Game #29 of 2026: Aphelion - Don't Nod's latest narrative-driven, SCI-FI adventure game of sorts in collaboration with the ESA. It's got stealth segments, Uncharted cliff climbing and a bit of that Jusant rope dangling. I enjoyed my time with it! I completed the game with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #28 of 2026: Bubsy 4D - Fabraz's latest 3D platformer starring Bubsy and friends. I said this before, but the game felt more like a Demon Turf/Tides mod and lacks its own identity. "Curiosity killed the cat" one may say, but I completed the game at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

Made the connection that these underground ruins in Splatoon Raiders are more or less the caves from Pikmin 2 and I don't know how to feel about that lol

Game #27 of 2026: Little Nightmares III + The Backstage DLC - Supermassive Games' take on the LN franchise. I replayed the main game and got the Platinum trophy this time around. I also finished The Backstage DLC, which was a great addition. I like the game more now, but it's still no REANIMAL.

Game #26 of 2026: HOA - a 2D puzzle-platformer with nice visuals and a lovely soundtrack. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say about the game itself. The puzzling and platforming just isn't very interesting. It's also incredibly short. I completed the game with the Platinum trophy earned, though.

Am I the only person on this earth playing Aphelion? I can't help myself with all the not-so-great to good Don't Nod games that aren't Life is Strange. Give me Remember Me, Banishers, Jusant and whatever this is lol

Why was The Sheep Detectives so fucking good 😭

Game #25 of 2026: Junkster - a 3D platformer collect-a-thon with crafting elements where you play as a robot who's trying to rebuild their ship. Out of all of the indie 3D platformers I've played this year, this is the best one yet. I completed the game at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #24 of 2026: Under the Island - a 2D, top-down, action-adventure game clearly inspired by Nintendo's classics. It's a surprisingly competent Zelda-like with a decent OST, some clever puzzles, unique tools, and good dungeon design. I completed it at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #23 of 2026: Deer & Boy - a 2.5D cinematic puzzle-platformer clearly inspired by the works of Éric Chahi and other games in the sub-genre like INSIDE. It doesn't do anything particularly new, but I enjoyed it for what it was worth. I completed the game with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #22 of 2026: Darwin's Paradox! - a 2.5D cinematic puzzle-platformer where you play as an octopus in search of his loved one. Tonally, it's a bit of Mars Attacks! and Destroy All Humans! I liked it, but it's rough around the edges. I completed the game at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

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I finally finished vanilla Ys X. It only took me 3 years and 70 hours on Nightmare difficulty lol this game has a lot of issues but damn, Falcom sure knows how to reel me in towards the end. This series needs a reset, though. I don't think Ys should be as long as a Legend of Heores game.

I've been on a Ys kick lately. I started Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta during my flight yesterday and it served as a reminder that some of the more recent Ys games are missing the intro field/dungeon title card flybys. These are so essential imo, the cloud shadows and everything ugh 😫

From a week or so ago; I saw Between the Buried and Me for the umpteenth time. This was the second time at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento though. Fallujah and Imperial Triumphant opened. It's always fun to observe and live vicariously through the youth running in circles in the pit lol

I've been replaying DK64 on NSO for the first time since I was a teenager and I'm pretty sure this wannabe SM64 slide objective with the beetle added like 5 years of wear and tear on my new-ish N64 controller in a single night lol I eventually got it but god damn!

Game #21 of 2026: Adorable Adventures; a 3D adventure game where you play as a cute little boar who must use his nose to find his missing family. It was a super chill, non-linear collect-a-thon. The game could use a better name, though. I completed it at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #20 of 2026: Mina the Hollower; Yacht Club Game's top-down 2D genre hybrid of sorts. The game clearly wears its inspirations on its sleeve but it's so densely packed and mechanically layered. I completed the game with no active modifiers at 100%. It was (mostly) all killer no filler.

Game #19 of 2026: Wario World; Wario's first (and only) 3D adventure. Although some aspects of the game haven't aged well, I still love it. It's short but challenging if you don't use the garlic dispensers. I completed the game at 100% with everything collected. I miss Treasure.

Game #18 of 2026: Super Mario Galaxy 2; I haven't played SMG2 since the original Wii release, so it was nice to revisit the Switch version. It's still a masterpiece (although collecting the post-game Green Stars is very tedious). I completed the game at 100% again with all 242 Power Stars.

Game #17 of 2026: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book; Good-Feel's latest 2D puzzle-platformer. I completed the game with the true ending, collected all Smiley Flowers & all creatures, special studies and challenges have been explored. It was easily one of my favorite games of the year!

Missed this trend during my Marathon-induced social media blackout. My brother and I shared a collection growing-up, so between the two of us, these were likely among our #first5imports Gunner's Heaven King's Field I King's Field Additional I & II Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere Shadow Tower: Abyss

The new Yoshi game is pretty chill and fun. Reminds me of Wario Land 2/3, where you don't take damage and it's more cause and effect. The OST is so boring, though. It's my biggest disappointment so far. Good-Feel games just don't feel right without Tomoya Tomita. Some stages don't even have music 😫

Game #16 of 2026: Mixtape; an adventure game of sorts that plays like an interactive music video set to the backdrop of three best friends' last night together. It's well-made/produced, but I didn't connect with it as much as I hoped to. I completed the game with the Platinum trophy earned.

Game #15 of 2026: Gecko Gods; a 3D puzzle-platformer where you play as a tiny lizard. It's got a nice aesthetic and some fun exploration bits where you sail between islands, but the puzzles were fairly simple. It was fine. I completed the game at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.

Spoiler alert for my 2026 GOTY post (which probably won't be posted until February of 2027)... I don't think anything beats Pragmata when it comes to my "Favorite WARNING Screen" game this year. They're EVERYWHERE lol

I like Marathon A LOT. Hours logged are probably slightly skewed (since I've left the game running while sitting in the lobby for a bit), but I finally got the Platinum after 200+ hours along with 4 Titles along the way. I'll have a million things to say about it at some point...

Game #14 of 2026: REANIMAL; Tarsier Studio's successor to Little Nightmares. It's a masterclass in art direction and sound design. An evolution to what Éric Chahi first established with cinematic platformers/Another World. I finished the game with the true ending and earned the Platinum trophy.

I somehow made it to 40 today. I do miss hearing from my dad. I know he's rolling in his grave, considering the state of things here and abroad. And yes, I'm still just a kid at heart. I haven't been able to move on from ice cream cake with those little crunchies at the bottom since I was a kid ha

Game #13 of 2026: Planet of Lana II; Wishfully's sequel to their debut cinematic 2D platformer. Takeshi Furukawa's score completely elevated the experience. The cinematics and sound design are a step above the first game, too. I loved it. Completed the game at 100% with the Platinum trophy earned.