HAY GUYS

Scorn
[Best Gigerlike] [Best atmosphere]

A neat little puzzle adventure, which maybe leaned a bit too much towards traditional switch and gate structure as it went on, but the opening two chapters are strong and it's got a LOOK.




Shadow Burglar
[Best stealth] [Best shadows]

Lovely little experimental stealth game released for free, I wouldn't have minded playing a bigger game of this.




Asterigos: Curse of the Stars




Stray

Cat




Trek to Yomi
[Best visuals] [Best black & white]

Contrary to what people will try to tell you, it doesn't look like a Kurosawa movie. Kurosawa didn't make cheesy action movies like this. Instead it looks like if in the 50s they'd had a massive budget
and made a fantastical samurai adventure with a ton of supernatural stuff and a neat depiction of hell. My favourite thing was how the scenery looks authentically like what stage props they could have made
if they'd had the money back then. As a game it gets very repetitive and video gamey, often undercutting the atmosphere and authenticity it's trying to build with its visuals. Either way a neat little experience,
and they really don't make em like this.

15.



Prodeus
[Best visuals] [Best FPS]

Terrific FPS with a wonderful artstyle. The level selection feels a little scattershot and the campaign doesn't end up feeling as coherent, but most of the way it's a fun shooty bang.



7/10



14.



ANNO: Mutationem
[Best cyberpunk] [Best neon signs] [Best Ayane]

Pretty cool cyberpunky exploration/side scrolly action hybrid. The story eventually moves away from the cyberpunk a bit too much and veers straight into anime, but it's still a fairly enjoyable, earnest romp.

7/10



13.



Tunic
[Best fox] [Best manual] [Best mystery]

Very cute and charming adventure, with a wonderful manual system and a central mystery that builds up into a massive game encompassing puzzle I had a great time figuring out.
Go in blind, don't spoil yourself.

8/10



12.



Islets
[Best metroidlike] [Best airships] [Best islands]

Unexpectedly cute and charming metroidlike with a satisfying ending. Very overlooked. I was charmed! Like Tunic, it's mostly made by one guy. Super impressive stuff!

8/10



11.



Kirby and the Forgotten Land
[Best Kirby] [Cutest game] [Best music]

A colourful adventure full of sugary cuteness and sudden fucked up details just like a Kirby game! Finale goes full-on Bayonetta and it's wonderful.

YouTube Video

8/10



10.



NORCO
[Best atmosphere] [Best writing] [Best swamps] [Best monkey]

Surreal and moody adventure through industrial swamps and suburbs of exploited New Orleans. It's got a tone and it goes hard.

YouTube Video

8/10



9.



OlliOlli World
[Best skating] [Best visuals] [Best characters] [Best music] [Best Dad]

Fun fun fun skateboarding platforming score attack.. thingie. Wonderful artstyle, superb character art and fun writing, lots of levels and tons of customization options. Going for the highest scores
will absolutely cramp your hands, but staying at a more leisurely pace and focusing on getting all the little challenges was great fun.

I still need to play the new DLC. Voidriders was fun.

YouTube Video

8/10



8.



Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
[Best tanuki] [Best shrine maiden] [Best visuals] [Best remake] [Best sprites] [Best animation] [Best unlockable characters]

Absolutely wonderful reimagining/remake of the first Pocky & Rocky, with gorgeous spritework and animation, attention to detail and charm. Great cast of the characters that are all different to play and fun to use.
It's really tough too, but it's so much fun.

YouTube Video

8/10



7.



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
[Best turtles] [Best April] [Best nostalgia] [Best visuals] [Best sprites] [Best animation] [Best music]

This is just an absolute feast for a TMNT kid like me. Not a remake, but a proper new sidescrolling beat em up entry in the series and it's incredibly charming and fun, with tons of attention to detail
and love and humor everywhere.

YouTube Video

8/10



6.



Hitman 3 (it came out on Steam in 2022 so I'm counting it)
[Best 47] [Best Diana] [Best murder] [Best levels] [Best suits]

A superb finale for a superb trilogy of exceptional stealth games. The business and distribution model is still fucked, but the game itself is fantastic. Some of the best level design in the series
and they even managed to make the story engaging and it closes on a very satisfying note. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the roguelike Freelancer mode.

YouTube Video

9/10



5.



DRAINUS
[Best shoot em up] [Best music] [Best setpieces] [Best attention to detail] [Best time paradox]

Team Ladybug gave us an exceptional 2D scrolling shmup that took the best lessons from Gradius V and managed a compelling little story as well, with a very satisfying conclusion. Extremely customizable
weapon system allowing for tons of player expression and trying different playstyles. It looks amazing, it sounds greats, it plays well and it's fun fun fun.

YouTube Video

9/10



4.



Sifu
[Best styyyyle] [Best fighting] [Best visuals] [Best modding] [Best ending]

A very tough and demanding fighting game, with exceptional visual flair. There's some stunning sequences of dreamlike colour and sounds and shapes that flow wonderfully in the levels. Finding items
in levels that can be brought back into previous levels to unlock new paths and short cuts is a neat system, adding replay and world building. Modding is also really cool. This is a confident, strong debut piece from an incredibly talented developer and I can't wait to see what they do next.



9/10



3.



Elden Ring
[Best soulslike] [Best world] [Best lore] [Most weapons] [Best music] [Best Ranni] [Best Malenia]

I dunno if there's anything left to say about Elden Ring at this point. It is a superb soulslike, taken to the open world, massive in scale and scope, while still elegantly managing its more traditional soulslike structure. It's not always a success, but good god are the highs high. This has easily some of the best sidequest narratives From has ever managed and after Demon's Souls this is hands down my favourite.
I played it through twice. I put a 186 hours into it. It has to be doing something right.

YouTube Video

9/10



2.



Signalis
[Best horror] [Best scifi] [Best world building] [Best sadness] [Most heartbreak] [Best visuals] [Best posters] [Best music] [Best endings]

An incredible survival horror full of surrealism, overwhelming sadness and deep, slowly growing dread. Masterful world building, incredibly strong art design and a wonderful visual style that I cannot get enough.
I will be replaying to get the fourth, secret ending... once I stop tearing up.

