People usually make threads like this on social media, but I thought, why not on here?
Bits & Bops
Technically this was more of a 2025 game, but I did chip away at perfecting some of the games in 2026, too!
It had been one of my most anticipated indie games for a long time, so I’m glad to have finally played it :)
Tunic
After mentioning it in video game manual retrospective video, I wanted to keep my word and actually play it and oh my god, it was EASILY one of my most standout experiences gaming this year.
Played it together with my partner, who was far better at the combat, while I managed to do most of the puzzle related stuff. It was so much fun.
I also simply adore the fact that I ended up using PAPER to do NOTES. I love it.
Raccoin: Coin Pusher Rougelike
My inner 10 year old playing coin pusher mobile apps on her phone was so happy when this game came to be. I’d actually played it in 2025 at gamescom too, but with as many mechanics as it has the demo did not do it justice.
It’s a very fun concept. I like it a lot. Very easy to spend hours on a run and push it further and further—
Balatro
Again, more of an on-and-off game for me, though whenever I do get the itch I am deep in it. Love my indie roguelikes and Balatro is always a fun game to pick up.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (incomplete)
Unfortunately, I have not gotten past the first.. 5ish hours of the game. I’d love to, but I haven’t had the time! I hope to fix this sometime, though.
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Switch 2
Hey, this technically barely counts, but I can’t NOT include my favorite game ever getting NEW VOICE ACTING ADDED INTO IT AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE!!! Absolutely surreal. Thanks monolith soft.
Final Fantasy X (PS2)
This has been on my replay list forEVER as the first time I played it was back in, like… 2013, or something. It has remained very fondly in my heart, but after that much of a time, obviously, I had practically forgotten everything about the story, which made this replay all the better.
And I got to introduce the game to my partner while visiting him in Canada! Which is always fun. We played on actual hardware, which I appreciated as I don’t think the remaster is that great due to the whole source code loss thing. The way it affects the character models is so sad.
BUT. I really, really loved to experience it again. Tidus and Yuna are one of my favorite romances in games, and I actually really enjoyed Auron’s tale much more than I had the first time around! I guess that’s what happens when you re-experience a story like this when you’re older. But it really was special.
Final Fantasy X-2 Remastered (incomplete)
We also then played a bit of X-2, but unfortunately did not finish before I went back home. My opinion about the remaster still stands, though it was nice to not worry about the PS2 sometimes refusing to read the disc, lol.
Final Fantasy XIV (Dawntrail, lead up to Evercold)
This year marks my 10th anniversary of playing this game, which is, frankly, insane. Congratulations to me, I guess?
I gotta be honest, at this point, I do not play the game a lot, at all. It’s not really a matter of me disliking it, or anything, but more of a burnout-adjacent feeling. Like, I’ve done this dance, over, and over. I’m super glad and hold this game dearly to my heart, but… It just doesn’t quite fit in my daily life, you know?
But I do still try to keep up with the MSQ. And the changes coming soon to Evercold seem.. interesting. We’ll see if this will change my time invested in the game onwards!
Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream
Though I’d been excited for the game since it’s announcement, shortly before release I kinda was thinking I might not play it so much after all.
I was wrong.
But, in the end, the time I had with the game was very passionate, but ultimately short. Yes, it was fun to put all my blorbos together. No, I do not think I should be forced to make everything myself. Nintendo, why do you take these fun games and make the player do everything. I don’t play games to be creative, that’s what my hobbies and job is for!!!!!
Splatoon Raiders
Absolute treat. I love Salmon Run, and having it in this numbers-go-big format is absolutely fun. I probably should do more of the post-game, but nevertheless, I had a really good time with it.
Also, I love Deep Cut.
Rhythm Heaven Groove
MY MOST ANTICIPATED SWITCH GAME SINCE EVER!!!! I absolutely am over the moon that there is a new entry in the series. The soft-reboot vibe is really cool, and the amount of games is staggering.
Unfortunately for me, this is also the first rhythm heaven game I’ve decided I would go for all perfects on. The one with the most lengthy minigames. Yes.
But honestly. It’s a lot of fun. I should do all perfects in other games, too.
Deltarune Chapter 5
Toby Fox cooking as usual! I’ve always been more in the casual camp of Deltarune fans, but nevertheless it was a good time. Unfortunately, I am a platformer hater, so I struggled HARD with some of the gameplay in this one. But nevertheless, the story is shaping up well and I’m excited for the rest. And I also got to go deep in the fan theories on youtube for a while after which was fun lol
To The Moon
This has been in my steam library forever and I’ve always heard good things about this game from my longtime mutuals Enkou and Rin. While on sick leave, I finally sat down and played it and it was SUCH a good experience. I loved the light gameplay elements, and the story it told. I very much would like to play the other games in the series too, but I’m waiting on a sale first, lol.
VA-11 HALL-A
As I recieved my VA-11 HALL-A Design Works copy, (written by Ashley Schofield) the book that introduced me to Lost In Cult, one of the most inspiring publishers out there to me right now, and started reading it, I realized… It has been almost 10 years since my first playthrough of this game. So, I picked it up again because reading as to how it came by got me feeling bad that I don’t quite recall the experience as well as I should.
Still currently in progress in playing, but it’s been such a comforting experience. Same as FFX, I have had this long-time fond-ness for this game, despite not having played it in forever, and I absolutely see why.
Despite being just at the beginning of the game, it feels like I’ve been here before, like I’ve known these characters forever, and it’s just… comfortable and fun. The world is so compelling and the characters are great.