Technobabylon -
- Solid, tight point'n'click. Enjoyed how the game progresses as a series of relatively restricted set pieces. The story doesn't really sell the characters' interpersonal drama well enough tho.
Age of Decadence -
- There's a 1000-page thread about this game here. An ugly, janky piece of work with a combat system that doesn't really suit a single-player game but almost unique in its replayability and dynamic story arc.
Old World
- Such a wonderfully designed Civ-like/wargame bogged down by fake & gay modern sensibilities (gender politics foremost) and a remarkably lousy performance
Taiji
- Really enjoyable Witness-like abstract puzzle game. A good variety of well-designed brainteasers. Not a fan of pixel graphics or the characters blocky movement sprites but it does look nice on occasion.
La Mulana 2
- The titan of 2D puzzle platforming. No idea why I put this off as long as I did. It surpasses its predecessor in every way. Puzzles are not quite as obtuse as in the 1st one, the music is glorious, the myths as bombastic as ever.
Cuphead
- Lives and dies by its audiovisual excellence which is off-the-charts good. The boss fights themselves aren't bad either.
Hotline Miami 2
- Just like everyone said at the time, the core game doesn't really suit the long-distance shootouts in this game. The story is too disjointed but the visuals & soundtrack are pumping as expected.
Sephen's Sausage Roll
- Makes you feel like you dropped 50 IQ points at first. Actually, this game does it in the main menu already: "look at this fucking retard paying 30 bucks for a 90s suomiware looking piece of gore!". Did I just get... stephenrolled? Then you start and you can't even control the dude with the big-ass fork properly. Sausages rolling into ocean, drowning, burning helplessly. Little fork-man yelping in pain as hot coals sear his soles for the 98137953tth time. I just want to grill but "Lachrymose Head" has other ideas. Then it starts clicking. Then it clicks some more. Then it gets more complex. Then you're thinking with sausages.
Chuchel
- Not really my cup of tea at all. Click on random hotspots one after another. Repeat.
Flashback
- Harsh controls, surprisingly grindy gunplay and a stupid story. Hasn't really stood the test of time. Still looks nice, I must admit.
King of Dragon Pass
- Very unique CYOA/resource management game. Wonderful world-building, plenty of great ideas. Gets a bit too straightforward after you get over the early-midgame hump.
Art of Rally
- A silly little game has no business being this much of a resource hog. Otherwise nice casual rally game with a surprisingly detailed driving physics.
Franchise Hockey Manager
- Solid lightweight (compared to Football Manager at least) hockey sim. Good simulation engine, middling squad management by the AI teams as always.
Infra
- Hideous voice acting, lousy writing & way too lo-o-o-o-ng. Still, very uniquely gritty, detailed and compelling walking sim with a lot of character.
Ape Out
- This! This is what Hotline Miami 2 should have been like. Enjoyed the percussive jazz soundtrack more than HM2 synthwave. Has the best ending song in all of gayming (yes it's just licensed Pharoah Sanders I don't care I will die on this hill)
Manifold Garden
- Neat idea (3D puzzling in looping manifold structures) but felt surprisingly sterile. The puzzles and their variations felt very underwhelming as well, especially compared to Antichamber a decade ago.
Outer Wilds
- A surprising throwback to 80s/90s everything-and-the-kitchen sink game design. Lots of ideas thrown together in an unlikely sort-of-simulated solar system that has no business working this well. White holes! Newtonian flying mechanics! Quantum entanglement!
Untitled Goose Game
- I'm not going to side with a sociopathic goose against some upstanding citizens who've done me no wrong. Mechanically shallow, too.
Celeste
- As a jumping-dashing game it's as good as it gets. Exceptionally well-tuned jumping mechanics. I found the story surprisingly good even though the main devs wrote it from a very woke perspective, I assume.