The 5 best games of 2018

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Year-end lists are a wasted opportunity, a relic from the heyday of magazines and newspapers, a recap of the recommendations you missed because an issue got lost in the mail or consumed by the family dog. They tend to be a bit foggy (why did I like this game, again?) and incomplete (what came out in January?). Worse, they arrive when we’re too busy with the holidays to put the lists to their intended use. A list of the best games of the year is more useful, more thoughtful and more complete, we believe, if it accumulates all year long.

That’s why we made a change. Throughout the year, the Polygon team collected its game of the year list in real time. We updated the list as new games made the cut. Now, with 2018 in the books, we’ve reorganized that list, ranking entries into a Top 50. In January, we’ll start the process over with a new rolling list.

You may notice the inclusion of games that were either fully released or made available in Early Access prior to 2018. Because many games change from update to update, let alone year to year, we will include previously available games that receive a significant update within the year or become available on a platform that substantially impacts how that game is experienced. For example, Fortnite Battle Royale is included, ranked No. 13, because we feel its recent seasons were the first great game of 2018.

Don’t worry too much about the ranking. It’s a fun and light exercise. Ultimately, we recommend all of these games. That’s why we’ve included a bit on what makes each one special: so you can find the best games of 2018 for you.

5- NI NO KUNI 2: REVENANT KINGDOM

No, you needn’t have played the first Ni no Kuni to enjoy its sequel, a feverishly optimistic (and welcomingly naïve) Japanese role-playing game inspired, in part, by the works of Studio Ghibli. Its colorful animation conceals a rich but not overly complicated kingdom-management system that gives the adventure a grand sense of scope. A fairytale storyline gives its motley band of heroes a playful pep that feels anachronistic, if not flagrantly in conflict with our times.

Here’s Cameron Kunzelman’s take from our review: “There’s not a wasted breath or a plot point that doesn’t manage to pay off in a significant way. Ni no Kuni 2 is a solid contemporary JRPG that brings a lot of design ideas that I love into sharp, clear focus while staying entertaining and engaging throughout.”

—Chris Plante

Available on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

4-CAPTAIN TOAD: TREASURE TRACKER

When Nintendo released Super Mario 3D World on Wii U — you know, the console that barely anybody owned — the game maker included a handful of experimental levels starring perennial Mario sidekick Toad. They were wonderful little puzzle boxes in which players guided the waddling Toad through diorama-like levels to collect stars. Nintendo later expanded that idea into a full game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Unfortunately, it too was doomed on the Wii U. Now available on Switch, one of Nintendo’s most underappreciated projects is getting the audience it deserves.

Treasure Tracker is a puzzle-adventure game that’s relaxing at times and confounding at others, thanks to Nintendo’s smart, sometimes devilish level designs. It is also consistently charming, as Captain Toad (and Toadette) light up the screen with beaming smiles and chirps of success as they hunt down golden treasures. It’s an accessible game with easy-to-understand rules, but it will regularly surprise you.

Like a lot of Nintendo games, it’s also great for kids and co-op play, with little in the way of frantic action or combat. (It’s also on Nintendo 3DS and it’s great there too.)

—Michael McWhertor

Available on Nintendo 3DS and Switch.

3- LUMINES REMASTERED

None of the many sequels and ports for 2004’s Lumines stack up to the PlayStation Portable original, a marriage of high-fidelity graphics, pumping Japanese dance tracks and bright charm. That the original Lumines was portable made it all the more enjoyable.

Lumines Remastered, the franchise’s latest entry, is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and most importantly, the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version captures and in some ways bests the feel of the original, with improved visuals and better controls on the Switch’s comparably more spacious Joy-Cons. All versions feature “trance vibration,” a term that series creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi po[CENSORED]rized with another of his beloved games, Rez. Additional controllers can be paired to Lumines Remastered and turned into vibrating nodes, humming in rhythm with the game. The Joy-Con controllers fit in your pockets or underneath your toes, providing a subtle vibration that adds a little extra texture to the experience without feeling too weird.

If “trance vibration” isn’t your cup of ayahuasca tea, Lumines Remastered stands on its own as one of the best rhythm games ever made. We’ve waited over a decade for an experience to rival the original Lumines on PSP. It’s finally arrived.

—Jeff Ramos

Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

2- FROSTPUNK

Frostpunk gives me a deep sense of dread and satisfaction I didn’t think a city management sim could deliver. Unlike its contemporaries, which might include fiddling with a city’s economy, zoning and the happiness of its citizens, in this game, all my decisions have life and death consequences. Because in this world, resources are limited and there’s hardly any safety nets to be found. Mismanagement could mean folks might starve, freeze or beat each other to death.

While I enjoy the leisurely pace of similar sims, I really love how Frostpunk always manages to keep me on edge. Keeping a society alive, stable, and most importantly hopeful, in the darkest of scenarios is reason enough to keep playing. Not every decision I have to make is easy — many of which are the toughest I’ve ever been asked to make in a virtual world — but being the pillar of a crumbling society is a task I couldn’t help taking on time and time again. There’s something about crawling from the depths of despair to find hope over the horizon that keeps me coming back, even when all I could see ahead was an approaching storm.

—Jeff Ramos

Available on Windows PC.

1- OCTOPATH TRAVELER

Octopath Traveler’s plot certainly doesn’t shy away from the stereotypical JRPG confusion, but its eight parallel stories highlight how much the entire game feels like an ode to the genre. The gorgeous sprites and lighting effects emphasize Octopath’s pop-up book aesthetic and fill it with joyous nostalgia.

The combat is what really sets Octopath apart. The break and boost mechanics convert boss battles into long-form puzzles, where a misplaced hit or a well-timed spell can turn the tide of the entire fight. And these elements aren’t the only thing keeping random battles from becoming a chore; Yasunori Nishiki’s score is a delight and makes spending hours in this world all the more worthwhile.

—Brian Gilbert

Available on Nintendo Switch.