10 Games On Loop: My Go-To Comfort Food Games

When you review so many games or buy too many, it’s impossible to give them the same attention as your favourite child (don’t have favourites, it’s not nice).

Now and then, there are games that we go back to, like a security blanket, for indulgence, ‘me time’, or perhaps you’re trying to 100% everything for completion sake.

Here’s a list of my current go-to games, whether good or bad; these are frequently on my playlists besides playing the odd Amiga game on my newly purchased Amiga Forever.

Plants Vs Zombies: Game Of The Year Edition – PC

Owning Plants Vs Zombies is like asking whether you have Netflix. By now, everyone has it/played it/has the t-shirt. I’ve been playing this game since the first iPad came out, and it’s one of the few games that lured in the missus too. She was as addicted to this as Haikyu!

There are plenty of iterations for every modern system, but the one I’m currently coming back to is Plants Vs Zombies Game Of The Year Edition. The game’s been completed multiple times, and I still never tire of it. Even better, my four year old loves it, so we get to relive this every time a new Steam title is downloading.

Gang Beasts – PS4

The Marmite title when it comes to beat ’em ups, but the fun with this game has been endless when playing locally. Now and then, we play as a family against people online, but we’re often outclassed.

Gang Beasts can be so erratic that when it becomes predictable, and you’re playing against decent players, it loses the charm. However, put your kids against their parents and see who comes out on top. It’s like the UFC in jelly moulds: unpredictable and very wobbly.

Yakuza 0 – PS4

Recently the family (who appear to be referenced in every game so far) bought me Yakuza 7 Legendary Edition on the PS5 for my name day. At the moment, I absolutely love it, but the time needed isn’t there, so it’s currently reserved for weekend play, along with One Punch Man.

Yakuza 0, on the other hand, is my favourite of the series and still working towards that platinum. However, it’s just so easy to get sidetracked, and I end up walking around Kamurocho picking fights, then using the money earned on burgers and karaoke. Also, the snack bars…

Jet Set Radio – Dreamcast

Untouchable. One of my all-time favourite games that I’ve owned three copies now – the latest was sealed from a factory in Germany. Not one for letting these things collect dust, this is often a go-to as a pick me up.

With one of the best soundtracks in a game, and an experience that influenced that minor obsession of Japan that manifested into reality, Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio depending on which side of the water you are) is an absolute classic.

Pixel Junk Monsters – PS3

The PS3 is currently connected in the bedroom for playing Disney Blu-Rays when we’ve watched everything on Disney+. Despite a relatively large PS3 library, Pixel Junk Monsters is a title very close to my heart as it’s the only game that my wife would suggest to play.

Well, that was before the kids, but even now, when we boot it up, she’s grabbing a controller and dancing on the turrets to level them up. This is the epitome of a Netflix and chill, but omitting the Netflix part, you saucy buggers.

Grim Fandango Remastered – Switch

Is this the best LucasArts point and click? Definitely one of the best. My PC wasn’t that powerful enough when I grabbed the big box version back in the 90s. Other than the stuttering, the visuals were stunning and in 3D too.

Another videogame that inspired an interest in a topic: Day of the Dead. Since playing this game back in the day, I’ve adored the grotesque art that graces this festival and perhaps one day, just one day, seeing it in person will be on the bucket list. In the meantime, though, it’s handheld all the way with the Grim Fandango Remastered version on the Switch.

Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition – PC

How many times has this been mentioned? Nioh 2 is one of my most played games on Steam, closing in over 100+ hours of trials and tribulations to find the best build. It’s still ninjutsu for me, perhaps with the odd dabble into a spear build.

Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is one of the few games that feels organic in its difficulty. Just as you get stronger and wipe out the earlier enemies giving you grief, a new one is introduced, and it’s back to summoning other players ‘one last time’ so you can unlock some new loot.

The Bonfire 2: Unchartered Shores – PC

Not a game on everyone’s list as it’s relatively low-key, but I think I’ve spent about 40+ hours on this and almost 100%, but there was a glitch at the end, and I didn’t get the final achievement!

In the initial review, I noted a few beefs with it, but these have since been rectified, and the game is very enjoyable. One of the highlights, which might seem to be a negative, is you can automate a lot – aside from a few in-game notifications, meaning you can progress while, I don’t know… eating a sandwich with both hands.

Drawful 2 – Switch

Another family game. What’s so appealing about Drawful 2 is the whole clan can play – including guests. All they need is a smartphone, but any device that connects to the net is fine.

My wife and eldest would be on their phones, myself on my MacBook Pro and the youngest on the iPad. While we’re all active ‘drawers’, the results are often crazy, so there’s a lot of fun to be had. With the added timer and just two colours to play with, and no eraser, the game doesn’t…draw out either.

Super Meat Boy – PS4

Finally, a game that I have on every system I own that it was released on, Super Meat Boy. Like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue and Silent Hill 2, this is one of my all-time greats and never tire of it.

Admittedly, I’m not that great at it and will discard a fair amount of corpses (Meat Boy’s, don’t call the fuzz) in the process. No matter what system this is played on, it’s always great. Another one of those ‘I’ll have a quick go while this other thing is downloading’.

Skip To The End

So there you have it: 10 games on loop. There are more than 10, but this is all I felt like typing – a bit of a sporadic thing and also very personal – hence all the I’s and family mentions.

I would say add in the comments your own go-to games, but a little tired of posts advertising cocks and pills, so I disabled it. If you’re reading this, and read any of the above AND you feel inclined to, send me an email with yours/any recommendation. We can be friends.

Ta.