POLL is YOU: Thirteenth Coint and Plick results (best games of 2019)

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Just in time for, uh, your fourth or so week of isolation (and your second week of "i'm already playing animal crossing anyway"), it's the results of the Coint & Plick poll for 2019's crop of games!

It's got everything: a board game, some games that came out in other years but were played by other people on other consoles (it's ALWAYS Switch), fake-post shenanigans, everything.

Current rollout plan is as follows (subject to change):
Thursday, April 2nd: I post ONE GAME, the lowest-ranked one of the year, so that people can find the thread and bookmark it.
Friday, April 3rd: The first "real" day of results. This should get us juuuuust up to the point where people cared enough to give a game ten points.
Sunday, April 5th: After I take a day off, I post more! We will be in the mid-30's.
Monday, April 6th: Closing out near the top 15, we will see our final game that came out in 2018.
Tuesday, April 7th: Your top games of 2019!

This is VERY subject to change btw, Mondays and Saturdays are particularly slammed for me so I booked a day off "in advance" in there. Depending on how Satuday goes I might post then and take Monday off. Or neither. Or both! Who knows! I AM VERY UNRELIABLE!!!!

I'm also going to retire the "favourite consoles of the year" part because not many people responded to it, which is fair. They're all the same except for the Switch anyway.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:29 (four years ago) link

Huzzah!

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:32 (four years ago) link

Anyway, here's your most-vaguely-liked game of 2019.

https://i.imgur.com/jhPjwWE.png
71 - Wilmot's Warehouse - 3 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:36 (four years ago) link

SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW WITH MORE GREAT GAMES

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:36 (four years ago) link

oh right, there was a tie lol. BONUS GAME FOR THURSDAY NIGHT COMING SOON

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:38 (four years ago) link

Wilmot’s Warehouse is actually good as hell but I was running low on points

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:42 (four years ago) link

Play it on Switch with a friend!

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:43 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/Fo0XeoV.png
71 - Katana Zero - 3 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:43 (four years ago) link

i've seen good reviews for it but haven't played it yet. it's a puzzle game? xp to warehouse

Mordy, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:44 (four years ago) link

It’s a puzzle of sorts but what it really is about is organizing a bunch of semi-concrete shapes in a vast warehouse and remembering where you put everything so you can go fetch it when orders come in. And reading motivational posters.

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:45 (four years ago) link

i'm not sure if that's too close to my rl job to not be fun or not. katana zero also a mac game; i'll try to check both these out

Mordy, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:47 (four years ago) link

Oh good, I'm feeling super miserable at the moment so poll rollout fun will at least take my mind off stuff for a second. UGG FTW!

emil.y, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:47 (four years ago) link

katana zero is just the latest in devolver digital's continuing saga of cornering the market on all hotline miami variants

ciderpress, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:47 (four years ago) link

been curious. will try it someday!

Nhex, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:49 (four years ago) link

i'll try it right now just so i can has thoughts to post to this thread

Mordy, Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:53 (four years ago) link

read these responses in a weird order and i was like WTF IS MORDY'S JOB until i realized he wasn't talking about katana zero

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:58 (four years ago) link

UGG?

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 23:59 (four years ago) link

hahahaha

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 00:00 (four years ago) link

oh no i've said too much

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 00:00 (four years ago) link

ok i played the first 3 levels. it's fun - sorta cyberpunky stylish. the hotline miami comparison seems good. this feels a little easier (it saves progress every room which is convenient), but similarly gratuitously violent. the handling feels good but i'm not sure the story or the gameplay is hooky enough that i'd play a full playthrough - maybe just a little too iterative.

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 00:48 (four years ago) link

UGG?

― Hackers (1995) (Will M.)

honk

emil.y, Friday, 3 April 2020 00:54 (four years ago) link

oh right haha

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 01:11 (four years ago) link

can u plz add systems?

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 3 April 2020 03:54 (four years ago) link

i was the vote for katana zero. it's short but great at what it does, the limited slow motion allowing you to pull off the precise execution required works fantastically

ufo, Friday, 3 April 2020 09:19 (four years ago) link

oof i already set everything up without consoles. i'll see what i can do

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:06 (four years ago) link

ok here we go, pulled all of these from quick google searches so i didn't pay attention to what actually came out on what in 2019

https://i.imgur.com/wOPqmKM.png
69 - Card of Darkness - 4 points / 1 Vote
Apple Arcade

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:17 (four years ago) link

i wanted to like this more than i did mostly bc of pendleton wards involvement but the game mechanics themselves are sorta simplistic and there's not really much of a story so you're really getting an okay-good puzzle game w/ a nice aesthetic but there just isn't much there there sadly.

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:21 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/xHXp1Wz.png
69 - Cat Quest 2 - 4 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Macintosh operating systems, tvOS

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:27 (four years ago) link

another game i played on apple arcade. my daughter thought it was v cute. also felt pretty slight for my tastes with generic rpg elements.

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:28 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/FzAK4De.png
59 - Trials Rising - 5 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:43 (four years ago) link

also i have no idea what i did to the order of these tied games. they used to be alphabetical but i moved them around so many times there's no sense to it whatsoever. i guess that makes it more fun? you don't know if your fave will be tied or not!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:44 (four years ago) link

i think this trials had incredible level design, best in series, but hated the ubisoft progression bullshit layer

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:48 (four years ago) link

when you're actually playing its goty material but it really tries its hardest to keep you from playing the game how you want

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:49 (four years ago) link

loading times and stupidly slow drip of content made that the first trials i walked away from after a single play

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:50 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/eMVMi3i.png
59 - Pilgrims - 5 points / 1 Vote
iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 15:52 (four years ago) link

Card of Darkness and Cat Quest look cute.

emil.y, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:53 (four years ago) link

i should go rogue and give out a bunch of 6's and 11's next year instead of 5's and 10's

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:54 (four years ago) link

otoh this is an apple arcade game that i liked very much enough to vote for. sorta a card-driven adventure game with enough alternative solutions to unlock that it has some good replay-ability but even one playthrough is worthwhile. charming + unique aesthetic + story, memorable characters

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:54 (four years ago) link

worth noting iirc totally dialogue-less but still vivid + memorable storytelling

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:55 (four years ago) link

Oh gosh, just looking at some images from Pilgrims and it looks very much up my alley. I see it was the same makers as Machinarium and Samorost too, so it's gotta be good. This one I might actually seek out.

emil.y, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:56 (four years ago) link

yes i actually immediately thought i'd recommend this one to you

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 15:57 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/dSCx7lM.png
59 - SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - 5 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 16:02 (four years ago) link

this one is slightly less obtuse than older saga games and has my favorite turn-based jrpg combat of the past while, which is good because there's not much to these games other than wandering around a world map and fighting. story stuff happens but it's never clear exactly what you did to trigger it. very unknowable.

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:13 (four years ago) link

also the text is microscopic on switch

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:15 (four years ago) link

this looks so bad to me i'm taking a hard pass

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:16 (four years ago) link

may appeal to ppl who like octopath

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:16 (four years ago) link

lol yeah saga games are definitely only for the most broke-brained jrpg fans. octopath is much much more accessible than this

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:18 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/3eQVbse.png
59 - Samurai Shodown - 5 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Arcade

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 16:20 (four years ago) link

good iteration/revival of samsho, like all modern jp fighting games though its strictly a multiplayer game with some minimum effort single player modes tacked on. i never play single player in fighting games even when it exists so that doesn't bother me but i know its a dealbreaker for most

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:26 (four years ago) link

ciderpress I started playing SGSGA and man it's kinda hard! and I don't know if I'm advancing my equipment enough for the stage of the game I'm in.

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:27 (four years ago) link

yeah i'm not sure either, i haven't beaten my first character's campaign still. i think most enemies in saga games scale to your current power level but it's very obfuscated and there's stuff you can do to make the game harder without realizing it

the "hard" combat encounters definitely take me multiple tries a lot. you usually have to focus on trying to get a United Attack or whatever its called since thats the only way you can get ahead momentum-wise

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:34 (four years ago) link

yeah it might not be a good thoughtless bedtime game in that regard. I also am not sure if it's a good idea or not to try to train characters on nondefault weapons.

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 16:38 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/L3lUlWe.png
59 - Wattam - 5 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 17:34 (four years ago) link

(sorry for the delay, lunch break)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 17:34 (four years ago) link

are those katamari princes? (I am v bad at following gaming news)

rob, Friday, 3 April 2020 17:47 (four years ago) link

catching up. card of darkness was fun! enjoyed animations and progression of complexity. oddly i hit a wall the first time i played this and then completed it fairly easily when i went back to it. not really a stayer but it did the job v well as an iphone filler game.

probably the place to bemoan the lack of a serious michael brough contender this year. pretty much any of his games would have been GotY any year they got released.

Fizzles, Friday, 3 April 2020 17:50 (four years ago) link

wattam is the katamari guy's new game yes

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link

it is not a katamari game though

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/8XtvkKR.png
59 - Sugarlawn - 5 points / 1 Vote
Interactive Fiction readers

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 17:55 (four years ago) link

emil.y, tell us of the IF!

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 17:59 (four years ago) link

I finished Pilgrims last weekend. Pretty solid. It's about two hours from start to finish. If you liked other Amanita games like Machinarium it's in that same vein.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:04 (four years ago) link

Lonely Mountains Downhill >>>>> Trials 6

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/KU8XAHo.png
59 - Feather - 5 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:12 (four years ago) link

i think that was my vote for trials rising. i found it incredibly addictive, but it was my first trials game so i had nothing to compare it to re: the complaints upthread. if lonely mountains downhill has the satisfying tactile physics of trials with a better aesthetic and no loot boxes i'd be all about that

xp

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 18:19 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/OnqAHYf.png
59 - Horace - 5 points / 1 Vote
Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:20 (four years ago) link

this one looked insufferable to me, maybe that's the joke but i'm not gonna find out

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/xUsl0J3.png
59 - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - 5 points / 1 Vote
Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:29 (four years ago) link

Oh, I voted for Wattam and Sugarlawn! I might have given Wattam a few more points if I'd played it for longer, but only did a few hours immersing myself in the weird weird world. It's very twee, but then you can hold hands and dance with toilets and turn things into poop and... I don't know, it's strange. Definitely worth playing, but as I say, I'm not yet sure if there's more to it than just its odd charm.

