This was the decade that started Horrible Night, maybe we should look back on the games that made us? Ryan is all Star Wars all the time. Justin is excited about finishing games again. Plus, Wii holiday dominance.

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Show Features

Cast: Justin Lacey, Ryan Billingsley

• What's Up? Episode 3 / Staying caught up
• Game Time: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order / Bloodstained / Luigi's Mansion 3
• Change Games
  • Riot has changes to make
  • State of VR
• Feature: Games of the Decade Preview
• Good Games
  • Holiday Games
  • Finishing Games
• Hypetrain
  • Wrath: Control / Astral Chain

Respect and adoration can come from just a fleeting first impression, but having the best intentions to play through an entire game is never a guarantee that you will see one through to completion. The regrets may be strong for some, others have found peace in their path, but our brief time with these games still stand out in our memory.

What is your favorite game that you have played the least amount of?

• Rob Shaw - There may be something I liked better that eventually pops into my head, but the first good answer that comes to mind is a more recent game... Metal Gear Solid V. It'a s fun game, plays great, looks amazing... has the weird and interesting Kojima story going for it. I did spend a fair amount of time with it and had a great time, but am nowhere near finishing. I got distracted with other things and failed to return... I want to go back to it... someday... we'll see...

• JB Buckner - DOOM, The first one ... and the reboot. OG DOOM stressed me out and I couldn't play a lot. I started having nightmares about the monsters, which wasn't completely out of the ordinary for me. I used to dream strategize how to beat Warcraft levels because I played that so much. DOOM Reboot stressed me out and I couldn't play a lot. I got through 6 hours of gameplay on hour long sessions and had other games I could sit down and play longer. Oh all the Zeldas. Everyone talks about their favorite Zelda game and I'm sitting here going, "I played Ocarina of Time." I never owned The Legend of, and I got lost in Ocarina. I still wonder where I was supposed to go in that game. It was like all of a sudden the game had no more content for me to play. Stupid fairy wouldn't even tell me what I missed. Metroid, yes, I missed this one, too. What was I doing during these years? It's hard to say but it sure wasn't Metroid. Castlevania, look ... we all get that this is a damning list, and some are wondering what the hell I'm even doing contributing to this article. I say shut up. Perhaps I just didn't know what I was missing. Perhaps I needed better friends, or I should have asked for the SNES instead of the Sega, or maybe I should have mowed some lawns to buy one myself. Anyway, I keep hoping the NES Classic becomes available at some point so I can play some of these classics. I look forward to sitting down with my kids and watching them get frustrated because these games are too hard and rage quitting and going back to Minecraft.

• Aaron McNeal - Lemme tell ya something: I finish games. Most games. Eventually. The first series that comes to mind are the recent XCOM games. I can start these a dozen times, but I eventually stop before the earth is saved from the alien menace. I lose one of my favorite soldiers. Shelved. A country drops from the global effort? I'm out. Everything's going great and there are no problems whatsoever! That's a lie, and I'm gonna play something else. I love talking about XCOM, customizing my squads, researching tech, and especially the do-or-die nature that pulls no punches. Maybe one day, my name will be on the golden wall of brave commanders. One day.

• Cole Monroe - This is an interesting question. My initial thought was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. But I have played a ton of it over the years, just never finished it completely (a definite shame of mine). My next thought was Dishonored. From everything I've played, read, and heard about this series I love it but I've barely scratched the surface on where that game goes. I always get to a certain point and then stop playing. Not for any fault of its own, I just keep getting distracted by other games. Not sure I'll ever get back to it.

• Ryan Billingsley - For me it would have to be either Link to the Past, Secret of Mana, or Chrono Trigger. All amazing games that I absolutely love, but just never made the commitment to get through it. I am pretty sure I put the most time into Mana. I have played each more than a dozen times, always starting over, but never getting very far. Someday, someday...

• Justin Lacey - As a part of my never having owned a PlayStation, I think I played the intro to Silent Hill about 6 times, but I never got more than a half hour into it. It's a game I know I'd love and a series I have reverence for. I think if I revisited it in 2017 it may actually do the game a disservice with how much the horror genre has evolved since its release. 12 hours is a lot of time, but I barely scratched the surface of Final Fantasy XV. I loved every second of it, but things came to a hard stop at the end of last year. I hope to pick it back up on PC later this year, but 2017 is so jam packed with large and awesome games that it may not happen. I've restarted Dying Light 3 different times, and I never had a good reason to stop. I came back last year for the expansion and expected that to push me through to play the entire game. Something keeps coming up no matter how much I enjoy this one. I'll keep apologizing to the zombies the next time I kick them off a roof.

• Andrew Cooper - Metal Gear Solid V is the game that comes to mind first. I was never invested in this series, so when V came out I didn't really know what to expect. I heard good things about it, so I gave it a try. The entire intro of that game blew me away. I thought it was just going to be your traditional tactical shooter, but there was a lot more going on there. It was some of the most intense and exciting gameplay that I had experienced in a while and I loved every minute of it. However, I didn't stick with it. I can't even remember what game I decided to play instead, but the fact is that I moved on and never went back. I still have it installed because I truly want to see what the rest of the game has to offer, but to this day I still haven't touched it.

• Justin Gifford - The game that embarrasses me that I've never completed, despite loving the crap out of it when I first played it as a kid is The Legend of Zelda. Yes, that's right. I've never beat the original. What do you think I'm going to play on my Nintendo Classic when it mysteriously comes in stock at Christmastime?

The consensus pick for Horrible Night's Game of the Year 2016.

Doom

For some of us, this franchise is why we stuck with video games for as long as we have. For others, it reminded us of why the name Doom used to matter. Doom is once again an important step for gaming. id reminded the industry of what happens when a major developer doesn't have to accept mediocre for an answer. Everyone had a Doom story in 2016. Did you see that? Have you killed that yet? The music. The glory. The weapons. The piles of dead demons. Doom is video games in one hell of a year for video games.

Horrible Night's Top Ten Games of the Year 2016

1. Doom
2. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
3. The Division
4. Hyper Light Drifter
5. Titanfall 2
6. Watch Dogs 2
7. Overcooked
8. Final Fantasy XV
9. Stardew Valley
10. Overwatch

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

This team went way above and beyond just releasing a game this year.

id Software - Doom

What we almost got was probably what we deserved. Grinding it out through failures until Doom got what it deserved is why id is back on top. Doom in 2016 should not have been possible. How did this happen id? Wow.

Finalists

• Heart Machine - Hyper Light Drifter
• Io Interactive - Hitman

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

Above all else, what will you remember the most about a game from this year?

Intro Sequence - Doom

Doom Soldier? Wake up! That's one way to make an introduction. Ok, that's THE way to make an introduction. Smashing skulls, exploding imps, and cocking that shotgun right on cue. Can you think of a better introduction to a game, ever?

Finalists

• Squishy Ending - Inside
• Time Stuff - Titanfall 2

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

This deserves all of your screenshots and you should consider hanging it up on your wall.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

You would think we would have built up some immunity to Naughty Dog's magic over the years, but Uncharted 4 struck us hard. From vistas to tears to old video game friends to a beachside farewell, the subtleties can be even more striking than that monumental views. And have you seen that digital butt on Nate? Bring on 4k.

Finalists

• Doom
• Hyper Light Drifter

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

If our ear holes had thumbs, we'd give this noise two thumbs and ears up.

