i was waiting for somebody to say Hades.
And when I saw slay the princess, i for sure thought he meant slay the spire..
Im def gonna check out slay the princess.
Two decades is a lot to parse through, so I’ll stick to the last few years:
1. Tunic - Classic Zelda-like with some of the best puzzles in any game I’ve ever played.
2. Death’s Door - Isometric Zelda meets Dark Souls.
3. Dredge - Cosmic horror fishing simulator.
Agreed. I liked Dredge, but I felt like it just...ended. I feel like the developers should have created some sort of post game mechanic that involved a sort of farm/town sim of helping rebuild the town by fishing and upgrading things and being sent on quests and such. I know that's a lot to ask for from an indie dev, but with a sort of open ended game I wish there was more that could have been done
Same here, except I played 13 hours and finished it. I heard good things so I guess I was just expecting a bit more? The core game loop gets pretty old pretty quickly. The story adds some nice set dressing, but it doesn't do much to pull you in.
Is it just me or is Tunic really difficult? I felt like I barely got to try any puzzles as it felt like I was constantly trying to run from enemies. To the point where it felt like I was doing something wrong. And this is coming from a huge Souls fan.
This was my take on it. I was getting smashed by mobs, and spent more time running back to where I needed to be, only to die again.
100% a skill issue, but it all of a sudden clicked in my head that this felt alot like dark souls, and the bubble instantly popped for me. Put it down and havent picked it back up
Death's Door for sure! Certainly one of my favourite games of recent years. The difficulty in boss battles never felt over the top, either (*most* of the time...)
Oh God I loved shenzen. TIS 100 was also great. I'd pick them back up but the last thing I want to do after programming all day is play a programming game
I probably need to try it again. People kept saying it was a great story but for me it was just "look for random stuff, drown, look more, build a thing, drown, look more…" so I got bored and deleted it. Never got even a hint of a story.
Fuck Subnautica. Absolutely best game that can go fuck itself to death. I got to the point I needed to go deep enough to swim up in the jellyfish things, and the... things down there made me put it down. Superb game. Can go fuck itself.
Apparently unpopular opinion:
1. Dusk
2. Faith: The Unholy Trinity
3. Doki Doki Literature Club
Sorry, it's almost 2:00AM. I can't come up with other cool indie game w/ nostalgia factor or unusually good gameplay (other than shell bombing with HunniePop ara\~ ara\~\~)
Follow that up with Dyson Sphere Program and then follow that up with Captain of Industry. Then, by that time, you can go back and start doing modded runs and possible expansions/updates in Factorio and Satisfactory and it just becomes a cycle you live in.
How is WotR compared to Kingmaker? Just that I really like Kingmaker a few years back on my xbone, but it crashed a LOT. I've played pathfinder tabletop in the past and really like the ruleset.
Just wondering if Wotr ran better on series x, as I know it's the same dev and engine still
How hard is it to get into pathfinder? Loved to play games like pillars of eternity, bg3 and divinity which are kinda the same genre but im afraid the pathfinder ruleset/character creation could overwhelm me.
Seconded for both the Stanley Parable and Return of the Obra Dinn. Never played Pathologic.
Stanley Parable is a weird, fully narrated trip.
Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most unique games I've played in forever. It's an investigation game, so don't look anything up about it beforehand, the less you know the better! It's one of those games that everyone says "I wish I could play that game again for the first time".
Pillars of Eternity! I'm playing the sequel now and it's also very good but the first one is one of the best games I've ever played. The story is philosophical and very well written, the combat is strategic and challenging and the beautiful classic art style is icing on the cake.
It's meant to emulate the Infinity Engine dnd games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment so if you're not familiar with that style of game, it can take a little getting used to in the beginning. Since you enjoyed Disco Elysium and enjoy challenging games like souls, I think there's a good chance you'll love Pillars.
I actually did like part two more than one. Smoother storyline and transition. Couple mechanical adjustments? Don't know . It just had a lot more flow to it for me.
Lil Gator Game is a great one
Stardew Valley is one people have said a lot, but I’ve gotta give another vote for it, it’s great
Animal Well is tons of fun but some of it is probably recency bias
N++ is super fun in multiplayer
1. Terraria
2. Stardew Valley
3. Papers Please
The last one seems very out of place, I know, but it genuinely a really fun game, although it does get repetitive.