Sugarlawn is a good IF treasure hunt. I play a lot of IF and almost never map or write physical notes, but with this one I actually did those things. It's a timed scavenger hunt framed as a TV show in an old mansion, and you have to try to maximise your winnings. I usually like a really deep immersive world in my IF and this is relatively shallow, but it's fun and there's loads of replay value.

emil.y, Friday, 3 April 2020 18:29 (four years ago) link

every few years I try to get into IF for a little while, play something recommended by someone, usually peter out pretty quickly because it's just not in my nature to really stick to these things. As much as I'd like to! Similar experience as I have w/ (genuine) roguelikes (i.e. nethack, brogue, DCSS)

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 18:36 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/uYZUud1.png
59 - The Stillness of the Wind - 5 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, iOS

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:38 (four years ago) link

if lonely mountains downhill has the satisfying tactile physics of trials with a better aesthetic and no loot boxes i'd be all about that

The physics aren't as tight but you can still use the terrain in lots of fun ways. It has none of the aesthetic issues that Trials has. It's a little more homemade than Trials though.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:41 (four years ago) link

finally we have reached the lofty heights of... the games ppl gave 6 points

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:53 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/gAxkx8e.png
57 - A Plague Tale: Innocence - 6 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 18:53 (four years ago) link

lonely mountains downhill is good and possibly better than trials overall but its not the same thing as trials, i love the setpieceyness of the newer trials levels which is the total opposite of what that game offers

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 19:02 (four years ago) link

hm, i was expecting another 5 pointer. but maybe i gave it 10

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 19:03 (four years ago) link

Plague Tale is the first to place that I actually played, and I pretty much hated it. Unfun mechanics, derpy dialogue, boring story.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Friday, 3 April 2020 19:31 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/QSmnWNl.png
57 - Life is Strange 2 - 6 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Macintosh operating systems, Microsoft Windows, Linux

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 19:31 (four years ago) link

hm, i was expecting another 5 pointer. but maybe i gave it 10

― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, April 3, 2020 3:03 PM (twenty-seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

or perhaps... you were not the only voter!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 19:33 (four years ago) link

if true and it's the game i'm thinking of that must mean there's another vibe man in the house who was feeling the vibe

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 19:39 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/oAJQalV.png
56 - New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - 7 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 19:46 (four years ago) link

look at both of those votes

soak in the ~consensus~

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:09 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/60mfKpL.png
55 - Judgment - 8 points / 2 Votes
PlayStation 4

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:10 (four years ago) link

i think i'll eventually play judgment but i still haven't finished yakuza 0

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 20:14 (four years ago) link

I have barely scratched the surface of yakuza 0…need to get back to it

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 20:16 (four years ago) link

judgment is solid, everything's a slight step down from yakuza 0 though except the story and graphics

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 20:21 (four years ago) link

HEY I VOTED FOR JUDGMENT LOL

it looks and walks and talks like a yakuza game but... it is not a yakuza game. i was kind of into it but i think i dropped it as soon as death stranding came out. i gotta get back to it. maybe my retrospective small numbero f points will go up

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:32 (four years ago) link

(i started typing that as soon as i posted the image and forgot to, uh, finish writing the sentence)

anyway here's the last one for today

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:33 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/uJKZzGE.png
54 - Gris - 9 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4 (in 2019)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:33 (four years ago) link

I bought Judgment but didn't play it yet

can say that for some other games on this list too :(

Joey Corona (Euler), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:34 (four years ago) link

54 - Gris - 9 points / 1 Vote
55 - Judgment - 8 points / 2 Votes
56 - New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - 7 points / 2 Votes
57 - A Plague Tale: Innocence - 6 points / 1 Vote
57 - Life is Strange 2 - 6 points / 1 Vote
59 - Trials Rising - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Pilgrims - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Samurai Shodown - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Wattam - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Sugarlawn - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Feather - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Horace - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - The Stillness of the Wind - 5 points / 1 Vote
69 - Card of Darkness - 4 points / 1 Vote
69 - Cat Quest 2 - 4 points / 1 Vote
71 - Katana Zero - 3 points / 1 Vote
71 - Wilmot's Warehouse - 3 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:34 (four years ago) link

i just wanna say to pump you all up, the final placements especially at the top are fucking WILD, i do not remember them ever being this, uhh, THIS

i won't say anymore i just wanna pump you all up

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:36 (four years ago) link

fuck i said pump up twice GET PUMPED

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:44 (four years ago) link

well call me antonio cause i'm pumped now

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 20:44 (four years ago) link

i didn't vote in this, sorry
gris is very pretty

na (NA), Friday, 3 April 2020 20:54 (four years ago) link

The thing I like about A Plague Tale ... the world that Asobo Studios (Bordeaux) has created is so French! It has all these medieval details that are very specific and cool ... it's not like Assassin's Creed where (especially in the early games) you're getting some guy from San Francisco or Montreal's version of what medieval Italy might have been like. And instead of making a medieval world with no game, what's there is pretty good. I can imagine not being that jazzed by it but it's so much more fun than the pure walking sims that have placed higher.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Friday, 3 April 2020 21:00 (four years ago) link

i dont really know what to expect at the top, i didnt play any of the higher profile games last year that i would normally be showering points on like fire emblem or astral chain or dmc5 and the really big one was a fromsoft game which i don't like

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:11 (four years ago) link

i don't know what game is going to win this year but i'm pretty sure i know what game is going to win next week

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:13 (four years ago) link

next year blah

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:13 (four years ago) link

which one do you tihnk will win 2020? geniunely curious bc i can see a few candidates (crossing & ffvii remake & cyberpunk & last of us 2 if it comes out this yr)

i also have a feeling that spiritfarer might be a serious dark horse for 2020.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 3 April 2020 21:26 (four years ago) link

i'm a dummy and didn't even see this thread until just now! (i've had a backlog of bookmarks i'm working through)

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Friday, 3 April 2020 21:31 (four years ago) link

but this makes me very happy! looking forward to reading through this in a bit.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Friday, 3 April 2020 21:31 (four years ago) link

my guess is animal crossing

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:48 (four years ago) link

i like animal crossing but there'll probably be 10 games this year i like more unless it's a real weak year (whcih is very possible with covid delays)

ciderpress, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:51 (four years ago) link

Maybe I’m unduly swayed by how it has taken over my house and in this particular weird moment feels perfectly suited to the moment and iconic. I am really looking forward to 2077 too.

Mordy, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:58 (four years ago) link

I should live so long

silby, Friday, 3 April 2020 22:44 (four years ago) link

animal crossing will undoubtedly win 2020

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 3 April 2020 22:56 (four years ago) link

Never played an animal crossing, not sure it’s my bag

Joey Corona (Euler), Friday, 3 April 2020 23:36 (four years ago) link

#1 will be parvel muzzle quest (marvel puzzle quest with a fake mustache)

℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Friday, 3 April 2020 23:41 (four years ago) link

really hated fallen order. i hated the v punchable main character, the controls that felt so spongey after sekiro. the sliding! it was interesting to me see how many of my favourite games were kind of *about* or distinctive for one mechanic done really really well (combat in sekiro, crossing rugged terrain and walking, Death Stranding).

Fizzles, Sunday, 5 April 2020 11:27 (four years ago) link

Fuck, I got totally derailed by prepping for the whole Covid shutdown with my store and completely failed to vote in this, sorry guys

jjjusten, Sunday, 5 April 2020 17:46 (four years ago) link

well join us now and at the end tell us the games that didn't place that you would've voted for!

Mordy, Sunday, 5 April 2020 18:04 (four years ago) link

Have we got more coming today?

emil.y, Sunday, 5 April 2020 19:10 (four years ago) link

SORRY EVERYONE. too much irl shit today and I completely space. Dback tomorrow for sure!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 02:52 (four years ago) link

(irl shit was merely very annoying computer not working shit that will be fixed tomorrow, I know saying a vague "irl shit" right now sounds more scary than it should)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 02:56 (four years ago) link

All good

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 6 April 2020 05:32 (four years ago) link

I'm back! So many games got 10 points. Here is the first one.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 14:48 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/tjm6GZ7.png
43 - Blasphemous - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 14:48 (four years ago) link

this looks like the most "all the popular trends in 2019" indie game. dark fantasy, sidescrolling, pixel art, Thoughtful Combat

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 14:52 (four years ago) link

i don't remember if i voted, or how i voted, but i think i may have voted for blasphemous! it's a decent game, with nice pixel art. "metroidvania", some interesting bosses...it's about what you expect. but that's the problem, because there have been a million good games in this genre lately, and a handful of reeeeaally good ones, so good-but-flawed games like blasphemous suffer in comparison.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Monday, 6 April 2020 14:59 (four years ago) link

i played all the way up to the final boss, died 4 times in a row, and quit. so yeah, i basically beat blasphemous

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:00 (four years ago) link

looks like it has cool environment/character art which is good enough for me, excited to play it in 10-15 years

℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:05 (four years ago) link

not sure if anyone else played it, but to me it also seemed a bit unfinished and uneven, like a game still in steam early access

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:10 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/SVYSlR5.png
43 - Inmost - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:11 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/HfbVqp6.png
43 - Apex Legends - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:22 (four years ago) link

i don't know these games but ma following plz someone sell them to me

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:29 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/UWVyUQw.png
43 - Eastshade - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:37 (four years ago) link

apex legends is a f2p game so i can't sell it nor do i want to

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:38 (four years ago) link

eastshade was my vote though! it's kinda like an indie-scope elder scrolls game with no combat/conflict, you're a traveling painter and have to find and paint things for people and such

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:40 (four years ago) link

what do you mean it's an elder scrolls game

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:43 (four years ago) link

Oh, that sounds lovely. Windows only it seems, though, so no go for me.

emil.y, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:45 (four years ago) link

xp just aesthetically, the world has the same vibe

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:47 (four years ago) link

looks like ps4 game maybe i will try it...

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:48 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/x06TLzf.png
43 - Luigi's Mansion 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:49 (four years ago) link

riyl walking sims basically

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:51 (four years ago) link

luig3 is good i need to finish it at some point

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:51 (four years ago) link

good screenshot

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:52 (four years ago) link

a friend tells me luigi's mansion 3 is actually v good despite the tepid reviews i would like to hear from ilxors plz who have played it

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:52 (four years ago) link

i don't like walking sims but that game seems maybe like more than just a walking sim? seems to have decisions that influence the world and things to actually do?

