I'm keeping track of all the VR games I’ve played this year to catalogue them in hopes that they may give fellow VR gamers some fresh games to try out, or reasons to revisit older games that have had big updates. I'm currently up to 73 different VR games played this year. The first 22 that I played from January to March can be found here and the 30 games I played from April to May are here.
Some of the games listed below, I can see playing all year long, others are not my cup of tea, but they may interest you enough to try them out. In either case, here are my quick thoughts on the 21 games I played during from June through August 2023.
TLDR: My top 5 games to check out from this list are at the bottom and so is some info for a game giveaway.
1. Espire 2
$29.99 Quest
My quick take: More of the same, but with a few more fun gadgets to play with.
From the store: Experience unparalleled stealth action in two unique story campaigns with Espire 2, a full-fledged VR first person shooter on Meta Quest 2! After intel from an anonymous whistleblower reveals the terrorist cell OPHIS’ plot for global domination, Espire Operative Poe once again finds themselves at the center of the Espire program. With the entire world hanging in the balance, it’s up to Poe and their Espire frames to dismantle OPHIS from the inside.
My thoughts: A solid second entry. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll like the second. Fun gunplay, stealth and new ideas to try here. Worth a pickup if you want a solid VR experience. The story is just okay though, and follows the first. I did run into some tricky spots with movement and figuring out where to go, but not enough to sour the experience. Worth a buy.
2. We Are One
$19.99 Quest / Steam / Demo (free)
My quick take: If you like score chasing and The Last Clockwinder, give this a go.
From the store: Team up with your greatest ally - YOURSELF - in this VR puzzle shooter where mind-bending challenges meet action-packed FPS gameplay! Plan ahead and clone versions of yourself that flawlessly execute your previous moves in multiple time loops. Battle your way across increasingly complex levels set against the backdrop of a vibrant, hand drawn VR world.
My thoughts: I played this one back on the App Lab days and was so excited to finally see it come to the full store. It met all my high-score chasing expectations. The gunplay, movement, story and progression are so fine tuned and dialed in that when you make a mistake, you know it was on you. It has a unique gameplay mechanic similar to The Last Clockwinder that is both intuitive and quite special. If you just go through the game straight through, you’ll finish in a couple hours and have a fun time, if you stick around for some high-score chasing, you’ll find many more hours of precision gameplay ahead of you. One of my favorites this year. A true gem in the store.
3. Shuttle Maze
$11.99 Quest
My quick take: A neat maze adventure with a cute story.
From the store: Step into a retro 80s arcade-inspired game with Shuttle Maze proudly made by Ayayu Games! The year is 2062 and Glow is trapped by Maze Phreak - a crazy AI, gone wild. Help Glow, the renegade space racing pilot, to get her license back by finding the famous genius AI-computer-scientist, Dr. Harris. Featuring a rich story line with animated cutscenes and phenomenal voice acting, Shuttle Maze feels like a rich blend of 80s retro arcade and watching your favorite Saturday morning cartoon.
My thoughts: I only played the game trial for 15 minutes and got to experience the first level. While I enjoyed the graphics and what I saw of the story, I didn’t feel compelled to buy the full game. I’m sure there was plenty more to experience, but escaping a maze and its traps just did not pull me in. Try out the demo for sure to see if you may enjoy it.
4. Coffee Shop Simulator VR
$14.99 Quest
My quick take: If you want to be a barista and run your own store, you’ll have to put up with a bunch of jank first.
From the store: Become a Coffee Shop owner with Coffee Shop Simulator VR! Start small with easy recipes and extend your business by ordering more ingredients and light food end expanding the shop building. Never forget to pay the bills for the shop! Be a world class level barista and a great owner but never be afraid of other small jobs in the coffee shop. Follow the recipes to serve well-known coffee drinks or add your own touch but remember, the customers satisfaction is all about a great coffee taste! Enjoy one of the best graphics on Quest!
My thoughts: Still rough around the edges despite having seen some updates. I enjoy simulation games and there’s a lot to do here, place orders for food, coffee and ingredients, create a variety of drinks and deliver them in a timely manner. The issue is there is just a lot of jank still, and maybe in six months this one could be a solid experience, as for now, it’s just a bit too rough to recommend.
