Our 2021 Video Game Playlist

Last time, I shared my students and my favourite tabletop games in response to a request from a colleague for game recommendations. You can read that list here. This post is dedicated to some of the video games my students or I are currently playing (or recently completed).

My Video Game List

Human Fall Flat: This game hooked me with the trailer. It’s a cheeky platformer where you solve puzzles as you explore the world. Play with a friend (or more) for even more fun. The tutorials are cheeky yet helpful and it’s wonderful that there are multiple ways to solve a puzzle. Here’s a bit of my early gameplay with my brother, which showcases this perfectly:

It Takes Two: I just started this game last weekend. This is a co-operative platformer in which you and a friend play a couple on the verge of divorcing. Their daughter wishes for her parents to become friends again, which puts their souls into two of her dolls. They must complete several challenges, repairing their fractured relationship in the process, in hopes of returning to their bodies. The game mechanics and the variety of the puzzles are amazing. Unfortunately, parts of it triggered a migraine, so this is on hold for now.

The Dig: This game was a huge nostalgia trip for me. I was filled with a sense of déjà vu while playing it. I am fairly certain that I played the original version back in the 1990s. You play the commander of a team sent to plant explosives into an asteroid to steer it off of its crash course towards earth. Thing is, the asteroid is really a spaceship, which transports the team to a distant planet. Explore the deserted planet, unravel the technology as you attempt to find a way back home. Here’s a bit of my gameplay about a third of the way in:

Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise: I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure story puzzle game. You play Agent A, a secret agent tasked with infiltrating Ruby La Rouge’s secret hideaway to stop her nefarious plans.

Shing!: This was a fun, button-mashing beat up baddies game with quirky characters and an interesting story. The battle mechanics were a bit different from say, Samurai Warriors but once I got the hang of it, very ingenious.

Honourable Mentions: Katamari Damacy Reroll, Pixel Junk Monsters Ultimate, Cat Quest II, Pikuniku, Rogue Glitch

Video Games That My Students are Playing

Animal Crossing: You play a human who lives in a village with humanlike animals. Explore the world, go fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting. 

Minecraft: Players can explore the block-filled world, mine for resources to create all sorts of things. Or go on battle mobs and much, much more. Play by yourself, friends or others in the Minecraft community. Some of my students enjoy creating their own worlds in Minecraft, while others go on massive PvP (Player vs. Player) battle mobs. There are so many new additions to the Minecraft franchise to keep players coming back, year after year.

Among Us: This is an online, multiplayer murder mystery. You and your friends are part of the crew on a spaceship. While you’re working through your task list, one or more alien imposters are skulking around, killing the crew. After each death, the crew meets in the cafeteria to try solving the murder mystery before the impostors take out the entire crew.

Roblox: Roblox is another online gaming platform geared towards students. There are numerous user-created games for players to explore, from adventure games to battle games, and from puzzlers to platformers, and everything else in between.

Super Mario: This is perhaps the first platformer game that most gamers try. Since then, numerous other games have cropped up, expanding the Super Mario World. Catchy music.

Call of Duty Black Ops - an extremely popular first person shooter game. This is part of the Call of Duty franchise.

Genshin Impact: This is an online action role-playing game. Explore the world, go on quests, level up your skills and weapons - the long way (by gaining battle/quest experience) and/or the faster way (paying real money for upgrades).

Honorable Mentions: Paper Mario: Origami King, Bloons TD6, Call of Duty, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Just Dance, Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverley Academy, Grand Theft Auto 5 , Pkmin 3

That’s it for now, from the Studio. What are some of your favourite video games? Drop them down in the comments below.

5 Popular Co-Op Tabletop Games

Tabletop games have come a long way since Monopoly, Risk, and Sorry. These days, it’s not uncommon to hear about a tabletop games meetup or convention, featuring games like Settlers of Catan, Small World, and King of Tokyo. Earlier this month, gamers all around the world celebrated International Tabletop Day in cafes, pubs and homes.

“Tabletop game” refers to any type of game that is played on a table. This includes board games, card games, dice games, pen and paper RPG games and so on.

“Co-operative tabletop games” requires players to work together towards a common goal (as opposed to “semi co-op games, which usually has a traitor). I scoured Amazon and Boardgamegeek.com, and watched Wil Wheaton’s immensely popular show on the Geek & Sundry Channel, Tabletop.

These award-winning co-op games listed have a 4.0+ star user rating or higher on Amazon. They have also been ranked in the Top 500 out of the nearly 70,000 games in Boardgamegeek.com’s database. These fully co-op games have either earned a nomination or won a Golden Geek Award, presented by Boardgamegeek.

I am proud to say that I have played and/or own six of the games on this list, thanks to friends, conventions I have attended, and Wil Wheaton. Will I try out the remaining four? Most likely. Care to join me?

1 Castle Panic

The monsters are coming! They emerge from the forest and make their way towards the castle in droves. If you can successfully fend off the monsters without losing all of your castle towers, victory is yours.