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:52 (four years ago) link

not really iirc? most of the things to do are talk to people and do simple side quests. its v much in walking sim territory

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 15:53 (four years ago) link

xxp i promise once we get to something i've played i'll give my thoughts but it's gonna be a couple hours before that lol

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 15:54 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/4cr0clt.png
43 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:00 (four years ago) link

still love this dumb series, obviously this is of no interest to anyone who hasn't played the previous ones as it's an ongoing story

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:02 (four years ago) link

ive tried to play the first one a couple fo times but i keep bouncing off... one day. (and by the first one i mean the trails in the sky one)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:04 (four years ago) link

yeah unfortunately that first one is a real slow starter, the main plot doesn't really emerge until well into the game, so a lot of people bounce off. which, its a series that really asks you to care about the tons of incidental dialogue and character writing so starting with a litmus test is probably fine

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:09 (four years ago) link

a series that really asks you to care about the tons of incidental dialogue and character writing

aha, so, not 4 me probably. What's the combat system like

silby, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:11 (four years ago) link

pretty standard turn based jrpg combat but it's on a grid/plane so positioning matters a little and AoEs have different shapes/radiuses

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:14 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/bEwOvmJ.png
43 - The Fog Knows Your Name - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:22 (four years ago) link

this is the first one today i haven't heard of

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:24 (four years ago) link

this looks like an emil.y one

silby, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:26 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/5tJjD6w.png
43 - Unheard - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:38 (four years ago) link

it was the top-down silhouette of a person. in the pool hall. with the champagne glass

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:47 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/bPVY0M1.png
43 - Ape Out - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:47 (four years ago) link

ok, i really enjoyed inmost. a story told from three different angles at three different points in time to quite sinister and uncanny effect. three v different playing styles. a grim, disturbing palette. and a nice old “C64” platforms feel to it. first one i voted for i think.

Fizzles, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:49 (four years ago) link

lol, i have voted for none of these! i have played none of these!

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:51 (four years ago) link

new board description imo.

Fizzles, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:52 (four years ago) link

i am curious about trails of cold steel because i am a nerd

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 6 April 2020 16:56 (four years ago) link

Ape Out only getting one vote makes me sad as I've watched a lot of it, but never played it.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:02 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/UMVMASU.png
43 - Golf Blitz - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:03 (four years ago) link

Forks the Legend of Heroes series is (at least?) six deep now -- Trails in the sky 1-3, and trails of cold steel 1-3. TitS (lol yes i know) are each like 50-70 hours, and ToCS are each more than that. IT's a commitment! But they are beloved by those who put the time in

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:05 (four years ago) link

is it heavy on crafting?

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:07 (four years ago) link

Apex is my favorite of the battle royale shooters, and thus I voted for it. I suuuuck at it but it is very very well made and cool.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:10 (four years ago) link

Do you call it ApeLegs?

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:16 (four years ago) link

hehe i will now

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:17 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/PCf8gi1.png
43 - Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:24 (four years ago) link

NOTE: Coint and Plick does not advocate hifiving until the end of social distancing recommendations

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:27 (four years ago) link

not much of a gamer, but eastshade is the walking sim on my wishlist, waiting for a sale. played cat quest 2, it was fun and diverting and i finished it. have the first trails in the sky on my to-play list, but i never really play games so...

toejam and earl revival is mystifying to me. has a new eek the cat cartoon been kickstarted yet?

Kate (rushomancy), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:27 (four years ago) link

whoever voted for Toejam and Earl please tell me about it, the first one is a legit top-5 alltime game for me

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:33 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/2qldkO7.png
42 - Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - 11 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:39 (four years ago) link

Whoa, Toejam & Earl! There's a wave of nostalgia.

I was, as silby guessed, the voter for The Fog Knows Your Name. It's a choicescript/choice of games story, and while I enjoy wasting some time with those types of IF, I usually find them fairly shallow and not actually that replayable. The stats and characters you build don't often actually make much difference to the story, despite ostensibly being the things that drive the game. This one, though, I played through a few times and found different scenes and vastly different endings, and also a bit of puzzle in terms of how to play to get a good ending. It helped that it had a compellingly mysterious spooky story at its heart, too.

I also voted for Unheard. It's a detective/logic puzzle, where you're undergoing an experiment and have to match voices to people in order to work out what's really happening. I definitely recommend it, my only real gripe was that it was a little short. It's on Steam, not sure about platforms.

emil.y, Monday, 6 April 2020 17:40 (four years ago) link

i am curious about trails of cold steel because i am a nerd

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, April 6, 2020 12:56 PM (forty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

you can play trails of cold steel 1 without any prior knowledge of the series if the 'its like persona, but fantasy' angle appeals to you, but trails in the sky is the original entry point and is somewhat of a classic. especially if you've got the pc/steam version where they added a turbo button so you can fastforward through stuff like spell animations and the dozens of cutscenes of airships slowly taking off and landing which cuts like 10 hours off the game.

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 17:50 (four years ago) link

fog game got the cheers theme stuck in my head

℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:55 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/KiD0R1c.png
41 - Zanki Zero: Last Beginning - 12 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:02 (four years ago) link

lol i wanted to play this but they didn't localize the vita version or make a switch version so i'm waiting in hopes of that

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:03 (four years ago) link

Finally something *I* voted for!

Zanki Zero is a weird game. It's from the same people as Danganronpa and the Zero Time games I think. As you would expect from the creators of those games, it has a lot of problematic/embarrassing anime trope bullshit, but it also has a pretty genuinely surprisingly twisty and turny story, and the heavy weight of a dead world hanging over it (surprised?). Gameplay is a little Etrian Odyssey but death in this game is a part of the whole thing -- without spoiling too much, dying is actually a necessity and "makes you stronger." If you've played and enjoyed DGR and ZT you probably already know about this game. It doesn't quite hit the highs of those series, but it is a worthy successor.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:07 (four years ago) link

you just reminded me that i stopped putting the consoles. shit

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:08 (four years ago) link

its not actually by the same ppl as danganronpa/zero escape at least not kodaka or uchikoshi since they both left spike chunsoft to make their own studio. but its obviously leaning into that subgenre

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:10 (four years ago) link

ah ok! i thought it was the game they left to make, my bad. now i gotta look what they left to make!! haha

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:18 (four years ago) link

here are the platforms i've missed so far

43 - Blasphemous - 10 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Macintosh operating systems, Linux, Microsoft Windows

43 - Inmost - 10 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

43 - Apex Legends - 10 points / 1 Vote
Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

43 - Eastshade - 10 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

43 - Luigi's Mansion 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch

43 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows

43 - The Fog Knows Your Name - 10 points / 1 Vote
Android, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS

43 - Unheard - 10 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems

43 - Ape Out - 10 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

43 - Golf Blitz - 10 points / 1 Vote
Android, iOS

43 - Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove - 10 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Wii U, Macintosh operating systems

42 - Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - 11 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows

41 - Zanki Zero: Last Beginning - 12 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:18 (four years ago) link

And here's today's next game

https://i.imgur.com/ufliM80.png
40 - Disco Elysium - 12 points / 2 Votes
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:19 (four years ago) link

i think a lot of these consoles aren't correct. disco elysium not out on ps4 afaik nor inmost on switch or mac osx etc

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link

I don't think that's on PS4 (or XBONE) yet? xp

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:23 (four years ago) link

ah fuck. i'm pulling from google results and it includes upcoming consoles i guess. XB1 and PS4 are 2020 releases.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:23 (four years ago) link

legend of heroes for switch also 2020
ape out isn't even on the other consoles, dammit google (just switch/pc)
yep, the vita version of zanki isn't english

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:29 (four years ago) link

don't trouble yourself overmuch with the accuracy imo Will :)

silby, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:30 (four years ago) link

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to Disco Elysium but it's not out on PS4 yet.

emil.y, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:31 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/AK2p92N.png
39 - Resident Evil 2 - 14 points / 2 Votes
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:36 (four years ago) link

anyway disco elysium i voted for it

i didn't get very far and i can't play rn (it's on the dekstop, which is my partner's work station, and we work opposite shifts, so i can really only get on it for a little bit at the end of each day) but i imagine if i had gotten to the end i would've ranked it super high based on what friends and trusted internet ~influencer~ have said about the way it wraps up. excited to beat it eventually!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:40 (four years ago) link

i was pretty sure re was up to vol 56 or something but apparently only 2 anyway good for re here's to another 9 million years of zombie games

Mordy, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:42 (four years ago) link

I mean main series is up to 7 (plus RE0 plus RE code Veronica) but remakes are uh... plentiful

RE1 has been remade... at least once? And RE2 now, and RE3 soon

and that's before you get into all of those shooting game spinoffs and stuff

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:47 (four years ago) link

I have fond memories of the original RE2(*) but considering my cowardice/aversion to horror and jumps scares, I am pretty sure I'm never going to play another RE game.

* I was playing the beginning of the game at a friend's house and there's a part where a licker jumps out of a window, which I knew ahead of time. But my friend's parents just installed a big surround sound system and decided to test it out during my gameplay. I asked why he was turning it on during the scary part, and he sez, "What scary part?" Cue licker crashing through the glass and EVERYONE freaking out.

Later on, there's a level in the sewer where you're chased by a giant alligator, and you have to shoot some kind of environmental explosive device. Every time, without fail, I missed the shot the first time, so I liked to say that to beat the alligator, I'd say you needed two bullets, one to miss and one to kill it.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:56 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/I7F6MTR.png
37 - Zozzled - 15 points / 1 Vote
Interactive Fiction

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link

Got two left for today, then 35-16 tmrw and 15-1 wednesday if that works for y'all

altho if ppl wanna binge this list hard i'm not opposed to posting like 10 more today and 10 more tomorrow kinda thing

the CHOICE is YOURS (it's interactive) (like a video game)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:03 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/f1HtuXn.png
37 - Pikuniku - 15 points / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:16 (four years ago) link

this looks important whatever it is

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 19:25 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/1EAbJQa.png
36 - Anodyne 2: Return to Dust - 15 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:30 (four years ago) link

And that's the last one for today (unless a couple ppl demand OVERTIME MODE)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:30 (four years ago) link

Zozzled is so fun. Steph Cherrywell's writing is full of wit and verve. You play a flapper who has to sort out a ghost problem, mainly by drinking them all up. You can make a dog fart!

emil.y, Monday, 6 April 2020 19:30 (four years ago) link

I'm fine with however you want to roll stuff out, Will, no strong preferences.

emil.y, Monday, 6 April 2020 19:31 (four years ago) link

i played pikuniku but i am too dumb to figure it out even though i like the art style

i played disco elysium for like an hour and never got back to it even though i loved what i played

this is why i don't really vote in these polls

Kate (rushomancy), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:34 (four years ago) link

anodyne 2 is really good but i have no idea how to explain what it is

ciderpress, Monday, 6 April 2020 19:48 (four years ago) link

actualy think i'll keep it spread over 2 days considering i could reallllly use the next hour to work on irl work! here's today's results

36 - Anodyne 2: Return to Dust - 15 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
37 - Zozzled - 15 points / 1 Vote
37 - Pikuniku - 15 points / 1 Vote
39 - Resident Evil 2 - 14 points / 2 Votes
40 - Disco Elysium - 12 points / 2 Votes
41 - Zanki Zero - 12 points / 1 Vote
42 - Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - 11 points / 1 Vote
43 - Blasphemous - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Inmost - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Apex Legends - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Eastshade - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Luigi's Mansion 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - The Fog Knows Your Name - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Unheard - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Ape Out - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Golf Blitz - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove - 10 points / 1 Vote

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:48 (four years ago) link

6 of my 9 votes have placed and I was the sole voter on all of em so I guess a quick recap is in order.

