The Top Games I Played This Year: My 6 Personal Time-Thieves

I don’t “sample” games. I commit. I move in. I start referring to the soundtrack like it’s a lifestyle choice. So if you’re looking for the top games I played this year, here are the six that hijacked my spare time and refused to give it back.

No rankings, because that turns into a hostage negotiation. Here are six games that had a unique impact on me—whether it was due to their enjoyable atmosphere, intense stress, or the feeling of wondering why it was already 2am.

Dune: Awakening

Dune Awakening Key Art

Survival MMO, but make it existentially dehydrated.

Arrakis isn’t a “setting.” It’s a living, breathing HR violation. Dune: Awakening nails the feeling that the planet is the final boss, the weather is your nemesis, and your plans are mostly just a polite suggestion to the universe.

• What it did best: emergent storytelling—every run turns into a tale of hubris.
• Why I kept coming back: tension you can feel in your teeth.
• The downside: survival games always include at least one moment of “this was preventable.”

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft

My comfort game that still knows how to punch me in the feelings.

WoW is the forever game. You can disappear for months, return, and instantly revert to the pattern of “one more key / one more boss / one more gear tweak” as if it were ingrained in your memory. And when the social chemistry is right, it still delivers those stupidly enjoyable MMO moments.

• What it did best: structured progression with room for chaos.
• Why it made the list: it’s still the best “home base” MMO energy.
• The downside: if you’re not careful, it becomes a second job with better mounts.

ARC Raiders

Extraction shooter stress, served stylish.

ARC Raiders is the rare extraction game that feels like a story generator instead of a spreadsheet with guns. Every run has that “we’re fine—oh no we’re not” pacing, where the plan collapses in real time and you’re forced to improvise like you’re in a sci-fi panic episode.

• What it did best: creating memorable runs without begging you to grind.
• Why it made the list: the tension-to-payoff ratio is chef’s kiss.
• The downside: you have to be in the mood to sweat.

The Outer Worlds 2

The Outer Worlds 2

Choice-driven RPG therapy (with better one-liners).

The Outer Worlds 2 scratches that specific itch: walking into a situation, reading the room, and deciding whether you’re going to be the responsible adult, the charming disaster, or the person who quick-saves before saying something unforgivable.

• What it did best: letting choices feel like character, not checkboxes.
• Why it made the list: it respects your agency and your curiosity.
• The downside: if decision paralysis is your hobby, welcome home.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Gorgeous, heavy, and not afraid to be weird.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is pure commitment. Tone, art direction, mood—everything is deliberate. It doesn’t explain itself like you’re new here, and I love it for that. It’s the kind of game that leaves a mark because it’s trying to say something, not just entertain you between battle passes.

• What it did best: atmosphere with teeth.
• Why it made the list: it commits to the bit and drags you with it.
• The downside: not a “cozy” game—more like a beautiful gut-punch.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Galactic Threads Key Art

The MMO I boot up when I want story first.

SWTOR is still my “I want to live in Star Wars for a while” button. The class stories remain the secret sauce, and the game is at its best when you let it be what it is: a narrative-driven MMO where your character actually feels like your character.

• What it did best: story-forward Star Wars immersion.
• Why it made the list: it’s comfort food with lightsabers.
• The downside: you can feel the age sometimes… until a story beat lands and you forgive everything.

TL;DR (For The Skippers)

• Dune: Awakening — survival MMO tension done right; Arrakis is your villain.
• World of Warcraft — the forever-game; comfort + chaos + progression loops.
• ARC Raiders — extraction shooter that creates stories every run.
• The Outer Worlds 2 — choice-driven RPG with personality and sharp writing.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — stylish, heavy, unforgettable vibes.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic — still one of the best “story-first” Star Wars games.

And yeah, if you played any of these this year too: I get it. We’re all the same brand of doomed.

AJ Hanson

AJ Hanson has been part of games media since 2011, writing, streaming, and ranting about the industry long before it was his job. He runs the Galaxy’s Edge Discord, the go-to community for fans of Disney’s Star Wars parks, and works as Marketing Director for the Virtual Cantina Network, helping produce shows, interviews, and fan events. A lifelong Star Wars fan and unapologetic nerd, AJ’s focus has always been on building spaces where people can connect, argue, and celebrate the things they love without all the corporate gloss.