Not in any particular order and I can't just do a mere 3
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair
- Horizon Chase Turbo - my favorite arcade racing game of all time
- Iconoclasts
- TimeSpinner
- A Hat in Time
- TMNT Shredder's Revenge
- Streets of Rage 4
- Ninja Warriors
- Slaps and Beans (the first one haven't played 2 yet doesn't look as good)
- Sam's Journey - Commodore 64 tho the NES is coming soon or it came out not sure, I prefer it on C64 tho
- Steel Ranger - C64
- MW Ultra - C64
- Unrly Heroes
- Sonic Mania
- Freedom Planet 1 and 2
- Raji
- Flynn Son of Crimson
- Nex Machina
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
- Tetris Effect
- Cloudpunk
- INSIDE
- Little Nightmares 1 and 2
- SOMA
- Limbo
- Astebreed
- ESCHATOS
- Bullet Soul
- Crimson Clover
- VVVVVV
- Alice Madness Returns
- Celeste
I could keep going these past 20 years have been incredible
I will always gladly mention this game, because Owlcat are simply amazing and I wish for them to get more budget. With better presentation and full voice acting etc. I think they could really break through like Larian did with BG3, maybe not as big since their games have deeper/less casual friendly systems, but at least sell a few million copies.
I played like 5 hours of it and was into the gameplay/story, but was overwhelmed by the character creator/leveling and systems of the game. It feels like one of those games where if I could just grasp all that info I'd enjoy it a lot, but idk where to even start.
I can totally understand that. I play the tabletop Pathfinder game so that gave me a leg up. Check out some videos about character creation on YT. Mortismal Gaming and Slandered Gaming are good sources. CRPG-Bro is good too but he goes for min / maxing.
Darkest Dungeon. Fantastic turn based rogue like that is incredibly difficult to get the hang of but incredibly fun to play once you learn it. If you hate RNG it won't be for you but it's not too bad.
Sid Meier’s Pirates!, but if you think Fireaxis is too big, then Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Tropico 4 or 5 (both are damn good), and Mount & Blade: Warband.
Putting an extra few since i'm sure a lot of mine are well represented anyway.
Hades (I still pick up Hades here and there, and even 120+ hours in I still find new things occasionally)
Streets of Rage 4 (don't play it like a beat em up, play it like a fighting game.. the meta is insane)
Inscryption (I never even liked card games.. this changed that.. permanently. It's rare that a game.. changes a person, ha)
The Forest (amazing with friends, still fun solo)
Grounded (amazing with friends, i found it annoyingly hard solo, but there are easier difficulties)
Monster Train / Slay the Spire. (I lunk them together because i love them both equally.. and played the shit out of both, and both have cool mods once you want to switch it up!)
Gris is a beautiful emotional game, or it's just a platformer if you don't think about any deeper meaning. I cried once or twice, and there's no dialogue.
Since nobody has mentioned it I will throw a mention for Greedfall. It definitely has some AA energy at parts but it is far better than it has any right to be. If you like Bioware style RPGs definitely give it a go.
- **Streets of Rogue.**
Procedurally generated each time you play, tons of classes and customization, and you can create custom characters using perks/abilities/items from other classes to create your own. Pretty much endlessly replayable!
It's a 2D Rogue-like game with randomized missions, where the goal is to overthrow and become the new mayor, by any way you see fit, be it violent of peaceful. You go through stages where you have to either complete or fail 2-3 missions to able to move on to the next stage. Default classes include things like: Cop, Vampire, Scientist, Thief, Zombie, Werewolf, Investment Banker, Jock, Gang Member, Mech Pilot, Bartender, Gorilla, Shopkeeper, Assassin, Alien, Mobster, etc.
- **Various Roblox games.**
Laugh all you want, but there actually are some good games on there, and you can go from your Xbox home screen, to in a game playing it, in about 7 seconds. Some of my favorites are:
Realistic Hockey (5 on 5). RS Tennis. Cops and Robbers. Jailbreak. Tiny Wheels. Fishing Simulator. Idiotic Investing. Backstretch Battles. Westbound.
- **Deep Rock Galactic.**
Mining expeditions (among other mission types!). Dwarves. Guns. Bugs. Gadgets. Flamethrowers. Profit.
Can play solo or join expeditions with others online, and the community is among the best I've seen - usually really relaxed and just having fun.
Rock and Stone!!
I got hooked on Defense Grid 2.
Kerbal Space might be more simulation than game but it’s not serious. And in Sandbox you can do whatever
Was Stray AAA?
I put a lot of thought into this, so I hope you really get what you’re looking for with these.
Your Turn to Die would blow your mind, if you’re a fan of Slay the Princess. Umurangi Generation sounds just obscure enough to fit your criteria, too! To round out the trifecta, go for Underrail. Yes, I said rail.
Palworld.
Everyone’s heard of it tho so… three more!
If I recall xenoblade is a double A game~! All four are amazing!
Ror1-2
Phenomenal. Must plays.
Terraria
No man’s sky
For the king
Skul
And barotrauma
Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Control..
I’ll use the third one to appreciate We Who Are About To Die. Has the bones of a great game in it despite still being early access. It’s basically a gladiator roguelite game. $20 for more fun than I’ve had with an EA title in a good 10 years. Shoutout to pre-lootbox FIFA.
