It's that season—there's snow on the ground, and it's time for the annual "year in review" episode. Your nice hosts are getting ready to take a break from recording for a few weeks while serving up some of our favorite episodes from the past year. But before we start hibernating, there's a lot to discuss! What did we accomplish this year, and how do we feel about it? What are our goals for next year? Are we taking on any fun projects during our hiatus? And what are we looking forward to playing next year (besides all the Kirby games, of course)?

• Nice Games Club is five years old! That's a solid handful of years. Happy birthday show, and thanks to you all for listening!
• The feeling is real, even if this video isn't.

Local Releases (2021)

0:13:45

Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonIRLFingeance by Escape Industries - itch.ioTotally Reliable Delivery Service (console release this year) - YouTubeAnodyne 2: Return to Dust (on Nintendo Switch this year) - Nintendo.comClosed Hands by Passenger Games Ltd.

Nicest (2021)

0:43:17

Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonGamingHades by Supergiant GamesFirewatch by Campo SantoWhere Should We Begin? A Game of Stories from Esther PerelMetroid: Fusion (Ellen played it on emulator) - Nintendo.comPokémon Quest - Pokemon.comBowser’s Fury - Nintendo.comRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Playstation.comMetroid: Dread - Nintendo.comHumankindDeathloopRogue CompanyHaven - YouTubeValheimIt Takes Two - Steam

Most Anticipated (for 2022)

1:10:25

Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonGamingEndling: Extinction is Forever (from Handy Games)Weird West (by Wolfeye Studios, published by Devolver) - Game InformerTiny Tina's Wonderlands - Game InformerSCHiM - EwoudSolo-developed ‘Mars First Logistics’ is a physics-based sandbox on Mars - Alan Wen, NME.comCyberpunk cat adventure Stray will let you do highly accurate cat stuff - Michael McWhertor, PolygonLittle Kitty, Big City - Double Dagger StudioThe Playdate handheld system!!!Kirby™ and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo.comMultiversus (from Warner Bros)Dragon's Dogma 2 will run on the same engine as Resident Evil Village, leaker s… - Connor Sheridan, GamesRadar

Gamedev Resolutions / What We're Working On (for 2022)

1:26:51

Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonIRL