The end of the year has rolled around, which means it’s time to sum up 2017 with the Game of the Year Awards. PlayStation LifeStyle is doing our year-end awards slightly different from previous years. We wanted to put more importance on the nomination for each award, so we limited each category to five games. That’s not many, especially in a year stacked with great titles. It took a lot of careful deliberation to come up with each list.
Best Casual Game is a really difficult category to do. What qualifies as casual? By putting a game here, does that somehow make it lesser than other games? Our thoughts on this category were games that had a more broad appeal. These are games that could be enjoyed by everyone, gamers and non-gamers alike. These are games that may not get recognition in other categories when placed against the gamer focused heavy-hitters of the year, but we felt they deserved a look.
Last week, we announced PlayStation LifeStyle’s nominees for the Best Casual/Puzzle Game of 2017. Here’s a reminder of what got nominated:
Best Casual Game of 2017
A Hat in Time
More than just a Mario clone, A Hat in Time is a wonderfully varied platformer that pulls inspiration from the likes of Spyro the Dragon, Jak and Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, and many of those other PS1 and PS2 era platforming titles. It’s an easy game to get into, but has some deceptively tough platforming sections that reward truly skilled players. It’s also addicting to collect everything, and we couldn’t put it down until the Platinum trophy was ours. Our review says that A Hat in Time is “delightfully charming” and “always manages to take a left turn, surprising and challenging even a storied gamer like myself.” Hat Girl is more than deserving of donning this new cap, with A Hat in Time being our Casual/Puzzle game of the year.
The rest of our Game of the Year 2017 award winners will be announced during this week, leading up to the reveal of PlayStation LifeStyle’s Game of the Year 2017 on December 29. This year will go down as one of the greatest in gaming, so we’re very excited to unveil all of our picks!
Of course, we’d also love to hear what you think. Did your casual game of 2017 match our pick, or would you have liked to see one of the other nominees take the award? Stay tuned to find out the rest of the winners this week!
Don’t miss the rest of the announced year-end award nominees and winners.
GOTY Nominees Best Casual Game 2017
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Best Casual Game of 2017
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Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is an entrancing yet brief journey that even those averse to the horror game genre can enjoy. Its implementation of horror hits deeper and lasts longer than other games in the genre while still making it both enjoyable and accessible. Read our review.
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A Hat in Time
More than just a Mario clone, A Hat in Time is a love letter to classic platforming adventure franchises that has a simple exterior, and a deep soul. Read our review.
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Everything
Everything is weird. Everything is strange. Everything is like nothing you've played before. It's frustrating, relaxing, serene, chaotic, and everything all at the same time. Read our review.
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Puyo Puyo Tetris
Who doesn't love a great twist on a classic puzzle game? Tetris has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an addicting game that everyone from non-gamers to hardcore players can get into. Read our review.
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Rime
Perhaps the least "casual" title on this list, Rime is an emotional journey that has captured the attention of more than just the gaming community. It's accessibility and broad message of grief is one that's good for everyone. Read our review.
