(spoiler free post)
Inscryption. It’s just so different and unique.
Cities skylines had me just watching traffic for hours, it was so well simulated.
Soma was frightening, not just for the horror elements. Also really atmospheric and well made. Play it in the dark, alone, with a headset.
Dwarf fortress, obviously, and losing is actually fun.
Satisfactory, factorio, fortresscraft evolved, shapes… I have a weak spot for factory games.
Now I’m playing the original serious sam for the first time, and it’s pulling me in, making me want to play it more every day. I’m more drawn to it than e.g. farcry 5 ever managed. So many cheap shots, blatant traps, unfair situations. And they make me laugh in joy at how they managed to manipulate me into falling for it, again and again.
Batmam, arkham asylum VR
The game messes with your mind and is really well made.
However, it is really short, so feels like an extremely well made demo.