Most of 2016 has been a busy year for me in terms of school and work, so I haven't had a ton of time to devote to luxuries such as video games. That being said, I do enjoy playing a game every now and then, and I have a list of favorites that I've turned to fairly consistently when I've had the time. Here are my top five favorite games, as of 2016.
1. Minecraft
Minecraft is currently a highly popular game, especially with children. It is so well known that its merchandise is sold just about everywhere. Some people can make a living through Minecraft, either by playing the game and posting their videos of it on Youtube, or by becoming a professional builder and being hired to create structures in the game for anyone willing to pay for them. Minecraft is a survival game that doubles as a blank canvas for creative types. Its graphics are far from the prettiest, and some people even scoff at the game for that, but it's an especially fun game to play with other people. My younger siblings adore simply watching and talking about the game, and that's what makes it fun for me.
2. Terraria
Terraria is best described as Minecraft's less popular little sister. It is also a survival game that has plenty of creative potential and is load of fun to play with other people. Terraria, though, actually has much more to offer than Minecraft does in my opinion. Though it is 2D instead of 3D, Terraria's graphics are much more pleasing to the eye. There are many more creatures to discover, monsters to fight, and goals to accomplish. There are far more character design options, costumes, and weapons. There is even an ability to launch the entire game into overdrive, during which even more monsters appear to fight and the world essentially starts to destroy itself; lending much more drama to the players. It is one of the best multiplayer games I've ever played.
3. Don't Starve
Along the same vein, but with a slightly darker twist, is Don't Starve. This is another survival game, and while it has a multiplayer version, the original game is played in single-player mode. This game is much more difficult than Minecraft or Terraria. In those games, monsters are the worst of the danger, and those are usually fairly easily avoided. With Don't Starve, the entire world is out to get the player, not just the creatures within it (although those do try very hard). The player must juggle the monsters, darkness which will kill instantly if one is caught in it without a light source, their character's sanity, lack of resources, heat, cold, and of course, hunger. Also, if a character dies, they cannot re-spawn as they can in Minecraft or Terraria. Once they die, they are dead for good, and their entire world, along with all their progress, resets. The game has a tendency to make the player paranoid to ridiculous levels, and it can be quite entertaining when you have an audience, as I usually do. My siblings adore watching me fail spectacularly at this game over and over again.
4. Niche: A Genetics Survival Game
By this point, you've probably noticed a pattern. Yes, this is another survival game, but this one has an especially unique take to the genre. As the title suggests, the mechanics of this game rely heavily on genetics and breeding. You begin the game with two creatures that have a certain set of genetics, including fur color, body type, normal eyes vs. blind, normal blood clotting vs. hemophilia, and so on. Some traits are dominant, some are recessive. Your job as the player is to breed a pack of creatures that have the genes needed to be able to survive in their environment. The game is, as of now, in early access, and it is likely to change a lot in the future. It has great potential, though, and it's a lot of fun; especially if you happen to be a biology nerd like I am.
5. Warrior Cats: Untold Tales
Last on the list is a fanmade game based on the Warrior Cats book series by Erin Hunter. It allows you to play as a cat in one of four warrior clans, where you can go on small quests for your clanmates, fight other clans, have a family, and just generally do whatever a typical warrior cat in the books might do. The game is completely free to play, and is one of my newest addictions. It's a simple game, but it is one that fans of the series should definitely look into.
My taste in video games is a little different from most. While I enjoy watching others play more exciting games, I tend to lean towards the relaxing type; the kind that doesn't require excessive amounts of skill or brain power to be enjoyable. Many of my favorite games contain sections where the player is essentially doing nothing for long periods of time, and that may be irritating to some. I am also limited to games without especially nice graphics, because there's only so much my current computer can handle. That being said, if you can get past the repetitive sections of gameplay and the less-than-top-notch graphics, all of the games on this list are definitely worth a try.
