Watch me bust the backlog and finish more games. No matter how long or short, I’ve seen the credits on every game listed below!

2024

January

Bzzt – Super fun and short platformer that I’d highly recommend as a perfect palate cleanser. Lots of replayability, too, through collectable tokens and speed-running offerings.

Cocoon – Simply incredible puzzle game. The story is very much a background element, but the puzzle logic is outstanding, and all of this is presented in an exceptionally beautiful bunch of environments. MUST PLAY.

February

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – I played this one on the Switch and can highly recommend it to fans of Metroidvanias. Combat is a blast, and the platforming is equally as enjoyable. Plenty of upgrades to discover and past areas to revisit make this a truly superb entry into the action-platforming genre.

March

Rebel Transmute – Very formulaic and as ‘Metroidvania’ as they come. I enjoyed this a lot, although my love for it did wane as I got to the latter parts of the journey. Highly recommend if you like getting lost and are a fan of good platforming in your ‘vanias.

April

Minishoot‘ Adventures – A super fun blend of Zelda-like gameplay and shmup elements. It’s well worth the 10-12 hour time investment if you’re interested in seeing how these different genres can combine.

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles – It’s hard to classify this as a ‘completion’ as it isn’t that kind of game, really. But I have finished the in-game soul tree, and I want to track Bulwark on this list as it is a delightful expression of the freedom to create and build!

August

Nine Sols – A modern Metroidvania classic. One of the best 2D action games I have ever played. An essential play for fans of Sekiro with an excellent parry mechanic, art style, and story to tell.

2023

January

Chained Echoes – A brilliant callback to JRPGs of the 90s but with all the modern refinements and trimmings. Completed on Nintendo Switch.

February

Lil Gator Game – Super wholesome, not the most thrilling game in the world but an enjoyable 4/5 hour experience.

Hi-Fi Rush – 2023’s biggest surprise! Harkens back to the era of action-platforming mascots.

March

A busy month meant no completions…

April

Automatoys – A brilliant use of an hour. Great example of how mobile-focused games can excel.

Dredge – A simple gameplay loop is made incredibly satisfying by it’s atmosphere and mysterious setting.

Tunic – The best ‘indie’ game I have ever played. Truly one of the greatest adventures I have experienced in a video game. ESSENTIAL!

Lone Fungus – A brilliant indie Metroidvania with an awesome packed world. I love the Mushroom theme!

May

TLOZ: Breath of the Wild – A last hurrah for this incredible adventure. Before I stepped back into Hyrule again, I wanted to relay BOTW and whilst it wasn’t as magical as my first time through, it remains an amazing achievement for both Nintendo and the Zelda series.

June

F1 Manager 2022 – It’s hard to determine when you ‘complete’ a manager-style game, but after 9 seasons of hard-fought racing, I decided to retire as team principal of Scuderia Alpha Tauri. 3 WDCs for Pierre Gasly, 1 WDC for Lando Norris, and 4 WCCs for the team meant our legacy will last in this fictional world forever!

July

Pikmin 1 + 2 – I never owned a Gamecube (PS2 baby here) so I jumped at the chance to try out the first two games on the Switch. I loved Pikmin 1, and 2 is even better. They’re a bit janky, but it is easy to recommend both games. Miyamoto’s favourite children are still great fun 20 years on!

Pikmin 3 Deluxe -A refined version of the first two really, my personal favourite of the trilogy. As one of very few Wii U owners, Pikmin 3 was my favourite game on the system, and the deluxe edition adds great QoL changes and expands the content offering so there’s plenty of Pikmin to jump into.

August

Pikmin 4 – Bit of a theme here…. WOW! Pikmin 4 really was worth the wait, I think it is the first time I have 100%’d a game actually. Oatchi is adorable, the new Pikmin types offer a few interesting new styles of gameplay, and the post-credit content is really top draw. It is a bit easy, but I don’t mind that really. GO BUY IT AND SUPPORT THIS SERIES!

Viewfinder – Equal parts brilliant puzzle game and brain-melting visual presentation. Truly fantastic and one of those games that will leave you with a wide grin as you play. A somewhat veiled plot surrounding climate change and humanities willingness to fix our mistakes is dotted throughout and offers a profound threadline.

Mail Time – Very cute and very short. Mail Time is a great way to spend a few hours on a quiet evening. A super wholesome cast of characters tasks you with delivering various different letters across a miniature forest floor setting. Some minor platforming aside, Mail Time is super simple and is a refreshing breath of fresh air.

September

Most of September was spent playing Sea of Stars…

October

Sea of Stars – Completed both endings. WOW! What a great game. not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. Plenty of brilliant RPG action to get your teeth into and it all comes together for a rather succinct 35-40 hour adventure.

November

Spider-Man 2 – A near faultless improvement on an already excellent game. It may lack ambition, but nearly every aspect of this series’s third (MM is a fully featured release) game surpasses its predecessors. If you love Spider-Man, you need to play this game! Insomniac continue to smash it out the park…