The Stately Players' Game of the Year

Front Page Discussion
#1

Originally published at: https://statelyplay.com/2018/12/12/the-stately-players-game-of-the-year/

Ah, December, that time of the year when sites everywhere fill their click-meters with posts pointing out the highs and lows of the past 12 months. As much as I’d like to say we’re different, we’re not. In fact, you can expect our favorite games of the year to start counting down next week and wrapping up with our number one games on Christmas Eve (otherwise known as December 24). Of course, what we thought was 2018’s hay might be your chaff, so we’re opening the doors to you, the Stately Players, to let us know what your favorite digital game of the year was.

Let’s talk about rules after the jump.

While I’m not limiting the other writers to digital with their 2018 GOTY choices, I think it would make life a bit easier if we left this open voting to digital only. If there’s enough outrage about that, perhaps I’ll do a separate vote for your favorite board game of 2018. It’s up to you guys.

Anyway, the game you nominate must have been released between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018. (For the record, Twinfold was released on November 30. Just sayin’) It has to be a digital game, either mobile or for PC/Mac/Linux or consoles. Try to stick to the rules as I’m far too tired to actually vet these things, and will most likely just let anything slide by. I don’t want negative press when Stately Play boldly declares Joust the best game of 2018, okay?

Leave your nomination in the comments below. You can nominate more than one game or even a game that’s already been nominated, but the latter won’t actually get you anything, so don’t bother. Or do. You be you.

Once the voting closes (at some point on Sunday, December 16), I will collect all the nominees and create a poll where we can do a formal vote. My hope is voting will last all next week and we can announce both our and your #1 games on the same day. Wouldn’t that be something?

With that, I open the floor for nominations.

Have at it!

 

#2

I would like to contribute but I don’t have a clue when most of my games released, and I’m pretty sure most of them are at least from last year or earlier. So…um…

Pocket City?

4 Likes
#3

Twinfold. This has frustrated more of my time this year than any other release of which I can think.

3 Likes
#4

Cinco Paus. Released last Christmas, and while I’m not playing it as obsessively as I was in January, I don’t think there’s been a week gone by where I haven’t fired it up at least once. (But I’ve still not yet managed to reach the 50-jogo campaign victory. My best run is 47… so close…)

3 Likes
#5

Released on June 26, 2018!

You can nominate others as well, even if you’re not sure. I’ll go through and get rid of the ones I can and if one or two slip through, I think I can live with that…

1 Like
#6

I’ll throw a couple of nominations out there, 1 mobile, 1 PC: Meteorfall and Into the Breach.

2 Likes
#7

I don’t know if I’d necessarily choose it myself as Game of the Year, but I think Cat Lady should be out there. It’s a really great app that just needs mulitplayer

2 Likes
#8

Frostpunk (PC), Warhammer Mechanicus (PC), Cat Lady (Mobile), Pantenite (Mobile), Morels (Mobile)

Is 5 too many? Would’ve been more but I was avoiding ones already called out.

2 Likes
#9

Nothing on mobile has really gripped me, which is why I’m still playing Invisible Inc obsessively.

On PC, another nomination for Into the Breach [edit: why yes, I will be me tvm] and (on the basis of 2 hours’ play so far) Bad North.

3 Likes
#10

Command & Conquer: Rivals

/runs and hides.

3 Likes
#11

On PC, the only 2018 game (I think?) I’ve been playing is The Council. Which I like but wish were a little better.

On ios, was One Deck Dungeon 2018? Other than that, Reigns: GoT.

3 Likes
#12

I’ll nominate Istanbul, Indian summer, and 7 Billion Humans

3 Likes
#13

For poops and giggles, I’ll nominate my own game, Nuclear Powered Toaster.

Also Teeny Titans 2.

2 Likes
#14

I can’t believe Into the Breach was this year. Once more, dear friends.

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#15

I think I’ll have to nominate Stardew Valley for mobile. Most joy criterion.

A lot of good games but few great games for mobile looking back on 2018. Apple’s App Store game of the year for 2018 was Donut County? I played it and it was fun for a couple hours, but is that really the best of the best?

3 Likes
#16

I’d assumed it was first-digital-release that counted, which would rule out Stardew Valley (but allow One Deck Dungeon); otherwise Civ 6 would be eligible, and that doesn’t seem right.

#17

I can’t nominate it anymore, but I’ll certainly vote for Into the Breach PC! You should add a board games category to this so I can nominate Skies Above the Reich. Gotta get back to that campaign I started, although the dismal state of my staffel at the end of 1942 has been a slight deterrent.

#18

If there’s enough outrage about that, perhaps I’ll do a separate vote for your favorite board game of 2018. It’s up to you guys.

There’s enough outrage in me to start a car.

4 Likes
#19

I can understand the audience for any particular board game being much smaller just because of cost (not even to mention space!) concerns, thus possibly fragmenting the field to the point where each vote would be for a different game.

#20

I’ll go with Apple and say Gorogoa for mobile. Google says it released December 14th of last year. Although most of my mobile gaming has gone to Civ 6 and pinball games. I have done very little pc gaming. But for console, my game of the year is actually the Prey dlc, Mooncrash. It can easily be a standalone game and cleverly blends the fps and rogue-like genres.