2022 epilogue.
2023-01-06
2022 saw many issues, what with the ongoing covid pandemic, tech layoffs,
the conflict in Ukraine, and more. But for me personally, it has ended on
a high being able to spend the last couple months on paternity leave with
my first kid.
The internet loves lists of things, so here are three lists of random
categories for the year.
In 2022, I played plenty of games from past years, whether that was trying
out Seablock in Factorio, thinking I could replay FFXV before my son was
born (spoiler, he got here 2 weeks early), playing the 6.1 and 6.2 FFXIV
patches, continuing a very-long-running Gloomhaven campaign with my
friends, or trying another run of Don't Starve Together with my wife.
But, for this category we'll look specifically at my top five games that
were released in 2022.
First, in no particular order, are some runner ups. Games I still enjoyed,
but didn't make the cut:
pokémon scarlet
the latest entry in the long-running pokémon franchise, the tactical rpg
Triangle Strategy
with the Octopath-like HD-2D visual style, the short innovative solitaire
village builder
Stacklands, and the donut-based puzzle game
Freshly Frosted.
Starting at #5 is
APICO, the
indie beekeeping simulator. It was simultaneously super relaxing, while
remaining engaging collecting bees and mastering the mechanics of breeding
and gathering resources. Not to mention an
awesome soundtrack
by Mothense.
At #4, described by Yahtzee in Zero Punctuation as a "post-dad game",
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
has you dismantling spaceships for parts in a dystopian capitalist scifi
future. Like APICO, both relaxing and engaging, but rather than breeding
bees, the joy came in learning the most efficient way to scrap ships and
score those sweet credits to slowly chip away at your crippling debt.
Coming in at #3 is
Strange Horticulture, an occult puzzle game of identifying plants and uncovering plots. I
loved the user interface of this game that left it to the player to decide
how to organize their stuff, the overall aesthetic that oozed with charm,
and the thought that clearly went into designing the different plants and
their associated puzzles.
At #2 is a game that actually came out in South Korea in 2019, but made
its global debut in 2022.
Lost Ark
is an Action MMORPG with super fun combat, gorgeous locales, interesting
characters, and plenty of end-game content. It had different modes that
were reminiscent of playing Diablo, Monster Hunter, and FF14 all with the
right mix of challenge and rewards. And not to mention all the mokoko
seeds and island souls to collect!
Last at #1 is
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
which took a spin on the standard formula of catching pokemon. Running
around an open world and throwing pokemon balls at unsuspecting monsters
never got old. Here is the squad that I went with:
Vaporeon
#134 gen i
water
Typhlosion
#157 gen ii
fire
Scizor
#212 gen ii
bug
steel
Luxray
#405 gen iv
electric
Rhyperior
#464 gen iv
ground
rock
Gallade
#475 gen iv
psychic
fighting
And that's it for games! Up next is TV shows!
For this category, rather than shows that debuted in 2022, I'll consider
any show that released a new season in 2022. This is purely out of
convenience, since I didn't watch that many new shows this year.
In 2022, I watched a
lot of panel shows, quiz shows, and the like,
including the newcomer The 1% Club, as well as classics like Jeopardy,
Only Connect, QI, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Would I Lie To You, and
more. But in honor of Jeremy Paxman's last season of hosting, my #5 slot
goes to
University Challenge.
At #4, I honor a relative newcomer to the online streaming scene with
College Humor's
Game Changer. With a recurring cast of amazing comedians and incredibly clever games,
this show never disappoints. Close runners up are their game shows
Um Actually and
Dirty Laundry
Another dropout show,
Dimension 20
takes the #3 slot, with their 2022 release of
A Court of Fey and Flowers with Aabria Iyengar as GM. I was
introduced to this show with
Escape from Bloodkeep, but between
Fantasy High and
Misfits and Magic, this show has hit after
hit.
At #2 is Netflix's comedy murder mystery
Murderville,
hosted by Will Arnett. Each episode sees a different celebrity try and
solve a case, having to improvise as they go along. With guests like Conan
and Kumail Nanjiani, it was a joy to watch. It also introduced me to
Murder in Successville, which this show was based on.
Last but not least, is my #1 pick, the new comedy action anime
SPYxFAMILY,
which sees a spy, an assassin, a telepath, and a dog who can see the
future try and avert war. Hilarious, well animated, interesting
characters. Definitely a fun new show, and with music by
(K)now_Name (who also did the amazing tracks for Dorohedoro), I
can't wait to see where it goes next.
And that's it for TV. Last list is food!
Speed round! With a kid on the way in 2022, we moved to have a little more
space after 3.5 years in San Mateo, CA. In honor of the town's amazing
food scene, here's a quick list of our top 10 places to grab a bite.
To leave room for the amazing places unique to San Mateo, I've left out
larger chains like Bonchon, Teaspoon, Mochinut, Curry Up Now, and more
amazing spots that are more broadly available. Also special shout out to
Suruki Supermarket, which could steal the #1 spot, but I'll keep this list
to restaurants.
- Jeffrey's Hamburgers
- Apple Fritter
- Ramen Dojo / Ramen Parlor
- Pancho Villa Taqueria
- Izakaya Ginji
- Wursthall
- Sichuan Chong Qing Cuisine
- Avenida Restaurant
- Pausa Bar & Cookery
- Backhaus
Anyways, here's to a healthy and happy 2023!
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