My comfort game is definitely Heroes of Might and Magic 2. No campaign, I just pick a large map on low difficulty, and play it through while listening to the relaxing music. For years it was my christmas chill out routine.
Hi. Some of my most played games are: - FTL, at somewhere around 300 hours - Into the Breach (by the same developer) for somewhere around 150 hours. Both of those are rogue-lites, where a run can end early if you die, which happens in FTL the vast majority of the time. I actually win Into the Breach roughly 100% of the time now, but still love playing through it with different teams. - Xenoblade Chronicles. Somewhere around 200 hours on definitive edition on the Switch, and another long playthrough of the original Wii version on emulation. - I also really like Shmups. I spent several years playing Mushihimesama Futari. Then I went through an R-Type Leo phase. Right now I've been playing Donpachi at least daily - Time Pilot. I've been playing this almost daily for a few decades. It was my favorite Coleco Vision game,. and then when it became possible to emulate it I started playing the arcade version. It's also on my Switch. IMO it's one of the best arcade games ever made as far as difficulty curve. Even the first level isn't easy for beginners, and even after decades I rarely make it past the UFO level to loop back around. I'm sure there are others I can't think of at the moment, but those are the games that I've played the longest for the most number of hours. EDIT: I forgot to mention SSX 3 and Tony Hawk 2. I've been playing both of those for 20 years or so. They basically have infinite replayability, and great music also.
Castlevania: SotN is my #1 go-to for nostalgia. I play it a couple times every year. And somehow, it never gets old. The experience is basically the same every time, but super satisfying. Oddly enough, every time I finish a new Metroidvania, I usually chase it with a quick run-through of this one. Makes a good pallette cleanser!
@@FWDSUXARSE SOTN is my fave Castlevania "Metroidvaina", but my favorite traditional platformer was the PC Engine classic Dracula X Rondo of Blood and NOT the SNES version!
The original X-Com is probably my first evergreen game. I used to play it at least once a year since I got it for Christmas back in 1994. I liked the reboot and its sequel, but nothing has quite surpassed the original for me. Xenonauts came close as well, but I'm sure nostalgia is keeping X-Com: UFO Defense on a pedestal for me.
I don't think it's *just* nostalgia... I liked modded Xenonauts much more than the modern XCOM games and the only keeping me away from the originals is the interface, really. With OpenXCom they're still pretty good games.
i've got a rotation of Evergreen games I always come back to: Earthbound Super Mario RPG Parasite Eve 1 & 2 Silent Hill 1-4 Castlevania SOTN Super Metroid Snatcher Deathgate I totally agree with what you said about wanting to have that enjoyable experience again!
I don't blame you for revisiting Felix the Cat. It's definitely one of the coziest NES games and I'd love to see it get re-released one of these days, especially since a lot of his shorts are now in the public domain (I don't know if the character himself is though)
I have a handful of modern "live-service" games that I constantly rotate through, but to the spirit of the video, I always find myself returning to Mega Man 2 and Symphony of the Night every year or so.
As someone who's been subscribed since Felix the Cat, it's always a nice surprise when you bring it up again. For me I always go back to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Mario Bros 3 (though 1 & 2 get replays occasionally), Jazz Jackrabbit and well ... Pac Man.
Right on! Replayability is abuot the game being good; not just having more content, and a lot of my choices will reflect that. It's harder for me to narrow it down, since I replay most of my games, but the biggest ones are probably the Mega Man Classic and X series, Faxanadu, Guardian Legend, the SNES Ganbare Goemon games, Secret of Mana, Super Metroid, Smartball, and Super Valis 4. I can think of plenty of newer discoveries that will probably land here, but I haven't had the chance to replay all that much just yet.
My evergreen games seemingly are: final fantasy 1, 10, and 12, Skyrim, path of exile, grim dawn, torchlight 2, and oblivion. Sounds like a lot but I don’t play through them entirely every year but I do visit them yearly! It’s like chicken soup on a cold day.
A SHORT HIKE always puts me in a good mood. Gliding in the sky is very relaxing. It’s the first game where I wasn’t sure if I had reached the end. It’s more casual than ANIMAL CROSSING and easy to jump in and out of. I find myself coming back to the sports games again and again and NBA 2K 11 most of all.
Crimson skies is a favorite of mine, the Hollywood air race level was very memorable. As was the earlier mission where they steal the blue streak and rescue ilsa
Easily my number one is Link's Awakening (OG GameBoy, Switch now). I've played and beat that game more than any other game. Still play it. Ys Origins, Trials of Mana, and ACNH are currently the ones I keep going back to.
For older games, I can always pop in Super Street Fighter 2 and have a good time. For recent stuff, Rocket League is my go to “turn off my brain and have fun whenever I boot it up” title
Your experience in WoW is basically what mine was in MMO's and I won't touch them anymore. I totally agree with your take on CIV 5, there is just something about it.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I actually came back to WoW with the new wotlk pre-patch fresh servers and I've been enjoying it again. I can't imagine actually raiding and doing all that stuff though so I'm mainly just playing it as a solo quester, a few hours a night. That's more or less the only way I seem to enjoy mmos anymore, which I guess kinda defeats the purpose, lol. I love the persistence and the feeling of building a character, but yeah, at the end of the day, is it worth the time you could be spending with an immersive story in a well-crafted single player game? It scratches a certain itch that single player games don't, but the more I play them, the more pointless it feels. I'm starting to think that mmo-lite games are the best compromise. Games like Fallout 76 or Destiny 1/2 that have long, story-driven campaigns that you basically just play in tandem with a relatively smaller player presence (I think it's never more than like 24 players in one instance of FO76, for instance). Even ESO kinda falls in that category since there's so much fully-voiced story content that can mostly all be done solo and at your leisure. It's a nice option to feel like you're not totally alone in the game world while playing a single-player quality story (arguably) with none of the pressures or time commitments of a raiding-centric game like WoW.
Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect trilogy were the game I've played multiple times. As well as Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, and TMNT 4 Turtles in Time, all on the SNES. And I believe also Goldeneye on the N64. There's probably more that I'm not thinking of, but those are the ones I can remember at the top of my head. But those were for multiple playthroughs. I have also sunk in over 200 hours in Euro Truck Simulator 2, and over 100 for Elite Dangerous across two platforms. (Xbox and PC)
Most Recently I'm so addicted to Shredder's Revenge and the Cowabunga Collection. I wanted to beat the arcade version of Turtles in Time with all 4 characters.
Pitfall! on the Atari 2600 (1982). Super Mario Bros. 2 / North American release on the NES (1988). Gain Ground on the Sega Genesis (1991). Bucky O'Hare on the NES (1992). Illusion of Gaia on the SNES (1994). Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast (2000).
This was a great topic, Pam. I generally never replay games with few exceptions. There are just too many other videogame experiences out there to be discovered! However, I do have a few that live in my mind at all times and get replayed every now and then. LoZ: Ocarina of Time is probably number one. Then Bioshock, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Alan Wake, in no particular order.
I love this topic. Comfort games are my go-to resource when I'm having mental health super happy fun times (note: said times are neither super happy nor fun). My biggest one is probably the flawed but addicting RTS game "Star Wars Rebellion" from the late '90s. Or "Journey" if I'm grieving someone and need a quick game to help me have an emotional catharsis.
