I think the most common answer is going to be Tears of the Kingdom, and that is one for me that stands out for sure, but I will try to add some more unique inputs as well. Many are games that came out longer than a year ago, but i didnt get around to playing until more recently.
-Escape From Tarkov, Single Player. Okay look, I have 3000 hours in EFT Live/regular. There is nothing that competes with it, nothing like the experience. But there are so many excessive and unlikely to be changed negatives to the experience that I simply cant put more time into it anymore, much less recommend it to others. LUCKILY the SPT version exists, and it is so fucking fun and refreshing. No cheater, no long load times, no disgusting server desync. No busted ass rogue and boss AI. Hate the stupid base exp rates? change them. Hate the ridiculous hideout install times that only exist to keep people from bullrushing high tier ammo in week 1? change them. I have mods installed that vastly improve the enemy AI, that fix the truly deranged shooting/recoil physics, that show you more data on different ammunition in game so you dont need a wiki open constantly, sell you gunsmith compatible guns so i dont have to build that shit for the 1000th time. Shit I even turned off fall damage so i could yeet myself off cliffs and chase down gun shots. It is simply much much much more fun. Its really the only Tarkov experience i can recommend these days.
-Mechabellum. This game is what ive wanted from the auto battle genre since it first popped up. Its got the perfect blend of conceptual strategy (think chess, the first game in the genre was auto-chess after all), randomness (the starting loadouts and perks on each round work as a very effective randomizing seed) and LACK of high APM micro bullshit that makes traditional multiplayer RTS a nightmare to pick up and learn. Its wonderful and im going to be playing so much of it as they are adding more coop modes and maps. 150 hours already.
-Monster Hunter Rise. This last year was the year that monster hunter really clicked for me, after like 5 years of on and off trying and failing to get into it. I think what changed was finally understanding that the game is just pushing you to improve on a purely mechanical perspective, constantly. In the same way that dark souls combat rewards you for ‘getting good’ (learning the movesets, knowing when to push and pull back, etc) Monster Hunter just wants you to be a goddamn badass, but youll have to work for it. Go slap that dragon with a big fish. 250 hours (yeesh)
-Hades. This is one of maybe 3 games ever that i could actually describe as ‘perfect’. Im sure a lot of people have read this sentiment online, but here’s the thing; I tried Hades 3 times previously and, while i did enjoy the experience and got like 2-5 successful patricides, it never really clicked into place. Until this time. The entire reason i got back into it was getting a steam deck, which i cannot recommend enough (if the price is right, be wary that a steam deck 2 in late 2024 is quite possible). but that was just a trigger. What actually made the difference was me slowing down a bit to appreciate the absolutely unparalleled and breathtaking attention to detail that the game constantly fulfills. 21000 voicelines, and ive never heard a repeat in 80 hours. Still unlocking new things like 30 or 40 successful runs in. Even the most supremely minor things: There is a decoration you can buy for your room, a big harp. you can run up to it and pluck some gross discordant notes. Neat, this kind of thing is in a lot of games, but still neat. EXCEPT plucking this thing enough gives you unique dialogues with a certain character. plucking it enough in between different runs shows you actually improving, making some less gross notes, then gross chords, then less gross chords, all with unique dialogue unlocks as you go. and eventually you pluck it and produce some real music. I cannot emphasize enough, this is a silly little decoration in your room that is totally optional and it wouldnt shock me if 95% of players completely miss it. THIS is the level of detail the game is constantly operating on. Super rare niche legendary boon from Demeter that kills stuff with a certain condition when its at 10% hp? bam, unique demeter voiceline for using it to beat the final boss. shit like that, is why this game is special, and what makes it next-level.
-Project Wingman VR. I love PW, i put like 30-40 hours in the regular game and it stands out to me as the best arcade flying game(ily AC7 but AC8 has to step up). But I recently got my VR headset working properly and tried PW in VR using my modest T.16000M throttle and stick, and oh my sweet lord there is something so transcendent about the experience. So rarely do i feel goosebumps when i play a game anymore (getting old) but this was like 2 straight hours of goosebumps. I also literally, actually, shit my pants a little when i collided with another plane, so thats nice.
I don’t play games at release so my lists are often varied anyway. Only one of these truly blew my mind, but I think the others stood out well enough:
Paradise Killer: The detective and investigation genre has been well fed these past years. When Obra Dinn came out I felt sated. It was everything I ever wanted from a mystery game. The recent release of The Case of the Golden Idol struck a similar vein, even if far shorter and (IMO) easier. There’s a thing about those however, as well as most games of the genre: They’re often tied down to vignettes, select scenes laid down by the developers with clues that are obligatory to find or stand out blatantly. Games like Ace Attorney or DanganRonpa straight up won’t let you progress until you’ve found everything that you need to beat your case. And while that is not exactly stale, it feels somewhat constrained.
