Well, well, well, here we are in 2026. Time flies when you're having fun, or when you're stuck in a time loop playing the same darn game for the hundredth hour. Looking back, 2022 was a real doozy, wasn't it? A year that gave us some absolute stinkers, sure, but also, thank the gaming gods, gave us Elden Ring. That one game was so massive it basically balanced the entire year's karmic scales of quality all by its lonesome. As the self-appointed, totally official arbiter of taste (I have a certificate somewhere, I swear), I've spent the last few years deliberating, re-playing, and arguing with my cat about the definitive, final, no-takesies-backsies ranking of 2022's best. Buckle up, buttercup, because we're diving into my top ten. You're welcome to agree.

10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Man, this game was a vibe. What started as a casual "let's check this out for a hot minute" session with my partner turned into an all-nighter fueled by pizza (thematically appropriate) and pure, unadulterated nostalgia. We went in blind and came out the other side grinning like idiots. It just stuck with me, you know? Like a piece of gum on a hot sidewalk. Under the microscope, it's a masterclass in side-scrolling beat 'em ups. It's got that perfect recipe: easy to pick up, impossible to put down, and packed with enough turtle power to make you want to shout "Cowabunga!" even if you're a grown adult. Which I am. Mostly.

9. PowerWash Simulator

Let's get philosophical for a sec. I like to pretend each level is my conscience, and the grime is the cumulative weight of my life's poor decisions. Given that the levels get progressively filthier, I think we can all agree I'm probably going to hell. But hey, at least it's a zen, meditative journey to damnation! The satisfying pshhhh of the water, the gradual reveal of clean surfaces... it's weirdly cathartic. Also, there are cats. You can power wash around cats. 10/10, no notes. Well, maybe one note: my water bill is terrifying.

8. Scorn

Ever have one of those nights where you just want to be alone with your thoughts, surrounded by pulsating bio-mechanical horror and vague sexual anxiety? No? Just me? Cool, cool. Scorn is that mood, bottled and sold as a video game. It's a quiet, deliberately paced, and profoundly unsettling walk through a landscape that looks like H.R. Giger's basement. It's not "fun" in the traditional sense; it's an experience. The art design is, for lack of a better word, striking. I spent more time standing still and gawking at the architecture than I did actually solving puzzles. Every new room was a screenshot waiting to happen, a masterpiece of "what the actual heck am I looking at?" It's the perfect game for when you want to feel contemplative and also slightly nauseous.

7. Escape Academy

Co-op puzzle games live and die by the company you keep, and let me tell you, sharing a brain cell with my bestie in Escape Academy was an absolute blast. This game is like a visual novel and an escape room had a quirky, colorful baby. The premise of being a trainee at a school for elite escape artists is just plain charming. But let's cut to the chase: the puzzles are the real MVP. They hit that sweet spot of being challenging enough to make you feel like a genius when you solve them, but never so obtuse that you want to throw your controller at the wall (mostly). It's a fantastic platform for shared triumph and mutual frustration. A true test of any friendship.

6. As Dusk Falls

Another co-op banger! Who knew 2022 was the year of "let's make important life decisions together while screaming at the TV"? I went into As Dusk Falls with the enthusiasm of a sloth, expecting another clunky narrative game. Boy, was I wrong. This interactive drama does something magical: it makes your choices feel real and impactful, even the tragic ones. Unlike some other choice-based games where a missed QTE feels like the game is personally punishing you, here, every twist and turn feels like a natural, gripping part of the story. It's tense, it's emotional, and it proves you don't need flashy gameplay to tell a compelling story. You just need good writing and the ability to make me feel guilty for getting a fictional character killed. Bravo.

5. Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Listen, I was in a dark place. I was craving a new XCOM-like fix and a good Warhammer 40k game. Then Daemonhunters descended from the heavens, clad in ceramite and warding off the corruption of my free time. This game is a match made in the Emperor's divine light. It takes the turn-based tactics we know and love, strips out some of the infuriating RNG (goodbye, 95% chance to miss!), and slaps on a thick layer of glorious 40k grimdark. You're not just any soldiers; you're the Grey Knights, the psychic super-soldiers who fight demons. It encourages bold, aggressive tactics that just feel right. The narrative depth from the setting is the cherry on top of a very satisfying, purgatorial cake. For the Emperor!

4. Grounded

I love survival games. There, I said it. There's something primal about starting with nothing and building your little empire. But Grounded? Grounded is special. It takes the often-gritty, post-apocalyptic survival formula and shrinks it down into your own backyard. It's "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" meets a Saturday morning cartoon, and it's absolutely delightful. The world is vibrant and full of personality. The enemy design is top-notch—seeing a ladybug up close is one thing, but seeing it heroically charge a wolf spider when you're the size of a thumb is pure, emergent storytelling magic. It's terrifying, charming, and infinitely creative. A true standout in a crowded genre.

3. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Oh, Darktide. You beautiful, janky, magnificent mess. Placing this one was tough. At its core, it's the Warhammer 40k FPS I've dreamed of since I was a kid. The atmosphere? Immaculate. The in-mission gameplay, whacking heretics with a chainsword? Chef's kiss. It's pure, unadulterated fun. But let's be real, at launch it had more rough edges than a heretic's rusted knife. The progression was thin, the hub felt like a budget airport terminal, and mission variety needed work. But here's the thing: the core loop is so damn good that I looked past all of it. Knowing Fatshark's track record, I knew they'd polish this diamond in the rough. And guess what? By 2026, they absolutely have. It's evolved into the definitive 40k co-op experience. The things it does right, it does exceedingly right. The hours I've sunk into purging the unclean are a testament to that.

2. Vampire Survivors

Yes, I'm basic. I'm a sheep. I've fallen in line with the hive mind. And I don't care one bit. Vampire Survivors is a masterpiece of "less is more" design. The premise is stupidly simple: move, auto-attack, survive, die, unlock stuff, repeat. But the devil is in the details—or rather, the lack thereof. The genius is in the passive build-crafting. There's something hypnotically satisfying about carefully selecting your upgrades, accidentally creating a god-tier build, and then just... walking. Watching your character become an unstoppable screen-clearing deity with rainbow lasers and magical birds while you barely lift a finger is a unique kind of power fantasy. It's the video game equivalent of potato chips. You can't have just one run. I've spent a frankly embarrassing amount of time with this game, and I regret nothing.

1. Elden Ring

Let's not kid ourselves. There was never any other choice. In no universe, timeline, or alternate dimension was Elden Ring going to be anything but my number one. The hype was astronomical, the questions were unanswerable: How do you make Soulsborne open-world? Will it have a horse? CAN YOU JUMP?! FromSoftware didn't just answer these questions; they crafted a masterpiece that redefined the genre. They took their impeccable level design and sprinkled it across a vast, breathtaking, and terrifying landscape. The sense of discovery is unparalleled. That feeling of stumbling upon a hidden cave, a forgotten city, or a boss that makes you question your life choices is pure magic. It's a game that demands your attention, punishes your mistakes, and rewards your perseverance with some of the most cathartic victories in gaming history. Beating a tough boss in Elden Ring feels better than most real-life accomplishments. It's not just my 2022 Game of the Year; looking back from 2026, it's one of the greatest games ever made. Period. End of story. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for another journey to become the Elden Lord. Wish me luck—I'm gonna need it.