Such a great video. I recently got a steam deck and I'm embarrassed to admit the game I played the most on it is pixel junk monsters and slay the spire
Good list. Mine would include World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Goldeneye on N64, Mario Kart 64, Team Fortress 2, and Quake 3 with Weapons Factory Arena mod. I also go back and play Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 and the original Streets of Rage a lot but those don't take long to finish each time.
What a great topic. I imagine for those of us in the retro scene, we may tend to have a bunch of evergreen games. Our tastes in this category differ as I love beat-em-ups and action platformers the most, but I do absolutely relate to the core gameplay being the most important thing to bring me back again and again. I don't care about content. It's always the game mechanics that determine if I'll return. I'll spare you my exhaustive list, because I return to a lot of games, but recent highlights for me have been Knights of the Round(arcade), X-Men(arcade), Shinobi 3, Ranger X, Shatterhand, Ninja Gaiden, Virtual On, King of Fighters 98....and so on.
There's a bunch of games I always come back to, most of which are arcade titles. Tecmo's Solomon's Key in its arcade iteration is pretty much a perfect game for me. Same with Hammerin' Harry by Irem. Strato Fighter, which recently got an Arcade Archives release... The list goes on and features titles most don't expect, like Gaelco's Thunder Hoop. These are all feel-good titles I won't ever stop playing.
zelda games, chrono trigger/cross, hook on the snes is my version of your felix the cat. hell, a stack of snes games I run through for the feels. i probably have hundreds of hours of time in spiderman on ps4 just swinging around the city.
Nice video; it’s nice to see fellow Canadians on my CZcams feed! My old roommate played that gothic Cthulhu-style game mentioned in the video. Looked like it was depressingly stressful, but he enjoyed it. He also introduced me to Binding of Isaac, which I’ve put hundreds of hours into now.
I think my evergreen games are mostly from the SNES or PS1 era. SNES: FF 6 and Super Mario RPG. PS1: FF7, FF Tactics, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, and Star Ocean 2nd story.
The games I spent the most time on were the ones that I enjoyed playing so much that it made me want to make content for them. Portal 2 lets you create your own puzzle rooms, and it was fun doing it. Doom (2016) comes with the SnapMap utility that lets you make maps, and I made five, which took me 900 hours. I also made a map for the 2002 strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic IV. The first time I did this kind of thing was in the 80s Apple II game Lode Runner, which let you design custom levels. I also tried modding in Fallout 4: I turned that broken drive-in theater into a working one. And games like The Sims and Minecraft made custom creations a mainstream thing.
Mine are Broken Sword, Oblivion and Bioshock. However, thanks to one of your videos, Paradise Killer. Beat that the other day and will be going back to it again. Really hoping for a sequel.
When you said, "throw an asmr video on a second screen" you immediately spoke my language. I love interesting roleplay ASMR with an almost mindless game where you feel some sort of progression. I have way too many hours in Pressure Washer & House Flipper, but it keeps that side of your mind busy where you're watching ASMR (Frostglow ASMR, Nebula ASMR, pretty much scifi, though unintentional ASMR is good as well)
I did WoW for two and a half years starting in 2005 and used to raid a lot. But when they started with the BS of excluding entry to instances without the complete set consisting of very rare drops, one night I got fed up and quite cold turkey. Really enjoyed that game, though. Loved the soundtrack too, bought me a copy. Cute blouse, by the way.
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 is my most played game of all times. Jagged Alliance 2 is one I regularly replay every 1-2 years. Of the newer games it's Into the Breach and FTL that I return to for a run, or two. And then there is Tetris for some zen time.
Fantastic video. It's always interesting to me to hear about what other people gravitate toward and what it is about those games that resonate with them. For me, it's definitely Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Randomizer. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I was over the thousand hour mark at this point with that one. Beyond that, Chrono Trigger and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse both get annual replays, and I've put quite a bit of time into each of the souls-borne games.
Mega Man X2, NES Batman, Earthworm Jim, and Super Mario 64 jump to mind for me. They're a perfect blend of nostalgia, satisfying mechanics, and shortness.
For me, some of my evergreen games would be: Streets of Rage 2, Advance Wars, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, Resident Evil Remake, and the new Hitman trilogy. Appreciate the videos. Keep up the great work.
For me, I'd say; Ridge racer type 4 Outrun 2 Resident Evil 1 remake Godhand Haunting Ground Kingdom under fire Dodonpachi Black label Street fighter alpha 3 Tekken 5 Virtua fighter 4 Nier Gestalt Skies of Arcadia Lost Odyssey Heretic/Hexen Darksiders 2 There's probably plenty more, these are the first that come to mind.
My ever green game is Ninja Gaiden. I played it until I was great at it. I still remember the first weekend I rented it. I want my grandparents and remember being at the castle ruins and being called away for lunch and one of the happier moments of my life. Weirdly I don't know how I got the copy I owned but I got to the point I could get to Jaquio in thirty minutes. My other go to game is Mega Man 2, I've played it to the point, I go thru multiple paths. Most would likely be games on the NES, including the Mario games.
Definitely Fallout New Vegas for PC. Love Darkest Dungeons but it's unforgiving, but I keep going back. SMB3 for NES. I'd recommend you try Final Fantasy 3 (6) for SNES if you're looking for epic adventure w/amazing pixel art.
The original Oldboy, nice I find myself revisiting the Panzer Dragoon series on the Saturn; Saga being my favourite. Adventure games are another I tend to revisit often as well. Nothing usually in particular other than “oh, hey, I haven’t played Zork (or such n such game) in a long while…”. Planescape: Torment has such a great and utterly bizarre setting with fun characters that makes it another contender to replay every few years. I still dip my toes into WoW from time to time, having played since the tail end of vanilla. One of my fav sci-fi MMOs, Earth & Beyond, has been running on a private server and so I’ll revisit that universe. Finally, speaking of private servers, Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst is another game a friend and I will get a hankering to play now and again.
Hi Pam, nice video! My evergreen game is certainly Bloodstained: RotN The randomizer mode will probably keep me in this game forever (plus Miriam is awesome) Cheers!
What you mentioned about going back to games that are more focused rather than different or procedural is such a good point that i dont hear too many people mention. I used to think that games that have procedural elements, multiple choice or just more build options = Replay Value. These days I strongly disagree, its the tighter focused games (which is what most 8 and 16 bit games are like) that are the ones that i want to go back to again and again. Its kind of like a movie for me, I am someone that tends to rewatch movies i like over and over and over but still catch new things i didnt see before. So many of my favourite retro games are just pure, concentrated, handmade, fun and i would happily replay them for an eternity. I also dont mind if a game has the 'illusion of choice' as long as they fool me and I don't ever feel like questioning it.
Panzer General II and games like it. I haven't played PZII in a couple decades, but I picked up Order of Battle just a year or two ago and got right into it. What touched me most about this video was Civ 5. It is my second most played game on Steam (785 hours and I am not even good). I know. I have a problem. Age of Wonders: Planetfall consumed my free time for the past several weeks. But somehow, knowing that you also really got into this kind of strategy games but was able to put them down and make these earnest and high quality videos, that feels like it jolted me awake, if just for a while. Games are awesome, but they are not the best thing in life. I just want to thank you for helping me realize that. I am not a complete loser. I do have a tenured albeit low paying legal job with the government. I suffer from a chronic lack of sleep though.