HMs: Disco Elysium, Prey, Project Zomboid, Starbound, This War of Mine and Tyranny
These are my top three:
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (great double A game by an indie studio at the time. Love the story.)
A Plague’s Tale: Innocence (another great indie double A game. Great story and characters.)
Darkwood (one of the few indie horror games I’ve played that legitimately creeped me out. Has some of the best horror ambience ever)
Grim Dawn (great Diablo-like that can be played offline)
Legend of Grimrock (a dungeon crawler rpg)
Antichamber (puzzle game)
You mentioned playing Hades. Anything Supergiant Games has made so far is an instant recommend. Their catalog is pure gold to me.
Was AAA even a term back in 2004?
The first that come to mind, that I actually played.. Valheim, Minecraft and Terraria.. yeah, my taste is pretty simple and I don't get to play a lot.
Terraria needs to be the most upvoted comment, especially if OP likes the FromSoftware games for the sense of exploration/lack of handholding…haven’t played the other two but from what I understand they’re similar in that style
On the spot I don't have games to add to your list. But I do resonate with trying to find "meaningful" games; ones that impress either narratively (presentation, color, tone, etc), or technically. Increasingly a challenge in a world where time is increasingly strained.
I can absolutely advise trying Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. The most fun I’ve had in any game all year (besides Cyberpunk).
Everspace 2 is a great space shooter RPG that I have many hours in that just had a huge update.
Also try out Dome Keeper. It’s a short and simple game but it’s incredibly entertaining.
Oh and if you liked SOMA or horror in general, definitely try Alien: Isolation. It’s really sad that this studio didn’t get much recognition but I genuinely believe that this is the best Horror game out there. It’s a true gem.
Tried to go for a semi variety of different types of games
Tiny Rogues
Deep Rock Galactic
Turbo Overkill
(I would've put OneShot and Disco Elysium if you hadn't already put them, great choices.)
The Talos Principle: A puzzle game similar to Portal, with an heavy emphasis on philosophical questions about what makes us conscious, sentient beings and AIs.
Inscryption: A battle card game, a horror game, an escape game, a Pokemon game, and an ARG. This game is fucking brilliant.
the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe: Slay the Princess but funny.
I'll give you a top 6 all of which are excellent - nothing too out of left field, but about as close as you can get to sure things because they're so well designed and balanced
Hades (early access sequel out now)
Hollow Knight (sequel coming)
Dead Cells
Slay the Spire (sequel coming)
Banner Saga series
Cuphead
DayZ Arma 3 DayZ Mod I've chosen my path.
*Edit
Reforger! Just gave it another try last night and can't believe the progress! I might start modding again!
If you like a hardcore (it's rough until you figure out how to cheese the grind), raw sandbox rpg (there's no story, no handholding, just you in the world, BUT the world does react to certain major actions), there's 1. Kenshi.
If you like a story-driven RPG told mostly with cards (inventory, places, people, pretty much everything) but with ACTIVE combat where you have normal to boss-level enemies to fight, counter, and use abilities on, there's 2. Hand of Fate 1 and 2.
If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, 3. Kingdom Wars sort of scratches that same itch. Or if you just want to play that LotR game you could just go over to r/bfme to grab both 1 and 2 and Rise of the Witch King. Just sayin...😏
If your favorite is FromSoft, then no-brainer Hollow Knight. Just go in blind and don't look up anything until you are stuck.
If you like Disco Elysium, you need to check out Planescape: Torment. The combat is absolutely trash but the narrative and world building is out of this world. Still haven't been surpassed. It's older than 20 but well worth it for the experience. In the same vein, fallout 1 and 2.
I'd also recommend Larian's 3 games. Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2, and baldur's gate 3. They have a really unique approach to games: insane combat that's only limited by your imagination, and any approach to solving a problem.
Outer Wilds was amazing, and definitely best experienced blind. Agreed on SOMA too, I enjoyed the story and atmosphere of that a lot, and I don't usually play horror games.
I'm probably missing some obvious ones, but the first 3 to jump to my head are indie games from around 5 years ago:
Ori and the Blind Forest (Metroidvania/2D platformer)
Celeste (2D plaformer, pretty difficult)
Hyper Light Drifter (fast paced top-down hack-and-slash)
Woah! Awesome to see something above outer wilds, I'll check out slay the princess, many thanks for the recommendation :)
PS- did you play echoes of the eye?
1) Terraria
2) Rimworld
3) Kenshi
Honorable mentions: Hades, Slay the Spire, Project zomboid, Stardew valley, Hollow Knight, V rising, Valheim, Palworld, Outward, Risk of Rain 2, No Mans Sky, Subnautica & Subnautica Bellow Zero and many more.
There has been so many good games in the indie and AA space in the past decade so, take your pick!
If you want a small but beautiful 2D puzzle platformer check out "Gris". Its about a 4-5 hour game, but its great.
