If you like choose-your-own-adventure style books and like to explore all the options, then VA-11 HALL-A is a perfect choice. You will be hard pressed to find a better narrative-driven form of entertainment this year.
Overall, What Remains of Edith Finch is nothing short of a masterpiece. It celebrates life as well as showing you how fragile it is, and how those close to you could one day disappear as easy as they came in—to never take those around you for granted, and understand just how important it is to be a part of life, and the privilege of living. This is one gameplay experience you do not want to miss.
West of Loathing is an absolute joy to play through from beginning to end. Don't let it's simple visuals fool you; this is one humorous gameplay experience you don't want to miss out on.
Furi is an excellent action, hack n' slash shooter that tells a compelling story with an outstanding soundtrack. I'd be doing my fellow gamers a disservice if I wasn't evangelizing how much I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Furi.
Owlboy is a stunning retro metroidvania title that is a joy to play and get lost in. If you have to play one retro title this year other than Celeste, do yourself a favor and pick up Owlboy for console or PC.
Nex Machina does not disappoint in providing an exhilarating gameplay and presentation experience. The lack of content and insane difficulty hold it back from being a classic, but there is no denying Housemarque crafted another memorable title.
Apex Construct is in the upper echelon of virtual reality experiences. The tight and fluid controls, engaging story, and secrets to find, make this one title you need to play on PS VR.
Moss is an outstanding achievement for VR and further proves what makes the platform so compelling. If you own a PS VR or are looking to buy one, Moss is a perfect reason to jump in.
Yoku's Island Express is a wondrous adventure that blends the Metroidvania genre and pinball in a satisfying way. This is one title to keep your eye on, even for those thinking that pinball is not for them as it certainly won me over.
Marble It Up! should not be as great as it is, but this fun marble roller is a blast to play and is a love letter to marble rolling games of the past. This comes highly recommended for any fans of the genre, or just fun games in general.
SpeedRunners has officially become a title I will continue to enjoy coming back to for playing with friends and for satisfying my inner speed running dreams. While the single player experience is lackluster in execution and how the bots are controlled leaves much to be desired, the real winner of this title is the multiplayer and the amount of modes to quench any fan of speed running. Its addictive gameplay and unique approach to playing party games offers hours of replayability, all the while remaining fun to play. Go and get your friends, on or offline, and enjoy one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year.
World to the West is a charming and gorgeous adventure that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Rain Games have crafted a tale that is every bit as good as Teslagrad, and possibly even better.
Sine Mora Ex is a great place to jump in if you have never experienced the original title and are an absolute diehard shoot 'em up fan.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is everything I could want in a horror title, featuring a riveting story and a unique premise for the horror genre as a whole. Although the controls can sometimes get in the way, Midnight Shadows is an excellent adventure that will please any horror aficionado.
Q.U.B.E. 2 is an immensely satisfying first-person puzzle solving experience that is beautiful to behold and fun to play. The narrative holds it back from achieving greatness, but you can't go wrong spending an evening solving these mind-bending puzzles.
Octahedron is quite the spectacle to look at with its colorful visuals and unmatched style in the platforming genre. While the gameplay isn't exactly revolutionary, this is still an enjoyable indie title that you can keep coming back to if you need some something exciting in your life.
Reverie is a charming little indie title that you can tell a lot of love was put into. There is fun to be had exploring the island with the pop-culture references and narrative threads based on interesting New Zealand folklore. Even with the generic combat and short length, Reverie is a title any gamer should enjoy in some capacity.
Light Fall is a fast platformer that isn't marred by poor controls or physics. The story is not anything special, but the gameplay is fun and enjoyable for any fan of platformers.
Horizon Chase Turbo takes all the best aspects of classic arcade racing titles and modernizes them successfully, providing a fun and enjoyable racer. The presentation and lack of game modes can make the racing overly repetitive, but the time spent is well worth the investment, even if only a couple hours.
Moonlighter is a successful attempt at doing something new in the rogue-like genre and I applaud the developers of taking on the task. It's a charming, riveting, and a mostly positive experience that any players looking for something different should check out.