Doom Soundtrack by Mick Gordon

When you hear the music from a game outside of the game and it makes you feel like you are still in the game that's pretty awesome. When you feel like you are playing Doom while you are out getting groceries, that can be a problem. It's kind of an awesome problem though. I'm so pumped up right now, let's go kill some demons!

Finalists

• Uncharted 4 Sound Design, Voice Acting, and Score
• Thumper Sound Design and Soundtrack by Brian Gibson

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

Games are full of stuff, but what was the best stuff in one game that was better than all the other stuff in all of the other games?

Glory Kill - Doom

The gimmick that paid off. The gimmick that enabled greatness. You would think the last thing that you'd want to do in a shooter is get close to your enemies. The rewards are more than just the gruesome visuals because your survivable depends on the resources that spew out of these demonic pinatas.

Finalists

• Time Manipulation Device - Titanfall 2
• Extraction - The Division

• Podcast Deliberations - Part One
  • Old Game of the Year
  • Quickie Game of the Year
  • Feature of the Year
  • Best Sounding Thing of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Two
  • Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
  • Best Looking Thing of the Year
  • Moment of the Year
  • Developer of the Year
• Podcast Deliberations - Part Three
  • Game of the Year

• Games of 2016 Articles
• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

I tried not to overthink my gaming in 2016 like I had done in previous years. I wanted a return to gaming as an escape. I found myself sticking with games that I enjoyed moreso over games I thought I "should" be playing for various critical reasons. Co-op and multiplayer gaming did make up a majority of my game time, but getting excited to talk about shared single player stories is what I'll remember the most. After 7 years of Horrible Night, a bit of balance was restored in my gaming diet and with it came a lot more fun.

• Listen to Justin's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

JDevL’s Top 10 Games of the Year 2016

1. Doom
2. Hyper Light Drifter
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
4. World of Warcraft: Legion
5. FIFA 17
6. Dragon Quest Builders
7. Overcooked
8. Salt and Sanctuary
9. Event[0]
10. Darkest Dungeon

There's something here

#10 - Darkest Dungeon

Fittingly, Darkest Dungeon got in my head early this year and I couldn't get it out. Even when I wasn't playing, it seemed to linger close by. I've been through a lot of dungeons with a lot of challenges and mysteries. These were different. I didn't fear the specific enemies or their attacks, I feared for the reactions of my individual party members. At any point whether I was in battle or just walking through dark passages, everything could come crumbling down. If by some miracle my party survived, those survivors were never the same. I'd come back to town from a good clean run with different party members and see those terrified survivors barely holding on. They'd be trying to heal, but I knew they were changed. They reminded me of moments I wanted to forget. Moments that made me nervous about going out again. What were we even fighting for? There is no hope. Even if we survive, look at what happens. Still we go into the dungeon, one more time because I have to see what happens.

#9 - Event[0]

I thought I knew exactly what to expect from Event[0] and its AI character, Kaizen. It was easy to put off playing the game, but once I gave it a chance I couldn't pull myself away. Ironically, I think that's exactly what Kaizen wanted.

The environment, story, setting, and puzzle design to Event[0] are among my favorites in the genre. However, I never thought reading through terminal logs would be one of my favorite activities in gaming in 2016. The logs themselves became all the more interesting once I figured out that I could use them to manipulate my interactions with Kaizen. I knew things it didn't know I knew, and then we started playing games with each other. I didn't think Kaizen could keep up with me, but it always had another angle to play. Kaizen is fascinating and I like to think our respect for each other is mutual, but maybe that's what it wants me to think.

#8 - Salt and Sanctuary

For a game as dreary and hopeless as Salt and Sanctuary, it sure did make me happy. First off, Salt and Sanctuary is easily the best game created by one of my favorite independent studios. Secondly, it bridged a gap for me that I had given up on in that it teaches you how to play Soulslikes. While I've enjoyed this genre in the past, I've never gotten out of the opening areas of most games because of how obtuse the games can be. Salt and Sanctuary has all the pieces of a Souls game, but its 2D action feels much more familiar and grounded to me. This foundation quickly taught me what I needed to do to become a stronger character to take on new areas/bosses. All of the character design in Salt and Sanctuary is top notch, but the boss encounters are more thrilling than I thought would be possible. I do hope we get an even better sequel because I think Ska Studios can take this to a whole new level.

Memorable Gaming Moments in 2016

• What action movie move did I just pull off?
• You can buy a t-shirt of that?
• Well, that did not go as planned.
• Rowlet. And also people are walking on dates and playing that game
• Coming out of lightspeed.
• Extraction.
• Put down the walky talky.
• I'm going to beat him on the 27th try.
• What a minute, does that design mean something? I'm seeing it all over the place.
• Why do I have subtitles on in a game with no dialog?
• Who has a birthday today?
• Who left hamburger on the floor?
• That's an awesome penguin.
• Portal should have had mechs.
• That epilogue.
• Cock that shotgun.

For me? You shouldn't have

#7 - Overcooked

Stress is fun? There are definitely years of my life where Overcooked wouldn't have been fun at all, but I can't help but feel that its designed so well that that may not be the case.

I can get obsessed with perfect runs or getting perfect ratings in everything in games that offer it. What is so brilliant about Overcooked is that no matter how many people you are playing with, there's always a task that requires one more person. Therefore, you cannot settle into sticking to a plan and only doing X and/or Y. Eventually the map will break or someone will fail and you will have to go do that other task. That's when the yelling starts. Luckily, you signed an agreement prior to playing with your co-op partners that no one can take anything in Overcooked personally. But how could you take it personally? Everything is adorable in this game. Let's ignore the fact that we are making food for Satan for one moment. This is the most brilliant couch co-op game I've played in years. The love/hate is strong. Now get back on the grill or wash some plates. Don't just stand around. Do something!

#6 - Dragon Quest Builders

This has been a long time coming. I don't know how long the genre has been around at this point, but Dragon Quest Builders is my kind of creation game. Apparently, the formula was simple. Give me all the building blocks a game world can offer, but give me objectives to complete and people to please. Adding a dose of simple JRPG action is a nice touch, too.

I could not put Dragon Quest Builders down. It survived the wall that others have failed to climb when after about 20 hours in one week I start asking myself what I was doing with my valuable gaming time. The answer was simple, "I'm upgrading my town for the 4th time because everything that's wood needs to be turned to stone now." The mere idea of having a level rating for a town was the kicker for me. After I maxed out the town level, it meant I had a full grasp of what my building options were and could really start something awesome. Come over sometime so I can show you my blueprints.

#5 - FIFA 17

It's still soccer to me, but I really do love soccer. I'm finally comfortable in my own sports fan skin now, and it feels wonderful. It took a few close friends to drop some knowledge, but once I found my team, my long time the barrier to entry to FIFA was eradicated. I could sit back and enjoy some video game soccer. FIFA 17 did not disappoint and multiplayer matches with friends were as fun as ever.

All of that normally means a sports game doesn't make an end of the year list. It means the game is fine for what it is and great at what it does, but it's nothing really new or exciting. I bought FIFA 17 because I like soccer games and I had friends to play with. That's happened every couple of years like clockwork.

