Sometimes, it seems like a Sisyphean task to try to keep up with all the games that come out every year. And that’s not even counting the seasonal Steam Sales, which are the bane of my wallet and of my backlog of titles to try.
For our GamesBeat Rewind year-end event, we’ve come up with a few games you may not have had a chance to check out this year. Some of them might even be on sale, so you might as well give them a try. Gabe Newell already owns all our souls anyway.
Jettomero: Hero of the Universe
Developers: Ghost Time Games
Publisher: Ghost Time Games
Platform: PC, Mac
Jettomero: Hero of the Universe is the tale of an adorable giant robot who just wants to help. As Jettomero, you’re larger than life, stomping around on planets and sheepishly apologizing to the folks whose homes you’re accidentally trampling. You fight enemies and blast through space using rocket boosters on your feet. It’s got a charming comic book aesthetic and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor.
West of Loathing
Developers: Asymmetric Publications
Publisher: Asymmetric Publications
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS
West of Loathing is a surreal take on the Old West, a sometimes-literal spaghetti Western role-playing game that lets you punch cows and fling magic beans at reanimated skeletons. It’s goofy, it’s got a lot of puns, and it’s filled with little secrets to discover and side quests to embark on.
Thimbleweed Park
Developers: Terrible Toybox
Publisher: Terrible Toybox
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Thimbleweed Park is a classic point-and-click adventure that lets you switch between multiple characters — including Mulder and Scully types, a la The X-Files, who have their own objectives. The developers are Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, the visionaries behind iconic games like The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, and it shows. It’s brimming with cheeky personality and the characters are always ready with a clever quip.
Tooth and Tail
Developers: Pocketwatch Games
Publisher: Pocketwatch Games
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4
Tooth and Tail may look like a video game imagining of Brian Jacques’s Redwall series with its woodland creatures, but it’s a serious strategy game. It’s got procedurally generated maps and a dark comedy storyline that pits small adorable critters against each other in a brutal struggle for survival. Along with a single-player story campaign, players can also compete through online multiplayer as well as couch co-op with a split screen mode.
Luna
Developers: Funomena
Publisher: Funomena
Platform: PC, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Luna is a relaxing, musical experience with a gorgeous aesthetic that’s reminiscent of papercraft. Its dreamy world comes alive with bright colors and textures that are a joy to experience in virtual reality, but still engaging on a traditional monitor as well. Tasked with guiding a little bird home, you’ll move the stars and solve puzzles. It’s more of a virtual toy — in one “level,” you decorate a floating island with lily pads and trees — and it’s unlike any other VR experience out there.
Gravity Rush 2
Developers: SIE Japan Studio, Project Siren
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 4
Gravity Rush 2 is a topsy-turvy action-adventure game that enables you to play with physics, shifting your gravity to execute high-velocity kicks and explore the world by falling into the sky. Its environment is beautiful, expanding upon the original game with a map that’s more than double the size and filled with vibrant colors and landscapes that are tons of fun to explore.
