We’re finally down to it. What follows is the best of the best, the absolute cream of the crop of what 2019 had to offer.

1. Game of the Year: Bronze Award (Third place)
2. Game of the Year: Silver Award (Second place)
3. Game of the Year: Runners-Up
4. Game of the Year

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Game of the Year: Bronze Award (Third place)

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – This game wowed me in a way that few others did this year, with a stunning audiovisual presentation that delivered the game’s story in a way that just about no game ever has. Players aren’t just transported into Senua’s world, they are brought into her mind, and the journey is a shocking, emotional, and truly amazing one. There’s a reason I gave this game not one, but two lengthy reviews this year.

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Game of the Year: Silver Award (Second place)

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition – I gave this game my highest review out of all of the games released this year, and for good reason. Ori and the Blind Forest is the pinnacle of what a modern Metroidvania can be, with an absolutely gorgeous audiovisual presentation made even better in the Nintendo Switch port, truly enjoyable gameplay, and some great innovation. Metroidvanias may be a dime a dozen on the Switch, but this one rises above them all. The only reason this game didn’t take the top spot for me this year was that it didn’t feel right for me to give Game of the Year to a game that first came out a half a decade ago. But even with that being the case, this game has barely aged at all since its first release. An absolute must-have on the Switch.

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Game of the Year: Runners-Up

Dragon Quest Builders 2 – It is a monumental feat to craft a game that draws immediate comparisons to one of the giants of the industry and not be crushed under the pressure of that comparison, yet Dragon Quest Builders 2 stands up next to Minecraft and says, “here, let me try that”, and succeeds brilliantly in a way that is distinctly different both from that game as well as its Dragon Quest legacy.

Slay the Spire – The gameplay in this card-based Roguelike RPG is so tightly-crafted that it’ll have players coming back time and again for another trek up the spire. Other card games take notice – this is how you do it.

Farm Together – A game I would have dismissed as shovelware garbage before trying it impressed me enough that it made it a stone’s-throw away from Game of the Year. That’s how much Farm Together won me over with its warm presentation, its addictive gameplay, and its chill, relaxed mood.

Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada – Few games have as much personality as Dandy Dungeon, and it’s hard not to fall in love with this game’s wonderful characters, its wacky sense of humor, its catchy music, or its addictive gameplay.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince – Returning to the Trine series’ 2D roots and building on the series’ excellent Puzzle-Platform gameplay to make it feel like more of a sandbox experience where you could find multiple solutions to problems not only made this the best game in the series, but also really expanded the possibilities of co-op. Add on to this an absolutely gorgeous presentation and you have a magical experience that’s not to be missed.

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Game of the Year:

Wargroove – You know how this game didn’t make it into my list of most-played games of the year? That’s because if I let myself, it would swallow me whole. There is so very much great game here I don’t even know where to start. Well, first, it’s a spiritual successor to Advance Wars, one of the greatest franchises Nintendo has seemingly abandoned. Second, it has a delightful cast of characters in a beautiful presentation. Third, the gameplay is absolutely top-notch, with some of the best turn-based strategy gameplay to be found on any platform. However, what really puts this game above and beyond is how dedicated developer Chucklefish was to delivering not just a great experience, but one that was overloaded with content and options, including local and online competitive and co-op multiplayer, and not just a level builder, but a campaign builder, allowing players to contribute whole expansions to the game. And that, of course, is in addition to the free DLC the developer has made for the game post-launch… and for all of this, the game is just a measly $20. This game isn’t just a fantasy-themed homage to Advance Wars, this game tops Advance Wars, and it is exceedingly rare that anyone beats out Nintendo at their own game, let alone an indie developer. For accomplishing that rare feat, I am delighted to give Wargroove eShopperReviews’ Game of the Year Award for 2019.

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That’s all for the 2019 eShopperReviews 2019 Game Awards! If you missed the other awards this week, be sure to check back at the Awards’ Start Page to see the other awards that have been handed out!

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