Toooooooooooo many days played on Everquest (multiple accounts and toons, raiding, guild leader, raid leader, etc.) I love long games like Mass Effect, Fallout 3/4, and will play them multiple times. And tower defense games.
Approaching 400 hours played in Ziggurat II (PC)... it's a roguelike dungeon crawler kinda thing that's a first person shooter, but with wands/staves/spells. It's super rad. Pretty cheap too, think I got the first one for 2.99$ and second one for 20$ on GOG
@@Cannotbetamed1 yeah... I tend to lose entire portions of days playing this thing. But you know what that's about, I assume, if you're a Civ fan... lord knows I lost an entire nights' sleep more than a few times in Jr high playing Civ I and II... fell asleep in science class, but at least I developed starship technology first 😂
Sponsors are more or less good way to measure the success of a channel, I'm happy for you, Pam! My real evergreen game is Silent Hill 2. I can't play it at the moment because my PC crashes with both the PC and the PS2-emulation versions, and my PS2 doesn't work any more. But when I get a new PC, I will go back to it once again and again and again.
Thank you so much Pam! For me it's probably Ultima 7, or maybe Gothic 3 - they both have music I just can't get enough of, so I just play the games endlessly to hear the tunes.
For modern games, it has to be Middle Earth: Shadow of War. I love the story and characters so much, and even though you know the Gondorians are going to lose the Siege of Minas Ithil, I delay progressing as long as possible, as if I think I can change the outcome. Empire: Total War is another I return to from time to time, as I have a passion for the 18th and 19th centuries, plus I love playing as the British Empire. One game that always puts me in a happy place is a fan-made one called Skycraft, set up like a classic Final Fantasy game, only set in the world of Viva La Dirt League's Epic NPC Man. You can feel the love that went into the project, and it's a full RPG, which took me about twelve hours to beat. It's free to download and so worth your time! 😊
The games I have played for most the hours are Forza Motorsport 4, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4 and Gran Turismo 6. I still play those games a few hours each a year if not more. Games I have beat most and continue play are Rage, Far Cry 5, Far Cry 2, Wolfenstein 09, Bioshock, Dead Island Riptide, Singularity, Homefront the Revolution and Dying Light the Following. Then two more recent games have made it into the near yearly play throughs; Cyberpunk and Resident Evil VIllage. I have beat them four times each so they are climbing up into most beaten territory for me.
Mine is definitely World of Warcraft as well! I started playing in 2004 and I still to this day play it on and off. Literally been playing for more than half my life.
About games without ending, I always go back to Audiosurf, I love the idea to play with your music. About games with endings, there is a bunch of ones I like to complete again and again. Max Payne 1 and 2, Kingdom hearts 2, Diablo 2, Titan quest, Half life, Red faction, Castlevania symphony of the night and all the GBA and NDS ones, Broken sword, Dragon quest 4 and 5... It's just a real pleasure to go back to a game like this, to return to a good gameplay, live the story again... This year I played Saints row 3 for the first time and I loved it so much, I have no doubt that I will play it again.
I think I have too many to list. There are some shorter form games that I do multiple times a year... older Marios, Zelda II, Rygar, Black Tiger, Time Soldiers... too many to list. Some longer games, like Earthbound, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy III, etc. get annual plays. Others, like Fortune Street or Culdcept Saga, I never really stopped playing. What interests me now, though, are newer games that feel like they'll be joining those ranks. Eastward, Spiritfarer, Hollow Knight, Astro Bot Rescue, Death's Gambit, Blasphemous, Yoku's Island Express, Dex, and several more modern games have caught me for multiple playthroughs already, long after I thought games were passing me by during the Wii/360/PS3 days. It's fun having so many new games starting to grip me the same way the classics have.
I was an original EverQuest player back in early ‘99. That sucked me in for about 5 years. I’ve played a few other mmo’s but never more than a couple of weeks. There is no way my life could support playing a game, even remotely as much, ever again.
I play Super Metroid and SOTN once per year, SF2 and SF3 whenever I am in the mood for a fighter. N64 racers like Waverace 64 or Beetle Adventure Racing every once in awhile, Dark Souls 1 just to try different builds and paths through the game, about once a year. Shmups I come back to Soldier Blade, Axelay, Deathsmiles 1, and Ikaruga. I luv JRPG's, but usually only play them through once, a few twice, but thats it.
Games I play the most are Tetris attack, Dr. Mario, Sonic 1,2,3 knuckles games, Dynasty Warriors type games, NES and SNES mario games. I guess really fun NES and SNES games.
The X-COM games are outstanding! Because you included Darkest Dungeon, I am hoping to see Circus Electrique in your "What you played in September" video. Similar game around being in a circus in the late 1800s in London. Very well made game and a great value at $20.
Didn't know you were into WoW back in the day, I didn't play as long but I loved it through TBC-WotLK, I understand being burnt out after playing an MMO for si long. Ironically, the only evergreen games I can think of are FF14, as despite being in the same genre, the way it's designed is much less toxic and addicting, most players just want to log in to either appreciate the new story patches, role play with friends or live in a world that is so beautiful and nostalgic, for final fantasy fans at least. The other game is Castlevania SotN for obvious reasons.
There is always a lot of variety on your channel, and one of the few who give adventure games some love. On that note I wondered if you've ever tried Cosmology of Kyoto, one of those games I somehow end up playing every few years.
@@Cannotbetamed1 It's mechanically fussy and more educational than game, but available as abandonware and a totally singular experience I'd recommend to anyone. Looking forward to your next video.
With you on Civ 5. I still prefer it to Civ 6 in a lot of ways. The only thing I wish I could take from Civ 6 are the roads. Having the roads grow organically is one of the most fascinating additions to the entire series.
Besides MMO's some of mine would be The Witcher 3, Chrono Trigger, Mass Effect Trilogy, Final Fantasy 7, Dragon Age: Origins, and most recently Total War: Warhammer (1,2,3)
Oh god. World of warcraft. That game owned my soul for a while. When I had my first kid I was like: "I am never playing this again!". I remember at the time it felt horrible not playing for a while but now I'm like: "well, what was all the fuss about?". I actually much prefer one and done games these days. Just to have that nice memorable experience playing a game that doesn't try to take over your life. I play mostly shoot em' up these days some are one and done but some not - I might beat one go for a 1cc or something occasionally. Edit: I recently beat Darkest dungeon. Love that game. Been on and off it for years due to the love hate relationship aha.
Nice! Personal Evergreen Games (a term I did not know until now! :) ) include ‘Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness’, ‘Final Fantasy IX’ (probably the biggest one - a piano version of the main song was part of my wedding, even), and ‘Octopath Traveler’. A game that’s becoming an Evergreen is ‘Disco Elysium’ - I’ve played and replayed it so many times now, and I see myself returning to it more in the future; it may even hit differently with age, it’s so….deep. Anyway, thank you for listening to my TED Talk. :)
@@Cannotbetamed1 that is awesome. Love how replayable it is with how differently you can make your character, approach it all, everything. It’s so great. Hope you enjoy your current play through it!
My evergreen game is WoW. I go back almost every expansion, even if I do end up stopping after a month or so. I first started when it first came out 2004 and it's still something I always go back to now. As for my most played game, it's without a doubt Counterstrike, even though I haven't played it in years. Started in 1999 and didn't stop until 2015. Crazy amount of hours sunk into it. I don't even want to think about it, lol.
