Games played

This is a list of games I have played / remember playing.

There are 319 games on this list.

The finished date is often an approximate as I tend to mark down finished games after a long delay. Some games are completed, others I stopped playing after deciding I had seen enough.

Games I consider some of the best games of all time are marked in gold.

Source code for this tool is available on github.

I also write novels at Farstrider.
TOEM2025-04-01Cute explorationWindows2021GOGA cutesy game about a journey to a mountain top where you stop on the way there to help people with random problems. The game is short, but even with that began to feel a bit tiring toward the end. If you liked A Short Hike, this is more of that feel, but with less interesting graphics.
Starsector2024-12-23Space explorationWindows2013OtherEven though this game is not yet finished, it has tons of fun things to do. I particularly liked exploration and the combat. The writing and story is good. I loved the setting. Recommended. The only problem I have with this game is its end game where it currently doesn't have enough things to do. Maybe when the game is properly finished?
The Forgotten City2024-12-14MysteryWindows2021GOGThis game made me grin like an idiot for a good hour at a certain point. The game is almost flawless. The mystery is perfectly paced, answers all the questions, and in a compact time discusses both philosophy and morality in such an organic way that it often felt the game's dialogue choices were exact things I -would- say in that situation.

The game goes on the shared first place for the best mystery game along with Outer Wilds and Return of Obra Dinn. As is usual for this type of games, don't look up anything before playing the game.
Quest for Glory 42024-12-11Point & Click adventureWindows1993GOGA contender for the best Quest for Glory game with the first one. Requires fan patches due to game's incredibly troubled release. Voice acting was decent, graphics good, puzzles mostly fun, and story great.
Blasphemous2024-11-282D souls-likeWindows2019GOGCouldn't quite get into this. It's a slowish 2D souls-like metroidvania in style of Salt & Sanctuary. If you liked that, you'll like this.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen2024-11-08RPGWindows2012GOGA pretty old-school RPG that plays similarly to MMORPGs with shopping lists of quests. I didn't quite understand the combat or the tactics you're supposed to use, unless tactics refers to abusing the AI and pulling off one enemy at a time. A bit too old-fashioned for my liking as someone who isn't too into role-playing games focusing on combat.
Aliens: Dark Descent2024-09-06Topdown tacticsWindows2023SteamThis squad-based Aliens game has a really solid core, and the first two missions are almost flawless. My problems started with 3rd mission and continued to the end as the game had a tendency to take control away from me, move my squad through a door into an unexplored room, where I would be ambushed from all sides. I never understood why this was required at all - all the boss fights or ambushes would have been 100% satisfying if there were no cutscenes at all and the player remained fully in control.

The story started strong with the whole crashlanding + escape plan setup, but went deep into weird territory with alien-human hybrids and unlikely coincidences that somehow involved the commanding officer's daughter. The game would have been a flawless alien game if all the missions had been some repeats of the first two missions where the player slowly salvages equipment to repair the ship, as well as finds the personnel needed to do the repairs.

Maybe they'll release an expansion one day?
Ghost 1.02024-07-29PlatformerWindows2018GOGFrom the same guy who did Unepic. This game shares the same type of humor, but is perhaps more mature about it. The gameplay is solid, but the levels felt pretty lifeless. I later discovered they were generated procedurally during development, and it shows. I liked the story and characters, but hoped the gameplay was deeper.
Lords of the Fallen2024-07-07Souls-likeWindows2023SteamA re-imagining of the older game with the same name, Lords of the Fallen is a good and solid souls-like after the various patches have fixed most of the issues. The "two worlds" mechanic is interesting, but sometimes is taken too far, especially in boss fights, which often require holding the umbral lamp to destroy parasites while also trying to avoid being hit. The boss fights are a mixed bag, but overall I enjoyed most of them.
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War2024-06-28RTSWindows2004GOGThe missions tend to be entirely linear with no challenge, and usually the best thing to do is turtle back home and build a massive blob, then attack move across the map. Only the last couple of missions are more interesting with an open map and an active AI, but unfortunately the AI is too simple to make the campaign that fun. I like the design of command points and being forced to move out to the map to get more resources, and to hold the strategic sites. This counters turtling gameplay. Unfortunately the lack of challenging AI and linear missions don't quite utilize this mechanic.
Animal Well2024-06-23MetroidvaniaWindows2024SteamOne of the best metroidvanias I've played in a while. This game shows a story can be told without words. Play it now.
The Planet Crafter2024-06-06Sandbox survivalWindows2024GOGA beautiful survival basebuilding game where the planet slowly terraforms right before the player's eyes. The way the map opens up is almost like a metroidvania, and that was definitely the game's strongest point. The game worked well with minimal bugs, I liked the setting, and overall have little to complain about this game. I lost interest around the time I got insects to my world, as the game was mostly just waiting at that point.
The Long Dark2024-06-04SurvivalWindows2017SteamThis is a solid survival game, but after the first week I found myself asking: "Yes, and?" due to the game's lack of further things to do beyond the initial survival. The maps are a mixed bag with some being great, others being miserable.

This is one of the only games I can think of where I enjoyed inventory management.
Sunless Sea2024-04-22Survival explorationWindows2015GOGThis is a weird one. I love the atmosphere and worldbuilding, yet the gameplay itself is more like a puzzle where the player has to find the optimal way to do things. The early game features entirely too much grinding to be fun, and the combat is too janky to ever become fun.
The Solus Project2024-04-11Exploration survivalWindows2016GOGTried this when someone recommended it as being similar to Outer Wilds, but I don't quite see the resemblance. The game is probably fine to those who want to collect a bunch of collectibles and slowly explore somewhat repetitive levels, but I found myself getting bored within the first 6 or so hours.
UBOAT2024-04-08Submarine simWindows2024SteamA submarine simulator with focus on crew management. Ironically, I found the crew elements the worst part of the game and sort of hoped for a mod to disable it entirely. The game plays mostly well, but suffers from bugs and lack of content. However, it's currently one of the best submarine simulations out there.
Suzerain2024-03-31Visual novelWindows2020GOGUp there as one of the best visual novels I've played, and definitely the one with the most realistic characters. I really cared for my president.
Hardspace: Shipbreakers2024-03-16Dad gameWindows2022GOGThe game is strangely satisfying. First you start a shift and see a huge spaceliner waiting for disassembling, and you take a few looks at the ship from all angles while wondering where you're even supposed to begin. Some 2-3 hours later, when you sort the final airlock connector to the right slot and the entire ship has been 99% correctly recycled, that strange feeling of satisfaction is a rare thing to get in games these days. Unfortunately the story was dreadful and didn't add anything to the game. I don't think I found a single bug.
A Short Hike2024-03-15Chill adventureWindows2019GOGAn incredibly positive "cute game" about reaching the top of a mountain. This is 2-3 hours of absolute fun.
Hand of Fate 22024-02-18Card game RPG combatWindows2017GOGI don't like card games, but I liked Hand of Fate 2. My main issue with the game is the deck building: To survive, you have to prioritize non-combat items (things that modify random die rolls for one) and have to skip combat items. The combat itself is painfully easy and excruciatingly slow. My simple improvement for the game would be to separate non-combat items to their separate deck so the player could have what limited fun can be found in the bad "Shadow of Mordor" type combat, if at least so it can be over faster.

Great atmosphere and characters.

The campaigns were hit and miss, but I think I enjoyed over half of them.
Grime2024-01-26Metroidvania souls-likeWindows2021GOGThis is a solid 2D metroidvania souls-like that has a really strong early game, but becomes more awkward toward the end. I enjoyed the exploration elements, but the late game boss fights featured too much waiting for the boss to do a 20 hit combo before they were vulnerable for a single hit. Great soundtrack.
Canine2024-01-12First person horrorWindows2023GOGA charming indie first person horror game about finding your lost dog. Some parts were slow, but due to the shortness of the game, I didn't particularly mind.
Return of Obra Dinn2024-01-07mysteryWindows2018GOGOne of the best games I've ever played. Go play it now. Don't look up anything about this game - trust me.
Amnesia: Rebirth2024-01-04HorrorWindows2020SteamCompared to the original Amnesia, the biggest problem with this game was putting too much focus on the player character telling the story and reacting to every little thing. A silent protagonist is, I think, the preferable way to tell a horror story.