Feather - Chill, relaxing flying game that needs more content but was fine for an hour or two.

Horace - only played a couple hours but so far its a platformer tutorial with a lot of long twee "emotional" cut scenes. Supposedly it changes it up a bunch as it goes on so my vote is more giving it the benefit of the doubt than anything else since what I've seen so far maybe isn't my bag, but certainly seems like something for somebody.

The Stillness of the Wind - sweet sad game that is basically just an expansion for the free game Where the Goats Are that you can get on itch.io here and which I highly recommend as far as free hour long games go.

Ape Out - Great melee based Hotline Miami-alike with responsive jazz soundtrack that is probably too short for its price, but played really well as a free giveaway.

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove - basically just a souped up remake of the original game with a couple aspects of the first sequel mixed in. If you love the first TJ&E (like I do, it's a top ten all time for me) then you'll probably enjoy it, but it doesn't offer a whole lot the original doesn't.

Pikuniku - Cute, clever story-based side scroller. Pretty delightful and sweet.

Judi Dench's Human Hand (methanietanner), Monday, 6 April 2020 19:52 (four years ago) link

man i guess i did start to get around to playing more things last year. there’s like two real games i would have cited for here (and a lot of phone stuff i played for a minute and kinda hated)

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Monday, 6 April 2020 23:00 (four years ago) link

i'm watching someone play "blasphemous" and while the art is technically well done the art _style_ is such fucking edgelordy bullshit, it's really annoying to me

Kate (rushomancy), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 16:27 (four years ago) link

dark fantasy is In ever since everyone got obsessed with dark souls

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 16:30 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/gGzymUv.png
35 - Supraland - 16 points / 2 Votes
Microsoft Windows, Linux

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 16:50 (four years ago) link

we are back for day 3! here's the first one

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 16:50 (four years ago) link

also i kinda want ciderpress to try to explain anodyne anyway!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 16:52 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/dspML2u.png
33 - The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa - 20 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch (2019), PC/Mac (2018)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:09 (four years ago) link

i voted for this because it is one of the coolest games i have ever played. it's just cool

like so much of this game is not fighting but kinda "rpg elements" but they all just feel like... waiting in a cool way? it's hard to describe without playing the game

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:11 (four years ago) link

anyway here's a well voted for write in

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:20 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/QrYO10h.png
33 - Islanders - 20 points / 2 Votes
Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:21 (four years ago) link

xp most of the fun of anodyne 2 was in not knowing what it was and being repeatedly surprised at how it unfolded though! its one of those games

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:22 (four years ago) link

ringo ishikawa's been on my interest list but hadn't heard from anyone who'd actually played it, good to know its good

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:24 (four years ago) link

islanders isn't very deep but it is very charming and definitely worth a few hours of your time until it gets repetitive

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:24 (four years ago) link

i also voted for friends of ringo ishikawa. has a great atmosphere with lots of little details that add to the personality of its world. ringo read the russian classics between hunkering sessions with bros and smoking cigs on the dock, improved himself and believed in a path to a better life, if only for a moment before the weight of the world closed back in on him...

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:26 (four years ago) link

let's get this out of the way

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:35 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/bOCtV3q.png
32 - Marvel Puzzle Quest - 21 points / 2 Votes
If you don't know by now, keep it that way

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:35 (four years ago) link

offended it beat ringo by a point

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:35 (four years ago) link

have twice quit this game and currently on breakup (came up for briefly kitty pryde) as a nonsmoker i assume mpq is what kicking nicotine is like

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:37 (four years ago) link

came back briefly for kitty pryde*

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:37 (four years ago) link

Heh I really could've thrown some points at MPQ, for old time's sake.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:40 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/WWaPQua.png
31 - What the Golf? - 21 points / 3 Votes
iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems (Switch in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:45 (four years ago) link

btw i think i fixed all of the platform details per above -- if it's 2020/upcoming it's in parentheses and if it was pre-2019 it's just listed at the end

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:46 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/LmWSeeF.png
30 - The Outer Worlds - 22 points / 2 Votes
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows (Switch in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:59 (four years ago) link

i would like to play this i think but maybe i'll wait for the switch release at this pt

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:03 (four years ago) link

it looked like a reskinned Fallout 4 to me, so i've been avoiding

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:04 (four years ago) link

it's by the obsidian guys iirc their stuff is generally high quality even tho the reviews seemed a bit middling

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link

they did the superior new vegas

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link

probably the writing is good at the v least

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link

i took a sacred oath to never again play a game with millions of dialogue trees that don't really let me actually choose anything. i understand why these games are the way they are now, but i'm crossing my fingers for some sort of technological breakthrough that makes it feel more meaningful

i did like vegas, though!

xp

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:06 (four years ago) link

i can't forgive it for being released in the same year as another space game called the outer wilds with similarly colored cover art

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:11 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/IBIrEZ4.png
29 - Ring Fit Adventure - 24 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:13 (four years ago) link

i can't forgive it for being released in the same year as another space game called the outer wilds with similarly colored cover art

― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, April 7, 2020 2:11 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

i literally played it for 2-3 hours before realizing it wasn't the game my friend recommended to me (he had said READ NOTHING JUST PLAY IT so i didn't notice it was wrong... i had it on game pass tho at least)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:14 (four years ago) link

that's an interesting idea, though. the outer worlds, but you have to start at the beginning every 2 to 3 hours

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:15 (four years ago) link

confession time i still haven't opened my copy of ring fit. apparently it's reselling for hundreds of dollars now too because the ring manufacturer got COVID'd...

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:23 (four years ago) link

i was having a great time with it until i threw out my back (unrelated) 6 weeks ago.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:26 (four years ago) link

i came so close to buying one before they sold out everywhere, regrets

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:28 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/eWUKVBT.png
28 - Grindstone - 24 points / 3 Votes
iOS

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:38 (four years ago) link

this si apple arcade only i think? means i won't ever get to play it but it looks cool! i like capybara!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:50 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/AN2VG6A.png
27 - Mortal Kombat 11 - 25 points / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/qlBfUXJ.png
25 - Antimatter Dimensions - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
Android, Browser

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:11 (four years ago) link

I voted for Outer Worlds and Outer Wilds. Outer Worlds is the first Fallout game I've liked, basically.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:13 (four years ago) link

i just bought friends of ringo on your say so right now!

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:15 (four years ago) link

antimatter is another one of those fucking clicker games isn't it

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:16 (four years ago) link

grindstone is fun enough that when i got to level 97 and my game glitched and erased, i just started over and am still playing a few levels before bed every night

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:17 (four years ago) link

If I hadn’t failed to vote I would have thrown a ton of points at “Outer Worlds” an absolute joy to play, legitimately very very funny, visually stunning, and (I’m sure people complained about this) not excessively long.

jjjusten, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:21 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/3Nlennk.png
25 - Void Bastards - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:23 (four years ago) link

hey this game is great. off-beat sci-fi premise - roguelike w/ "permadeath" where subsequent convicts continue the scavenging for critical parts, ammo, food, fuel, etc fun AND funny i just wish bigger?

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:26 (four years ago) link

steam says i played 15 hours that sounds about right, probably a little shorter i did some of the optional post-game quests but it really is v fun and worth a play

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:27 (four years ago) link

If Void ever comes to Sony I will play it a lot I think

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:35 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/yPUY6nu.png
24 - Wargroove - 28 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:38 (four years ago) link

Antimatter dimensions is an idle game, yes. Not a lot of clicking though. The mobile version released last year made a lot of changes, including making the "idle game" (having the app closed) stronger.

wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:41 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/CFOjCAp.png
23 - Sayonara Wild Hearts - 29 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, tvOS (Xbox One in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:52 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/xWnPTBZ.png
22 - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - 30 points / 2 Votes
Windows (2019), Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One (2018)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:02 (four years ago) link

i haven't played anything since outer worlds and even that i barely played -- anyone?

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:10 (four years ago) link

next one i know a bunch of you have played tho

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:11 (four years ago) link

i haven't either! i know wargroove is the faux advance wars game and sayonara wild hearts is inexplicably narrated by queen latifah

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:13 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/ZKwsktu.png
21 - Tetris 99 - 30 points / 4 Votes
Nintendo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:13 (four years ago) link

it's like tetris, but 99

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:14 (four years ago) link

i got 99 tetrises but this aint one

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:15 (four years ago) link

a great idea that i found it hard to care about after tetris effect climbed in my brain and never left

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:16 (four years ago) link

and now for the most initially confusing "when did this come out anyway" result on the list

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:26 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/Fw0AIqJ.png
20 - Cook Serve Delicious 2 - 30 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch, Xbox One (2019), PlayStation 4 (2018), Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems (2017)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:26 (four years ago) link

i was one of the monster boy votes. it's a great classic platformer with a charming world and some puzzle, metroidvania, and rpg-lite elements

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:32 (four years ago) link

four left today! our last result today will have over 30 points, meaning everything tomorrow will have had to have had at least two voters

i cannot wrap my head around the fact that i wrote "will have had to have had". i know it can't be correct but i can't figure out why

this language

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:36 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/VwqX8uS.png
18 - Mutazione - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
PlayStation 4, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:38 (four years ago) link

"everything tomorrow will have at least two voters"

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:39 (four years ago) link

Cursed Kingdom was my #2. Around my 6th favorite Metroidvania -- below Hollow Knight but above most Castlevanias. The big downside is that there's no post-game content -- once it's done, it's done.

wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:39 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/xHRuXP6.png
18 - Super Mega Baseball 2 - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
Nintendo Switch (2019), Windows, Xbox One, Playstation 4 (2018)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 20:50 (four years ago) link

decent replacement for real baseball

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:01 (four years ago) link

Wargroove! IIRC Advanced Wars was less hard -- for me, I haven't even gotten very far in the Wargroove single-player campaign, but the characters are really fun.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:07 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/f0aZchk.png
17 - Dicey Dungeons - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 3 Votes
Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux (Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:17 (four years ago) link

I'll post disappointments of the year tomorrow because it mentions a lot of names that haven't come up yet -- challopsy! high-rated games being disappointments! -- but here are the non-2019 games of 2019...

