When a game launches officially is often up for debate. Should a game entering some sort of preview program be considered as the launch date or should the 1.0 status count as the launch? The issue is going to get more complex as more and more games come out into Early Access-like programs every year and with good quality.
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Microsoft has the only dedicated preview program on the Xbox consoles and it’s only a matter of time before Sony and Nintendo start to offer something more substantial on their consoles too. There’s more to be said, but let’s focus on 2022 for now. BetweenSteamand other programs, what were the best games to hit that glorious 1.0 status this year?
8Grounded
Groundedwas announced years ago but finally went into an early access program on PC and Xbox consoles in 2020. It has not moved beyond those consoles yet but the game reached its 1.0 status in 2022. It’s a survival game wherein kids have been shrunk down to the size of a bug.
They must navigate their backyard for a way to reverse the process while avoiding being eaten alive. It’s a good spiritual successor to Honey I Shrunk the Kids but way more brutal sokeep these tipsin mind.
7The Hand Of Merlin
The Hand of Merlinis likeThe Oregon Trailmixed witha tactical RPG. Players create a caravan of heroes from a set amount of classes and the journey is randomized. Players will move on an ever-changing map until they trigger a situation that could lead to battle or rewards depending on how a situation is dealt with. Again, it’s likeThe Oregon Trailbut with less dysentery.
When battles do commence, characters drop into turn-based maps akin toX-COM. It could have used more time in Early Access since 2021, but it’s here now and maybe some future patches can help with some of the more bland material.
6Ooblets
Oobletswent into a preview program in 2020 on PC and Xbox consoles before launching this year. The easiest way to describe the game isPokemonmixed withAnimal Crossing. Players can do tasks for their hub town citizens and try to collect these little critters in the process.
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Battles are turn-based, but instead of hitting opponents, players show off dance moves. It’s one of the wildest RPGs of the year and also one of the most wholesome as it’s all about bringing positive vibes to the table.
5Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulatoris one of the most strangely addicting and unique games of 2022. It just came out of Early Access in 2021 just in time for the end of the year, hitting the Xbox consoles as a console exclusive. Players are an alchemist who must make potions for a daily randomized crop of citizens. Ingredients can be bought from merchants or grabbed from their garden.
Recipes can be deduced via a potion-making map, and getting to the right formula is almost like a tactical RPG. Each ingredient moves the recipe in a certain path be it South, West, diagonally with a loop dee loop, and so on. It starts simple but becomes increasingly complex as the game progresses.
4Rogue Legacy 2
Fans have been waiting almost a decade for a sequel toRogue Legacy. They got their wish when it hit early access in 2020 on PC, but now it’s out officially and it’s on Xbox consoles and Switch too. The Switch is thebest possible wayto play the game, as roguelikes tend to lend themselves to short bursts. A Steam Deck works for this too if players were lucky enough to get one in 2022.
That is if players can put the game down as it is beyond addicting. The gameplay, art, and overall vibe make it one of 2022’s best roguelikes, if not one of the best games overall. Perhaps PlayStation fans can feel the joy in 2023.
3Source Of Madness
Source of Madnessis a Metroidvania roguelike with a unique art style for the genre. It launched into Early Access on PC in 2021 before hitting all consoles this year. Players begin with a basic class but the more blood they collect from their enemies, the more class choices will become available. There is a giant skill tree that unlocks these classes along with other buffs to improve the starter character.
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Everything has a storybook aesthetic to it, with enemies moving around as if they were ported fromQWOP. The animations don’t make sense, giving these horrific monsters a goofier side. It’s a grind to be sure, but can one have enough Metroidvanias or roguelikes in their life?
2Temtem
TemtemisanotherPokemon-like RPGalthough this plays much more closely to what fans of that franchise are used to. There is an emphasis on team battles though and the game is more of an MMO. Trainers can be seen all over the place without having to input any friend codes or other nonsense.
It was yet another 2020 release for preview on PC although it did come to PS5 as well. Now it’s out for almost all major platforms to enjoy some monster-catching goodness online with friends.
1Vampire Survivors
It’s a twin-stick shooter mixed with a roguelike with some heavy inspiration taken fromCastlevania. Players must fight oncoming waves of enemies, leveling up and gaining power-ups in the process. Currency accrued after death allows players to upgrade stats permanently or to buy new heroes. Due to its simple design,Vampire Survivorshonestly feels most at home on a phone.
