For me it’s really been bookended by two games I couldn’t stop playing.
Elden Ring - with nearly 500 hours in it, it’s vastly changed how I look at most other games. Ever since Demons Souls, I’ve always struggled to find games that hold my attention like a Souls game can. Elden Ring has only made that worse in some ways. To me it eclipses even the other Souls games to the point where I’m not sure I can go back. It’s also taught me to be a much better player even though I thought I was fairly handy beforehand. Buildcraft in particular has become a major fascination for me, purely down to the way Elden Ring worked.
At the other end of the year is Darktide. Only just launched, buggy, frustrating and in need of upcoming changes. But still, I already have 90 hours in it. I immensely enjoy it and can’t stop playing. It feels almost like the joy of helping people out in Souls games actually. Expanded into an entire game. Crucially, it’s finally given me an “in” to the world of 40K and warhammer in general . They’ve really nailed the atmosphere. The endless banter between characters is astonishingly varied and often makes me laugh. I’m still hearing new lines too. I’m quite excited to be in on the ground floor of a new game that looks set to go on for long time. And I’m going to start exploring the universe through some other games too. And the soundtrack is top tier stuff.
Deep Rock Galactic was a wonderful mainstay too, and has given me some memories I’m truly grateful to have. It is a game that fosters and deepens friendships imo. It’s very special because of that.
There have been other games. But in all honesty, those first two have cast a long shadow over almost everything else.
Aside from the Steam Deck that is. The thing is what I dreamt of when I first came across handheld gaming. It’s changed my gaming habits, and frankly, without it I wouldn’t have racked up 90 hours in Darktide already. Yes, it’s extremely flawed, but it’s also a miraculous marvel and I think it’s changing gaming for the better. What comes next will have to be truly special to outshine what it’s done already.
On the downside: ill health in the early part of the year, going into a horrendous heat wave in the middle, means that I’ve fallen out of my sim racing habit. I intend to rectify that soon. I don’t start my MA second term until end of January, so I have time to rearrange my rig and get going again, but my iracing sub has expired and I have no desire currently to resubscribe. It’s going to be far less obsessive this time around. Just a pootle about for wish fulfilment.
Edit: bonus mention for The Tomorrow Children. Which I can’t believe has returned and I’m really happy that it’s in a form that doesn’t require to be kept going by server funding.
Whenever I want the weirdly comforting vibe of TTC I can just fire it up and it’ll still be working.