Ask HN: How do you find new games to play?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40948485

by Innovatize • 2 years ago

31 53 2 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm trying to break down the mental processes that occur when trying to find new games to play.

If you could answer a few of these questions, that would be greatly appreciated! :D

- How do you usually discover new games?

- What are aspects of games that you enjoy?

- Do you think finding new games to play is easy? If not, what do you wish was easier to find new games?

- What's your most recent favorite game? How did you find that game?

jlee4119• 2 years ago

1. Honestly, it's pretty hard for me to discover new games. I mostly find them based off of hype/YouTube.

2. I really like RPG games with a good story.

3. I think it's pretty hard to find new games, since only a few games ever get highly popularized on social media. I'm not sure if this is because there aren't a lot of good games coming out from smaller indie creators, or if this is because these games just aren't popularized.

4. My most recent game is Arcane Odyssey, which I found since I followed the creator. I used to play his old games, so I was in his discord.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

That game fire - just wish combat was better. Anyways, thanks so much for responding - this is very helpful! :D

jimbop• 2 years ago

- For me, I usually just look for games on youtube or google but idk cuz those games are never really that fun (I don't play video games as much anymore tho so idk)

- I really like games that have not too repetitive progression systems - so generally RPG games. Also, if the game has replay able end-game aspects I like that

- I think it's not the easiest - I just wish there was a site with more recent games besides just those articles with games that are already popular

- My most recent favorite game is probably Palworld lol - found it through youtube

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Palworld is a fire game ngl

Thanks so much for answering - very helpful! :D

Hackbraten• 2 years ago

Just one single bookmark:

https://www.gog.com/en/games?releaseStatuses=new-arrival&sys...

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Yo that site is actually kinda sick - prob gonna try it out some more later - thanks for answering :D

illuminant3• 2 years ago

I tend to prefer open source games, which there are a fair many of good quality.

I've spent a few thousand hours playing Return of the Precursors (rotp); turn based space strategy. First I played the readily available version for about a year, then I discovered the fusion fork which has me so addicted I sometimes loose entire days playing it over and over and over again. Note: you have to tweak the rules to get the perfect game. And you have to restart the game as soon as you know you're doomed, until you find a game where the random odds give you a fighting chance. The fusion fork is infinitely more challenging (and some tweaks make more intuitive sense.)

Warzone 2100 if you want real time strategic warfare (I beat the game by only building engineering units :] )

The Ur-Quan Masters is a great multi-mode space adventure.

The only games I've paid for recently are the old Wizardry games (6,7,8) which are throw back dungeon crawl and D&D style adventure.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Those games sound kinda fire - tysm for answering :D

Do you have any specific websites or ways you find those open-source games?

illuminant3• 2 years ago

A few are on steam (uqm, Wizardry) rotp is in most official Linux distros (apt install rotp), though the fusion version (which you should play after getting the hang of the original) you can Google and download from the repository release. Warzone 2100, may also have an official Linux distro though you can get the edge version from the repo (Google it).

Have fun!

daelon• 2 years ago

Are you aware of Beyond All Reason?

illuminant3• 2 years ago

Yes, though I can't figure out why anyone would play that over warzone 2100 ;p

It's been years, I should revisit.

rachofsunshine• 2 years ago

I usually just catch something from one of the youtubers I watch in bed and go "hey, that looks fun!". That's how I lost two weeks of my life trying to see how far I could push my score on a random Balatro seed (personal best: 1.7e47! Look on my Mime, ye mighty, and despair).

I tend to like games with simple core mechanics and lots of ways to mess with them. Give me complex systems to play with (most roguelikes), Rube Goldberg machines to build (Balatro, Loop Hero, Minecraft), weird hipster builds to create (Path of Exile). Either that, or a tight (usually tragic) story that really gets to me (Hollow Knight, American Arcadia, Bastion).

prashp• 2 years ago

You might like Hades!

joshschreuder• 2 years ago

Mostly word of mouth or podcasts. For podcasts I recommend Into The Aether in particular as they only chat about games they like and don’t bother with stuff they don’t like. And also talk about older games they like that you may have missed. In general it’s a chill informative listen

Was also listening to Electronic Wireless Show (RIP) and also listen to Besties which is good but probably more of an entertainment show than a prime way to discover games, though I still do every now and then.