YouTube Video

9/10



1.



Citizen Sleeper
[Game of the Year] [Best cyberpunk] [Best music] [Best writing] [Best character art] [Best endings] [Most cry] [Best Mina] [Best Bliss] [Best Tala] [Best AI] [The Made Me Cry Award for making me cry]

I struggled for a moment between this and Signalis, but then I just think back to Citizen Sleeper and it just.. makes sense. I love Signalis. I love Elden Ring. I'm IN LOVE with Citizen Sleeper. It's so good. It's so mesmerising. It's so well written and engaging and touching and good god what a treat. A wonderful narrative/text adventure set on a slowly dying space colony, it presents a bleak dystopian cyberpunk setting, but it has a gentle, compassionate, humane heart.
I wrote a big ol steam review on it because I loved it so much so I won't repeat it here, but if you like narratives in games and CARE about things, there's so much to care. So much to feel. So much to think about.
Wonderful, essential stuff, and easily my favourite game of the year.

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

9/10

Quake Remastered - Dimension of the Machine campaign
[Best Quake Campaign] [Best Machine]

Quake got a lovely remaster and MachineGames made a new campaign which was quite fun and had some really impressive level design and visuals.




Castlevania Advance Collection
[Best Castlevania of the Year] [Best GBA collection on Switch]

Three pretty good GBA Castlevania games (and an ehhh SNES one). I enjoyed replaying them.




Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
[Best visuals] [Best painting]

A nice little mystery. Short and the ending could have revealed something better, but I still enjoyed it and it does look lovely.



*** HONORABLE HONORABLE MENTION ***



Unsighted
[Most didn't finish] [Best Zelda-like] [Best dogs] [Best robots] [Best combat] [Best axe] [Best Raquel] [Best Alma] [Most stressful]

Did not get to finish this before the year's end due to circumstances, but this was standing out as a pretty special game, and I'm certain it
would have been in my top 11 if I'd finished it and it sticks the ending.

A really tight little zelda like with a bit of Souls-like combat and corpse running, but also a whole heap of tricks and features that really
make it its own thing, most importantly the ticking clock element that ties into the narrative, as you race to make progress in the game
and explore and discover things, constantly having to keep in mind taking too long may mean any of the NPCs in the game (including merchants
and blacksmiths) can die and be gone forever. I'm playing it for the story and the atmosphere, but it also looks lovely, controls VERY tightly
and the music is terrific.

Please don't sleep on this game, it's been very overlooked, and even I took too long to get to it.

10.



Say No! More
[Best character customization] [Best artstyle] [No!] [Best voice acting]

A very funny and delightful little game with an important message and gets surprisingly emotional towards the end.



8/10



9.



Teacup
[Cutest game] [Best frogs] [Best tea] [Calmest game] [Best kites]

A lovely, calm, warm little adventure game that's over quickly, but it's comfy, peaceful and very cute.

YouTube Video

8/10



8.



Tormented Souls
[Best tank controls] [Best shotgun] [Best spooky] [Best puzzles] [Best comfy]

This turned out be a really competent classic survival horror experience that I hadn't realized I was missing so much.

Really comfy combination of puzzles, spooky, exploration and combat, with a surprisingly enjoyable story and multiple endings.



8/10



7.



Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (DLC)
[Best mystery] [Best music] [Best raft] [Timeloop of the year] [Best Outer Wilds DLC of the Year award for the best piece of DLC for Outer Wilds]

I am very torn about this, actually. On one hand, it's a brilliant piece of adventure and mystery and discovery, and just "more" Outer Wilds
which is a surprisingly nice thing. It proved way more engaging than I'd expected and the mysteries to discover are great. On the other hand,
I genuinely feel the base Outer Wilds is so amazing as a whole, this slots a bit awkwardly onto it. I feel like it should be played separate,
after playing the main game, and only then experiencing DLC. The way it's been integrated into the main game will be a bit weird for new
players who won't know it's several hours of contained puzzles and mystery that do not teach you anything about the rest of the solar system.

Either way, for old Outer Wilds players, it's essential. Just play Outer Wilds.

YouTube Video

9/10



6.



Devotion
[Best horror] [Best spooks] [Best audio] [Best 80s] [Most horrifying sequence]

I am counting this as a 2021 release as we can finally legally buy it again. Devotion is a short, heartbreaking little horror game
that really gets under your skin and reveals detail and context layer by layer the more you think about it. It expertly crafts a sense
of place and time, builds on it with an ever-growing sense of unease and melancholy, then proceeds to slowly suffocate you with
an overwhelmingly sad portrait of a tiny corner of late 1980's Taiwan, the unjust social stigma of mental illness, and a family falling apart.

9/10



5.



The Forgotten City
[Best mystery] [Best architecture] [Best multiple endings] [Best snooping] [Timeloop of the year]

A delightful timeloop adventure with a fun mystery to discover, several likeable characters to interact with and a lot of running around
and dialogue options. I didn't expect this to get as emotionally engaging as it did, and all of its several endings are satisfying in
their own ways, with the last one being such a satisfying wrapup.

YouTube Video

9/10


I can't decide the order between the following three, they're all wonderful, so it's a shared 2.-4. place! Huzzah!

2. - 4.



Sable
[Best visuals] [Best music] [Best writing] [Best exploration] [Best climbing] [Best masks] [Best hoverbikes] [Best scifi]

A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, combat free exploration game set on a cool desert scifi planet. Lots of running, lots of climbing,
lots of jumping and scavenging and riding hoverbikes and staring at things in awe. Warm, calm, introspective, with a gorgeous
artstyle and wonderful music, with so much to see and discover on the player's own terms, this was an absolute delight.

YouTube Video

9/10



2. - 4.



Metroid Dread
[Best Metroid] [Best Samus] [Best visuals] [Best shinespark] [Best animation] [Best details]

My first playthrough I didn't actually have as great a time as I'd hoped. The bosses are REALLY punishing when you don't know
what to do beforehand, the map design is very mazelike and its attempt at cutting down on backtracking leads to it feeling way
more linear than it actually is. With a second, and a third, and a fourth playthrough however, knowing what it was doing and
where it was going, I was able to much better appreciate what it achieves.