The alien world was visually interesting, but dull in terms of gameplay. I found myself losing interest as the puzzles got more involved, and the story didn't grip me like the original.
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow2023-12-27Point & clickWindows2022GOGFor being produced by Wadjet Eye, this game felt strangely dated. The puzzles involved the worst of the 90s point & click logic, and the overall polish was lacking compared to the better titles out there. The story became strange toward the end. Overall, this would have been a great release 15 years ago, but in 2024 only stands out as average.
Strangeland2023-12-23Point & clickWindows2021GOGThe game is mostly exploration of psychological themes and dream-like images. The puzzles were mostly enjoyable, and the story, if it can be called that, was a trip worth having.
Vaporum2023-12-23CRPGWinwdows2017GOGThis game wasn't for me. The game runs similar to Legend of Grimrock, but has a steampunk aesthetic. If you liked Grimrock, you'll like this.
Whispers of a Machine2023-12-23Point & clickWindows2019GOGA pretty solid point & click adventure that lost my interest toward the end.
Dying Light2023-12-11Zombie survivalWindows2015SteamRailroaded, hand-holdy, story-driven zombie game that constantly interrupts otherwise fine zombie-slaying action to tell the player what to do next. Not for me.
Darkwood2023-11-11Survival horrorWindows2017GOGA bizarre top-down survival game involving one of the weirdest stories I've encountered in a while. The game is definitely not for everyone, but it was an immediate hit for me. I loved the sense of danger everywhere I went, and the nights came with some of the most intense tension I've seen since Subnautica. Try it and see if it's for you.
GRIS2023-11-11PlatformerWindows2018GOGThe game is more of a walking simulator, and its platforming elements didn't even really need to be there. This is more of a multimedia experience than a game, or that's how I would have preferred to play this.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of Earth2023-11-11Point & clickWindows2017GOGAn extremely well-written point & click adventure with a realistic setting. Great graphics, voice acting, and puzzles. A must play.
The Way2023-11-11PlatformerWindows2016GOGThis game is full of sequences that require the player to do steps A, B, C, and D in a highly specific order, and offers no shortcuts for doing them. Backtracking is mandatory, most puzzles are trial and error, and dying is frequent. Shame, as the graphics looked good.
Dredge2023-10-25Fishing horrorWindows2023GOGAmazing atmosphere, good gameplay, but toward the end I found myself tiring of the fishing mechanics. Great soundtrack, a good visual aesthetic, and good use of making the player fear what they don't understand. Recommended.
Dead Cells2023-10-122D Souls-likeWindows2018GOGThis game involves very fast platforming and combat, but due to its procedurally generated levels, I couldn't find myself really enjoying exploring them. The game runs extremely well and the combat is satisfying.
Lies of P2023-09-23Souls-likeWindows2023SteamAn extremely well-produced Souls-like with a cool world, story, and combat mechanics. Unfortunately, the dodge / deflect timing is too tight for me, and the boss design is almost entirely favoring unreadable, unpredictable "loaded spring" attacks that require memorization instead of the traditional "observe and understand" approach of older Dark Souls titles.
Dave the Diver2023-09-06Fishing adventureWindows2023SteamAn absolutely delightful fishing adventure that takes inspiration from parody shows like Yakitate!! Japan. The game was great, but had its low points, namely the entire Sea People arc.
Tyranny2023-06-02RPGWindows2016GOGThe world and characters seemed well written, yet I found myself disliking the actual gameplay, including the combat.
Prey (2017)2023-05-03FPS RPGWindows2017GOGI would likely enjoy Prey if it didn't focus so much on combat. The space station felt mysterious, and I wanted to see what was waiting behind each locked door, but I couldn't quite put myself in the mood when I constantly had to fight monsters. I played perhaps 10 hours before losing interest.
Choo-Choo Charles2023-04-25HorrorWindows2022SteamA silly indie horror that looks and plays incredibly well for such a humble production. The game can be played in one or two evenings and feels satisfying all the way through. Occasionally scary, too.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided2023-03-31FPSWindows2016GOGThe game felt pretty linear with lots of bugs and too spammy UI. I gave up after maybe 5 hours.
Outer Wilds2023-03-05MysteryWindows2020SteamOne of the best games I've ever played. Don't look up anything about this game - go play it blind. Do it now.
INFRA2023-02-26Urban explorationWindows2016SteamINFRA is an urban exploration game that involves going to the husks of abandoned infrastructure and photographing various faults and problems discovered within. I loved the first level, but as the game into sewers, caves, or underground, I lost interest. The apartment slum was the worst part of the game.
Biing!: Sex, Intrigue and Scalpels2023-02-17AdultDOSBox1995GOGThis was free on GOG. Yeah.
No Man's Sky2023-01-06SandboxWindows2016GOGThis is a strange game. It felt like they had created a beautiful universe filled with stuff, but instead of letting the player immerse themselves in exploring it and feeling like they were the first to ever set foot on a planet, they flooded the game with weird mechanics that constantly intruded with the experience. It was as though they did everything in their power to remove any sense of discovery. Definitely not for me.
Frostpunk2023-01-04 City building survivalWindows2018SteamFrostpunk is one of the most intense experiences I've ever had. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. The story, writing, and worldbuilding are all top-notch.

Yes, Frostpunk is a -very- good game.
Factorio2022-12-17FactoryWindows2020GOGFactory must grow. Still the best factory game out there.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown2022-10-29TacticsWindows2012GOGIt was alright. Too boardgame-like for my liking. I couldn't play this and not compare it to the original, which I think was better in most ways except the jankiness. This game felt like a series of bad Hollywood action films where your invulnerable heroes save the day, and every mission is some near-miss-disaster where you always race against the lock. The game would be better if it had

1) larger maps where you use a squad of 10-15 soldiers

2) free aim + bullet trajectories

3) more liberal use of explosives

4) less importance on character levels, instead prioritizing equipment and tech

5) all characters able to use all equipment

6) no constant narration from the XO during mission. The game could let me observe the game and make my own decisions instead of constantly interrupting the game to tell me what to do. If I see a new alien on a mission, let me first lose a soldier to it before spoiling me the appropriate tactics for facing it.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance2022-06-12RPGWindows2018GOGPeasant simulator 2018. The game has fun characters, story, and world, but the combat and general controls felt clumsy. The combat was barely approachable in 1v1 duels, but most of the game's frequent fights are ganks. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the game due to losing interest in the combat elements.
Iron Lung2022-05-12Horror / submarine simWindows2022SteamAn extremely terrifying game that accomplish a lot with so little. This is a short game - play it if you don't mind a scary experience.
Total War: Warhammer2022-01-10StrategyWindows2022SteamI bought all Warhammer titles at the same time. This is probably the most fun one can have in the Total War series, even though the Shogun 2 probably still has the best designed gameplay. There are so many factions and legendary lords to try that the game is unlikely to get boring for the first 200 hours. Some gameplay issues and bugs and remain, but for a game of this size, they can be excused. The main problem with the game is the price as the full experience requires buying Warhammer 1, 2, and 3, to the total of 180 euros.
Elden Ring2022-01-04SoulsWindows2022SteamIt was alright. I didn't like the open world as it the liberal use of fast travel quickly trivialized the feeling of journeying in the world, and the game wasn't designed for not using fast travel. Boss fights didn't feel enjoyable if you prefer playing a melee character, as most bosses used some kind of AOE that forced you to back away or had long combos with difficult-to-time delays and trick attacks. The world was beautiful, and there were a few good bosses, and Caelid was amazing. I'd rank this about the same as Dark Souls 2
Witcher 32021-11-06RPGWindows2015GOGWriting, visuals, story, and characters are great, but gameplay gets numb. The part with the baron is great, but after the game gets pretty boring, especially in Skellige. Did not finish at about 50 hours in the game.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak2021-09-16RTSWindows2016GOGVisually good-looking. Framerate is mostly good, with jittering happening quite often. There's also a lot of bugs, particularly with the user interface and controls. Sometimes the mouse gets stuck in the "middle mouse button map drag", and sometimes the controls freeze entirely. Loading times are strangely long for a game of this type.