FIFA 17's Journey Mode is a different animal entirely. Story modes in sports games have historically been terrible or the uncanny valley and writing made them laughable. The Journey is one of my favorite video game stories in a year where I was obsessed with narrative games. The heartstrings are pulled right of the gate, and I knew I had to be a part of Alex Hunter's rise to soccer glory. The friends and enemies I met along the way were almost as dramatic as the finishes to my favorite matches. In the end, we did pretty well for ourselves, Alex. Soccer is only going to get better for us from here.

Most Honorable of Mentions (in no particular order)

• Superhot
• Hitman
• Thumper
• Overwatch
• Hitman
• Final Fantasy XV
• Oxenfree
• Stardew Valley
• Gears of War 4
• Titanfall 2
• The Last Guardian
• Batman: The Telltale Series

#4 - World of Warcraft: Legion

Haha. Oh man, we're back here aren't we? I just have to say, I had zero intentions of playing WoW Legion after my experience with the previous expansion, Warlords. I enjoyed Warlords, but I got my fill and thought I was done with WoW entirely. A few glowing reviews later while seeing WoW friends getting obsessed like the Lich King had returned, kept Legion in my periphery.

Truth be told I resubscribed just to log in for an anniversary event so that I could get the corgi pet that came with it, but once I got in I couldn't leave. Over 100 hours+ later, I have my second ever max level character and I'm joyously bouncing between the amazing new content and crushing older content that I have never seen before. There's just too much for me to do here and I'm ok going through all of it at my own pace.

Legion, itself, gets the nod because I think the new character class, Demon Hunter, is fantastic and plays very differently than other classes. It also includes a cool new take on weapons where you level up a specific artifact weapon like it was its own character or skill tree. Finally, I can't say enough about how far WoW's storytelling has come. It's easy to ignore the details, but the major scenes that play out in engine always make you feel like an integral part to the universe. The scale and fluidity of the play experience continues to be incredible even after 12+ years.

I Wish We Could Have Spent (More) Time Together

• Dishonored 2
• Watch Dogs 2
• Mafia III
• World of Final Fantasy
• Forza Horizon 3
• Grim Dawn
• Abzu

A note about Rocket League in 2016

This placement is merely to break up the article and has no bearing on where it might fit on this list, but I also have to say a something about Rocket League.

There's no game in 2016 that I played more or with more people than Rocket League. As enamored as I was with the game in 2015, I only love it more today in 2017. I don't understand the how's or why's of its perfection, but its my favorite thing in video games right now. I want to play more. I want to get better. I want our team to be the best. I'm watching eSports. I'm watching livestreams. I'm studying strategies about a video game for the first time in 15 years. Rocket League is an incredible phenomenon that I fully expect to appreciate even more in 2018.

Now back to business.

Definitive

#3 - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

It's not that I doubted Uncharted 4, it's just that I thought it was kind of unnecessary. I knew Naughty Dog would do a decent job of making another sequel, but I thought we had all moved on. As is the case with most surprises on my list, I know when I'm wrong. Uncharted 4 is the most necessary of Uncharted games.

That has to be crazy talk, right? There is no way Uncharted 4 tops one of my all-timers in Uncharted 2. Uncharted 4 makes every other Uncharted game better. It gives all of us the foundation and motivations to all of our favorite (and new favorite) characters that I didn't think we ever needed before. Now that I think I actually know Nate and Elena, I want to replay all of their old adventures. In that regard, I think Uncharted 2 is a better and more pure action video game than Uncharted 4, but you have to play Uncharted 4 to get the most out of Uncharted 2. Let me make it simple, if you can only play one Uncharted game, Uncharted 4 is the only choice.

All of that (important to me) aside, beyond the amazing character work, what really stands out about Uncharted 4 is how cohesive and engaging the actual treasure hunt is this time around. Following the story of the glorious pirate captain Henry Avery is just as interesting as keeping up with and getting to go on the adventure with my favorite Uncharted characters and villains. Usually the hunt itself is forgotten in the spectacle, but Uncharted 4 finally pulled everything together. You don't have to have just one exceptional piece in an Uncharted game. You can have great spectacles, great characters, a great story, and a great treasure hunt seamlessly combined. I didn't think it was possible. I didn't think anyone could really pull it off. Naughty Dog is only getting better though. How scary is that?

Exceptional

#2 - Hyper Light Drifter

Let's just keep this theme going with a different twist. I kickstarted Hyper Light Drifter based on a gif. I thought it looked gorgeous and its promise was high. Thanks to that Kickstarter, I got to play the beta prior to release. Hyper Light Drifter looked gorgeous, it sounded just as good, but it bored the hell out of me. I was worried. My mind may have been playing tricks on me though because once I got my hands on the final release of Hyper Light Drifter it was even better than the hyped possibilities I built up in my mind based on that single gif.

Hyper Light Drifter is impossible not to love. Every pixel and every scene just oozes soul and craft. Everything in its game world exists with purpose while shrouding itself in mystery. I wanted to go over every detail like it was a piece of art. I was in awe from beginning to end.

In between being lost in its beauty, Hyper Light Drifter treated to me a classic video game adventure reminiscent of the games that made me fall for the medium in the first place. It only ever gives you enough information to move forward, it never holds your hand, but it never feels out of reach either. It had been a while since I had played a game that didn't treat me like I had never played a game before. It gave me that sense of discovery that I want from every game, but rarely receive.

Hyper Light Drifter is already on my all-timer list. It will be revisited alongside my favorites for years to come. It's a world I want to get lost in all over again every time I'm near it. I can't wait to see what I discover the next time I play it.

Damn

#1 - Doom

I play video games to Doom. It can't make it much simpler than that. I want to be breathless after each session. I want to ask myself what I just did after every victory or failure. I want replays of my last session to echo in my mind until I get to play the next time. I've known that I've wanted this feeling for a long time from video games. I just never knew Doom in 2016 would be the game to fucking nail it.

Doom does so many things well and its well documented (and literally documented) at this point, so let's just see if I can nail down what nuances surprised me the most.

I was so pumped up from that best intro level of all time, that I just wanted to tear through Doom as fast as I could. I wanted to sprint without stopping until the game was over. I had zero interest in looking at the map. It took 3-4 levels before I realized that I needed to catch my breath after major battles. At that point, I started finding myself wandering around and stumbling into some secrets. I began to appreciate the hidden areas of the game and then noticed that they were unlocking other hidden areas on the map which in turn unlocked even more to Doom. Which made me realize that I was barely scratching the surface of what these levels had to offer. Suddenly, I had a whole other way to play Doom and I had to see all of it.

I never want to reload again. Reloading is for chumps. Cocking a shotgun is only acceptable because it looks bad ass and gives demons an "oh shit" moment before their extremities are blown off. However, I never thought I'd see weapon upgrades in a Doom game. I also never thought I'd juggle so many awesome upgrades while circle strafing for survival because a different type of demon just showed up that changed my entire strategy on the fly. No time to stop, but we really need to get those missiles in play so take off that damn scope.

Finally, this is more obvious, but Doom does not work without glory kills. It's a feature that I thought existed just to look good on trailers to build hype for the game and I assumed it would get old after the 12th one. Glory kills keep Doom from being any other shooter. Glory kills make Doom focus on action rather than tactics.

When demons start spawning in, you better come up with some tactics on the fly. You don't know what combination of enemies are coming at you and you don't know what combination of weapons you need to fend it off. You are going to need to get up there and tear some demons apart with your hands just so you can get some health, armor, and ammo because that gun you wanted to use just ran out and you are about to die. That's right you have almost no health and you need to get as close to that demon as possible while other demons surround the both of you. That's the only way you are going to win. And hell yes, you are going to win.

