It’s time for the second ever Pfangirl.com Game of the Year Awards. As per last year, we’re sticking to just five categories, and have recruited some South African game reviewers (past and present), plus local industry commentators, to share their favourites from the period 1 January 1 to 19 December 2022. 

Here’s who’s weighing in this year:

Read our picks below, and reply in the Comments with your standouts in these categories.

1. Biggest surprise of 2022

Darryn – Cult of the Lamb

The first impression of Cult of the Lamb is that it’s probably an adorable spin on games such as Dead Cells and Hades, right? And then that opinion drastically changes, when the first hour of the game introduces you to dark gods, murder, and the joy of sects as you sacrifice a follower to the imprisoned eldritch abomination from the dimension below yours. Cult of the Lamb is pure zany, demented fun – a combination of roguelite action mixed with detailed cult-management duties – and it has left an indelible imprint on me.

The fact that it has an art direction that can easily shift from Saturday morning cartoon to nightmare fuel imagery makes it a visual knockout, but throw in terrific combat, layered micro-management, and lo-fi beats to slay to, and you’ve got one of the best games of the year.

Noelle – The Spirit and the Mouse

Special mentions must go upfront to SnowRunner and FAR: Changing Tides for delivering quietly engrossing and gorgeous experiences that I wasn’t expecting at all. However, my biggest surprise of the year is cosy and cute adventure The Spirit and the Mouse. 

I was mentally prepared for something charming but otherwise simplistic. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But then I encountered well-thought-out world design, a pleasing diversity of puzzles and mini-games (not necessarily easy!), plus a sweet-hearted protagonist who drives home the message that you can always make a difference, no matter how small you are. The result is arguably the best family-friendly game of the year, suitable for players of all ages.

Matty – Fortnite

I put ample time into Fortnite a few years ago, when its own spin on the fledgling Battle Royale genre went mainstream. It was a fresh experience in the wake of the slower paced, more realistic PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), with a vibrant palette and easy-to-learn weapon rarity system. I bounced a few months later, however, because I just could not wrap my head around the game’s building mechanics (opponents constructed actual skyscrapers before I could so much as put up a wall). 

This year, Epic introduced Zero Build Mode to Fortnite. I’m not sure they realised how many players they’d pull back in with such a simple gameplay tweak, but I know for a fact that I am one of many, many boomerangs. I’ve pumped in more hours than I care to count over these last few months, and with the latest update (a move to the new and super gorgeous Unreal Engine 5.1), I know won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Miklós – Marvel Snap

A lot of people hate them, but I love a surprise, and nothing surprised me quite as much as Marvel Snap, which is available on mobile phones and Steam. Yes, it’s another collectible card game with microtransactions (and some eyebrow-raising macrotransactions), but you can play forever without ever spending a cent. 

With a choice of 12 cards you face-off against online players to gain control over three locations, each of which add a twist to the game that can completely upend your meticulously curated deck, or play to its favour with obnoxious consequences for your opponent. Matches are fast (think 3 minutes, tops), exciting, and almost always surprising. Fun fact: I’m playing the game while writing this piece; how delectably self-referential. 

Cavie – Vampire Survivors

A simple horror survival game with rogue-lite elements and a retro aesthetic, Vampire Survivors still manages to scratch an itch I didn’t know I had (hey, behave yourselves). Ostensibly a sensory overload slot machine, it is the farthest thing from monetised and instead simply leans on an extremely fun and addictive gameplay loop that, once you start it, you cannot leave.

2. Favourite game played in 2022

Darryn – Vampire Survivors

According to my Xbox dashboard, I’ve sunk over three days into Vampire Survivors so far. That’s absurd for a game that looks like it was cobbled together from dodgy Castlevania NES assets, but Vampire Survivors is the perfect game for procrastinators such as myself. It’s elegantly simple, a proper walking simulator that just so happens to have a deep arsenal of weapons to equip, hordes of monsters to destroy, and plenty of flexibility to create a mobile storm of bullet-hell madness.

