Site Event Famiboards Game of the Year 2022 Celebration: WINNERS ANNOUNCED! See threadmark.

[NabiscoFelt]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Crystal Project

I've already talked about the excellent world of Crystal Project in the "Best World" nomination, so I'll take a moment to appreciate its combat. Taking after the FFV/BD school of job systems, where you pick a class and subclass and a set of equippable passives from various classes, the system also mixes in a "Threat" system, where enemies will target specific units based on their Threat value (generated via attacks/healing/skills and mitigated by various skills and passives) and also telegraphs the attacks each enemy will make via the turn order (sorta like how Into the Breach or Slay the Spire works). This mixture of factors allows for some tough but fair turn based battles, especially in the excellent boss fights. Couple that with the open world allowing you to tackle objectives at your leisure (and without really knowing what or where those objectives are) and the excellent open world design, and you've got a stellar adventure on your hands

Now someone other than me go play this game so it gets like, more than one vote here

 

[Weebos]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Ooblets

Do you like Stardew Valley? Do you like Pokemon? Do you like dance battles?
Ooblets takes inspiration from all three to create a goofy little game about growing little buddies. It's a lighthearted farming game with dance battle combat, and it's filled to the brim with funny little guys and weirdo neighbors. It's a very addicting gameplay loop, very similar in feel to Stardew Valley, and it's just a nice breath of fresh air to sink into after playing other, more stressful games.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Crystal Project

I've already talked about the excellent world of Crystal Project in the "Best World" nomination, so I'll take a moment to appreciate its combat. Taking after the FFV/BD school of job systems, where you pick a class and subclass and a set of equippable passives from various classes, the system also mixes in a "Threat" system, where enemies will target specific units based on their Threat value (generated via attacks/healing/skills and mitigated by various skills and passives) and also telegraphs the attacks each enemy will make via the turn order (sorta like how Into the Breach or Slay the Spire works). This mixture of factors allows for some tough but fair turn based battles, especially in the excellent boss fights. Couple that with the open world allowing you to tackle objectives at your leisure (and without really knowing what or where those objectives are) and the excellent open world design, and you've got a stellar adventure on your hands

Now someone other than me go play this game so it gets like, more than one vote here

I'll at least wishlist the game, if only because the nomination is from a CrossCode superfan.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

I'll at least wishlist the game, if only because the nomination is from a CrossCode superfan.

It's true, that immediately raises my qualifications

But on a serious note the exploration in CP definitely scratches some of that CrossCode itch with how its environments are structured

 

[Renmazuo]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
SIGNALIS


A retro-futuristic survival horror title that honors classics of the genre such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill, with a very mysterious Lovecraft inspired cosmic horror plot (among other authors and works, most prominently The King in Yellow by Robert William Chambers). Its gameplay is simple yet solid: explore around, collect key items, solve puzzles, shoot monsters and try to survive with your limited resources. The maps feel well thought out and with just the right amount of complexity while not being too large, with puzzles that are satisfying to solve while not being too frustrating, and none of them overstay their welcome. But where this game will probably grab you like it grabbed me is in its incredible presentation and atmosphere, which managed to keep me glued to the controller from the intro section until the very end of the game. Signalis is definitely the sort of game that causes a memorable impression and I still find myself thinking about it and its intriguing setting and characters months after having finished it.

Achtung

Achtung

Remember our promise

 

[DistractedByPixels]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Gaming Moment
Stray - Taking a Nap

So, you can take a nap with/on a friend in Stray. It's the best.

 

[Gay Bowser]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Area/World
Marvel Snap - Limbo

There is a turn 7 this game. This nomination may be a odd duck, so let me explain. In Marvel Snap, you play character cards on one of three locations in a fast-paced, six round game. Each location has a special ability attached to it. The sixth turn is usually when you get to lay down your big guns. It adds a whole new layer of strategy, unpredictability and possibility for more big moves with that turn 7 that Limbo provides. The best parts of the game get amplified when this location is revealed.

This is a great choice. I legit love when game cards/powers have rules that are super simple and short in text but also have super huge impacts. Like the Day of Judgement card in Magic that just says “Destroy all creatures.” There’s just something cool about seeing such a simple but powerful rule surrounded by tons of whitespace (required by cards with more complicated rules) that makes it feel even more awesome and powerful.