I am still shocked by the purity of Doom. I'm shocked that Doom can matter again. I'm excited to see what happens now that Doom has changed everything again.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

Welcome to The 2016 Grimmys - HorribleNight.com's Games of the Year Awards. Join Justin, Cole, Aaron, Justin, Coop, Ryan, Josh, and JB as they nominate, deliberate, and select finalists and award winners for 9 different awards including Horrible Night's Top Ten Games of the Year.

Subscribe

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The 2016 Grimmys - Games of the Year Awards

Part One

• Old Game of the Year
• Quickie Game of the Year
• Feature of the Year
• Best Sounding Thing

Part Two

• Mr Dave Award for Best New Character
• Best Looking Thing
• Moment of the Year
• Developer of the Year

Part Three

• Game of the Year / Top Ten Games of the Year

More Games

Games of 2016 Articles
Games of 2016 Podcast Interviews
Games of the Year Lists

• Coop - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Gifford - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Cole Monroe - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Ryan Billingsley - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Aaron McNeal - Podcast Interview | Games List
• Justin Lacey - Podcast Interview | Games List

Wow, what a year of big highs and huge lows! I'm talking about the video games of 2016, of course. As a self-described variety gamer, the upside is that my highs way outnumbered the lows. I'd go so far as to call it a "year of gaming positivity", a major victory. So much so that I couldn't contain my list to the usual top ten.

• Listen to Aaron's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

As a great astronaut possibly said before lift-off, "Hang on to your butt, Apollo. We're doing thirteen!"

13. Final Fantasy XV

For a series full of large deities and extended scenes of melodrama, I never imagined Final Fantasy XV would charm with scenes of pals road-tripping to classic tunes and camping. Plus, this game created food memes at a quick rate!

It may not be the Final Fantasy to end all fantasies, but I sure do wanna ride my chocobo all day.

12. SUPERHOT

While obviously the most fun game title to say out loud, SUPERHOT had me on board before it even released. How a single game could provide a series of high-octane action sequences in near slow motion still brings me joy. Super. Hot.

11. The Last Guardian

Voted most likely to stand you up (in the rain with flowers in your hand), The Last Guardian is finally an actual game that released to the public in 2016! The bonding tale between boy and beast will always win me over.

In the spirit of "We Rate Dogs", I couldn't deny the giant feathered pup Trico a spot on my list. He's a good boy (and not a snake).

10. Titanfall 2

Perhaps the greatest love story told last year, Titanfall 2 made me care about a large talking mech in ways I wouldn't dream about in a video game where I could dropkick other men in the face after ejecting out of similar mechs that are primed to self-destruct.

9. Enter the Gungeon

If you've followed my lists for the last few years, you would know about how much I've played and love Spelunky. If a game can be described as "rogue-like", my hands begin to shake with curiosity.

Enter the Gungeon may not be Spelunky 2.0, but I've vacationed in that "gun dungeon" several times in search of the perfect run. I eat bullets for breakfast now.

8. Pokemon Sun and Moon

Of course, Pokemon made the cut. Sun/Moon isn't about collecting gym badges and all that other 1996-and-late bologna. It's about overcoming island trials that promote maturity, courage and eating malasadas. Only then can you truly catch em all.

7. Hitman

I lured a guard by throwing a wrench, then I hit him with another wrench. I hid in a dumpster and kicked a guy I'd poisoned over a cliff while he spewed sick all over himself. I posed as a supermodel and did a little strut on the catwalk. Remembering that I'm an actual Hitman is simply the gravy.

6. Dishonored 2

It only makes sense that the next game is Dishonored 2. I have a soft spot for the games that made me appreciate what stealth experiences can truly be when you let the player take the wheel.

By which I mean the times where I'm shouting, "Oh shit!" while plunging my sword into my target's chest because my best laid plan backfired. You'll get it right next time, Emily.

Honorable Mentions

• Best mobile experience: Pokemon GO
• Best casual builder: Dragon Quest Builders
• Best puzzler I waited until 2017 to try: The Witness
• Best retro indies (it's a tie): Hyper Light Drifter and Owlboy
• Best rogue-like about getting drunk: WASTED: A First-Person Post-Apocalyptic Pub Crawler

5. Watch Dogs 2

Moving on from the general BLAH that was the first game, Watch Dogs 2 is nothing short of an open-world delight for any and all memers and dreamers who wished for a more lighthearted tech adventure.

Marcus and his DedSec friends won me over in the end and I have plenty of selfies left to take in digital San Francisco.

4. Overwatch

Look, I'm not talking about Hearthstone this year so I can speak to you about the magic that is Overwatch, an online shooter about the grim reaper being frozen to death by an Eskimo.

Do you wanna know what makes for a fun game night? Overwatch, the story of a talking gorilla punching an mech-piloting and anime-loving professional gamer into orbit.

There's a bunch I could say about Overwatch, the interactive love story between a time-telling cowboy and a French assassin, but seeing is believing.

3. DOOM

This is the new DOOM. It reminds me of the old DOOM and that's fine DOOM. However, there's more DOOM and that makes for glorious DOOM. When you can rip the arm off of some bad DOOM demon and beat the candy out of it like a made-in-Hell piñata, that's how I knew I was in for some fun DOOM.

2. Stardew Valley

This is the game where I take a moment to get serious. I've always want to dive deep into the sim genre, but eventually I move on without much to show.

Stardew Valley is bigger than my past attempts combined. That's not to say I'm playing it every day, but this game helped me through a rough time in my life. Putting a dog to sleep sucks. I was confused, I was sad, and I was angry. I made the decision to return to my farm and found focus, escape and a moment of happiness.

I still miss my old pups, that hasn't changed, but I need to thank Stardew Valley for being the best medicine.

1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Damn. I fully expected Uncharted 4 to knock it out of the park for me and here I am, crowning it my personal Game of the Year for 2016. It was close, but I played through the first half of this in a single sitting at launch before realizing I'd missed lunch.

Nathan Drake might be the embodiment of several iconic action heroes, but I can also see some of myself in him after all of these adventures. Cracking jokes, caring for others, and having a story to tell. Elena, Sully and others are my video game family now.

Also, the jeep chase sequence delivered hardcore. I'm still spitting out mud.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

My 2016 in gaming is probably best described as your junior year of college where you experimented and tried new things you probably won’t tell your kids about. Ever. Like that time I played 82 hours of a 4 year-old game. It was also known as the Year of No Chill, a moniker which goes well with having a new baby in the house, the grease fire known as Batman vs. Superman, and my Game of the Year. As is per the usual, not all of my games are going to be from 2016 and I’ll indicate that as we go along.

• Listen to Justin's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

Superhot doesn't actually make the official list because I didn't play the commercial release until 2017 (although I played the original demo shortly after it came out). However, the experience of killing red guys in slow-mo and then watching it at full speed like I'm the love child of Jason Borne and Jackie Chan is fantastic. Also, the plot is super weird and I can't wait to figure out what the hell is going on.

Although I wrote about it briefly on our Games of 2016 feature, I have to give Hyper Light Drifter a non-ranked spot on my list. The game just isn’t for me. However, I can recognize that it is both a really good game and an absurdly well designed game so I had to mention it and you should probably play it.