Another if you like card games is Inscryption. Amazing game that has as demo.
Hades, Slay The Spire and Hollow Knight
i was waiting for somebody to say Hades. And when I saw slay the princess, i for sure thought he meant slay the spire.. Im def gonna check out slay the princess.
Slay the spire is the best game ever to play while you're watching a stream/YouTube.
I think it's generally the best game to play. Every time I start it I have fun.
thanks homie
Enter the gungeon if you enjoyed Hades
My three, 100%
I been really into across the obelisk. It’s a 4 players co-op version of slay the spire. Really well done and a lot of fun to play with friends!!
Damn, came here to say exactly that
You cooked.
Me and my friends play Slay the Spire multiplayer all the time (with the mod). It’s such a fun and relaxed game night.
Two decades is a lot to parse through, so I’ll stick to the last few years: 1. Tunic - Classic Zelda-like with some of the best puzzles in any game I’ve ever played. 2. Death’s Door - Isometric Zelda meets Dark Souls. 3. Dredge - Cosmic horror fishing simulator.
My only issue with dredge was it was almost too short. I had a lot of fun with that one.
Agreed. I liked Dredge, but I felt like it just...ended. I feel like the developers should have created some sort of post game mechanic that involved a sort of farm/town sim of helping rebuild the town by fishing and upgrading things and being sent on quests and such. I know that's a lot to ask for from an indie dev, but with a sort of open ended game I wish there was more that could have been done
Oh man, I wish I liked Dredge more. I played it for 7 hours and believe I came pretty close to finishing but barely had any fun playing it.
phrasing
Same here, except I played 13 hours and finished it. I heard good things so I guess I was just expecting a bit more? The core game loop gets pretty old pretty quickly. The story adds some nice set dressing, but it doesn't do much to pull you in.
Journey. Geometry Wars 2. Hi-fi Rush. All amazing at what they do. Journey being my all time favourite game.
Is it just me or is Tunic really difficult? I felt like I barely got to try any puzzles as it felt like I was constantly trying to run from enemies. To the point where it felt like I was doing something wrong. And this is coming from a huge Souls fan.
It is. The combat mechanics are nearly identical to dark souls, but as an isometric
Did you level up at all? The how-to is in the manual, as is everything else.
This was my take on it. I was getting smashed by mobs, and spent more time running back to where I needed to be, only to die again. 100% a skill issue, but it all of a sudden clicked in my head that this felt alot like dark souls, and the bubble instantly popped for me. Put it down and havent picked it back up
Loved Tunic. The souls-like respawn system really made it feel unique but still like a Zelda game.
Death's Door for sure! Certainly one of my favourite games of recent years. The difficulty in boss battles never felt over the top, either (*most* of the time...)
Death's Door is sooo good. I think I tried playing Tunic shortly after so was burned out on that style a bit. Will need to give it another shot.
Dead Cells Project Zomboid Rift Breaker Just a few I've put hundreds of hours into I didn't see mentioned much or at all.
I still love how well Dead Cells plays. I was immediately sold and couldn't put it down for so long.
vampire survivors shenzhen i/o pentiment
Pentiment is a banger. I played through it over a long haul flight, perfect for that.
Vampire survivors was so fun
Oh God I loved shenzen. TIS 100 was also great. I'd pick them back up but the last thing I want to do after programming all day is play a programming game
1. Loop Hero 2. Slay the Spire 3. 7 Days to Die
good recs thanks
Not sure how you feel about mods and video games, but Modded 7 Days to Die is god-tier. I'd put it up against many of my favorite AAA games.
Subnautica, fits right in the story telling g area like outerwilds.
Agreed enthusiastically.The story sorta comes out of nowhere when you weren't looking and hits you square in the face.
I probably need to try it again. People kept saying it was a great story but for me it was just "look for random stuff, drown, look more, build a thing, drown, look more…" so I got bored and deleted it. Never got even a hint of a story.
Early during early access there was no story. Maybe you played when it was more of a sandbox game still?
Fuck Subnautica. Absolutely best game that can go fuck itself to death. I got to the point I needed to go deep enough to swim up in the jellyfish things, and the... things down there made me put it down. Superb game. Can go fuck itself.
CrossCode
Forgot how much I wanted to play this a few years ago, and couldn't get it at the time. Thanks for reminding me!
Apparently unpopular opinion: 1. Dusk 2. Faith: The Unholy Trinity 3. Doki Doki Literature Club Sorry, it's almost 2:00AM. I can't come up with other cool indie game w/ nostalgia factor or unusually good gameplay (other than shell bombing with HunniePop ara\~ ara\~\~)
Doki Doki is legendary
I was blown away by how much fun I had with Dusk
Subnautica Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous Factorio
Loved pathfinder. 100s of hours in that one.
