What are your favorite single player games to go back to?
What are your favorite single player games to go back to often?
- Minecraft
- Furi
- Mario 64
- Super Mario World
- GTA SA and Vice City
It's kinda rare for me to go back to a single player game and replay it, but there are some games that are nostalgic in the same way place or smell can be nostalgic.
I know them so well that I can't help but want to go back and visit and I never really get disappointment by the experience. Sure, I don't get as immersed as the first time, but I definitely still enjoy the games.
Stardew valley. I stopped playing it earlier this year but picked it back up this week. I forgot I made a new game that went with joja instead of the community center and I feel disgusting playing it but I need to see how it shakes out lol
I love me some Stardew. Have you tried out Dave the Diver? It's got a similar quirky feel to it.
It looks so good!! Definitely gonna grab it on the next sale. Man these indie dev pixel budget games are so much better than the AAA ones.
Starbound. They've had a couple of big story changes over it's development and it's not as big as terraria. But I enjoy the soundtrack and having a spaceship and just enjoying space travel (at the expense of stealing fuel from a ghost).
I haven't played in a while, but I know I'll go back and give it a try again.
Hades
I recently picked it up for my switch and I'm really excited to try it out. I've heard a lot of great things about it
Highly recommend; it's on my list. It's a low-barrier roguelike to get into. Overall, the genre has some friction points, but this game is really smart about it. There is a story! It is advanced every time you die. You slowly get more stats each time also. However, If the game determines you are dying 'a lot', it will allow you to decrease the difficulty so you won't abandon the game. The fun is in combining Greek god powers; you can 'git gud' if you want a challenge, but it's not necessary to 'have fun.'
It's a great game to kill time, each play through is random so doesn't feel repetitive. Great soundtracks. I'm playing this on my laptop through a ps5 controller honestly this game is best to be played on a switch or steamdeck type device. Anyway happy gaming.
I'm pretty hyped for the sequel.
Chromehounds(not really, I lost the CD and my X360 is dead (Armored Core ain't got shit on Chromehounds, fight me))Alpha Centauri.
What an amazing game. Hell yes.
Oblivion, Skyrim and The Witcher 3 are my favorites
I loved The Witcher 3 and I know it has tons of replayability... But heck, I don't see myself finishing it again any time soon, it took me a bit part of my life to finish it once lol.
I got myself skyrim for a birthday when it first came out, and I love going back to it. It has a lot of flaws, but it also has a lot of character.
Thank you, I think I'm going to start a playthrough soon because of this comment
Minecraft (modded and unmodded)
Creeper world games
Mindustry
Single player nostalgia list:
Multiplayer nostalgia list:
Advance Wars is such a good series. I wish they would come out with another one
There is Wargroove. And it's sequel is coming soon (or already released?).
Slay the Spire. It's so challenging that it's always engaging when I play it.
Didn't even consider this one because I never left it. Having it on mobile means I'm playing it in way too many situations I shouldn't be.
The only 10+ years old game I still return to for significant lengths of time is Guild Wars 2. Yeah yeah I know, it's not a single player game, but as far as I am concerned it might as well be. Also I return when there is new content, so I might be cheating there.
Every now and then I return to Magicka and then stop playing after enough crashes. Renegade Ops is also a favorite of mine (did a complete playthrough on Steam Deck last year). It's been a while since my last run of Crysis but I really enjoy replaying it (just the first game though, the sequels did not do the same for me), spicing up the experience with a couple of mods.
I play WoW like that. Just follow the storyline in quests for whatever character/race I feel like running as an alt. I might come across other people as I play, but I donβt play with anyone.
I like to go back to crpg's like the Pathfinder or Pillars of Eternity games.
I love trying out different story paths and finding the little things I've missed on previous play-throughs.
XCOM 2012 is my favourite turn based stratedy game, I really like the Long War mod. Saving earth from an alien invasion is such a cool fantasy.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey because I love Greek history and mythology, so being able to explore that part of the world is really appealing to me.
