I ve spent 2018 particularly distracted, flitting between games and feeling guilty that I haven t quite finished them or spent the time they deserved. Maybe it s because there have been so many good games? Or maybe I m just awful. Either way, I resolve to take better care next year.

Now I look back, I realise that I ve particularly enjoyed a series of games which gave me space to explore them on my own terms. Whether on the scale of giant monsters or the confined scale of the decks of a ship, they ve all felt expansive and generous, and respectful of me as a player.

Also, it s always hard to figure out a five, so shoutouts to Forza Horizon 4, Donut County, Far: Lone Sails and Total War: Warhammer 2 s pirate vampires.

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More games should be set in hotels. We’ve seen plenty of home and mansion interiors over the years, as well as countless space stations and industrial warehouses, but the humble hotel is its own special beast, especially when you’re dealing with the mad fever dream that is Cosmo D’s The Norwood Suite.

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Happy holidays! Time to see what s in your stocking. Oh, it s another copy of The Golf Handbook (Third Edition). And some toenail clippers. Great. No, honestly, that s fine. It s not like little Jemima over there is dashing about in her cool lion slippers, making you ache for an era of innocence and novelty that you can never revisit. And who cares if she s clashing her dinosaur figurines over the ruins of a Lego city? You certainly don t. Why, you barely notice as her damned wonderful slippers go rarr with every step. Oh well, better go set the table for dinner.

No! We won t allow it. Turn that holiday frown upside-holiday-down, adult friend of mine. Children do not have a monopoly on fun. Here are seven playthings that ll make you click, smile, discover, and giggle. These are all toys as much as they are games, and they’re your real stocking fillers. Enjoy.

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Every year RPS goes into hibernation for Christmas and New Year. It’s cosy for us, but harsh for you, scavenging for scant nutrition on the permafrost. So here are the RPS Christmas crackers. Every day you get a joke, until we wake up on January 3rd, sluggish and grouchy. If you love us and want to leave a present (or just want to unlock more articles) consider joining the RPS supporter program. Have a good holiday. Now: the cracker!>

Q: What do you do when your lawn is too long in Monster Hunter World?

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2018 is the year I played Symphony Of The Night for the first time. Can I just rave about Symphony Of The Night for the whole article? No?

Fine. Here are some other games that aren t too shabby, either.

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It s Christmas. Go be with your family, for heaven s sake.

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Sorry to make this quick, but Christmas is coming toward me at thirty thousand miles per hour, and frankly we’re running out of time. I’ve not managed to play through both chapters of the redux version of The Long Dark’s story mode, Wintermute, but I don’t want to wait until the new year to tell you that – OH HOORAY – it’s sooooo much better than last year. And also, right now it’s astonishingly cheap. So as fast as I can, here’s why it’s now great:

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Mondays are for scoffing mince pies and re-posting the Sunday papers because the robots we programmed to post this yesterday are unreliable drunks. Anyway, go on, treat yourself to some of the best writing about videogames from last week (and beyond).

As part of Waypoint’s end of year celebrations, Cameron Kunzelman looked back at this year’s crop of first person games – and liked what he saw. He argues that first person games have started exploring new territory, casting off AAA assumptions and building a new bedrock for the future. I haven’t played enough of the games he cites to weigh in, but he’s certainly made me regret that.

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Here it is: the best game of 2018.

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Every year RPS goes into hibernation for Christmas and New Year. It’s cosy for us, but harsh for you, scavenging for scant nutrition on the permafrost. So here are the RPS Christmas crackers. Every day you get a joke, until we wake up on January 3rd, sluggish and grouchy. If you love us and want to leave a present (or just want to unlock more articles) consider joining the RPS supporter program. Have a good holiday. Now: the cracker!>

Q: Why did the racing driver carry a pair of binoculars?

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