Katamari Damacy for sheer fun and relaxation, it's never a bad time. There's something about certain THPS games that scratch an itch as well. And always Megaman 3, for the best memories.
Sure WoW is absolute top spot for /played for me as well. For games, that I always come back to, if they are in a series, I'll just mention the most played one, since I often just change to the successor, when it comes out. - Masters of Orion II - Gothic - Legacy of Kain Defiance - Skyrim - Xcom - The Guild (medieval dynasty builder/trading simulation) - ARK/Age of Conan (one of them is always installed) - Minecraft 🙈 - Pokemon - A Link to the Past (oh the fond memories of playing it with my dad) These games are like an itch. It needs to be scratched once per year and then I can't stop for days.
Even though it was such a vortex that ate up so much time, I really miss MMO's. I was never a Warcraft person but I played Star Wars: Galaxies and City of Heroes (was in the beta for both) way back in the day and had a similar experience. They became a full-time job after a while but I loved the people I played with and it was just such a great outlet. Then the subscription model fell out of fashion and everything turned into micro-transactions purgatory. I still miss those days. I totally love the XCOM's, especially Enemy Unknown. I definitely think the second one improved upon the first but I always hit that wall where mission after mission just starts to feel like a slog and I fall out of it, especially XCOM 2. Same thing with Darkest Dungeon. I try to throw on a little Sabaton or something while playing it to set the mood and keep me in it but after a while it just reaches a tipping point where I lose interest. The Civilization games were super solid and always fun. I loved the Age of Empires series and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and played the heck out of them. Strategy games were always a win unless you were on the higher difficulty settings and the AI just hands you your head. Challenge is fine but being utterly destroyed without the slightest chance isn't my idea of a good time. In terms of games I keep going back to? Bloodlines is one I have played through a ton and just keep returning to on the regular. That gritty, sultry, 90's WoD vibe just hits me in that way only it can. Vampire came out when I was in high school and I DM'ed a group of friends. It was our thing. I always get that nostalgia hit every single time I play it and I go back maybe once a year, at least. Some games just capture a special something, ether a feeling or world or they simply bring you back to a place and time you were at when you first discovered them. Good stuff.
I grew up playing Vigilante 8 on the N64 and Crash Bandicoot on the Playstation, I often replay Crash 2 specifically, there's just something about it. I spent hundreds of hours playing Banjo Tooie as a young lad. The level timers are maxed out for several levels in the totals screen, so I have no idea how long I actually played that game but I was in there a long, long time.
I like the comment about replayability - I usually go back to games I’ve beat that I enjoyed, not cause I want to “beat them in a different way”. I want to experience the same enjoyment. Also, my ducktales is your Felix for NES.
Wow! I just made a list yesterday of my most played games! Must be something in the cosmic ether. And I also have a game that's way ahead of the others. But I play mostly single player, because in MMOs, once the story ends, the grind begins and it does, indeed, feel like a job. For me, my top 5 are 1) Rimworld (3590.2); 2) The Sims 3 (only 391 on Steam, but I've had the Origin version for years); 3) 7 Days to Die (2120); 4) Civ 6 (1270.8); 5) Battletech (1020.9).
I was waiting for Felix to get mentioned lol. I half expected it to be the game you played most. ;) As for me I go back to the NES Megaman games every so often. They're short expereiences good for replays.
Evergreen: Whole Sid Meier's Civ-series including the first and the latest. Colonization and Alpha Centauri. Heroes of Might & Magic 2&3, Settlers 2&3, basically the strategy line. These are the games to get back from time to time and play a lot (sadly haven't tried XCOM or UFO). Arcade-y games you can play straight away without many cutscenes/settings needed to go through before getting into a game (Domekeeper). Sometimes thinking of playing some of those NES-games you beat multiple times just to see if you can still make it (Startropics, Zelda II). Then there are those that get you back because of daily (TF2 simply fun) stuff, achievements and login bonuses (such as WoW for many). For me, it's Gems of War (card/3-match res. mng). Challenging games to beat once: Metroid Dread, Super Meat Boy. The ones to die trying, all again: Roguelikes, Nethack, ADOM, IVAN etc. and lites like FTL. Like Civilization and many of sim genre, it's something you actually want to get back just (one more turn?) to see how it goes. Dorfromantik, a cozy landcape tile placer to perfect some scores. What I've actually played very lately is SMAC Alien Crossfire and rhythm-games.
I've got a few "types" for evergreen games as well: Metroidvanias, strategy RPG's, and shmups. SOTN, Metroid Fusion, and every Castlevania on the GBA/DS scratch an undeniable itch for the first category. For SRPG's, it's Advance Wars, Shining Force III, and Vandal Hearts all the way. And for shmups? Darius Gaiden, Gradius II, and R-Type are the pinnacle to me.
My comfort game is definitely Heroes of Might and Magic 2. No campaign, I just pick a large map on low difficulty, and play it through while listening to the relaxing music. For years it was my christmas chill out routine.
same!
Hi. Some of my most played games are:
- FTL, at somewhere around 300 hours
- Into the Breach (by the same developer) for somewhere around 150 hours.
Both of those are rogue-lites, where a run can end early if you die, which happens in FTL the vast majority of the time. I actually win Into the Breach roughly 100% of the time now, but still love playing through it with different teams.
- Xenoblade Chronicles. Somewhere around 200 hours on definitive edition on the Switch, and another long playthrough of the original Wii version on emulation.
- I also really like Shmups. I spent several years playing Mushihimesama Futari. Then I went through an R-Type Leo phase. Right now I've been playing Donpachi at least daily
- Time Pilot. I've been playing this almost daily for a few decades. It was my favorite Coleco Vision game,. and then when it became possible to emulate it I started playing the arcade version. It's also on my Switch. IMO it's one of the best arcade games ever made as far as difficulty curve. Even the first level isn't easy for beginners, and even after decades I rarely make it past the UFO level to loop back around.
I'm sure there are others I can't think of at the moment, but those are the games that I've played the longest for the most number of hours.
EDIT: I forgot to mention SSX 3 and Tony Hawk 2. I've been playing both of those for 20 years or so. They basically have infinite replayability, and great music also.
Castlevania: SotN is my #1 go-to for nostalgia. I play it a couple times every year. And somehow, it never gets old. The experience is basically the same every time, but super satisfying. Oddly enough, every time I finish a new Metroidvania, I usually chase it with a quick run-through of this one. Makes a good pallette cleanser!
I usually play Super Metroid and SOTN once a year
Same dude, sotn never gets old
SOTN the best music 👍
One of the best Castlevania games in my opinion.
@@FWDSUXARSE SOTN is my fave Castlevania "Metroidvaina", but my favorite traditional platformer was the PC Engine classic Dracula X Rondo of Blood and NOT the SNES version!
I know every nook and cranny of A Link to the Past, but going back and replaying it gives me the feeling of discovering those secrets all over again.
The original X-Com is probably my first evergreen game. I used to play it at least once a year since I got it for Christmas back in 1994. I liked the reboot and its sequel, but nothing has quite surpassed the original for me. Xenonauts came close as well, but I'm sure nostalgia is keeping X-Com: UFO Defense on a pedestal for me.
