The weather has gotten freaking cold all of a sudden. Wrapping up the games I've grinded through this year, Iโve put together a list of titles that I actually played all the way to the ending.
Just a heads up, this isn't a 'must-play' recommendation list. It's just a list of stuff I personally enjoyed, so it's super subjective. No need to get triggered.
TOP 10 Duck-kov (Ducky Tarkov) "The delicious casualization of the extraction genre" It took the love-hate relationship of Tarkov and turned it into a top-down shooter, making the high-barrier extraction genre accessible for casual players. The tension is light without being annoying, and the friendly, soft graphics make the process of growing your scruffy little character feel really satisfying.
The content is surprisingly deep, and for an indie game, the progression design toward the ending is impressively well-structured. It feels both light and deep at the same time, and the familiar 'Duck' visuals and rounded fonts help lower the intimidation factor.
If you've wanted to try shooters or extraction games but avoided them due to 'aim issues' or 'gear fear,' I think Duck-kov is a great choice in many ways. To be honest, it's not like I was screaming 'OMG I LOVE DUCKS' from start to finishโ the late-game dip in momentum was a bit of a letdown.
But the number of gamer bros around me who started 'leaving work early for Duck-kov' surprisingly increased, and I found myself instinctively clicking that duck icon on my desktop just for 'one more run.' That unique 'just one more' magic is why I rated it so high. It reminded me once again how important it is for a game to feel 'light.' Review: https://www.fmkorea.com/9117624933
TOP 9 Hades II "A sophisticated sequel to a GOTY winner" 'It's hell at first, but keep banging your head against it and it gets easier.' This sequel takes that process and removes a massive amount of the frustration. There's a bit of that 'Western art style' vibe that can be a hurdle for Eastern players, but once you start playing, you forget all that and just get sucked in.
In roguelikes, the ultimate enemies are the boredom that comes from repetition and the emptiness that follows death. Even past masterpieces often couldn't overcome this, leading to plenty of moments that make you want to rage-quit or delete the game.
But with various events and a massive amount of dialogue from the gods, they've minimized the genre's downsides as much as possible. I rarely felt that boring sense of 'deja vu.' Of course, it's hard to shake the feeling that it's an extension of the first game,
But personally, like BotW and TotK, I highly value sequels that build on a legendary reputation and evolve properly. So, I played Hades II all the way to the end without any negative vibes.
The best part of Hades is how the line between the start and death is blurred. Itโs like: Intro-Dev-Turn-Death-Intro-Dev-Turn... It moves so fast that you don't feel empty or have time to get pissed off.
At least through the mid-game, the boss patterns didn't feel unfair, and since you're constantly talking to NPCs with the loot you farmed, seeing the story and dialogue progress bit by bit makes death feel okay. Those unintentional 'god builds' you stumble into are so charming they give you every reason to keep the game running.
Honestly, the Early Access was a bit confusing in many parts, but now the intent and philosophy are clear, which is satisfying. Itโs a bit sad that the 'rough' edge of the first game is gone, but since roughness and sophistication rarely coexist, I get it. Itโs still the game I fire up whenever I have some awkward free time to dig into a new build. Review: https://www.fmkorea.com/9076479219
TOP 8 Hollow Knight & Silksong "The reason indie game prices are going up" It feels like an AA-grade game compressed into an indie package. A true 'transcendent' indie game and a synonym for the Metroidvania genre. Even for someone like me who hates bugs, the cute designs made me sink enough time to see multiple endings.
The difficulty is brutal and it's not 'kind' in many ways, but the synergy between the 'insignificant' charm of tiny bugs and the atmospheric artwork is magnetic. The contrast between the simple, effortless actions and the 'chewy' (impactful) combat feelโwhich is surprisingly low-fatigueโis top-tier.
However, since both are quite difficult, there's definitely an invisible wall. I hit the wall in Silksong almost immediately after Hollow Knight, screaming 'Isn't this a bit much?!' countless times.
But the moment you climb over that wall, you frustratingly realize you've adapted, making you think 'Damn, Team Cherry really put in the work.' I think it was aimed more at players who cleared the previous game than at newbies. Still, given the hype, it would've been nice if there was an Easy Mode for newcomers.
When you're exploring in the quiet early morning, forgetting all real-world thoughts, it feels like only the minimum sounds and visuals needed for perception exist. I loved that specific mood, and the way they balanced it with brutal enemies kept me hooked. Even though I'm not a big Metroidvania fan, the sense of challenge and curiosity made me want to start a New Game+.
Anyway, even as someone who doesn't prefer Metroidvanias, I had a blast with both. I finally understood why fans appeared at every single gaming event shouting 'Silksong? Silksong? Silksong?' Hearing that DLC is coming out fast, so I'm hyped. Review: https://www.fmkorea.com/8938861888
TOP 7 Lies of P: Overture "The Best Expansion of 2025" A masterpiece that stays faithful to the Soulslike skeleton while packing in incredibly satisfying animations. If the 'source' Soulslike games (FromSoft) are known for desperate, restrained, and calm animations,
This game offers a refreshing contrast with crisp action and the 'stiff' puppet-like movements. The clunky steampunk design just adds to the flavor. Since it was a DLC for a game I loved, I had high expectations, but the sheer jump in quality as I progressed made me wish it would never end.
In particular, the combo of that signature 'K-impact' (meaty hit feel) and the new Legion Arms was peak. Gunblade + Punk Shotgun = GOAT. There are many sections where the protagonist narrowly becomes stronger than the mobs, so exploring the fields was almost stress-free.
To be honest, at first, the fields felt so 'spicy' (hard) that I thought the devs were being too much. Lies of P had a bit of a horror vibe early on, and since I hadn't played since the post-launch patches, I had some bias.
But after calming my heart and doing a proper run, I realized my balloon-like muscle memory had just deflated. Once I got the hang of it again, it was totally doable.
Usually, Soulslike DLCs are just 'capsaicin brain-rot' fests designed just to be hard, but I think this hit the perfect lineโnot too spicy, not too mild.
Of course, it wasn't perfect. I wished for more interaction with the main story and more volume. You can see the traces of things they couldn't fit in due to various issues, though I wouldn't call it a 'flaw' per se. But man, if there was just one more field to explore, I would've been stuffed. Close one.
And any lingering disappointment from the DLC was offset by the QoL improvements made through consistent communication and patches since I last played. I didn't know a Soulslike could be this convenient. If they just made the move speed faster, it would've been the best. But I guess that would require re-tuning all the boss patterns, so it's tough.
Anyway, everything added was so charming that I did 4 extra runs on top of my original 7. I personally love parrying and Perfect Guards, but even setting that aside, it was a 'healthy' Soulslike experience with a Korean vibe. I'm already rooting for the 'K-devs' to hurry up and release Kazan and the sequel.
TOP 6 Trails in the Sky 1st Remake "The 2025 JRPG Dark Horse" If last year was Romancing SaGa, this year Trails in the Sky tugged at my heartstrings. It pleasantly reminded me that the 'Royal Road' (classic tropes) has a stable, reliable flavor. A game where the 'familiar taste' is the most dangerous.
"Users are praising the OP's high-quality reviews, though many are lamenting their own 'gamer aging' and inability to finish difficult titles like the ones listed. A lot of bookmarks are being dropped for future Steam sales!"
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