Over the years I have played hundreds of games, and while enjoying my time playing them, for most I rarely feel the urge to pick them back up and play through again. However as time goes by, there has been a growing list of perennial games that I always have the nagging thought in the back of my head to play again. Whether this be to experience the world and story again or just to enjoy the gameplay, each of the games have some defining trait that has kept me coming back for more. Given the amount of time I have put into each of these games and how much each of them have impacted me, it is fair to say that each is a must-play game to me.

Before jumping into the games, I do want to put a small disclaimer that if any of the games sound interesting, please check them out before reading up on them. So much of what makes these games amazing to me is experiencing them firsthand, immersing myself in their respective worlds, and discovering things in every nook and cranny. Without further ado, here are my top 5 must play games!

Full Metal Furies

Original Release Date: January 17th, 2017
Current Platforms: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Windows, MacOS.

Probably the most overlooked game on this list, Full Metal Furies is what happens when you take Castle Crashers, give it a proper skill tree, and then also encourage players to work together. Each of the 4 characters have a unique playstyle and all are able to synergize with the others to create some ludicrously satisfying gameplay moments. The best example of this is with the sound played whenever a player gets an airshot on an enemy, creating a pinball bumper sound that will always give me a dopamine rush. As one might expect, this game is best when playing with 3 others when the game forces you to work as a proper team playing to each character's strengths and weaknesses.

On top of an incredible gameplay loop, each level is loaded with secrets that lead to either lore, new unlockable gear, or something in between. Each piece of gear changing how a character plays, exploration often feels well worth it as a lot of the equipment comes with their own new way to play the game. The story can be a bit extra at times, the dialogue does a good job at keeping the relatively lighthearted goofiness the cast has going. If you have a Switch or a setup where you can invite friends over to play some games, I cannot recommend Full Metal Furies enough for some couch/local co-op chaos.

Celeste

Original Release Date: January 25th, 2018
Current Platforms: Playstation 4/5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Windows, MacOS.

Coming from Towerfall, that being Maddy Thorson’s first ‘official’ game, I had some pretty high hopes for Celeste. Towerfall has some ludicrously cool movement tech and so I was excited to see what a dedicated platformer would open up and it did not disappoint at all. The movement is absurdly crisp to the point where, despite being a relatively difficult precision platformer, my deaths always felt like my fault for either having bad routing or just misplaying. Each level brings a new set of mechanics with it, all leading to an amazing ascension to the summit.

However what sets Celeste apart from the other precision platformers for me is not the smooth-as-butter platforming nor the level design. Celeste has an amazing storyline about coming to terms with your own faults and working with your own insecurities to accomplish great tasks. Despite its small cast, each character is masterfully written and made me care about them more than I probably should. Combine all of this with an incredible soundtrack from Lena Raine that I still listen to now and again and you're left with a truly special game. I also need to talk about its free ‘DLC’, Farewell. This singular level is without a doubt the hardest challenge in the base game and due to its sheer length, it is a huge endurance test. It is an amazing send-off for an unforgettable game.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Original Release Date: September 14th, 2017
Current Platforms: Playstation 4/5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, MacOS.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (DOS2) is the type of game that oozes creativity and takes your imagination to its limits. I’ve done maybe 7 playthroughs of it now and each one has a distinct feeling, even using similar builds. Not to mention that in each playthrough I find some other silly way to handle an encounter. DOS2 is best when going in blind and just throwing everything at the wall and figuring out what works since, more often than not if you have put the planning into it, the plan can work. I’ve had runs where I just carry around a heavy backpack and hurl it at people to one shot them, ones where I steal everyone’s candles in order to perform a séance on a few bosses, to even ones where I 'accidentally' stun my friends' characters for the entire duration of the fight.

As hysterical as planning encounters and combat can be, DOS2 also has an amazing story that does a great job standing on its own despite the 5 other games Larian Studios has made in the franchise. While there is a character that suffers from main character syndrome, all the other possible party characters have incredibly satisfying storylines that all lead to an unforgettable act 4 climax. The only complaint I have for it is that doing sidequests, acquiring new gear, and coming up with ridiculous builds is too much fun and it often makes the final encounters feel lackluster, which all in all is not as much of a complaint as it is just how enjoyable the game is to play.