There are too many cutscenes, most unskippable. To make matters worse, some cutscenes happen in "real time" while the game is playing, but the player's ability to control units is removed for the duration of the cutscene. This means it's possible to lose a whole army because a siege cruiser happened to bombard your troops during the cutscene. Sometimes this gets quite weird, as you can have a dramatic inter-mission cinematics ongoing while the battle progresses in the back and you hear "Galsian air units inbound!" over the narrator.

There's too much dialogue that tells the player what to do as opposed to letting the player make up their own decisions ("we better not go in that choke point as there's a siege cruiser behind it"). This is an RTS game where there's no need for strategy, as you're constantly told what to do. It makes me wonder who I'm actually playing as in this game: the general, or someone just pressing buttons for the general?

Game encourages being thorough with salvaging for resources, but often the maps end before you have a chance to clean up every last resource, which comes biting you in the arse later since resources carry from one mission to another. The only way around this is to simply know the map will end once you hit a specific trigger.

Many missions have artificial increase in difficulty (timers, rushing to defend an ally) as opposed to simply letting you complete the mission as your own pace. At the same time, some missions make you think you're in a hurry, but the design is in fact based on scripted triggers that use a poking the bear mechanic, where a huge attack on you happens when you complete a step. In these missions you are better off ignoring the mission objective until you've mined out the map. This makes for a weird mix where the game sort of want you to hurry while encouraging turtling.

Some units are useless the entire game, some become useless when you unlock a better tech. LAVs are never useful, and the tanks become useless when you get railguns. Railguns in turn are trivialized when you get battlecruisers. Missile batteries were never useful as support cruisers have mobile anti air as well, and the baserunner, while cool, serves no purpose when the normal turrets do nothing against late game units and the anti-air is better done by support cruisers. I feel the gameplay took a turn for the worse when cruisers entered the field.

In regards to the game difficulty, siege cruisers are the only enemy unit that you need to care about in most missions. Luckily, the assistants warn you when on is sighted, and I the gameplay in having to prioritize taking them out immediately. Unfortunately, the AI players keep using poor units late into the game, which sort of trivializes a lot of the second half of the campaign.

The main carrier has a whole system of gameplay mechanics, but they don't really come into play that much.

Formations, a dear feature of the original homeworld, are gone. Now ordering units to attack to a point clusters them together, which often causes unnecessary casualties due to enemy artillery.

Units forget their manually chosen targets if the target goes in the fog of war. This most often happens when using aircraft to order an airstrike on a specific unit, and when the aircraft gets in the region, after visuals have been lost, the aircraft picks a new target as opposed to following the earlier orders.

The story is fine, although the line-by-line writing is subpar. The story doesn't feel completed at the end. When the credits rolled, I was a bit surprised, as I expected one more mission.
Enter the Gungeon2021-06-30RoguelikeWindows2016GOGPlays well, fun gameplay, challenging, rewards learning, lots of content. Soundtrack wasn't much to my liking. Doesn't get repetitive for at least the first 100 playthroughs.
Mount & Blade II Bannerlord2021-06-28Pirates!Windows2021SteamPlayed after about a year in early access. Has pretty much all features of Warband, but more fleshed out. AI improvements on strategic level are very much welcome, although still not perfect. Combat mechanics could be improved to make formations make more sense. Faster world map movement speed would be welcome. The swinging of weapons and using ranged weapons is satisfying, as is riding. The city & castle management aspects could be more interesting.
Subnautica: Below Zero2021-06-28SurvivalWindows2021SteamLess buggy than original, world is interesting, less scary than original, not sure if I liked the addiition of dialogue + NPC characters, segments on land were both annoying and refreshing, didn't complete due to missing a thing in early game and getting tired of the grind for resources
Littlewood2021-04-02HarvestmoonWindows2019GOGFun enough, cute as hell, too simple in gameplay to remain interesting very long. Soundtrack could be better.
The Journey Down2021-02-20point & clickWindows2017GOGNot quite wadjet eye quality, but it's a good game. Chapter 3 has weak pacing and the story is mostly wrapped up in a hurry. The game is about getting to a fabled location, and when you get there, it's simply narrated in a cutscene that spans several months instead of giving you extensive gameplay there. I'd say that was the biggest letdown of the game. Music is great. Voice acting is ok.
Streets of Rogue2020-11-19RoguelikeWindows2019GOGFun roguelike that is clearly a work of love. Okay soundtrack, lots of interconnectivity, not too difficult, perhaps on the shorter side, although this is compensated by the vast amount of unlockables.
Katana Zero2020-10-202D actionWindows2019GOGGood art, atmosphere, music, story, writing, well-executed gameplay that doesn't necessarily stay engaging to the end.
Crosscode2020-09-13RPGWindows2018GOGExcellent. Likable characters, story and writing. Enjoyable combat, enjoyable puzzles. Good pacing. Good soundtrack. Good graphics. No bugs.
Sekiro2020-03-22SoulsWindows2019SteamToo difficult for my taste. The world, story and appeal didn't particularly appeal to me. Enemies that required items or produced instakill status effects were a poor design. Some bosses were amazing. I didn't find the vertical movement smooth or controllable enough and I assume we'll have to wait for one more title before From gets it right. Being locked to one fighting style + several bosses being limited in how you fight them didn't appeal to me, although I suppose if that's your thing you can expect really refined gameplay.

Note from 2024: I did later warm up to the game. Great randomizer mod.
Doom2020-03-18Arena shooterWindows2016SteamIf arena shooters are your thing, this thing is probably as good as it gets. High production values all over, very minor bugs, good level design. However, I'm not into the genre and wasn't too into the game. Soundtrack sounded at times like dubstep due to how it synced with glory kills.
Shortest Trip to Earth2019-12-30RoguelikeWindows2019GOGFTL with more stuff, at times too difficult, enjoyable exploration and often unfair "you died" moments
Accounting2019-11-04VRWindows2016SteamOk, not as good as Stanley Parable
Starcraft 22019-05-30RTSWindows2015OtherIgnore the story and it's a pretty good RTS. Terran campaign has too many missions with timed rush objectives and is too hard, Zerg is a bit easy and Protoss is dull. The epilogue campaign is awful. Ignore the story as it feels like a Warcraft story and seems to have no relation to SC1 story. I'm a bit eh on this as I don't care about multiplayer.
Stardew Valley2019-05-07HarvestmoonWindows2016GOGExcellent. Cute story, perfect graphics, engaging storylines. Gameplay gets repetitive around the second year. Didn't see a single bug.
La-mulana 22019-04-21MetroidvaniaWindows2018GOGThere are game breaking softlock bugs that require reloading earlier saves. The movement, a direct copy paste from the first game, is glitchy, and several items often cause you to end up out of bounds. Grail points occasionally don't work, and areas don't load on screen transitions. There are a few development oversights in puzzle design which can produce an unwinnable state, although the developers are still working on getting those fixes.

What happened? The first game was incredible, almost bug-free on release in 2005. This game felt like it was made by a different studio, based on the amount of issues I encountered during my playthrough.

Ignoring the bugs, there are larger problems: It felt like the game was designed with the assumption that most players enjoyed the sadistic difficulty of the La-mulana 1 bonus dungeon as the entire level design of this game is based on tricky, precise platforming that's hard with the game's controls. There are enemise that knock you onto pits. There are spikes everywhere. As you play the game further, more and more and more enemies spawn, making progression through areas a hindrance. If the game played like Hollow Knight it would be fun. But it doesn't, and it's not. La-mulana controls like an obese sea turtle and the combat involves lots of RNG, bouncebacking and damage you won't avoid unless you're an absolute master in platformers.

The boss fight and mini bosses are a bit more challenging that the first game, and several bosses feature boss design I found annoying to deal with. We don't play these games for the combat mechanics or platforming - we play them for the puzzles.

Which brings us to the strong point: Fans of the original game will like the puzzles in this one. Some puzzles are trickier, some not. There's a lot of cool new puzzle mechanics, and added NPCs and dialogue is much welcome.

