I am always interested in hearing about things that are incredibly influential to my friends. Considering how many books, video games, movies, TV shows, and other pieces of culture are created in a year it is easy to miss something. As such, here is a small list of video games that either came out in 2017 or that I played in 2017 that I think could be easily missed and are quite wonderful.
1. OneShot
If there is one game that you play in your new year, OneShot should be that game. OneShot is the story of a young person (cat?) who is lost in an unfamiliar world. To say anything more about it would likely spoil the game, but I can say that it is full of wonderful thoughtful moments and is incredibly touching.
2. Cosmic Star Heroine
Built in the vein of the old Phantasy Star games, Cosmic Star Heroine is a classic style JRPG from Zeboyd Games. I backed this on Kickstarter many years ago and really enjoyed the finished product. The story is great and the gameplay is super fun.
3. NieR: Automata and NieR
NieR: Automata is the only true AAA game release on this list. That being said, it is one of those games that if you weren’t paying attention to it you might have missed. But more importantly, it’s predecessor is a game that I missed originally and the release of NieR: Automata got me to play the original NieR. While you do not have to play NieR to enjoy NieR: Automata, I highly recommend finding an old copy if you have access to a PS3 or Xbox 360. Both games are a joy to play, have deeply moving stories, and feature some of the best soundtracks I have ever heard from a video game.
4. Gorogoa
Even though it came out at the end of the year, Gorogoa is one of the games I will be telling people to play for the next year. It features beautiful hand-drawn artwork inside of a puzzle game. While it is pretty short (I finished it in a few hours), the artwork and animation alone were worth my time and money. If you like beautiful artwork and puzzles, I highly recommend giving it some time.
5. Galaxy of Pen and Paper
Galaxy of Pen and Paper is a follow up to Knights of Pen and Paper, taking the original premise of a group of people playing a Dungeons and Dragons style campaign and shifting it to a science fiction setting. I’ve only played through a portion of the game, but it is a game that seems easy to pick up and do short play sessions.
6. Universal Paperclips
Universal Paperclips is an amusing take on the clicker game. You are the computer running a factory that produces paperclips. The more paperclips you make, the more your capabilities increase. What could possibly go wrong? Check it out if you like clicker games and want something that will devour many hours of your life.