The game I’m enjoying at the moment is Tametsi (https://store.steampowered.com/app/709920/Tametsi/). I stumbled upon it randomly in a mention in a Steam review for a different puzzle game.

eddd-ddde• 2 years ago

I just hop on steam and

1. Check wishlist for sales

2. Check homepage for new wishlist items

Recently I got foxhole on discount and I've been loving it, although the current war is almost over. It is a military MMO where everyone is fighting the same war. I love the logistics aspect, where every gun, ammo, vehicle, artillery, is produced and shipped by players.h

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Sounds fire - tysm for answering :DD

blakeburch• 2 years ago

For video games, I'll look at OpenCritic's "202X Hall of Fame" list on a monthly basis. If something new pops up that's well rated, I'll take a look at it. YouTubers like Razbuten or VideoGameDunkey also play a role in awareness. I enjoy 5-10 hour single player experiences that have a complete vision and try to do something novel. Games that fit the bill are typically those made by indie studios. My favorite genres are metroidvanias and games that have knowledge-based progression, although I still play plenty of platformers and puzzle games. Recent standouts in my mind are Neon White and Cocoon. Favorite games are Outer Wilds, Hollow Knight, and Celeste.

For board games, I'll look up BoardGameGeek's ranking list on a monthly basis. If something new pops up that's well rated, I'll take a look at it. YouTubers like "Shut Up and Sit Down" also help. I also go to weekly board game events and some yearly conventions which help increase exposure to games I'm unfamiliar with drastically. I prefer games that have minimal luck, lots of strategic options, and high levels of player interaction. Recent standouts are Darwin's Journey and Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory. Favorite games are Food Chain Magnate, Terra Mystica, and Pipeline.

There's so many ranking sites and YouTubers in both realms that I really don't have any struggles to find something new to play. If I want a suggestion, I'll just find a random "Top X" list and see if there's something I don't recognize. The struggle is finding the time to play and explore as much as I would like. However, I have blind spots for "underrated" games that may match my preferences but never get on my radar.

Hope that helps with the discovery you're trying to do! Happy to answer anything more specifically.

musicale2• 2 years ago

In addition (or adjacent) to game conventions, I have to say meeting a friend or two who are board game fiends (and own many games) does wonders for learning and playing new games.

Also game stores are like black holes for me, even if I mostly end up browsing rather than playing (though they usually have a schedule of game play events that you can join.)

constantcrying• 2 years ago

- How do you usually discover new games?

Friends, Steam, YouTube Channels

- What are aspects of games that you enjoy?

Gameplay

- Do you think finding new games to play is easy? If not, what do you wish was easier to find new games?

Yes, it is so easy that I have more games than time I want to spent playing them.

- What's your most recent favorite game? How did you find that game?

Armored core 6. I liked the previous games of that developer.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Alr - tysm for responding :D

probably_wrong• 2 years ago

How do I discover new games: I follow some professional game critics whose opinions I trust.

Aspects that I enjoy: originality, good story, art with character, fair challenge.

Regarding finding new games: good paid games are relatively easy to find if you follow game awards. Good free games are difficult on PC and impossible on mobile.

Most recent favorite game: Blasphemous. I saw enough references to its (very original) art, gave it a try, and was more fun than I expected.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Tysm for answer :DDDD

jldugger2• 2 years ago

How do you usually discover new games?

Daily exposures:

- Youtube, in the form of Nintendo Direct or Youtubers in my recommendation feed. - gaming channels in various Slack communities

Weekly exposures:

- the Epic game store weekly deal! - recurring Trello task search for any new games the local library has bought recently (and put them on hold before the line gets too long)

Monthly:

- PS+ subscription new adds

What are aspects of games that you enjoy?

Puzzle solving mostly? In my youth I played many console RPGs and FPS but now I find the stories cliche and boring and last FPS game I tried gave me motion sickness. Not great.

What's your most recent favorite game

Lately I've been playing older games and tackling my steam queue. I finally got to Disco Elysium a few months ago, Unicorn Overlord next, did Sea of Stars last month, and am working on the Pedestrian now.

But really, Tears of the Kingdom was great, no matter how disappointingly bland the underworld was. Yes, the story is cliche, but the story is a framing device for the actual gameplay, always has been. Being able to build machines to solve Zelda puzzles is A++ gameplay.

Alternatively: the NYT Connections daily puzzle is the cause for my insomnia. The line between game and puzzle is blurry!

musicale2• 2 years ago

last FPS game I tried gave me motion sickness

This is a thing. There was something about Overwatch's weird fisheye perspective that made me ill for about two weeks before I got used to it.

For some reason I didn't get that in other games.

Sea of Stars

need to go back to this!

jldugger2• 2 years ago

The odd thing is I didn't used to get this. Played goldeneye, countertstrike, battlefield etc for years, and now I get sick playing Talos Principle!