 

[curl-6]

Fami your consideration
Best Indie game
Prodeus

Throwback games are difficult to get right; retro graphics alone aren't enough, you also need a deep understanding of what made the games you're evoking so beloved in the first place.
Prodeus absolutely gets it. From its chunky graphics, to its cartoonish violence, to its rocking soundtrack, it plays like a delicious parody of the pearl-clutching outrage that games like Doom provoked back in the day.
It throws all restraint and seriousness out the window in the name of being as wildly entertaining as possible, and the result is some of the most fun I've had with a shooter in years.

 

[Irene]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Gaming Moment
Stray - Taking a Nap

So, you can take a nap with/on a friend in Stray. It's the best.

Hey just a friendly reminder that the category “best gaming moment” refers to events happening this year outside of games themselves, such as media events, funny videos etc. So nap taking unfortunately falls out of the category, but you’re free to nominate what you think is the best gaming moment of 2022 instead!

(Nap taking does sound awesome though)

 

[Josh5890]

~12 hour warning

A lot of great Indie choices so far!

 

[shoptroll]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Gaming Moment
Square-Enix’s Absolute Lack of Chill

I’m not entirely sure this qualifies but I wanted to put this one out here because at least for myself and a handful of others here this did some serious wallet damage. This one publisher was cranking out games to storefronts at a rate of a game a week in the final months of 2021. I’m pretty sure when I ran the numbers a month ago there was at least 20 or more releases by S-E in 2022 which is easily double or triple what they’ve been averaging for the past 2 or 3 years.

I don’t know if it’s their pipeline recovering after 2-3 years of pandemic or something else but this was one of the defining things of the last year. Hopefully 2023 will be a bit calmer but with four releases slated for January and February they’re not showing any signs of slowing their roll.

 

[Deleted member 2258]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Gaming Moment
Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io raises over $6 million

"As game developers, we want to create new worlds, not destroy the one we have."

Nearly half a million people contributed to this bundle raising funds for two relevant non-profits in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It can sometimes feel difficult to find a way to show support for others going through tough times, but this game developer community gave a really big incentive to donate with over 1000 games - not just video games but also table top setups, zines, soundtracks and more - for $10 or more. And there's some real good games in there too!

I think there is a strong desire in the gaming community to do good for society and care for our fellow humans. It's no surprise that indies have been leading the way. It's cool to see that voice get more active every year.

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

For the longest time, most of us have waited for a new Ninja Turtles game to come out. Well we finally got one and it nailed everything. From a beautiful art style to a fantastic open world to smooth online gameplay, this game had it all. It served as homage to the games of the past while giving fans a new experience that belongs in 2022. Cowabunga!





Fami Your Consideration
Best Gaming Moment
Xenoblade Chronicles 3's release date getting moved up.

Games get delayed all the time, right? No big deal! How often do games see their release date moved up though? Ok, so we are only talking about a couple of months at most, but when Nintendo dropped the release date trailer, no one saw the July date coming. It was a brief news blurb, but it was a cool news blurb.

 

[Josh5890]

We have reached the second to last round of nominations. We are now accepting nominations for Best Sports/Party game and Cutest Character.


Best Sports/Party Game
An award recognizing the times where it was just fun to let loose and have a fun time, whether it be with vehicles, tennis or just something random and cool.

Cutest Character
An award recognizing that cute character that you can’t help but adore. For an easygoing and heartwarming character that it’s hard to not like. The character must have appeared in a game that released in 2022.

 

[hologram]

Fami your consideration
Cutest Character
The cat in Stray

It feels inappropriate to write a paragraph about why a character is cute. My submitted evidence will be visual:

 

[meatbag]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Smoliv

I rest my case.

 

[chocolate_supra]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Sena - Xenoblade Chronicles 3

To support my case, I present this evidence:




Okay but seriously, in a cast full of memorable characters Sena still managed to stand out with her upbeat attitude. Her character design is great (her hair is just the best) her vocal performance is fun, and I loved the big bro / lil sis dynamic between her and MechaReyn Lanz. One of my favorite bits when camping is watching everyone around talking, reading, cooking, playing music, and then over on the side there's Sena and Lanz having a pushup competition. The smallest (non-nopon) character in the cast, keeping up with the biggest, hunting for gainz so she can swing a hammer the size of her damn self.