5. Ghosts of Tabor
$19.99 Quest / Steam
My quick take: For a game still in beta, this one really shines.
From the store: Ghosts of Tabor is the only extraction based VR FPS PVP and PVE survival game where you will have to use your wits, skills and resources to survive. Inspired by games such as Escape from Tarkov and Day Z, the game features a variety of scenarios from scavenging, looting to crafting. Make your safehouse your own by building your personal collection weapons and gear to display in your armory.
My thoughts: There has been a ton of buzz around the survival game Ghosts of Tabor, and rightfully so. With the lead of the game focusing on hyper realism with gunplay, ammo types and gear, I highly recommend jumping in with someone who knows what they’re doing to show you the ropes. The tutorial (when I played it), lacked quite a bit of the details, and when I went in solo for my first game, I was quite lost. A few games later after playing with some people from the Tabor community, I had my feet under me. With the game still in beta, lots of testing, full game wipes and changes are happening, but they seem to be listening to their community and doing a great job. Pick this up if you’re into games like Escape from Tarkov and DayZ.
6. Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament
$11.99 Quest
My quick take: A fun collaborative who-done-it, but with some technical issues.
From the store: Don your deerstalker and step into the shoes of the world’s most famous sleuth in this gripping live-action 1-4 player point-and-click mystery detective adventure. With three cabinet members already murdered by hanging and Sherlock Holmes missing in action, it is up to you to find the killer before Big Ben strikes midnight. Interrogate suspects, analyze crime scenes, collect evidence, and enter your ‘Mind Palace’ to construct a compelling case in this ‘Whodunit’ that will push your deduction skills to their limits. Play alone or with friends to make this a social sleuthing experience you will never forget.
My thoughts: I played with three other people and right away the game stated that the multiplayer was still in beta. Well, that was true because only two of the four people could see the story playing out at times, and missed some audio in other parts. It was a neat time being in different real-life 360 degree scanned rooms all looking for clues before the timer runs out. There were lively discussions within our group as to who did the crime. All that being said, we had to take a vote who we thought did the crime and ended up getting it wrong. An acceptable outcome, but none of us have revisited it to try again as everything was time locked and you had to spend a certain amount of time in each room and couldn’t skip through if you had already played it once. A mixed bag, but a decent night with friends for the cost.
7. Moss: Book II
$19.99 Quest / Steam
My quick take: New worlds and gameplay all wrapped in a familiar, yet fresh approach.
From the store: Quill is back—and she’s being hunted. Those who seek to unmake this world are desperate for the Glass she holds, and they’ll stop at nothing to claw it from her grasp. But the young hero has a plan of her own, one that could finally end the merciless rule of the Arcane and restore peace to Moss once more. To stand a chance, Quill will need a true partner by her side—and we hope that partner is you. With her, you’ll venture deep inside the hexed castle of the Arcane where dangerous terrain, challenging puzzles, and enemies twisted in fire and steel await.
My thoughts: I quite enjoyed the first Moss game and finally played the second. I recommend you play the first if you haven’t, as this picks up right after the first one ends. It’s a lot of the same platforming, action and puzzling as the first, but there is a unique twist which I quite enjoyed and will not spoil here. The scenery and sense of traversal across the world is spectacular and the levels are a real treat. While the swordplay and puzzles aren’t always the most exciting, it’s still a grand time. If you haven’t played this series, or this game yet, it’s one of the best VR experiences and series on the Quest.
8. BallisticVR
$9.99 Quest
My quick take: A sometimes frustrating puzzle game where every minute adjustment matters.
From the store: It's a puzzle game where you start by taking a tutorial to teach you how to use the input system to control the missiles before launch them to hit the targets. The directions that the player inputs is relative to the missile's axis all the time and the player can hit the targets with so many variations of inputs.
My thoughts: This looked like an interesting puzzle game to plan out your route, get your coordinates dialed in and fine tune each movement. The bones of a solid game are here but I think there are some real opportunities for quality of life updates that hold this back. Dials should interact differently, and more options for comfort and movement need to be added as well. All that being said, if you want to think, tinker and play a solo game, each level takes a good amount of time and lots of trial and error.
9. Task Force 9 Demo
Free Quest
My quick take: An ambitious game, but just too rough around the edges.
