BEST PUZZLE

- Ben Ingham

Joint: Tetris 99 & The Witness

Just 1.1% separated the top three games in this category, with two games tying for second place in the Puzzle category.

From competitive action to a solitary experience,The Witnessstruck a different tone, with the player exploring an island filled with puzzles to complete, all from a first-person perspective. All great puzzle games have one concept that is simple and easy to understand, that is then built upon in new and challenging ways, andThe Witnessis no different, with the puzzles here revolving around drawing a single path on a grid. A beautiful island to explore, a mystery to solve and over 500 puzzles to solve, likeTetris 99,The Witnessholds the second spot on our list with 9.4% of the vote.

Tetris 99was one of those games that Nintendo announce is available now during one of their Directs, and like most other battle royale games, was free to play. Everyone who has picked up a game controller knows how to playTetrisand how it works, but pitting gamers against 99 over players, and putting all thoseTetrisgames on screen. Its chaotic and brilliant, and even the original inventor of the tile-matching game loves it.

Weve reviewedFilamenttwice here at The Digital Fix: back in January for the PC release and more recently in October for the Switch release, and even with two different reviewers, the game earned our TDF Gold award twice with a 10/10 score. WhileThe Witnesssees players exploring an island alone,Filamentmoves the challenges to space, with the player exploring an abandoned spaceship, with the only remaining member of the crew serving as company, via comm-link.

The balance between challenge and reward is perfect inFilament, with the game constantly finding new ways to test the players understanding of the simple challenge of tying a wire around various poles, while adhering to new and frustrating rules, throughout three different levels of the spaceship. Abigail Turner is wonderful as your companion, rewarding the player with a little bit of information after solving a puzzle, and throughout your exploration of the ship, as you seek to restore power and solve the mystery of what happened to the crew.

- Abbi Ruggles

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley first came to our PCs in 2016, created and developed solely by Eric Barone, the farming game has since come to every console imaginable. With its beautiful pixel art, a myriad of activities to engage with, and 28 NPCs to befriend and even marry, this is the kind of game you can easily sink an unthinkable amount of hours into.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The latest installment of Animal Crossing came at a time where most of the world was in lockdown. Luckily, Nintendo Switch players found respite in the game where they could build a community of cute, anthropomorphic animal villagers, design the interiors of their house, and landscape their island. Its not a surprise New Horizons made the list, as it has been one of the best selling games this year.

Winning the category with 18.8% of the vote, is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020! This is a hyper detailed experience where you can live out your dream of being a pilot, flying a huge range of different aircraft in realistic conditions. Developed by Asobo, the game prides itself on being highly accurate; from the cockpit, to the cities, towns, landscapes, and airports. You can even experience live weather and traffic.

When playing, you can either sit back and enjoy the stunning visuals, only worrying about the altitude and speed, or you can start increasing the difficulty by having more control. Whichever way you like to play, this simulator is a spectacular example of how far technology has come in terms of graphics and depicting real-life experiences. Its spot at the top of our Best Simulations list feels well earned!

- Seb Hawden

Job Simulator

Its time to JOB! Job Simulator is another favourite in my house. My boys love it, I love it and it is another one of those games I let people try if they have not had much VR experience. It's just a case of doing mundane human jobs under the watchful eyes of comedic robots that have no idea how human lives work. It's really funny, very well written and will make you smile the whole time you play.

Blood & Truth

I remember playing The London Heist on the PlayStation Worlds PSVR launch disc and thinking, I wish this tech demo would be made into a full game. It was by far the best part of PlayStation Worlds and made the rest of the games look poor in comparison.

Well, guess what? It actually happened! What we have an amazingly immersive and brilliantly fun game. There are great set pieces, awesome gunfights, sneaking about and even disarming bombs and re-wiring doors. Plus you can give people the bird in virtual reality. What more can you want? It's an amazing title that deserves to be second on the list.

How could we have any other game as the PSVR TDF Gaming's Generation Award winner other than this one? Such a simple mechanic wrapped up in a brilliantly presented, amazingly rewarding game that even virtual reality newbies can get stuck into. Beat Saber feels so great to play, it can be tailored to any skill level and everyone from my mum to my youngest son loves it. We have bought every available DLC pack and it gets a mention every month on our PSVR Monthly feature due to the developers constantly updating and tweaking the game.

What I truly love about it though is how you grow as you play it. I remember the first time firing it up and thinking; "How am I ever going to complete these songs on expert?". Fast forward a few months, I have the platinum trophy and when I play I go into this zen-like Jedi state and muscle memory takes over. It's transcendent.

- Abbi Ruggles

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The 2017 Zelda title exclusive to Switch is a stunning example of the freedom games can provide. With beautiful visuals, engaging puzzles, and a whole world of adventures to be had, Breath of the Wild is one well be playing for years to come!

Fallout 4

Bethesdas Fallout 4 was released in 2015, and gave players a chance to explore post-apocalyptic Boston, now known as The Commonwealth, as the sole survivor searching for their missing child. Staying on task is nearly impossible in this exciting delve into the Fallout world, as the vast map offers something to discover at every turn as you complete quests, help factions, and level up your character.

If The Witcher 3 grabbing the top spot is a surprise, I can only assume you havent played it! With 18% of the vote, this open-world, fantasy adventure takes you around The Continent as Geralt of Rivia, fighting monsters, forming alliances, and searching for his adopted daughter Ciri. Not only is this game visually breathtaking, but theres so much to explore that fully immerses you in the world. You can fight epic battles, help decide who will be the next ruler of Skellige Isles or complete hunts for the best sets of armor, but the game also shines in its quieter moments where youre asked to retrieve a womans favourite cooking pot, or return a mans pet goat. You can even ignore the main quest for hours, going from merchant to merchant taking on opponents for the card game Gwent!

With two expansions and hours of adventures to play, if you havent experienced this game yet, you're in luck! The Witcher 3 is getting a next-gen upgrade so youll be able to play with some shiny new improvements such as updated visuals and faster loading times!

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The Digital Fix Gaming's Generation Awards: Best Puzzle, Simulation, PSVR, and RPG - The Digital Fix