TWO VOTES FOR NON-2019 GAME OF THE YEAR:
Cinco Paus
Yakuza 0

One vote each:
Donut County
The Last of Us
Celeste
Grim Fandango
Planescape: Torment
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Chess
Hearthstone
Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:18 (four years ago) link

also there is zero overlap on the disappointments of 2019 wow!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:18 (four years ago) link

oops, add one non-2019 to that list, i forgot about forks --

Nioh

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:19 (four years ago) link

chess, lol but also ✓

wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:34 (four years ago) link

Dicey dungeons is a great game - roguelike elements deck building with so many unique mechanics and variations on those mechanics it’s sorta dizzying how much game there is here despite what first appears to be v basic structure and design

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:34 (four years ago) link

Chess my vote lol

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:34 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/LYlPoFc.png
16 - Return of the Obra Dinn - 32 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (2019), Microsoft Windows, macOS (2018)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:35 (four years ago) link

oh, cincopaus

℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:35 (four years ago) link

that's the last one for today!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:35 (four years ago) link

chess, lol but also ✓

― wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, April 7, 2020 5:34 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

you gave it an echec mark

i'll see myself out

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:36 (four years ago) link

Played it more than any other game last year really still among humanity’s most wonderful innovations of perfect design and complexity emerging out of simple principles every game packed with emergent themes and ideas and stories told entirely out of a grid board and some basic rules

Mordy, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:36 (four years ago) link

Tuesday recap time:

16 - Return of the Obra Dinn - 32 points / 2 Votes
17 - Dicey Dungeons - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 3 Votes
18 - Super Mega Baseball 2 - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
18 - Mutazione - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
20 - Cook Serve Delicious 2 - 30 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
21 - Tetris 99 - 30 points / 4 Votes
22 - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - 30 points / 2 Votes
23 - Sayonara Wild Hearts - 29 points / 2 Votes
24 - Wargroove - 28 points / 2 Votes
25 - Void Bastards - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
25 - Antimatter Dimensions - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
27 - Mortal Kombat 11 - 25 points / 1 Vote
28 - Grindstone - 24 points / 3 Votes
29 - Ring Fit Adventure - 24 points / 2 Votes
30 - The Outer Worlds - 22 points / 2 Votes
31 - What the Golf? - 21 points / 3 Votes
32 - Marvel Puzzle Quest - 21 points / 2 Votes
33 - The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa - 20 points / 2 Votes
33 - Islanders - 20 points / 2 Votes
35 - Supraland - 16 points / 2 Votes

top 15 tomorrow at some point!

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:36 (four years ago) link

dicey dungeons was one of those games that somehow sucked up 30 hours of my time without seeming like much at all.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:37 (four years ago) link

also, fuck yeah cinco paus

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:37 (four years ago) link

As far as old board games go, i tried to wrap my head around Patchwork and Onitama in 2019, and mostly failed.

wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:38 (four years ago) link

Played it more than any other game last year really still among humanity’s most wonderful innovations of perfect design and complexity emerging out of simple principles every game packed with emergent themes and ideas and stories told entirely out of a grid board and some basic rules

― Mordy, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 5:36 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

nah white's OP it desperately needs a patch but the devs seemingly abandoned it years ago

℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:39 (four years ago) link

Oh man I was about to go on a rampage because I thought someone voted TLOU as a disappointment, and then I realized it was best non-2019 games and that I was the vote for it.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:39 (four years ago) link

super mega baseball 2 - i don't really get this game? i keep bumping the difficulty up and it still seems very easy.

obra dinn - i respect this game, very original concept, great design, but i didn't particularly enjoy it

na (NA), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:42 (four years ago) link

Nobody else played Mortal Kombat 11? Kinda shocked honestly. It's great, though pretty much exactly what you expect in 2019 from an MK game.

Also if I were being honest Marvel Puzzle Quest would've gotten a vote from me

Nhex, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:44 (four years ago) link

i like chess a lot but feel even moreso about go re: perfect design and complexity emerging out of simple principles every game packed with emergent themes and ideas and stories told entirely out of a grid board and some basic rules

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:46 (four years ago) link

as one of the few resident fighting game dabblers i strongly dislike NRS games sorry

ciderpress, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:47 (four years ago) link

super mega baseball 2 - i don't really get this game? i keep bumping the difficulty up and it still seems very easy.

As the Super Mega Baseball 2 voter - I think I've played one game ever against the computer. I only play the Pennant Race mode (5 inning games online vs humans) and it's fan-tastic. I can't stop playing it.

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:51 (four years ago) link

Also later this month Super Mega Baseball 3 comes out, and as I understand the demo will let you play unlimited Pennant Race games, so if anybody's curious, that'll be a great way to check it out.

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 21:57 (four years ago) link

I was tempted to vote for Obra Dinn but I played it in '18 so I refrained. Absolutely love that game, though. Speaking of temptations, I was also tempted to throw in a vote for Frog Fractions on the non-2019 GOTY side poll just to wind up the haters, heh.

Gave Sayonara Wild Hearts most of those points that it got. I just absolutely fell in love with it. The gameplay is simple but fun, but most of all it nails the vibe of big queer heartbreak so well.

emil.y, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 22:22 (four years ago) link

Cook Serve Delicious 2 is lovely for coop, gets impossible for single player, and criminal for asking you to fill orders for tacos with rice as a filling. My vote.

Joey Corona (Euler), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 22:45 (four years ago) link

(I think this year is the first time I’ve ever failed to vote in a c&p but if I had done, Sayonara Wild Hearts would’ve had an extra 30 points from me. It was my favourite game of last year).

JimD, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 23:06 (four years ago) link

To nick a line from RPS, What's amazing about Supraland is not that it has the confidence to claim that it's "a mix between Portal, Zelda and Metroid", but that it actually gets pretty close. There's a demo on Steam - the game is high on my list.

Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 09:44 (four years ago) link

(of games to play this year, not my ballot, since I didn't play enough current games to etc etc)

Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 10:02 (four years ago) link

i was the other vote for Supraland, its combination of metroidvania-style exploration and engaging puzzles in 3D is superb. it has its problems (combat is pretty forgettable, odd sense of humour) but what it does well it does so well that it makes up for that.

also voted for Disco Elysium which is a one-of-a-kind combat-less RPG/point & click adventure game hybrid of sorts. it's very driven by text and luckily for it, the writing is on a level far beyond most games

i did play Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom but got bored towards the end and never finished it. it simply didn't live up to what i was hoping for from a metroidvania and one boss was too frustrating to bother with. the combat was not particularly fun. it was linear to the point of not being particularly interesting exploration-wise, had too much of a focus on precision platforming challenges that were more frustrating than engaging. a lot of puzzles that were confusing in a bad way (and i love la-mulana so i'm happy enough with complex puzzles)

combat was not particularly fun, some bosses were especially

ufo, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 12:47 (four years ago) link

oh whoops meant to delete that last paragraph

ufo, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 12:49 (four years ago) link

*rubs hands together*

HERE WE GO

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:39 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/m6iCFVN.png
14 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - 35 points / 2 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:40 (four years ago) link

monster boy is one of those games i would never dream of actually playing, but which reminds me of the games of my youth and which is fun to watch someone else play.

Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:51 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/4IqIXoD.png
14 - Wingspan - 35 points / 2 Votes
Board game (out on Steam in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:55 (four years ago) link

who here remembers playing board games with friends

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:55 (four years ago) link

(that's our last tie! doesn't mean it isn't close though...........)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:56 (four years ago) link

this is the second time i've thought about paul mccartney this morning

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:57 (four years ago) link

wingspan is such a precious + sweet game. low intensity so great for non-gamers, the birds are gorgeous, the gameplay is soothing and chill. the balance is mostly good (tho there are a few cards that if you get them early you can steamroll with)

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:58 (four years ago) link

every bird card is unique and painted

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 14:58 (four years ago) link

are there bird facts? recent games have gotten me used to learning animal trivia as i play

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:00 (four years ago) link

indeed! you will learn about many different birds as you play. their habitats, nest building, fecundity, wingspan, consumption habits etc

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:04 (four years ago) link

wingspan is a decent entry-level eurogame but if you're not in it for the bird theme there's a lot of better ones

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:05 (four years ago) link

(most people are in it for the bird theme)

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:06 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/dSP9I0t.png
13 - A Short Hike - 35 points / 3 Votes
Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:08 (four years ago) link

kind of a perfect game for the hour or 2 it takes to complete it

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:11 (four years ago) link

sounds pretty short for a game but actually pretty decently long for a hike

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:12 (four years ago) link

a good day hike is several hours longer than this game imo

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:15 (four years ago) link

a short hike is good imo

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:16 (four years ago) link

feels great to fly

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:16 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/WWVMWE9.png
11 - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - 39 points / 3 Votes
Nintndo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:23 (four years ago) link

fuck, i missed one. double post i guess!

https://i.imgur.com/xV8ijU3.png
12 - Hypnospace Outlaw - 35 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 2 Votes
Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating systems

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:23 (four years ago) link

the only one where i had to nestle the title in sideways to make it work with the screenshot

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:24 (four years ago) link

rly wanna check this one out (hypnospace outlaw)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:25 (four years ago) link

link's awakening is a great game but i played it in 93 so couldn't qualify for my ballot

hypnospace outlaw i haven't played yet but is on my computer now i guess i should prioritize it

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:27 (four years ago) link

Ah shit, I really wanted to play Hypnospace Outlaw!

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:31 (four years ago) link

with this dn i shd be ashamed of myself for almost forgetting to post that one (and ashamed for not playing it yet)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:32 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/msSNuE5.png
10 - Slay the Spire - 39 points / 5 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, Linux (iOS and Android in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:41 (four years ago) link

hypnospace outlaw was my goty, really fun throwback to an intensely specific time and place (the place is online)

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:45 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/kCiXRT4.png
9 - Super Mario Maker 2 - 46 points / 5 Votes
Nintendo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:57 (four years ago) link

that's the last one before number REALLY go up

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:58 (four years ago) link

re: slay the spire, i can't actually remember if it made my ballot but i did spend a LOT of time with it last year. an excellent little... whatever it is. i don't really play roguelikes, or deckbuilders, but I think it's both of those? it's very satisfying to get far in (I have even "beaten" it 2 or 3 times). when you uncover cool card combos you feel like a genius.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 15:59 (four years ago) link

it is indeed a roguelike deckbuilder

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:00 (four years ago) link

I voted for SMM2 despite not playing it myself. The variety of user levels that you can see on youtube is amazing.

wasdnuos (abanana), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:09 (four years ago) link

I did play smm2 but also voted for it on the strength of its YouTube videos

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:11 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/9AWQPvA.png
8 - Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - 70 points / 0.83 First-place votes / 3 Votes
Nintendo Switch (Playstation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows (non-"definitive" editions) 2017)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:27 (four years ago) link

i've come around on this game being good but it still feels like a greatest hits album of jrpg bits to me without a strong throughline. also the third act kinda ruins the whole story in the service of one or two Whoa Cool moments

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:35 (four years ago) link

maybe the version i played wasn't Definitive enough

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:38 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/XQ4KAcc.png
7 - Death Stranding - 81 points / 1 First-place vote / 6 Votes
Playstation 4 (Windows in 2020)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 16:51 (four years ago) link

i really need to finish that game. i've gotten the internet all the way across the rocky mountains, but then started to get a little bored

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:06 (four years ago) link

My co-first place! it was so refreshing to haave a kojima weirdo game with a glimmer of hope in it?