Paradise Killer flips that metaphorical table and throws you into a wild, vibrant world with little to no aid. I’ll spare the plot details, as its somewhat complicated to talk about them, but you are an investigator sent to crack the “Crime to end all crimes”, a bloodbath that is going to send this - supposedly - paradise into a chaotic fate unless its stopped. And after a brief explanation of what happened, you’re sent on your merry way, expected to meet and interrogate every NPC, as well as comb through the scenario.
The dialogues are typical from what you expect, some friendly back and forth, some very unfriendly back and forth, characters with deep dark secrets that aren’t always related to the current case but might turn up unexpected surprises. The real standout of the game, however, is the freedom and expectations you have for this world. You’re not chained to the murder scene (which you can’t even access for most of the game) or a few select areas. Instead you’re supposed to walk and climb and jump and look into every named area, learn about this world, dig up secrets, compare and pick apart testimonies, comb up random pieces of evidency as well as solve a few minor puzzles along the way. Its a mystery game with a single case - in a way - that runs far, far deeper than any other detective adventure I’ve ever played. Its a story that starts deep and dark, then plunges far further with every single new information you learn about this deranged place and its citizens. I don’t think I’ll ever be as sated as when I finally sat down and put everything together, getting ready for the final trial (which you can start at any point, the sword of Damocles of having enough evidence always hanging over your head) and proceeded to build and tear down every remark I’ve heard along the way. But then again, I thought I’d never find a games as satisfying as Obra Dinn as well.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin: A mix of farming sim and character action game filled with so much heart it overflows. Sakuna takes several elements from games I’m used to play - the asshole main character who finds herself taking care of an unwanted group, crop growing mechanics, 2D stylish combat - and breaths fresh air in all of those.
The characterization and growth that these people go through is nothing short of stellar. I’ve gotten somewhat tired of redemption arcs or bonding that happens through a traumatic event or crushing defeat, or simply is forced by the narrative. In Sakuna there’s no sudden moment where the characters start to band together. Instead, slowly, they start relying on each other’s talents, realizing what they can do for each other - and for themselves. Its about learning their value, honing their abilities, and sharing the kindness they get with others. It something that’s hard to put in words - how to properly describe people growing fond of each other? - but the narrative is genuinely heartwarming, and most of all it feels organic.
The Rice growing also stands out, in a more grueling light. This isn’t a farming game where you tile a field, randomly throw seeds, water them and call it a day. Every action that you take is exhausting, from preparing the soil, to planting - every individual seedling, one by one - to measuring the proper flow of water, considering the fertilizer ingredients, thinking about the proper temperature, and that’s not to mention the harvesting. You’ll separate the rice stalk by stalk, and manually hull the rice until its fully white (or leave it brown, if you’re okay with a lesser quality). Its a repetitive, arduous job, but it makes complete sense both mechanically and narratively. First, Sakuna is a harvest goddess, meaning her levelling up happens entirely through a proper harvest. This is her literally growing as a goddess. Secondly, that backbreaking labour gets slowly easier, both by her learning new planting skills and by being helped by her soon-to-be friends. Its how she grows as a person. Little by little those tasks get easier, faster, as she gets stronger and starts valuing other’s labour more, as well as her own. Its a slow process, but briliantly laid out by the developers.
Dragon Quest Builders 2: This one is simple. This game is basically a drug. The DQB series follow the formula of block crafting games, but with a fantasy setting and a storyline. Rather than having a sandbox to do as you wish, you’ll be guided through a world in need of saving, not by a hero but by a Builder. And not only does DQB stand out on its presentation and satisfying mechanics, but it simply oozes charm and is a ridiculously sweet adventure, almost to the point of being saccharine.
And it has so many puns you’ll want to walk into the sea.
I will always, always, always go to bat for Parade Killer. I think half my comments on Lemmy have been shilling for it. I desperately want more mystery games like it. Not just for the reasons you described, but because it so, so, SO completely nails the relationship between its aesthetic and its plot question about what it means to have institutional power in a institution that’s downright malicious. The player character is explicitly a tool of the evil Syndicate. Is she even interested in effecting change? Could she if she was? Is Paradise worth saving?
I just want to know more about the world and backstory in Paradise Killer. I bought it on a whim a couple years ago, mainly because of it’s aesthetic, vaporwave and all. I like mystery games too, like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa (playing v3 right now). But I didn’t know much about the game beyond what I saw.
But I was instantly captivated by the lore. Like tell me more about these alien gods that humanity has imprisoned. Tell me more about the past island sequences. Tell me about the next island sequence and the characters at the bar. I want to know more about the lives of the citizens. Even LD’s story; why did she come under the influence of a demon? Though maybe that was explained and I just forgot. The game teases these via the story, but it never explains everything. Not a story has to explain everything, but it definitely kept me engaged and intrigued. And wanting another game in this universe.