10. Batman: The Telltale Series

This is not a particularly great game. I’m going to get that out of the way upfront. Telltale threw in a couple of (very small) tweaks to its standard model (like the Batman signal that builds in combat until you can do a ‘finishing move’) and called it a day. The thing is, I like the Telltale model and when you write a really good Batman story that spends more time examining who Bruce Wayne really is (and doesn’t rehash Year One), I’m going to have a really good time playing your game. So, despite its flaws (of which, gameplay wise, there were many), it’s on the list because it was one of my favorite storytelling experiences of the year.

9. Gears of War 4

Gears seems to have gotten lost amid what at least feels like a year of big games. However, I sure didn’t want to neglect it because, after a missed step, Gears is back and, despite historically having been the bro-ey-est of the bros, there were some things going on in the storyline that not-too-subtly touched on race and class divisions that I was surprised to find in a game with chainsaw machineguns. Additionally, this new chapter in the Gears franchise just felt really good, which I wasn't expecting from a game that I was expecting to build on 10 year old mechanics that might not have aged well. My initial reaction to its trailers was, “Oh, look, more Gears. What’s for lunch?” However, the progenitor of Horde Mode kept the original (awesome) formula while introducing some intriguing new tweaks, the roadie-run at 60fps looks really damned good, and Microsoft’s Play Anywhere mode worked flawlessly for me. Early 2016 Gifford would be shocked, but Gears 4 is absolutely one of my Top 10 of 2016.

8. Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2 is on the list for two very specific reasons: BT is my Garrus Understudy of 2016 and it’s teaching my kid to use dual thumbsticks properly. Although it was absolutely outshone by Doom, this sequel maintains separation from the standard shooters (and my appreciation) with some slightly wacky guns, a verticality and mobility that make it so much more fun than Call of Battle Duty(TM), and giant frickin’ robots. It took the beta test that was Titanfall, gave it an actual (and fun) single-player campaign, and kept the smooth multiplayer. I’m likely to be popping in and out of Titanfall 2 well into 2017 because punching a pilot desperately trying to escape your titan and watching him devolve into a red mist never gets old.

7. FTL

I don’t care how old this game is or how much it violates my “pixel-art games in 2016 are stupid,” rule general guideline. I love this game. Its soundtrack is slightly haunting while also having some echoes of the original Metroid and Blaster Master. There’s enough chaos to create tension without being an overwhelming stress-fest like AI War: Fleet Command. It has a wry and dickish sense of humor. And it has space slugs. ‘Nuff said.

6. Overwatch

Having been out of the PC gaming environment for several years (and having never gotten into WoW), it was easy for me to not internalize just how damned good Blizzard is at making games. I’ve been playing Overwatch on and off for 6 months now and every time I go back, there’s something fresh to hook me, the game’s polish remains apparent, the post-game stats are always positive, and Reinhardt makes me laugh every time he utters a voice line. Even more than Gears of War 4, Overwatch continues to surprise me how much I enjoy it.

5. Ori and the Blind Forest

You’d think after 6 years, I’d have come to the realization that when the other dudes here won’t shut up about a game, I should probably stop being stubborn and play it. Coleman wouldn’t shut up about Ori, yet it took me almost 6 months to sit down and play the whole thing through. And then, when I finished playing this metroidvania, I was sitting there beaming while trying not to cry because holy shit, what a beautiful game. I still can’t believe that a side-scroller managed to evoke that kind of emotion and be a fantastic entry into the genre.

4. Until Dawn

There are few things I like better than watching beautiful twenty-somethings die horrible deaths. Oh, stop it. If you didn’t love it, there wouldn’t be seven Saw movies. I’ve played through Until Dawn about 1.5 times and I have a hard time getting tired of it (although the ‘twist’ was a little tired, groan-inducing is a part of the genre). I’m almost certainly going to go back because, while I did intentionally kill one of the campers because she was both a terrible person and annoying, I lost a wolf because of an unlocked door, a dude to a missed cue, and a gal to curiosity and I’d like them to live. Since it’s out of character for me to want slasher-bait to survive, Until Dawn survives to make the list.

3. Fallout 4

German Shepherd at my side. Nuclear-powered suit of armor with fuel rods galore. Thousands of rounds of .556. A massive post-apocalyptic world to explore. Tom Brady is almost certainly radioactive ash. How can I not love this game?

2. Rebel Galaxy

At some point, foolishly within earshot of Justin L., I said, “I miss X-Wing Alliance. Man, I need a space shooter.” Combining this with his relatively newfound knowledge that regardless of how many hours I’d put into Dragon Age, I really don’t care for fantasy settings, he proceeded to give me a list of five or six sci-fi themed games I should play. I started with Rebel Galaxy and really didn’t progress past it because: Oh my god I love this game so much. Fly around the galaxy having what amounts to old-timey naval battles with broadsides and crossing-the-T, doing a little trading, and aiming to misbehave courtesy of some of the old Diablo devs? Shiny.

1. Doom

Oof.

If you haven’t played it, I just summed up a half hour of playing Doom for you. I’m not sure how id grew reproductive organs big enough to look at the modern FPS and come away with, “All the guns! No cover! Punch them in the face! ROCK!” but they did, and the result was the most metal thing since Lemmie Kilmister’s birth. I’m getting a little sweaty just thinking about the experience and my shotgun finger is getting itchy. Doom was so...not Call of Duty that it was a breath of fresh air (after a shot of everclear). It looked amazing, it felt amazing, and hearing evil-Bishop telling me about harvesting clean energy from the souls of the damned from an 8 foot high robotic skeleton right before sending me to kill Spider Satan was the post-coital Marlboro Red I needed after years of formulaic shooters. Hail Satan, Doom is back.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

I had a gaming revival in 2016. It started in January with the purchase of a PS4 and culminated at the very end of the year with the purchase of my gaming laptop. In the intervening months, I played more games than I have in a decade. I mostly played games from this year and last year, but I didn’t finish many of them. Still, it was so great to be back into games and to play with friends once again. Let us break this down, shall we?

• Listen to Ryan's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

The Past

Rocket League

This is my game of the year, without any question. There is no game I played more. There is no game I had more fun playing. There is no game like Rocket League. I had fun playing it with friends, by myself, and when we didn’t have internet, even against bots; it didn’t matter. If I had purchased a PS4 and only played Rocket League the entire year, I would consider that a good year. Is it the best looking game I played? Certainly not. Did it have the best story? There is no story. Instead, great matchmaking put me into tight, quick matches that win or lose, I kept wanting more and more. Its ability to draw in players of all kinds defies all reason, but yet that is exactly what it does. I am less than twelve months in and I don’t see a stopping point, which has never happened for me. I usually get burned out and at least take a break if not completely leave a game after a couple of months. Rocket League is just too fun; I don’t want to quit.

The Shame

Uncharted 4

I regret not getting to this game this year. Everything I have heard has been glowing with such superlatives being thrown out as “Best Uncharted”, “Best Story”, and “Best Nathan Drake.” I took on the ambitious goal of finishing the previous Uncharted games before tackling the 2016 release and got sidetracked mid-way through Uncharted 2. Hopefully, I can carve out the time for this game before it gets swallowed up by new releases.

