20 Best Video Games Of 2019

9. Outer Wilds

A shoe-in for best indie game of the year, Outer Wilds is a magnificently mind-bending game about the joy of exploration.

Playing as a Hearthian alien nearing the age where they leave their planet and take to the stars, a wider mechanic revolves around the universe resetting after 22 minutes, with you keeping whatever items and knowledge you acquired beforehand.

What follows is a roguelike-esque deep-dive into fact-finding and alien languages, embarking on a quest for purpose and the ancient races or beings that have walked in certain places before you.

The real standout quality of Outer Wilds comes from playing its hand in the background. You never really know if you've walked into a set-piece moment or something the universe is serving up dynamically.

To pull that off - especially with such a loveable aesthetic and characterful writing - is a masterstroke.