The girl with the gall, indeed.

Spoiler: Bonus Points:

Also, this:

Edit: Oh damn, some serious competition above me

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Lil Gator Game: protagonist

You get to choose the main character name, but pretty much any character from the game could fit in this category.

 

[xghost777]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Party Game
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass (plus the item menu update)

It seems racing is included in this category based off Josh’s description, so I’m going to go ahead and nominate the Booster Course Pass here. For roughly seven years Mario Kart 8 remained mostly unchanged, but thanks to the Booster Course Pass the game is doubling in size and 24 of the planned 48 tracks rolled out in 2022. This was a very welcome surprise as racing on the same tracks over and over again no matter how awesome they are gets boring. Tons of old favorites have come back like Choco Mountain, Coconut Mall, Mario Circuit 3, Waluigi Pinball, and Maple Treeway and are joined by tracks from Tour which are brand new to console players including the amazing Ninja Hideaway. We even got a brand new track and seemingly there are more to come. Even better a new item menu arrived in an update that finally lets you disable the dreaded Blue Shell and awful lightning as well as opened the door to a whole new world of opportunities for fun and mayhem.

Cutest Character
Chocobo from Chocobo GP

Chocobo was extra adorable in this game and super expressive. With every win he is on top of the world and with every defeat he is on the verge of tears. You can dress him up in cute outfits too including my favorite, the white mage outfit. Chocobo <3

 

[Deleted member 2258]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Fidough (Pokemon S/V)

Bread dog.

 

[Suswave]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports / Party Game

not so much a party game — though you can compete in leaderboards online and coordinate timing (my partner and I do all the time) — but I have to mention OlliOlli World here

the game is so fun and smooth, adding up to a whole wonderful thing with very unique controls. it’s a joy to play, balances difficult tasks with the most ease of use in the series, and filled my 2022 with joyful, fun moments

I’m kind of lamenting that I only have extra difficult challenges left, and now that the DLC is finished… I unrealistically pine for OlliOlli World 2 to appear out of nowhere this month

but it’s a wonderful game, truly.

 

[Raccoon]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Awoofy (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)

In a series known for overwhelming cuteness, the most common grunt enemy in Forgotten Land really stands above.

I mean, just look at this thing! And sometimes they nap!

 

[chocolate_supra]

Fami Your Consideration
Cutest Character
Awoofy (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)

In a series known for overwhelming cuteness, the most common grunt enemy in Forgotten Land really stands above.

I mean, just look at this thing! And sometimes they nap!

ngl I felt really bad about fighting them so I'd often just avoid

they're too damn kyoot

 

[Party Sklar]

Fami Your Consideration

Cutest Character
Kirby (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)

he protec
he attac
but most importantly, he tac naps

Best Sports / Party Game
FIFA 23

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's the same game every year, FUT is awful and predatory, but... When you have friends or family at home, playing a game of FIFA is always fun. Especially now that there are modes making playing with less-skilled persons more fair to them. Buying FIFA is like eating at McDonald's : you know you shouldn't do it, but it feels so satisfying that you can't help yourself.

 

[Brock Reiher]

Fami Your Consideration

Best Sports Game: Nintendo Switch Sports

The return of the king baby!

Cutest Character: Mabosstiff

"I cried"

 

[DomsiKong]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports / Party Game
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football

Even though it should have had much more content, the Code gameplay is super fun, we really enjoyed the Team buildings and the deeper mechanics and just really enjoyed playing euch other. That said, the Gamecube Version ist still unreached.

 

[DistractedByPixels]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports / Party Game
MLB the Show 22

I wish I could add this and GT7, two awesome games that were hampered by slow progression in certain game modes. Though both games were tweaked to address that, MLB gets the nod for me because no tweaks were needed to make the fantastic franchise mode any awesomer than it already was

(May I ask why sports and party games are mashed together? They are two very different genres. Is it just because that works better for this board's demo, which I would guess doesn't play much sim sports?)

 

[Josh5890]

The ballot has been updated in post #2!

~12 hour warning. Basically whenever the Eagles/Giants game ends tonight.

Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Party Game
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass (plus the item menu update)

It seems racing is included in this category based off Josh’s description, so I’m going to go ahead and nominate the Booster Course Pass here. For roughly seven years Mario Kart 8 remained mostly unchanged, but thanks to the Booster Course Pass the game is doubling in size and 24 of the planned 48 tracks rolled out in 2022. This was a very welcome surprise as racing on the same tracks over and over again no matter how awesome they are gets boring. Tons of old favorites have come back like Choco Mountain, Coconut Mall, Mario Circuit 3, Waluigi Pinball, and Maple Treeway and are joined by tracks from Tour which are brand new to console players including the amazing Ninja Hideaway. We even got a brand new track and seemingly there are more to come. Even better a new item menu arrived in an update that finally lets you disable the dreaded Blue Shell and awful lightning as well as opened the door to a whole new world of opportunities for fun and mayhem.

As much as I love your pick, it is still DLC so unfortunately we cannot include it.

 

[Josh5890]

Ok folks, it is time for the grand finale! Keep in mind this window will be open for five days!

We are now accepting nominations for the most impactful discussion thread on Famiboards as well as the Game of the Year.


Community Award: Most Impactful Gaming Thread
For this community award, we recognize game-related threads here on Famiboards during the year that have been impactful: important discussions that have taken place, discussions that has been touching on crucial parts of the world of video games and that has led to productive and insightful conversation.

Game of the Year
An award recognizing the best of the best that 2022 had to offer.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Horizon: Forbidden West

It's already up for best action-adventure, artistic direction, OST and world, let's complete the set of possible nominations!

I've already commented on the astounding technical achievement of the game's beautiful, expansive open-world; @Josh5890 has done likewise for the soundtrack. The core gameplay is, of course, vital. and with combat at the game's heart, encounters with the imposing dinosaur-like machines - with even greater diversity here than Zero Dawn - never get old. There's little that's quite as satisfying as tearing off the disc-launcher from a Thunderjaw and using it against the T-Rex-inspired giant - but lesser encounters are just as dynamic, with small, more manoeuvrable machines dancing around Aloy to provide a different manner of challenge. While the developing story was never going to have the same degree of revelation as the first game and the origins of the (in-game) Zero Dawn project, Forbidden West's developments are just as gripping, sharply written throughout and with a diverse, engaging cast of significant characters.

 

[xghost777]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an incredible adventure across an amazing world backed by an awesome cast of characters, the most engaging side content in the series, and the best Xenoblade battle system to date that gives you more options than ever both on and off the battlefield thanks to new mechanics like the Ouroboros fusions and the new job system. For the non-X games, Xenoblade 3 raises the bar in world and level design with some of the most interesting zones to explore brought to life at tremendous scale. It’s astounding how much there is to see and how worthwhile these spaces are as they are littered with enemies, treasure, interesting sights, and adventure.

Xenoblade 3 had its grips in me throughout the 100 hour adventure and I kept playing another 50 until I saw every last bit of it. Xenoblade 3 is an excellent example of why I love and am forever fascinated by video games. It is the 2023 game of the year.

 

[curl-6]

Fami your consideration
Game of the Year
Bayonetta 3

What it lacks in polish, this third entry in the beloved saga more than makes up for in sheer, unbridled spirit. It's overflowing with imagination and creativity, the combat best in class, the setpieces are fantastic, the soundtrack kicks ass, Cereza herself is still a charismatic badass, and Platinum's gloriously outrageous sense of style remains wildly entertaining.

A runaway rollercoast from start to finish, Bayonetta 3 offers some of the purest, most potent fun I've ever had on Switch. It's not perfect, but like an uncut diamond, it still shines brightly.

 

[DistractedByPixels]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Vampire Survivors

Someone else will nominate Kirby. I actually played this game with no guide as much as possible, trying to solve the cryptic clues that hint toward secret encounters and characters. It was such an effective throwback in a year of indies doing impressive work with throwback games (like a third of Arcade Paradise, the game that I thought I'd be nominating here until a few weeks ago).

I talked already about the addictive gameplay loop, of the feeling of satisfaction when you upgrade yourself into a walking death machine, and I would like to add a sneaky-catchy OST to this. And if cost-for-value means anything to you, the PC version is five dollars and is probably going to end up giving me 45+ hours of gameplay to unlock everything, which I want to do because this game is fun. It's fun, basically. You like fun, right? Vote for this game, maybe!