The Ten

10 - FIFA 17

Every year a sports franchise will push out a new game and all too often it feels like a money grab. The graphics got bumped slightly or the multiplayer got worse somehow. FIFA 17 breaks the mold with its story mode. Forget designing your own character; give me Alex Hunter any day. I wanted him to succeed. I wanted to beat the hell out of Gareth, punk. Oh, and there is a really solid, beautiful, fun soccer game moving the story forward. I actually didn’t play much else besides The Journey, it was that good. I hope some of my other favorite sports franchises take note because FIFA nailed it this year.

9 - Superhot

Do you remember the first time you saw the Matrix? The first time Neo dodges bullets on the roof and even though he is moving super fast, we are seeing it in slow motion. Imagine an entire game built around that moment and that is the core mechanic of Superhot. I hit a bullet out of the air with a katana, throw the sword through the guy to my right, elbow the guy in the face to my left, launch his pistol into the air, grab it and shoot the guy behind me! I felt like a superhero. Then I get to watch it happen in real-time at the end of the level and it somehow is even cooler.

Don’t be deceived though; Superhot isn’t just executing a series of absolutely incredible moves and laying waste to anyone who stands in your way. There is also a really clever story tucked into the campaign as well as challenge modes that will keep anyone going for hours and hours. The work that was put into this game from their initial tech demo they released is really impressive. This whole game is really impressive.

8 - Firewatch

Firewatch was the first game I really played this year and it was a great start to the year. The wilderness was beautiful and strangely peaceful, the characters were interesting and had depth to them, and the mystery provided a good ride, falling off ever so slightly at the end. It was so easy to become invested in the relationship between Henry and Delilah. I can’t wait to see what Campo Santo offers up next.

7 - Doom

I have a confession to make. I never got into Doom. Somehow I missed the whole Wolfenstein, Doom, Doom II era and jumped straight into Quake, so I don’t have a strong attachment to the game or the monsters or any of it. So while Doom will be at the top of many people's list, it just didn’t hit me in that same way. I think it is a fantastic game. It looks amazing, the combat is fast and chaotic, and the glory kills are so fluid and awesome that I am sure we will see that emulated in games to follow for years. The first fifteen minutes of this game is one of the best intros I have ever played. There is such a respect for the Doom fan, being conscious of never wasting your time.

My favorite part of Doom has to be the music. Mick Gordon absolutely nailed it. It got my adrenaline pumping and then right as I am about to be thrown into absolute chaos, a song like ‘BFG Division’ kicks in and I just want to smash every skull I can find. It is sublime.

6 - Dragon Quest Builders

Dragon Quest Builders caught me by surprise. I didn’t even know what it was but I saw Aaron playing it night after night and decided to check it out. I am so glad I did. Taking the building of Minecraft, the combat of the early Zelda games, and wrapping it with a light and enjoyable jRPG story makes for one compelling package. The townspeople had personality and varying motivations for why they wanted to see me succeed or fail.

Maybe the best thing Dragon Quest Builders did was give a reason to be building anything at all. In order to advance my town, I had to keep building and upgrading my rooms. That goal provided motivation instead of absent minded wandering. Even the boss battles were impressive. Feeling a real threat to my creation and people made it feel worth it.

5 - Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2’s single player campaign caught me out of nowhere. This is world class level design on display. It would be so easy to make each level feel so lazy, with clearly marked areas designating the action the designer wanted me to take. “Wall run here.” “Double Jump here.” “Platformer time.” While that still might be true, the way it is pulled off is so natural, so engaging, that I didn’t care. They were faced with a challenge and they rose to the occasion.

The sideways city stands out to me as a great design that is grounded in the world it was built in but still demands something from the player. The time mechanic mid-way through the game was stellar. Even the end credits were well done.

4 - Overcooked

Overcooked is the best couch co-op game of 2016, there is no doubt in my mind. It is immense fun while conjuring high amounts of anxiety. There wasn’t another game that I spent more time yelling at my friends to get their crap together than Overcooked. The progression of difficulty through the ever-changing levels is spot on as well. Just when I felt like I had a handle on this nonsense, rats start appearing and stealing my food, or the floor gives way to lava, or I have to manage an airlock on a space station. It’s wonderful.

3 - The Division

It took some time and some cooling off to realize that I actually really like this game. The cover mechanic is fantastic, the result of years of work Ubisoft has put into cover mechanics across all of their various franchises. The guns feel great. The main story has a lot of memorable moments while Underground offers an alternative to just running the same static mission over and over again. I regret not getting to Survival before writing this piece, but I look forward to trying it.

Something that I somehow forgot along the way is how incredible this world is. New York City is so vivid. Running down a street, the snow silently falling overhead, I couldn’t help but take a moment to drink it in. Then a sudden explosion echos off the buildings in the distance and I am pulled back to the reality of this broken world.

I wish the end game hadn’t hit me with a ton of bricks and that Underground could have come out just a little sooner because I think I could have stuck with The Division throughout the year. I am glad I have gone back to it because I really missed running down those streets.

2 - Hyper Light Drifter

Hyper Light Drifter is so beautiful, so mysterious, so refined, it is hard to reconcile it with its Kickstarter beginnings. The art in this game is second to none when it comes to pixel art. The world feels rich and detailed. The characters are stylized and interesting. The use of color is so well done that it is no wonder we saw a smattering of games emulating it after Hyper Light Drifter was released.

The intro cinematic is where this great mystery begins, flashing images of an apocalyptic future...or is it the past? I had no idea. Why am I injured? Who is that dog? What are the giant zombie titans doing? It sets the tone for the rest of the game to follow. I may never have had a full grasp of what was happening in the story, but that didn’t stop me from being sucked in.

Unraveling the mystery with some exceptionally tight controls makes the whole experience such a joy. Dashing and moving between melee and gun combat is so effortless, I never felt like it got in my way. When fighting the sometimes difficult bosses, bad controls never felt like a reason I failed.

1 - Watch Dogs 2

I don’t have the baggage of Watch Dogs and the sour taste it left in people’s mouth so I was able to come into Watch Dogs 2 with an open mind and ended up being treated to an absolutely amazing time. I mean huge-stupid-grin-on-my-face amazing time. This game has everything I could ever want. The stealth and cover mechanic is solid. The guns feel great. The hacking is a riot. Flying drones around dropping explosives is pure bliss. Marcus is a character I really liked and wanted to root for. DedSec, the rag tag bunch of hackers that Marcus works with to bring down Blume are lovable in their own quirky way. Dušan Nemec, Blume’s CTO, is an absolute douche bag that I wanted to punch square in the teeth.

Usually in an open-world game, I have a problem keeping focus. Each play session devolves into me causing chaos for no reason, the cops coming after me, and then seeing how long I can survive until eventually something takes me down. Rinse and repeat. I didn’t have this problem in Watch Dogs 2. Sure those moments happened, but I wanted to keep driving the story because I was actually invested in it. The only other open-world game to accomplish that was Red Dead Redemption, and that is the gold standard for me.

Then, as if I wasn’t already having a lot of fun, there are co-op activities like sneaking into a warehouse to get some data off a server, fighting your way out in a hailstorm of bullets, jacking a minivan, and speeding off to safety. It’s so satisfying. The more subtle, Journey-inspired, multiplayer component also adds a lot of depth. At some point, I found a tunnel that I could cause some havoc in, and after really agitating law enforcement, suddenly a bounty hunter was dispatched to take me down. I couldn’t believe it when I realized it was actually another player sent to hunt me down for my crimes against society. Sadly, they didn’t see the mine I threw down on the road and they went out in a fiery explosion. Tears of joy were streaming down my face.