The board is divided into five rings and four colored quadrants in Castle Panic. Archers, Knights and Swordsman can only attack from their designated rings, while the Barbarian and the Hero have more flexibility.

Together, you plan your turns based on what card in your hand would be useful for an upcoming player and what card combination is most effective for your turn. Sounds simple enough, until a plague or giant boulder rolls into the castle or you pull out, “Draw 4 more monster tokens.”

Castle Panic was designed by Justin De Witt and published by Fireside Games. It is for 1 - 4 players, ages 10 and up. Although the lists gameplay at 60 minutes, it truly depends upon how long it takes players take to strategize and play their cards.

The game won 2011 GeekDad Best Board Game of 2011 for “Most Monsters” and earned two Golden Geek nominations in 2010. Most recently, Castle Panic’s Wizard Tower expansion earned a nomination at the 39th Annual Origins Awards, presented by the Game Manufacturers Association. It currently sits at #523 on Boardgamegeek.

Castle Panic on Amazon

2 Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is the predecessor to Forbidden Desert. Your team of adventurers will explore the island in the hopes of unearthing four sacred treasures. However, as Wil Wheaton says in Tabletop, the island is out to get you.

Utilizing each player’s special abilities, you must find the treasures, while trying to prevent the island from sinking completely. There are seven roles to choose from, including Pilot, Diver, Explorer, and Messenger.

Forbidden Island was created by Matt Leacock and published by Gamewright. It’s for 2 - 4 players, ages 10 and above. Gameplay is 30+ minutes.

 This co-op game won the 2010 Golden Geek Award for Best Children’s Board Game, 2010 Mensa Select, 2013 UK Games Expo Best Family/Children’s Game, the 2011 Juego del Año, and 2011 Vuoden Peli Family Game of the Year. It is currently ranked #333 on Boardgamegeek.

Forbidden Island Game on Amazon

3 Defenders of the Realm

This is an RPG hybrid. If pen and paper RPG games aren’t your thing, if you don’t like the idea of being a Game Master, yet you want to take a break from RPG video games, give Defenders a try.

You and your companions are the King’s Champions. You can choose from eight roles, including Wizard, Paladin, Dwarf and Ranger. Each player has different special abilities and weapons.  Every game is different, depending on what role you play and which quests you take on.

Four enemy generals and their growing army of minions are marching towards Monarch City. Even the best of your party’s plans can go awry by way of a poor card draw or dice roll. Victory is pretty sweet if you do manage to slay all of the generals.

Defenders of the Realm is a co-operative fantasy game for 1 - 4 players, ages 13 and up.  It was designed by Richard Launius and published by Eagle Games. Gameplay is 90+ minutes.

Defenders of the Realm was nominated for the 2010 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game, and Origins Awards Best Board Game Awards. It is ranked #185 on Boardgamegeek.

Defenders of the Realm Game on Amazon

4 Hanabi

Listed as the best board game of 2013 by Paste Magazine, Hanabi is a co-op card game with a twist. The object of Hanabi is to work together and build fireworks by building colored number sequences from 1 to 5.

However, players hold their hand facing the others so that they cannot see their cards. This game tests your short-term memory: Can you remember the hints your friends gave you two turns ago to decide which card to play next? Is there someone at the table who unknowingly has the next card that should be played and could use a hint?

There are a limited number of hint tokens. You must balance the hint tokens with the cards played, or you will wind up playing your hand.

Hanabi was designed by Antoine Bauza and published by RnR Games. It’s a game for 2 - 5 players, ages 10 and up. Gameplay varies depending upon the number of players and how long a player’s turn takes.

This game currently sits at #120 on Boardgamegeek. It won the 2013 Fairplay À la carte Award and the 2013 Spiel des Jahres.

Hanabi Card Game on Amazon

5 Forbidden Desert

In Forbidden Desert, you and your colleagues are on an archeological expedition to recover the parts of a legendary flying machine. From the Climber and Explorer, to the Navigator and the Water Carrier, each member’s special skills play a critical role in the expedition’s success.

The storm picks up and moves the the artifacts. If you take too long to find the parts, the desert will get you. If your team is too slow at clearing the growing piles of sand, you will be buried.

It is extremely satisfying when you successfully find and assemble all the parts. There’s just enough room on the airship to place a couple of game pieces on it for a victory photo.

Forbidden Desert is a co-op game for 2 - 5 players, ages 10 and above. Gameplay varies depending on the size of the team, but averages 45 minutes.

Designed by Matt Leacock and published by Gamewright, Forbidden Desert currently ranks #168 on Boardgamegeek. It has won the 2013 Golden Geek Award for Best Children’s Game, the 2013 Mensa Select Award and the 2013 UK Games Expo Best Family/Children’s Game Award.

Forbidden Desert Game on Amazon

Stay tuned for my next list of 5 Popular Co-Op Tabletop Games.