From the store: Task Force 9 is a cutthroat VR game where players must ruthlessly take out enemies using any means necessary, whether it be through brute force or sneaky tactics. You'll have to strategically maneuver your AI partner while relying on cover, explosives, rappelling, wall breaching, and ambushes to gain the upper hand. This game is not for the faint of heart, as it it not just one more tactical shooter but we aims to sharpen your instincts in the brutal world of close-quarters combat. Are you ready to put your skills to the test?
My thoughts: This is an ambitious game that has a Breachers single player feel, but without any of the polish. It may get there, but I found myself flailing around struggling to get things to work. My AI partner got stuck and the controls just didn’t feel intuitive. Might be worth checking back in to see how it has progressed in a few months.
10. Escape Room Online
$1.99 Quest
My quick take: A $1.99 co-op horror escape room that is absolutely worth the price of admission.
From the store: There is only one purpose, Open the door and escape! The cursed doll's room. Everything in the room is a hint. Like a tightly closed child's heart, this room is locked by itself and cannot be opened anymore.
My thoughts: For a $1.99 game I wasn’t expecting much. Is there some jank? Yes. Is it detrimental to the experience? No. In fact, I’d wholeheartedly recommend this game to any fans of escape rooms. There’s currently only the tutorial and one room, with more promised, but honestly if there’s never any more, I still feel okay about it. The nice highlight is that you can play the game co-op - which I did, along with solo. Chatting through puzzles and experiencing the horror together was a fun experience. Buy this for you and a friend, and have fun together for 30-60 minutes.
11. Expansion
Free to play Quest
My quick take: A solid start on Tower Defense
From the store: Get into the shoes of a tactical warlord genius. Strategize, explore, and conquer as you build your own intergalactic empire. Engage in ultimate warfare and venture beyond the observable universe. Mastermind crucial decision-making and employ indirect control of units, relying on your strategic brilliance to outwit opponents.
My thoughts: A really solid foundation for a tower defense game. You get a lot for the free entry price. Bring a friend, or try the PVE against the computer. I felt the lack of details about what units do and how the items you could place felt a bit limiting, but if you like tower defense/attack gameplay, it’s pretty polished for what it is.
12. Vertigo 2
$29.99 PCVR
My quick take: Bigger, longer and more ambitious than the first, but without the magic of the first.
From the store: Vertigo 2 is a single-player adventure built from the ground up for VR. Deep underground in the reaches of Quantum Reactor VII, you awake to finish your journey home. You’ll have to face bizarre alien flora and fauna leaking from other universes - and deadly android security forces whose job is to purge the reactor of all life. Try to determine who to trust as sinister agents lurk just out of sight.
My thoughts: Controversial, I know, but I really didn’t enjoy Vertigo 2 as much as the first. Perhaps it was the newness of the first, the upgrades that felt a bit more meaningful and that gave me a sense of initial wonder. I certainly did quite enjoy the second game, just for the movement update alone, but there lacked a sense of “newness” for me. All that being said, this really is a dynamite game, I can’t deny that - perhaps one of the most ambitious and best of the year for VR. Absolutely give this one a go if you’ve been feeling that VR games can’t be epic, funny, long and interesting.
13. Hyperbolica
$11.99 Quest / $16.99 Steam
My quick take: A trippy adventure, but not for those who experience motion sickness.
From the store: Travel through Hyperbolica, a true Non-Euclidean curved space like you've never experienced before. Hyperbolic space allows more volume to fit in the same 'space' than you'd expect. This allows you to explore enormous areas while taking very little time to walk anywhere. Building a mental map of your surroundings becomes impossible. Straight lines don't stay parallel. Traversing the map can result in unexpected rotations. And many more strange consequences that make you question reality.
My thoughts: I really enjoy new experiences in VR, that’s a big part of the appeal to me. This one certainly was something completely new. The movement and concept of traversal in this game was just mind bending. I don’t get motion sick, but this really pushed the limits of it. The mini games and objectives ranged from very easy to needing exacting perfection to complete. I ended up falling off the game because of the latter. If you enjoy new experiences, watch the trailer and see if this is something that you might enjoy. It really is something quite different.
14. The Atlas Mystery
$14.99 Quest / Steam
My quick take: A very polished escape room experience.