The story of Watch Dogs 2 moves between tones of seriousness and pure silliness. In one moment, I find myself trying to stop a home automation company from mining data from its customers and the next I am remote controlling a car that is remarkably like KITT from Knight Rider over ramps with fireworks erupting behind me through the streets of San Francisco. It is a game that knows not to take itself too seriously, but still provides some thought-provoking moments. Within Watch Dogs 2, there is a Crazy Taxi-like mini game called Drive SF. On one mission I was picking up a passenger, who starts to question the ethical nature of the Uber-esque service, and asking how I feel about screwing taxi drivers. When I reached the destination, a group of disgruntled taxi drivers opened fire on me and I had to haul out of there. A serious question about the impact services like Uber and Lyft have on society, with a silly outcome of taxi drivers trying to take me out.

It is for all of these reasons and the hours of fun I had playing this game, that Watch Dogs 2 is my Game of the Year. There was no other game that brought me such joy save Rocket League this year. I would start another game, realize I am not having nearly as much fun as Watch Dogs 2, and abandon it to pal around with Marcus and cause some more havoc in San Francisco. Well done Ubisoft, well done.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

I gamed a lot this year. Especially when you take into consideration that I brought a 3rd child into the world right in the middle of it. When the end of the year hit, I looked at my backlog to see what I still needed to finish and was blown away. I bought all the games I was supposed to, but why haven’t I touched them? I even started working through my Games of 2016 podcast outline and had a hard time filling it out. Turns out, I spent most of this year playing games from last year.

• Listen to Coop's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

We’ll start with the honorable mentions, kind of in order from least to greatest, but not really. I didn’t finish all of these, but if I played them for longer than 30 minutes, they’re worth mentioning because let’s be honest, I don’t have time to waste on shitty games.

The Division

I don’t remember a game that our crew went from so excited about to loathing so quickly. The beta was everything you could ask for in a game. Even when the full experience released we had a great time until we finished everything, and the Dark Zone became flooded with Safe House camping assholes. After a much needed break I finally came back and realized that they might finally be getting it together. Expansion 1 was a much needed improvement to help you grind through random ops missions to find gear, to improve your gear score, so you can find better gear. Yep, that’s what you do. Loot to get better loot is the cycle of life these days. Expansion 2 also looks promising even though I haven’t had a chance to check it out. Don’t worry Divison, I haven’t given up on you completely. Don’t hurt me twice though.

Hitman

There isn’t much to say about this game other than, if you enjoyed the classic PS2 Hitman games, you need to check this out. I was a big fan of Absolution, but they took it to more of a story driven route. Hitman pulls back to it roots and delivers more of what I remember from the classics which are multi-angled puzzles woven into a stealth game. Get creative and go kill some people.

Titanfall 2

I feel bad this game got screwed by EA’s inability to look at a game release schedule. It shouldn’t have come out when it did, and had it not I feel like it would have done way better. Respawn took a solid multiplayer game, tightened it up even more, and added a solid single player campaign to it. The last half of that campaign is some of the most video gamey gameplay I’ve experienced in a while. It was just pure fun. The true Infinity Ward is still there, and this game is proof of it. Hopefully the decisions of their terrible publisher won’t keep them from unleashing their true potential in either another Titanfall campaign, or something new.

Hyper Light Drifter

From the start, this game had a familiarity to it that didn’t sink in until I was already lost in its world. I realized that I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know where I’m going, but it doesn’t matter because this game is gorgeous. There are zero hints as to what you’re supposed to be doing and that’s 100% ok. It was The Legend of Zelda all over again. People have been trying to recreate that feeling for decades, but haven’t quite pulled it off. Hyper Light Drifter nailed it and I feel bad that the first boss I ran into intimidated me so much that i haven’t gone back to try and finish it. Don’t worry, I will. You should too.

Salt and Sanctuary

“2D Souls” is what you hear the most from people talking about this game. Yes, Salt is an action RPG with really difficult bosses, but did you notice in between those bosses that you’re totally playing Castlevania? I feel like there’s just as much Castlevania influence with the level design as there is Dark Souls influence for the gameplay element. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve and that’s totally okay because the game is fantastic. It plays a great tribute to all the games that influenced it and is extremely impressive work from a 2-person studio. Do yourself (and Ska Studios) a favor and pick up this game.

The Top 4

Some of these games came out this year, some of them didn’t. Either way, this list is why I didn’t play any of the 2016 games that are in everyone else’s lists.

4. Pony Island

Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it either until I accidentally stumbled across it. I think Steam recommended it to me because of my love for demon possessed pony games. So how did this no-name indie game make my top 4? When you’ve played as many games as I have, you feel like you’ve almost seen it all. You’re rarely surprised by anything, but when you are, you remember it. That’s what Pony Island did for me. Even though it was one of the first games I played in 2016, it instantly popped in my head when I started thinking about my top 10 list. I’m not going to say much about it because you really need to experience it. It’s short, inexpensive, twisted, and extremely creative. If you enjoy a little dark humor you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t take a ride on that pony.

3. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters

This DLC is how I spent the first 3 months of 2016. Before I started the expansion I wanted to almost finish Bloodborne. Because the DLC scales with your game difficulty, I made it to the final boss battle and then hit the DLC before switching everything over to New Game+ and getting murdered even more than normal. Turns out this was a good decision because the The Old Hunters was no walk in the park. I struggled at the start until I leveled up a little further. Just imagine the hardest non-boss enemies from Bloodborne being the normal enemies. Oh yeah, and while you’re wandering around in dark caves, we’re just going to throw one of the bosses you’ve already fought at you as a normal level enemy too.

From didn’t waste any time setting the tone for what was in store here, as if they were getting even for all of the reviewers claiming Bloodborne wasn’t as difficult as its Souls predecessors. Difficulty aside, The Old Hunters is what DLC should be. It’s enough content to hold its own as a standalone game at a reduced price. It weaves into the original story almost seamlessly. There are a variety of new enemies and weapons to keep things fresh, and a familiarity of the world you just traversed comforts and terrifies you at the same time. I have no regrets spending as much time as I did on Bloodborne this year. It was a brutal journey, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

2. Rocket League

I feel like I need to right a wrong here. Looking back on last year’s Grimmys I think I was taking the stance that I didn’t want this game to win GOTY. I don’t know why. Maybe I thought it was just a sports game, and sports games don’t win GOTY awards. The truth is, I really didn’t spend any time playing it so I wasn’t able to make an educated decision and went with the more popular choice which was The Witcher 3. I’m just going to come right out and admit I was completely wrong. Rocket League was the 2015 GOTY, and if I could nominate it again, it would be a real big contender for 2016 GOTY. In the past we’d be lucky if you could find 1 person to play a multiplayer game with once a week. Now we can ring the rocket bell almost any night and someone will jump on with you. It rekindled the competitiveness in me from my old Counter-Strike days and has been the one major cause of my back log getting even more backed up lately. Good job Psyonix. You nailed it and I apologize to you and Cole for not realizing it sooner.