 

[bixente]

The ballot has been updated in post #2!

~12 hour warning. Basically whenever the Eagles/Giants game ends tonight.



As much as I love your pick, it is still DLC so unfortunately we cannot include it.

This DLC has about 10,000x more new content than FIFA Legacy Edition, which gets a nomination

I get it though.

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Horizon: Forbidden West

It's already up for best action-adventure, artistic direction, OST and world, let's complete the set of possible nominations!

I've already commented on the astounding technical achievement of the game's beautiful, expansive open-world; @Josh5890 has done likewise for the soundtrack. The core gameplay is, of course, vital. and with combat at the game's heart, encounters with the imposing dinosaur-like machines - with even greater diversity here than Zero Dawn - never get old. There's little that's quite as satisfying as tearing off the disc-launcher from a Thunderjaw and using it against the T-Rex-inspired giant - but lesser encounters are just as dynamic, with small, more manoeuvrable machines dancing around Aloy to provide a different manner of challenge. While the developing story was never going to have the same degree of revelation as the first game and the origins of the (in-game) Zero Dawn project, Forbidden West's developments are just as gripping, sharply written throughout and with a diverse, engaging cast of significant characters.

Wrap it up folks. We have our GOTY winner.

This DLC has about 10,000x more new content than FIFA Legacy Edition, which gets a nomination

I get it though.

Hey, you ain't lying!

 

[Irene]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

What makes a great story?
Great stories have a lot going for them that makes them great. Characters to care for. A world to get lost in. A plot that grows over time, both in terms of development, as well as in the tackling of themes, beats and twists. The follow-up to the first Somnium Files isn’t just a great story, it laughs in the face of the concept of a “great story”, and ascends above usual greatness. It’s THAT good. Really.

This time around, we get the absolute treat of playing as an aged-up Mizuki, my favourite character from the first game, a choice that I couldn’t be happier with, as she kicks just as much ass here. We also get to know Ryuki, and rather than canceling each other out, the dual-protagonist approach in nirvanA just works as double the fun, shaking things up. In typical Spike Chunsoft fashion, the core mystery of the half-body serial killing is an offbeat and intriguing thing to untangle, and will take the player to some truly bonkers places, both logistically and emotionally.

The somniums themselves, one of the weaker aspects of the first game, are vastly improved here. With such a loose and fun concept in their hands, Spike Chunsoft goes all in here, and fire off one interesting and wholly unique gameplay challenge after another, that offers both story elements and bizarre brain-teases in a rapid succession that had me out of breath, while still making sure that I had a blast.

So what DOES make a great story? In the case of nirvanA Initiative, it ticks all the boxes off with a silver pen. The characters are fun and great. The world and premise and are all engaging and fun to interact with. The story is just wholly engrossing on an entirely different level, with so many unexpected events turning the entire thing upside-down and upside-left so many times that you grow dizzy, only for the entire thing to land with a blow that results in the "a-ha" moments of your dreams.

This is a “put down the controller on the floor as the credits roll, trying to process what just happened” game, for all intents and purposes. It’s so much more than a “great story”. It's so much more than fun gameplay. It's so much more than an iron pipe to the chest. It’s one of the very best games of 2022.

 

[SammyJ9]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Elden Ring

I already gushed about this game for Best Art Direction, but it's my favorite game of the year by a wide margin and is just a masterpiece from start to finish. Tons of build variety with excellent combat, some of the best bosses the series has ever seen, a world deep with lore and interesting things to learn about, and a truly astounding sense of discovery and scale. I was nervous about From going open world with this game, but they nailed it in a way very few other open world games have truly managed; perhaps only BOTW is at the same level. It's also more beginner-friendly and accessible than ever before, since you're always free to explore elsewhere in the world if you get stuck on a boss or tough location, and the addition of spirit ashes really helps with the difficulty.

It's one of the most-awarded GOTY winners of all time for a reason, and I urge anyone who's even remotely interested who hasn't played it yet to give it a try!

