I’m a huge fan of countdowns and top ten lists; less so tier lists because they feel a little less definitive to an actual top ten. Maybe it’s because my monkey brain likes when number go up (or down in this case). Regardless, countdowns are fun and I’ve spent many a time watching the likes of TheGreenScorpion (The Green Scorpion - YouTube), Josh Scorcher (joshscorcher - YouTube) and RabbidLuigi (rabbidluigi - YouTube). Also, super honorable mention to Alex Rochon (Alex Rochon - YouTube), who is now voice acting for characters like Caine in the Digital Circus and is, in my opinion, the canon voice of Spamton G. Spamton.
I’ve always wanted to throw my voice out into the masses and make my own countdowns, but goodness does it take A LOT of time to put those together. I cannot express my admiration enough for the YouTubers that do countdowns as their main content, since the amount of research and pondering alone could be a full time job. Hats off to all of you. Time and energy are always a limited resource for me, and since writing is my main passion, I figured the best way to still partake is in the form of blog posts. So allow me to welcome you to -
…For All The Marbles (Image and/or stylized text).
…For All The Marbles is an idea I’ve been kicking around for a little while and I’ve finally found a worthy enough outlet. I love video games. This should come as no surprise to anyone, seeing as it has always been my main hobby. So, to kick off a countdown series (I can't let HuniePop be the first one), let's rank every video game ever… kinda.
I've been slowly (even slower than what you're imagining) working my way through my master list of video games and making let's play / streams of each. It's always been in the cards to one day sort through it all and make both reviews and rankings of each. Clearly this is an immense undertaking and there needs to be both a plan and structure to things.
The solution is clear and the rules are as follows for a game to qualify:
I must have either finished the game through a Let's Play or Stream (with one exception)
I must have reviewed the game and awarded it an -/10 score
This list must be updated as new games are finished and reviewed
KindaFunny (Kinda Funny Games - YouTube) can not sue me because I'm 100% not stealing their “In Review” series pleaseandthanks
And ultimately this is just a fun thing to think and debate about, so if it is fun - it works. To date we have 21 games to rank. Let's Begin.
#21 -2048-
It’s… weird to have this on a “Best Games List” - which isn’t technically what this is. Technically, this is just a list of all the games I’ve played and I would not be surprised if 2048 ends up at the very bottom. For those unaware, 2048 is a simple phone game where you combine doubles (2 and 2 make 4, 4 and 4 make 8) by sliding matching blocks into each other. I gave it a 3/10 when I reviewed it and I feel that’s very fair. There’s nothing else here but it certainly makes my monkey brain (which is really just OCD) go brr.
Link: [SIBERIA] by MSSNG
A choose your own adventure game that puts the player in the Siberian wilderness after a plane crash and asks you to make your way back to civilization. When I reviewed this game initially, I gave it a 4/10, in part to how simplistic it was and for how poorly optimized it seemed to be. When I played it, which this could 100% be because my laptop at the time struggled and lagged something fierce. Still, not a game I feel any strong hatred towards. It is likely this will stay near the bottom of this list as it grows and grows but I doubt it will remain in the bottom 10. There’s a lot of bad games out there.
Link:[Speer] by and0
Speer is a really neat 2D platformer with somewhat unique mechanic - the ability to use your titular speer as a makeshift platform once it is thrown into a wall. You control your little man through 4 worlds featuring multiple levels, challenges, collectible coins and a whole lotta fun. I highly recommend Speer and I’m excited to see it climb the ranks once more games get added.
#18 -Neon Beats by OKYO GAMES
Neon Beats greatly resembles games like Geometry Dash and the Impossible Game. While I can’t speak to the quality of Geometry Dash, Neon Beats is like if the Impossible Game wasn’t as hard as hell. You control a little block that platforms it’s way for various obstacles and spikes all while some banger music plays. A simple game that does exactly what it is supposed to do.
#17 -1365 by Cicada Carpenter -
A cool 2D side scroller that places the player in the roles of a High School student that has to navigate the halls while dealing with depression and anxiety undertones. I really liked this game, awarding it an 8/10, and certainly recommend it. LIke the previous two entries, it is rather simplistic and short (which doesn’t hurt the game by any means) so I doubt it’ll be listed too terribly highly. I can imagine this will be somewhere in the middle of the pack, but again, highly recommend checking this game out. It’s really good.
#16 -Five Nights at Freddy’s by Scott Cawthon-
A game that likely needs no introduction. Many years ago I played through the entirety of the franchise (which was up to Custom Night at the point) and I am glad that I did. My fondness for FNAF is likely because it was my introduction to Markiplier, so it’ll always have that place in my heart. Though my opinion on the series has soured slightly with the Steel Wool games, I can certainly see myself returning to the first entry at some point in the future.
