2016 was a great year for big games. There were fantastic sequels like Uncharted 4 and Final Fantasy XV, long-awaited adventures like The Witness and The Last Guardian, along with fantastic indie gems like Firewatch and Inside. But amidst all of the big names, the year was also filled with many smaller, yet equally enticing experiences that you may have missed. There’s everything from cute horror games to futuristic puzzle boxes to heartbreaking true stories. Here are 10 of my favorite hidden gems from 2016.
Yomawari: A Night Alone (PC, PS Vita)
Yomawari is a deceptive game. It looks cute, starring an adorable schoolgirl with a big red bow in her hair. But from the very beginning, when she decides to take her dog for a walk in the middle of the night, things feel amiss. Despite its adorable visuals, Yomawari is terrifying, and a lot of it comes down to sound. You can hear the little girl’s heart thumping when a monster gets too close, and the game uses silence to create incredible moments of tension.
Virginia (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Virginia is a game that often feels like walking through a movie. Unlike most games, which follow the player around in real time, Virginia makes liberal use of cinematic techniques like quick cuts, flashbacks, and montage to create an interactive experience that feels unlike any other. Its strange story about an FBI agent’s search for a missing boy only makes it that much more surreal.
I Am Setsuna (PC, PS4)
2016 had no shortage of great RPGs, with the likes of the epic Final Fantasy XV and the satisfyingly streamlined Pokémon Sun and Moon. But none had quite the old-school charm of I Am Setsuna. The first release from Square Enix’s new Tokyo RPG Factory studio, I Am Setsuna was created to evoke the classic charms of games like Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger. And with its sweeping soundtrack, lovely visuals, simple-yet-engrossing story, and copious turn-based battles, it managed to do just that.