This is a remarkable game in so many ways, being an actual new real actual legit Metroid, a real sequel to Fusion, a fantastic
metroid-like, with so much wonderful attention to detail, from the lighting to the gorgeous animation, the tight controls,
the moody locations and audio design, the awesome backgrounds, the near-perfect portrayal of Samus: confident, capable,
just all-out done with shit. All great.

I had an absolute blast going through it again for a sub 4 hours run on both Normal and Hard, trying out skips and tricks,
seeing how much better I was doing against bosses that had previously proved infuriatingly tough.
It looks great, it plays great (use a pro controller), it sounds great.

It's great.

YouTube Video

9/10



2. - 4.



Psychonauts 2
[Best visuals] [Best voice acting] [Best writing] [Best powers] [Best musical interlude]

Like Metroid Dread, it's amazing we have a proper sequel to Psychonauts, and it's actually really, really good. An absolutely
delightful 3D platformer full of imagination, endearing characters, trippy visuals, superb voice acting, and surprisingly
emotional storytelling. It's also really, really funny. Wonderful stuff.

YouTube Video

9/10



1.





Chicory: A Colorful Tale
[Game of the Year] [Best Pizza] [Best colours] [Best music] [Best writing] [Best painting] [Best adventure] [Best ending] [Best characters] [Best musical interlude] [The "Made Me Cry Award" for making me cry]

Well it had to be. Chicory is so lovely. It's so sweet, so wise, so funny, so warm, and touching, and clever, and deals with some
very REAL and complicated and difficult subject matter in such an understanding, embracing way, all the while being a wonderful
little adventure that's fun to explore and doodle on every screen. Another absolutely wonderful soundtrack from Lena Raine again.
Play it. Feel things. Cry for a little dog and a bunny and being able to feel so much. Embrace it.

Absolutely the best game of the year.

YouTube Video

9/10

SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
[SUPER] [HOT]


6/10





INMOST
[oh no everything is] [sad]


7/10





Streets of Rage 4
[Best Animation] [Best Blaze] [Best Music]


7/10

10.



El Hijo - A Wild West Tale
[Cutest Game] [Best Ending] [Best Minecarts]

Very cute, striking looking little stealth game with a very satisfying finale.

7/10



9.



Raji: An Ancient Epic
[Best Sweeping Epic] [Best Gods] [Best Shadowpuppets]

A great adventure with lovely sights and sounds. Ends a little abruptly, but overall very enjoyable epic with fun combat.

8/10



8.



Resident Evil 3 (2020)
[Best Jill] [Best Carlos] [Best Hunters] [Best Hospital]

Could have been better, could have had more content and more replayability yadda yadda. I don't like old RE3 that much and while this could have used a few more open, hub-like sections, as linear as it was I enjoyed the ride and played it through multiple times.

8/10



7.



Doom Eternal
[Best Doom] [Best Music] [Best FPS] [Best Marauders] [Best Shotgun]

I loved Doom 2016 until it wore out its welcome, but it did so many things so well. Eternal doesn't do all of those things quite as well, but then it does a whole lot of other things so much better. id made an FPS character action game and not everyone will enjoy that, but it's a hell of a ride with amazing setpieces, systems and music. I haven't played the DLC yet, I'll probably wait for part 2 to come out before getting into them.

YouTube Video

8/10



6.



Helltaker
[Best Demons] [Best Free Game] [Best Pancakes] [Best Ending] [Best Wholesome]

A++ demon girls and wholesome dialogue. The Twitter comics vanripper keeps posting are great too.



https://twitter.com/vanripperart/sta...67729876156416

8/10



5.



Ghostrunner
[Best Dystopia] [Best Katana] [Best Dashing] [Best Challenge] [Best Music]

Really fun and furious cyberpunk slashing dashing fun fun fun.

YouTube Video

8/10



4.



Cloudpunk
[Best Graphics] [Best City] [Best Atmosphere] [Best Flying Cars] [Best Dog] [Best Dog Car]

Drive around a cool dystopia city and have emotions about everything. Camus is best boy.

YouTube Video

8/10



3.



Desperados III
[Best Cowboys] [Best Music] [Best Tactics] [Best Kate] [Best Stealth] [Best Pause] [Best Sniping] [Best Cat]

Fantastic tactical cowboy espionage action, super satisfying pause and plan mode, great setpieces, lovely visual flair, delightful use of music, attention to detail, charming cast of characters, boatloads of additional stuff to do after the initial playthrough.

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

9/10



2.



Hades
[Best Graphics] [Best Music] [Best Gods] [Best Backgrounds] [Best Combat] [Best Dialogue] [Best Nyx] [Best Cerberus] [Best Dusa] [Best Ending] [Best Weapons]

Okay I need to start with: I am not a huge fan of Supergiant games. I've TRIED to love them, but they won't let me. Something about the narratives just doesn't click with me, so I ended up not enjoying Bastion and Transistor as much as I wanted, and I never got around to playing Pyre. The art, the music, the care put into each title is so appealing to me, but they just don't click.

For these reasons I picked up Hades, but didn't get around to playing it until only this december. I'm not a huge fan of roguelikes, so we weren't off to an amazing start. It took a long while, but eventually the game did very much win me over and I had to think hard on whether it was my favourite game of the year or not.

The roguelike stuff isn't the best in class, and getting most of the story in tiny tiny bits and crumbs at a time can be a little frustrating for someone like me, but everything else works so well. Art design all around is exquisite, these are some of the loveliest backgrounds I've seen in years, gorgeous character designs, gorgeous use of colours, Darren Korb's music is once more just outstanding, and its use during the game is sublime. All the characters are endearing, well voiced, and there is just so much to discover about them, each piece of conversation usually bringing something new out.

It's a tough game, but the team have also added in plenty of little options of making the experience less brutal for the people who want that.

