I completed 21 games in 2018; of those 21, only eight were released in 2018.

Those eight are as follows:

Florence (released 02.14.18)
Far Cry 5 (released 03.27.18)
Anamorphine (released 07.31.18)
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit (released 06.25.18)
Asemblance: Oversight (released 05.15.18)
Donut County (released 08.28.18)
Destiny 2: Forsaken (released 09.04.18)
Shape of the World (released 06.05.18)

Having played so few games from 2018, I don’t feel qualified to do a full-fledged top ten list, so here’s my top four.

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#4: Donut County

Donut County was a whimsical, delightful, and compact experience about being a hole.

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#3: Asemblance: Oversight

I loved the first Asemblance, and when Oversight released out of the blue, I was thrilled. It was confusing, atmospheric, tense, and fascinating. I played through each ending of the first game, and I am set on doing the same for Oversight.

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#2: Shape of the World

I’ve been visually struck by games in the past, but never have I consistently marveled at so many color palettes in a game; I adored Shape of the World. The palettes were ridiculously dreamy, and the music was an excellent companion. The free form experience was lovely from start to finish. Each new area, seed, creature, and color palette had me saying WOW out loud.

I’m not joking about the color palettes. Sometimes I caught myself with my mouth hanging open at how beautiful they were.

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#1: Florence

I’m not much of a mobile gamer, but when I heard about Florence, I thought I’d give it a try.

It’s one of the only games I’ve reviewed, and I think it’s one of the purest and most nearly perfect games I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

I don’t much believe in romance, but I don’t see this game as a romantic tale; it’s more of one person’s path, and that path happens to include a relationship.

The simplicity of the required actions allow the power of the experience to shine through.

I’d recommend Florence to absolutely everyone, regardless of taste or gaming experience.

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I hope to have a far more fleshed out list for 2019, but those games shined in 2018 for me.

What were your top games of 2018? What made them stand out for you?