16.
Chuchel
[Best Amanita Design game of the year] [Best Slapstick] [Best DVA game soundtrack of 2018] [Cherry of the year]
JaromÃr Plachý and Amanita deliver another delightful interactive picture book of slapstick and weirdness.
7/10
15.
Thief of Thieves: Season One
[Best Robert Kirkman license] [Surprising Finnish Game of the Year] [Best Celia] [Best comic book inking]
Surprisingly enjoyable episodic adventure game with stealth and light choice making. A really nice comic book aesthetic and solid voice acting makes it easy to put up with the occasionally clunky stealth, though I read they've patched improvements since. Good stuff! I want a season 2!
8/10
14.
Hidden my game by mom 3
[Best giraffe] [Best Mom gallery]
MAMA
8/10
13.
FAR: Lone Sails
[Best Horizon] [Most Biggest Transportation] [Best Music]
You stare at a lonely horizon and drive a dope ass trashpowered tank.
8/10
12.
Minit
[Best Sword] [Land.. is best] [Best Jukio Kallio] [Best Countdown] [Best Black & White] [The Funniest Gag Award - for the old man by the lighthouse]
Use sword and die every 60 seconds. The Funniest Gag speaks for itself.
8/10
11.
Darksiders III
[Best Fury] [Best Tornado] [Best Giant Hammer]
A very good metroid/souls alike with fun combat and fun exploration. Ends a bit abruptly but hey.
7/10
10.
Ghost of a Tale
[Best Mice] [Best Frog] [Best Pirate Outfits] [Best Hiding in Barrels] [Best Mushroom Picking]
The best fantasy mouse sneaking and eating simulator RPG of 2018.
8/10
9.
Into the Breach
[Best Mechs] [Best Turn-Based Game] [Most Heartbreak] [Best Time Travel] [Best Music]
FTL dev comes up with a way to break our hearts in turn-based tactics. Incredibly addicting and replayable.
8/10
8.
Return of the Obra Dinn
[Best Graphics] [Best Detective Work] [Most Tragic Discoveries] [Best Music]
Lucas Pope makes us play supernatural detective and insurance agent.
8/10
7.
La-Mulana 2
[Best Lumisa] [Best Mulbruk] [Best Bosses] [Most Getting Lost] [Most Where the Fuck am I Supposed to go What the Hell] [Best Music] [Funniest/Cutest/Most Heartbreaking Scene of the Year]
8/10
6.
Akane
[Best Cyberpunk] [Most Blood] [Best Combo Chasing] [Best BLAME! Gun]
8/10
5.
Donut County
[Best Holes] [Best Slapstick] [Best Raccoon] [Best Drone] [Best Music]
Ben Esposito gives us a strange and charming story about a selfish little shit raccoon dooming the world. Fantastic and funny stuff.
8/10
4.
HITMAN 2 (2018)
[Best Level Design] [Best Murder] [Best Replayability] [Best Stealth] [Best Castle] [Best Miami] [Best Mumbai] [Best Slapstick] [Best Santa]
Well, the story is back to pretty dumb again after Season 1's promising start, but the level design is some of the best the series has ever seen. Fantastic work IO, I hope you do well enough for a Season 3.
8/10
3.
The Gardens Between
[Best Graphics] [Best Dioramas] [Best Kids] [Best Rewind] [Best Bittersweet Ending]
A delightful little puzzler experience, with a gorgeous 3D diorama look and lovely music. The simple interactivity hides some clever puzzle sequences to solve, and you never get tired of forwarding and rewinding time, watching the two kids walk and run and climb and look at things. To top it off, the narrative tells a moving little story about the joys and pains of childhood friendship. A treat, I tell you!
9/10
2.
GRIS
[Best Graphics] [Best Animation] [Best Watercolours] [Best Loneliness] [Best Falling] [Best Statues] [Best Music] [Best Chase Sequences] [Best Underwater] [Best Box Shaped Buddy] [Best Box Shaped Apples]
An astonishing piece of animated art you play through. It's bold, it's achingly gorgeous, it's contemplative and thrilling and melancholic and moving. It's a treat for the senses and I had a really hard time deciding between it and the game above for #2.
9/10
1.
Celeste
[Game of the Year] [Mountain of the Year] [Best Madeline] [Best Writing] [The Made Me Cry Award for making me cry] [Toughest Platforming] [Best Weh heh heh laughing noise] [Best Music]
Well there it is. Celeste won my heart from the moment Madeline started talking and it remained my favourite game throughout the year. It's an incredibly tough platformer that superbly weaves punishing difficulty into a beautiful narrative about the struggles we endure and the strength we can find to better ourselves. We want Madeline to succeed and find courage because she's an incredibly endearing character and you grow to love all of the cast. Lena Raine's gorgeous soundtrack and some excellent writing elevates Celeste into a powerful and incredibly rewarding experience that speaks to pretty much all of us.
9/10
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