All in all, it didn't end up my #1 but man if it isn't Supergiant's best work and a wonderful game with a lot of heart and care put into it, fun combat, wonderful visuals and music, tons and tons and tons to do and explore and discover. I finished (saw credits) last night, but I will continue to play for the other character quests because I like everyone so much.

Also if you care about Hades and Supergiant, please watch the Noclip documentary series on its development, they've been making it for two years now and it's lovely.

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

9/10



1.



Haven
[Game of the Year] [Cutest Game] [Best Yu] [Best Kay] [Best Music] [Best Gliding] [Best Oink] [Best Ending] [Best Dialogue]









In the end it had to be Haven. This lovely, gentle, engaging scifi love story was exactly what it wanted and needed to be. Gorgeous sights, wonderful music, endearing characters with a well written relationship that was just a joy to witness and aid. Fun scifi, fun gliding, fun exploration, fun timing based combat, lovely attention to detail and heart and warmth. Very, very satisfying and emotionally charged conclusion that will stay with me for a while.

Finished it and then went back and got the rest of the achievements because I loved it

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

9/10

Pikuniku




Gears 5




Blazing Chrome
[Best Contra]




What the Golf?
[Best golf puns] [Best cats] [SUPER. PUTT.]




The Hong Kong Massacre
[Best slomo] [Best shotgun]




Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
[Cutest game] [Best Marin]




Draugen




Untitled Goose Game
[Best goose] [Best animation] [Best honk]




River City Girls
[Best animation] [Best character art] [Best music] [Best Yoko]

15.



Void Bastards
[Best artstyle] [Best scifi] [Best character traits] [Best kittybots]

A really cool looking scifi FPS roguelite hybrid that can get a little repetitive after a while and the ending is a little abrupt. But they nail the comic book presentation so flawlessly, everyone should play this game.

7/10



14.



The Outer Worlds
[Best Parvati] [Best scifi]

The original creators of original Fallout make a new scifi first person RPG. It's well written, pretty, and has some really good characters (and some not particularly engaging ones as well). A fun scifi romp with multiple solutions to pretty much every situation.

8/10



13.



Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
[Best artstyle] [Best Marvel] [Best Ms. Marvel] [Best Spider-Gwen] [Best Gamora]

I had a blast playing through this. Combat is relatively simple, but still has just enough depth to be rewarding and some of the screenfilling ability combos are really satisfying. Story is a fun little adventure through several marvel worlds and the mashup of all these characters and their banter is really enjoyable.

8/10



12.



Wolfenstein: Youngblood
[Best Jessie] [Best Zofia] [Best hand gestures] [Best nazi shooting] [Best FPS movement] [Best cutscenes] [Best first kill]

Everyone hates this game now, but I really enjoyed playing through it. Structure is not the same as the last two Wolfenstein games, the live service elements are not implemented well (or necessary), and revisiting the same locations several times can get a little repetitive. Besides that, the setting is neat, the shooting, movement and exploration are really fun and satisfying, the characters are endearing and while it's fairly light on story, there's a few terrific moments and setpieces and a particularly memorable plot twist and ensuing cutscene.

8/10



11.



Ape Out
[Best gorilla] [Best artstyle] [Best sound] [Best ending]

A fascinating explosion of audiovisual overload that I didn't particularly enjoy PLAYING per se, because it's really hard and can get super frustrating at times. But I respect the hell out of the craft on display here and the ending is so fucking good it makes playing through the whole thing more than worth it.

YouTube Video

7/10



10.



Afterparty
[Best Hell] [Best dog] [Best Lola] [Best Milo] [Best music]

Maybe a little disappointing after the absolutely wonderful Oxenfree, but Afterparty is still a really funny, really compelling little walk and talk adventure game with a neat dialogue system, good writing and fun characters, and another superb soundtrack from scntfc

YouTube Video

8/10



9.



Baba is you
[Award is you] [Best Baba] [Best Keke] [Most puzzle]

Another game that I maybe didn't enjoy playing myself quite so much as I just love and respect for being exactly what it is and how. A brilliant puzzle game that is constantly asking you to bend its ruleset, teaching you to think outside the box, as well as playing around with structure and systems. It's also really, REALLY funny.

YouTube Video

7/10



8.



Knights and Bikes
[Best goose] [Best artstyle] [Best Demelza] [Best Nessa] [Best music]

A tremendously charming and heartfelt adventure, with a wonderful artstyle, endearing characters, fun bike riding and exploration, a superb Daniel Pemberton soundtrack and surprisingly emotional subject matter. I certainly cried a lot towards the end.

YouTube Video

8/10



7.



Control
[Best Oldest House] [Best combat] [Best abilities] [Best artstyle] [Best location title cards] [Best Ahti] [I see you are not the yesterday's grouse's son]

Remedy has managed to create an absolutely superb action adventure with a really cool look, thick atmosphere, and great world building. The Metroid like structure and exploration is fun, combat is punchy and satisfying, all the side stuff and readables are really compelling. It's a wonderfully strange and cool action game and I wish it had stuck the ending a little better. Still. Really looking forward to what they do with the DLC in 2020

YouTube Video

8/10



6.



Observation
[Best scifi] [Best artstyle] [Best space]

A wonderful atmospheric scifi mystery. It's short and a bit light on gameplay, but it has a stunning look, it's drenched in mood and I actually really like the ending. It's just that there is an even more compelling space mystery adventure type game out this year and it's way down this list.

YouTube Video

9/10



5.



Indivisible
[Best artstyle] [Best animation] [Best Ajna] [Best Razmi] [Best Kushi] [Best music] [Best ending]

Lab Zero tries to combine Valkyrie Profile combat, RPG structure and Metroid platforming and exploration. It's a little bit more linear than I would have liked, and some of the maps are a chore to get through when backtracking or revisiting, even after most of your abilities. It's a shame, because the story is very enjoyable, the characters are all wonderful, well written, and brought to life with superb animation and great voiceacting.

Really, it's the platforming and story that carried this for me, as the finale - after having done all of the characters' sidequests - was absolutely worth it. And Kikuta's score is fantastic. Razmi is best girl.

YouTube Video

9/10



4.



