While I spent a good amount of time on my PlayStation 5 this year playing Genshin Impact and Kena: Bridge of Spirits, my favorite titles this year were mostly on Switch. 2021 was a great year for games, and I have so many favorites that it’s hard to choose!
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
While Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town came out in 2020, I didn’t get a copy of it until this year. This was my first introduction to any Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon game, and I was enamoured by the adorable animals, the ability to fall in love with almost anyone in town, and the beautifully updated graphics. I love the farming simulation genre even more now that I have had the chance to play the remake of Friends of Mineral Town. We reviewed the game too on the site, you can find the review here.
Hoa
This sad little game is one of my all-time favorite titles ever for any system. It’s a beautiful puzzle platformer with amazing graphics. Hoa looks and feels like a Ghibli movie in all the best ways. If you love short games with amazing stories, Hoa is one to pick up. Find my review here.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Chicory is a game that was deeply meaningful to me. The story focused on how evils can be internal, and that depression and low self-esteem can become demons out in the real world for those who don’t seek help to banish them. It’s a tale full of emotions, color, and friendship, and it is probably in my top five games of all time. Paula reviewed the game, as you can read here.
SuchArt!
SuchArt! is a painting simulator that places the player in a room with nothing but paintbrushes, paint, and a friendly little helper robot. Make art to satisfy clients, earn credits, and maybe even save the galaxy from a human VS. crab people war. It’s a goofy game that allows players to explore the world of painting without needing a studio and loads of expensive canvases.
Unpacking
Unpacking is the epitome of the perfect story told only through the environment. The story is a sweet one, told only by the items owned by a woman. Over the years, she moves from home to home, and each new place need to be unpacked from boxes. Players learn about our heroine’s hobbies, loves, heartbreaks, and challenges through all of her stuff. There are some really beautiful and emotional parts of this game, and the story makes it one of my top games of 2021. Our review for it is here.
TOEM
TOEM is a puzzle game that sends the player out into the world with nothing but a camera. As a new adult, you get to travel to see the TOEM for the first time. But you have to help others to get there. It’s a great game about growing up, travelling alone for the first time, and meeting and helping strangers in new places. The cartoonish looks and adorable story are what captured my heart when playing TOEM. The review for TOEM is here.
Inscryption
Inscryption is a puzzle horror game that focuses on deck building. The game starts with a creepy game master forcing the player to continue a game of cards. The cost of losing is death and the reward for winning? Well, it isn’t great either. But there are those that can help you break the cycle and escape. As with other games by Daniel Mullins, players can expect a twisted story with a lot of hidden secrets and interesting characters. I love this game for its witty gameplay and the mix of deckbuilding, horror, escape room and puzzle genres.
Wytchwood
Wytchwood is a beautiful, fairytale-like game with loads of charm. The story is wonderful, the puzzles are fun, and the ending is a big surprise. There is very little not to like about this game, and it is certainly in my top games for 2021 even though it was just released in December! It’s one of Paula’s tops too, her review is here.