A year in games, with room for unfinished stories
CURATOR’S NOTE / YEAR IN GAMES
A year does not have to end with sixteen completed games. A thoughtful retrospective can include a return, a pause, a surprise, and an unanswered question.
Choose what “this year” means
A collection of games you played during the year differs from a collection of releases from that year. Put your rule in the title or introduction. “My year of playing, returning, and trying” can include an older game without implying it was newly released.
The sixteen-slot template is arranged in four rows. The first establishes the year, the middle rows show changing routines, and the final row looks ahead. If you are making it before year-end, title it “The year so far” and leave room for revision.
Use a status word when experience is incomplete
- Returned: you are describing another visit, not a first impression.
- Paused: the experience so far mattered, even without an ending.
- In progress: a note may change as you continue.
- Not played yet: the final slot may describe curiosity, clearly separated from experience.
The fictional The Brass Orchard note says “The notebook is waiting; this is not a review of the ending.” The last slot for The Unlit Aquarium explicitly says “Not played yet.” Both let the reader understand the basis of the choice.
- 01Winter Parcel Route
A small beginning suited the month.
- 02Harbor After Rain
I remembered the route before I remembered the controls.
- 03The Brass Orchard
The notebook is waiting; this is not a review of the ending.
- 04One Window North
I kept thinking about the empty chair.
- 05Buttonwood Workshop
Making something small replaced chasing a high score.
- 06Two Lanterns Home
We found a regular evening for it.
- 07Pocket Parliament
I learned to enjoy a plan going slightly wrong.
- 08Folded Roads
My favorite rule was the one I initially resisted.
- 09Teacup Observatory
A little chart before closing the laptop.
- 10Weatherbound Atlas
I drew the shapes of the passing clouds.
- 11Glasswing Circuit
A clean lap became enough.
- 12Copper Valley Express
I wanted to return with more attention.
- 13Night Ferry Garden
The little ferry gave the evenings a rhythm.
- 14The Mapmaker’s Pause
I would take the unmarked path again.
- 15Moss Letter Office
A few letters remain for another day.
- 16The Unlit Aquarium
Not played yet; I am curious about exploring by sound.
Make the next edition without losing this one
Before revising a mid-year collection, duplicate it and give the copy a distinct title. Keep the original as the snapshot you actually made then. Archive finished snapshots when useful and keep a library JSON backup outside the browser. An archive remains part of the local library; it is not an off-device backup.
For a shorter version, choose nine entries with different reasons to belong. Do not squeeze sixteen stories into nine notes: let the shorter board have its own point of view.
Demonstration only: game names and player notes are original fictional writing examples, not a game catalogue, real player testimony, or buying recommendations. Any resemblance to existing titles is coincidental. Examples do not use or fetch official covers.