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Tysm for answering - NYT Connections is fire

I've never played most of those games but they sound fire

gtirloni• 2 years ago

Just open Steam and look at my library of bought and never played awesome games.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Nice - tysm for answering :D

poikroequ• 2 years ago

I have a huge backlog of games already so I really don't need any new games. I still buy new games that look interesting if I happen to encounter them, but I don't actively seek out new games.

I typically play action and/or adventure games. Fps, platformers, Zelda-esque, and I'm particularly fond of any good metroidvania style games.

I should say, older Zelda games, not the new giant open world ones. I don't care for endless hours of wandering and foraging, leveling up, it's so f-ing tedious and repetitive. I love detailed worlds full of interesting things, not gigantic procedurally generated nothingness.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Yea - I agree with you on tedious gameplay - games that actually have unique progressions throughout almost the entire game are my favorite

Tysm for answering :D

cbanek• 2 years ago

I like to watch people play new games on twitch, the new games are always a trend. Then you can see what it looks like, what the experience is, etc. And soon you'll find people with similar interests and that will be a good recommendation engine.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

That's W strat - tysm for responding :DD

tmtvl• 2 years ago

I actually had some good luck with Steam Labs' interactive recommender, although I would've liked the ability to tell it to only recommend games that are at least 8 years old.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Alr - I'll prob check that out later

Tysm for answering :D

NortySpock• 2 years ago

SplatterCat seems to keep finding fun games, and it seems I share his taste in video games, so it works out.

https://youtube.com/@splattercatgaming

Games I enjoy: mostly builder games (e.g. Dyson Sphere Program) or village sim games (Travellers Rest, Stardew Valley) these days.

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Sick - I'll def check him out later - tysm for answering :D

klavinski• 2 years ago

Steam250 [0] lists top games on Steam, and you can filter by tag and period. Additionally, it features a "hidden gems" section, with highly-rated but unpopular titles.

[0] https://steam250.com/

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Fire - tysm for answer :D

jerrygoyal2• 2 years ago

Slightly off topic but does anyone have recommendations for 2-player board/card games that are also portable? My girlfriend and I travel full-time and would like to try new games.

jmorenoamor2• 2 years ago

- Watergate - 2 player, card driven cat and mouse battle inspired in the Watergate scandal. - Fantasy realms - Quick crazy combo-based factasy battles. - Railroad Ink: Great roll and write relaxing puzzle game. Twisty - My favorite quick abstract game, really fun.

Those are some examples of small portable two player games.

jerrygoyal2• 2 years ago

Thank you!

solardev• 2 years ago

Check out Azule portable, Hive Pocket, Codenames Duet, Catan travel edition, Love Letter, Fox and the Forest, etc.

There's a newer one called Sky Team I'm really eager to try out, but haven't yet, where you cooperate to land a plane through limited communication dice placement.

Also see BGG lists like this one https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/288218/best-two-player-po...

corimaith• 2 years ago

I usually just watch E3,VGA, Gamescom etc every year to keep a handle for AAA/AA releases, and /v/ for indie or overseas releases. Also checking IGN daily.

I'm generally looking for ambitious releases that push their respective genres forward, with an emphasis on RPGs and MMORPGs. There aren't many, if at all, of such works coming out each year so it's easy to keep track of then.

The best recent game I've played would probably be Unicorn Overlord, I can see the gameplay loop and the fast but deep combat system being a good match for gacha mobile games in the future.

jmorenoamor2• 2 years ago

- How do you usually discover new games?

Usually YouTube channels which comment on current or upcoming releases.

- What are aspects of games that you enjoy?

Game mechanics. The play loop must be fun or rewarding to me, and that's enough to select s game to play. Then sound/music, graphics, and plot/story, in that order.

- Do you think finding new games to play is easy? If not, what do you wish was easier to find new games?

For me it's very easy, I have little time to play, so there is always something to play, and my list of "I know I will like this" just keeps growing.

- What's your most recent favorite game? How did you find that game?

I'm really enjoying Outer wilds at this moment, and when I finish it, I know I will spend months with Factorio Space Age

diskopanzer• 2 years ago

How do you usually discover new games?

If it's not a well-known series where I'm waiting for the sequel, it's usually through YouTube videos or articles about a new game that sounds interesting.

What are aspects of games that you enjoy?

Mainly the gameplay. Graphics, when done well, create an authentic atmosphere. This also includes things like suitable textures (example: In a medieval game, I find highly polished wall textures rather inappropriate, it has to look a bit dirty and old). Apart from that, it is now important to me that there is mod support and ideally a community. That way, I can play games that I really like for longer once I've finished the normal content. Apart from that, it's very variable and depends on the type of game. In an RPG I want character development and lots of items, in a shooter I want cool gunplay, in an RTS I want lots of tactical options that really affect the game.

Do you think finding new games to play is easy? If not, what do you wish was easier to find new games?