#15 -Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 by Scott Cawthon-
I have… interesting opinions on FNAF 3. How the hallucinations moved and changed aspects of the game were intense on the first viewing but, as is the case with a lot of horror media, it became much less frightening the more I saw it. Springtrap being the only real threat also made the game feel a bit less overwhelming. The story and the gameplay were really cool at first, and I think it belongs above the first game with some of the interesting changes it made, but it is an entry that has the most noticeable shortcomings.
#14 -Five Nights at Freddy’s Sister Location by Scott Cawthon-
For quite a while, when I mostly consumed FNAF by watching Markiplier and Game Theory, I held Sister Location as my favorite game in the series. It was the entry that had the most clear cut plot and made quite interesting strides for the lore as a whole. From a gameplay perspective, and having actually done a full run of the game, it is a little lacking compared to some of the other games. Not bad by any means, and I think it benefits from departing from the FNAF formula for the sake of the story it wanted to tell, but it does make replays a little bit of a slog.
#13 -Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator by Scott Cawthon-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/738060/Freddy_Fazbears_Pizzeria_Simulator/
Perhaps the most different, and arguably difficult, of the franchise. There are parts of Pizza Sim that I adore, such as the interview segments and the cryptic arcade mini games. Certain moments from the story are some of my favorite in the entire franchise, particularly a speech by a certain character at the very end. The theory crafting was strong in this game as well, which added to my perception of it. The final challenge of this game is the bane of my existence, however. I’m not sure what it was, but the final night had such a difficulty spike that it took me what felt like hours to get good enough to win the day. I can’t understate how frustrated the final night made me in a way that the franchise hasn’t done elsewhere.
#12 -Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 by Scott Cawthon-
This, despite being higher than the previous games, might be the most forgettable from the franchise for me. When I think back on my play through of the series, my FNAF 2 memories feel the fuzziest. To sing some of the praises, the game did do everything a sequel should. The lore and story were expanded upon. New gameplay mechanics were engaging and intense, sometimes to the point of being overwhelming. So I can’t deny that FNAF 2 deserves a high place on any list.
#11 -Mega Man by CAPCOM-
Oh, Mega Man. I have really strong opinions about this franchise and this game as well. I adore the story of the Mega Man universe, something about the robot society and how the world operates was always so fun to me. The stories, occasionally, fall short of my admiration and the gameplay borderlines immense frustration. I tend to try to give games like this one a bit of leeway, since it is the first game in the series and pioneered everything that made the rest of the games beyond great. That being said, my mine opinion is that the first Mega Man game is fine. Maybe something I would revisit in the future but certainly not one I would choose to avoid.
#10 -Mega Man 2 by CAPCOM-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/363440/Mega_Man_Legacy_Collection/
The sequel with a phenomenal soundtrack. Much like FNAF 2, Mega Man 2 expands in the best ways upon the ground work Mega Man laid. Controls are better and tighter, bosses are challenging and engaging and Wily Stage 2 is still one of the best tracks in gaming history. Sometimes regarded as the best Mega Man game in the franchise (I disagree), it’s obvious it should place above its predecessor. It also made necessary items unmissable, so that’s a huge plus.
#9 -Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 by Scott Cawthon-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/388090/Five_Nights_at_Freddys_4/
This is the peak. (Also, I take some joy in placing a FNAF game above 2 - and more when they’re added - Mega Man games. It feels like a hot take and I love it). FNAF 4 is easily the best game in the franchise of the original 6. The story is somber and full to the brim with lore implications (and outright reveals). Most importantly, it is the scariest and funnest game to play. The main mechanic forcing the player to listen closely for the threat put me on edge like no other FNAF game could. This is easily the most scared I’ve been while playing FNAF and I loved every second of it.
#8 -60 Seconds! By Robot Gentlemen
60 Seconds! embodies the idea of one more run. I don’t think I’ve ever had a successful run, actually. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t really enjoy my time with this game. The scavenger moments where you have, gasp, 60 seconds to gather food, water and whatever else your manly (or womanly. Nearly forgot you could play as Dolores) can carry into your fallout shelter are appropriately stressful and exciting. The random events that follow during the survival stage are sometimes hilarious and other times nail biting. Fantastic game.
#7 -Castle Crashers by The Behemoth
Speaking of fantastic games - I love Castle Crashers. I love and miss Newgrounds. Not that it went anywhere, I just don’t frequent it like I used to. I should change that one of these days. Regardless, every release that Behemoth put out has been a banger and I greatly enjoyed my time with it. It’s also wild that we are getting Castle Crashers DLC in the year of our Lord 2025. Beat em ups, especially side scrollers, aren’t always my jam but Castle Crashers is phenomenal and deserves lots of love.