It’s basically a slot machine – a combination of bright lights, constant rewards, and satisfyingly chunky feedback that appeals to the lizard part of my brain responsible for coating my neurons in serotonin when I feel like I’ve accomplished something. It’s that constant tension of battling to find the right tools to slay a small army of werewolves, the satisfaction of hearing your arcane magic slice through golems, and the thrill of combining weapons into a form that makes you nigh-unstoppable, that has made Vampire Survivors my go-to time-waster in 2022.

As science has proven, sometimes the most simple organism on the food chain is the strongest, and Vampire Survivors embodies that Darwinian philosophy with an experience that’s hard to put down.

Noelle – A Plague Tale: Innocence

This was the year that both Stray and Marvel Snap released, and it was the year I finally boarded the Fortnite “bus.” However, 2022 was also when I finally played 2019’s dark medieval action-adventure A Plague Tale: Innocence (in preparation for the release of sequel Requiem). 

Immediately, I fell in love, and felt somewhat guilty that I’d taken so long to play something that ticks so many of my boxes. Accurate historical setting. A credibly nuanced female lead. Lush visuals with jaw-dropping attention to surface detailing. Satisfying combat, especially boss fights. Enjoyable puzzles. Mature themes and an unflinching look at real-life horror. An emotionally powerful experience. A Plague Tale: Innocence is a genre standout, and I don’t believe nearly enough people have played this contemporary classic.

Matty – Tunic

Tunic immediately blipped on my “must-play” radar when it was first announced back at E3 2017. What with an adorable fox wielding a sword, shield, and oddly familiar green garb, how could anybody say no? Andrew Shouldice – the game’s lone creator – proved that his indie darling was far more than a classic Legend of Zelda clone, though, when it finally launched this year. 

Sure, it takes inspiration from Nintendo’s long-running franchise, but Tunic stands miles apart thanks to its outstanding level design and hands-off approach to just about everything, including combat and exploration. Key information is given to the player with an in-game instruction manual, through pages scattered across the land. The kicker is that this tome of knowledge doesn’t unlock abilities or skills per se – they were always at your disposal. It is, quite frankly, genius, and makes this title both memorable and replayable. 

Miklós – Vampire Survivors

While my personal favourite game for the year should line up with my Best Game of 2022 pick, I cannot pass up the chance to gush over Vampire Survivors. It’s been around and playable in Early Access for quite a while already, but it got its official release this year. I was pushed to give it a try after the game took over 90% of the conversation in our gaming Discord group. 

Vampire Survivors is dumbfoundedly simple in its gameplay (you control the movement of a character; four buttons; four directions; that’s it; NOTHING ELSE!) and yet the game’s systems are so intricate and polished that you’ll be sucked into its bottomless replayability for hours. Endless waves of 8-bit 2D sprites have never been so satisfying to murder in their tens-of-thousands as they are in Vampire Survivors. If you’re looking for a path that will result in you dying alone, with your family and friends not even remembering what you look like, then download Vampire Survivors and sign away your free time for the foreseeable future.  

Cavie – Apex Legends

Apex Legends was my choice last year, and surprise surprise, Apex Legends remains my choice this year! Despite waning popularity with ardent fans, many of whom have grown disgruntled with Respawn’s continued failed attempts to fix core issues with the game, Apex Legends remains arguably the best multiplayer experience, with incontestably the best movement in the battle royale genre. 

Apex Legends remains the only game in the genre I can stomach. I haven’t put in as many hours as I would’ve liked this year, but it’s been a blast every time I load in. Hopefully Respawn can win back the fanbase and keep this game going strong for another few years! 

3. Favourite character in 2022

Darryn – Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077)

“BUT DARRYN JOHNNY SILVERHAND IS FROM A 2020 VIDEO GAME” I hear you shriek. Let me give you the reasons why he’s on the list. Number one, shut up I don’t care about logic. Number two, I only started playing Cyberpunk 2077 seriously this year after the Edgerunners update arrived, which further helped transform CD Projekt Red’s neon-soaked sandbox into a masterpiece of storytelling and intense RPG action. Throughout all of the digital claret being spilled through the campaign, there was Johnny Silverhand: A rocker, an icon, a renegade, and the biggest asshole to ever don a pair of aviator sunglasses.

