The List (2025): Volume 1

This is a tradition I started in 2022, though the origins of it date back to 2015. My sister discovered this concept, I believe, for books. The idea is that you get a list of categories, pick a book for each, and then read them throughout the year. It was intended to A. Set a goal of 50 books read that year and B. Get you to read books you might not normally consider. I tried this for a year or two, and while it did get me to branch out a bit, I normally read what I want to read anyway. I tried to keep this up for a few years, but it doesn’t work very well when I’m reading through series (such as my current Cosmere journey).

I loved the concept of this list, and while reading 50 random books is not currently something I have an interest in, I realized a few years ago that it could also very easily apply to video games (where I have a huge backlog). So I made my own, similar list for video games, and filled it in for the 2022 New Year. I have made one every year since, and it has grown/ballooned into a fun tradition!

The purpose of this series is to both showcase this tradition and create a list of games that I am interested in playing, explaining why that game has drawn me. It is also important to note that I do not expect to play all of these games. The List is there so that when I am looking for a game I can go “oh yeah, I set that one aside to play this year!”, but every year I have many games that I do not play. At the end of the year, I add all the games from this list (as well as the games I played that are not on this list) to a Master List, and add the years that they were played/missed. This continues to help me catalogue games in my backlog that have the most priority.

This year, I upped the number to 100 categories, and I have assigned a game for each and given it a “priority”. I do this all in a spreadsheet so that I can organize them at will, but for this list I have used a randomizer to put the categories in a random order (with some exceptions/manual changes). I am hoping to write articles about some of these games as I play them, and do a wrap-up article at the end of the year discussing what I got to, what I skipped, and what I want to prioritize for next year!

I will also note that in order for a game to count as “played”, it does not need to be beaten. I simply have to have spent a substantial amount of time playing the game (for instance, I have had Elden Ring on 3 lists and have checked it off each time, but still have yet to beat the main campaign).

If you would like to do this, here are the two lists I referenced:

Book List

Game List

1 – A remaster or remake

Choice: Pac-Man World: Re-Pac

Priority: Medium

Pac-Man World was one of my core PS1 games from my childhood. It received a remaster in 2022, much to my surprise! I am so excited to replay this game with updated graphics. I have done quite a bit already, but I have been held back a bit by the fact that you cannot save in the middle of a level, something prohibitive in my current stage of life.

2 – A game you own but have never played

Choice: Assassin’s Creed II

Priority: High

I really really want to get into the Assassin’s Creed games. Probably more than any other franchise. I started Assassin’s Creed a few years ago and played a bit, but couldn’t get into it. I have heard that this is one of the best games in the franchise, and I definitely want to check it out. Whether or not I’ll get to it this year is a good question, but in general, this is one of the games high up on my to-play list.

3 – A “simulator” game

Choice: Rimworld

Priority: High

Rimworld looks like something I would love. There’s a ton of content to sink my teeth into, and the game has a lot of different ways it can play out. I tried it out, but the game mechanics are pretty deep and extensive, and I did not get very far. I want to get back to this one!

4 – A sandbox game

Choice: Terraria

Priority: Highest

I will be doing a top 100-or-so games at some point, and, spoiler alert, this is likely in the top 5. Terraria and Minecraft have been favorites of mine for years, but as it is now, Terraria has firmly edged out Minecraft significantly as one of my favorite games of all time. I am due for a revisit/new playthrough of Terraria, and I am planning to start this very, very soon!

5 – A game with a 90+ on Metacritic

Choice: Half-Life

Priority: Medium

Another frequent flyer on my to-play list, Half-Life and its sequel are insanely famous for being one of the best games of all time. I’m looking forward to (eventually) getting into this series myself!

6 – A favorite game to replay or return to

Choice: The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Priority: Medium

Another one of my favorite games of all time that I’ve been itching to return to. What can I say that hasn’t been said about this masterpiece? It has its naysayers, but in the end, few games capture the feeling of this epic. I cannot wait to get back to this one!

7 – An ongoing game

Choice: Diablo IV

Priority: High

I keep trying to play a Diablo season! I love the gameplay loop of this franchise, have since I played Diablo III for the first time years ago. I have been impressed with IV, and have played through the base campaign and enjoyed it greatly! I am looking forward to hopefully going through a season of this game, and getting deep into the endgame.

8 – A game on your wishlist

Choice: Satisfactory

Priority: High

I hadn’t heard about this one until hitting a random thread on Reddit about games with a ton of satisfying gameplay. Since then, everything I have seen about this game has made me excited to try it out. I still need to get a hold of a copy, but when I do, I am excited to dive into this factory builder!

9 – A game from a franchise you’ve never played

Choice: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Priority: Highest

Professor Layton has been on my must-try list forever. I finally want to play through the first game of the series this year, especially with the new game coming out on switch (hopefully) in 2025!