A Short Hike
[Best Claire] [Best hike] [Best mountain] [Most peaceful] [Best music] [Best fishing] [Best treasure] [Best ending]

An absolutely lovely little walk through the woods with a cast of likeable characters, a serene, soothing atmosphere and a delightful warm tone. Very funny, very kind.

YouTube Video

9/10



3.



Sayonara Wild Hearts
[Best Queen Latifah] [Best artstyle] [Best music] [Best bikes] [Best ending] [Best A Place I Don't Know]

An interactive pop album. It's got a striking look, it's got wonderful music and a super satisfying final act. Light on gameplay but it was such a treat on all the senses I didn't mind at all.

YouTube Video

9/10



2.



Resident Evil 2
[Best Claire] [Best zombies] [Best map] [Best shotgun] [Best minigun]

A stunning reimagining of a survival horror classic, respecting the spirit and values of the original, while successfully revising and modernising several things. Stressful combat, exploration and puzzles, great setpieces and amazing production values. I can't fucking wait for the remake of 3 and what they can do with a game I didn't really enjoy last time through.

YouTube Video

9/10



1.



Outer Wilds
[Game of the Year] [Best space] [Best timeloop] [Best solar system] [Best exploration] [Best music] [Best ending]

Well here it is. I'm in love with this game. This spellbinding, imaginative, wonder of an adventure. A tiny clockwork solar system you'll explore inside out, gawking, reading, learning, yearning.

It is the kind of game where the less you know about it, the more its mystery can surprise and delight you. And boy did it surprise and delight me. For over a week, I did nothing but think about this game. What I'd seen, what I'd read, what this meant, what that meant. What I can still find in that place. How I could get in that one place. At work, all I did was think about going home and playing more. I lived in this solar system. I loved all life in it.

I was worried it might falter at the last step, but it really doesn't. The game's finale was mesmerising and the whole journey will stay with me for years to come. If you haven't played it, please don't spoil yourself. Don't watch a let's play. Don't read up solutions. Experience it. Wake up by that campfire and look at that night sky. Go up there and find everything.

YouTube Video

10/10

Iconoclasts
[Best Robin] [Most unexpectedly depressing and dark story details]

6/10




Where the Goats Are
[Best Goats] [Best Chicken] [Best Drawing on Sand]

7/10




Unavowed
[Best Ben Chandler Sprites] [Best Vicki] [Best Mandana] [Best ProZD]

6/10




Forgotton Anne
[Best faux Ghibli aesthetics] [Also most unexpectedly depressing and dark story details]

7/10




Crossing Souls
[A++ Ending]

7/10




Semblance
[Best blobs]

6/10




Iris.Fall
[Best clockwork gears]

6/10

16.



Chuchel
[Best Amanita Design game of the year] [Best Slapstick] [Best DVA game soundtrack of 2018] [Cherry of the year]

Jaromír Plachý and Amanita deliver another delightful interactive picture book of slapstick and weirdness.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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]

YouTube Video

8/10



6.



Akane
[Best Cyberpunk] [Most Blood] [Best Combo Chasing] [Best BLAME! Gun]

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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!

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

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.

YouTube Video

9/10

RiME
[Best almost ICO but not really] [Best Little Hogs]



7/10




Cuphead
[Prettiest Game] [Best Graphics] [Best Animation] [Best Colour Bleed]

7/10




ECHO
[Best Scifi] [Best Setting]

7/10




Trackless
[Best Zork-like]

7/10




A Hat in Time
[Best Hats]

7/10




Tiny Echo
[Cutest Game] [Most Peaceful] [Most Envelopes]

7/10




Hob
[Best Terrain Raising] [Best Forest Sprite Creatures]

7/10

11.



Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
[Best Sound] [Cringiest End Credits Song] [Best Lighting] [The More Satisfying on Hard Award]

It's kind of like a walking simulator with occasional moments of combat and puzzles. What is important about it for me is an indie developer showing they can get a high quality, high production value title like this done in this day and age, and find an audience. And it's a solid experience too.

7/10



10.



Ruiner
[Best Cyberpunk World] [Best Helmet] [Best Atmosphere] [Best Music] [Best Use of Susumu Hirasawa]

Really cool setting, really cool look, stunningly good soundtrack. The action is a bit too hectic and punishing so I had to drop it down from Hard to Normal, but all in all a really enjoyable and memorable action game. I'd love to see them do more in this world.

YouTube Video

8/10



9.



Memoranda
[Best Name Searching] [Best Disguised Elephant] [Best Talking Moose Head]

A lovely little point & click adventure with wonderful atmosphere and storytelling.

8/10



8.



Nex Machina
[Most Twin Stick] [Best Ari Pulkkinen Soundtrack] [Best Viewpoint Switching and Zooming] [Most Secret Humans]

Housemarque made their best game and probably the best twin stick shooter. Probably.

9/10



7.



Thimbleweed Park
[Best-a-who] [Best Sprites] [Most Maniac Mansion] [Best Annoying In-Jokes Toggle Option]

Ron Gilbert does NOT know how to end his games in a satisfying manner. But aside from that, this is a clever, funny, well written point & click adventure with tons of delightful little details and gags.

8/10



6.



Snake Pass
[Cutest Game] [Most Colourful] [Best Snake] [Best Noodle] [Best Stream Game] [Best Music] [Best Murderous Hummingbird]

A delightful 3D exploration game, where the actual act of navigating the environments IS the gameplay hook and main draw. I had a blast streaming most of this game, it's bright and colourful, has a wonderful soundtrack from David Wise, and has that rare brand of slapstick that comes from gameplay instead of visual gags.

YouTube Video

8/10



5.



Mr. Shifty
[Best Thief] [Best Teleporting] [Best Punching] [Best Broom Use]

Was totally surprised by this game and its central gameplay hook of dodging and punching. A superb little action game, with fun levels and tight controls. I want to see a sequel really bad.

8/10



4.



