The blather about 2022 not having enough games is a bit overblown. It's not the most crowded year on record, but there are loads of great releases on the horizon, and we're quite fond of some games that have already released.
Take a look yourself, and you'll find something good to play.
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Xenoblade Chronicles 3
You don't need to have played other "Xenoblade" games to enjoy this extremely complex JRPG, but long time fans will definitely benefit. This installment improves on the previous game in nearly every imaginable way.
Rated T for Teen. Available on Nintendo Switch.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Unlike "Xenoblade," this is a direct sequel, so you'll want to start with the first game to fully understand what's happening. But once you're through that wonderful last-gen title, you'll get to see just how wild the story gets, and how much better it is with a glider at hand.
Rated T for Teen. Available on PlayStation.
Elden Ring
Personally speaking, I'm not much of a fan of Soulslike games, but there's no denying that "Elden Ring" is one of the biggest releases of the year. Digg's own Jared Russo absolutely adores this open-world take on the Fromsoft formula, and so do millions of other folks.
Rated M for Mature. Available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Made by the folks behind "The Evil Within," this original title has you going up against loads of supernatural beings haunting an emptied-out Shibuya. We'd like a bit more variety in the quest design, but it's still a great way to spend a weekend or two. And those combat animations? Forget about it!
Rated M for Mature. Available on PS5 and PC.
Stray
Everybody loves the cat game, and there's no debate about it. The stealth and escape sequences can be a bit tedious at times, but the moody aesthetic and adorable moments make it easy to love.
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+. Available on PlayStation and PC.
Two Point Campus
While the earlier "Two Point Hospital" is similar conceptually, we feel a lot better about making the best college campus instead of thinking about hospitals for hours on end. Multiple times in the past few weeks, I've had to stop myself from playing so I could get some sleep. That's how you know they did a good job.
Rated T for Teen. Available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Even if you've played previous "Lego Star Wars" games, you'll want to play this one too. It covers all of the numbered films this time, and it has proper voice acting instead of just hilarious miming. It's well-suited for multiplayer family fun, but there's plenty of joy to be had alone too.
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+. Available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Nintendo Switch Sports
"Wii Sports" was, hands down, the best game ever to be released on the Wii. Unsurprisingly, there's still a lot to love with these relatively simple motion games well over a decade later. If you have a Switch, it's worth picking up for the bowling and soccer games in this updated package.
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+. Available on Nintendo Switch.
Citizen Sleeper
Clearly inspired by table top gaming, this narrative-heavy game relies on dice rolls to interact with the world. The visuals are minimalistic, but the stripped-down look really helps to evoke the dire situation your character is in.
Rated T for Teen. Available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PC.
Norco
This southern gothic take on the point-and-click adventure game is definitely making end of year lists for some of us. It's playing in the same space as "Kentucky Route Zero" and "Disco Elysium," but the dystopian NOLA setting is starkly different from other games in recent memory.
Unrated, probably not a game for kids. Available on PC.