It’s been a long 2021 and now we’re sprinting to 2022 it’s time to look back at the top games of 2021 as put together by our team here at But Why Tho? – and wow did we have a lot of opinions, so much in fact we decided to make this a top 15 instead of top 10.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
There are a couple of rules for this Top Video Games of 2021 list that we gave our writers as we did our round-up. First, the game had to have come out in the calendar year in a public full release in the 2021 calendar year (this excludes BETA or press accessed titles). Second, the game can’t be a port (Sorry Hades on Xbox) but rather a new game. And, that’s it! With that our team pulled together our top video games of 2021 from across platforms and genre – and we even have some indie darlings making the list too.
15. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
A story-driven, action adventure combining exploration with fast-paced combat. As Kena, players find and grow a team of charming spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.
Kena, a young Spirit Guide, travels to an abandoned village in search of the sacred mountain shrine. She struggles to uncover the secrets of this forgotten community hidden in an overgrown forest where wandering spirits are trapped.
14. Chicory A Colorful Tale
13. Death’s Door
12. Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. These once-human hosts of a deadly parasite have turned into terrifying creatures bent on devouring what remains of civilization. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden, and reclaim the world.
11. Scarlet Nexus
Featuring a dual story, begin your adventure with either Yuito Sumeragi, an energetic recruit from a prestigious political family or Kasane Randall, the mysterious scout whose power and skill has gained great notoriety among the OSF. As their different experiences interweave with each other, it is only then that you will reveal the full story and unlock all the mysteries of a Brain Punk future caught between technology and psychic abilities in SCARLET NEXUS.
10. Metroid Dread
Guide Samus Aran, an intergalactic bounty hunter raised by an ancient tribe, and traverse the many environments of a dangerous world. Parkour over obstacles, slide through tight spaces, counter enemies, and battle your way through the planet. Through her countless missions, Samus has never experienced a threat like the dread of ZDR.
9. Little Nightmares 2
Little Nightmares II is a suspense adventure game in which you play as Mono, a young boy trapped in a world that has been distorted by an evil transmission. Together with new friend Six, he sets out to discover the source of the Transmission.
8. It Takes Two
Embark on the craziest journey of your life in It Takes Two, a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op. Play as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by a magic spell. Trapped in a fantastical world, they’re reluctantly challenged with saving their fractured relationship by the suave love guru Dr. Hakim. A huge variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges stand between them and their return to normal.
7. Resident Evil Village
Set a few years after the horrifying events in the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7 biohazard, the all-new storyline begins with Ethan Winters and his wife Mia living peacefully in a new location, free from their past nightmares. Just as they are building their new life together, tragedy befalls them once again. Chris Redfield, the legendary hero from the Resident Evil series, is reacquainted with the couple and horribly disrupts their life, spiraling Ethan into chaos. A devastated Ethan finds himself in a remote snow-capped village seeking answers after being thrown into an entirely new nightmare.
6. Hitman 3
Death Awaits. Agent 47 returns in HITMAN 3, the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy.
5. DEATHLOOP
DEATHLOOP is an innovative first person shooter launching for PlayStation 5 and PC from Arkane Lyon, the award-winning studio behind the critically acclaimed Dishonored franchise. The studio’s new IP will continue Arkane’s signature gameplay design, challenging gamers to play their own way. As Colt, players are trapped in a time loop on the enigmatic island of Blackreef, doomed to repeat the same day for eternity. The only chance for escape is to break the loop by unearthing information and assassinating eight key targets before the day resets. However, lurking in the shadows is rival assassin Julianna, equipped with her own equally powerful abilities and weapons, on a mission to protect the loop by assassinating Colt, and restarting the cycle. Players can also choose to take control of Julianna, turning DEATHLOOP into a deadly game of hunter-vs-hunted.
4. Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite’s plot focuses on the Master Chief’s efforts to locate a new artificial intelligence (AI) known by codename “The Weapon” and, with her assistance, determine the whereabouts of the Chief’s former AI companion, Cortana and finally end both threats.
3. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Fire up a wild ride across the cosmos with a fresh take on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In this third-person action-adventure game, you are Star-Lord, and thanks to your bold yet questionable leadership, you have persuaded an oddball crew of unlikely heroes to join you. Some jerk (surely not you) has set off a chain of catastrophic events, and only you can hold the unpredictable Guardians together long enough to fight off total interplanetary meltdown. Use Element Blasters, tag-team beat downs, jet boot-powered dropkicks, nothing’s off-limits.
2. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
The intergalactic adventurers are back with Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart. Help them stop a robotic Emperor intent on conquering cross-dimensional worlds, with their own universe next in line. Built from the ground up by acclaimed studio insomniac games, go above and beyond with the mind-blowing speed and immersive features of the PS5 Console.
1. Forza Horizon 5
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
The year ended with a bang which made picking our top games of 2021 a tall task. From indie to AAA, console exclusives to mobile, we’re happy with everything we played. It should be noted that Returnal, Pokemon Unite, and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story almost made the list and get the most honorable of mentions. Did your favorite make the list? Let us know on social media @butwhythopc.
Game descriptions of the titles on the Top Games of 2021 were pulled directly from product pages.