Music wasn't as good as Mulana 1. Graphics are excellent. The game took me about 150 hours to finish with two riddles requiring me to look up a hint.
Nier Automata2019-04-18Hack & slashWindows2017SteamExcellent atmosphere and OST, suffers from being Japanese: Anime plot, game mechanics simply because games traditionally have those mechanics, repetitive gameplay, weird abrahamic references only because western audiences will SURELY get something out of them. All routes get dull towards the end and are refreshing at the beginning. Last route should have simply been a film without gameplay.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice2019-04-06Psychological actionWindows2017GOGPuzzles get dull, combat with multiple enemies is too hard due to target lock, visuals and storytelling are amazing, fantastic atmosphere
Quest for Glory 22019-01-20RPG point & clickDOS1990OtherSame issues as QFG1 with poor performance and awkward movement. The world feels larger, but this is often artificial scale caused by the street system that's mostly annoying. Music wasn't great. Story was better than in QFG 1. The day system often lead to sleeping at the inn and then checking every point of interest in the game, only to find out nothing happened that day. Oftentimes, the magic user character type had weird solutions to puzzles considering how many spells could have been used to solve a puzzle.
Celeste2019-01-19PlatformerWindows2018itch.ioEarly game is dull, but later levels are marvelous and feature one of the best bossfights in any platformer game, ever. Good music, excellent writing and story.
Saya no Uta2019-01-11Visual novelWindows2003OtherExcellent lovecraftian visual novel that would have been improved if the eroge scenes were implied as opposed to being shown in detail
VA-11 Hall-A2019-01-10Visual novelWindows2016GOGVery chilly and enjoyable visual novel with an interesting story
Unavowed2019-01-01point & clickWindows2017GOGI finished Unavowed today. What a game - it may just have dethroned Technobabylon on the Wadjet Eye catalogue #1. I can't imagine this being a sole title and can only assume we'll see more of this masterpiece later.

The best parts of the game were the character dialogue and storyline, and the hardest decisions in the game weren't about the case ending moral dilemmas, but the metro character selection screens. All the characters worked and had their place, and now I want to play the game again only to see how different combinations of characters work together. My favorite was probably Mandana or KayKay.

The story pacing worked well and didn't feel hurried. The midway point with the three first cases solved produced a good final stretch to the final confontration, unwinding the open plot points.

Art was excellent all over, although something in the main character's sprite seemed off to me, particularly the face. The portait looked good, though.

Soundtrack was amazing with tunes of multiple different styles to keep them interesting.

Voice acting was probably the best in a Wadjet Eye title yet.

There was some odd stuff with the puzzles, namely with inventory usage, such as using the passport to get past the bank security guard. I was stuck here for a while because I tried to either use Eli (inventory) on the passport or vice versa, not click the passport and then Eli (character). There were other points where this also happened. I'd assume that a puzzle solution of this type would work with any combination of the items or characters.

Otherwise, the puzzles were on the easier side. I'd say they were still quite enjoyable.
Ori and the Blind Forest2018-10-11Metroidvania platformerWindows2015GOGTight controls, good graphics, good level design, annoying boss fights and escape sequences
Subnautica2018-10-07SurvivalWindows2018SteamTaps into several fears that work for most people and delivers amazing atmosphere. The always-same world over having a procedural world was the right choice as the current world has been hand-tuned to deliver its beauty. The end game features never-ending bugs that sometimes may even require console hax to get past. The final task of the game is a fetch quest.

Still, even with the game's faults, its amazing sense of discovery cannot be questioned.
Environmental Station Alpha2018-10-05MetroidvaniaWindows2015SteamSolid Metroidvania, too much backtracking particularly early in the game without movement upgrades, some parts are sadistically difficult, the "postgame" riddles are built like the better puzzles in La-Mulana, and all in all the postgame stuff is pretty good apart from the platforming gauntlets
Shadowrun: Dragonfall2018-09-07CRPGWindows2014SteamMore Bioware style character plotlines were welcome, gameplay was more challenging, there should have been more customization in the stock characters as it's possible a stock character will end up having same utility skills as the main character
Shadowrun: Hong Kong2018-07-15CRPGWindows2015SteamBest of the three new Shadowrun games. Most compact story with best NPC interaction. Matrix rework was welcome, but maybe still a boring minigame that got tiresome after doing it twice. Best soundtrack.
Kathy Rain2018-07-10Point & ClickWindows2016GOGThis is an adventure game rivaling Wadjet Eye quality in terms of graphics, voices (Wadjet Eye was involved in these, actually) and quality. Ultimately I get the feeling the author wanted to tell a story more than create a point & click game - there's a couple of neat puzzles, but generally they feel like roadblocks. The puzzles were my least favorite part of the game.

The writing is both good and bad. At times the game sets an emotional moment, but then the voice acting changes completely from a tearful scene into Kathy talking normally, which is kind of strange.

Buy on sale if you enjoy linear, story-based adventure games with high production values.
Shadowrun Returns2018-06-24CRPGWindows2013SteamEnjoyable combat, not too much of choices in terms of RPG, short, pretty compact without too much dead weight. Writing was alright. Music was alright.
Kholat2018-04-22Walking simulatorWindows2015GOGI assume a bunch of talented graphics artists got together and decided to create a game about a historical mystery. They got started on a visually impressive game, and at some point had a meeting where they realized they are making a video game and there's nothing to play in what they've created so far. They added monsters that didn't really do anything but occasionally require the player the press the sprint button for a couple of seconds or die and have to re-trek all the way to the monster location.

The story is segments of poetry that I didn't underestand.

The usage of the map and compass was great and I hoped the game was entirely like this with none of the monster nonsense. I only wish there was some sort of reward for finding the locations on the map instead of getting more writing that didn't matter at all.

