A big ol' list of the games we’ve given the coveted bestest bests badge to this year
Out of all the games we’ve given any kind of review treatment throughout the year, only a handful of them recieved RPS’s coveted Bestest Best badge; just 23, to be exact. I’ve gathered them all in one big round-up bundle below (there areround-upsof our favourite bits from other sections of the site, too), and they make a great collection of games. Have a scroll and click on any that take your fancy for the full review. Enjoy!
An essential for MCU fans. Midnight Suns is an ambitious tactics RPG that captures the fast fun of its comic book source material, and a brilliant marriage of intellectual conundrums and turn-stretching power fantasy.
Pentimentis an enthralling murder mystery that uses the rich backdrop of 16th-century medieval Europe to masterful effect.
Signalisis like playing a classic survival horror on your PS1, but you accidentally spilled a bucket of raw meat in the disc tray. Also, your PS1 is possessed by a malevolent cosmic entity that you’re madly in love with.
Saturnaliais a pulse-raising, shiver-making, dark little whisper; a beautiful horror game, and guaranteed you won’t have played anything like it before.
A focused and fantastic first serving from a new genre for this accomplished indie dev.
A creative mashup of roguelite and management sim with oodles of character and charm, Cult Of The Lamb is a great (albeit finite) time for players with an evil streak.
A remarkable tale about the best cat in video games finding their way home through a dense and rich post-apocalypse. A must-play for cat lovers, and it also breaks new ground for action adventure fans.
A speedrunning fps with tight level design and satisfying movement, Neo White is a solid, speedy romp polished to a mirror sheen and oozing with style.
Hardspace Shipbreaker’s 1.0 release delivers a compelling work sim where methodically salvaging derelict spaceships is as enormously satisfying as it is thought-provoking.
A deep and chunky world that sets itself apart from other roguelikes. Unexplored 2 makes the player feel adventurous and special. Even when you’ve got no money, no XP, and no shoes.
A deep and riveting turn-based tactics game, Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters embraces the mayhem to create one of the most thrilling strategy epics of recent years.
Dorfromantikhas grown to become a puzzle game for the ages. Its soft approach to strategy makes it instantly accessible but challenging at the same time, and its chill, lilting soundtrack soothes the soul.
A perfectly paced retro-inspired FPS which’ll have you wishing every future video game protagonist is outfitted with a chainsaw for a leg. It’s an all-consuming delight.
Rootin' tootin' and the ol' time loopin'. Arkane founder’s first indie outing is a chaotic soup of colliding systems, and that soup tastes absolutely delicious.
A recursive Sokoban puzzler that constantly surprises and delights, Patrick’s Parabox is a source of infinite joy. The sheer brilliance of Patrick’s puzzles makes it stand out.
Elden Ring is an action-RPG with an open world that’s not only incredibly rich, but encouraging too. This game will be the talk of the Blighttown for years to come.
A delightful adventure powered by toys and fun, but with a heartfelt warning. FAR: Changing Tides is a little more barbed that its predecessor, but there’s hope - and surprises - to be found.
A rewarding and excellently made third-person action game with fantastic level design, and plenty of passion for kung fu. Sifu is incredibly good at encouraging experimentation and balancing difficulty.
OlliOlli World’s platforming skateventures are skin-blisteringly good. This game may become responsible for hundreds of game pads laid low by kickflip-induced stick drift.
Strange Horticulture is part ideal life sim and part puzzle adventure, where running an arcane plant shop is quiet, meticulous, delightful, dark, and beguiling.
God Of War is a fantastic action-adventure epic with beauty, bleakness and heart. Believe the hype: it really is very good.
A more than worthy successor to Monster Hunter: World, Rise elevates the series to new heights with this gorgeous new PC port. Another stonking addition to the series.