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:06 (four years ago) link

my other co-first is coming up next...

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:07 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/pm0nJNx.png
6 - Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 82 points / 1.5 First-place votes / 6 Votes
Nintendo Switch

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:07 (four years ago) link

re: death stranding saw this one sale for $30. didn't buy. feeling like i may never play it.

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:09 (four years ago) link

three houses is a great visual novel, not an amazing tactics game

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:09 (four years ago) link

sounds like my type of fire emblem

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:15 (four years ago) link

played 30 hours of three houses, quit, for the reason mordy mentioned. i've never played a fire emblem game before, so i'm glad i checked it out.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:20 (four years ago) link

i've been trying to post this annoying opinion less often, but i just don't like video game stories, most of the time. like if i want to watch a "visual novel", i would much, much rather re-watch game of thrones seasons 1-4

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:21 (four years ago) link

Slay the Spire is the game I've played the most in the last few months. A total gem.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:22 (four years ago) link

I may have voted for Short Hike if I'd played it before I voted. Really nice lil' game. The flying mechanic is so simple but so good.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:24 (four years ago) link

Wow, I did not expect my #1 to beat out Death Stranding.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:27 (four years ago) link

Famous last words etc.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:28 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/FA4bF1p.png
5 - Control - 85 points / 2 First-place votes / 4 Votes
Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:28 (four years ago) link

still really need to play this

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:33 (four years ago) link

finally! so i only tossed this 5 pts bc i assumed it would do well but i've since voted played much more of it and it deserved more points from me. the mechanics are legitimately joyful (flying! tossing objects around!) and the tone + setting is v X-files-esque without (generally going too overboard with the homage). the cigarette smoking guy maybe too far. i can't understand half of what the janitor is saying. half the guns work shitty and aren't worth bothering with. the game has bathrooms everywhere and nothing in any of them. you'd think they'd have enough bathrooms by now so do they?

https://i.imgur.com/EdwT1tx.jpg

apparently not

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:34 (four years ago) link

it's fun to clobber monsters with giant slabs of casework and some of the puzzles + stages (inc apparently the one i'm up to which is supposedly the creme de le creme of the game) are legit innovative + exciting. many parts are authentically unnerving without needing jump scares. some of the music is fantastic, the sound design v creepy + great.

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:36 (four years ago) link

it's an imperfect game but it's a really great one

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:36 (four years ago) link

I've been super-intrigued by Control since I first laid eyes on it, which is not something I can say for AAA games generally. I should probably break down and get a PS4 or Xbone to play it.

may the force leave us alone (zchyrs), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:43 (four years ago) link

inc apparently the one i'm up to which is supposedly the creme de le creme of the game

Just a pointer: this part isn't ~really~ a puzzle, you either can get through it or you can't, and the game will tell you that pretty quickly, so don't spend too much time trying to crack this nut.

Also, if you have a souped-up PC, that's probably the best platform to play it on, for the ray tracing goodness.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:44 (four years ago) link

OTOH the PS4 version has a weird and hilarious DLC starring Kojima's voice.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:45 (four years ago) link

This Fire Emblem has heart. The tactics themselves are way less relevant to victory (at least on normal+casual) than minmaxing your character builds, but I like minmaxing and getting people new outfits classes more than tricky tactics anyway.

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:45 (four years ago) link

i am up to it - i went once before and got stopped but i've since done the *stuff* that made it clear it's time xxp

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:45 (four years ago) link

i'm gonna play the fire emblem on hard+casual because i'm a casual gamer fronting as a hardcore one

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/novr0Qp.png
4 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 86 points / 2 First-place votes / 4 Votes
Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link

for those keeping track that was a run of 81-82-85-86 points O_O

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link

Nice! \m/ xps

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link

so sekiro looks cool but it's a dark souls / bloodborne game right? i just don't find that whole thing v enjoyable.

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link

as per my previous post i don't enjoy fromsoft games though this one certainly looks pretty compared to dark souls

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:53 (four years ago) link

i watched dunkey play it zombie monkey boss looked dope

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:53 (four years ago) link

xp it's even harder than dark souls / bloodborne since it's not an rpg so you can't 'get ahead' of the difficulty curve via levels/build

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:55 (four years ago) link

uh oh I don't know what one of the games in the top 3 is :\ :/

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:56 (four years ago) link

i think i know all 3...

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:57 (four years ago) link

I was blanking on the third too but then I reviewed my ballot, and the only question I have is order.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:58 (four years ago) link

i don't know the order but all 3 have been mentioned itt already

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:58 (four years ago) link

they're all indie games if that helps

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:59 (four years ago) link

Sekiro and Death Stranding were both games my bf played a lot last year, I threw the latter some points but not the former, it just wasn't as fun to watch. I know some people weren't so keen on the idea of me voting for something I'd not actually been at the controls for, but I do feel like it was a considered choice based on experiencing the game and not breaking the rules of the poll. Apologies to those who are still annoyed by it, though.

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 17:59 (four years ago) link

i think watching someone play a video game is totally legit reason to vote for it and was basically my reason for voting for mario maker 2 fwiw and i sometimes feel like i'm inclined to gatekeep in other ways (like i'm a little skeptical of the gaminess of certain walking sims)

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:00 (four years ago) link

my decision tree:
if you can win, it's a game
if you can lose, it's a game
if you wasd, it's a game
if you're playing pretend, it's a slightly weird game

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:02 (four years ago) link

If you can honk, it's a game.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link

if you can honk it might be goty

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:06 (four years ago) link

Thanks Mordy. I guess I have a bit of self-doubt caused by slippery slope arguments, like, would you watch a Let's Play video and still vote for the game? That seems dubious to me.

Also: HONK

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:07 (four years ago) link

i voted for 2 of the top 3, and i have a good guess at the third (which i'm waiting for a good sale on).

wasdnuos (abanana), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:12 (four years ago) link

number 3...

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:12 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/nWgwHTZ.png
3 - The Outer Wilds - 93 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 6 Votes
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:12 (four years ago) link

walking sims are definitely games, visual novels are the frontier where things get messy

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:15 (four years ago) link

i never finished this but what a cool and ambitious thing it is for an indie game

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:17 (four years ago) link

I was VERY concerned about playing this, because games in first-person give me bad motion sickness, and then this game also has some zero-g navigation. But it never became an issue for me!

Furthermore, I'm not a big fan of puzzle games, and for the endgame I had to look up guides and walkthroughs, but for a lot of it I managed to figure out most of the solutions.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:18 (four years ago) link

Ha wow given how many points I would have awarded death stranding my dumb non-voting actually really changed these results.

jjjusten, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:19 (four years ago) link

i am greatly looking forward to playing this game

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:19 (four years ago) link

xxp Good to know! Lots of first-person games give me motion sickness too.

wasdnuos (abanana), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:19 (four years ago) link

i am glad death stranding did not win coint and plick

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link

definitely the most impressive exploration/puzzle game to me since the witness

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link

unless hypnospace outlaw counts as an exploration game which i guess it kinda does

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link

ppl are very cagey about what this game even is, so I have no idea what it is!

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:24 (four years ago) link

I was concerned that Outer Wilds might have permadeath, but it doesn't really.

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:26 (four years ago) link

jjjusten how many wuld you have given it? :O 30?

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:29 (four years ago) link

ppl are very cagey about what this game even is, so I have no idea what it is!

― silby, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 2:24 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i think the reason people are cagey is because the more you explain, the less you are surprised by it. i'll say this: it's a non-combat, walking/space-flying simulator where you have to figure out why a big tragedy is going to happen, and you get lots of tries to do so

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:30 (four years ago) link

it's kind without being cloying, its meditative without being boring, it's perplexing without being alienating, it just rules

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:31 (four years ago) link

ANYWAY, WHO'S READY FOR WHAT ARE DEFINITELY THE REAL TOP 2 GAMES

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:31 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/y2cP2Ys.png
1 - Goose Of War 5 - 101 Points / 9 Votes
Bandai Wonderswan

https://i.imgur.com/NvPqVFv.png
1 - Call Is Duty: Modern Is Warfare - 101 Points / 9 Votes
idk Ouya or something

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:32 (four years ago) link

rip and tear good buddy

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:32 (four years ago) link

i'm surprised astral chain didn't place at all is it just that none of us got around to it?

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:32 (four years ago) link

im very very very proud of these btw lol

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:32 (four years ago) link

wow is that order right??

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:33 (four years ago) link

i would never spoil anything with the psychout

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:33 (four years ago) link

I had to look several times to see the goose lol

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

ok... it is time for the reveal of the top 2 games... and i cannot stress enough, these are the REAL points/firsts/votes

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

no psych outs left

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

only games

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

SEMPER GAMES

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/VhzWTmf.png
2 - Baba Is You - 109 points / 1 First-place vote / 7 Votes
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, Linux

https://i.imgur.com/bgVQHaY.png
1 - Untitled Goose Game - 109 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 9 Votes
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Macintosh operating systems, Microsoft Windows

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

omg

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:36 (four years ago) link

HAHA WOW. I gave UGG one point so uhhh blame me for the tie!

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:36 (four years ago) link

Untitled Goose Game: I understand the feelings of those let down by it, but I enjoyed my time with it. Maybe slightly less than I expected, but it was a joyful time with only a few deranged and unnecessary annoyances.

I gave 30 points to Baba Is You. I'm so mad at this game right now. It's a good video game.

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:37 (four years ago) link

oooh outer wilds is on the Games Pass...

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:37 (four years ago) link

HONK

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:37 (four years ago) link

with 30 from jjj it would have been death stranding in 1, that's how close it was

if the one voter who gave baba 30 points and UGG 9 points had instead given 8 points...

etc etc etc

WHAT A CLOSE YEAR

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:37 (four years ago) link

i'm surprised astral chain didn't place at all is it just that none of us got around to it?

― Mordy, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 2:32 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

same with devil may cry 5, i don't think anyone on the board played either of these yet

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:37 (four years ago) link

YES! HONK MOTHERFUCKERS HONK!

Will, those fake ones are awesome, I salute you.

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:38 (four years ago) link

oooh outer wilds is on the Games Pass...

― brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Wednesday, April 8, 2020 2:37 PM (fourteen seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

WHAT

WHEN I JOINED GAME PASS IT WAS FOR THIS OUTER WILDS BUT I ACCIDENTALLY PLAYED OUTER WORLDS

IF IT'S ON THERE NOW THIS IS THE ULTIMATE INSULT

(important note about playing on PC: there is a certain part of the game where analog control helps quite a bit, you may not wanna kbm this game -- plug in a controller)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:39 (four years ago) link

xp thank u :):)

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:39 (four years ago) link

fun poll, great fakes. thanks will m

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:41 (four years ago) link

i think i put goose game as my disappointment for the outrage clicks but it's fine, i didn't manage to play anything truly disappointing last year

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:42 (four years ago) link

yes, thanks for the poll, Will M!