The game was probably going to be a horror game, but there really wasn't anything to be afraid of: The monsters were shown early in the game and were mostly annoying. The only remotely scary aspect of the game were the sudden jumpscare soundtrack pieces that occasionally play for seemingly no reason, unless I missed something going on somewhere I was supposed to look.
Might and Magic 7: For Blood and Honor2018-03-17RPGWindows1999OtherThey balanced some aspects of MM6, which made this game less fun to play. Dungeon design was more compressed and probably mostly better. Some story elements were more fun than MM6, but ultimately this game felt mostly like more of the same with less engaging gameplay. It takes quite a while to get your party going as so many good skills and spells are locked behind promotion quests, which means for a long time you need to abuse the enemy AI to kill some tougher enemies. MM6 had superior music, although the songs in this weren't bad. Annoyingly the music doesn't loop without reloading a save.
Quest for Glory 12018-01-12RPG point & clickDOS1989OtherGreat mix or point & click, text parser and RPG. Enjoyable difficultly, puzzles, world and humor
Doki Doki Literature Club2017-10-29Visual novelWindows2017SteamThe sentient-AI / self-aware characters gimmick is done well, although by this point so many games have gone that way that it doesn't deliver much surprises. I'm not a fan of Visual Novels that go for the whole dating sim waifu gimmicks, and as such I wasn't too into the game
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight2017-08-02PlatformerWindows2016SteamImproves on the previous Momodoras in all regards without changing the formula too much. Boss fights were on the easier side and I got the feeling the game was designed with challenge runs / speedruns in mind. Controlled the best out of all the games.
Shadow of Mordor2017-07-163rd person actionWindows2014SteamI believe I played this game shortly after finishing Dark Souls 1 & 2, and boy was it difficult to get back into a game where you aren't acutely controlling all of your character's animations. The combat in this game was its worst part, which is a shame as I would love to play a game like this with Dark Souls combat. Movement felt restricted, and frequently my button presses resulted in a different action than I had intended. Even at the end of the game I never really felt like I controlled my character properly. It felt like I pressed buttons, and my character took those as recommendations. The nemesis system was cool. Story was eh.
Tex Murhpy Tesla Effect2017-05-02FMVWindows2014SteamOccasionally filled with the typical Tex Murphy style awful puzzles, the game is a honest sequel to the original Tex games. Quality is generally improved, but there are a ton of tiny papercuts around the game, especially in the environment, that show they didn't have time to finalize the game. Pretty much entirely bug free, saving and loading works well. The whole score system seemed silly. There's really no reason to play the game on Gamer difficulty as there's a ton of pixel hunt puzzles of the modern variety where you need to spot the 3D model that is for some reason interactable when the rest of the scenery isn't. On Casual difficulty these hotpoints are marked and I'd say it's essential for completing the game. Acting's improved a bit, but it's still pretty tongue-in-cheek at times. Plot was typical Tex Murhpy where it gets too complicated and into James Bond territory towards the end. Romancing the transsexual results in the best ending ever.
Metro 2033 Redux2017-04-30FPSWindows2010GOGA linear FPS with first person cutscenes and "press E to progress in the game" QTEs. Good atmosphere, functional progression. Horde attack sequences get pretty boring quickly, and sometimes running out of gas mask filters can require a replay of the entire chapter. Interesting moral compass system that's hidden from the player, but makes sense in regards to the story.
Betrayer2017-04-17FPSWindows2014SteamImpressive atmosphere. Does a fine job in making the player learn the mechanics without explaining them, and to let the player decide what the game is about. The game stops giving new things to do early on and the game gets repetitive. There was one crash, and a few times I got stuck in geometry and had to reload. Writing and art are enjoyable enough. The weapon and item upgrades seemed out of place as they didn't matter except for the very end game items that offered significant bonuses.
Hyper Light Drifter2017-03-19Top down shooterWindows2016GOGAmazing art, music, atmosphere and good gameplay. There were some issues with the combat, particularly stunlocks being an occasionao annoyment. The movement speed was a bit on the slower side before getting the dash upgrade. The intro cinematic is among the best I've ever seen and it took me a good while to understand that it was an allegory of the lead developer's own life and his maladies. After reading about the problems the lead developer had lived through, the entire game started making sense. Absolutely beautiful.
Dark Souls 32017-01-15SoulsWindows2016SteamLinear gameplay with no interconnecting areas was a letdown. Bosses were initially extremely difficult due to the transition from Souls 1 & 2 to Bloodborne style boss fights where fast maneuvering is essential. Enemies appeared to be much more intelligent than earlier, but their apparent lack of stamina and huge poise were kind of annoying. There were several gameplay bugs (teleporting enemies for one) that were problematic. Too many bosses were large humanoids with fire attacks, although the game's best boss, Pontiff Sulyvahn, was pretty interesting. Not many of the bosses were that memorable. A shout-out should go the game running relatively well on a lower end PC with low settings. Storyline and the atmosphere was better than Souls 2, but not as interesting as 1.
Warframe2017-01-12MMORPGWindows2013OtherEnjoyable fluid 3rd person movement and combat, engaging story, yet it's still a repetitive MMORPG. Could use more variety in level design and maps with wide open areas.
Hollow Knight2017-01-10MetroidvaniaWindows2017GOGThe best metroidvania I've ever played. The vastness of the game world surprised me several times, making me ask "There's MORE?!" over and over again. The controls were fine, yet I don't understand why the game recommends a controller since there's no analog input of any kind. I found keyboard superior after playing around 75% of the game with a controller. Sometimes pretty tricky, some bosses were boring and some "access" items should have been granted earlier.
Total War Shogun 2 + Fall of the Samurai2017-01-08RTSWindows2011SteamPeople say this is the best of the Total War games and I definitely wasn't disappointed. I would have wanted more variety in the units and battlefields, as particularly fort battles got repetitive.
Dishonored 22017-01-07ThiefWindows2016SteamThe game does not deviate much from what Dishonored 1 already established. I got the feeling the developers were afraid to change what had worked in the earlier game and stuck with that. Levels were smaller, but I'd say superior to the first game. Story wasn't as interesting. Unfortunately, massive amounts of crashing ultimately made this a worse game than the first one. The customer support mostly passed my crash reports around without answering my questions, nor did they actually seemingly care about if I offered them any more detailed crash details. Oh well.
Castlevania2016-11-21PlatformerNES1986EmulatorAbout as bad as primitive NES platformers get
Super Metroid2016-11-20MetroidvaniaSNES1994EmulatorOverall, the game was damn good. I found myself rather bored in the last water area, mainly because it seemed to involve a lot of trick jumps to get items. It wasn't as bad as La-Mulana in showing you something you think you need to be able to solve, only to find out you solve that 5 minutes before the game ends. Instead most of the times the thing was achievable pretty soon and every area had parts that were clearly marked "you need an item to get through here." I wasn't a fan of taking damage upon touching enemies, which is also what annoyed me in La-Mulana. The final boss had a weird attack that was seemingly unavoidable and killed you unless you had more than x health. I also didn't really understand what I was fighting there, but maybe if I had the game manual it would tell me

The progression was pretty fluid. Sometimes I had difficulties remembering what was where as the game doesn't really make any kind of notes. Suppose this was '94.

I also had issues finding my way around as I got lost in the dungeon

At least the game didn't require you to run all the way to the top using the normal route at the end. That would have taken me 30 minutes.

The wall jumping was really neat. It was a bit sad how you didn't really need it after getting some items
Her Story2016-11-08FMVWindows2015GOGGoes for the whole Memento thing where the story is not told in a linear fashion. This allows the player to piece the puzzle together from the perspective of the detective. It was pretty fun to write down notes and slowly uncover the truth. I found it quite difficult to find the missing pieces in the storyline as I couldn't figure out the right keyword to use and the video listing only allowed 5 videos. I ended up going through the video files in the game folder manually. The game's only mechanic is the video archive system, stylished as it may be, but unfortunately it's not worth the game's price.
Technobabylon2016-11-06Point & ClickWindows2015GOGLost the review when the forums went down. TL;DR: A contender for the best point & click game ever game, up there with the likes of the Longest Journey and Unavowed. Play it.
Shardlight2016-11-03Point & ClickWindows2016GOGLost the review when the forums went down. A solid point & click adventure that has its highs and lows, but overall is still a bargain for the price they're asking. Play it.
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream2016-10-12Point & ClickDOS1995GOGI read the novel before getting into this game, to make sure I had a good foundation on what the game was trying to express. The original short story was, possibly, a take on the cold war and nuclear apocalypse, and the story uses this to paint a picture of hell.

The game's story was written in collaboration with the orginal author Harlan Ellison (who also provided the voice acting for the AI AM), and the writing is definitely the game's strongest part. Apparently the game's main focus was decided to be the character's back stories and psychological problems when the game's main writer David Sears asked Ellison why AM had selected the five people into its eternal torment. This question surprised Harrison and they then worked out the characters' backstories. The narrative is told in a sequence of 5 independent stories during which the characters come to terms with their own shortcomings. The final chapter is particularly interesting.

The programming was outsourced to an external company. I have no idea if the product was hurried into release, but the game is a buggy mess. There are glitchy graphics (Benny grows an extra arm during a cutscene), out-of-sequence puzzles being buggy (digging a grave, exiting the screen and returning to the screen removes the grave, but the interactable grave object still exists on the screen), save corruption happens (loading a game in Benny's chapter will cause the character to be invisible and interacting with anything will soft lock the game, although re-saving and loading again will fix this), there's at least one game locking puzzle that can be sequence skipped, object examine texts don't get updated (pick up a key, looking at the thing where the key was will still describe a key being on the table), sometimes cutscenes don't get triggered until the screen is entered a few times... It's a disaster.

The puzzles are somewhat challenging. Often times the solution to a puzzle is to go back and forth between trying something and then talking to a character to get their updated response to it. In Ellen's chapter you can only pick up a really obvious item near the chapter's end for some reason. The final chapter is extremely difficult, albeit interesting. It should be noted the game has some of the most surprising solutions to puzzles I've seen in a long, long time. Some of it is pretty gross. I'm amazed what they were allowed to leave in the game - who knows what the publisher forced them to remove.

Originally the author wasn't going to let the developers add in a "happy" ending as he didn't want the game to be winnable, but they had to later make some amendmends, supposedly because it would have been bad marketting to advertise a game one cannot win.

Music was pretty enjoyable. There was enough of it to offer some variety, although there could have been more. It's pretty traditional mid 90s MIDI if that's your thing.

