This year’s game of the year conversation was over before it could even begin. That’s not because 2022 wasn’t an exceptional year filled with left-field surprises. It’s simply that players were already anticipating what the year’s two biggest games would be: God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring. Though those two games were indeed two of 2022’s most dominant AAA titles, the “foregone conclusion” attitude ultimately did this year a disservice.

As people anticipated the ensuing war between those two giants, much smaller projects like Vampire Survivors and Immortality were pushing the idea of what a modern game looks like. Nintendo was raising the bar for family games with its strongest lineup since the Switch’s launch in 2017, while lesser-celebrated platforms like mobile and VR delivered some of the year’s most memorable moments. Sure, Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok’s dominance was inevitable, but they were far from the only games worth discussing in 2022.

To honor another standout year for the industry, the Digital Trends team put a lot of careful thought into this year’s big top 10 list. Hundreds of games were evaluated and around 30 were considered for the final list, from heavy hitters to out-of-nowhere indies. Both of those worlds arre represented equally on our list this year, serving as a reminder that video games at all levels deserve a chance — not just the ones with the biggest marketing budgets.

Though, of course, that doesn’t mean the power players didn’t make the cut. Here are our 10 favorite video games of 2022.

10. Bayonetta 3

When you hear the word “blockbuster,” your mind may immediately go to Hollywood. That instinct might change for good when you play Bayonetta 3. Almost playing like a parody of Marvel movies, PlatinumGames’ long-awaited Switch exclusive delivers a deliriously entertaining gauntlet of multiverse thrills. What it lacks in narrative, it makes up for with over-the-top action set pieces — including spy movie send-ups and full-on kaiju battles. Bayonetta 3 could have easily repeated the formula of its previous installments and called it a day, but its inventive streak makes for an unpredictable adventure that’s confident in its goofiness. Bring on the popcorn. ~ Giovanni Colantonio

9. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is one of those games that you really need to play to understand. At a passing glance, its retro visuals and one-stick control format may make it seem like a shallow throwback. That’s about as far from reality as you can get, though. Instead, Vampire Survivors is one of 2022’s most engaging and creative action games. It takes elements from the roguelike genre and blends in ideas that you might find in an idle game and a bombastic Musou. That results in a wildly addictive wave defense game that lets players focus their attention on impactful upgrade decisions rather than complicated button inputs. Nothing in gaming feels better this year than locking into a good run and watching your tiny character wipe out thousands of monsters without you even touching the controller. ~ Giovanni Colantonio

8. Stray

Before Stray launched, it gained a reductive reputation as “that cat meme game.” That was due to its unique feline hero, which had some players enamored with the idea before they even saw a hint of gameplay footage. The triumph of Stray, though, is that it is much more than its gimmick. Published by Annapurna Interactive, it successfully turns annoying cat behaviors (like scratching everything in sight or knocking objects over) into clever …….

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