, Kerbal Space Program, Cities Skyline, Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Doom 1 & 2, Decent, and of course Skyeim.
I agree with the guy that said Outer Wilds, even though I can't finish it because of my thalassophobia.
Personally, the two games that had a really profound effect on me are Disco Elysium and Hi-Fi Rush.
Disco is an incredible political game that really is damn powerful. It's definitely not for people who just want action.
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm action game so I wouldn't recommend it to people who hate rhythm games or people who hate action. But it's so fun, so charming and really uplifting.
Skyrim. I know, it's been re-released a dozen times now, it's buggy as fuck, etc etc, but fuck me if it isn't an enjoyable game, even without mods.
Fallout New Vegas. It doesn't treat you like mr savior of the universe, you're a (un)lucky nobody caught in the middle of a power struggle. No essential NPCs, you can kill everyone you come across.
Age of Empires 2. Old as fuck, still enjoyable. Thank god the remaster lets you play with higher screen resolutions.
Tunic - at face value it is a gorgeous, brilliantly fun soulslike. Beneath the surface, however, it becomes apparent that the "souls like" part of it is a facade for the true game. Probably one of the single greatest gaming experiences of all time.
The Witcher 3 - it often goes on sale for like... £3 or something ridiculous, and its a standout example of an excellent open world RPG.
Celeste - possibly the single greatest (2d) platforming game ever made, with a soundtrack that is truly unforgettable by the great Lena Raine. Also if you play it you'll find out you're trans*
*(your mileage may vary)
Steel battalion with the full controller setup
Xiii shooter (original on PS2, not the remake)
Metal Gear Solid 1, 3, and 4. 2 is okay but it's the black sheep. 5 is a good game but doesn't fit the series great imo. We don't talk about Survive. Revengence is okay.
Maneater. Basically a remake of the old Jaws game from PS2 era gameplay-wise
FF7 original. If you're bored with it, try the New Threat mod by SegaChief. Absolutely worth a look.
If you're into pokemon rom hacks, Emerald SeaGlass and Crystal Legacy.
Crash Bandicoot 1-4. Ignore any titles from PS2 era.
Spyro 1-3. Also ignore any PS2 era titles.
Castle Crashers
If you have a non-gamer around that does like movies, give Beyond: 2 Souls and Until Dawn a look.
Spec Ops: The Line
Doki Doki Literature Club
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 1 + 2
I'm sure I'll add more.
Pikmin (any instalments of the main series) - though I must admit I'm incredibly biased since this is coming from someone who cried her eyes out when she saw the Pikmin 4 trailer 😭 yes I cried over a game trailer that's about weird bugs. It is my fave franchise ever it's like my baby.
Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - this is a game that makes me wish memory wiping technology existed. I would love to play this for the very first time again!
Final Fantasy X - the first Final Fantasy game I played and it is still my fave!
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Sunshine - the most fun I've ever had with 3D platformers by far, Super Mario Galaxy's visuals are still so impressive.
The first game I EVER played gets a honorary mention - Super Mario All Stars for the Super Nintendo! The very first game I played on it was Super Mario Bros 3! 😃
the binding of isaac and deep rock galactic. best games I've ever played oh and maybe minecraft (I'm 28 and the past 2 weeks got into the mc rabbit hole AGAIN)
some recent games I absolutely loved
- Disco Elysium
- Children of Morta
- Viewfinder
- Planet of Lana
- INSIDE
- Limbo
- Chained Echoes
- Detroit: Become Human
- Triangle Strategy
- Tunic
- Prodeus
For me personally, any game in the Super Smash Bros series.
They've always been a go-to when hanging out with friends, in their time.
Melee still has a following. Nobody likes brawl because of tripping (among other things i'm sure), but I learned how to mod brawl and added so many custom stages and character skins. Sm4sh was ok, and Ultimate is so complete.
Yeah it's Nintendo and "it's always moral to pirate Nintendo games" and there's plenty to complain about their online services but I've played smash so much that every time a new game comes out immediately a must-buy.
Vintage Story.
It's indie Minecraft-alike that expand survival element 100 times. With various unique lore and semi-realism gameplay.
Katamari! It's just such a wild and fun experience. Even the sequels.
Nier Automata: It's a game that uses every aspect of the medium. From the story, the music, game play, even the end credits, it feels like they took such care in crafting a memorable experience and didn't let anything they could use to express themselves go to waste.
