6 Amazing Video Games You Might Have Missed In 2018

It's hard to believe it's just six weeks to Christmas -lolsob! - but 2019 is fast approaching, and before long we'll be hanging our stockings, writing our wishlists, and getting ready for the holiday festivities. Yes, we're loving our time with the big hitters like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, but before you finish up your ultimate gaming list, are you sure you've managed to play all of the very best games in 2018?

Well, just in case you've missed a couple, here are our picks of the very best games of the last 12 months that you might not have heard of yet...

1. Semblance (Nintendo Switch and PC)

Semblance is the gaming equivalent of a stress ball… an adorable stress ball called Squish that you can use to tweak and mould the world around them to give access to collectible sparks of light. It doesn't have a great story, admittedly, but in fairness, Semblance is such a well-crafted little puzzle game, it doesn't need one. The further you progress, the tougher the puzzles will be, but Semblance rarely becomes frustrating, offering a perfect balance of challenge and toughness with dreamy music and relaxing backdrops. And as it's out on the Nintendo Switch, too, it's the perfect mobile puzzler to keep you busy on the move.

2. Donut County (PC, PlayStation 4, iOS)

Donut County requires you to do just one thing; swallow everything. Courtesy of a phone app that plants a hole in the homes of anyone who orders a pizza, this game requires you to carefully move about, eating up everything in your path. The more you eat, the bigger the hole, until eventually you'll be able to swallow entire homes and mountains. Peppered with some truly funny, adorable glimpses at the townsfolk - all annoyed that they're stuck below ground and looking for someone to blame - it's a wonderfully chill game stuffed with charm and character.

3. The Missing (Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

While Swery's The Missing hasn't been out long, it's already catapulted itself onto the list of our favourite games this year. Yes it's weird, yes, it's quirky, and yes, it's even a little clumsy at times, but Swery's story of love, loss and identity goes where many creators fail to go, and creates a story with real warmth with characters we can't help but fall in love with, complete with a really novel approach platform puzzles (it's okay, we're not going to spoil it for you!). Be careful, though; this game also contains explicit content, including extreme violence, sexual topics, and depictions of suicide, so please play safely! <3

4. Minit (Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Everything you do in Minit must take place - you guessed it - inside a minute. At the end of every sixty seconds, your character will die and respawn at the last home you visited, which means the entire game takes place in minute-long chunks. Though it's presented in just black and white and looks a little like a top-down Zelda-like action RPG, Minit is actually a neat little game in which you need to explore the island, gather collectibles, talk to the townsfolk (some of which talk really, really slowly!) and even tackle boss fights. Don't let it's simple ideas and graphics put you off one of our favourite, quirkiest games of 2018.

5. FAR: Lone Sails (PC)

This is, without doubt, one of the best things we've played all year. Stuffed with atmosphere, stunning environments and deliciously devilish puzzles, few games have captivated us like Far Lone Sails. Learning by trial and error, you'll slowly chug across the game's stunning world, counting up the miles as you go, learning how - and how not - to keep your curious vehicle running smoothly. An absolute gem not to be missed.

6. Hollow Knight (Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One)

Don't let the cute art style fool you; beneath the beautiful artwork is a ruthlessly tough - sometimes even ruthlessly unfair - Metroidvania. No, the game doesn't really tell you much about the story - not unless you really go out of your way to find it, anyway - and no, it doesn't give much instruction on how to play it, either, but there's something really special about this gorgeous game. How much you do, or don't do, is entirely up to you... but if you're anything like us, we think you'll want to explore every inch of this insect-infested kingdom.

- By Vikki Blake @_vixx