There’s no getting past the fact that Silverhand is a self-destructive rebel with a cause, a cynical and bitter ghost in your head who constantly winds you up and doesn’t hesitate to give you grief. He’s the equivalent of having an internet troll as a backseat driver, but like all great characters, he’s not without a few redeeming factors. A ghost who refuses to let go of his regrets and pass over into the digital afterlife, Silverhand’s character arc is brought to life by none other than Keanu Reeves, the only actor in Hollywood who seemingly doesn’t have terrible skeletons in his closet.

There’s something deliciously ironic about having a nice guy play an unhinged jackass, and Reeves revels in the role. He brings a swagger and cool factor to the part, urging you to fight the system and walk your own path forward. In a game filled with incredible storytelling, nuanced moments of introspection, and blockbuster action. Silverhand is pure blunt force trauma who is both a captivating and tragic character in one of the best comeback games of the year.

Noelle – Sophia (A Plague Tale: Requiem)

Of the new characters who joined the A Plague tale universe in this year’s sequel Requiem, disgraced knight Arnaud is probably the fan favourite, thanks to his hidden pain and redemption arc. That said, my heart belongs to smuggler and ship captain Sophia, who freshens up the game series’s NPC companion dynamic.

The first adult to spend a lengthy period of time at the side of playable protagonists Amicia and Hugo de Rune, Sophia is a fascinating mix of qualities. Tattooed, wordly, educated and frank, Sophia breaks the mould that restricts adult women of 14th Century France to being either graceful noblewomen or earthy peasant folk. Yet, despite her rebelliousness, Sophia is a warm and supportive presence for the de Rune kids. Crucially, with her calm demeanour and positive attitude, she’s able to gently course correct Amicia and Hugo when their hysteria takes over. She provides a welcome balancing of perspective in the gloomy, emotionally fraught game, and is someone players can aspire to be more like in their own life. 

As a side note, a notable Best Character mention must also go to The Quarry’s “get shit done” Kaitlyn Ka (Brenda Song). Pop Pop Peanut Butter Butterpops!

Matty – Kratos (God of War Ragnarök)

No prior knowledge of God of War is needed to play 2018’s reboot and this year’s excellent sequel, Ragnarök, yet missing the “origin” story of Kratos – his original trilogy of games and prequels – means missing out on what I honestly think is one of the best character redemption arcs of all time. The SparkNotes version is this: he was a hugely unlikeable protagonist on a quest for revenge, who succeeded in bringing about the fall of Olympus and its large pantheon of Greek gods. Fast forward to a new Norse setting, and this very same character is now a father, trying his best to teach his son Atreus a different way forward, spurred on by a final instruction from his late wife, Faye.

God of War Ragnarök may have stumbled a bit with its overall story pacing, but there’s no flawing those quiet moments between the fantastic combat, where characters can breathe and flesh out the overall narrative. Here, Kratos shines and shows how he has drastically evolved; he’s certainly still a man of few words, but those he chooses convey wisdom, occasional kindness, touches of humour, and, most importantly, in an unusual twist for the literal god of war, restraint.

Miklós – Malenia and Let Me Solo Her (Elden Ring)

No character this year captured the gaming zeitgeist quite like FromSoftware’s toughest enemy to date: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Anyone who has gone toe-to-toe against this entirely optional and very, very well-hidden boss will be able to tell you that she eviscerates players with zero remorse. Being a newcomer to FromSoftware’s games I am somewhat chuffed that I managed to defeat Malenia, even if it took me easily over 100 attempts… which is a neat segue into character two: Let Me Solo Her, who is an Elden Ring player’s character. 

Let Me Solo Her decided to dedicate himself to assisting other players in beating Malenia, as you’re able to summon players into your game world to lend a helping hand. Let Me Solo Her does just what his name implies: defeats Malenia on his own while the host player likely just stares on in awe as a character wearing nothing but their underpants and a pot on their head completely turns the tables on FromSoftware’s most legendary boss. By July this year, Let Me Solo Her had accumulated over 2,000 Malenia kills, but to his own admission has since lost count and has given up keeping score.

