But the real joy is in exploring this weird time capsule, where soda is advertised with terrible dad-rock jingles, where every website features at least one spinning GIF and one flashing piece of text, where hit counters are still an integral part of the decor, and where neighborhood spats play out for the entire world to see. You’re supposed to patrol for copyright infringement, harassment, and other cyber crimes.

Ostensibly you’re a moderator for HypnOS, an AOL clone people use while asleep. Hypnospace Outlaw ($20 on Steam) is like a small slice of Internet-that-was nostalgia. It’s hard for me to remember that internet, the way it worked before social media came along and centralized everything. I grew up with the early Internet, with AOL and GeoCities and Netscape and Napster. My favorites are the bears, which will climb pretty much any tree you give them, perching a hundred feet in the air and staring curiously at your guests.Įnd of the day, Planet Zoo’s the game I’m most looking forward to returning to-and with a steady supply of Steam Workshop items from enterprising modders? I’ve got plenty of reason. I never cared much for the “ride the rides” feature in Planet Coaster, but Planet Zoo’s animals are a joy to build for, exploring the spaces you’ve crafted for them and taking advantage of cliffs, lakes, and so forth. Frontier’s Zoo Tycoon successor uses the same creation tools as 2016’s Planet Coaster, and I’ve spent dozens and dozens of hours building everything from enormous reptile houses to fake cave dens and sprawling savannahs, placing every tree and rock just so.Īnd it’s worth it because of the animals. If “fun” were the only metric that mattered in Game of the Year discussions, Planet Zoo ($45 on Steam) would take home the prize.

Best games of 2016 kids on compiter