I don't think it's *just* nostalgia... I liked modded Xenonauts much more than the modern XCOM games and the only keeping me away from the originals is the interface, really. With OpenXCom they're still pretty good games.
i've got a rotation of Evergreen games I always come back to:
Earthbound
Super Mario RPG
Parasite Eve 1 & 2
Silent Hill 1-4
Castlevania SOTN
Super Metroid
Snatcher
Deathgate
I totally agree with what you said about wanting to have that enjoyable experience again!
This is a pretty solid list. I'd be satisfied if this was just the entirety of my game collection.
Oooo a Snatcher fan :D I'll always remember some of the iconic scenes and puzzles, like figuring out the Queen's Hospital or shooting the mirror
I don't blame you for revisiting Felix the Cat. It's definitely one of the coziest NES games and I'd love to see it get re-released one of these days, especially since a lot of his shorts are now in the public domain (I don't know if the character himself is though)
I have a handful of modern "live-service" games that I constantly rotate through, but to the spirit of the video, I always find myself returning to Mega Man 2 and Symphony of the Night every year or so.
Pac-Man, Pac-Man CE DX, Super Mario Bros, Mega Man nes games… all things I play over and over from time to time
Civilization Revolution. I enjoy hearing the soldiers cheer when they win a battle.
As someone who's been subscribed since Felix the Cat, it's always a nice surprise when you bring it up again.
For me I always go back to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Mario Bros 3 (though 1 & 2 get replays occasionally), Jazz Jackrabbit and well ... Pac Man.
Right on! Replayability is abuot the game being good; not just having more content, and a lot of my choices will reflect that. It's harder for me to narrow it down, since I replay most of my games, but the biggest ones are probably the Mega Man Classic and X series, Faxanadu, Guardian Legend, the SNES Ganbare Goemon games, Secret of Mana, Super Metroid, Smartball, and Super Valis 4. I can think of plenty of newer discoveries that will probably land here, but I haven't had the chance to replay all that much just yet.
My evergreen games seemingly are: final fantasy 1, 10, and 12, Skyrim, path of exile, grim dawn, torchlight 2, and oblivion.
Sounds like a lot but I don’t play through them entirely every year but I do visit them yearly! It’s like chicken soup on a cold day.
A SHORT HIKE always puts me in a good mood. Gliding in the sky is very relaxing. It’s the first game where I wasn’t sure if I had reached the end. It’s more casual than ANIMAL CROSSING and easy to jump in and out of.
I find myself coming back to the sports games again and again and NBA 2K 11 most of all.
Thanks to ExpressVPN for sponsoring today's video. Go to:
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Hahaha aww some
/Played
Fun video , you're sooo honest
Pam. Tomorrow I go back to College. Planet fitness will be my College. Hail Cobra Kai. Tory Nichols
I remembered one that I think exists only in Android, The Only One. Very cool, try it and see.
Crimson skies is a favorite of mine, the Hollywood air race level was very memorable. As was the earlier mission where they steal the blue streak and rescue ilsa
Easily my number one is Link's Awakening (OG GameBoy, Switch now). I've played and beat that game more than any other game. Still play it. Ys Origins, Trials of Mana, and ACNH are currently the ones I keep going back to.
Never thought I'd see Civ 5 and Felix the Cat in the same video ever..GG!!
Romance of the Three Kingdoms X on PS2 is a game I can always go back to. So much game there, and the visual style and music hold up extremely well.
For older games, I can always pop in Super Street Fighter 2 and have a good time. For recent stuff, Rocket League is my go to “turn off my brain and have fun whenever I boot it up” title
Your experience in WoW is basically what mine was in MMO's and I won't touch them anymore. I totally agree with your take on CIV 5, there is just something about it.
MMOs just take up too much time.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I played mmo from iPhone and … it just isn’t worth the time anymore
@@Cannotbetamed1 I actually came back to WoW with the new wotlk pre-patch fresh servers and I've been enjoying it again. I can't imagine actually raiding and doing all that stuff though so I'm mainly just playing it as a solo quester, a few hours a night. That's more or less the only way I seem to enjoy mmos anymore, which I guess kinda defeats the purpose, lol.
I love the persistence and the feeling of building a character, but yeah, at the end of the day, is it worth the time you could be spending with an immersive story in a well-crafted single player game? It scratches a certain itch that single player games don't, but the more I play them, the more pointless it feels.
I'm starting to think that mmo-lite games are the best compromise. Games like Fallout 76 or Destiny 1/2 that have long, story-driven campaigns that you basically just play in tandem with a relatively smaller player presence (I think it's never more than like 24 players in one instance of FO76, for instance). Even ESO kinda falls in that category since there's so much fully-voiced story content that can mostly all be done solo and at your leisure. It's a nice option to feel like you're not totally alone in the game world while playing a single-player quality story (arguably) with none of the pressures or time commitments of a raiding-centric game like WoW.
The SNES triumvirate of LttP, Super Metroid, and Super Mario World will forever have a grip on me. I go back to those three all the time.
Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect trilogy were the game I've played multiple times. As well as Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, and TMNT 4 Turtles in Time, all on the SNES. And I believe also Goldeneye on the N64.
There's probably more that I'm not thinking of, but those are the ones I can remember at the top of my head.
But those were for multiple playthroughs. I have also sunk in over 200 hours in Euro Truck Simulator 2, and over 100 for Elite Dangerous across two platforms. (Xbox and PC)
I need to do another Mass Effect playthrough some time.
Most Recently I'm so addicted to Shredder's Revenge and the Cowabunga Collection. I wanted to beat the arcade version of Turtles in Time with all 4 characters.
Pitfall! on the Atari 2600 (1982).
Super Mario Bros. 2 / North American release on the NES (1988).
Gain Ground on the Sega Genesis (1991).
Bucky O'Hare on the NES (1992).
Illusion of Gaia on the SNES (1994).
Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast (2000).
This was a great topic, Pam. I generally never replay games with few exceptions. There are just too many other videogame experiences out there to be discovered! However, I do have a few that live in my mind at all times and get replayed every now and then. LoZ: Ocarina of Time is probably number one. Then Bioshock, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Alan Wake, in no particular order.
Just got Alan Wake…never played it. Looking forward to it
@@tokenblack7983 It's the perfect time of year for an unsettling romp through the creepy Pacific Northwest. I hope you enjoy it!
I love this topic. Comfort games are my go-to resource when I'm having mental health super happy fun times (note: said times are neither super happy nor fun). My biggest one is probably the flawed but addicting RTS game "Star Wars Rebellion" from the late '90s. Or "Journey" if I'm grieving someone and need a quick game to help me have an emotional catharsis.
I'm playing Felix via NES emulation because of your love of that game. It's a lot of fun, but much more challenging than I expected!
Bucky O'Hare on the NES is an amazing game.
Such a great video.
I recently got a steam deck and I'm embarrassed to admit the game I played the most on it is pixel junk monsters and slay the spire
Good list. Mine would include World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Goldeneye on N64, Mario Kart 64, Team Fortress 2, and Quake 3 with Weapons Factory Arena mod. I also go back and play Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 and the original Streets of Rage a lot but those don't take long to finish each time.
I'm looking forward to the Goldeneye remaster, to see if that makes me able to play it again.