What Remains of Edith Finch, specifically Lewis' chapter. I think it's an excellent portrayal of how incedious and overwhelming depression can be.
Telltale's the Walking Dead (first one only): I was not prepared for the story. I wish they took the same care in the sequals, but I feel like the quality of the first one just came out of nowhere.
Any Monster Hunter. I just think it's neat.
Dead Cells. Factorio. Mini Metro. FTL.
I only play a certain part of games, I don't care for rpgs or top-down games as much as I like first person shooters, racing games, or simulation games.
With that being said, here's my list.
- Red Dead Redemption 2: The best game I have ever played, hands-down. It's story and gameplay are both perfection.
- Trepang2: A less heard of game, but a really fun first-person shooter which is like a mix of Crysis and Doom.
- Mafia 1 and 2: A great series with solid stories and gameplay, these are very enjoyable to play. Just don't buy Mafia 3. It's like if Ubisoft made a Mafia game.
- Arma III: A classic military simulation game which I spent hours on hours in. I love exploring the maps while engaging in realistic shootouts, especially with mods like ACE which make it even more realistic and immersive.
Which kind of games. From an Rpg perspective,
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Alice is missing a silent Rpg, which is played using instant messenging. That one is absolutely crazy, with a lot of potential for bleed
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Blade in the dark, which is basically the latest revolution in Rpg. And led to the FITD games, it kept the yes but partial success from previous generations of PBTA games, use long term actions (aka clock) for everything (same mechanics for opening a lock, seducing the princess or fighting a guard), and has this downtime phase which is more than just spending XP. It also has flashback mechanic letting you jump to the action and plan latter
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Mork Borg, the system is fine but banal. However, the weird aesthetic makes it a must have in a rpg lover collection
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So many tedious recommendations when the answer is obviously heaven's vault.
It's dogshit in almost every way. Even moving around the world feels like pouring salt into your eyes. I hate almost every single thing, the protagonist, the pace, the awful vehicle sections to travel. But it's something you should play, or perhaps experience.
It's an archeological translation game and there are multiple moments of "Ok so maybe that actually means font of life not mother goddess, but that would mean this means artificial god which would mean that the extinction event was actually transcendence and holy shit..."
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Velocity 2x - extremely fun fast paced 2d space shooter & platformer. Is extremely rewarding when you start to get to good at it and learn the levels.
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Muramasa Demon Blade/Rebirth - also really fun and satisfying skill-based combat game but with some light RPG elements. What I really love about it though is the sheer vibes. Set in feudal Japan with gorgeous artwork and sound/music. Great fun and a piece of art.
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Civilization III and/or V
Edit: If you have lot's of time available.
I have been playing a lot of Arma reforger and rimworld lately and I love both but they definitely won't meet everyones taste.
RoboCop: Rogue City
Into the Radius (preferrably on PC).
Mass Effect Trilogy (legendary edition).
Bioshock series
First off I have to show my lack of taste by mentioning I will play any mainline final fantasy game.
But games I recommend and will likely buy the next ones are Persona 3R/4G/5R and The Witcher 3 with DLC / Cyberpunk 2077.
All great games of high quality, though some do not like the W3 combat mechanics.
omori
To give something that most likely has not been mentioned: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. The character banter is the best I've encountered in any video game thus far.
Rain World hands down, such an interesting and challenging game.
Only a couple levels in, but so far I'd say if you like collect-a-thon style 3D platformers, Yooka-Laylee is worth checking out. So far my only complaint is how they allow you to go around certain edges of the first level past the tutorial and hub, but don't have hidden any hidden secrets.
I have been really, really enjoying the reworked Wayfinder. The story is ass but the visuals, gameplay and music are all awesome. The characters are likable, the build variety is pretty great, and the devs seem to be pretty in touch with the community lately. I never played it in its MMO state, but for $20 it's a real win.
I think the 1.0 release comes out in a few days, too!
- Hollow Knight
- Steamworld Dig 1 & 2
Hollow Knight is just amazing. Reinvigorated my love of Metroidvania-style games. The atmosphere, the environments, the movement, the controls, the music, it all works so well together. Just amazing.
Which leads me on to the second recommendation. Steamworld Dig and its sequel are pretty unique in the genre. They're Metroidvania games, but you're creating most of the tunnels and platforms as you go. Great character designs, and smooth progression all the way to the end.
Nier Automata
Voices of the Void.
Oh, wait. It's free right now??? Go get it!
