Tacoma
a time-loopy mystery in space. I’ve never played a game set up like this one and I really liked it.
Whispers of a Machine
pixelated point & click noir adventure, which was actually not as cheesy as it could have been.
Guild Wars 2 (MMORPG)
this year I was able to get some of the DLC content, which has made it fun again. I played Guild Wars for several years about a decade ago and enjoyed the hell out of it.
Lord of the Rings Online [LOTRO] (MMORPG*)
I love this game.
Neo Cab
this was sort of a choose-your-own-adventure story but with a plot that was enjoyable to play along with.
Neverwinter (MMORPG)
I really do enjoy playing this game. it’s a good go-to when I’m not in the mood for the other games of the same type.
Elder Scrolls Online (MMORPG)
I love Skyrim so ESO has always been a great immersive world for me to spend time in.
Civilization VI
I won this once so I will probably never play it again. I’m serious.
Oxygen Not Included
this is a survival colony sim that is complicated enough that I can’t pick up my saved game and keep playing it because I don’t remember exactly what all my plans were.
Northgard
I want to like this more than I do. I’d call it strategy in a Norse-based world.
Sunless Skies
beautiful, immersively creepy, exploration + permadeath game that my pansy ass loves to think about playing but rarely actually does.
Two Point Hospital
this ridiculous medical sim is perfect for sociopaths!! (play it when you’ve stopped caring about humanity)
Archaica: The Path of Light
seems to be a puzzle game with a very faint plot. also, it’s pretty.
Dead in Vinland
despite what it looks like, I don’t actually WANT to play choose-your-own-adventure permadeath games, but if it’s Norse-flavored I want it.
Untitled Goose Game
I can’t play this without laughing until I cry, it’s so funny; I haven’t even gotten past the first part because honking at the gardener is almost more fun than I can manage without peeing my pants.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
capitalism disguised as adorableness, but do I keep playing it? yes, yes I do.
Stardew Valley
fucking adorable collection and building sim, which is occasionally story-driven.
Ash of Gods: Redemption
I got so emotionally invested in this game that I could not stop thinking about it for a while afterward. if you’ve played any of the Banner Saga games, it’s got a similar battle setup. the story is really well done.
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
a game where you’re creeping into peoples’ private tech and making decisions about what kind of person they are. morally dicey in a similar way to Papers Please.
Unforeseen Incidents
this is a point-and-click story-driven game that’s got a really interesting sketchbook-y visual style. I haven’t finished yet because I got stuck, but I’m looking forward to picking it up again. and the main character’s narrator is Aaron Mahnke, whose name you might recognize if you listen to Lore or Unobscured or have seen the tv episodes of Lore that’ve been made recently.
J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars
fascinating puzzle space game which was not quite as good as it could have been, but was very clever.
Gone Home
a gay love story. I sobbed at the end, and no, the gays don’t die.
Help Will Come Tomorrow
ANOTHER permadeath game with a narrative plot, except it’s in Russia and all your survivors to take care of are arguing about Russian politics from about fifty or so years ago, which is both surreal and interesting.
* an MMORPG is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, which is much more confusing sounding than it actually is
There are more games than this that I started or peeked into briefly, but I haven’t experienced enough of them to feel like listing them here.