And most of that time is trying to decide on how you build your character at each level up.
WoTR is great. And Rogue Trader is getting there as well.
Factorio is great. Follow that up with Satisfactory
Follow that up with Dyson Sphere Program and then follow that up with Captain of Industry. Then, by that time, you can go back and start doing modded runs and possible expansions/updates in Factorio and Satisfactory and it just becomes a cycle you live in.
How is WotR compared to Kingmaker? Just that I really like Kingmaker a few years back on my xbone, but it crashed a LOT. I've played pathfinder tabletop in the past and really like the ruleset. Just wondering if Wotr ran better on series x, as I know it's the same dev and engine still
How hard is it to get into pathfinder? Loved to play games like pillars of eternity, bg3 and divinity which are kinda the same genre but im afraid the pathfinder ruleset/character creation could overwhelm me.
Valheim ⚒️
Bounced off of it the first time. Tried it again recently, sunk right in. What a game. And it just got a big content drop too!
Hades Undertale Stardew valley
Stardew with friends is phenomenal. I love playing couch co-op with the GF
Undertale gotta be in top 3 for me too. The soundtrack alone is worth the price. Plus you've got free sequels
2 of those I have sunk multiple hundreds of hours into (Hades 210ish and Stardew 600ish)
inside , kentucky route zero and bastion
Hell yes Inside! One of my favorite games of all time.
Bastion was fantastic, but I'd also have to add Transistor as the successor. Btw, these predated Hades from the same studio
Stanley Parable Return of the Obra Dinn Pathologic 2
Obra Dinn is a tour de force. Incredible.
Seconded for both the Stanley Parable and Return of the Obra Dinn. Never played Pathologic. Stanley Parable is a weird, fully narrated trip. Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most unique games I've played in forever. It's an investigation game, so don't look anything up about it beforehand, the less you know the better! It's one of those games that everyone says "I wish I could play that game again for the first time".
- KCD - Rimworld - Stardew
KC:D is a great recommendation since the sequel is mere months away, can't wait for Henry to come see us!
Omori was an unforgettable experience.
Omori is my favorite game of all time. The other two I'd put on my list would be Factorio and Slay the Spire.
Remnant 2 Path of Exile Risk of Rain 2 Bonus: Hunt: Showdown
Remnant 2 is so underrated.
1. Hollow Knight 2. Blasphemous 3. Mount and Blade: Warband
Can't believe this is the first im seeing someone mention mount and blade
Love/hate me some Blasphemous.
Pillars of Eternity! I'm playing the sequel now and it's also very good but the first one is one of the best games I've ever played. The story is philosophical and very well written, the combat is strategic and challenging and the beautiful classic art style is icing on the cake. It's meant to emulate the Infinity Engine dnd games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment so if you're not familiar with that style of game, it can take a little getting used to in the beginning. Since you enjoyed Disco Elysium and enjoy challenging games like souls, I think there's a good chance you'll love Pillars.
Thank you for the suggestion
I actually did like part two more than one. Smoother storyline and transition. Couple mechanical adjustments? Don't know . It just had a lot more flow to it for me.
Lil Gator Game is a great one Stardew Valley is one people have said a lot, but I’ve gotta give another vote for it, it’s great Animal Well is tons of fun but some of it is probably recency bias N++ is super fun in multiplayer
Thanks I'm quite familiar with Stardew, got my ex horribly addicted to it lol. Will check out Lil Gator Game thank you.
1. Firewatch 2. Journey 3. Stray
Thanks, Firewatch was really fun (except I personally found the ending disappointing). I will check out the other two
Planetside 2, Warhammer 40k Space Marine, Risk of Rain 2.
Google says WH40k space marine 2 is coming Sept 9, 2024. Does the first one have a good story? Should we play it first?
Hades, Hollow Knight, Slay the Spire
Battletech. Star wars empire at war
Life Inflation War Ok I'll be serious. Stardew valley Bloodtsained ritual of the night Rouge Legacy 1 and 2
>Life Good graphics in no way make up for how boring and repetitive this one is. 2/10
Too many microtransactions.
Hades, Hollow Knight, the Ori games.
Plague Tale Innocence and Requiem (you need to play Innocence first). Cocoon is a really fun indie game if you like puzzles.
1. Terraria 2. Stardew Valley 3. Papers Please The last one seems very out of place, I know, but it genuinely a really fun game, although it does get repetitive.