 

[Renmazuo]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
SIGNALIS

What can I say? I really did like this game a lot. I already described its general aspects in the Best Indie category so I'm not going to repeat them. Signalis is simply the sort of videogame that makes me glad I'm into this hobby, that reminds me of how and why I got into it in the first place. The sort of game that when I beat it I just stare at the credits while telling myself "what an experience THAT was" (and in this case maybe wondering what the hell I just experienced too). It will stay with me for a long time and that's reason enough for me to nominate it; without a doubt one of the highlights of 2022 for me. And also a good reminder that sometimes, the most enjoyable packages come from the most humble origins: a labor of love from a mere two-person team in this case.

 

[Sheldon]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
TRIANGLE STRATEGY

2022 was universally agreed to be the year of the SRPG. So it is only right and just and logical that the best SRPG of 2022 should be the GOTY 2022.

No strategy game this year had finer balance than Triangle Strategy, none tighter mission design nor fairer challenge curve. Thirty unique units, each with characteristic skills and important functions, of which every single one will be a useful option to bring along on one map or the other. The battles here are not so much puzzles to solve as in other tactics titles, but messy engagements to stumble through, with no clean approach in sight. Plans for winning the war are allowed to be drawn up and allowed to fall apart upon contact with the enemy, and then allowed to be rescued from the ashes of impending defeat. Preparation is half the battle, but the other half is preparation proving insufficent and having to be adapted on the fly. Triangle Strategy is the best kind of strategy, one that encourages personal expression - no two favored squards look the same - and with that individual outcomes - no two tales of victory or failure are alike.

No roleplaying game this year had purer roleplaying than Triangle Strategy. It asked you to put yourself in the shoes of a young lord of an important but not all-powerful house, caught between mighty armies governed by self-interested rulers, between duty and love, loyalty and ethicality, to understand the large forces at work that shape the world yet not lose sight of the smallfolk caughter underfoot, to emphasize with your allies who you have to rely on for advise and votes and to see their point of view, even if you disagree, to hopefully change their mind come that important day when disagreement cannot be tolerated for the outcome it would lead to is unacceptable to you, Serenoa Wolffort of House Wolffort, son of Symon and Destra, Betrothed of Frederica Aesfrost and oldest friend to the heir of the Kingdom of Glenbrook.

Any year can be the year of From Software. Only 2022 is the year of the strategy role-playing game, and the best strategy and best role-playing is bound together in the best strategy role-playing game of 2022 and the Game of the Year 2022: Triangle Strategy.

 

[Red Monster]

Fami your Consideration
Game of the Year
GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK

No other game comes close. Ragnarok is a masterpiece. I was gripped from start to finish. When I think back on 2022, Ragnarok will be the first game that comes to mind. It's my GOTY and it should be yours, too!

 

[Deleted member 2258]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Kirby and the Forgotten Land

I'm surprised it took this long for this game to get a GotY nom!

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is awesome. The team made some audacious design choices like Mouthful Mode and giving the upbeat locales (malls, amusement parks, cities, etc.) a post-apocalyptic window dressing.

Each level is fun and full of secrets. The game encourages you to keep digging for just a few more hidden waddles dees, making the whole thing very replayable.

What really makes this game stand out to me is the 2 player co-op, where a pal can back up Kirby as Bandana Waddle Dee. This has allowed me to offer some support to my six-year-old son as he plays the game while still allowing him to be independent and make mistakes without getting overly frustrated. It also allows him to play the game with his grandpa or anyone else who wants to connect with him on that level! I think this has made the game a quick favorite for both of us.

Like all Kirby games, everything is very welcoming and cute. We have some great character additions to the Kirby franchise including those puppies and Elfilin. Waddle Dee Town is fun. The graphics are very pretty. I've heard some folks say they wish the game was longer, but I think it's a great length. It just feels like it should be longer because it ignites the imagination of what could be possible in a sequel!

I'm probably not alone in being unexpectedly blown away by a Kirby game last year. I'm here for it!

 

[Weebos]

Since there hasn't been a nomination in this category, I'm going for the Pokémon Colosseum Sweep.

Fami Your Consideration
Community Award: Most Impactful Gaming Thread
My Dream Remaster: Pokémon Colosseum HD

Truly one of the best threads of the year, made by a surprisingly attractive user, full of insight, laughs, and tears. I think it really brought the community together and celebrates one of the greatest games ever made.

