These are the Game of the Year awards UFO 50's massive collection of roguelikes, Metroidvanias, and more missed out on by not actually being released in the '80s

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Mossmouth) I’ll start this with the caveat that I have definitelynotfinished every game in UFO 50 - that’s a multi-hundred-hour time investment that I haven’t been able to manage in this, theyear of hundred-hour JRPGs. But I have played each game long enough to at least complete the achievement that adds its gift item to the main menu’s virtual pet garden, which is just about enough time to at least understand what every title has to offer. Best game of 1982 - Barbuta (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best game of 1983 - Ninpek (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best game of 1984 - Mortol (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best game of 1985 - Mooncat (Image credit: Mossmouth) I’ve seen the end of Mooncat and I’m still not sure I truly ‘get’ it, but damn if I’m not compelled all the same. Thiswouldbe no more than a solid platformer with bizarre alien mushroom aesthetics if not for the bizarre control scheme, where one button makes you go left, the other makes you go right, and tapping both together lets you jump. You have to rewire your brain a little to make sense of it, but once it starts to click, the rhythm of the action and strategy of planning your route among all the enemies and obstacles can tickle your baser gaming senses like little else. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Best game of 1986 - Party House (Image credit: Mossmouth) 50-in-1(Image credit: Mossmouth)UFO 50’s own devs consider it something of “an open-world game,“which is why they never considered gating the games behind a progression system. 50-in-1 (Image credit: Mossmouth)UFO 50’s own devs consider it something of “an open-world game,“which is why they never considered gating the games behind a progression system. (Image credit: Mossmouth) UFO 50’s own devs consider it something of “an open-world game,“which is why they never considered gating the games behind a progression system. Best game of 1987 - Vainger (Image credit: Mossmouth) An old-school Metroidvania with ’80s cyberpunk anime aesthetics, wild platforming mechanics, and a unique upgrade system to boot? Look, I would’ve paid $25 for Vainger even if it didn’t come with 49 other games. Taking a page from NES cult classic Metal Storm, you can flip gravity at any time to start walking on ceilings and turn the platforming upside down, which leads to a lot of creative stage design you’ve got to puzzle your way through. Upgrades are multipurpose tools you can apply to different parts of your kit at terminals throughout the game, so you might use a flame upgrade to turn your gun into a flamethrower that can destroy fuel barrels blocking your path, then shortly after move the same item to your body armor to give you the fire resistance you need to get through a hot area. It adds an extra layer to the traditional Metroidvania upgrade progression, adding to a unique take on a familiar retro formula. Best game of 1988 - Valbrace (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best game of 1989 - Mini & Max (Image credit: Mossmouth) But eight games is just not enough to pick through UFO 50’s highlights, so I’ve also put together a few runners-up - one from each category on the main catalog menu. Also, if you like horror games and point-and-click adventures, play Night Manor. It’s the one massive highlight I couldn’t fit within my arbitrary guidelines for this post, but you should play Night Manor. Best Epic Play - Grimstone (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best Quick Play - Velgress (Image credit: Mossmouth) “What if Downwell, but up?” is the kind of question that’s only going to make sense to a certain kind of indie roguelike sicko, but Velgress maintains just the kind of action – harrowing, yet mesmerizing – that made that other vertical shooter such a cult hit. You need to climb a tower, but every platform you jump on will crumble underneath you, and as you rise up the levels a deadly trap will constantly sit just below, waiting for you to make a mistake. You’ve got to constantly split your focus between shooting enemies, clearing a path for yourself, making sure your footing is safe, and grabbing coins you can spend on upgrades between stages. Runs are very short – a successful bid to reach the ending takes less than ten minutes – but they keep you coming back. Best Thinky Play - Rock On! Island (Image credit: Mossmouth) Best Reflex Play - Campanella 3 (Image credit: Mossmouth) Campanella 3 is a faux-3D space shooter that plays a bit like a sprite-based take on Star Fox. The gimmick is that any enemies that you fail to shoot as they fly toward you will suddenly become obstacles in the 2D space around your ship. You can shoot in front of youandto the sides, so you’ve got to keep enemies clear from all directions, shifting shooting styles as each new target comes in. Shooting down every enemy in a given wave gives you a leg-up in the bonus round that lets you earn extra lives, and memorizing the full enemy patterns keeps repeated runs through the stages exciting. If you’re looking for a more modern celebration, here’s our full list of thebest games of 2024. 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2024 was the year The Legend of Zelda lived up to its name, and the result was a bit like mixing rock salt and floral nectar GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”