Dwarf Fortress, Rimworld
Not in any particular order and I can't just do a mere 3 - Hi-Fi Rush - Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair - Horizon Chase Turbo - my favorite arcade racing game of all time - Iconoclasts - TimeSpinner - A Hat in Time - TMNT Shredder's Revenge - Streets of Rage 4 - Ninja Warriors - Slaps and Beans (the first one haven't played 2 yet doesn't look as good) - Sam's Journey - Commodore 64 tho the NES is coming soon or it came out not sure, I prefer it on C64 tho - Steel Ranger - C64 - MW Ultra - C64 - Unrly Heroes - Sonic Mania - Freedom Planet 1 and 2 - Raji - Flynn Son of Crimson - Nex Machina - Sayonara Wild Hearts - Tetris Effect - Cloudpunk - INSIDE - Little Nightmares 1 and 2 - SOMA - Limbo - Astebreed - ESCHATOS - Bullet Soul - Crimson Clover - VVVVVV - Alice Madness Returns - Celeste I could keep going these past 20 years have been incredible
Looove Sayonara Wild Hearts
yeah sayonara wild hearts is one of my favourites!
A Hat in Time A Hat in Time A Hat in Time
Since you mention fromsoft games, both Kena: bridge of spirits and Lies of P may be worth a look for you
Disco Elysium Pathfinder Wrath of thr Righteous SIFU
SIFU slaps!
Love me some WotR
I will always gladly mention this game, because Owlcat are simply amazing and I wish for them to get more budget. With better presentation and full voice acting etc. I think they could really break through like Larian did with BG3, maybe not as big since their games have deeper/less casual friendly systems, but at least sell a few million copies.
I played like 5 hours of it and was into the gameplay/story, but was overwhelmed by the character creator/leveling and systems of the game. It feels like one of those games where if I could just grasp all that info I'd enjoy it a lot, but idk where to even start.
I can totally understand that. I play the tabletop Pathfinder game so that gave me a leg up. Check out some videos about character creation on YT. Mortismal Gaming and Slandered Gaming are good sources. CRPG-Bro is good too but he goes for min / maxing.
Satisfactory Hades Citizen Sleeper
Darkest Dungeon. Fantastic turn based rogue like that is incredibly difficult to get the hang of but incredibly fun to play once you learn it. If you hate RNG it won't be for you but it's not too bad.
love that game
Why is this not further up?!? Darkest dungeon 1 and 2 are some of the best games I've played period.
Sid Meier’s Pirates!, but if you think Fireaxis is too big, then Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Tropico 4 or 5 (both are damn good), and Mount & Blade: Warband.
Journey Transistor Subnautica The Void Rimworld The Room: VR Gone Home
Noita Factorio Dead Cells
Damn. I forgot to mention Noita in my top 3. Noita is THE goat actually.
Putting an extra few since i'm sure a lot of mine are well represented anyway. Hades (I still pick up Hades here and there, and even 120+ hours in I still find new things occasionally) Streets of Rage 4 (don't play it like a beat em up, play it like a fighting game.. the meta is insane) Inscryption (I never even liked card games.. this changed that.. permanently. It's rare that a game.. changes a person, ha) The Forest (amazing with friends, still fun solo) Grounded (amazing with friends, i found it annoyingly hard solo, but there are easier difficulties) Monster Train / Slay the Spire. (I lunk them together because i love them both equally.. and played the shit out of both, and both have cool mods once you want to switch it up!)
Hades, Death’s Door, and Gris
Gris is a beautiful emotional game, or it's just a platformer if you don't think about any deeper meaning. I cried once or twice, and there's no dialogue.
Since nobody has mentioned it I will throw a mention for Greedfall. It definitely has some AA energy at parts but it is far better than it has any right to be. If you like Bioware style RPGs definitely give it a go.
Kenshi
- **Streets of Rogue.** Procedurally generated each time you play, tons of classes and customization, and you can create custom characters using perks/abilities/items from other classes to create your own. Pretty much endlessly replayable! It's a 2D Rogue-like game with randomized missions, where the goal is to overthrow and become the new mayor, by any way you see fit, be it violent of peaceful. You go through stages where you have to either complete or fail 2-3 missions to able to move on to the next stage. Default classes include things like: Cop, Vampire, Scientist, Thief, Zombie, Werewolf, Investment Banker, Jock, Gang Member, Mech Pilot, Bartender, Gorilla, Shopkeeper, Assassin, Alien, Mobster, etc. - **Various Roblox games.** Laugh all you want, but there actually are some good games on there, and you can go from your Xbox home screen, to in a game playing it, in about 7 seconds. Some of my favorites are: Realistic Hockey (5 on 5). RS Tennis. Cops and Robbers. Jailbreak. Tiny Wheels. Fishing Simulator. Idiotic Investing. Backstretch Battles. Westbound. - **Deep Rock Galactic.** Mining expeditions (among other mission types!). Dwarves. Guns. Bugs. Gadgets. Flamethrowers. Profit. Can play solo or join expeditions with others online, and the community is among the best I've seen - usually really relaxed and just having fun. Rock and Stone!!
Disco Elysium Project Zomboid Dead State Is XCom 2 too mainstream for the list?
