After Vessel, I played a little bit of Stacking. It was a pretty fun puzzle-adventure game. You control stacking dolls as the narrative is presented in styles resembling stage plays and silent films. The 3D third-person perspective was fine for the most part. Unfortunately, at times it bothered my motion sickness. I did not expect that in this type of game. Usually, it is first person shooters that bother me.

Hence, I switched to playing Wizorb. Wizorb is a Breakout style arcade game combined with light role-playing elements. The official game site presents the following description:

The once peaceful Kingdom of Gorudo is threatened by an evil presence. The only hope for salvation is Cyrus, a wizard versed not only in both black and white magic but also a master of a secret magic art called... Wizorb!

Your magic wand is the game's paddle and you can cast spells. You can also purchase items and enhancements with gold. There were five worlds of twelve levels each to play through. Each world ended with a boss battle. Some of the levels were a bit tricky and tedious at times because of the precise angles needed to destroy some of the objects. It may not be the best Breakout/Arkanoid game out there but I still had fun with it over the few days it took to finish.

The latest video game I've been playing is Vessel, a puzzle-platform game. It was another good one to put my game controller to use. You play as an inventor who created Fluros, automated helpers made out of liquid. When the Fluros get out of control, it is your job to repair the machinery to get things working properly again. In addition to the usual climbing and jumping, you have to interact with various switches, levers, and other controls. I progressed far enough to get access to seeds, which allow you to deploy Fluros as desired. I also obtained a liquid gun, which supported canisters of various liquids and multiple nozzle attachments. I thought the game was pretty clever with an interesting setting and level design. I must admit, however, that I didn't feel up to completing it. According to howlongtobeat.com, I would probably need to invest around 13 hours to get to the end. I enjoyed it but I'm ready to move on to another game.

I finished my first computer game of 2025, Alan Wake. I played about half of it in December and just finished it yesterday. It was originally released for Xbox 360 in 2010. Given its console roots, I opted to play it with a game controller. I found Alan Wake to be an enjoyable third-person action thriller/horror game. You play as the titular character who is a crime fiction writer. Alan is obsessed with finding his missing (dead?) wife Alice. In the town of Bright Falls, a darkness is spreading. Alan is pursued by the "Taken", tainted beings who mercilessly attack him at every opportunity. Along the way, Alan gets some help from his agent and best friend Barry as well as Sheriff Sarah Breaker. The narrative is presented like a television show with six episodes and recaps ("previously on Alan Wake…") between episodes. The game did a good job creating a spooky atmosphere and the voice acting was very good. Once I got the hang of it, combat was satisfying as well. The enemy of the darkness is light so a flashlight or lantern is often your most valuable possession. Alan acquires more firepower along the way with flares, flashbangs, flare guns, revolvers, shotguns, and hunting rifles. All in all, it was one of the better third-person action games I've played.

I continued to play through my games backlog in somewhat chronological order. Last year, most games I played were originally released between 2010 and 2012. Here are a list of my top favorites played in 2024.

1. World of Warships - I put a lot of time into this one over the last five months of the year. I hardly ever play online multiplayer games but this one really appealed to me. My long term goal was to obtain the Yamato, a Tier X Japanese battleship. I worked my way up to the Tier VIII Amagi, so I expect to keep playing into 2025. What really put it over the top for me was a special Star Trek event, which ran for weeks. It featured special ships based on Romulan, Klingon, and Federation starships.
2. Batman: Arkham City - This was a game with very high production values. It had the strengths of Batman: Arkham Asylum but was even bigger in scope. No longer confined to the asylum, Batman had the dark city of Gotham to explore. Both Arkham games were great but I think I liked this one even more.
3. To the Moon - Point and click adventure games are not usually my favorites. This one was a very pleasant surprise, however. The story involved two doctor's trying to grant the last wish of a dying man. In a way, it felt more like an interactive visual novel than a game. Funny and touching, it really grabbed me and I was eager to find out how it ended.
4. Out of the Park Baseball 25 - OOTP Baseball is so close to perfection as a baseball sim that it is difficult to improve on it much. Yearly upgrades are non-essential but still desirable due to incremental improvements. In my fictional league (NALB), my Brooklyn Knights made it to the World Championship Series and lost for the second straight season.
5. Trine 2 - I liked Trine and I liked Trine 2. The sequel was just as solid as the original. They are both great puzzle-platform games. I really enjoy the concept of controlling three distinct characters and switching between them at will.
6. Dungeon Defenders - DD was a great reminder of how much I love a good tower defense game. Its combination of interesting levels, characters, towers, and RPG elements kept me playing through the story mode.
7. Unity of Command - I loved Panzer General and Panzer Corps more but Unity of Command was still an enjoyable game. It was a very good operational level World War II strategy game focused on Stalingrad and the Eastern Front.
8. Rochard - Originally a PlayStation 3 game, it gave me an excuse to use my game controller. I liked this side-scrolling platform game with its colorful graphics and mix of puzzles and combat.
9. Unstoppable Gorg - Another tower defense game makes the list. This time, it's a game with an outer space setting and a 1950s sci-fi vibe. It may not be an all-time classic but I had fun with it.
10. Cave Story+ - Cave Story+ is an enhanced version of the original indie classic. Considered a Metroidvania style game, it offered old-school platform goodness. I would have ranked it higher had I finished it. I found the last level too difficult and I never made it to the ending.

Honorable mentions

1. Costume Quest - This Halloween-themed game featuring trick-or-treating children was endearing. It was amazing at first. Unfortunately, the combat became repetitive and predictable as the game progressed.
2. Alan Wake - I played roughly half of it in 2024 and finished it in early 2025. Therefore, I won't put it in my top ten of 2024. I expect it will make the 2025 list, however.