#6 -Pokemon: Sword and Shield by GAMEFREAK
Swish (how lady love and I affectionately call it) may be in my top Pokemon games. There’s quite a bit I really loved about it - from the art style to the wild areas to Pokemon finally (albeit small) tournament like in the anime; there is so much I liked about this generation. I loved the gigantamax and dynamax system. I adore Grookey and Rillaboom. Team Yell was pretty disappointing, coming off the trail of Team Skull but yknow. By no means a perfect game but one I will happily revisit when the time is right.
#5 -GRIS by Nomada Studio
My biggest regret is how harshly I reviewed GRIS. I need to revisit it and rethink my opinion. I reviewed this game when I was just starting out and I recall saying it was more of a great art piece than a great video game and I can’t help but feel that’s… well dumb. The art, the music, and the messaging GRIS presents are amazing. The main song is one that still plays deep in the echoes of my memory. The gameplay is, while somewhat simple, engaging platforming and puzzle solving. It’s a great game and one I’ll eventually review again, so to correct my sins. For the time being, and the initial iteration of this list, GRIS belongs in my Top 5 Games.
#4 -Don’t Starve Together by Klei Entertainment-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/322330/Dont_Starve_Together/
What is there to say about the 200+ hours I put into this video game? The same game that, in a way, started my Let’s Playing career. I love Don’t Starve Together. I adore it’s gothic, Tim Burton-esque visuals. I’ve had so many adventures trying to keep my camp in one piece, my sanity in my brain case, and stomach full. I truly can’t recommend this game enough, clearly. If my playtime could ever be used as a metric for my favorite game, then Don’t Starve Together obviously belongs towards the top. The best part is that Klei is STILL updating this game. I still get super excited to see a new character short or seasonal event. I’m still blown away when I boot up the game and notice that we can make boats now or go underground or whatever new update that I missed that completely changes the game. This game earned the hours upon hours I put into it. Just like it deserves the number 4 spot.
#3 -Deltarune by tobyfox-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1671210/DELTARUNE/
We may only be 4 chapters in, with the newest coming in 2026, but this game is obviously a 10/10. I can not imagine how tobyfox and co could screw it up badly enough that I think any less of it. I dropped everything when the newest chapters released, streaming no less than 6 hours and marathoning the game as much as I could. I hate to put tobyfox on such a high pedestal, mostly because he seems far too humble for that, but he has earned enough good will from me that I trust anything he puts out to be a 10/10. The same love that Undertale received is being shown here and I couldn’t be more excited to see what comes next. The love I feel for these games is so strong that it’s placement in the Top 3 almost seems self evident to me. I love this.
#2 -Undertale by tobyfox-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/
What should come to no one’s surprise is that Undertale ended up near the top list of my favorite games of all time. I’ll let you in on a secret - while I certainly have a plethora of more games to add to this list once they meet my arbitrary criteria, I don’t think anything is going to unseat the top 2 (possibly 3) games. When I reviewed Undertale I claimed it was a perfect game and that still holds true. At one point I would have told you that this game is my favorite I have ever played and the reason is the feeling of self love this game gave to me. The phrase “Despite everything it’s still you” becomes more and more poignant the more I learn about my own brain. I’m a person that lives with OCD and, as a result, occasionally get bouts of depersonalization. Quick explanation is that when the stresses of life become my obsession, I lose my sense of self. I am able to trigger this sensation of being a watcher from within my own body by either thinking about it (which sucks) or by staring at my arms / hands. The identity themes that are prevalent in both Undertale and Deltarune hit so close to home for me. And we haven’t even gotten into how this self-acceptance theme aided me in rekindling old friendships, which led to all brand new ones. I love this game and will forever be thankful for it’s existence.
#1 -Outer Wilds by Mobius Digital-
Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/
I don’t have the words for this game. Which is a two-fold sentence because I will refuse to spoil anything related to it and because the love I feel for this experience leaves me speechless. Without a doubt in my mind, Outer Wilds is the best game I have ever played and likely will ever play. While Undertale taught me how to love and accept myself, Outer Wilds taught me how to love and accept my place in the universe. The simple explanation is that this is a space exploration game where you are attempting to uncover the mysteries of a lost alien civilization. To explain any further I feel would give away the fun of the game. Discovery is the main objective. Knowledge is your progression in this game. The story is the reward and goodness is it a fine reward. I think about this game nearly every day despite not having played it in months. Outer Wilds is one of the ones that will stick with me until the day I die and I hope the plans I have for future content will do this game justice. It’s the type of game I would recommend to non-gamers simply because it is that enjoyable of an experience. It will forever live as my favorite game ever.
Closing
So, there it is. My list of my favorite video games*. Like I said at the top of this post, this is a living list that will change and grow. I’ll find a way to make the changes more obvious so that the list isn’t simply a repost. And look at that, I finished this list before the HuniePop list… I’m so sorry things take me so long to produce. I’m trying. So. Hard.
And I would like to see all of you try. Let me know what your favorite video games either in the comments below or through one of my social channels. Y’all are cute. Happy Reading!
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