Oneshot

Original Release Date: December 8th, 2016
Current Platforms: Playstation 4/5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Windows, MacOS.

As the name suggests, you truly only have one shot to play this game. While a lot of the more meta puzzles the game has have become somewhat tame compared to other recent indie titles, Oneshot surpasses that gimmick through its depressing, dying world. Everywhere you look is just a constant reminder that something is wrong, and that your only goal is to help this child Niko through it all. While relatively short, the worldbuilding and overall feel the game has makes it feel significantly longer than it actually is. Despite the short amount of time you spend with the different NPCs, I adore each and every one of them. 

While I know that in the introduction I mentioned how my must-play games are all ones I have played countless times, Oneshot is the sole exception. The game has put me in such an emotional standstill, where I want to go back and relive the memories, but doing so would result in me putting a bunch of pixels on my screen through hell and back again. While I did do this 4 times looking for secrets before the true ending was added, after experiencing it, I can never touch the game again on good terms without feeling bad. I will highly recommend checking out Oneshot and sorry in advance for the tears if you decide to play it.

Terraria

Original Release Date: May 16th, 2011
Current Platforms: Playstation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, IOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Windows, MacOS

No matter how many years go by, I will always know that someday I will return to do another playthrough of Terraria. After sinking well over 1.5k hours in both the base and modded versions of the game over the 12 years I’ve owned it, I still always get the itch to play it now and then which should be a testament to how timeless it is. For those of you who have never heard of Terraria before, it is a 2D sandbox game that has a focus on fighting bosses. This is not to say that the sandbox elements play second fiddle though, with thousands of decorative items just begging to be used. Terraria as a game will never truly die as the game has had 6 ‘final’ updates and is now for the most part placed in the hands of its community for both workshop and full-blown mods, including some from yours truly. It is also important to note that despite saying they are done with the game, I am incredibly doubtful that Re-Logic will ever stop updating the game. In the time of me starting this article and finalizing it, I have already sunk 48 more hours into the game.

While I’m sure that part of my love for Terraria stems from nostalgia of growing up with it, the game has grown over the 12(!!) years that it has been updated, going from a game loaded with Final Fantasy sprites to one of the best selling games of all time. While definitely a game that will need the wiki page open to help with progression at first, it is well worth it for the exploration alone. Each biome is littered with a whole host of creative enemies, rewarding items, a killer soundtrack, and usually a whole lot of hidden treasures. Given its popularity and reputation, you have probably already heard and played it, but if you have somehow managed to not see it, I cannot recommend it enough. It might take a little bit before the game clicks with you, but trust me when I say it is well worth it.

Honorable Mentions

Outer Wilds - A cute space exploration game that masterfully creates a well-lived in universe, Outer Wilds is difficult to talk about since so much of its enjoyment comes from piecing together a conspiracy board of events into a beautiful and airtight story.

Before Your Eyes - Beyond the interesting control concept, Before Your Eyes is an emotional rollercoaster that made me bawl for a solid half-hour when I finished it. Truly takes the phrase "Blink and you'll miss it" to another level.

Everhood - A weird amalgamation of Undertale, Guitar Hero, and an acid trip, Everhood is an absolute treat to play through. The first act is somewhat slow, but the second you get through it the game slams its hypothetical foot onto the accelerator and does not relent for the rest of the game.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG - Another game that both made me cry and qualifies as an experience, but for completely different reasons. This game is the video game equivalent to Tommy Wiseau's "The Room", and for better or worse it has been permanently seared into my memory. If you do decide to play this game, please be with a group of friends you can laugh at it with to truly enjoy the insanity that is YIIK.

With all that said, these are the some of my must play game recommendations! I'd say its a bit of a mix of critically acclaimed games, indie darlings, and a few diamond in the roughs, all of which I hold near and dear to my heart. Here's hoping that if any of you try them out, they can touch you in the same way that they have for me.

Have you played any of these and have some fun stories playing them? Feel free to share your adventures in the comments!

"Current Platform" availability is correct as of October 2023.