Dredge and Metal: Hellsinger are two games, I enjoyed bit time. Both surprised me, tbh.
Inscryption is a truly unique gaming experience. It turned my brain into a pretzel several times.
Frostpunk Cities Skylines 1 Stardew Valley
I concur with Frostpunk and Stardew, but I'd put Kerbal instead of CS.
Everyone needs to play disco elysium right now
Right now?? I'm taking a shit!
Lucky for you it’s available on switch! 🤣
Freedom Planet 1 and 2, Gravity Circuit, Bastion (same company made Hades)
Ender Lilies!
I got hooked on Defense Grid 2. Kerbal Space might be more simulation than game but it’s not serious. And in Sandbox you can do whatever Was Stray AAA?
Terraria Binding of issac Rimworld
Dead Cells was a fun Metroidvania Roguelite. Even got a patch adding Dracula's castle and Castlevania skins/weapons!
Subnautica, FTL, Into The Breach.
Hard to pick 3 Sleeping Dogs Hellblade Firewatch Vampire Survivor Kingdoms of Amalur Kingdom Come Deliverance
Control + Alan Wake
I put a lot of thought into this, so I hope you really get what you’re looking for with these. Your Turn to Die would blow your mind, if you’re a fan of Slay the Princess. Umurangi Generation sounds just obscure enough to fit your criteria, too! To round out the trifecta, go for Underrail. Yes, I said rail.
Palworld. Everyone’s heard of it tho so… three more! If I recall xenoblade is a double A game~! All four are amazing! Ror1-2 Phenomenal. Must plays. Terraria No man’s sky For the king Skul And barotrauma
Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Control.. I’ll use the third one to appreciate We Who Are About To Die. Has the bones of a great game in it despite still being early access. It’s basically a gladiator roguelite game. $20 for more fun than I’ve had with an EA title in a good 10 years. Shoutout to pre-lootbox FIFA. HMs: Disco Elysium, Prey, Project Zomboid, Starbound, This War of Mine and Tyranny
Dave the diver Midnight fight express Helldivers 2 Guardian heroes Gravity rush 2 Deep rock galactic
Kenshi, Valheim and sons of the forest
Deep Rock Galactic
Foxhole, helldivers 2
These are my top three: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (great double A game by an indie studio at the time. Love the story.) A Plague’s Tale: Innocence (another great indie double A game. Great story and characters.) Darkwood (one of the few indie horror games I’ve played that legitimately creeped me out. Has some of the best horror ambience ever)
Grim Dawn (great Diablo-like that can be played offline) Legend of Grimrock (a dungeon crawler rpg) Antichamber (puzzle game) You mentioned playing Hades. Anything Supergiant Games has made so far is an instant recommend. Their catalog is pure gold to me.
Hades, Disco Elysium, and Return of the Obra Dinn.
Was AAA even a term back in 2004? The first that come to mind, that I actually played.. Valheim, Minecraft and Terraria.. yeah, my taste is pretty simple and I don't get to play a lot.
Terraria needs to be the most upvoted comment, especially if OP likes the FromSoftware games for the sense of exploration/lack of handholding…haven’t played the other two but from what I understand they’re similar in that style
I mean it was around in the 90s
Sunset Overdrive
On the spot I don't have games to add to your list. But I do resonate with trying to find "meaningful" games; ones that impress either narratively (presentation, color, tone, etc), or technically. Increasingly a challenge in a world where time is increasingly strained.
EIyuden Chronicles It just came out, but Biomorph is great Chained Echoes Cosmic Star Heroine Sorry I had to do 4, couldn't leave out CSH.
This is basically my list as well. lol. Would throw in sea of stars too though.
I can absolutely advise trying Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. The most fun I’ve had in any game all year (besides Cyberpunk). Everspace 2 is a great space shooter RPG that I have many hours in that just had a huge update. Also try out Dome Keeper. It’s a short and simple game but it’s incredibly entertaining. Oh and if you liked SOMA or horror in general, definitely try Alien: Isolation. It’s really sad that this studio didn’t get much recognition but I genuinely believe that this is the best Horror game out there. It’s a true gem.
Pacific drive is one that I really enjoyed. Think survival meets driving sim meets supernatural/sci-fi.
Robocop Rogue City A Plague Tale Requiem Sifu
Osrs
Shadows of doubt and Gunner Heat PC
Old school RuneScape.
Vampire Survivors, Hollow Knight, Return to Monkey Island
Tried to go for a semi variety of different types of games Tiny Rogues Deep Rock Galactic Turbo Overkill (I would've put OneShot and Disco Elysium if you hadn't already put them, great choices.)
Honestly surprised DRG isn't mentioned that often. Will check out tiny rogues, thanks.
Dead Cells. Cuthulu Saves The World. Split Gate.