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:43 (four years ago) link

three houses was sorta disappointing or just so much stuff in it that was disappointing. combat rarely fun. running around returning lost objects rarely fun. rumination on nature of authoritarianism? great!

Mordy, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:43 (four years ago) link

I said in the goose game thread I was surprised by people who said they were disappointed with the actual game, I thought it was rock solid. Maybe a level too short but that would be my only complaint.

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:44 (four years ago) link

now that we've settled this, i just bought my first 2020-released game

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link

wait, its the second i forgot about animal crossing lol

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link

well played will, thanks! will buy some of these for sure where I wouldn't have otherwise!

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link

(animal crossing is less a game and more of a remote lifestyle)

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link

HONK

I couldn't vote in good conscience, UGG was the only eligible game I actually played, I think. It deserves the win, it was the game of the year even if that's not the same as the best game of the year

a slobbering sombrero moment (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link

can everyone do my a favour and read the next one while putting your mouse to automatically slowly scroll through it? thanks

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:58 (four years ago) link

THIRTEENTH ANNUAL COINT + PLICK

CREDITS

Compiling

Will M.

Pictures

Will M.

Posting

Will M.

Psych-out

Will M.

Voters

abanana
Leee
Karl Malone
ufo
Will M.
karl...arlk...rlka...lkar...
Fizzles
The Yellow Kid
Polyphonic
ciderpress
mordy
emil.y
Silby
Orifex
methanietanner
nhex
Euler
ulysses

Production kitties adopted
Yuri M.
Kornelius M.

An ILX Production

1 - Untitled Goose Game - 109 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 9 Votes
2 - Baba Is You - 109 points / 1 First-place vote / 7 Votes
3 - The Outer Wilds - 93 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 6 votes
4 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 86 points / 2 First-place votes / 4 Votes
5 - Control - 85 points / 2 First-place votes / 4 Votes
6 - Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 82 points / 1.5 First-place votes / 6 Votes
7 - Death Stranding - 81 points / 1 First-place vote / 6 Votes
8 - Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - 70 points / 0.83 First-place votes / 3 Votes
9 - Super Mario Maker 2 - 46 points / 5 Votes
10 - Slay the Spire - 39 points / 5 Votes
11 - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - 39 points / 3 Votes
12 - Hypnospace Outlaw - 35 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 2 Votes
13 - A Short Hike - 35 points / 3 Votes
14 - Wingspan - 35 points / 2 Votes
14 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - 35 points / 2 Votes
16 - Return of the Obra Dinn - 32 points / 2 Votes
17 - Dicey Dungeons - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 3 Votes
18 - Super Mega Baseball 2 - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
18 - Mutazione - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
20 - Cook Serve Delicious 2 - 30 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
21 - Tetris 99 - 30 points / 4 Votes
22 - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - 30 points / 2 Votes
23 - Sayonara Wild Hearts - 29 points / 2 Votes
24 - Wargroove - 28 points / 2 Votes
25 - Void Bastards - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
25 - Antimatter Dimensions - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
27 - Mortal Kombat 11 - 25 points / 1 Vote
28 - Grindstone - 24 points / 3 Votes
29 - Ring Fit Adventure - 24 points / 2 Votes
30 - The Outer Worlds - 22 points / 2 Votes
31 - What the Golf? - 21 points / 3 Votes
32 - Marvel Puzzle Quest - 21 points / 2 Votes
33 - The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa - 20 points / 2 Votes
33 - Islanders - 20 points / 2 Votes
35 - Supraland - 16 points / 2 Votes
36 - Anodyne 2: Return to Dust - 15 points / 0.33 First-place votes / 1 Vote
37 - Zozzled - 15 points / 1 Vote
37 - Pikuniku - 15 points / 1 Vote
39 - Resident Evil 2 - 14 points / 2 Votes
40 - Disco Elysium - 12 points / 2 Votes
41 - Zanki Zero - 12 points / 1 Vote
42 - Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - 11 points / 1 Vote
43 - Blasphemous - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Inmost - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Apex Legends - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Eastshade - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Luigi's Mansion 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - The Fog Knows Your Name - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Unheard - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Ape Out - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Golf Blitz - 10 points / 1 Vote
43 - Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove - 10 points / 1 Vote
54 - Gris - 9 points / 1 Vote
55 - Judgment - 8 points / 2 Votes
56 - New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - 7 points / 2 Votes
57 - A Plague Tale: Innocence - 6 points / 1 Vote
57 - Life is Strange 2 - 6 points / 1 Vote
59 - Trials Rising - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Pilgrims - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Samurai Shodown - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Wattam - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Sugarlawn - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Feather - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Horace - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - 5 points / 1 Vote
59 - The Stillness of the Wind - 5 points / 1 Vote
69 - Card of Darkness - 4 points / 1 Vote
69 - Cat Quest 2 - 4 points / 1 Vote
71 - Katana Zero - 3 points / 1 Vote
71 - Wilmot's Warehouse - 3 points / 1 Vote

Physics by PhysX

Third-party audio middleware supplied by Wwise

Copyright 2019-2020

Further support from ILX's I Love Games department

An ILX Production

Thank you for playing.

Would you like to start a new game? You can keep your progress from your first playthough, and vote for the games all over again. And then wait another two months for the results to slowly leak out on an unpredictable schedule.

YES (   )     NO ( X )

Fourteenth Coint + Plick coming in April-ish 2021!

*fade to black*

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:58 (four years ago) link

dammit that code sure didn't work

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 18:59 (four years ago) link

TTTTTTTT HH    HH EEEEEEEE    EEEEEEEE NNNNN  NN DDDDDD  
TT HH HH EE EE NN NN NN DD DD
TT HHHHHHHH EEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE NN NN NN DD DD
TT HH HH EE EE NN NN NN DD DD
TT HH HH EEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE NN NNNN DDDDDD

*a voice beckons from the inky darkness*

if not sooner... it seems some generations still need to be polled...

TTTTTTTT HH    HH EEEEEEEE    EEEEEEEE NNNNN  NN DDDDDD      ????
TT HH HH EE EE NN NN NN DD DD ?? ??
TT HHHHHHHH EEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE NN NN NN DD DD ??
TT HH HH EE EE NN NN NN DD DD ??
TT HH HH EEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE NN NNNN DDDDDD ??

??

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:00 (four years ago) link

*applause*

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:01 (four years ago) link

Patch v1.1:

- Fixed an issue where credits did not display correctly

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:01 (four years ago) link

Great work Will thanks

a slobbering sombrero moment (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:02 (four years ago) link

Patch v1.2:

Included the list of disappointments. Each has only one vote.

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Crackdown 3
Death Stranding
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Luigi's Mansion 3
Marvel Puzzle Quest
Red Dead Redemption 2 Online isn't fun!
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Untitled Goose Game
Void Bastards

You will need this update if you want to play online.

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:03 (four years ago) link

lol thank you Will.

Nhex, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:08 (four years ago) link

lol thanks Will!

My ballot mostly ranked very high, which is unusual for ILX polls!

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:17 (four years ago) link

my ballot -

Death Stranding 21
Fire Emblem: Three Houses 21
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa 15
The Outer Wilds 15
Zanki Zero 12
Slay the Spire 10
Disco Elysium 3
Judgment 3

if anyone didn't save theirs and wanted to post it i can do that for you

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:28 (four years ago) link

I thought I voted for Wilmot's Warehouse but I didn't! I should've slipped it a few points.

30 /// Baba Is You
17 /// Return of the Obra Dinn
13 /// Tetris 99
13 /// Fire Emblem: Three Houses
9 /// Sayonara Wild Hearts
9 /// Untitled Goose Game
9 /// The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:29 (four years ago) link

my ballot was uhh

15: hypnospace outlaw, outer wilds, anodyne 2
10: a short hike, luigi's mansion 3, trails of cold steel 3, eastshade
5: judgment, saga scarlet grace, samurai shodown

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:48 (four years ago) link

i don't remember my ballot. i don't think it was very good :(

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:50 (four years ago) link

i havent played anything in 2020 yet except animal crossing which ive played like 3 hours of but i'll try to unearth some good ones for next year

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:52 (four years ago) link

want me to post it km?

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:53 (four years ago) link

No games are going to come out this year.

I’m excited for Clubhouse Games on Switch actually,
might end up being my GOTY

silby, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 19:53 (four years ago) link

i don't know if the xenoblade 1 remake counts towards goty but if so its the odds on favorite

ciderpress, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:00 (four years ago) link

Can you post mine, Will? I'm fairly sure I can remember it but didn't save it and don't want to make a mistake.

emil.y, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:02 (four years ago) link

sure!

emil.y's ballot:

30 untitled Goose game
20 Sayonara Wild Hearts
15 Zozzled
10 The Fog Knows Your Name
10 Unheard
5 Wattam
5 Sugarlawn
5 Death Stranding

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:03 (four years ago) link

want me to post it km?

that's be great, thanks!

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:24 (four years ago) link

i am too dumb for baba is you but it's definitely a cool game

na (NA), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:25 (four years ago) link

The ballot of one Karl Malone:

15 Dicey Dungeons
10 Death Stranding
10 Blasphemous
10 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
10 Tetris 99
10 The Outer Wilds
10 untitled Goose game
5 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
4 Super Mario Maker 2
4 Ring Fit Adventure
4 Cat Quest 2
4 Card of Darkness
4 Grindstone

Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:27 (four years ago) link

Why did I give blasphemous 10 points, wtf

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:36 (four years ago) link

25 Antimatter Dimensions
20 Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
15 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
10 Supraland
10 Super Mario Maker 2
5 untitled Goose game
5 Dicey Dungeons
5 Baba Is You
5 Resident Evil 2

disappointment: Crackdown 3
Non-2019: Donut County

wasdnuos (abanana), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 20:54 (four years ago) link

Control /// 30
Wargroove /// 23
The Outer Wilds /// 15
Baba Is You /// 22
untitled Goose game /// 1
Gris /// 9

Triceratops Vowell (Leee), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 21:13 (four years ago) link

Thanks, Will. I got Dicey Dungeons because of this poll and it rules. I threw all my points at Mutazione so I’ll try to sell it: as soothing as AC but character-driven and melancholy (and funny), music is good and plays a big role (there’s an exTREMEly subtle shout out to Boards of Canada), nice paper cutout art, not too long not too short, just hanging out in a chill village community with some friendly weirdos and their various dramas. OK back to Persona 5 Royal.

orifex, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 21:32 (four years ago) link

Just catching up, but I think I voted for:

-Sekiro, because I'm a From stan, recommended if you're interested in incredibly tight combat mechanics and boss fights.