What a great topic. I imagine for those of us in the retro scene, we may tend to have a bunch of evergreen games. Our tastes in this category differ as I love beat-em-ups and action platformers the most, but I do absolutely relate to the core gameplay being the most important thing to bring me back again and again. I don't care about content. It's always the game mechanics that determine if I'll return. I'll spare you my exhaustive list, because I return to a lot of games, but recent highlights for me have been Knights of the Round(arcade), X-Men(arcade), Shinobi 3, Ranger X, Shatterhand, Ninja Gaiden, Virtual On, King of Fighters 98....and so on.
Castlevaina Bloodlines, Doom (1993 and 2016), Portal and Ikaruga is some of the games i usally revisist.
There's a bunch of games I always come back to, most of which are arcade titles. Tecmo's Solomon's Key in its arcade iteration is pretty much a perfect game for me. Same with Hammerin' Harry by Irem. Strato Fighter, which recently got an Arcade Archives release... The list goes on and features titles most don't expect, like Gaelco's Thunder Hoop. These are all feel-good titles I won't ever stop playing.
zelda games, chrono trigger/cross, hook on the snes is my version of your felix the cat. hell, a stack of snes games I run through for the feels. i probably have hundreds of hours of time in spiderman on ps4 just swinging around the city.
Nice video; it’s nice to see fellow Canadians on my CZcams feed! My old roommate played that gothic Cthulhu-style game mentioned in the video. Looked like it was depressingly stressful, but he enjoyed it. He also introduced me to Binding of Isaac, which I’ve put hundreds of hours into now.
Doom 2 (1994) I've never got bored with it since release and play through once a year.
Props on mentioning Oldboy on your ExpressVPN ad.
I think my evergreen games are mostly from the SNES or PS1 era.
SNES: FF 6 and Super Mario RPG.
PS1: FF7, FF Tactics, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, and Star Ocean 2nd story.
Nice.
The games I spent the most time on were the ones that I enjoyed playing so much that it made me want to make content for them. Portal 2 lets you create your own puzzle rooms, and it was fun doing it. Doom (2016) comes with the SnapMap utility that lets you make maps, and I made five, which took me 900 hours. I also made a map for the 2002 strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic IV. The first time I did this kind of thing was in the 80s Apple II game Lode Runner, which let you design custom levels. I also tried modding in Fallout 4: I turned that broken drive-in theater into a working one. And games like The Sims and Minecraft made custom creations a mainstream thing.
Mine are Broken Sword, Oblivion and Bioshock.
However, thanks to one of your videos, Paradise Killer. Beat that the other day and will be going back to it again. Really hoping for a sequel.
Paradise Killer is so good. I replayed it myself earlier this year.
When you said, "throw an asmr video on a second screen" you immediately spoke my language. I love interesting roleplay ASMR with an almost mindless game where you feel some sort of progression. I have way too many hours in Pressure Washer & House Flipper, but it keeps that side of your mind busy where you're watching ASMR (Frostglow ASMR, Nebula ASMR, pretty much scifi, though unintentional ASMR is good as well)
Had a good time with Kingdom. The pretty pixel art stands out. The first game is free on Steam for anyone who is curious
I did WoW for two and a half years starting in 2005 and used to raid a lot. But when they started with the BS of excluding entry to instances without the complete set consisting of very rare drops, one night I got fed up and quite cold turkey. Really enjoyed that game, though. Loved the soundtrack too, bought me a copy. Cute blouse, by the way.
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 is my most played game of all times. Jagged Alliance 2 is one I regularly replay every 1-2 years. Of the newer games it's Into the Breach and FTL that I return to for a run, or two. And then there is Tetris for some zen time.
Into the Breach is a nice one that's quick to play a round or two.
Fantastic video.
It's always interesting to me to hear about what other people gravitate toward and what it is about those games that resonate with them.
For me, it's definitely Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Randomizer.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if I was over the thousand hour mark at this point with that one.
Beyond that, Chrono Trigger and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse both get annual replays, and I've put quite a bit of time into each of the souls-borne games.
Oh yeah the randomizer would certainly make the game last longer.
I second Castlevania III, one of my favorites of all time
Mega Man X2, NES Batman, Earthworm Jim, and Super Mario 64 jump to mind for me. They're a perfect blend of nostalgia, satisfying mechanics, and shortness.
For me, some of my evergreen games would be: Streets of Rage 2, Advance Wars, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, Resident Evil Remake, and the new Hitman trilogy. Appreciate the videos. Keep up the great work.
For me, I'd say;
Ridge racer type 4
Outrun 2
Resident Evil 1 remake
Godhand
Haunting Ground
Kingdom under fire
Dodonpachi Black label
Street fighter alpha 3
Tekken 5
Virtua fighter 4
Nier Gestalt
Skies of Arcadia
Lost Odyssey
Heretic/Hexen
Darksiders 2
There's probably plenty more, these are the first that come to mind.
Vectorman 1 & 2, Pitfall, Mickey Mania and The Jungle Book for the Genesis, Castle of Illusion and Contra Hard Corps for the PS3
Games that I always play are Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Resident Evil 2, Tetris, Pacman, Super Mario All Stars, Command and Conquer Red Alert 1 and 2.
My ever green game is Ninja Gaiden. I played it until I was great at it. I still remember the first weekend I rented it. I want my grandparents and remember being at the castle ruins and being called away for lunch and one of the happier moments of my life.
Weirdly I don't know how I got the copy I owned but I got to the point I could get to Jaquio in thirty minutes.
My other go to game is Mega Man 2, I've played it to the point, I go thru multiple paths.
Most would likely be games on the NES, including the Mario games.
Definitely Fallout New Vegas for PC. Love Darkest Dungeons but it's unforgiving, but I keep going back. SMB3 for NES. I'd recommend you try Final Fantasy 3 (6) for SNES if you're looking for epic adventure w/amazing pixel art.
I have only played New Vegas on console and it is still so much fun.
The original Oldboy, nice
I find myself revisiting the Panzer Dragoon series on the Saturn; Saga being my favourite.
Adventure games are another I tend to revisit often as well. Nothing usually in particular other than “oh, hey, I haven’t played Zork (or such n such game) in a long while…”.
Planescape: Torment has such a great and utterly bizarre setting with fun characters that makes it another contender to replay every few years.
I still dip my toes into WoW from time to time, having played since the tail end of vanilla. One of my fav sci-fi MMOs, Earth & Beyond, has been running on a private server and so I’ll revisit that universe. Finally, speaking of private servers, Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst is another game a friend and I will get a hankering to play now and again.
Hi Pam, nice video! My evergreen game is certainly Bloodstained: RotN
The randomizer mode will probably keep me in this game forever (plus Miriam is awesome)
Cheers!
What you mentioned about going back to games that are more focused rather than different or procedural is such a good point that i dont hear too many people mention. I used to think that games that have procedural elements, multiple choice or just more build options = Replay Value. These days I strongly disagree, its the tighter focused games (which is what most 8 and 16 bit games are like) that are the ones that i want to go back to again and again. Its kind of like a movie for me, I am someone that tends to rewatch movies i like over and over and over but still catch new things i didnt see before. So many of my favourite retro games are just pure, concentrated, handmade, fun and i would happily replay them for an eternity. I also dont mind if a game has the 'illusion of choice' as long as they fool me and I don't ever feel like questioning it.
Pam would really love Final Fantasy Tactics based off her affection for X-Com. My favorite game of all time.