Cavie – The guns (High on Life)

Never thought I’d say this, but I’m quite enamoured with the guns from High on Life. What a silly little video game that plays like it’s pulled directly from Rick & Morty, which is made by the very same showrunners. 

The most fun I’ve had in 2022 has been trying things out in High on Life, and watching the talking weapons react to my actions, often admonishing me for being a little too dastardly for the game’s liking. And I’ll remind you this is a shooter that starts with a geriatric NPC being inhaled like a vape, so…

4. Biggest disappointment of 2022

Darryn – Gotham Knights

Can you make a good Batman game without Batman? Turns out that the answer to that is a deafening “NO,” as evidenced by Gotham Knights this year. What should have been a showcase for the Bat Family stepping up to claim the mantle of the Bat is instead a bitter disappointment on par with when I realised that my last growth spurt was at age 12. It’s not a bad game, but it is the definitive example of keeping your expectations in check as Gotham Knights feels like a stock-standard beat-em-up from 2012.

It doesn’t look much better than that either, with generic character models complemented by a lacklustre script, boring combat, and a pointless loot system that feels like it was added as part of a studio mandate to get some lucrative live service cash rolling in. Easily the most forgettable Batman video game since the Dark Knight walked around on the NES packing Contra heat, Gotham Knights is blandness personified and won’t make your rubber nipples hard.

Noelle – Steelrising

Upfront, let me state that Steelrising isn’t a bad game at all. It’s just that I had my hopes pinned on it as an access point to enter and appreciate the soulslike genre, given its interesting setting in an alternate history Revolutionary France populated by Automatons, including your playable female character Aegis. The game even includes a clever difficulty setting slider system so that you can customise the type and level of challenge.

However, in the time I spent with Steelrising, I just felt frustrated, and overwhelmed by the lore and mechanics dump that you experience from the outset. You’re not eased into the game at all. To be fair, I do need to invest more time in Steelrising, and continue tweaking the accessibility, but so far I haven’t felt very satisfied at all.

Matty – Saints Row

I have a truly soft spot for the Saints Row franchise, which for all intents and purposes, is the “poor man’s” Grand Theft Auto. That lack of AAA Rockstar budget was actually a good thing, however, pushing the developers to stand out with open worlds that parodied those around it, wrapped in surprisingly solid, albeit absolutely ridiculous stories and action set pieces. 

I wasn’t expecting a game of the year contender by any means, but 2022’s Saints Row reboot tried a little too hard (or maybe not hard enough) to replicate the magic the franchise possessed years prior, creating a somewhat opposite effect. It was also a buggy mess filled with bizarre design choices, including dated mechanics and tropes.

Miklós – Return to Monkey Island

As a Monkey Island fan since the first one came out 32 years ago, it pains me to write this. The surprise release of Return to Monkey Island was so disappointing that I didn’t even bother to finish it. The game had so much going for it: returning voice actors, a gorgeous new art style, beloved characters from the previous games, I could go on. 

What we got was a middling point-and-click adventure game with bland puzzles and little in the way of that signature Monkey Island humour. I was certain that with one of the series’ creators, Ron Gilbert, at the helm we were in for a treat, and that Return to Monkey Island would be able to recapture the charm and essence of what made the first three games so memorable. Boy, was I wrong.

Cavie – Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 has to be the most love-hate relationship I have had with a game ever. It is fundamentally Overwatch 1, not even with a fresh coat of paint. They just changed the title logo, dropped a tank from each team, did some marketing, and here we are. 

I love the gameplay of Overwatch. I sincerely believe it’s an excellent game. I just wish Blizzard would get through this identity crisis they’re having and figure out exactly what it is they’re trying to do because Overwatch 2 felt like an excuse to add a storefront. Nothing more.

5. Best game of 2022

Darryn – God of War Ragnarök

I think 2022 has been one of the best years in the gaming calendar thanks to the sheer quality on display, but if you were looking for the one game that combined universal appeal with top-notch production values, then it’s difficult to recommend anything other than God of War Ragnarök. The apex of PlayStation’s prestige approach to console-exclusives, God of War Ragnarök is a rollercoaster of emotions, action, and worldbuilding that is hard to beat.

