In this list, you’ll find my ten favorite games of 2017, all of which are so good they could’ve grabbed a number one spot any other year. These are presented in the most brief and relaxing manner possible. Enjoy them, and take care of yourselves.

Snow buries the leaves

The weight is gone from my heart

It’s finally done

10. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I had to buy Zelda when I picked up my Switch in May. Obviously, there wasn’t much else out, but I was also ready to try something new. Thankfully, Breath of the Wild is real fun, even if it didn’t stick in my heart like most of these other games.

My first Zelda joint

Gameplay fun but not perfect

The mood is the charm

9. Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods came relatively early in the year, and I was thrilled to play it after keeping up with the development process. While the dialogue is occasionally janky, the story of Mae is a dark, timely tale which hits too close to home.

I relate too much

A perfect world construction

Thank you for the gays

8. Resident Evil 7

Resident Evil 7 combines incredible level design with the exact brand of weirdo quasi-brutal horror I enjoy, so it’s no surprise that I ended up loving it. Everything in the first 2/3rds or so is totally perfect, right down to the discarded Whataburger cups.

Gruesome and wicked

Baker Estate masterpiece

Love it despite boat

7. Emily Is Away Too

I love experiences that show me something I’ve never seen before, and Emily Is Away Too delivers. An emotional story questions the way we make choices in games, all through pitch-perfect recreation of the Internet circa 2006. Log in and let yourself go.

Not too distant past

Making lots with a little

YouToob blew my gourd

6. The Sexy Brutale

Everyone dies like clockwork, but you’re the errant tic in the cogs. A murder mystery in which you prevent the murders from occurring, The Sexy Brutale is a short but essentially perfect experience that’s stylish, unforgettable, and wholly unique.

Death’s vivid cycle

We’ve (never) been here before

Drown me in style

5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

This sure was something, huh? It shouldn’t exist, but it does, and for that I am eternally grateful. I played Mario + Rabbids more than I should have, or maybe exactly as much as I should have. Either way, I loved it and I need more. Thanks, Ubisoft.

Rabbids XCOM now

Finished one-hundred percent

Days glued to my Switch

4. Persona 5

I never finished Persona 4. I loved the story, but something about it just kept putting me off. Thankfully, Persona 5 is so wholly engrossing that I played it for eight to ten hours at a time without even noticing. It’s not perfect, but Persona 5 reminded me why I love RPGs.

One hundred hours

My eyes ears brain all thank me

Takemi best girl

3. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

I barely squeezed in Hellblade before making this list, but I’m glad I did. Hellblade is a deep, terrifying journey into literal Hell that pushes itself beyond current boundaries – narratively, technically, and mechanically. It destroyed me. I loved every second.

Harrowing journey

Beyond the veil of gaming

I can’t forget it

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Seeing Mario at E3 convinced me to buy a Switch, and it was the right move. 2017 was the most tumultuous year in memory, and Super Mario Odyssey was the life raft that got me through. It’s the only 3D Mario I’ve ever properly played, and it was great. Thanks, Nintendo.

Rihanna was right

Super f***ing Mario

I live for the fun

1. Nier: Automata

I have a more complicated relationship with Nier: Automata than any game ever. First I liked it, then I thought it was the worst game I’ve ever played, then I loved it, and then I was crying. Once I saw the whole picture, my life was changed. It’s that simple.

Never felt this way

First game tears since Undertale

Total masterpiece