Artwork is mediocre. Animations have room for improvement while backgrounds look alright.
Momodora 32016-09-25PlatformerWindows2014SteamWhile the previous game offered an illusion of freedom in choosing one's path, this game moves to a linear platformer. The game runs about the same as the second game, but is faster paced. Story does not really exist.
Momodora 22016-09-24PlatformerWindows2011FreeSome controls need improvement. Screen transitions are occasionally awful as enemies you don't see can hit you from outside the screen, or you can walk right into an enemy that's waiting at the screen transition. Difficulty is pretty good, requiring some tries but not too brutal. Enemies deal contact damage which can be annoying when attacking with the main weapon has such a short range. Pretty graphics, enjoyable music. No bugs. Character art reminds me of Touhou character portraits.
The Samaritan Paradox2016-09-08Point & ClickWindows2014GOGFor a game released in 2014 this title seems extremely dated. It might be that I'm used to more finalized adventure games (namely from Wadjet Eye) and haven't played any of the more basic Adventure Game Studio releases in a while.

The biggest downside of the game were the bugs. On two occasions I ended up having a bug that required me to reload and earlier save as I was in an unwinnable state. Once the game stopped rendering the graphics after a screen transition during a cutscene, leaving the game screen completely black until I restarted the game. The path-finding has a few quirks, and sometimes the wrong animations played when walking around.

The story of the game, like in most adventure games, is one of the better aspects. For many adventure titles the story is made too complex and the ending arrives hurried. In this case I felt the story might have been a bit on the simpler side and wasn't deep or long enough.

The characters were enjoyable enough, the protagonist being my favorite. Voice acting was passable, but a few characters had voices that were simply bad.

Puzzles were refreshing difficult - even too much so. It's rare, but in this case I had to resort to a walkthrough to finish the game. A few of the puzzles required some knowledge that to my understanding cannot be found inside the game world. A die-hard adventure game player will probably solve all the puzzles with determination, though.

Music was good.
Audioshield2016-08-27VR arcadeWindows2016SteamAudiosurf for VR. Tron style graphics work well, and the ability to use own music gives the game a lot of replayablity. The mechanics are a bit too simple, and mods are required to make it more interesting. Reasonable fun, but the price tag of 20 dollars is too high.
Cat Lady2016-07-24Psychological horror / adventureWindows2012GOGThis game is probably the one that best explores depression, with Depression Quest coming close second. Although the beginning of the game has some writing in it that was in my opinion lacking, overall the story is enjoyable after the beginning.
The graphics style was interesting. It should be noted that I didn't like the first game, Downfall especially due to its writing and graphics, but in this one both parts worked better.
Audio has issues. The voice actors are passable, but unfortunately the recording equipment or mastering wasn't done with the highest quality in mind and occasionally even regular speech ends up breaking.

Puzzles were mostly alright, although a few of them felt like they didn't belong there.
SOMA2016-01-08Walking simulatorWindows2015GOGLooks beautiful, writing is enjoyable, world fascinating. Monster segments were the worst portions - maybe installing that mod that disables mob aggression would have been a good idea. Those kinda broke the flow of the game. The big part that really sold the game to me was that there weren't any plot twists - everything is revealed in the beginning and the rest of the journey is simply exploring that topic.
Gray Matter2016-01-07Point & ClickWindows2011GOGAmong the list of best systems for puzzles ever done in a video game, this game scores pretty high. The old "use item y on x" gimmick is still there, but the main showdown is the repertoire of magic tricks the protagonist can pull in order to con others. My biggest beef with this was that there wasn't enough of using magic tricks - surely they could have replaced some of the more traditional puzzles with a few additional sleights of hand.

Most of the game is doing detective work of sorts and solving riddles, driving two plotlines forwards. The story itself is curious enough, although nothing too unique.

It baffles me how a point & click adventure game where the backgrounds are largely still image mattes can end up having a loading screen between each screen transition. Sometimes these loading times were up to 10 seconds on a reasonably powerful computer. Perhaps the game was designed so it worked on mobile platforms or something and always loaded the background images from disk or something along those lines. Anyway, whatever the reason was, the loading times were a definite problem.

Animations were occasionally dreadfully slow. Luckily, the game allows fast travelling using the map and skipping moving to the room's exit by double clicking.

The music in the game was alright and did its task well in the background. The primary letdown was that there wasn't enough music: With the exception of a couple cutscenes, the single, same music track with a pleasant piano melody is heard during the entire game. It got pretty repetitive towards the latter portions.

Voice acting was alright. There was some room for improvement, though.
Last Express2016-01-06Point & ClickDOSBox1997GOGI have never played a game quite like this. Beyond its rough edges there exists a gem that is among the most immersive games I've played. The game produces an illusion of "Choose Your Own Adventure" due to the world acting without the player's presence. The player can be at the opposite end of the train, and events, even if scripted, are taking place, whether or not the player is there to see them.

The game is railroaded in the way that when bad ends happen the game offers a clock which the player can roll back to re-live past events. This happens until the player finally manages to solve all the puzzles in the right order and reach the true end.

Voice acting is fantastic. I don't speak any of the foreign languages, but it definitely sounded natural when I heard Serbians talking among themselves, the upper class French chatting with the Germans and the Austrian doing her best to speak English.

Puzzles are minimal, and very easy. The game is mostly about doing things in the right order and later correcting your mistakes.

A must play.
Elite Dangerous2016-01-01Space flight simWindows2014Other / SteamReally fun for flying around. Looks great. That's about it. It's euro truck in space where you don't have anything to do, and the argument for saying it's a multiplayer game only is valid when the P2P architecture eventually works with more than 2 players robustly.
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary2016-01-01Point & ClickDOSBox1992GOGAlright
Memoria2016-01-01Point & ClickWindows2013GOGFun
Tex Murphy: Overseer2016-01-01FMVDOSBox1998GOGAcademic interest
Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon2016-01-01FMVDOSBox1994GOGAcademic interest
Stellaris2016-01-014XWindows2016SteamFun, wait for DLC
Dark Souls 22016-01-01SoulsWindows2014Steammeh
Risk of Rain2016-01-01Platformer roguelikeWindows2013SteamFun
Shovel Knight2016-01-01PlatformerWindows2014SteamFun
Starbound2016-01-01SandboxWindows2016SteamReally good
This War of Mine2016-01-01SurvivalWindows2014SteamFun
Undertale2016-01-01EarthboundlikeWindows2015SteamReally good
Dark Souls2015-01-01SoulsWindows2009SteamThe game's ability to transform players is quite something. At the beginning of the journey the game slaps the player on their wrists, punishing the player for their every mistake. At several tiers of graduation examination the game slowly trains the player into understanding the game. After a specific boss fight the player will have leveled up more from that encounter than his character has. This game has, in my opinion, the best boss fight in the history of video gaming (O&S).

The level design and atmosphere are the game's strongest point. Everything connects logically and with style. There are no hub areas or nonsensical locations, but only the ruins of a fallen world now occupied by the undead and worse. What really separates this game from a lot of similar games is how it accomplishes its strongest point, the atmosphere.

With most games people generally play the game once, and if they really liked the game they will give it a second go. On a rare occasion people will keep playing the game over and over again. With Dark Souls I don't know a single person who has completed the game and left it there - they all come back for the game's massive replay value.

The game's biggest issues relate to its console origins: Framerate is defaulted to 30, and using mods to increase it to 60 will cause physics bugs. The online play is glitchy as best and lag has a constant presence.

