As both an avid reader and avid gamer, nothing makes me happier than recommending my faves to literally anyone who will listen. (Or in this case, anyone who will read.) So hunker in because I have a list that spans five genres and five vastly different types of game. There is one thing that unites this list, though: all of these games have awesome stories and are heaps of fun to play.
SF Horror: Prey
Perfect for fans of Sphere or any other Michael Crichton science horror.
Listen: Prey is my most favorite game of all time. Michael Crichton is one of my most favorite authors of all time. So clearly I have a type, and that type is “sinister science vibes with murder and horror and gore.” So if you too are that type, then I urge you to play Prey (or any other Arkane Studio game, for that matter).
This immersive sim plops you onto a retro-style space station after aliens called mimics have taken over. You have no idea what happened here or how you got there, and oh yeah—the mimics can literally mimic inanimate objects around you.
Pro-tip: trust no coffee mugs, toilet paper rolls, or armchairs.
Mystery: Blue Prince
Perfect for lovers of twisty mysteries, like The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes or The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin… but with magic.
Blue Prince has been my obsession for weeks now. It’s a puzzle strategy roguelike about trying to reach the 46th room in a 45-room house by laying down randomized blueprints (get it? Blue Prince?) while also unraveling a story about your family and your past.
Y’all, when I finally reached the 46th room, I felt so much pride and delight, I actually called my husband to gush at him. He, unfeeling Frenchman that he is, didn’t care. COME ON.
But seriously: this game is twisty, addictive, frustrating in a good way, and just so damned clever that I now recommend it to everyone. (Except the Frenchman.)
Cozy Fantasy: Strange Horticulture
Perfect for fans of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, with a dash of occult horror.
As a writer of cozy horror myself, I can never get enough of the genre—and Strange Horticulture sure delivers. It’s a quick puzzle game with great replayability in which you run a magical plant shop, sell said plants to your quirky neighbors, search for new plants in the mysterious landscapes nearby, and slowly unravel the mysteries of your town.
Also, you have a cat. 10/10, having a cat automatically makes a game good.
Time Loop Thriller: The Sexy Brutale
Perfect for fans of time loops like in The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.
So, I love me a time loop. I mean, Deathloop is my second most favorite game of all time (more Arkane Studios, y’all!), and let me tell you: The Sexy Brutale has one hell of a fun time loop. This puzzle game has vibes, it has a mysteriously burning mansion, it has pissed-off ghosts, and above all, it has murder.
Lots of murder that you need to keep from happening before the clock runs out…
Space Opera: Mass Effect Franchise
Perfect for all my fellow fans of The Expanse or any other sweeping sci-fi series.
Look: including Mass Effect—the famed action RPG with a legendary narrative excellence—is low-hanging fruit. Obviously the Mass Effect franchise is my favorite on the Citadel, and even casual gamers have probably played it by now. But honestly, it feels remiss not to include it. Especially since, even if you’ve already played it before, you can always dive in again. There’s nothing like an old BioWare game for replayability, am I right?
Not to mention, you can mod it to high heaven on replays, and then it’s like waging an entirely new epic war against the Reapers. (Side note: I dare you not to cry when that one character says, “Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.”)
There you have it: five games that, erm… well, don’t even begin to cover all the games I want to actually fling at you. I mean, I didn’t get to Atomfall yet, or Divinity Original Sin II, or Fire Emblem: Three Houses, or Dishonored, or The Longest Journey, or the OG for epic, King’s Quest. But if you do want more recs from me, you can always find me at my substack or on Instagram.
And hey: I want to hear your game and book combos too! After all, I’m always looking for more reasons to empty my bank account and bang at the ol’ WASD keys until wrists hurt. Thanks for reading!
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