It's easy, the whole internet is full of suggestions. There are in-depth videos on almost every game. If you ignore most AAA publishers, you can even have fun with your games.

What's your most recent favorite game? How did you find that game?

Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront (WW2 RTS) and 7 Days to Die (my wet dream of a zombie game, especially because of the super cool basebuilding possibilities)

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Tysm for answering :DD - def share the same opinion when it comes to RPG games

nopelynopington• 2 years ago

Rockpapershotgun.com for pc games. I generally live a few years behind the curve. Just got a switch so I'm exploring indie games on that

Aspects of games I enjoy: Been asking myself this a lot lately. I think, discovery is key for me. Either something to explore or a good story to reveal itself. I do not enjoy button mashers, building stats etc

I think it's easy enough to find new games, plenty of sites with listicles if you want the top. Would be nice to have a Goodreads of games though. I'd sign up for that

A short hike. I think through RPS, but I've known of it for years and only played recently on switch. It was staggering. The simple beauty of the world, the play mechanics, the innocence, exploring and discovering, flying!

ngshiheng• 2 years ago

i bought a Steam Deck last year and r/SteamDeck has been incredibly resourceful when it comes to game recommendations! some of the games are playable in both PC/Deck

i used to enjoy playing games to catch up with friends, but now that i'm getting older, i find that playing indie games solo is really refreshing. i love the freedom to pause whenever i need to and not feel obligated to keep playing if i'm not feeling it. there's zero guilt for not showing up.

2 games that i highly recommend: Slay the Spire and Faster Than Light. they're both turn-based games that are perfect for unwinding. nothing beats a pint of beer and Slay the Spire on a Friday night :)

joshstrange• 2 years ago

The Steam Deck has completely revitalized my love of gaming. I have the newest Xbox as well with Gamepass but found myself going back to the same games from over a decade ago and I’d go through phases of playing regularly or not at all. On the Steam Deck I play a lot of indie games and I find my games on Fanatical (bundles) or Humble Bundle as well as Steam sales.

I haven’t even tried plugging the Steam Deck into a monitor/keyboard/mouse but that’s something I want to do eventually to try games that don’t work well on a gamepad.

I’m particularly fond of roguelite/rougelike (also love StS/FTL), deck building, RPG, and/or town builder type games. I also play some games via emulation (PS/PS2/Xbox/GBA) which can be a ton of fun especially with save/load states (don’t come for me, I don’t have the time to grind like did when I was younger playing these games for the first time).

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

I feel u - just getting less and less free time to play games now :(

Tysm for responding :D - glad u could enjoy gaming again!

Innovatize18• 2 years ago

Tysm for responding - those sound fire

undopamine• 2 years ago

1. Sources:

- Steam suggestions based on what I've liked in the past.

- Subreddits like gamingsuggestions to find games similar to X, or by genre.

- Gameplay footage from YT channels like gameranx that publish top 10 lists.

2. I crave:

- good stories: Assassin's Creed 2, Battlefield 3, Prince of Persia trilogy

- Satisfying gameplay: DMC4, Prototype, Resident Evil 4 (2005), Tomb Raider 2013

- Impressive visuals and fantasy worlds: Witcher 3, Elden Ring

3. Finding new games is easy. Everyone and their dog have a must-play list. Finding games that you'd enjoy is frustrating. Reddit comments have proven to be the most misleading, even disingenuous. They'd write paragraphs praising Tetris's deep lore and high-fidelity graphics.

For this reason, my shortlisting process roughly looks like this:

- Accumulate suggestions over the long term from steam, reddit, YouTube, etc .

- Create your own wishlist, distribute it in tiers - GOTY winners and nominees, AAA, top steam ratings, sequels of games you've enjoyed in the past, etc.

- order games in each tier based on what factors you desire the most - graphics, gameplay, lore, time to beat. You may move certain games to higher tier based on your bias.

- Every time you hear another suggestion for game X, move it one position higher (within the tier).

I'd love to see a public backlog DB, howlongtobeat.com is a good one. But I'm also convinced it's a highly subjective and personal process, so I count as a customer who doesn't know what they want (in case you're looking to build something around this).

4. Recent favorites:

- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - The 101 trailer was enough to convince me [1]. Also, its prequel Human Revolution was a favorite back in 2012 (got it from a friend).

- God of War 3: again, wanted closure for so long. 1 and 2 were favorites back then, source: friend.

- Death Stranding: received it for free on Epic. Had heard about it a lot, the relase date was recent, and the trailer was intriguing. Also, Kojima.

[1] https://youtu.be/Sh_65yx-sc8?si=B6uoQ7akYRHHMI4B

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