Several points in the game are too difficult unless you already have mastered a Souls game earlier. Many people will quit the game at these points for understandable reasons.
Dishonored2015-01-01ThiefWindows2012SteamReally good
Legend of Grimrock 22015-01-01Oldschool RPGWindows2015SteamFun
Mount & Blade Warband2014-01-01Pirates!Windows2010OtherMakes grinding so fun one does not realize it's grinding
Spelunky2014-01-01Platformer roguelikeWindows2013GOGFun
Fract OSC2014-01-01Puzzle immersionWindows2014SteamFun
Gone Home2014-01-01ImmersionWindows2013SteamFun
Hotline Miami2014-01-01Top down shooterWindows2012Humble BundleMeh
Octodad: Dadlist Catch2014-01-01Dad simulatorWindows2014KickstarterFun
Paper's Please2014-01-01Work simulatorWindows2013SteamFun
The Stanley Parable2014-01-01Narrative adventureWindows2011SteamFun
Pirates!2013-01-01Pirates!Amiga1987Otherhttp://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3557050
Primordia2013-01-01Point & ClickWindows2012GOGReally good
Leisure Suit Larry 12013-01-01Text parserDOSBox1987GOGAcademic interest
Weird Dreams2013-01-01DrugsAmiga1988Otherhttp://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3557036&pagenumber=17#post417667456
Freelancer2013-01-01Flying / exploration / dogfightWindows2003OtherReally good
Crusader Kings 22013-01-01Grand strategyWindows2012SteamFun
Europa Universalis 42013-01-01Grand strategyWindows2013SteamFun
The Void2013-01-01ImmersionWindows2008OtherA game where the writing, story, world, ambiance, music, and characters are all flawless. I have never found myself so uncomfortable with any game with the dilemmas presented to me. The game design involving "color" is up there as one of the most brilliant design decisions ever.

With all that said, this is a -difficult- game. You will not succeed on your first playthrough, maybe not even the second. I feel restarting this game is almost part of the story, and that is not for everyone.

However, I cannot overstate how much game has influence me personally. I have written three novels based on the experiences I had while delving in this weird world. It is one of the most personal games for me.

Do yourself a favor and at least give it a try.
Might and Magic 6: The Mandate of Heaven2013-01-01Oldschool RPGDOSBox1988OtherFun
Portal 22013-01-01PuzzleWindows2011SteamAverage
Terraria2013-01-01SandboxWindows2011SteamReally good
Wargame: European Escalation2013-01-01RTSWindows2012SteamFun
La-Mulana remake2012-01-01MetroidvaniaWindows2012GOGSame as original La-Mulana, great.
Resonance2012-01-01Point & ClickWindows2012GOGFun
Botanicula2012-01-01Don't rememberWindows2012Humble BundleDon't remember
Deus Ex Human Revolution2012-01-01FPSWindows2011SteamFun
Frozen Synapse2012-01-01Turn based tacticsWindows2011Humble BundleChess with guns. Some mechanics can be abused to trick the opponent's AI into a stunlock, and gameplay eventually develops into doing this / countermeasuring it.
FTL: Faster Than Light2012-01-01RoguelikeWindows2012Humble BundleFun
Legend of Grimrock2012-01-01Oldschool RPGWindows2012SteamFun
Sid Meier's Civilization V2012-01-014XWindows2010SteamFun
Trine 22012-01-01PlatformerWindows2011SteamMeh
Thief: The Dark Project2011-01-01StealthWindows1998RetailI had a demo of this game back in the day, but never really liked it as a child. When I got into it years later, I was immediately hooked.

Thief has its problems with the zombie levels, but that doesn't change the fact that the levels are BONKERS large with so much to find. Exploration, atmosphere, and story are Thief's strongest points, and its combat (or lack thereof on the canonical expert difficulty) is its weakest.

Thief is worth your time even today if you can get through the old school jank. You will find a lost jewel in this old title - trust me.
Thief 2: The Metal Age2011-01-01StealthWindows2000RetailSomeone else put it this way: Imagine you played Thief 1 and wrote a letter to the developers pointing out all the things that were off with the first game. Now imagine the devs got that letter and took it to the heart.

Welcome to Thief 2.

Zombies are gone, and we're mostly dealing with urban environments with humans (and a few automatons). The levels are more difficult, more detailed, and some (but not all) of the quirks of the engine have been fixed. The story is even better than the first game.

