They’re the reason I’m stuck in a time loop. My goal is to find out more about the missing race of people who landed among my planets looking to solve a mystery of their own. Every location teems with ancient ruins, bizarre natural phenomena, or deadly hazards that can prematurely end my life. The mysteries in my solar system are as varied and wild as the planets I get to explore. The only way to experience the full adventure is to repeat the same limited chunk of time exploring, knowing that destiny is predetermined. Death is inevitable, but I learn so much from each life that shuffling off this mortal coil never becomes too frustrating. I’ve died dozens of times exploring the compact solar system of Outer Wilds. Image: Mobius/Annapurna Interactive Outer Wilds
Because many games change from patch to patch, let alone year to year, we may include previously available games that receive a significant update within the year or become available on a platform that substantially impacts how that game is experienced.īe sure to check back each month for new recommendations! You may notice the inclusion of games that were either fully released or made available in early access prior to 2019. For example, take a gander at 2018’s list.
In December, we’ll add any games we missed throughout the year, then reorganize the list into Polygon’s annual Top 50 Games of the Year feature. Here’s how it works: We update the list at the end of each month - and occasionally in between, if we’re particularly excited about a new game. Rather than try (and probably fail) to recall what we loved about the games from January and February after 10 months of playing hundreds of other games, we feel it’s best to run our games of the year list as an ongoing journal, updated regularly and thoughtfully. Our memories are too weak, our enthusiasm too strong. We can’t wait until the final weeks of December to share our favorite games of the year.