Battlerite
[Best Multiplayer] [Best Arena Brawling] [Best Music] [Best Blossom] [Best Lucie] [Best Poloma] [Best Oldur] [Best Freya] [Best Winter Event Skins] [Best Prehistoric Event Skins]

I don't like competitive multiplayer. I've got 150 hours in this game. It's freaking great. The characters are all fun to play and well designed, the matches go by fast so even losing doesn't feel terrible, and the combat is hectic and tactical and so much fun you just lose hours and can always get better. Poloma is A++

YouTube Video

9/10



3.



Hollow Knight
[Best Bugs] [Best Painted Backgrounds] [Best Atmosphere] [Best Tragedy] [Best Incidental Details] [Best Music] [Best 100% Experience]

It's dark, it's sad, it's beautiful, it's fun and intense and magical and heartbreaking. Fucking play it already, it's amazing. I put 44 hours into it to 100%. Trial of Fools is a bitch. My hands hurt for days afterwards from gripping the controller so hard.

YouTube Video

9/10



2.



NieR: Automata
[Best Androids] [Best Existential Agony] [Best Music] [Best Platinum Game of the Year] [Best Story] [Best Endings] [Best Hidden Endings] [Most Swords] [Best Pod] [Best Fishing] [Best Hacking] [Best 2B] [Best End Credits] [Best Final Final Ending]

The only knock against the game is how you kind of have to persevere with it to see the whole thing, it doesn't NATURALLY engage you to continue playing. But once you get over that hump, good god. Get all the endings. Cry over androids. It's Yoko Taro's most hopeful game but it's still incredibly cruel and dark and overwhelmingly sad. It's smart, it's brave, it's surprising and deeply touching. An amazing experience, an unbelievable soundtrack, well worth 50 hours. You'll get more out of it if you play through the original NieR first (all four endings)

YouTube Video

9/10



1.







Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[Game of the Year] [Best Link] [Best Zelda] [Best Side Characters] [Best Emergent Narratives] [Best Open World] [Best Climbing] [Best Exploration] [Best Atmosphere] [Best Music] [Best Sunsets] [Best Sunrises] [Most Grass] [Best Bears] [Best Fields] [Best King of the Mountain] [Best Sidequests] [Best Koroks] [Best Desert] [Best Lynels] [Best Hanggliding] [Best Horses] [Best Scientists] [Most Fruit] [Most Swords]

A remarkable achievement and a remarkable adventure. Nintendo succesfully takes bits and pieces of modern open-world game design and perfectly integrates them with their own design philosophy and ideas, into a wonderful Legend of Zelda experience that moves the series forward, while totally nailing what the first game did so well. The final ending is maybe a little anticlimactic because of all the things you do before it, but it remains essential gaming and I wouldn't have sunk over 90 hours into it if I hadn't loved it so much.

YouTube Video

9/10

oh, did i mention we moved upstairs last night because of cody's foot and he was better off sleeping in our room downstairs

it's pretty nice!

i kinda wanna stay in this room next year






(phone)



awww yea, tails and garr playing double dragon IV was a particular highlight



acer made balloon animals and weapons for us



BIG OL BEAR-ON-A-STICK






Then we played Mount Your Friends

YouTube Video

Wait, friday already? Shit

We finally went to that pancake place on time!

It was awesome!


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)

Garr with the advanced pancake strats!


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)


















YEAAAAAHHH HOTTUB BOIS


Then I too went in the hottub and we did BoilingForce and it was super nice while it was still lightly raining and we were all just boiling in there and there was a big ol bumblebee in the bushes




Then Cody was free and we went to pick him up at the hospital and his fucking coffee GOD


(phone)

Then we went for ice cream!


(phone)


Then it was time for food!




Far, far too much food!




Then the moon was up and absolutely gorgeous so we went over to the beach to stare at it and my camera can't do it justice.












abby did some art






And then it was saturday! Shit!







Then everyone left and I didn't get any shots of hugs and then Abby dropped me off at the airport and I met up with Talec, Tritoch and CHz who were still there


(phone)





and then ate a gross bacon king meal and regretted everything



then tritoch bailed on us like a chump so we walked around in a tiny tiny airport waiting for chz's plane to start boarding




then chz left



then we sat around some more with talec till her plane left





and then an hour later my plane left and I went home and no more remained

awkward pang wave.jpg


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)



Then Escape Room happened! It was great!


(phone)


(phone)








and then the day switched to Tuesday and I almost didn't realize when doing these!

YouTube Video

Then Tails played some more TorqueL while we all sat and screamed at him and it was magical

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

WEDNESDAY MORNING

A WHOLE LOT OF JUST SITTING AROUND



oh no











then Uno happened!

YouTube Video

(this is actually one of my favourites of the whole week)

YouTube Video

blessed koskenkorva, blessed acer for importing some this year

My flights would have me arrive after 5PM, missing most of the first day.



but it sure was nice being back at the house again.



NAME THAT POKEMON

"it's pikachu!"



"GOD DAMNIT!"







Few hours into the meet and Tails was already done

















































o7





















pete fucking died




talec fucking died




it was a good day for acer and haydee



It was somewhere around here that I smoked weed and came along grocery shopping in an effort to find ingredients to make mascarpone ice cream


(phone)

I took several photos of syrup before eventually finding everything I needed


(phone)


(phone)


(phone)






then we did jeopardy





pang was not oka-
















(phone)


Then we went to pick up Term!

It was Skills, Acer and me listening to the Initial D soundtrack all the way to the airport!



and he arrived!







then it was grilled cheese time!



geddit



then telestrations happened



and skills knew















"talec is really good at drawing chocobo or unicorns or something i guess"



angry sun and the tower of too many bells


and now a delightful little set of acer laughing









it was at this point that the brownie that had been on my plate in this photo taken earlier finally kicked in and no further photos were taken on my camera for the rest of the evening from the looks of it

12.



Shardlight
[Point & Click Adventure Game of the Year] [Best Wadjet Eye Game of 2016] [The Ben Chandler Award for 2D Adventure Game Sprite Excellence]

Another lovely little point & click adventure from the reigning champions of the genre, with some wonderful world building, melancholic atmosphere and multiple endings depending on your choices. Doesn't quite reach Gemini Rue or Primordia, or even Technobabylon, but well worth playing through. And the sprites are absolutely lovely.