Warhammer 40k Dawn of War. It's just the best 40k game. I wish Relic would remaster it.
Sunless Sea. It's one of my favourite visual novels, and it has RPG elements. The writing is hilarious, and weird. It's like halfway between Charles Dickens and HP Lovecraft. Pilot a ship around a vast underground sea, fighting monsters and talking to Victorian wierdos.
Spelunky. I've been playing it for 10 years now, and completed it hundreds of times. I'd recommend it a lot.
STALKER Call of Pripyat. It's an alternative history first-person shooter set in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant. It's semi open world, and unlike any other game I've played for its story and atmosphere.
Into The Breaxh, Sekiro, Psychonaut 1&2.
They are so satisfying and not too long. Factorio is a bit too demanding.
XCOM series is great. Unfortunate so many of the lead creators have left Firaxis lately.
I can't really describe what it is about R&C that I am just enamored by. I've played them on and off since the first game when I was 7+.
Bioshock, Dishonored, Watch Dogs, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas.
Games without frequent changing updates:
4X:
Civilisation V, Civilisation VI
CMS: Anno 1602 (1998), Factorio
Open world RPG: Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 4
RPG: Drakensang: The Dark Eye
Tycoon: OpenTTD (FOSS)
Farming Simulator (2009, too bland), 2011, 2013, 2015
Games with changing updates:
Roguelike: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (FOSS)
Sandbox: Minecraft, Minetest
I have a bunch but I'll just mention one because I didn't see it: Mad Max. It's just so satisfying to drive around smashing shit and kicking ass. I wish the driving sections of Arkham Knight could have been that fun.
I think someone below also had Mad Max on their list.
But yeah that game is really fun, I should go back to it soon
Tetris GB
This game has occupied so many hours of my life. I play a ROMHack called "Rosy Retrospective," where modern features have been added, like pressing up to drop and being able to save pieces. Probably don't need to explain this game :D
Super Punch-Out!
Nostalgic pick because the SNES was my favorite system. I'm not really into boxing games, but this adds a puzzle element to it where you memorize patterns of ridiciulous over-the-top fighters (one of them kicks, so the boxing is loose here). I can easily pick this game up and play the time-attack mode to refight a boxer that I've defeated before. There is a lot of satisfaction completely owning a boxer. However, there are still boxers in this game that I can't beat.
NYT Crosswords
Love doing a crossword with friends. I highly recommend their app screenshared to your TV; NYT has done a fantastic job optimizing the experience for screens. The grid and the clues are very visible, as if everyone was crowded around you on a table looking at the print version. NYT has quietly done a great job diversifying their games business. Spelling Bee and Werdle I don't play as much, but I know a bunch of people who do. If you don't have a sub, you can play on Downforacross with friends, the Google sheets of crosswords.
Solebon Solitaire (iOS)
An app that has many variants of single-player card games on there. My favorites include Klondike, Golf, Monte Carlo, Yukon, and La Belle Lucie, but FAR and away the game I play the most is FreeCell. There is a randomness to Solitare where some deals just aren't winnable. However, with FreeCell, with the ability to have 4 reserve spaces to move cards around, the game is more forgiving and every deal is winnable.
868-HACK
A hacking roguelike on iOS. Love the graphics and concept. You play on a randomly generated grid of tiles and walls that you can hack. Hacking results in enemies appearing on the grid. You have to plan your way to the level exit, while also maximizing the rewards (abilities) you get from hacking.
Enyo (iOS)
A tactical roguelike on iOS. Grid based. You have to dispatch the enemies on the grid with your sword, hook, and shield. Enemies progressively have better abilities and become more numerous, so you really have to plan your route through the grid-based terrain. You can use your weapons in interesting ways, especially the hook and shield. The hook pulls most enemies toward you, so you can sometimes dispatch by pulling them into water. Other times you can swap places with them so you deploy your shield to push them.
