Top Games of 2016 (So Far): The Chatty

The mid-year is upon us, and the staff has chimed in with its own picks for Game of the Mid-Year. At Shacknews, our Chatty community is a big part of everything we do, so we count its vote among the staff for Game of the Year discussions. At this mid-year check-in point, we asked Chatty to vote on its own top games. Check out what topped the list, and be sure to join the community!

#5: Stardew Valley

This charming and wildly expansive farming simulator hearkens back to the classic Harvest Moon games, but modernizes and updates it with loads of new ways to engage with the world. It wasn't at the top of many Chatty voter lists, but it was present on plenty of them.

#4: XCOM 2

Firaxis' follow-up to XCOM targeted PC as its lead platform and packed enough improvements to win over a significant portion of our community.

Shacknews Review: "If you’re a newcomer to the resistance or an old veteran, XCOM 2 is a smartly designed action-strategy game with a staggering amount of content and replayability." 

#3: The Witness

Jonathan Blow's long-awaited follow-up to Braid is deceptively simple to understand, wonderfully complex and iterative, and strikingly beautiful. Our community loved having their brains teased.

Shacknews Review: The Witness is an ambitious piece of work, showing brilliance for creating a massive structure that runs on puzzles and logical thinking.

#2: Overwatch

Blizzard's take on the team-based shooter is impeccably balanced and easy to get into, and has personality to spare, making it far and away one of the highest inclusion on Chatty's favorites.

Shacknews Review: "Overwatch is a collection of firsts, but it carries itself with the confidence and proficiency of a veteran. It has plenty of room to grow and expand, but as our first step into this world, it's inviting, competitive, smartly designed, beautiful to look at, and fun to play."

#1: Doom

Was there ever any doubt? Chatty loves games of all stripes, but bringing back a classic PC gaming franchise with such utter finesse was bound to top the list. So much so, in fact, that it nearly doubled the point totals of its next-highest competitor. 

Shacknews Review: "For id Software to overcome the challenges specific to its history and craft a shooter that flies in the face of convention marks Doom as nothing short of a triumph—and, one hopes, a sign that change is in the air for a genre in desperate need of it."

Honorable Mentions: Dark Souls 3, Firewatch, The Division, Hitman

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.