Let’s get right to it.

Games Released This Year That I Played, and Liked

1. The Outer Worlds

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/446663749539160/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB4LHlrcWrjeMa6X_8JKN9qLnZ2EUQSFoc21JZcDKpIJzeAJQwZTukRvefrBR69yc5oYS-CviQy_FKoQgaF9cuRpjRRL6iJi5LvBDaYruMhv2NruhWMbsv2gUQk7ix7BIOuVB_TwSnJCRBGMbS5zot3mxquW5WkHW1vb4lSiVOKLmZuXIkq6-5svmTHjrAwWsDKaa5hmvg-K1LYn4jYP-McwIg1Hqz81Lh3FUIM3mkeJhF5pCrr_fidf3AUOlacuhQgnwpY6lFQhUtyOPUIpQiAVmfOcWNdcSM_mlr4hKOadjCo0VvtaSxeIbz8mJpv25WDficBC6SAS7krKWLBqfmx44XzwVlX_RmBg1Sx&__tn__=-R

Simply put, the Outer Worlds is a fuss-free, play-however-you-want game that walks the talk. You don’t feel punished for doing something that the game allows you to. Sure, you might miss things, but that’s what a second playthrough is for. (I played through this game 3 times)

2. Total War: Three Kingdoms

This newest addition to the Total War franchise was something to behold and ran its course quickly enough. I spent 300 hours on it, before getting bored of the unit and building variety. Economy-building is extremely important in this iteration, but also very tedious.

3. Baba Is You

Although I didn’t manage to play Untitled Goose Game, Baba Is You was the most charming indie puzzle game I played in 2019. You know a game is hella innovative when the base mechanics allow for multiple solutions to a single puzzle that the developers likely did not explicitly design for.

4.Slay The Spire

Okay, I was playing this game since beta, but the full release warranted a fresh playthrough again. The game was even more fun, with the added mechanics and new treasures.

RNG is king in this game, which makes each playthrough extremely varied.

5.Civilization VI: Gathering Storm

The expansion made me go 2 days without sleep. If any game has mastered “one more turn”, it’s the Civilization series. Play this game not for the challenge, but for the personal story you’ll experience as you go through the ages.

Games Released This Year That I Played but were Forgettable in Comparison

6. Borderlands 3

In the first 30 hours, the game was fun enough to get through. After that, it’s like an MMO grind that isn’t as rewarding somehow.

Might be the loot quality or just the feeling of the upgrades not mattering as much, but it just stopped being fun too quickly.

7. Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries

This is an okay game, but I would not play through it again due to the lack of polish and innovation.

It’s a modern Mechwarrior that somehow has less features than its predecessors. A disappointing wait for a game that could have so much going for it.

Games I’m Still Playing with DLC released this year

8. Total War: Warhammer 2

To date, largely thanks to the modding community, I’ve sunk 1,039 hours into Warhammer 2. I also do playthroughs of all the new DLCs – the gameplay between each new faction is just fresh enough to keep me coming back for more.

9. Battle Tech: Heavy Metal

Probably the best entry to the Battletech franchise these past 5 years. I’ve lost so much gameplay data through mod compatibility it’s not a joke. Of the 400 hours I’ve invested in Battletech, the only save file I can still use is 10 hours old.

However, I still play the game because it’s just fun.

Games I reinstalled because I couldn’t find any equivalent games to play

10. Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction

I simply could not agree with Diablo 3’s online-only requirement so I dropped the game entirely. Also, because of how much I was playing Diablo 3, I couldn’t justify buying the necromancer pack – which was probably the only thing that would justify another playthrough. Other than that, Diablo 2’s classic feel was still as good as it was so many years ago.

Honorable Mention: That one game I reinstalled due to a badass Netflix adaptation

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

I tried finding another equivalent that wasn’t Monster Hunter, and I couldn’t. So I just reinstalled the game and spent another 20 hours on it. The political intrigue and serious world-building in Witcher 3 still put many modern fantasy titles to shame.

Chen “Freakofnatur” Yiji is a freelance game reviewer and esports writer. He currently works as a community manager at meta.us, a community platform for aspiring players to find and discover teams, other players and tournaments!