Best Video Games of 2019: A Curated Selection

Artribune presents an alphabetical list of the best video games of 2019, acknowledging the impossibility of a definitive ranking due to the medium's diversity. The selection highlights recurring themes: time loops (Alt-Frequencies, Outer Wilds, Elsinore, Heaven's Vault), non-violent exploration (Heaven's Vault, Outer Wilds, A Short Hike, Eastshade, Mutazione), and hypertextuality (Telling Lies, Vignettes). Notable titles include Alt-Frequencies, a radio-based game accessible to blind players; Baba Is You, a puzzle game where rules are physical objects; Fantasy Strike, a stripped-down fighting game; Heaven's Vault, an archaeological adventure focused on deciphering an ancient language; Outer Wilds, an open-world space exploration game where knowledge is the key; Ritual of the Moon, a daily ritual game about a witch exiled on the moon; Telling Lies, a narrative investigation through video archives; The Game: The Game, a playable essay on pick-up artists; Vectronom, a rhythmic platformer; Vignettes, a collection of transformable 3D objects; and Meditations, a curated collection of daily micro-games. Special mentions include A Short Hike, Can Androids Pray, Eastshade, Elsinore, Football Drama, Heretic's Hope, Hypnospace Outlaw, Mutazione, Nauticrawl, Pathologic 2, The Eternal Castle Remastered, and The Sinking City.