While Elden Ring is deservedly (and predictably) going to take the spot across numerous publications and outlets, Ragnarök nails the idea of a modern video game blockbuster. It looks gorgeous, it builds on its predecessor to create a deep action-packed experience, and its story will leave you with a lump in your throat by the time that the end credits have rolled. Sony Santa Monica’s sequel takes you by the scruff of your neck and rarely lets go throughout its 20-hour campaign, dragging you through dangerous realms on a grand odyssey.

There’s no denying that the road has a few rough patches–last-gen technical holdovers and dips in the narrative–but the end result is an emotional and thrilling blast that not only reaches an explosive conclusion, but a satisfying final chapter in the saga of Kratos.

Noelle – Immortality

With my Pentiment playthrough still in progress, my heart says Marvel Snap; my head says Immortality. Equal parts an engrossing experiment in narrative design and a love letter to cinema, FMV thriller Immortality is a prime example of how video games can stand as works of art.

It may in fact be too arty (and not enough of a button-pounder) for many, but Immortality is something unique, pioneering and thought-provoking, as players trawl through three decades of found movie and behind the scenes footage to work out what happened to actress Marissa Marcel (Manon Gage), who never became the star she was destined to. Sky-high production values and performances, combined with an exhilarating match cut mechanic – which jumps you between film clips based on visual similarities – suck you into this dark and heady mystery that is recommended especially for cinephiles, and A24 horror fans. Sophisticated and full of R-rated surprises.

Matty – Elden Ring

To “outsiders’, FromSoftware games are designed to destroy players with unforgiving enemies and impossible-to-beat bosses. They’re only half right. The truth is that games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro are perfectly designed, created so well, in fact, that others just can’t seem to replicate the formula. Sure, some have come close, but they lack that “secret sauce” – deep layers of challenge, mystery, and, most importantly, balance. 

I certainly had my doubts about Elden Ring. How would FromSoftware keep all of those core ingredients, and in an open world no less? How did they plan to maintain pacing, all the while including their signature interconnected level designs when they couldn’t funnel players down a “linear” path? With almost 300 hours and multiple playthroughs now invested in The Lands Between (help), I think it’s safe to say that my concerns have been laid to rest. 

What’s astonishing about Elden Ring is that it doesn’t only tick all the right boxes. It pushes the gaming medium forward in the same way that Breath of the Wild did back in 2017. It gives players – both veterans and newcomers alike – unrivalled creative freedom to charter their own adventures, without beating them over the head with tutorials and quest markers. It seems archaic at first, yet that lack of explicit handholding proves to be a fresh, invigorating, and unforgettable affair. I know it’s not for everyone, but if you can come to terms with the game’s “language”, you’re in for one of the best experiences ever crafted.

Miklós – Elden Ring

I’ve been playing video games for about 35 years now. I’ve been writing about video games for 15 years. I’ve been to E3, Gamescom, and numerous developers’ head offices around the globe. I’ve played and reviewed countless video games during that time. Among those games there is very little in the way of developer FromSoftware’s notoriously difficult and inaccessible Soulsborne series, aside from maybe 3 or 4 hours of Dark/Demon Souls something or other, which I bounced off harder than an elephant hitting a trampoline. 

I was most definitely not a fan of their games and actively avoided every title (no matter the developer) that came out with a “Soulsborne” genre sticker on it. Why am I telling you all this? It’s to provide some context for the following statement: Elden Ring is unequivocally the best video game I have ever played.

Cavie – Elden Ring

Unlike other contenders in this category that built on predecessors and didn’t face unrealistic hype, one game stood above the rest while dealing with its own unique set of challenges. Those challenges? Having to meet the expectations and excitement of gaming’s most fervent fanbase, simultaneously reinventing its developer’s own iconic formula while introducing a brand-new IP that could be considered worthy of everything that came before from these same game makers. 

Elden Ring achieved this, and then some. It surpassed every expectation, both from the hardest of hardcore player and the most casual passer-by. It finally brought soulslikes to the masses, and arguably killed the difficulty in videogames debate while doing it. There will be games made in Elden Ring’s image for years to come. It is truly a masterpiece in video games, and unquestionably my favourite time in video games for 2022.