10 – A metroidvania

Choice: Super Metroid

Priority: Medium

I know this game is one of the best platformers of all time. That’s why it’s on here. But I will admit that I tried this a few years ago and slowed to a stop pretty quickly. This time, I’d like to give it a fair shot and play through it! 2D Platformers aren’t usually my speed, but I think I just haven’t met the right one yet.

11 – A game with fishing

Choice: Guild Wars 2

Priority: Highest

I love Guild Wars 2. I have the full game with all of its expansions, but I have played only a fraction of that. I am intending to continue forward in the gameplay content this year, tackling the expansions and exploring new builds!

12 – A game a friend recommended

Choice: Fire Emblem – Three Houses

Priority: High

This game has been on this list every year since I started, I believe. This game is literally perfect for me on paper – I just need to find the time to commit to it. Maybe this year will be its year!

13 – A strategy game

Choice: Stellaris

Priority: Medium

I love Stellaris. It is one of my favorite games of its genre. I want to do at least one run of this game, and I am so ready to invest in the wrong places, have riots show up on key planets and get absolutely devastated by some random bug creatures that invested way more in their military than I did. Bring it on.

14 – A DS game

Choice: Pokémon White (Randomizer Genlock)

Priority: High

My genlock has been a bit dicey. I’ve been doing this for years, but it has not always been… completely legitimate. That being said, it has been a blast and I want to finish Pokémon White and keep moving onward towards later games!

15 – A game with a 40 or less on metacritic

Choice: Lord of the Rings – Gollum

Priority: Medium

This game is a conundrum. Yes, I do want to try it. But am I willing to spend money on it? I am not sure. If I could find someone who wanted to play through it with me, I would do so in a heartbeat, but by myself I do not think this will be worth picking up. I definitely won’t be playing through the whole thing at the very least. However, I have morbid curiosity about why this was so reviled, and I want to experience it for myself!

16 – A game that won GOTY

Choice: The Witcher III

Priority: High

The Witcher III has again been on my to-play list forever, as it is regarded as one of the best RPGs ever made. It is right up my alley, and I can’t wait to give this one a spin.

17 – A 4X game

Choice: Civilization VII

Priority: Medium

Slated to come out this year, Civilization VII is one I might play. If it gets good enough reviews that I feel it is worth the expense to purchase this when these games tend to go on sale pretty deeply after a few years. Otherwise, I might swap this one out with Civilization VI!

18 – A game with magic

Choice: Age of Wonders IV

Priority: High

Another 4X strategy game, Age of Wonders 4 is a game I know I love already. I stopped due to the fact that these games tend to be absorbing for me and I needed to watch what I played. So I might not be returning to this one depending on how much time I allow myself to play in my current lifestyle.

19 – A game with bad reviews

Choice: Starfield

Priority: Medium

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of my Starfield playthrough, and thus can’t wait to come back for more! Despite its middling reviews, I found this game engaging and fun, and I will certainly come back to play this again, even if not this year.

20 – A deep cut

Choice: Backyard Skateboarding

Priority: High

One of the Deep Cuts I plan to review this year, Backyard Skateboarding is an old game I used to play at the summer camp I went to as a child. I really enjoyed it as a kid and can’t wait to revisit it.

21 – A game where you must make morally questionable decisions

Choice: Fallout 3

Priority: Highest

I’ve said this repeatedly and I’ll say it again – this is one of the games on my must-play list. It has been forever, and I am looking forward to finally getting this one out of shrinkwrap (figuratively speaking) and onto the screen. This year for sure!!!

22 – A game with food as a core element

Choice: Cook! Serve! Delicious! 2!!

Priority: Medium

I love this game – it is highly underrated. However, it is also very stressful. So I might return to it this year, or I might not, as it takes a bit more practice in order to get back to where I was last time I played this game.

23 – A mystery or thriller

Choice: Apollo Justice – Ace Attorney

Priority: Highest

I started this game years ago. This year, I intend to finish it! With the release of Apollo Investigations for the Switch, it is easier than ever to return to this game and start the next chapter of the Phoenix Wright saga. I can’t wait to dive in!

24 – A relaxing game

Choice: Stardew Valley

Priority: High

I really, really, really want to love Stardew Valley. I have enjoyed it every time I play, but have never been able to get very far. I’d like to break that streak this time and dive in headfirst into this game. If not this year, than definitely next year.

25 – A sequel to a game you enjoy

Choice: Monkey Island 2 – LeChuck’s Revenge

Priority: Highest

I played through Monkey Island two years ago and loved it!! I am a fan of the classic point-and-click adventure genre, so this one struck a cord for me being one of the first/best of its kind. The sequel is also very well-regarded, and I have played a bit of it already. I plan to get back into this and finish it this year!

Final Thoughts

Those are my first 25 games for The List! Next week, I’ll go through the next 25. What games would you slot into these categories? Let me know in the comments below. See you next week!