Volnus

If I had to be honest, these game sites aren’t really the best anymore (post-Flash, that is). Don’t get me wrong, these sites used to be great, especially in the mid-2000s, but Flash has changed everything. I think ArmorGames has already switched to HTML5, but there just aren’t as many games to play as there were before the Flash kill-switch. As for Kongregate, they’re operated by MTG (Modern Times Group) now, and the biggest problem right now with Kongregate is the lack of achievements (no new badges + recycled Kongpanions).

Personally, I would just look for .io games. Itch.io has been one of my favorites recently for looking for games to play.

Never even heard of Legends of Runeterra or Battle Chasers: Nightwar before, but I guess it’s nice to see games other than all-time popular mobile games like Pokémon GO, Candy Crush Saga, etc. I haven’t been keeping track of mobile games lately, but Genshin Impact, I’ve heard is good.

I’ve tried Rocket League for the Nintendo Switch, and it’s probably one of the best free-to-play multiplayer games for the console. Even if you’re not into soccer, it’s still a fun game.

If the last Madden game you’ve played was from 5 years ago, then I think Madden 22 might be worth it, especially since you’ll see a more noticeable difference between the older Madden and the newer Madden.

But if you’ve played a recent Madden game, like Madden NFL 21, then I think it’s a bit pointless to get Madden NFL 22… unless you’re some huge sports fan or just a game collector, or if there’s a feature that really catches your eye.

Personally, I’m not too huge on sports, so I tend to skip on certain titles. And most of my friends tend to do the same whether it’s FIFA, Madden, or some other sports video game. Plus I think there’s generally a negative view on EA, especially the way they market their games, so buying a new sports game a year after the previous sports game just doesn’t seem all that appealing.

Modding just depends on the game itself and what rules the game developers impose. If it’s an old game, modding can rejuvenate that game by adding more content. Some mods even spawn their own games, like how DOTA became it’s own standalone game. And then you have games like Minecraft and Garry’s Mods with probably the largest modding community of all time. I think game mods are fun as they enhance the game, but they can be quite frustrating to set up.

VR is still too early for wide-scale use, so I don’t really see it being as useful in most of education and at work. I think there needs to be more focus on improving motion control technologies, improving DPI resolution, and cutting down the weight on these headsets. But if VR can get those three things right, you can probably expect simulation to be the next big thing.

I think especially if the games are for more modern devices or if they’re remastered, they’re fun to replay, because it’s kind of a different experience. For instance, someone might have grown up playing console games on a CRT television, but maybe that game is remade on a newer console, then it’s like a new experience when you play it on an HD monitor.

Other games are just good to revisit, especially if they have updates. Online games like Minecraft and World of Warcraft tend to receive patches, updates, etc., so if you take a long break, revisiting those games is like relearning the game and also learning new things about the game.

As for board games, I personally don’t think some of them have aged well. Games like Monopoly and Scrabble can be boring, even when returning to them, because there’s usually a winning strategy that most people have figured out after playing the game in early years (more so in games like Monopoly and Guess Who). A lot of newer board games, even tabletop games and card games, have some sort of gimmick or strategy that keeps the game interesting, even after years.

Dolphin’s quite nice. It’s a good way to play old games that haven’t had a modern re-release, especially games that are hard to find physical and digital copies of anymore. Plus you can use it on any of the three main operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux) or even on Android which is quite convenient.

Looks kind of neat. Kind of doubt that you’ll be able to apply these skills to actual driving, but I think this sort of top-down driving game is a great way to test your reflexes.

I would consider retro games to still be relevant today (maybe even popular depending on how you use that term relative to other games or genres), especially within indie game development. For instance, Team Meat (Super Meat Boy), Yacht Club Games (Shovel Knight), WayForward (Shantae), Toby Fox (Undertale), Terry Cavanagh (VVVVVV), Hempuli (Baba Is You), and Studio Pixel (Cave Story) are all examples of independent game developers.

Also I wouldn’t consider Super Mario Odyssey to be a “retro” game since it’s just too modern. Just because a titular character from the 80s is in a game from the late 2010s doesn’t make that game “retro”. Retro typically refers to game design characteristics mimicking features of older hardware, such as 8-bit and 16-bit art, sound and music.

I’ve always enjoyed “underdog” games, since it can be rewarding to move from last place to first place (or even watch last place players move to first place). For instance, maybe you’re on a losing streak, but then at the very last moment, you sweep your opponent by constantly winning each round, because you were setting up the game with traps, spells, and hazards (which is especially true in TCG/CCGs or in turn-based RPGs). But of course, that’s not exactly an “underdog” game, but more of an “underdog” play style to a game, and I think this article mainly talks about “underdog” play styles rather than “underdog” games.

But when it comes to “underdog” games (not play styles), the best I could think of is Mario Kart, because the game always balances out to give last-place player a chance to catch up. For instance, you’re in 8th place, then as you grab a mystery box, the item from that box is something useful like a bullet bill, a star, or a blue shell which can help you catch up in the race. I don’t think there’s a single game that’s deserving of being called “underdog” more than the Mario Kart series. And with this sort of underdog game, it doesn’t “require much research, attention, or sensitivity to various factors and variables” since the game determines how to balance itself out.

I think CS:GO skins are great, if that’s what people enjoy about the game. Personally, I feel like games focused primarily on gameplay, especially FPS gameplay, really don’t benefit as much on skins as games that are more social, like a handful MMORPGs. For both MMOFPS and FPS, I just prefer the gameplay, not so much skins, so it’s not something worth it from my point of view.