My Top 5 PC Games of 2016

I've long come to the conclusion that the games I tend to play don't tend to get attention. This is because, as I've moved to the PC, I've discovered there's lot more games that get released -- and if your tastes skew indie, few get press.

I'm not saying "obscure is better". It's just that, with the sheer volume that gets released on Steam alone, it's easy to enjoy a game that escapes notice. So without further adieu, these are the games that kept me busy during 2016.

5. Handsome Mr. Frog

Picture what the original Mario Bros. would be if Yoshi was doing the platforming instead, and there you have Handsome Mr. Frog.

This is a single screen platformer with clever obstacles and quirky enemies that dish out a one touch death. As the titular frog, you grab baddies with your tongue then spit them out to kill other baddies. Where it gets interesting is the combos. You see, if you get the timing just right, you can create a chain of death that ups your points.

I spent hours on this game trying to unlock new bonuses and outfits. That's right, if you accumulate enough points, maybe you'll get swang new threads for Handsome Mr. Frog. My only knock against this game is that you start out with too many lives.

4. Cosmic Leap

There's so much to love about this game. The voxel graphics with CRT overlay give it a charm. My wife went gaga over the cute characters. And I sure as hell loved the soundtrack.

But the reason I love this game so much is because of it's sheer simplicity. Your goal is to jump from planet to planet on your way to rocket ship lift off. Yes, there's obstacles. And yes, you'll have to contend with things like gravity.

Now a few Steam reviewers complain about the controls, but that's exactly why this game is so fun to me. Once you go from one side of the planet to the other, the directions invert -- and so to beat each level, not only is timing key, so is precision.

3. Kickass Commandos

Do you ever wish Commando for the NES was more over the top? Do you wish Hotline Miami lacked all subtlety? Then this is the game for you.

Kickass Commandos is unapologetically violent. You grab a machine gun, flame thrower, rocket launcher, and go to town. That doesn't mean there's no room for strategy, though. As much lead as you might be throwing, much much more is coming back at you -- so you better be judicious when you take enemies out.

This game knows what it is, and does it well. Simply put, if you like shooting stuff, this is game is awesome.

2. Zenge

On the other side of the spectrum is this peaceful puzzler with fantastic art and an ambient soundtrack.

At first, it starts easy. You just have to fit the pieces together. But then things ramp up quickly when gears, pulleys, and various different contraptions enter the mix.

This is the perfect game for when you just want to veg and take in some atmosphere. But what I really love about it is that it doesn't take you for a fool. There's no tutorials, no hand-holding, no hints. You're just given puzzles, and your brain has to figure out what to do next.

1. Verdict Guilty

Imagine if SNK ported their games to PC during the early 90s, and you'll get some idea of what Verdict Guilty is like. Only, imagine if SNK was a Korean company instead of Japanese. And well, the problem with analogies is they're always inadequate as descriptors.

Verdict Guilty is awesome because it takes place in a futuristic cyberpunk version of Seoul. You have a broad selection of colourful characters: an upstanding cop, his alcoholic counterpart, a terrorist cult-follower, a corrupt politician, so on so forth.

This game has some real game mechanic innovations, though. Each character can subdue his opponent with either handcuffs or a timed bomb. And each one get access to a projectile that he must re-load.

To me, this is my #1 game of 2016 because it would have been my #1 game of 1992. You see, I waited two years for a decent port of Street Fighter II, and what was eventually released was a mess. The screenshots looked nice, but one you loaded it onto your machine, the controls and framerate ruined everything. Boy, developer Hi Tech Expressions reallys screwed the pooch on the PC port -- I was not a happy boy.

So you see, my 11-year-old self would have loved Verdict Guilty. And my 35-year-old self most definitely does.

What are your top 5 games of 2016?