7/10


11.



Samorost 3
[Cutest Game] [Best Music] [Best Collectibles] [Best Third Samorost] [Best Second Samorost Sequel] [Best Dog] [The "Amanita Design Game of the Year" Award For Best Amanita Developed Game] [Best Space]

Amanita gives us another gift and Samorost 3 is more Samorost, but on a level of polish far beyond even Botanicula. It's an adorable, funny, surreal little adventure and one of the most charming titles of the year.

8/10


10.



Virginia
[Best Hard Cuts Of the Year] [The "Seriously Those Hard Cuts Were Really Fucking Great" Award For Some Surprisingly Well Done And Neat Hard Cuts] [Last Game I Played of the Year Award] [Second Best Wordless Narrative] [Most Annoying Cryptic Sequences] [Most Unexpected Little Sequence That Made Me Tear Up That Wasn't Really Meant To Be Particularly Sad]

My feelings towards this game shifted from positive to negative to positive to negative to contemplative and hesitant in the span of its very brief 2 hour run time. It's an achingly beautifully crafted linear path through a set of several mysteries, filled with absolutely stunning little touches, from the use of music and dialogueless narrative, to the superb cuts that completely delighted me. Then it'll throw you into sequences that you won't understand and at times it's spellbinding while other times it's just deeply frustrating. There are sights and scenes that make no sense, whether you try to interpret them literally or symbolically, and the last stretch of the game left me feeling disappointed initially. The more I've thought of it, the more I've warmed back to it, but it is a difficult game to enjoy outright. After sleeping on it, I've come to realize I did very much enjoy the journey, even if the conclusion could have been more satisfying. In either case it's a fascinating, ambitious and in many ways rewarding experiment in first person and video game narrative. It's just that there's another game on this list that does all that so much better.

8/10


9.



Dreamfall Chapters
[Best Zoe] [Best Writing] [Best April] [Best Crow] [Second Most Unexpected Game to Make Me Cry] [Best Episodic Game] [Best Continuation of Dreamfall] [Best Consequences for Choices] [The "Man I Hope They End Up Making The Longest Journey Home" Award For Hoping For A Final Chapter To April's Story Now That Zoe's Is Done]

I sat down and played through The Longest Journey, then Dreamfall and then Dreamfall Chapters almost back to back. People should not play Chapters without playing through the first two games in the series first. Chapters is very much a continuation (and in many ways a conclusion) of past events and the destinies of old characters people like and care deeply about. It's a beautiful adventure, with slight attempts at consequences for choices, but nothing actually major. You are essentially just observing a sequence of events that are only a minor part of much bigger things. And it's really good. Basically play The Longest Journey and Dreamfall. Chapters is fantastic and absolutely worth it. Norwegians are still fantastic storytellers.

9/10


8.



Dishonored 2
[Best Stealth] [Most Emily] [Best Stephen Russell] [Second Best Delilah of the Year] [Best Supernatural Powers] [Winner of The Best Level of the Year Award: The Clockwork Mansion] [The Most Unexpected Brandon Keener Award for Unexpected Brandon Keener]

It's more Dishonored. It's got a paper-thin main story. Its characters aren't particularly engaging. Its world building and flavour text are terrific. Its stealth is really fun. It's got a few absolutely fantastic levels. It's really pretty. It's really great if you like Dishonored 1.

8/10


7.



Doom (2016)
[Best Single Player First Person Shooting] [Best First Person Platforming] [Best Use of Music in Combat] [One of the Biggest Surprises of the Year Award] [The FURY ROAD Award For Unexpected Old Franchise Revival That Actually Turned Out Really Fantastic]

I had written this game off as garbage several times since it's first E3 reveal. It looked like crap. It turned out to be really fucking good. It successfully takes the spirit of what a lot of people love about Doom and splices it with more modern technology and trappings. The focus on exploring the levels is absolutely terrific and they reward exploration and it's all completely perfectly in line with the vast levels and oh my god it's so good. Just the way simply moving around and navigating the levels and shooting feels genuinely good and satisfying is incredibly impressive to me and should be celebrated. It loses some of its steam like two levels or so before it ends, but this is one of the best first person shooter campaigns of recent years. The fury and fun are just wonderful.

8/10


6.



INSIDE
[Depressing Danish Game of the Year] [Best Animation] [The Geez That's Messed Up Award For Implied Dark Stuff] [Best Follow-up to Limbo] [Most Violence Towards Children] [Creepiest Underwater Segment]

It's a worthy successor to Limbo. And I really liked Limbo. It's bleak, it's dark, it's beautifully paced, it's got gorgeous animation and environmental design, it's a very memorable cinematic platformer that doesn't overstay its welcome.

9/10


5.



Overwatch
[Best Multiplayer] [The Most Hours Played Award For Most Hours Played] [Best FPS]

I don't like competitive multiplayer games but I put 200 hours into Overwatch so it has to be doing something really well. It's bright, colourful, fast-paced, fun, pretty and has a world and characters that are charming and memorable enough to add that extra bit to the game. Blizzard are really good at making shiny things.

9/10


4.



Hyper Light Drifter
[Best Graphics] [Prettiest Game] [Best Music] [Best Combat] [Best Wordless Narrative] [Awesome Architecture] [Best Atmosphere]

A slightly non-linear Zelda, but with less reliance on gadgets and more focus on combat and exploration. It strikes a good balance and the atmosphere, environmental storytelling and stunning visuals are enough to keep you playing. This was my favourite game of the year for several months.. until I played the next three.

9/10


3.



Owlboy
[Best Graphics] [Prettiest Game] [Best Music] [Longest Development Time] [Best Finale] [The Delightful Award For Being Genuinely Surprising And Wonderful And You Should Play This Game] [Made Me Cry Award For Making Me Cry] [The Unexpectedly Emotionally Involving Award For Making Me Cry And Not Expecting It] [Most Unexpected Game to Make Me Cry] [Best Hug] [Best Grass]

Nine years it took them to make it, it feels unreal that it's actually done and here and really quite wonderful. Owlboy is a beautiful little metroid-lite adventure, set in a gorgeous world of floating islands, mysterious ruins and ancient, forgotten technology. Play it. It's absolutely wonderful and charming and beautiful to look at.

