2018 was a great year for video games! There were many brilliant and memorable games for the PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch and even your phone. Here are the games that stood out to me as the most fun and interesting of the year.

Best Fighting Games

Dragon Ball FighterZ

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

SoulCalibur VI

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo’s crossover game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate didn’t deviate very far from the formula of the earlier Smash Bros. games, but the fact that it features every single character ever playable in this series in addition to the long-awaited inclusion of fan favorites like Ridley and King K. Rool makes this the best one. I previously reserved the number-one spot for the excellent Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but Nintendo Switch is my new go-to console for satisfying my Smash craving.

Best Platformers

Iconoclasts

Celeste

Unravel 2

Semblance

Dead Cells

The Messenger

Many indie platformers have been paying homage to games of yesteryear lately in an attempt to bring some retro charm to their projects. I loved how The Messenger went all the way by looking and sounding exactly like a game that could have been on the NES. It was clearly inspired by Ninja Gaiden, which is made clear by the game’s cast of characters and their hilarious fourth-wall breaking dialogue.

Mega Man 11 – Hardest game of the year

This sequel in the long-running Mega Man series not only revealed some backstory on villain Dr. Wily but it also followed in the tradition of the Mega Man series by being extremely challenging, but that also meant it was incredibly rewarding when you were able to beat it.

Black Bird

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

FAR: Lone Sails

My Memory of Us

Most Old-School RPGs

Crossing Souls

I loved Crossing Souls for not only looking like a game from the ’80s but featuring a story straight out of the ’80s as well. The makers of this game have sighted inspiration from things like E.T. and The Goonies and it shows. Thank you Kickstarter!

The Swords of Ditto

Octopath Traveler

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Games That Are Fun to Play and Also Fun to Look At

Subnautica

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

Florence

This game for mobile devices was essentially a love story told without dialogue and it was creative and also very heartfelt.

Return of the Obra Dinn

11-11 Memories Untold

Tetris Effect – Most beautiful game of the year

This might be my favorite Tetris game ever made thanks to its great sound and visuals, not to mention the ability to make awesome chain combos like the “Perfectris.”

Weirdest and Funniest Games

Genital Jousting – Funniest game of the year

This NSFW PC game in which you play as a human penis is one thing when playing with others in multiplayer mode, but the single-player story mode is the most absurd and funny thing I’ve seen all year, partly due to the inclusion of a sophisticated narrator who plays it completely straight, but also due to the fact that very little about what you are seeing makes any sense. One thing that’s clear: a certain group of game programmers has a very wicked sense of humor.

Baldi’s Basics in Education and Learning – Scariest game of the year

You wouldn’t think a game with a title like that would fall in the survival horror genre, but I still have nightmares about the sound of snapping rulers after witnessing this educational game parody that starts out innocent but quickly goes south.

Minit – Most innovative idea of the year

An adventure game where you die every few seconds might sound frustrating but the constant trial and error actually forced you to be more creative with every do-over you got.

Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido

Pool Panic

WarioWare Gold

Flipping Death

Donut County

Most Cinematic Games

Monster Hunter: World

God of War – Favorite game of the year

I loved the first three God of War games because they were great action games with challenging puzzles (plus I love Greek mythology). This game was very different though. There was action, but an older Kratos with the responsibility of fatherhood made for a more mature and emotional game as well.

The Forest

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Spider-Man

Life Is Strange 2

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Red Dead Redemption II

After Rockstar proved how brilliant it was with the Grand Theft Auto series, Max Payne, Bully and the first Red Dead Redemption, they really outdid themselves with the gorgeous Red Dead Redemption II, the greatest game they ever made, which also features the hugest world they ever created, and in typical Rockstar fashion, the variety of what to do in that world is endless.

Best Virtual Reality

Moss

The Persistence

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

This VR experience for the PlayStation 4 in which you guided a robot to help him find his robot friends was one of the most enjoyable and endearing games I’ve seen all year. I also found it refreshingly cartoony since most PSVR games are dark and serious. This is the virtual reality I want to enter.

In my next blog I share my favorite TV shows of 2018.