Before we get started… if you’re here on December 11 or 12 and own a device with iOS, click here first to get your free copy of Kingdom Two Crowns!
On to the content…
There is a common trope that publishers and developers in the games industry ironically don’t have a lot of time to play games. I don’t want to dismiss that this may be reality for some, but I will say that since the pandemic began and I started at Raw Fury, my gameplay hours have risen dramatically. From building out an R6 Siege dream team at the House of Fury to literally straining my eyes trying to beat Atomicrops, I have gone from a console-only, once or twice a week casual gamer to a sci-fi desk chair, stays-late-at-work-because-my-PC-here-is-better, Capital-G Gamer.
When Furious CEO Actually Jónas Antonsson tweeted a couple weeks ago asking folks for their favorite games they played this year but DIDN’T work on, I was excited to see what my colleagues (at RF and in the industry) had to say. So excited, in fact, that I brought the question to work and made more of them tell me their answers so I could tell you.
Now, without further ado, in no particular order, the Furies’ Non-Fury Favorites, compiled for you by 1-year-Fury Elena.
Death’s Door
“Death’s Door was a genuine delight to play. There’s not a single misplaced polygon in this well-crafted action/adventure gem, and the music is a treat!” – Elisabeth
Bonfire Peaks
“Set your possessions on fire in this brilliantly well designed puzzle game” – Dario
Baba Is You
“Baba Is You! I know, not a new game, but free level editor update should basically count as such. Even if you’re not an aspiring puzzle/level designer, playing other players’ wonderful abominations is a great addition to already great game.” – Dario, again!
The Hex
“A fun parody about game development, very self referential and meta, I had a great time playing through The Hex. And as all good games it managed to give me a gut punch.” – Naseer
Phasmophobia
“This game has brought me to tears of laughter and absolute terror, throwing my headset off and being told to “STFU” from my house mates at 1am. The dev is living the indie dream in terms of success and has proven that a good idea, even roughly executed, matters more to gamers than we like to think.” – Paul
Dota 2
“Dota 2 counts? I’ve binged 2 weeks during International 10 this year which guess what? First time ever it was held in Bucharest, my hometown and on the last minute they cancelled public access to the tournament, therefore I had the chance to cheer outside the stadium for a couple of times, yeah, I went there just to be close to the action and shout out my love for this game. Playing it for 16 years or so.” – Cristian
Crown Trick
“One of the few games I finished 100% achievements and wasn’t enough. Will stay with me for years.” – Ivan
Ape Out
“The best game that I’ve played this year is probably Ape Out. The developers have managed to create a crazy game with such a simple concept. The gameplay loop is addictive in the best of ways, the art style reminds me of the older Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the soundtrack is an absolute b e a s t (pun mostly intended).” – Filip
Inscryption
“I am obsessed with Inscryption! Imagine a minimalistic Magic the Gathering that had a baby with an escape room. That baby is now a creepy little pile of secrets. No peeking, just go play the damn thing!” – Angelica
Maquette
“Maquette took me to such a beautiful place. Its space within spaces puzzles put me perfectly in the receptive headspace to take in the relationship story it reflected. With bonus points for being so perfectly San Francisco and phenomenal music. It’s an indie gem.” – Garnett
Hades
“This year Hades took both myself and the speedrunning community as a whole by storm. With such an enjoyable gameplay loop, fun optimisations and many variable paths to take it really elevated the game even further than its brilliant story, diverse characters and incredible writing had already placed it.” – Matt
Rocket League
“As the dad of a 1.5 year old, the short, intense, fun, frustrating, amazing and unpredictable Rocket League keeps being my go to game. Finally made Champion too! Only took 1650-ish hours (since release).” – Roland
Yes, Your Grace
“Thrown in to the shoes of a ruler of a kingdom that has certainly seen better days, with an impending siege on the horizon. You’ll quickly realize that no matter how much you try; you can’t solve every problem that comes your way.” – Liam
Cyberhook
“A wonderful trek through a retrowave universe, featuring a grappling hook and an incredible sense of flow.” – Also Liam
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Horn of the Abyss
“Now this one can be seen as unfair. How could other games compete with the greatest game ever made? Truth is they cannot! This has been another unique year of global pandemic but one of the greatest times I have had during has to be getting together with the “Heroes Covid Gang Gang” for our first IRL Heroes 3 LAN. It is truly amazing how a game that has been with us for 22 years still feels so at home to play. And how could it be mentioned without giving a nod to the dedicated HotA team that has kept on adding to the game for so many years keeping it fresh. Heroes 3 is still as magical as it felt when I first met it at 8 years old.” – Zeke
Carto
“And finally, my own favorite. Carto was clever and cute and I shamelessly played the whole thing in one Saturday. Would recommend to anyone, plus, while it might be a little challenging for younger kids, it could be a fun one to play together as a fam!” – Elena