9/10


2.



Firewatch
[Best Writing] [Prettiest Game] [Best First Person] [Second Best Dialogue System] [Best Delilah of the Year] [Spookiest Moment In A Not Spooky Game] [Second Spookiest Moment In A Not Spooky Game] [Best Walkie Talkie] [Best Character Creation] [Best Drinking] [Best Voice Acting]

Holy god damnit I did not expect this game to win me over. Beautifully subdued in pretty much everything, it's a meticulously crafted, quiet, unassuming little walk through the lives of two lost adults, as much a character study as it is a mystery to uncover. It is a stunning use of interactive narrative and I can't wait to see what Campo Santo does next.

9/10


1.



Oxenfree
[BEST GAME OF THE YEAR] [Best Writing] [Best Voice Acting] [Spookiest Game] [Best Island] [Best Radio] [Best Music] [Best Dialogue System] [Best Alex] [The "Another Unexpected Emotionally Involving Game" Award for Being Unexpectedly Emotionally Involving For What Is Essentially A Teen Horror Trope Plot, Especially The Moments Where A Confused Alex Gets To Talk To Her Dead Brother In The Past Were Incredibly Well Done And Subtle And Hit Me Right In The Feels And Yes They Made Me Cry Ok]

Well this is it. My favourite game of the year. A completely wonderful little ghost story, with a fantastic dialogue system, terrific writing, lovable characters and a surprisingly engaging narrative and emotional punch. A remarkable debut work from a highly promising developer who know what they're doing. I love this game so much and I want to see what Night School does next.

9/10

The Last Guardian



HITMAN (2016)



Uncharted 4: A Thief's End



The Witness



Let It Die



Superhot



Thumper



REZ Infinite
(although in my defence I have ordered the physical disc release, which is set to ship sometime in January)



Dark Souls III



Abzû



Obduction



Earth Defence Force 4.1



XCOM 2



Event [0]



The Turing Test



Necropolis



Quadrilateral Cowboy



Mafia III



Conga Master



Yomawari: Night Alone



Dead Rising 4



ICEY



Bound



Deadbolt



Mirror's Edge Catalyst

previously, on gff meet



erik made us us delicious breakfasts






(Acer)

There is so much going on in this photo I love it all








Then somewhere here we went grocery shopping, people played Smash and I made ice cream



(phone pic)

Cody whipping up dat cream for me because I have no technique



Wings!




(Skills?)

Suspicious Devin questions his life decisions regarding nugs









Fuse was great fun to play



Resistance with regular playing cards and mints for guns worked really well!

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

Then there was some 2 controllers 1 character action with Acer and uh



Abby >:|

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

Pretty sure it was here where we had late night hottub and pool dip and talking and a perfect cloudless starry night sky and everyone else had passed out and we turned off all the lights in the house and Puck played music on his little speakers as we sat by the pool and there was mascarpone ice cream tasting in the dark and it was all just

I wish I could have stayed there in that night forever

Took a walk on the beach! It was a lovely day!











Then unfortunately my mode dial clicked into manual without me noticing, which had a set 1/60 shutter speed, so pretty much the remaining photos Abby and I took were completely blown up



We buried a dead crab and gave it a tomb stone and Abby wrote moving words which I could not record




(Abby)


(Abby)


(Abby)






(phone pic)

Then it was escape room time!

YouTube Video

After some tiddy slapping



(phone pic)


(phone pic)


(phone pic)


(phone pic)

Escape room was great fun <3

The other group did the horror themed kidnapped-in-murderer's-basement room while we had a stolen painting mystery to solve. Lots of number locks and drawers to open, books to leaf through, a few mathematical puzzles to solve. There was a collapsing wall panel that revealed more puzzles, a fireplace you opened up and crawled through to find more locked doors and eventually we got out with 8:17 to spare! They were very surprised none of us had ever done an escape room before.


(phone pic)

Unfortunately no photos were allowed so I couldn't take shots of the actual room.


(phone pic)

Then it was time for victory ice cream!


(phone pic)

Lurkie was suitably patriotic


(phone pic)

Lunch and candy store in Old Orchard Beach somewhere around here



Abby was feeling blue



People were enjoying my ice cream!



But not Erik. He was out of control.





Abby made a friend



bap bap bap bap




I think it was this day that people did bowling? Maybe? I dunno. I took a nap on the couch and cuddled with Cody and Andrew for hours.






Then Erik and Abby played Kirby Super Star downstairs

Andrew thought he was smiling



It was pretty much a massage day









































The Erik is perfect


And then I went to bed! I don't know what else happened!

I think Skills took a bunch of photos while we were still in bed! I think!


(Skills?)


(Skills?)


(Skills?)


(Skills?)


(Skills?)


(Skills?)





Sigh. Last days are always a bit gloomy gloomy but there is still something comforting about them. You've had a good week and you'll have memories. You'll see people again soon enough.

And there's a lot of hugs going around.



































This is what people look like when they hug you, Abby



nah just kidding



The internet is closed. Everyone go home.





bye Andrew



Then we drove back to Abby's to drop her stuff off, took like a two hour nap and eventually got me to my airport.








(phone pic)

It was pretty much the bestest possible way to end a trip


I had some trouble with my flights but in the end it was ok

(Abby)


(Abby)

Look at how fucking happy I am playing Operation Wolf






(phone pic)

Lurkie arrives!



Pete arrives!



Pete has vests and jackets for us to wear!





Menno is here!



People are here!





Burgers!





Drinking!



Pang!









Lurker makes neat things!



Burgers are neat too!



DAVE IS HERE WHAT THE FUCK





LOOK AT HOW HAPPY YOU MADE ABBY DAVE YOU ASSHOLE













Pang is a jolly wizard















People would try on Andrew's glorious flannel!









This incident is covered here







Pang is befuddled by how good pack makes the jacket look





It was a good first night