Any PC gamer that uses Steam (i.e. all of them) has the same problem. They have a lot of games. Too many games. Most of which remain unplayed. At the time of writing, I have 425 games in my Steam library. I don’t think I’ve played more than 50 of them.
I’ve decided to change that. I’m going to start playing through every single game in my library. What follows is a list of games I have played, finished (got to an ending), and completed (acquired all achievements).
11-11 Memories Retold
Status: Finished
11th November 1916, a young photographer leaves Canada to join the western front in Europe. The same day, a German technician is told that his son is missing in action. Both want to preserve their humanity and come back alive to their loved ones.
198X
Status: Finished
Continuing in my quest to play through my entire Steam Library, I complete my second game. 198X is a story about a teenage boy discovering a seedy arcade in the 1980s. Through the games he plays he starts to become absorbed into a new world, one where his imagination rules.
1993 Space Machine
Status: Played
In the early 90s four Swedish teenagers developed Shenandoah, a video game for the Amiga. They got close to release but ended up abandoning the game. About 20 years later the game’s code was found in a pile of old floppy disks, and the game was finally completed.
60 Parsecs!
Status: Played
You and your team are orbiting Earth on a space station when nuclear war breaks out. As you watch life being wiped off the surface of your home, one missile starts heading towards the station. There is no stopping it, and the only way out is a small escape pod.
ABZU
Status: Completed
For almost as long as video games have existed, it’s been hotly debated as to whether or not they can be art. I feel that in this day and age the question has already been answered. But sometimes you will play something and be forced to ask a different question.
Action Henk
Status: Played
Run. That’s all you need to do in this fast paced and colourful game. If you weren’t into speed running before you play this game, you will be. Butt slide you way to new characters and levels, but remember it’s Henk, not Hank. With an E.
Bad North: Jotunn Edition
Status: Finished
I find yet another roguelite game (they seem to be the trend so far) in my Steam Library. This time it’s a simple strategy game where you defend your home against Viking invaders. Short and sweet, but there is a little more depth to this game than it first seems.
The Banner Saga
Status: Finished
The Banner Saga is part tactical combat game, part interactive story. It’s a game that absorbs you into an entirely new fantasy world. It’s a story of heroes, but also one of survival, as you also will need to maintain your supplies and the people that follow you.
Borderlands 2
Status: Played
When I first moved to China I was working for 2K Games China. The project was to be Borderlands Online, but it was unfortunately cancelled before release. Despite this, I never got around to playing Borderlands 2. I played the first game, but never the second.
Capitalism 2
Status: Played
This week I spent some time playing a tough game that tries to emulate our economic system. People often ask “if capitalism is so good, why isn’t there a Capitalism 2?” Well, there is, and it’s in my Steam library.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Status: Completed
Might and Magic is one of the oldest CRPG series that I never really got into. Starting with microcomputers in 1986, 3DO were steadily releasing games until they were sold the rights to Ubisoft.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Status: Finished
One of the most beloved classic adventure games of the ’90s, Day of the Tentacle, returns in a beautifully remastered version that breathes new life into a quirky, time-traveling tale.
Eliza
Status: Completed
This is probably the most important game I’ve ever played. It’s the most important game you will ever play. It touches on themes that are even more relevant now than 2019, the year it was released, in particular the uses of AI and it’s moral implications.
Felix the Reaper
Status: Finished
This week I play a challenging romantic comedy about death. A puzzle game where you are a dancing reaper, ensuring that the right people die, and die in the right way. With narration by the great Patrick Stewart, what’s not to like.
Frostpunk
Status: Completed
Another post-apocalyptic game, this one is set in a world that has become a frozen wasteland. You take the role of leader as the survivors attempt to rebuild society. In this game your greatest enemy is the environment itself.
- Tough Decisions
- Hoping for Coal
- The Battle of the Londoners
- Warning from the Refugees
- An Empty Victory
Galak-Z
Status: Played
Sometimes it’s possible to implement everything perfectly, yet still end up with a product that doesn’t quite work. Galak-Z is a game that seems to be trying something new. And, while all the individual components that make up the game work, they don’t quite fit together.
Grim Dawn
Status: Played
There are games that are extremely popular that I just don’t get. Grim Dawn has a loyal fanbase and a Very Positive rating on Steam. Yet after three hours, I still can’t understand the appeal. Am I out of touch, or is it the children who are wrong.