Again, if you can survive old school jank, Thief 2 is worth your time.
Treasure Adventure Game2011-01-01MetroidvaniaWindows2011OtherFun
Descent: Freespace - The Great War2011-01-01Flight simulator / dogfightWindows1998GOGFun
Freespace 22011-01-01Flight simulator / dogfightWindows1999GOGFun
Victoria 22011-01-01Grand strategyWindows2010OtherFun
Machinarium2011-01-01Point & ClickWindows2009Humble BundleReally fun adventure, the graphics are fantastic and overall a good experience. The problems are mostly limited to the engine being flash. Some of the "puzzle-puzzles" were boring though (chess, go, that kind of stuff)
Tales of Monkey Island2011-01-01Point & ClickWindows2009OtherFun
Nightsky2011-01-01Physics platformerWindows2011FreeFun
Octodad2011-01-01Dad simulatorWindows2010FreeFun
L'Abbaye Des Morts2011-01-01PlatformerWindows2010FreeStrangely fun for how little it does
Sins of a Solar Empire2011-01-014XWindows2008SteamFun
VVVVVV2011-01-01PlatformerWindows2010Humble BundleFun
Amnesia: The Dark Descent2010-01-10HorrorWindows2010RetailWhile occasionally suffering from forced jump scares that take control of the camera away, the rest of the game makes up for it. Good story, atmosphere, level design, and puzzles.
La-Mulana2010-01-01MetroidvaniaWindows2005FreeTook me 10 months to finish and two restarts from the beginning. This was possibly the best time I've ever had with a video game. The difficulty is something that slowly makes you intimately remember the game world and everything written in it as you struggle to piece together the complicated puzzles. The only downside in this game, I think, is that it doesn't have any replay value. After you've rammed your head against the wall for 10 months you already know the solutions to all the puzzles and there's not much to experience in it. I didn't find the combat that interesting that I'd want to try the game again for more combat challenge. Incredible music.
Broken Sword2010-01-01Point & ClickWindows1996GOGFun
Broken Sword 22010-01-01Point & ClickWindows1997GOGFun
Broken Sword 32010-01-01AdventureWindows2003GOGFun-ish
Dragonsphere2010-01-01Point & ClickWindows1994GOGFun
Syberia2010-01-01Point & ClickWindows2002GOGFun
Teenagent2010-01-01Point & ClickWindows1994GOGFun
Braid2010-01-01Puzzle platformerWindows2008Humble BundleFun
Limbo2010-01-01PlatformerWindows2010Humble BundleFun
Hero Core2010-01-01MetroidvaniaWindows2010FreeFun
Minecraft2010-01-01SandboxWindows2010OtherReally good
Trine2010-01-01PlatformerWindows2009Humble BundleAverage
And Yet It Moves2009-01-01Puzzle platformerWindows2009Humble BundleMeh
Aquaria2009-01-01MetroidvaniaWindows2007Humble BundleFun
Europa Universalis 32009-01-01Grand strategyWindows2007OtherFun
Hearts of Iron 22009-01-01Grand strategyWindows2005OtherFun
Victoria2009-01-01Grand strategyWindows2003OtherFun
World of Goo2009-01-01PuzzleWindows2008Humble BundleFun
Prey (2006)2008-01-01FPSWindows2006RetailA fun and well-produced traditional first person shooter that makes good use of all three dimensions. The story is suitable for a game involving lots of explosions.
The Longest Journey2008-01-01Point & ClickWindows2000GOGOne of the best point & click games
Audiosurf2008-01-01Music gameWindows2008SteamAverage
Within a Deep Forest2008-01-01ExplorationWindows2006FreeFun
Penumbra: Overture2008-01-01Stealth puzzleWindows2007OtherReally good
Penumbra: Black Plague2008-01-01Stealth puzzleWindows2008OtherReally good
Penumbra: Requiem2008-01-01PuzzleWindows2008OtherMeh
Samorost2008-01-01AdventureWindows2003Humble BundleAverage, developers on shrooms
Samorost 22008-01-01AdventureWindows2005Humble BundleAverage, developers on shrooms
Shadowgrounds: Survivor2008-01-01Top down shooterWindows2007OtherMeh
X-COM: Ufo Defence2008-01-01TacticsDOSBox1994OtherReally good
Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars2008-01-01RTSWindows2007OtherMeh
Battle for Wesnoth2008-01-01Computer boardgameLinux2003FreeReally good
Star Control 22008-01-01AdventureWindows1992FreeReally good
DarkStar One2007-01-01Space shootingWindows2006RetailAn average space shooter that doesn't really excel in any area. You only have one ship that upgrade in RPG fashion instead of buying new ships. Not worth it.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two2007-01-01FPSWindows2007SteamFun
Knytt2007-01-01ExplorationWindows2006FreeFun
Knytt Stories2007-01-01ExplorationWindows2007FreeFun
Portal2007-01-01PuzzleWindows2007RetailFun
X3: Reunion2007-01-01Space tradingWindows2005OtherFun
Beneath a Steel Sky2006-01-01Point & ClickWindows1994FreeFun
Cave Story2006-01-01PlatformerWindows2004FreeFun
Darwinia2006-01-01RTSWindows2005Humble BundleFun
Half-Life 2: Episode One2006-01-01FPSWindows2006SteamFun
Shadowgrounds2006-01-01Top down shooterWindows2005OtherFun
Sid Meier's Civilization IV2006-01-014XWindows2005OtherFun
Deus Ex2005-01-01FPSWindows2000OtherReally good
The Secret of Monkey Island2005-01-01Point & ClickSCUMMVM1991OtherFun
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge2005-01-01Point & ClickSCUMMVM1997OtherFun
The Curse of Monkey Island2005-01-01Point & ClickSCUMMVM2000OtherFun
Uplink2005-01-01HackingWindows2001OtherFun
Mechwarrior 4 mercenaries2005-01-01MechWindows2002OtherFun
Half-Life 22004-01-01FPSWindows2004RetailFun
Warcraft 32004-01-01RTSWindows2002OtherFun
Command & Conquer: Generals2003-01-01RTSWindows2003RetailFun
Half-Life Blueshift2002-01-01FPSWindows2001RetailMeh
Command & Conquer: Renegade2002-01-01RTSWindows2002RetailFun
Half-Life Opposing Force2001-01-01FPSWindows1999RetailFun
Sid Meier's Civilization III2001-01-014XWindows2001OtherFun
Age of Empires 22000-01-01RTSWindows1999RetailFun
Half-Life2000-01-01FPSWindows1998RetailFun
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 22000-01-01RTSWindows2000RetailFun
MechCommander2000-01-01RTSWindows1998OtherFun
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil1999-01-01FPSWindows1998RetailImpressive selection of weapons, level design is quite varied, but sometimes levels end up being maze-like in un-fun fashion. Somewhat scary, at least at the time.
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun1999-01-01RTSWindows1999RetailFun
Starcraft1999-01-01RTSWindows1998RetailFun
Quake 3 Arena1999-01-01FPSWindows1999RetailFun
Mechwarrior 31999-01-01MechWindows1999DemoFun
Dark Forces 21998-01-01FPSWindows1997RetailFun
Command & Conquer1997-01-01RTSWindows1995RetailFun
Destruction Derby1997-01-01RacingWindows1996SharewareFun
Wolfenstein 3D1997-01-01FPSWindows1992SharewareFun
Doom1997-01-01FPSWindows1992SharewareFun
Quake1997-01-01FPSWindows1996SharewareFun
Duke Nukem 3D1997-01-01FPSWindows1996RetailReally good
Alien Rampage1997-01-01PlatformerWindows1996SharewareFun
Jungle Strike1997-01-01Shoot'em'upWindows1993OtherFun
Command & Conquer: Red Alert1996-01-01RTSWindows1996RetailFun
Warcraft 21996-01-01RTSWindows1995RetailFun
Descent1996-01-01FPSWindows1994RetailFun
Carrier Command1995-01-01Carrier simulatorAmiga1987OtherFun
Firepower1995-01-01Top down shooterAmiga1987OtherFun
Beyond the Ice Palace1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1988OtherFun
Barbarian1995-01-01Side scrolling beat'em'upAmiga1987OtherFun
Shadow of the Beast1995-01-01Side scrolling beat'em'upAmiga1989OtherFun
Obliterator1995-01-01Side scrolling shooterAmiga1988OtherFun
Virus / Zarch1995-01-01Flight dogfightAmiga1987OtherFun
Golden Axe1995-01-01Side scrolling shooterAmiga1989OtherFun
Street Fighter 11995-01-01FightingAmiga1987OtherFun
Plutos1995-01-01Scrolling shooterAmiga1987OtherFun
Nitro1995-01-01RacingAmiga1990OtherFun
Pinball Dreams1995-01-01PinballAmiga1992OtherFun
Hugo1995-01-01Rail actionAmiga1992OtherFun
Dogs of War1995-01-01Scrolling shooterAmiga1989OtherFun
Rainbow Islands1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1987OtherFun
Bubble Bobble1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1986OtherFun
Rick Dangerous1995-01-01Puzzle platformerAmiga1990OtherFun
Rick Dangerous 21995-01-01Puzzle platformerAmiga1990OtherFun
Tintin on the Moon1995-01-01PuzzleAmiga1987OtherFun
F/A-18 Interceptor1995-01-01Flight simulatorAmiga1988OtherFun
Eye of the Beholder1995-01-01CRPGAmiga1991OtherFun
Netherworld1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1988OtherFun
Another World1995-01-01Puzzle platformerAmiga1991OtherFun
Flashback1995-01-01Puzzle platformerAmiga1992OtherFun
Rampage1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1986OtherFun
North & South1995-01-01Strategy & actionAmiga1987OtherReally good
Capone1995-01-01Rail shooterAmiga1988OtherBad
Robocop1995-01-01Scrolling shooterAmiga1989OtherBad
Druid1995-01-01AdventureAmiga1987OtherFun
Crossbow: The Legend of William Tell1995-01-01AdventureAmiga1990OtherBad
James Pond1995-01-01AdventureAmiga1990OtherFun
Stunt Car Racer1995-01-01RacingAmiga1989OtherFun
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1988OtherFun
Star Wars1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1988OtherFun
The Punisher1995-01-01Rail shooterAmiga1990OtherBad
Overdrive1995-01-01RacingAmiga1993OtherFun
Targhan1995-01-01Side scrolling beam'em'upAmiga1989OtherFun
Twinworld1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1989OtherReally good
The Great Giana Sisters1995-01-01Platformer / mario cloneAmiga1988OtherFun
Chicago 901995-01-01RacingAmiga1989OtherMeh
The Addams Family1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1992OtherBad
Platoon1995-01-01Side scrolling shooterAmiga1988OtherMeh
Dragon Ninja1995-01-01Side scrolling beam'em'upAmiga1989OtherFun
Super wintersport 921995-01-01SportsAmiga1992OtherFun
Parachute Joust1995-01-01JoustAmiga1990OtherFun
Wings of Fury1995-01-01Flying / dogfightAmiga1987OtherReally good
The New Zealand Story1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1988OtherFun
Impossible Mission II1995-01-01Platformer puzzleAmiga1988OtherReally good
Live and Let Die1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1988OtherMeh
Captain Fizz Meets The Blaster Trons1995-01-01ArcadeAmiga1988OtherFun
Hostages1995-01-01Rail shooterAmiga1988OtherMeh
Falcon1995-01-01Flight simulatorAmiga1989OtherMeh
The Enforcer1995-01-01Rail shooterAmiga1991OtherMeh
Police Quest1995-01-01Text parser adventureAmiga1987OtherFun
Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun1995-01-01SportsAmiga1989OtherFun
Batman1995-01-01Side scrolling beam'em'upAmiga1989OtherMeh
Desert Strike1995-01-01Shoot'em'upAmiga1992OtherReally good
The New Zealand Story1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1988OtherFun
Turrican 21995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1991OtherReally good
Turrican 31995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1993OtherReally good
Hole-In-One Miniature Golf1995-01-01GolfAmiga1988OtherReally good
Battleships1995-01-01Computer boardgameAmiga1987OtherFun
Jurassic Park1995-01-01Top down shooterAmiga1993OtherFun
Superfrog1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1993OtherReally good
Cannon Fodder1995-01-01Top down tacticsAmiga1993OtherReally good
Sword of Sodan1995-01-01Scrolling beam'em'upAmiga1988OtherMeh
Defender of the Crown1995-01-01Strategy & actionAmiga1986OtherFun
Chuck Rock1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1991OtherFun
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1990OtherFun
Toki1995-01-01PlatformerAmiga1989OtherFun
Rodland1994-01-01PlatformerCommodore 641991OtherFun but scary