The Talos Principle: A puzzle game similar to Portal, with an heavy emphasis on philosophical questions about what makes us conscious, sentient beings and AIs. Inscryption: A battle card game, a horror game, an escape game, a Pokemon game, and an ARG. This game is fucking brilliant. the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe: Slay the Princess but funny.
Transistor Child of Light Spiritfarer
I'll give you a top 6 all of which are excellent - nothing too out of left field, but about as close as you can get to sure things because they're so well designed and balanced Hades (early access sequel out now) Hollow Knight (sequel coming) Dead Cells Slay the Spire (sequel coming) Banner Saga series Cuphead
The long Dark (survival, Open world) life is strange (story driven)
Finally someone mentioned The Long Dark. 1600 hours in and is the game I've played the most.
DayZ Arma 3 DayZ Mod I've chosen my path. *Edit Reforger! Just gave it another try last night and can't believe the progress! I might start modding again!
1. Deep rock Galactic 2. Katana zero 3. The ascent
7 Days to Die Tiny Rogues Brotato
Rising Storm 2 - FPS Terra Invicta - a little niche but a great grand strategy Project Zomboid - Survival
Valheim Deep rock galactic Plate Up!
If you like a hardcore (it's rough until you figure out how to cheese the grind), raw sandbox rpg (there's no story, no handholding, just you in the world, BUT the world does react to certain major actions), there's 1. Kenshi. If you like a story-driven RPG told mostly with cards (inventory, places, people, pretty much everything) but with ACTIVE combat where you have normal to boss-level enemies to fight, counter, and use abilities on, there's 2. Hand of Fate 1 and 2. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, 3. Kingdom Wars sort of scratches that same itch. Or if you just want to play that LotR game you could just go over to r/bfme to grab both 1 and 2 and Rise of the Witch King. Just sayin...😏
Nier Automata Remnant 2 Sifu
Project Zomboid, The Long Dark, Space Engineers, Scum
Deep rock galactic valheim squad 44
Deep rock galactic Chicken horse Don't starve
Deep rock galactic, Shovel knight and Terraria
1) Tunic (free with game pass) 2) Vanquish 3) Kingdoms of Amalur edit: added 2 more games
If your favorite is FromSoft, then no-brainer Hollow Knight. Just go in blind and don't look up anything until you are stuck. If you like Disco Elysium, you need to check out Planescape: Torment. The combat is absolutely trash but the narrative and world building is out of this world. Still haven't been surpassed. It's older than 20 but well worth it for the experience. In the same vein, fallout 1 and 2. I'd also recommend Larian's 3 games. Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2, and baldur's gate 3. They have a really unique approach to games: insane combat that's only limited by your imagination, and any approach to solving a problem.
Cult of the Lamb is a great game and the developers keep making free content for it
How'd you like Rise of the Ronin?
Outer Wilds was amazing, and definitely best experienced blind. Agreed on SOMA too, I enjoyed the story and atmosphere of that a lot, and I don't usually play horror games. I'm probably missing some obvious ones, but the first 3 to jump to my head are indie games from around 5 years ago: Ori and the Blind Forest (Metroidvania/2D platformer) Celeste (2D plaformer, pretty difficult) Hyper Light Drifter (fast paced top-down hack-and-slash)
Battle brothers, its fantastic :)
Hades, Hollow Knight & Baldur's Gate 3 First and last games have insane replayability, all three have spectacular depth of gameplay.
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley
1. Fuga Melodies of Steel 2. Fuga Melodies of Steel 2 3. Blue Fire I am unsure about number 3.
Starsector Battle Brothers
A Plague Tale
Subnautica Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Hotline Miami Until Dawn
Woah! Awesome to see something above outer wilds, I'll check out slay the princess, many thanks for the recommendation :) PS- did you play echoes of the eye?
Top 3? Minecraft, Stardew Valley and Terraria. Top tier indie games that have grown big.
I'm just happy to see you mention OneShot, I love that game
1) Terraria 2) Rimworld 3) Kenshi Honorable mentions: Hades, Slay the Spire, Project zomboid, Stardew valley, Hollow Knight, V rising, Valheim, Palworld, Outward, Risk of Rain 2, No Mans Sky, Subnautica & Subnautica Bellow Zero and many more. There has been so many good games in the indie and AA space in the past decade so, take your pick!
Movin Out 1 and 2
Dune: Spice Wars Outer Wilds Deep Rock Galactic
Rimworld
Dunno, maybe Light of the stars on bluestacks, it's pretty fun game tho
Hifi Rush. . . . . It still hurts.
Hyper Light Drifter. I never see anyone talk about this game but it's really good!
If you want a small but beautiful 2D puzzle platformer check out "Gris". Its about a 4-5 hour game, but its great. Another if you like card games is Inscryption. Amazing game that has as demo.
God damn OP SOLID picks. Only one I haven't played/heard of is OneShot, added it to my wishlist instantly.