#GOTY 1/11
Super Auto Pets by @TeamWoodGames is a simple, yet surprisingly deep auto-battler. Its true genius lies in its laid-back asynchronous format. You can play a full run in 10 minutes without ever waiting for anyone, but also take breaks anytime.
#GOTY 2/11
Roguebook (@PlayRoguebook) is the best #roguelike deck-builder of 2021 for me. It didn't really break genre conventions, but did enough to stand on its own (such as heroes switching positions all the time for special effects, or the overworld map exploration part).
#GOTY 3/11
Gem Wizards Tactics is a true @keithburgun game in how it boils down tactical combat to where it's at its most interesting and builds an intricate, massively replayable system of emergent depth on top of that. So many unique situations and creative combos to explore!
#GOTY 4/11
Modern classic @RocketLeague came to mobile as @RLSideswipe. I applaud the decision to go for a 2D playing field, which makes this so much better to play on mobile than a 1:1 port would have been. In some aspects it even outdoes its big brother. Very efficient and fun!
#GOTY 5/11
Loop Hero by @_FQteam had one of the most cohesive audiovisual styles of the year and a very creative gameplay hook: A #roguelike where you control everything but the avatar. Build the world, set up monsters, choose your equipment and then watch a hero go in circles.
#GOTY 6/11
Slice & Dice by @ColourTann is easily dice game of the year (unless you count @syberfeldt's Circadian Dice amazing 2.0 update). Lots of well-designed interplay, modes (including the shortcut mode I've been wanting for #roguelike games for years) and great game feel!
#GOTY 7/11
Dungeon Deathball by @crowbarska improved massively through its early-access phase and came out as one of the best tactics games of the year. It's kind of Into the Breach with a ball and, as we know, turning a game into a ball sport usually makes things super spicy! ๐
#GOTY 8/11
Pawnbarian by @_j4nw is basically #roguelike chess and probably my favorite single-actor tactics game since Seven Scrolls by @JesseVenbrux. The deck-building aspect is reduced really nicely to support the tactical gameplay without stealing its spotlight.
#GOTY 9/11
Curious Expedition 2 by @maschimensch had a rough start last year but through a series of exemplary updates during and after early access, it managed to at least get on par with the awesome original game. Director mode might even be my favorite way to play CE ever.
#GOTY 10/11
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon by @YachtClubGames is a highly polished #roguelike puzzler. I'm always a fan of games pushing the "discrete real-time" model, i.e. letting you make very deliberate moves, but without having all the time in the world to think them through.
Early-access shoutout to close:
#GOTY 11/11
HS Battlegrounds was fun, but @StorybookBrawl takes the formula to the next level by adding positional play and passive treasures to build around. This creates a massive supply of unique situations to navigate and combos to explore.
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Time to pick my personal games of the year again! As usual, only considering full releases (no "early access"). First things first, here's a list of contenders. Not by any means all the new games I played this year, but the top 30 that were "in the running".
GOTY top 5 below! ๐
๐ Backpack Hero by @thejaspel1 ๐
Safe to say this title opened up lots of design space (looking at you @TweetFurcifer), but it's also a great game in its own right with tons of creative mechanics and, more recently, a story mode featuring a Tarkov-like risk vs. reward metagame.
๐ Brotato by @blobfishdev ๐
The best spawn of the "Vampire Survivors wave" in my book. The game loop alternating between drafting phases and simple (yet non-trivial) action works incredibly well. Builds are nicely granular and flexible instead of following pre-defined recipes.
So many of the #gameDesign thoughts I've talked about over the years come together to form something truly beautiful in @wombatstuff's Mosa Lina.
Examples and relevant articles below! ๐งต
Mosa Lina focuses 100% on movement. Almost no numbers to think about. Just find ways to use your random tools to traverse space. Touch the fruit, get back to the portal. Very simple, very elegant, but also emergently quite complex!
Mosa Lina doesn't use extrinsic rewards. No "meta progression". No achievements. Every time you open it, youโre in the same state you were in every other time. An ode to the intrinsic motivation of play.
Here's a #gameDesign thought: a #roguelike (run-based game with no meta power progression) emphasizes the competence gain of the player, while a #roguelite (run-based game with meta power progression) emphasizes the competence gain of the avatar.
1/10
More context below! ๐
2/10
Research based on self-determination theory has previously linked our innate need for competence to the "fun" of playing games.
3/10
Both roguelikes and roguelites usually focus on competence as a key motivator. They're supposed to be difficult, you're supposed to "get better" and overcome their challenges. The question is whether "better" relates to player skill and learning or virtual avatar power gain.
With many recent Vampire-Survivors-likes relying on emptiness, simple enemy behaviors ("walk towards player") and stats, I feel I should reiterate my stance on "spatiality" in #GameDesign.
Don't just "have space" (instead of flat math), but MEANINGFUL SPACE! ๐บ๏ธ
โฌ๏ธ Examples โฌ๏ธ
Heat Signature (@Pentadact): Everything revolves around movement. Gadgets swap positions, wind through connected space, teleport, key-clone or disable in a straight-lined shape, slow-down time etc. No number crunching, no "health points" or "damage" or "stats". Voilร , Emergence!
Spelunky (@mossmouth): Bombs open up space, ropes enable upward movement. Most items are about space: jump boots, climbing gloves, jetpack. Enemy behavior is all about shapes: spiders jump, bats fly, mummies vomit into corridors etc. Any combinations are clear, emergent, varied!
I will add example games as screenshots (game names and more details in the alt text if you're interested).
Thread! ๐งต๐
Games I value are all about interactivity. ๐ฎ
I want mechanical challenge (either in a systemic / strategic way or reflex-based) or experiential narrative (i.e. a story you *feel* via mechanics, not one that is told to you). In either case: No wannabe movies!
Games I value enrich players' lives. โ
I want to to experience intrinsically motivated discovery of either systemic insight or narrative meaning. Don't bait me with dishonest "engagement boosters", don't wave shiny-but-empty carrots in front of my face.
Some have called 2022 the year of "microgames". In the wake of @poncle_vampire a host of ~$2 games were created mostly by solo developers or tiny #IndieDev teams in the span of a few months.
Let's talk game dev experimentalism!
๐งต๐ 1/9
2/9 The reception, surrounding many of these titles is open, forgiving and appreciative. Turns out if players didn't spend $60 and didn't get hyped up for years of dev time by a faceless corporation, the human side of #GameDev actually shines through sometimes, even on Steam.
3/9 This in turn opens up #GameDesign space. "Bullet heaven" is a result of flipping a genre on its head: YOU are the bullet hell! Of course there's iteration in microgames too, but the possibility to experiment is real (e.g. @caiysware's "What if your bullets are minions?").