14 DAY TRIAL // 2022 was a solid year for video games, with plenty of innovative ideas and grand spectacles. But one experience manages to mix the two and then offer deep mechanics, intriguing universe, and careful execution. Elden Ring is Softpedia’s Game of the Year for this year.
The two runners-up for the title also deliver big stories and complex gameplay. God of War: Ragnarok takes the core ideas of the reboot and expands on them while allowing Kratos to carve a bloody path toward the end of the world.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers everything a Japanese role-playing game fan could want. The story is impressive, backed up by great voice acting and soundtrack, while the battle system is deep and engaging.
The past 12 months have also delivered a stream of impressive indie games, pushing the boundaries of many genres. Citizen Sleeper is the best of the year, with a deep science fiction universe that explores connection, humanity, loss, and what it means to find a community in a dark future. The two free DLC chapters delivered so far add more characters and emotional moments.
Runner-up Cult of the Lamb is less centered on story but marries solid combat encounters with the need to care for a growing cult and its followers. The theme and gameplay mix well, with the cuteness and bloodshed delivering an intriguing contrast.
Meanwhile, Sifu has an innovative take on the brawler space, with an intricate combat system and a cool aging mechanic. Combat is easy to understand and hard to master, with a rewarding sense of flow.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is the winner of the Best Narrative category. The game takes all the ideas of the first title in the series and adds depth, both mechanically and emotionally. Runners up The Case of the Golden Idol and Betrayal at Club Low show how video games can deliver narrative in innovative ways, creating unique universes centered on the player’s attention and willingness to explore and experiment.
Sifu returns to claim the title of Best Action Game of the year. Becoming a competent martial artist takes time, focus, and effort but there’s nothing like clearing a room without taking a hit, moving seamlessly from opponent to opponent, chaining moves without breaking a sweat.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are the two runners-up. They offer more classic approaches to gameplay but each of them is polished to a sheen, with satisfying mechanics and tons of options.
Grand Turismo 7 takes home the Best Sound Design crown. The racing experience deeply understands how important the roar of an engine and the squeak of tires are to deliver a sense of realism and makes every one of its vehicles a star.
God of War: Ragnarok and Metal Hellsinger are the two runner-ups. The first uses familiar themes and ideas to deliver the orchestral background that Kratos needs for his adventures, complete with incredibly crunchy combat sounds. The second one manages to mix music and gameplay in a completely engrossing and innovative way.
Marvel Snap is the Best Mobile Game launched in 2022. It’s a pretty classic take on a card-driven battler, that manages to make expert use of the comic book universe it is centered on. Matches are fast and fun and the monetization does not feel predatory.
Diablo Immortal and Tower of Fantasy come close to taking number one in the category. Diablo Immortal is a pretty solid game with a lot of content, despite its many pre-launch controversies. And while you don’t have to spend any money to play it, what Blizzard sells to its players feels seriously undervalued.
Tower of Fantasy is a free-to-play action RPG from Hotta Studio, with many similarities with Genshin Impact and almost the entire monetization model. Set in a sci-fi universe, Tower of Fantasy is a pure gacha that doesn’t really bring anything new to the table.
God of War: Ragnarok conquers the Best Action/Adventure Game category. It has a big and detailed universe, great combat, plenty of puzzles, and offers players a chance to encounter and battle a ton of gods and mythical beings.
Horizon: Forbidden West and A Plague Tale: Requiem come right behind the Kratos adventure. The Aloy-powered title also impresses with the breath of its world and adds to the fun of battling mechanical dinosaurs. Requiem works with smaller spaces and stealth, asking players to carefully consider their environments and plan accordingly.
Need for Speed: Unbound races to the top of the Best Sports/Racing Game category. It’s a long-awaited return to form for the racing series, with strong core mechanics, a well-crafted world, and a solid soundtrack.
Grand Turismo 7 offers another take on racing, more centered on realism, as a runner-up. FIFA 23 has strong football simulation foundations, another great soundtrack, with plenty of new ideas for Ultimate Team.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is the Best RPG of 2022. The game takes both familiar and more obscure superheroes, gives players plenty of opportunities to interact with them, and then fight alongside them in a solid card-driven system.
Lost Eidolons and Tactics Ogre: Reborn are our two runners-up. Ocean Drive Studios delivers a strong combat system paired with a solid game universe. Meanwhile, Reborn brings a classic 1995 tactics experience to a new audience, without losing any of its original magic.
Victoria 3 is acclaimed as the Best SIM/Strategy Game. The Paradox-developed grand strategy game has impressive depth in the economic and social space. Trying to create a democratic and multi-cultural Austrian Empire has never been as fun.
Two management titles come right behind it. F1 Manager 2022 gives gamers the reigns of a Formula 1 one and has an impressive race weekend simulation, with plenty of detail and spectacle. Football Manager 2023 does not revolutionize the franchise but has some solid tweaks that will make winning the Champions League with Fulham even more enjoyable.
Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is the Best Family Game of 2022. They give Luigi a sniper rifle and it works, creating an accessible tactical experience that leverages the unlikely chemistry of the Mario cast and their Rabbid counterparts.
Return to Monkey Island marks the return of the classic series and manages to deliver a heartfelt story, filled with both nostalgia and hope. A Little to the Left makes puzzles feel cozy, offering a hypnotic experience designed to eliminate stress.