Video Games We’re Thankful for in 2022

As we take part in this festive time of year, Siliconera staff gets together to reminisce about the new 2022 video game releases we’re most thankful for. We’re ready to share some of our favorites, and we’d love to know which new games you’ve appreciated playing so far too.

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a game that had been on my radar prior to launch, but I probably would have never actually played it if it wasn’t for Siliconera. It’s one that has become a personal favourite, between its worldbuilding and its art style. Though some of the writing is a bit too on the nose, it is a fun game with an insane amount of replay value. Posting about it online has also helped me to reconnect with some old mutuals since they were fans of it as well. It’s a comfy and idealistic game to play when you just want to have a good time. I’m very excited to see what future patches will bring. — Stephanie

Shockingly, out of the 2022 video games I’ve played so far, I think I’m most thankful for Harvestella. Even though everything about it screams, “This is a game Jenni will play and love,” the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay seemed a little janky and I wasn’t sold on it. That is, until I played it. The localization is absolutely incredible. I love most of the characters. Also, while some elements aren’t perfect, it tells a fantastic story and is a lot of fun to play. — Jenni

I am thankful for DNF: Duel and its wild play style. I really enjoyed the ridiculous movesets of the characters. Especially my boy, Troubleshooter, and his screen-filling Get On Fire blasts. Every match felt like utter chaos that could turn around with some massive long range attack out of nowhere. Me and my pals were always howling and jumping out of our seats at the unexpected turns and crushing defeats (if I get caught in another Inquisitor Burning Wheel, I swear…). So many fun, powerful moves and great character designs made it a blast to play. — Joel

It’s been a tumultuous 2022, not just for the world but for me personally, with various waves both personal and professional rocking my figurative boat. That kind of stormy weather, familiar and reliable things are what you tend to look for, and Tactics Ogre Reborn was that thing for me.
Sure, it’s technically a recent release, barely two weeks old at this point, but as a remake of 2010’s Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, but it brought back very fond memories of whiling hours away submerged in fantasy worlds with my PSP (and later my PS Vita). I even dug out my special set of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together tarot cards to gawp at for a while.

It’s a near-perfect recreation, and even enhancement of one of the best tactical RPGs of all time, and though some of its foibles haven’t aged as well in the new age of “quality of life” design, it’s well worth the look. — Joel

While I’ve enjoyed a lot of games in 2022, the one that most earns my thanks is Live A Live. It’s a loving treatment of a game that didn’t totally demand one, and an example of how you can revitalize an old design to appeal to modern audiences. Mostly, it shows a path for localizing a game way after release, and I want to see more projects follow its lead. (Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, perhaps?) — Graham