These are the top games out there for every player
Let’s not mince words: 2022 was a tough year for many.
From higher costs due to inflation to surging respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, cases and new COVID-19 variants to school shootings and polarizing politics, the last 12 months have been a challenging one for many millions of Americans.
Perhaps it’s no surprise, video games remain so popular, says the Entertainment Software Association, as a positive outlet for escapism, socializing over multiplayer matches, and a cathartic way to unwind after a tough day.
The video game trade group’s 2022 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry says about two-thirds of Americans, or about 215.5 million people, play video games today, of which 88% say because it relieves stress.
Thankfully, it was an extraordinarily good year for new content.
If you’re shopping for a gamer on your gift list – or heck, something to treat yourself – consider one of the following console and/or PC titles, divided into various age groups.
Best games for kids
⬤ LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; from $29; for PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC)
Fusing two monstrous brands – LEGO and Star Wars – the latest from TT Games (Traveller’s Tales) is an ambitious playthrough of all nine Star Wars saga films.
Featuring hundreds of playable (good and evil) characters from throughout the galaxy, you’re tasked with completing many missions, across several planets, moons and starships, along with a variety of vehicles to commandeer – and in more open environments than in previous LEGO Star Wars titles. Created using digital bricks, you’ll battles baddies, solve puzzles, build objects, and engage in intense intergalactic dogfights.
⬤ Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo: from $39; for Nintendo Switch)
If it wasn’t exciting enough to lay hands on an all-new Kirby game this year (Kirby and the Forgotten Land), Nintendo Switch Sports is a collection of sports-related games.
Using the motion-sensing technology built into the Joy-Con controllers, Nintendo Switch Sports challenges you to virtually play soccer, tennis, bowling, volleyball, badminton, chambara (swordplay), and, as of this week, golf, too, whether you’re looking for a workout by yourself or better yet, with friends on the same system or competing online.
As you may recall, Nintendo Switch lets you play on the portable device’s 6.2-inch screen or when inserted into its dock (included) and connected to a bigscreen television.
Nintendo Switch Sports also supports the Leg Strap accessory (included with the $49 physical copy of the game) to kick the ball in a Soccer shootout.
⬤ OlliOlli World (Private Division; from $18; for PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC)
The divine Skate Wizard, Chiffon, is looking for a successor, and so you’re working your way across the vast Radlandia to sharpen your skateboarding skills and hope to fill this role and achieve “Gnarvana.”
This is the silly premise behind OlliOlli World, a story-based skateboarding arcade game that folds in colorful cartoon characters, five large locations, platforming elements, and a huge emphasis on customization.
The game features more than 100 moves to master, and along with the main game there is a Sandbox mode, the option to compete with others across the globe, and you’ll be rewarded for exploration as there are alternate paths, secrets and side quests.
⬤ Honorable mentions for kids’ games: Nintendo’s “Pokémon: Legends: Arceus, EA Sports’ FIFA 23 and NHL 23, and Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.
Best games for teens
⬤ Stray (Annapurna Interactive; from $29.99; for PS4/PS5, and Windows PC)
Imagine roaming a futuristic world as a stray cat, and you’ll get a sense of what it’s like playing Stray, a unique and innovative interactive entertainment experience for tweens and teens.
Rely on stealth, smarts, feline reflexes and your nine lives to reunite with your family, and also unravel an ancient mystery tied to this decrepit cybercity. Solve puzzles, evade dangerous threats, and carefully navigate through several indoor and outdoor environments.
Created by French developer BlueTwelve Studio, the protagonist also befriends a small flying drone companion, B-12, to help escape the city unscathed.
Also for PS4 and PS5, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Horizon Forbidden West is a sequel that transports you to a lush post-apocalyptic world, where you’ll interact with memorable characters and fight against monstrous machines.
⬤ Grounded (Xbox Game Studios; $39.99; for Xbox One/Series S/X, Windows PC and Cloud)
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Grounded can best be described as a “survival adventure” about a group of friends who wake up in a cave to discover they’ve been shrunk down to the size of ants and must stay alive while making their way through a perilous suburban backyard.
Played solo or in multiplayer mode, assume the role of one of four characters – Max, Willow, Hoops, and Pete – who must traverse dangerous ecosystems, craft and upgrade items (armor, weapons), avoid death by creatures (like spiders, bees, and dust mites), while relying on other bugs for help.
⬤ Honorable mentions for teen games: Ubisoft’s “Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope,” Devolver Digital’s “Return to Monkey Island,” and Crows Crows Crows’ “Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe.”
Best games for adults
⬤ God of War Ragnarök (Sony Interactive Entertainment; from $59; for PS4/PS5)
A stellar sequel to God of War (2018), this single-player action game once again stars Kratos, who sets out on an epic journey, armed with his trusty battle axe and double-chained blades, as well as new weapons like a magical spear, versatile shield, and bow and arrow (when playing as Kratos’ son, Atreus).
Along with tense fighting sequences against new enemy types and boss characters (and with an emphasis on combo-based combat), this retelling of Norse mythology folds in some puzzlesolving and role-playing game elements too.
⬤ Elden Ring (Bandai Namco; from $59; for PS4/PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Windows PC)
One of the year’s best – and bestselling – games is an action-heavy roleplaying game directed by FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls) and written by George R. R. Martin (“Game of Thrones,” and several other fantasy books).
Considered a spiritual successor to the Dark Souls games, this dark adventure is about deciphering the mysteries of the Elden Ring’s power, by exploring lands, encountering friends and adversaries, dueling against frightful creatures, and wading through complex dungeons. Played alone or online, you can create and evolve your character by exploring various skills and traits, weapons, magical abilities, and more.
⬤ Honorable mentions for “mature” games: Activision’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2022) and “Call Of Duty: Warzone 2,” and Techland’s “Dying Light 2 Stay Human.”