-Super Mario Maker 2, my game of 2019 & 2020 that I haven't played, but watching daily Ryukahr videos is an important part of my self-care regimen

-Goose Game, the first game I've been able to play with my wife since Inside, although we still need to do the last section

change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 21:55 (four years ago) link

I've maybe watched 50 hours of people playing Sekiro. I can't get enough of it, but it's too hard for me to play.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 22:34 (four years ago) link

It's not that bad, but you do need to meet the game on its terms and get some muscle memory going. I loved it but have no desire to play it again (although I can say the same for the single player modes of the other From games, it's the multiplayer that keeps me playing for years on end).

change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 9 April 2020 19:25 (four years ago) link

Haha this was great as ever, thanks Will. And while in many ways I regret not voting this year (and will be back next year i promise), in one key way I'm glad I didn't, because I would've broken the tie for the top and I prefer it as it is.

JimD, Friday, 10 April 2020 09:16 (four years ago) link

i didn't save my ballot but i think this was the order:

Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Baba is You
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Disco Elysium
Supraland
Death Stranding
Katana Zero

i really wanted to like The Outer Wilds more but found it to be a bit too frustrating and gave up eventually having done approx 2/3 of the game. the spaceship & jetpack are both pretty difficult to control and when screwing up a jump, for example, can completely ruin an entire loop it's pretty frustrating how punishing it is. also the ghost matter puzzles were a terrible mechanic, especially on the comet. there was certainly a lot to love about it though, so maybe i'll come back to it eventually and hope it doesn't frustrate me as much.

ufo, Friday, 10 April 2020 12:29 (four years ago) link

i guess i played less than i thought this year but was more tuned into 'games media' given that the list of things i didn't play here is longer than the ones I did:

WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PLAYED SO I COULD VOTE FOR

71 - Katana Zero - 3 points / 1 Vote
33 - The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa - 20 points / 2 Votes
25 - Void Bastards - 25 points / 1 First-place vote / 1 Vote
23 - Sayonara Wild Hearts - 29 points / 2 Votes
16 - Return of the Obra Dinn - 32 points / 2 Votes
14 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - 35 points / 2 Votes
13 - A Short Hike - 35 points / 3 Votes
12 - Hypnospace Outlaw - 35 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 2 Votes
7 - Death Stranding - 81 points / 1 First-place vote / 6 Votes
6 - Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 82 points / 1.5 First-place votes / 6 Votes
5 - Control - 85 points / 2 First-place votes / 4 Votes
2 - Baba Is You - 109 points / 1 First-place vote / 7 Votes

and Astral Chain, I guess, I just bought that, on sale on the Europe Switch shop rn fyi --

WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR
43 - Ape Out - 10 points / 1 Vote
such a good game: seems to apply an older-generational ethos to modern control standards, which I liked a lot; it depends on dual analogue and shoulder triggers, but it has a narrower list of verbs than some 8-bit games. if you prefer the NES version of ‘Vampire Killer’ to any done on a computer with a better sound chip then you should play this

40 - Disco Elysium - 12 points / 2 Votes
this slaps but it’s just barely a videogame. probably the most fun I had reading an RPG setting book this year, though

21 - Tetris 99 - 30 points / 4 Votes
I played this for an hour at a friend’s apartment the day it came out and then I went home and cancelled my Nintendo Switch Online membership and put my Switch in a box underneath a lot of other things

17 - Dicey Dungeons - 30 points / 1 First-place vote / 3 Votes
masterclass in how to do kitchen-sink design—rock solid core mechanic and then every breakable version of it implemented on top.

WOULD NOT HAVE VOTED FOR

10 - Slay the Spire - 39 points / 5 Votes
kind of the opposite of what i just said about Dicey Dungeons

1 - Untitled Goose Game - 109 points / 1.33 First-place votes / 9 Votes
never before has the experience of playing a game been so close to the experience of watching its trailer

39 - Resident Evil 2 - 14 points / 2 Votes
a layer of ugly modern triple-A gloss on the skeleton of a bad game, all its period charm destroyed. also the environments have foot high barriers you have to walk around which is surely unforgivable in 2020

11 - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - 39 points / 3 Votes
a layer of ugly modern double-A gloss on what was previously the best Nintendo game

69 - Cat Quest 2 - 4 points / 1 Vote
get out

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Saturday, 11 April 2020 01:14 (four years ago) link

always enjoy your writeups, thomp!

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Saturday, 11 April 2020 01:59 (four years ago) link

oh i voted for slay the spire too i think quite high up. some of the best turn-based rpg combat there is, combined with roguelike mechanics and deckbuilding.

link's awakening remake was unfortunately not much of an improvement on the original game which i didn't rate very highly either but it'd been ages since i'd played it so i figured i'd give it another try. it had a lot of quality of life changes for the better but the combat in 2D zeldas is still very awkward and the puzzles were rarely very interesting.

bloodstained was ok but underwhelming, kinda castlevania-by-numbers rather than castlevania at its best and certainly didn't live up to symphony of the night. it was much more linear, played even more awkwardly, ugly graphical style etc.

ufo, Saturday, 11 April 2020 03:15 (four years ago) link

particularly enjoyed thomp's tetris 99 review. Ape Out looks great as well.

My votes, in no particular order:
Sekiro: I loved this. i mean really it is *just* a very well done combat mechanic. i think there's always been part of me, ever since i was little, that while i enjoyed computer games, felt the gap between the necessary formal abstraction between game combat, say, and the principles that you know would have to govern any real world activities: that is to say, a sense of equivalence between your reflexes and ability to respond immediately contextually to an equally matched, or more powerful opponent. maybe 'real world' here is wrong, maybe i mean 'in films' and the 'play associated with films' (particularly action films). Necessarily in a game of course these are always matters of managing a formal set of responses. I now think games that are aware of and play on the formal abstraction of the world's constraints in different and obvious ways are better and ultimately more enjoyable (Michael Brough <3) , but there's still an arcade bit of me that loves when these mechanics are subsumed into 'film' type scenarios.

A lot of has been made of the way fromsoftware projects' combat has progressed: dark souls: shield up, hit box, roll, retreat, shield up. bloodborne trying to get round that, by allowing you to recoup health by attacking within a short time frame of being hit, to sekiro's conversion of stamina into a defensive capacity visibly shared and depleted both by you and your opponents. this leads to incredibly intense and reflexive combat, a combination of attack and defence, considerably favoured to defence. The precision with which this is all accomplished is exceptional, which was really brought home to me when I tried to play Fallen Order

i mean, really it's pretty much the same, in its closest analogy, with getting into the zone in games like Defender, or Gridzone (Geoff Minter's finest). The fact that it's associated with exciting sword clashing sounds, a wider feudal japan setting, and some very good boss fights (yes the Guardian Ape fight is hilarious and justifiably well known, but the first Genichiro Ashina fight - well I guess the second - at the top of the fortress was just fantastic). I mean, in some senses, it's fairly limited like all fromsoftware games, and lacks the more cryptic mythology, that does so much for Bloodborne (a better game imo). But the sense of achievement from advancement, and the fact that the balance between just getting better at it, and griding/collecting things to get you OP, is a lot more geared to the first than the second, produces a sense of overcoming the game as much through skill as through repetition.

The Outer Wilds: someone mentioned upthread that the control mechanism was pretty disorientating, which was my first response, but i think led this being my favourite game. it feels very *manual*, getting up to space, and finding where you need to go. a continual and quite charming sense of discovery, where death is both frustrating and doesn't matter. omg the planet with the f'ing tornados on it though give me a break. Through Sekiro, this game and to Death Stranding, it's interesting how much representations of *tactility* and 'realistic' control in environments, have mattered to me in these games.

The Outer Worlds: so i also really liked this? for reasons that don't seem entirely obvious to me now, it was the closest I'd felt to playing in an episode of, say, the first season of Altered Carbon (that is *not* to say this is a traditional noir cyberpunk environment - OW is quite lurid and bright - but because of a sense of detection and continually new encounters you're not sure how to manage). I think the game's strength is in its distinctive characters and ambiguous/ambivalent decision trees. after initially feeling that, say, compared to the open world of Fallout 3, it was too constrained, that structure ended up providing a good framework for the actions and fighting that takes place within the game.

Death Stranding: Amazingly tactile walking, batshit Hideo Kojima OTT storylines and acting, and never got bored of the moments where you work out where you've got to go, look up at the distant horizon, and see the long black strands and grey clouds of time fall in the distance, before you hitch your backpack up on your back again, check you've got the equipment you think you'll need, and start clambering and slipping over the landscape towards it. Didn't expect to enjoy it at *all*, was expecting it to suck. It was ace.

Sorry, I've been really laboured here. i'm not really used to writing about computer games, but i have enjoyed some this year. Outside of this Obra Dinn, and always Cinco Paus, were probably my most played. Oh also i spent a load of time playing sonic racing on my iPhone, which totally sucked.

Fizzles, Saturday, 11 April 2020 11:38 (four years ago) link

Fizzles, since you will appreciate it, I want to brag for my partner: she has the 12th highest score in cinco paus (2239 em 50 jogos) and plays it all of the time. I voted for it as non-2019 game of the year just because of the degree it dominates our lives

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Saturday, 11 April 2020 14:58 (four years ago) link

holy mother of god. that’s a score.

Fizzles, Saturday, 11 April 2020 15:04 (four years ago) link

yeah, it's insane. it's strange to say, but when i think back about this time of my life, cinco paus is going to be there. it's going to be hilarious if i end up on a deathbed trying to explain cinco paus to my confused family and friends of whatever year it is. "...and....there was a brough-like...cinco paus...those treasure-stealing frogs...they were the bane of her existence...auuuugh...but that's a roguelike for you....uuuugggh....that's a broughlike...aaghh" death

i really need to give outer wilds some more time. i explored only a planet or two before death stranding came along and interrupted my progress.

let me be your friend on the other end! (Karl Malone), Saturday, 11 April 2020 17:11 (four years ago) link

gratified to note im still in the top 50 on Cinco Paus. I was top ten in 868 hack back in the day and I have achieved nothing since.

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Sunday, 12 April 2020 00:13 (four years ago) link

i need to get a job again so i can buy a ps4 and play death stranding and sekiro but once i have a job again i won't have free time to play death stranding and sekiro

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Monday, 13 April 2020 00:49 (four years ago) link

the eternal adult gaming struggle

Nhex, Monday, 13 April 2020 01:26 (four years ago) link

that's why i just cracked open my copy of Asura's Wrath from 2012, no joke

Nhex, Monday, 13 April 2020 01:26 (four years ago) link

same here thomp except all I want is P5 The Royal

où sont les threads d'antan? (Noodle Vague), Monday, 13 April 2020 06:09 (four years ago) link

oh, that one too, shit

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Monday, 13 April 2020 08:35 (four years ago) link

i just played through a short hike and yes, i would have absolutely voted for it

the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Tuesday, 14 April 2020 13:55 (four years ago) link

nine months pass...
one month passes...

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