In 2022, the best games were made for masochists.
After several years of boom times for wholesome stories and colorful worlds, 2022 reminded us that sometimes there’s no truer form of fun than failing horribly, repeatedly.
FromSoftware often leads that charge, thanks to series like Dark Souls. This year, it rose to its own challenge. Elden Ring, maddening in its difficulty and unusually cruel in its creative ways to kill you, took center stage as players picked apart its every secret. Speed-runners found new ways to make the game even harder by racing against the clock. Not to be reduced to one punishing game, however, 2022 also brought with it a handful of roguelikes, pushing the genre while teaching players about patience and perseverance.
Was it all so dark? Not exactly. Bright spots in this year’s releases introduced massive, gorgeous worlds to explore and mysteries to unravel. They expounded the virtue of curiosity and taught us to find meaning in silence. Or they just let us be a very adorable animal. Here are the best games of 2022.
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Cult of the LambPlatforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
