16: Sable (PC)
God Sable looks pretty. Set in a beautiful desert filled with ruins and fallen spaceships. Explore as much as you like or just travel the dunes enjoying the stunning Ghibli/Giraud inspired art direction.
A truly impressive sense of scale plus a relaxed atmosphere means Sable is one of the more intriguing games to watch in 2021.
17: Sons of the Forest (PC)
I put quite a lot of time into The Forest over a couple of Co-op playthroughs.
One of the first survival games to really capture the imagination of the audience, it blended basic building and crafting with some deeply unsettling enemies and lore.
So to see a sequel where the rough edges have been polished off and it’s somehow even creepier?
Sign me up.
18: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (PC/Xbox/PlayStation)
Production difficulties aside, VTM:B2 still intrigues me. A sequel to a cult classic, trying to both modernise the game and update it at the same time.
It’s a difficult needle to thread, and after multiple delays and staff changes, one that I really hope is able to be managed. In terms of games to watch in 2021, there’s not many that I’m as concerned about going wrong as this one.
19: Book of Travels (PC/Linux)
Describing itself as a “TMO” or Tiny Multiplayer Online game, Book of Travels looks intriguingly esoteric. Explore a randomly generated pastoral world decidedly not filled with players. Just talking to NPCs, interacting with nature and generally taking a leisurely, Ghibli-esque trip through the game.
An experiment in both form and style, I’m very excited to see what Book of Travels ends up looking like.
20: Disco Elysium: Final Cut Edition (PC/Switch/Xbox/PlayStation)
Technically a cheat, yes. This is just a content expansion for Disco Elysium.
But considering Disco Elysium is still one of the best games that came out in recent years, I’ll make an exception. Fully voiced dialogue for the whole game, plus new questlines? And now being sent out so that console players can experience the brilliance.
21. Dwarf Fortress (Steam)
Alright, technically this one doesn’t necessarily have a 2021 release date. But i’m still counting it as one of the most important games to watch in 2021
For anyone who has ever been intimidated by the ASCII art of the Original Dwarf Fortress, this is the official release that we’ve been waiting for. Optimised for new players, designed for ease of use.
As someone who remembers reading the saga of Boatmurdered a long time ago, the chance to more easily play in the murderous sandbox of Dwarf Fortress can’t come soon enough. Hopefully we can see this as one of the more hyped games to watch in 2021.