My Favorite Games of the Decade
Despite Nintendo’s weird miscalculation with the Wii U and the creeping influence of loot boxes and microtransaction-based revenue models, the 2010s were a great decade for video games. Looking back on the last ten years, I see a period of tremendous change within the gaming industry as well as my own life; what began with an Xbox 360 and a Wii in my college dorm room ended with a Nintendo Switch, PS4, and a VR headset in a dedicated gaming room in my house with a wife and a Golden Retriever.
In order to choose my ten favorite games of the past decade, I went with the games I had the most fun playing according to their year of release. These weren’t necessarily the “best games of the year,” per se, but they’re definitely my favorites.
Mass Effect 2 (2010)
A sci-fi experience that, in rare sequel fashion, wholly improved on the original. Tight combat, a high-stakes Suicide Mission-type storyline, and an ensemble of characters that made me want to discover every detail of their personalities. I love the universe of Mass Effect, and I’d love to return some day.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
An epic fantasy that manages to transcend its own technical issues and satisfies my wanderlust. Skyrim has a rewarding progression system and seemingly endless quests, including the Dark Brotherhood side plot, which is one of my favorite quests in any video game, ever. This game has been ported to practically every console in existence (I own it for Xbox 360, Switch, and PSVR) and there’s a reason for that: it holds up.
Dishonored (2012)
A dystopian action game that allows you to play as a psychopath who runs in guns blazing and kills every soldier they sees…or as a pacifist who is so stealthy that they can finish the game without ever being seen by an enemy. This is a game that rewards replaying the game, because the ending is quite different based on how you play. All told, I’ve played through it four times.
Fire Emblem: Awakening (2013)
A fantasy strategy game that hooked me when no other Fire Emblem game before it could. This game has lovable characters, challenging tactical combat, all underscored by an absolutely brilliant soundtrack. Plus, it’s the first in the series to include a gameplay mode that eliminates permanent character death for filthy casuals like me.
Mario Kart 8 (2014)
A classic racing title for a new generation. I’ve played more hours of Mario Kart Wii than I’m comfortable admitting, and this new version is a worthwhile successor. It provides excellent new tracks with anti-gravity components, interesting new items, upgraded visuals, and music played by real instruments. All I need is my sophomore year dorm room to complete the package.
Journey (2015)
A puzzle experience like no other. It only takes a few hours to start and finish this masterpiece, and there’s not a single word of spoken dialogue, and yet, it has one of the most emotive stories of any game I’ve ever played, and a gorgeous soundtrack by Austin Wintory. If anyone had any doubt that video games can be art, they only need this game to convince them otherwise.
Stardew Valley (2016)
A farming simulator developed entirely by one person. I’ve logged over 500 hours into this $15 game, and I still haven’t experienced everything there is to find in this little pixelated town. Just this month, the developer dropped yet another free update that adds even more content. I’m also delighted to report that the online Stardew Valley community is as delightfully wholesome as the game itself.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
An action adventure experience that sets a new standard for open world games. The vast open world is begging to be explored, full of treasure to find, enemies to conquer, goofy antics to experiment with, and Korok seeds to find under rocks…and everything is climbable. I’ve never played a game where heading off the beaten path was more encouraged. I can’t wait for the upcoming sequel.
Celeste (2018)
A platforming game with a lot of meat on its bones. I never expected a game where you jump from ledge to ledge to make me feel so many emotions, or even address themes of anxiety and depression in such respectful and thoughtful ways. This game is also brutally hard, but very fair. Because of how quickly it lets you try again, I never got discouraged, and every successful frame felt like a considerable accomplishment.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019)
Another strategy game that, upon reflection, I shouldn’t like nearly as much as I do. There are so many tedious chores to do in this game that to call it a grind is an understatement, but I’ve logged well over a hundred hours and I’m currently working on my second playthrough. I’ve started up several critically-acclaimed games since finishing Three Houses the first time (including The Outer Worlds, which is excellent, and Divinity: Original Sin II, which is deep and compelling), but somehow, I keep coming back to planning lessons for these anime stereotypes.
Honorable Mentions
The Walking Dead: Season One (2012) is a clunky-ass game with a kickass story. I cared very deeply about the welfare of Lee and Clementine, and their journey together broke my heart into millions of pieces.
Undertale (2015) is another game made by one person that is packed to the brim with wit and personality. Similar to Dishonored, you can choose the “Pacifist” route or the “Genocide” route; I chose the Pacifist, but unfortunately killed one enemy near the beginning and forgot about it.
Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu (2018) is a retelling of Pokemon Red and Blue, one of the iconic games of my childhood, but with new graphics and Pokemon Go-inspired gameplay mechanics. As a fan of both Pokemon Go and new graphics, I was 100% on board with this nostalgic cash grab of a game.