Panzer General II and games like it. I haven't played PZII in a couple decades, but I picked up Order of Battle just a year or two ago and got right into it.
What touched me most about this video was Civ 5. It is my second most played game on Steam (785 hours and I am not even good). I know. I have a problem. Age of Wonders: Planetfall consumed my free time for the past several weeks. But somehow, knowing that you also really got into this kind of strategy games but was able to put them down and make these earnest and high quality videos, that feels like it jolted me awake, if just for a while. Games are awesome, but they are not the best thing in life. I just want to thank you for helping me realize that.
I am not a complete loser. I do have a tenured albeit low paying legal job with the government. I suffer from a chronic lack of sleep though.
Toooooooooooo many days played on Everquest (multiple accounts and toons, raiding, guild leader, raid leader, etc.) I love long games like Mass Effect, Fallout 3/4, and will play them multiple times. And tower defense games.
I have been playing the same copy of advance wars 2 for 18 years on the same gbasp (once I upgraded in 2005, had the arctic at launch)
Same. That game never gets old.
It says there's a comment but I don't see anything
Top 5 game series for me: Shenmue, Metal Gear, Syberia, Mega Man Legends, Deus Ex
Felix the Cat is one of the NES games I missed out that looked really fun.
Approaching 400 hours played in Ziggurat II (PC)... it's a roguelike dungeon crawler kinda thing that's a first person shooter, but with wands/staves/spells. It's super rad. Pretty cheap too, think I got the first one for 2.99$ and second one for 20$ on GOG
Wow, that's a lot of hours.
@@Cannotbetamed1 yeah... I tend to lose entire portions of days playing this thing.
But you know what that's about, I assume, if you're a Civ fan... lord knows I lost an entire nights' sleep more than a few times in Jr high playing Civ I and II... fell asleep in science class, but at least I developed starship technology first 😂
Sponsors are more or less good way to measure the success of a channel, I'm happy for you, Pam!
My real evergreen game is Silent Hill 2. I can't play it at the moment because my PC crashes with both the PC and the PS2-emulation versions, and my PS2 doesn't work any more. But when I get a new PC, I will go back to it once again and again and again.
Thank you so much Pam! For me it's probably Ultima 7, or maybe Gothic 3 - they both have music I just can't get enough of, so I just play the games endlessly to hear the tunes.
I definitely revisit Ultima 7, that and part 2, the pinnacle of the series before sadly nosediving.
For modern games, it has to be Middle Earth: Shadow of War. I love the story and characters so much, and even though you know the Gondorians are going to lose the Siege of Minas Ithil, I delay progressing as long as possible, as if I think I can change the outcome. Empire: Total War is another I return to from time to time, as I have a passion for the 18th and 19th centuries, plus I love playing as the British Empire. One game that always puts me in a happy place is a fan-made one called Skycraft, set up like a classic Final Fantasy game, only set in the world of Viva La Dirt League's Epic NPC Man. You can feel the love that went into the project, and it's a full RPG, which took me about twelve hours to beat. It's free to download and so worth your time! 😊
Another fantastic video and it got me thinking about my evergreen games! Thank you, Pam!!!
The games I have played for most the hours are Forza Motorsport 4, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4 and Gran Turismo 6. I still play those games a few hours each a year if not more. Games I have beat most and continue play are Rage, Far Cry 5, Far Cry 2, Wolfenstein 09, Bioshock, Dead Island Riptide, Singularity, Homefront the Revolution and Dying Light the Following. Then two more recent games have made it into the near yearly play throughs; Cyberpunk and Resident Evil VIllage. I have beat them four times each so they are climbing up into most beaten territory for me.
Mine is definitely World of Warcraft as well! I started playing in 2004 and I still to this day play it on and off. Literally been playing for more than half my life.
About games without ending, I always go back to Audiosurf, I love the idea to play with your music.
About games with endings, there is a bunch of ones I like to complete again and again. Max Payne 1 and 2, Kingdom hearts 2, Diablo 2, Titan quest, Half life, Red faction, Castlevania symphony of the night and all the GBA and NDS ones, Broken sword, Dragon quest 4 and 5... It's just a real pleasure to go back to a game like this, to return to a good gameplay, live the story again...
This year I played Saints row 3 for the first time and I loved it so much, I have no doubt that I will play it again.
Saints Row 3 and 4 are both a lot of fun.
I think I have too many to list. There are some shorter form games that I do multiple times a year... older Marios, Zelda II, Rygar, Black Tiger, Time Soldiers... too many to list. Some longer games, like Earthbound, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy III, etc. get annual plays. Others, like Fortune Street or Culdcept Saga, I never really stopped playing.
What interests me now, though, are newer games that feel like they'll be joining those ranks. Eastward, Spiritfarer, Hollow Knight, Astro Bot Rescue, Death's Gambit, Blasphemous, Yoku's Island Express, Dex, and several more modern games have caught me for multiple playthroughs already, long after I thought games were passing me by during the Wii/360/PS3 days. It's fun having so many new games starting to grip me the same way the classics have.
I was an original EverQuest player back in early ‘99. That sucked me in for about 5 years. I’ve played a few other mmo’s but never more than a couple of weeks. There is no way my life could support playing a game, even remotely as much, ever again.
I play Super Metroid and SOTN once per year, SF2 and SF3 whenever I am in the mood for a fighter. N64 racers like Waverace 64 or Beetle Adventure Racing every once in awhile, Dark Souls 1 just to try different builds and paths through the game, about once a year. Shmups I come back to Soldier Blade, Axelay, Deathsmiles 1, and Ikaruga. I luv JRPG's, but usually only play them through once, a few twice, but thats it.
Games I play the most are Tetris attack, Dr. Mario, Sonic 1,2,3 knuckles games, Dynasty Warriors type games, NES and SNES mario games. I guess really fun NES and SNES games.
The X-COM games are outstanding! Because you included Darkest Dungeon, I am hoping to see Circus Electrique in your "What you played in September" video. Similar game around being in a circus in the late 1800s in London. Very well made game and a great value at $20.
Pam is a Civ quitter and is ready for Halloween early. Oh and big thumbs up on Felix the Cat great game.
Didn't know you were into WoW back in the day, I didn't play as long but I loved it through TBC-WotLK, I understand being burnt out after playing an MMO for si long. Ironically, the only evergreen games I can think of are FF14, as despite being in the same genre, the way it's designed is much less toxic and addicting, most players just want to log in to either appreciate the new story patches, role play with friends or live in a world that is so beautiful and nostalgic, for final fantasy fans at least. The other game is Castlevania SotN for obvious reasons.
SotN is a good one.
There is always a lot of variety on your channel, and one of the few who give adventure games some love. On that note I wondered if you've ever tried Cosmology of Kyoto, one of those games I somehow end up playing every few years.
No, I've never played that.
@@Cannotbetamed1 It's mechanically fussy and more educational than game, but available as abandonware and a totally singular experience I'd recommend to anyone. Looking forward to your next video.
Oh wow, that's a great way to define the type of games.
I replay a lot of SNES Zelda, Tetris Attack, Jet Set Radio and Half Life 2.
Kingdom is one of the best games I have ever played. I can play it 7hrs straight in the plane, it is so relaxing
Omg, that hair!