Haiku, the Robot
Status: Finished
I tried to get into Hacknet, but it wasn’t working for me. I don’t think it’s a problem with the game, it’s just that a game that simulates hacking into servers felt a little bit too much work for me. So instead I’ve been playing Haiku the Robot, a Metroidvania where you play a robot in a post-nuclear world.
I Hate Running Backwards
Status: Played
Another roguelite I found in my collection. I seem to have a lot of these for some reason. This one is a top down rail shooter where you run backwards and destroy everything that was in your path.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition
Status: Finished
I started playing Jotun, a game that is based on Norse mythology. You play Thora, a dead viking, who must prove herself to the gods so she can enter Valhalla. Doing this means exploring the Nine Realms, finding runes, and defeating giants.
Kathy Rain
Status: Finished
Another point-and-click adventure, this one with a more adult and darker theme. A student learns of her grandfather’s death, and on attending his funeral is sucked into a mystery that consumes a small town in America.
Kingdom: New Lands
Status: Played
This week, a simple game about growing and expanding a small kingdom. Coated with gorgeous pixel-art, this simple game has more depth to it than you realise. It’s both an adventure in discovering mechanics, and an enjoyable roguelite challenge.
Labyrinthine Dreams
Status: Finished
This week I played a puzzle game full of mazes, made using RPG Maker, a popular tool used to make JRPG-style games. It’s short and easily completed. But I’m not so sure it’s worth spending an hour or two of your life to play through this one.
Mini Settlers
Status: Completed
I did a bad thing. I stifled my attempt to play my entire Steam library by adding a new game. But I couldn’t resist playing this free demo for what looks like will be an extremely fun game when it gets released. Simple to play, but hard to win.
Portal 2
Status: Finished
I’ve played through this classic game before, but apparently I’ve never played it through Steam. So for the sake of completeness I decided to revisit the game so I can add another notch to my Steam bedpost. Any excuse to play through this fantastic sequel again.
Risk: Global Domination
Status: Played
The classic board game brought to Steam. It’s a fun, if frustrating experience. After a steep learning curve I started to get a handle on the game, but I’ve still a ways to go.
Rogue Tower
Status: Played
Outside of what I’ve been writing about on here, it turns out I’ve played a lot of games this year. More than I expected, in fact. According to Steam, I played 32 different games this year. And I’m a little surprised at which games I played the most.
Slay the Spire
Status: Finished
While I was away for Christmas I wanted a game to play during my downtime. Slay the Spire is available for mobile. I spent a lot of time playing the Steam version, so I decided to try the Android version. It’s pretty fun to play on a phone as it turns out.
Small World
Status: Played
Another board game adaptation, Small World is a fun, short game that can be played in about 30 minutes. It’s a very simple game, but it has depth to it that makes it difficult to master.
Spec Ops: The Line
Status: Finished
Due to licensing issues with the music, Spec Ops: The Line has been delisted from several platforms, including Steam. I happened to have it in my library already, so I figured it was a good time to give it a full playthrough.
Super Meat Boy
Status: Played
Years ago I played a challenging flash game called “Meat Boy”, in which you had to speed-run levels, avoiding obstacles. Later, a sequel would be released across multiple platforms, and from what I heard it was a good game. I never found out because I never played it.
Thermo Sudoku
Status: Played
The Pandemic and Cracking the Cryptic have led to a resurgence in Sudoku popularity, so Studio Goya teamed up with Cracking the Cryptic to bring a large collection of Sudoku puzzles.
THOTH
Status: Played
THOTH, unlike the Egyptian god of the same, is a minimalist game that feels like playing a work of abstract art. It was created by Jeppe Carlsen, former lead developer on Limbo and Inside. It’s a game of short, fast-paced action and problem solving.
Vampire Survivors
Status: Completed
My second most played game last year was Vampire Survivors. You probably heard of it, since it was a bit of a craze for a while. The insane statistic I have for this game though, is that I unlocked 160 achievements playing it.
Western Press
Status: Played
Set in the Wild Wild West, Western Press is a game focused on pistol duelling. You need to be quick on the draw at dawn, at dusk, or at any other time.