1. Doom

23 years ago I somehow convinced my mom to drive me an hour from home to a computer shop and drop $200 on a 2mb RAM upgrade for my computer so I could meet the minimum requirements to play the original Doom. It’s really hard to explain what it’s like to experience a new genre of video game, because it doesn’t happen all that often. With Wolfenstein and Doom, id forever molded me into the gamer that I am today. I was hooked on first person shooters. Years later, I find myself in the same boat. I’m upgrading computer hardware so that I can play Doom 3. We all know how big of a deal that game was. It gave us the first real projected shadows! It was so cool. You wanted everything to walk under a moving fan just so you could see the shadow again. Even though it deviated a little from what Doom was, it was still badass. Then Doom goes dormant...for a long time.

12 years later, I finally get to experience this long-waited game that we weren’t sure would ever see the light of day. My expectations were not high. id Software is my hero, but no one can survive that expectation and hype train. Many others have tried and failed miserably. I expected to enjoy it, but it wouldn’t be fantastic. How could it be? I’m so glad I was wrong. Doom is perfect. Thinking back on it, I don’t even know what I would change about it. There’s nothing to pick apart. It’s everything it needed to be. It feels like Doom should feel. There’s no hand holding; they just throw you in because you know this is Doom. It’s familiar. Now let’s shoot some demons in the face. The game achieves what you want from a first person shooter. You want to feel like a badass, and boy do you ever feel like a badass. The game is also gorgeous and runs like a champ even on older hardware. That optimization magic is something only id can do and I love them for it. Did I mention that music? The first time I ripped open a gore nest and that electronic metal kicked in I got goose bumps. You nailed it Mick. You wrote the perfect soundtrack for the perfect game.

I give id and Mick Gordon 666 standing ovations for doing what I didn’t think could be done. You made another Doom game and it was flawless. You proved to everyone that our childhood memories can be expanded upon and not torn to shreds by shitty reboots. And this is why Doom is hands down my Game of the Year.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

Still reeling from the loss of Rocket League not winning game of the year in 2015, I decided to put a list out there this year to try and help my recovery. But before I get to that, I need to tell everyone that Rocket League is still my real game of the year for 2016 as I played it more than any other game as did most of my Horrible Night compatriots. Now onto all the runner-ups:

Disclaimer: I haven’t finished most of these games but these are the ones that impacted me most during the 2016.

• Listen to Cole's Games of 2016 Interview Podcast

10. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Got into Human Revolution a few years after its release so I was incredibly excited for the sequel to come out and was not disappointed. I haven’t gotten too deep into the game but I have played the first part of the game multiple times and enjoy it immensely. This is a game I’ve already gone back to in 2017 and will continue to do so. It might be my old game of the 2017 awards, as long as the Rocket League play drops off.

9. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Got this game as a Christmas present so, again, haven’t dived that deep into it yet. However, the impact its story made on me from the very start when you are playing as a young Nathan Drake up until the “normal life” Drake with Elena had me relating to these characters in a different way than the previous 3 games. For a 4th game in the series to get me to finally care about these characters is impressive so it had to be on the list. It might have ended up higher if I played it through to the end so keep an eye out for this game on next year’s list as well.

8. Ratchet and Clank

For someone who has never really played a game in the Ratchet and Clank series I had none of the nostalgia when this game released, which I think actually helped it land on my top ten list at the end of the year. Outside of the clever weapon design and the wittiness, the game is absolutely gorgeous on a graphical level and I enjoyed looking at it as much as I did playing it. Sometimes you need a game with somewhat simple mechanics and a straightforward premise. That’s what I got with Ratchet and Clank this year.

7. Tricky Towers

For a moment I had penciled in Tricky Towers as this year’s Rocket League for me. It had a competitive element, it was free on Playstation Plus, and it was a fun game to get in and out of quickly when I didn’t have a ton of time for a more involved game. Of course, Rocket League was this year’s Rocket League but Tricky Towers as a physics-based Tetris/Jenga combination was an enjoyable known quantity every time I jumped in. The various modes kept the game fresh between play sessions and it will be something I continue to go back to from time to time.

6. Hitman

Another one of the games I will continue to go back to in 2017, as this is one game that I watched being played more than I actually played it, is Hitman. I went to sleep watching a ton of Hitman play sessions as well as did a few videos on the site with Justin. It’s a game full of possibilities. When I started my own play session, it wasn’t just a retread of what I had previously watched. Most games can’t do that and that is why Hitman is on my continue to play list in 2017.

5. Hyper Light Drifter

Hyper Light Drifter was one of those games that I didn’t really know much about pre-release outside of really enjoying the graphical style. After hearing from Justin about how good it was, I knew that I needed to give it a chance since it's right up my alley. As I mentioned above, a recurring theme of this year’s list is games I haven’t finished but this one was due to its difficulty and my struggles. I have started this game three different times and have gotten further each play through. Now that I’m near the end, I keep getting destroyed by some of the bosses. Hyper Light Drifter is not for the weak, but it’s a great game that everyone should give a shot.

4. Inside

As a follow-up to Limbo that was announced seemingly only weeks before it was released, I knew this was a game that I wanted to try. Turns out, I was right to do so. The puzzle design, while not always my cup of tea, was extremely well done and innovative. The graphical style was a logical leap from Limbo’s silhouette-heavy style. It made the deaths of the protagonist more gruesome with the addition of just a splash of color. Then, we have the ending section. Going through the whole game thinking one thing, only to have that rug pulled out from under you in an extremely unique and mystifying way was one of the better surprises I’ve had in gaming. I'm looking forward to Playdead’s next game even if it is similar to Limbo and Inside.

3. FIFA 17

What the hell is a sports game not named Rocket League doing on my top ten list? When you have a story mode like FIFA 17, it’s bound to happen. I’ve been getting into soccer more and more over the past couple of years to the point where playing it myself seemed like something I should try and do. Seeing that I am slow and out of shape meant that FIFA was the only logical option and I’m glad I picked this year to dive in. The Journey mode has you playing as Alex Hunter, a young man looking for a shot at making a Premier League team. From the moment this mode began, I immediately connected with Hunter and wanted to see him succeed with the added pressure that it was all up to me to make it happen. I know there has been other modes like this in other sports games, but FIFA 17 knocked it out of the park.

2. Final Fantasy XV

I preordered this game after I played the demo in early 2016 and I was worried. I loved the demo and how weird it was, but I’m also the guy who has been burned by the quality of Final Fantasy games in the past. With the development taking over 10 years, I thought for sure this would be another disappointing miss in the franchise. Needless to say since it’s number 2 on my list, I am extremely happy with the results. There are so many ways Square Enix could have screwed this up (and it's still not perfect) but everything that I’ve played (30+ hours) I have enjoyed and can’t wait to see it through to the finish.

1. Doom

How the hell did a first person shooter make it to number 1 on my list? When you bring quality, innovation, and wrap it up with a extremely pleasing aesthetic both visually and aurally…aww, fuck it. It’s fun as shit to shoot demons with various weapons and punch their faces in half while ripping off a horn only to use it to impale a demon’s face. The biggest surprise of the year not only for me but I think the entire gaming industry. id Software created the best first person shooter at least in the last 15 years, if not ever. The gameplay choices were fantastic across the board and the platforming was a welcome break from being stressed out during the battles. Looking forward to playing more of Doom and hopefully a Quake reboot in the same vein someday.

• 2016 Games of the Year Lists
• 2016 Games of the Year Podcasts

For more memorable games, check out the Games of 2016 which lead the way towards The 2016 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.