I don't have much in terms of evergreen games, but Fallout New Vegas and Final Fantasy 8 are both games I do a replay of every 4-5 years it seems
With you on Civ 5. I still prefer it to Civ 6 in a lot of ways. The only thing I wish I could take from Civ 6 are the roads. Having the roads grow organically is one of the most fascinating additions to the entire series.
Besides MMO's some of mine would be The Witcher 3, Chrono Trigger, Mass Effect Trilogy, Final Fantasy 7, Dragon Age: Origins, and most recently Total War: Warhammer (1,2,3)
Oh god. World of warcraft. That game owned my soul for a while. When I had my first kid I was like: "I am never playing this again!". I remember at the time it felt horrible not playing for a while but now I'm like: "well, what was all the fuss about?". I actually much prefer one and done games these days. Just to have that nice memorable experience playing a game that doesn't try to take over your life. I play mostly shoot em' up these days some are one and done but some not - I might beat one go for a 1cc or something occasionally.
Edit: I recently beat Darkest dungeon. Love that game. Been on and off it for years due to the love hate relationship aha.
Xcom's Long war mod is a must try if you are a fan of the games
Nice! Personal Evergreen Games (a term I did not know until now! :) ) include ‘Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness’, ‘Final Fantasy IX’ (probably the biggest one - a piano version of the main song was part of my wedding, even), and ‘Octopath Traveler’. A game that’s becoming an Evergreen is ‘Disco Elysium’ - I’ve played and replayed it so many times now, and I see myself returning to it more in the future; it may even hit differently with age, it’s so….deep. Anyway, thank you for listening to my TED Talk. :)
I'm doing my second Disco Elysium game now.
@@Cannotbetamed1 that is awesome. Love how replayable it is with how differently you can make your character, approach it all, everything. It’s so great. Hope you enjoy your current play through it!
My evergreen game is WoW. I go back almost every expansion, even if I do end up stopping after a month or so. I first started when it first came out 2004 and it's still something I always go back to now.
As for my most played game, it's without a doubt Counterstrike, even though I haven't played it in years. Started in 1999 and didn't stop until 2015. Crazy amount of hours sunk into it. I don't even want to think about it, lol.
Katamari Damacy for sheer fun and relaxation, it's never a bad time. There's something about certain THPS games that scratch an itch as well. And always Megaman 3, for the best memories.
I played Runescape consistently for over a decade.. I feel you on the horrifying number of hours played on an MMO lol
Sure WoW is absolute top spot for /played for me as well.
For games, that I always come back to, if they are in a series, I'll just mention the most played one, since I often just change to the successor, when it comes out.
- Masters of Orion II
- Gothic
- Legacy of Kain Defiance
- Skyrim
- Xcom
- The Guild (medieval dynasty builder/trading simulation)
- ARK/Age of Conan (one of them is always installed)
- Minecraft 🙈
- Pokemon
- A Link to the Past (oh the fond memories of playing it with my dad)
These games are like an itch. It needs to be scratched once per year and then I can't stop for days.
Even though it was such a vortex that ate up so much time, I really miss MMO's. I was never a Warcraft person but I played Star Wars: Galaxies and City of Heroes (was in the beta for both) way back in the day and had a similar experience. They became a full-time job after a while but I loved the people I played with and it was just such a great outlet. Then the subscription model fell out of fashion and everything turned into micro-transactions purgatory. I still miss those days.
I totally love the XCOM's, especially Enemy Unknown. I definitely think the second one improved upon the first but I always hit that wall where mission after mission just starts to feel like a slog and I fall out of it, especially XCOM 2. Same thing with Darkest Dungeon. I try to throw on a little Sabaton or something while playing it to set the mood and keep me in it but after a while it just reaches a tipping point where I lose interest.
The Civilization games were super solid and always fun. I loved the Age of Empires series and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and played the heck out of them. Strategy games were always a win unless you were on the higher difficulty settings and the AI just hands you your head. Challenge is fine but being utterly destroyed without the slightest chance isn't my idea of a good time.
In terms of games I keep going back to? Bloodlines is one I have played through a ton and just keep returning to on the regular. That gritty, sultry, 90's WoD vibe just hits me in that way only it can. Vampire came out when I was in high school and I DM'ed a group of friends. It was our thing. I always get that nostalgia hit every single time I play it and I go back maybe once a year, at least. Some games just capture a special something, ether a feeling or world or they simply bring you back to a place and time you were at when you first discovered them. Good stuff.
I grew up playing Vigilante 8 on the N64 and Crash Bandicoot on the Playstation, I often replay Crash 2 specifically, there's just something about it. I spent hundreds of hours playing Banjo Tooie as a young lad. The level timers are maxed out for several levels in the totals screen, so I have no idea how long I actually played that game but I was in there a long, long time.
I like the comment about replayability - I usually go back to games I’ve beat that I enjoyed, not cause I want to “beat them in a different way”. I want to experience the same enjoyment. Also, my ducktales is your Felix for NES.
Wow! I just made a list yesterday of my most played games! Must be something in the cosmic ether. And I also have a game that's way ahead of the others. But I play mostly single player, because in MMOs, once the story ends, the grind begins and it does, indeed, feel like a job. For me, my top 5 are 1) Rimworld (3590.2); 2) The Sims 3 (only 391 on Steam, but I've had the Origin version for years); 3) 7 Days to Die (2120); 4) Civ 6 (1270.8); 5) Battletech (1020.9).
I was waiting for Felix to get mentioned lol. I half expected it to be the game you played most. ;) As for me I go back to the NES Megaman games every so often. They're short expereiences good for replays.
Final Fantasy Tactics, made even better with the War of the Lions script. I get so attached to each of my units.
Evergreen: Whole Sid Meier's Civ-series including the first and the latest. Colonization and Alpha Centauri. Heroes of Might & Magic 2&3, Settlers 2&3, basically the strategy line. These are the games to get back from time to time and play a lot (sadly haven't tried XCOM or UFO).
Arcade-y games you can play straight away without many cutscenes/settings needed to go through before getting into a game (Domekeeper). Sometimes thinking of playing some of those NES-games you beat multiple times just to see if you can still make it (Startropics, Zelda II).
Then there are those that get you back because of daily (TF2 simply fun) stuff, achievements and login bonuses (such as WoW for many). For me, it's Gems of War (card/3-match res. mng). Challenging games to beat once: Metroid Dread, Super Meat Boy. The ones to die trying, all again: Roguelikes, Nethack, ADOM, IVAN etc. and lites like FTL.
Like Civilization and many of sim genre, it's something you actually want to get back just (one more turn?) to see how it goes. Dorfromantik, a cozy landcape tile placer to perfect some scores. What I've actually played very lately is SMAC Alien Crossfire and rhythm-games.
commenting as I go..... LOVE that jurassic park tee, the Clever girl one in your vpn commercial.
Thanks! It's one of my favourites.
I've got a few "types" for evergreen games as well: Metroidvanias, strategy RPG's, and shmups. SOTN, Metroid Fusion, and every Castlevania on the GBA/DS scratch an undeniable itch for the first category. For SRPG's, it's Advance Wars, Shining Force III, and Vandal Hearts all the way. And for shmups? Darius Gaiden, Gradius II, and R-Type are the pinnacle to me.
My evergreen games:
Shining Force III
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Shadow Hearts I & II
Shenmue I & II
Metal Gear Solid 3