All these games deserve the world, btw.
I’ll get right down to it. Wanderstop from Ivy Road is my Game of the Year.
I wrote this in March, but this is still 100 percent how I feel about the tale of Alta and Boro.
I have a lot in common with Alta. I think we all have a lot in common with Alta. No, I’m not a champion fighter or anything, but I’ve dealt with, and still do, the feeling of not doing enough or being enough. Not good enough at my job. Not good enough at being a Mom. Not good enough at being a content creator. Not being good enough at being enough.
Alta’s battles are similar. She thinks that because she’s been losing fights, she’s somehow less than what she was. It affected her so much that she could not carry her sword, her most prized possession, the symbol of who she believed she was. I thought I was a failure when I went back to retail last year, and more specifically, a job I said I wouldn’t go back to. I cried. I screamed. I cried some more. But I started this slice of the Internet, I started posting more about indies on TikTok, and while I’m still employed at the place I said I wouldn’t go back to, I have something related to games that makes me rediscover my love for them on an almost daily basis.
In conclusion, I’ll leave you with this: Even with the occasional bits of screen tearing and odd texture loading, it didn’t take away from the overall feeling of completeness I had as the credits rolled. I won’t forget Alta, Boro, or the little tea shop in the woods anytime soon.
Game of the Year Runner-Ups
Still some really heckin good games, though.
Dispatch // AdHoc Studio
This eight-episode gem brought me right back to the Telltale glory days. (You know them. Most of the team was part of that Telltale. Think The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us.)
Billed as a superhero workplace comedy, I can’t stress how well it delivers. When one thinks of workplace comedy as a genre, the first thing that’ll come to mind for most people is something like “The Office” or “30 Rock.” Sure, those two shows may be set in just an office, but they’re all about the weird and eccentric personalities, and Dispatch has those in spades.
It’s also about interpersonal relationships, which, thanks to dialogue trees, Dispatch also has in spades. I loved all those misfits, and I sure hope AdHoc isn’t done with them. (Though I can’t wait to see what they do in the Critical Role universe.)
The Drifter // Powerhoof, Dave Lloyd
The pixel art is the first thing you notice, and for good reason. While it’s expertly crafted and wonderfully detailed, it’s the voice acting that earns The Drifter a place on my list of can’t-miss adventure games. Adrian Vaughan’s performance as Mick is masterful, adding so much color and depth to the character that I couldn’t put the game down, even though that meant playing in the dark at 1 in the morning, with the occasional flash bomb from my monitor as certain events occurred. I REGRET NOTHING. The soundtrack is also a thing of beauty, with heavy bass and melodies that ooze suspense.
Puzzles are what make these games tick, and it’s no exception here. You’re exploring environments to pick up weapons, keys, maps, and other assorted items, and at times you’ll be tasked with combining some into improvised items like a Molotov cocktail to escape a situation. Or hanging a booze-soaked rag on a worn hook to give yourself some light. You’re never tasked with doing something that seems out of the ordinary for your character, and the puzzles just make sense.
(I shrieked with delight when this won the Best Indie Game from the ANZ region at this year’s Indie Game Awards.)
The Roottrees Are Dead // Evil Trout Inc.
I jumped on the social media bandwagon and bought this one in early February after it had released on Steam (without the AI art). I’ve come to adore investigative puzzle games. In a past life, I was probably a detective. The vibes on this one were fantastic.
Set in 1998, you have those tools at your disposal: a limited Internet browser, various photographs, notes, and other physical items to piece together the Roottree family tree. The game drove me nuts at times, but it was the good kind of feeling. After piecing together a certain number of entries, those would lock, confirming you’re on the right path.
Tiny Bookshop // neoludic games
In the end, Tiny Bookshop has something that not many other management sims do these days, and that’s soul. I’ve sunk more than my fair share of hours into things like TCG Card Shop Simulator, but I haven’t connected with them in the way that I have with Tiny Bookshop, and I believe that’s because of neoludic’s emphasis on the little things, the person-to-person interactions, the look and feel of the shop. Your shop.
If you want a cozy game where it’s easy to jump in and out, find connection, and not feel managed yourself, you can’t go wrong with Tiny Bookshop. (Be prepared to add a ton of books to your real-life reading wishlist!)
There were a TON of great games I wanted to add to this year-end Game of the Year report, but after sleeping on it a few nights, these were the games I kept coming back to, both in my dreams.