9 games I can’t wait to play in 2017

I don’t even want to talk about my gaming backlog. It’s big and it’s just not getting any smaller, not with sales and recommendations and all of these pesky new titles coming out. And then there’s my book backlog… and my TV backlog… and my music backlog… and my backlog backlog. There’s a lot of logs around here is what I’m saying.

I guess it’s just not going to stop me from getting a little excited about what’s coming in 2017. MMO-wise, I’m pretty happy with everything under my belt, not to mention that most of the games that interest me are probably more than a year out. But there are at least nine games that I am very interested to at least try out at some point next year… and here they are.

1. Project Gorgon

I know, I’ve been more talk than play on this game to this point, which has mostly come down to waiting for the game to get to a state where it feels ready to start for real. I think, for me, this is going to be Steam early access. Or the release of the fairy race. One of the two, but either way, that should be spring next year. I can’t wait to comb through this world with a notebook at the ready, keeping track of all of the secrets and puzzles.

2. Bit City

I’ve been a huge fan of Nimblebit’s personality-filled economic simulators (Pocket Train, Tiny Tower), and next year will see Bit City, the studio’s version of SimCity. It looks adorable and cool, although we don’t know much more than screenshots at this point. I’m prepared to get addicted all over again.

3. Torment: Tides of Numeria

The spiritual successor to Planescape Torment comes out in February and has had really strong word-of-mouth. I haven’t been able to devote a ton of time to a single player RPG in the past few years, but I will definitely be making an exception for this one.

4. Battleheart 2

Love, love, love Battleheart and Battleheart Legacy. A full sequel of the real-time party battler? Yes, please.

5. Sea of Thieves

It’s not a pure MMO, but Sea of Thieves looks like it will sport an MMO feel and enough elements to be a kissing cousin. And in any case, playing pirates in a colorful world full of accordions, grog, and kraken is a no-brainer for me. I’m really hoping this might be a huge, fun world to explore and will be in on day one.

6. Red Dead Redemption 2

If it comes for PC (which it might?) and has good multiplayer elements, RDR2 could be a decent substitute for the western MMO I’ve been wanting for years. The screenshots look gorgeous.

7. Mass Effect Andromeda

Uhh… it’s Mass Effect. It’s video game law or something that we all play it.

8. Vampyr

You know me and you know that I’m not a big vampire fan, but this is the follow-up project to Dontnod’s Life is Strange, and I’ll play it based on the studio alone at this point. Make me like vampires. I dare you.

9. Galaxy of Pen and Paper

I just found out that there’s a true sequel to Knights of Pen and Paper coming in 2017, only with a sci-fi RPG setting instead of a fantasy. I’ve logged so many hours into this humorous and creative series that I can’t wait to see what they’ll do with science fiction. Bring it on!