Alex Zandra is a Canadian game designer, streamer and light novelist. She makes all kinds of stuff on her Patreon. You can find her on Twitter @zandravandra and watch her stream on Twitch.
Hey hi folks! I’m so glad to be here. I’m so glad you’re here, too. <3
Last year was a lot. I think I grew more as a person than I have in a very long time, in no small part thanks to a metric tonne of heavy-duty therapy. But it’s been a lot of grueling, exhausting work! And also, like… the pandemic’s been rough. We were not meant to be apart for so long. Fingers crossed this year will be kinder to all of us.
To be fair though, last year wasn’t all bad. I finally got to hang out with loved ones! In person!! Gosh, I needed that so much. I also got to write some more (as usual, not as much as I would’ve liked to)—did I ever mention the light novel thing? The time I got so angry at Nintendo I wrote and illustrated a book? Because that’s a thing that happened, and kept happening, and now six books later that’s how I make most of a living: writing about queer messes figuring themselves out in increasingly outlandish ways.
And streaming! Though it’s been hard to find the energy, streaming has been a positive source of energy for a while now and I plan to keep on doing that as long as I can. I’ve also recently branched out; Zandrabot, my robot vtuber daughter, has started streaming on her own as well! I’m so proud of her.
And honestly I’m so proud of all of us for making it this far. It’s 2022! We’re here, we made it! Let’s give ourselves a much-needed break. And while you get settled, I’ll continue one of my favorite yearly traditions: telling you all about my favorite games of last year. <3
Honorable Mentions
Cutting my list down to 10 was REALLY difficult this year, but thankfully my girlfriend Amber reminded me that honorable mentions are a thing. So before I get to the list proper, here are a few standout games that I feel really deserve a shoutout:
- if you like deckbuilding roguelikes, you should give Loop Hero a look, see if it’s your kind of thing, because it’s just so clever both with its mechanics and its take on medieval fantasy,
- if you really like deckbuilding roguelikes, you should not give Inscryption a look and instead play it completely unspoiled because it’s incredible,
- if you want to build a motorcycle and go on a beautiful, introspective coming-of-age adventure, Sable definitely deserves a bit of your time,
- and if you want to TURN INTO a motorcycle, then go play Transiruby because it’s a total blast.
Alright! With that out of the way, let’s get to the ten games of 2021 that I want to gush about the most.
10. Boyfriend Dungeon
From the first moment I got my hands on Boyfriend Dungeon years ago at an indie event over in Toronto (I miss you Toronto friends ;_;) I knew I wouldn’t be able to stream it. It was a very short work-in-progress demo, but just a brief in-game conversation with Valeria was enough to get me all flustered. And that’s not something I like sharing with an audience!
So I took my time with this action roguelike, and played it at my own pace during my off hours. Which, for someone like me who’s always got streaming in the back of her mind, was something I really needed last year. And it turns out this game was perfect for bite-size, pick-up-and-play sessions.
But back to Valeria; she’s a polyamorous painter who transforms into a literal dagger. Because that’s the whole premise of Boyfriend Dungeon’s dating-game-meets-dungeon-delving: a town with a dungeon problem, a bunch of lonely residents with the ability to transform into weapons, and a giant queer disaster—that’s you!—who’s going to solve it all in the most reckless way possible.
I guess it’s no wonder I got so much into this game, what with me literally making a living from writing about shy nerds turning into catgirls and witches’ familiars. But I’ve found that the best way forward is to embrace what I do earnestly, and good gosh does this game do the same. Boyfriend Dungeon is actually way more of a game about the highs and lows of social dynamics than its elevator pitch would let folks believe. There are a bunch of wonderfully romantic storylines here, some of which end on a high note—one of which, coincidentally, ends exactly like the very first short story I wrote as a teenager (you’ll know which one)—but also some that can end platonically, if they end on good terms at all. There are more disasters than you, it turns out. At least one character is a downright creep!
But it’s all handled surprisingly well, and you’re never truly alone. Just as you’ve got a lot of supportive people in your corner, sometimes it’s clear you’re the supporting role in someone else’s story. I think that’s what makes the game world all the more believable: you’re not the only center of attention, but you’re also not the only mess. And that, too, was something I really needed to hear last year.
9. Beast Breaker
Something I always need is more mouse content, which is why I was so happy to play Beast Breaker! I haven’t finished it yet—I’m savoring it like a fine cheese—but the time spent with this mouse-bouncing RPG (as developer Vodeo Games describes it) has made my heart soar.
Mechanically, the geometric puzzle aspect of ricocheting your way to a giant beast’s weak points is extremely my jam. And the characters are wonderful?? Porcupine punsters, cheerleader chipmunks, pompous cockatiels, powerful grandmas… and a nonbinary mouse hero!! I’m in love. This game looks like a European comic book from my childhood, and I’m in love. (I really mean it, the art in Beast Breaker is breathtaking.)
Also, shoutout to Vodeo Games for being the first video game studio in North America to unionize! When we’re small, we gotta stand together. <3