Donkey Kong GB
Wonderful puzzle platformer originally released on the GameBoy. Nostalgic pick that I can easily pick up and play for a couple of minutes or a longer session if needed. Mario runs, jumps, and uses hammers to get through 50+ themed levels. Simple and very replayable. Very easy for kids to learn to play.
Hades
For longer sessions, Hades is my go-to roguelite. An isometric dungeon crawler that seemingly has almost endless replayability with your choices of random Greek god-powers and paths through the Underworld. All the things you dislike about roguelites are smartly dealt with. There is an actual storyline between deaths. I have never heard a single line of dialogue repeated. Ever. The game will give you options to make it easier if it notices you are dying a lot. So anybody can make it through this game and progress the story.
Bloodborne
The first FromSoftware game that clicked for me and forced me to 'git gud.' Something about the gothic horror environment and the weapon fighting is so satisfying to me. You can go through this game with different weapons and builds and have a completely different game experience (a staple of FromSsoftware games). I have this whole game memorized and have beaten it multiple times and yet, I can still get my ass kicked by a random enemy if I am not careful. Every March, a bunch of gamers on Reddit replay the game in celebration of it's launch, but I like to play it around Halloween. Sounds like that is coming up soon!
Steamworld Dig 2
Have finished it 3 times already and there will be a 4th time for sure
Mod-friendly games with large mod communities like Skyrim or Mount and Blade 2. The ability to play a game like Skyrim in completely different ways keeps it fresh.
Skyrim,
Fallout NV
Fallout 4
Witcher 3
Ghost of Tsushima
Mass Effect (full trilogy)
BioShock (mostly 1, but sometimes 2 and 3 as well)
Borderlands (1 and 2, never really got into 3 or the Tales games)
Red Dead Redemption (both)
Assassins Creed Black Flag
Mad Max
Cyberpunk 2077
Dying Light (the original. Havenβt played 2 yet)
As far as single-player goes, the ones above all have several hundred hours each (a couple of them well over 1000 lol), across countless play throughs lol
Minecraft is probably the only game I've beaten and revisited. But that's cause beating it isn't really the end of the game
Yeah, Minecraft is basically LEGO, you stop playing when you run out of ideas or run out of time.
Toy Story 2 for PS1, I'm willing to try the Dreamcast version, although I don't think it is very different...
Super Mario Bros 64 DS, since it doesn't bother me in the slightest the lack of the joystick this game is a gem with all the added content and portability (well portability was huge thing back in the days π ).
New Super Mario Bros for DS, very easy to pick up and play, although I'm not a fan of not being able to save anywhere, if my flashcard supported save states I'd definitely use them with this.
Jackie Chan for PS1, I made like a weird tradition to re visit this game all the Decembers lol, don't ask me why, I don't even know it.
Dwarf Fortress
Minecraft
Stardew Valley
Chrono Trigger
FF Tactics Advance
various Zelda titles
various roguelikes
Noita is one I've spent a lot of hours with.
Caves of Qud is a good one if you like "classic" roguelikes.
This is my kind of list! Dwarf Fortress though...I haven't played. Slightly intimidated by it. Sorta drawing from my experience with Rimworld. I really wanted to like it but I was so shit at the game.
The problem with DF isn't the learning curve, it's how easy it is to play for sixteen hours without eating or sleeping.
Same. People gush over how complex it is all the time, and it just makes me feel like I will be too stupid to understand it lol. I'm sure I could with enough time, but time is what I lack
Rimworld. It's not a game for me at this point, it's a drug that I have to take from time to time, and it takes all of your free time like a good drug would.
There are others with that effect for me, like modded Minecraft, or Factorio, or Satisfactory, or Hitman, or Skyrim, but nothing is that severe.
Factoring, satisfactory
Heck anything with a dedicated server support. I throw up my own server, connect and play SP. So long as the game is fun, I'll play it