Spoiler

This is a joke nomination that can be disregarded if the organizers want, I'm hoping it might spur folks to actually nominate threads for this category.

 

[Josh5890]

~24 hour warning to get in nominations.

Ballot will be ready to go around this time tomorrow night.

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Pokémon Legends: Arceus

By far the best open world experience in a Pokemon game, you enter a prehistoric time in the Pokemon universe where many wild Pokemon roam the wild. Journeying across several open worlds, you get to experience catching and researching Pokemon like never before. The game does a great job of rewarding you for continuing to explore areas and for experimenting with your team.

It was my best Pokemon experience since Soul Silver.

 

[Party Sklar]

Fami Your Consideration

Community Award: Most Impactful Gaming Thread
Nintendo General Discussion |ST12 Sep 2022| Trails From Splatoon 3

So I'd like to use this nom to thank everyone who make Nintendo General STs. There's always a ton of love poured into them, and they're just a great place to be, to chat with familiar and nice people. So why the September ST and not another ST, will you ask me ? Well, because this ST has this post by @chocolate_supra that still makes me laugh to this day.

 

[Weebos]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

The first proper open world Pokémon game, and a literal dream come true. For decades fans have imagined a game like this, and now, in 2022, we finally got it. The multiple path system allows for a lot of freedom in how you tackle the story of the game, and it exposes you to the variety and personality of the Paldea region very well. Completing all three storylines funnels you into the game's conclusion, which is the best piece of Pokémon storytelling they've ever created, in the fantastic and eerie Area Zero.

And, of course, the game introduces another suite of excellent Pokémon designs, highlighted in Pokémon's 1008 encounters video (timestamped to 6:18):

 

[chocolate_supra]

Fami Your Consideration

Community Award: Most Impactful Gaming Thread
Nintendo General Discussion |ST12 Sep 2022| Trails From Splatoon 3

So I'd like to use this nom to thank everyone who make Nintendo General STs. There's always a ton of love poured into them, and they're just a great place to be, to chat with familiar and nice people. So why the September ST and not another ST, will you ask me ? Well, because this ST has this post by @chocolate_supra that still makes me laugh to this day.

OMG
It's an honor just to be nominated
(yes I know it wasn't me you nominated but I've just always wanted to say that)

 

[Deleted member 2258]

Fami Your Consideration
Community Award: Most Impactful Gaming Thread
Your Retroactive GOTY for Every Year since 1985

I admit being skeptical when I saw this thread's OP. This was my train of thought, more or less. Are people really going to take the time to pick their favorite game for so many years, double checking release dates through wikipedia? It's a fun idea, but I don't know if anyone is going to do it. It is a fun idea though. I've got some extra time, maybe I'll do it and see what I find... Oh, this is really interesting... I've never thought about the history of gaming from this perspective before... It's great to see so many earnest responses.

This is a tricky category to nominate, but I remember this thread being a standout for being a fun opportunity to talk about our faves and compare and contrast. If you missed out on it the first time around, give it a look and see what you can add to the conversation!

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

Yeah, the games are more technical issues than video game, but boy is that video game some good stuff. An open world is such a natural fit for a franchise like Pokemon, since Pokemon are basically cheating when it comes to open world rewards. So scattering 400 of them, including a solid 100 or so fantastic new designs into a pretty solidly designed landscape, and mixing in a three-path, surprisingly decent story that can be progressed mostly independently at your own pace, and you've got one hell of a stew going. Plus, the bicycle lizards are the best and I will take no arguments.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may be far from perfect, but they're some of the most fun I had gaming last year, and for that I think they deserve this nomination

 

[Josh5890]

Ok, the time has finally arrived. We have reached the voting stage! Rules are already in the ballot, but just so you can get a heads up.

• There are three pages to this ballot. One for the genre categories, one for the other categories, and one for the Game of the Year race.
• You can vote for up to three categories in each category, but only one vote is required for each category. Points are tallied 3, 2, 1.
• Game of the year will be set up to where you can vote for up to 10 games, but only 3 votes are required for that category. Points are tallied 10 down to 1.
• The ballot will close on January 31st, 2022 at 11:59pm CST.

Famiboards 2022 Gaming Celebration Ballot

forms.gle

Please let me know if you see any irregularities.