Slime Rancher 1
A really cute game about exploring an old ranch, raising your own farm, and making friends with the other ranchers. I wish the visual design wasn't so reminiscent of a shooter-style game, it's really not that kind of game. Aside from that, the sound design for some of the environs is amazing! Also, pink slimes are adorable.
Helldivers 2
I love Helldivers 2! Normally I'm in for more story and plot focused games, and while there is a
story (and some lore) in HD2, it's not story-driven. It's just a game where you drop in a squad of 4
with some friends, and try to complete mission objectives for the wider war effort! But man, the
cinematics are fantastic, the gunplay is satisfying, and when you've got a good squad... it's easily
my favourite multiplayer game to date.
Starflight
Widely touted as one of the most accurate space simulators of the era, this game comes with a 142-page manual on species interactions, control elements, navigating the extensive UI system... and comes with gameplay just as complex and varied to boot. Newtonian physics, yo! I'm having a lot of fun with this game!
Starsector
Starsector is one of my favourite games of all time. I can't believe it's still in alpha! It's like Starflight, but instead of a single ship, you command a fleet of starships. The combat is more complex, and honestly more fun, and when you get to the [REDACTED] part of the game... oh, man, it's wonderful.
Cult of the Lamb
A game all about creating and managing your own cult! Prominently features a gruesome dungeon crawler drawn in the cutest art style I've ever seen! I'm absolutely in love with the OST, the game, everything...! Also the first game I ever played with Akihiko in the US.
Vintage Story
Vintage story is a voxel game all about making your own story as a Seraph, a former human brought back to life by millenia-old machina, in an ancient, long-post-apocalyptic world. There is prominent plot and deep lore elements throughout across the entire game, and I've been having a lot of fun building my homestead before I venture out to discover them!
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
A PS1-era platform game, all about saving the world against an ancient evil. It's visually stunning, the score is amazing, and I adore how the characters speak, act, and their voices! Also, the way the platforms loop around in 3D space (even though you only play in 2D space for most of the game) is fantastic! It feels like an open-world type game, without the open-worldness... I love it.
Spyro the Dragon
You save the dragon worlds from an ogre! Well, no, it's more complex than that, but I'm in love with how every level feels like an open puzzle, solved with running, jumping, and gliding. It's a lot of fun! And all the enemies and boss fights are new and unique, too... I honestly adore it.
Another Crab's Treasure
A somber, Soulslike game about a hermit crab who loses his home, dragging him into a long, heartfelt
journey across the ocean to regain it — changing the fate of the entire ocean in his wake.
Regretfully, it only holds up as an extremely simple Soulslike, and while the story is long, it
lacks a lot in complexity compared to even old games like Spyro the Dragon.