A reminder of what was a wonderful year.
Let’s start with the biggie, then, the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
I’ll discuss them game by game.
This Zelda-like delight wasawarded an Essential by Eurogamerand came second inour Game of the Year 2022 picks.
“This is a game to be savoured,” wrote Christian Donlan in that GOTY piece.
“Strange, familiar, intricate and built with love.”
Tunic is available on pretty much any platform, if you haven’t already played it.
Immortalitycaused a similar amount of commotion last year.
Chris Tapsell really liked it, calling the game an “elaborate, ingenious enigma” in hisImmortality review.
The pull is having the freedom to explore and deduce and come to your own conclusions.
It gets quite complicated, apparently.
And Alexis Ong was impressed.
It’s out on PC.
Betrayal at Club Lowwas alsoreviewed by Alexisfor Eurogamer.
It’s a dice-powered narrative game about finding multiple ways to finish undercover missions in a nightclub.
Neon WhiteI’ve played.
It’s a speedrunning FPS that’s brilliantly, unashamedly not trying to be anything but.
It’s not really even an FPS; it’s all about routes, all about speed.
And it’s energetic and stylish and fast.Oisin reviewed Neon Whitefor us.
It’s out on Nintendo Switch and PC.
Not for BroadcastI’ve also played, though I tried it a few years back in Steam Early Access.
Now, it’s finished and story-complete.
Not for Broadcast is a tongue-in-cheek game about directing a nightly TV news programme in the 90s.
We didn’t get around to reviewing this one but it’s silly, satirical and memorable.
It’s available on PC (Steam).
Those are the games in the running for the big prize.
Roadwarden, sadly, isn’t nominated for any.
There aren’t many games with multiple nominations.
Tunic and Betrayal at Club Low have three, while Immortality has two, as doesSouth of the Circle.
- apparently it’s coming this year.
There isa demo available.