From the store: Immerse yourself in a thrilling supernatural murder mystery set in the twilight years of classic Hollywood. The Atlas Mystery combines challenging escape-room style puzzles with a riveting investigative narrative full of shocking twists and haunting revelations, plunging players into a detailed and captivating world inspired by classic cinema.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this game. It was smart, the puzzles were just hard enough, and the story was unique and interesting. With a setting in an old-timey cinema, it felt unique and just a bit creepy. It took two to three hours to finish, but my biggest complaint is that it felt like there could have been more done with the puzzles they gave you. There were other items and mechanics that just seemed like they could be a puzzle as well, and weren’t. I do recommend the game, but felt like there could have been a bit more.
15. INVERSE (Early Access)
Free Quest
My quick take: A more “realistic” take on Among Us.
From the store: The Foundation wanted to advance teleportation technology. What they found was a pathway to a dangerous world beyond our own, and they opened the door to the creatures that inhabit it. Play together or die alone in INVERSE! INVERSE is played in 4-v-1 matches. Play co-op as the Agents, working together to restore power to the control terminals. Or play solo as the Nul monster, corrupting and incapacitating anyone you can find.
My thoughts: There’s no question that this wears its inspiration of Among Us on its sleeve. The characters, mechanics and gameplay are very similar, with the twist of the enemy out in the open and hunting. There was a sense of tension, but in the games I played the monster had a distinct advantage. Maybe that will be ironed out when the game comes out of early access, which should be in September. It’s free, so if the game looks interesting to you and you enjoy the concept of Among Us, give it a go.
16. Niftons Arena
$9.99 Quest
My quick take: A fully featured Lemmings-like strategy game that rewards the patient.
From the store: Step into the vibrant and fiercely competitive world of Niftons Arena - a real-time multiplayer strategy game that will test your wits, tactics, and quick thinking in virtual reality. Command your Niftons as they emerge from the mystical door into the arena. Your mission? To guide them safely through the chaotic battlefield to their exit gate. With matches lasting 20 or 30 minutes, you'll need to keep your eyes on the prize and your strategy sharp. The player who escorts the highest number of Niftons to the exit gate is the winner!
My thoughts: You can tell the amount of care that was put into this game. It has a ton of features and strategies that you can utilize to get your characters from point A to B while trying to stop your three other opponents from doing the same. The tutorial is exhaustive, and a bit daunting. The controls, while snappy, are a bit finicky due to needing to be placed in exact spots with certain requirements. This game really is deep, and the strategies and ways to progress are almost limitless. My biggest complaint was the lack of players. The A.I. is available, but real human competition is where it’s at. If you can get a friend or two into this game, or find some people on their Discord to go against, I could see playing this for quite a while. This one looks simple, but it is deceptively hardcore.
17. Crimen - Mercenary Tales
$14.99 Quest
My quick take: A visually fun, but ultimately boring hack and slash.
From the store: Raise yer glasses high, me hearties! Embark on a (bloody!) journey through eight swashbucklin' tales of grandeur, riches, and legendary feats! Slash your way through eerie castles, ancient temples, forsaken shipwrecks, and other astonishing locations while wielding a variety of historically accurate weapons directly from the 17th-century.
My thoughts: The unique cartoon style graphics pulled me into this game, but by the end, I was hate-finishing it. The repetitive gameplay and lack of fresh ideas did not keep me interested for very long. That being said, I did finish it, in hopes of seeing something new or unique. It lasted about three hours, but aside from the occasional new mechanic sprinkled in, it was ultimately the same game 15 minutes in and 3 hours in.
18. Epic Roller Coasters
Free Quest / Steam
My quick take: It’s a roller coaster game, but boy did I enjoy it.
From the store: In Epic Roller Coasters you'll get the same feeling of real roller coasters in places and situations that probably you will never have in the real life! There are so many possibilities: magic, world of dinosaurs, haunted houses and so many others!
My thoughts: I get it, this is a game you show to someone who is new to VR, not a seasoned player. For some reason or another, I thought I’d download this and give it a go, since I missed it when I first got my Quest. I can’t say exactly why, but it just hit me in the right spot. I paid the $1.99 DLC for the faster cart and just sat back and enjoyed the scenery, while experiencing a bit of motion sickness - the good kind though that makes you feel like you’re moving or somewhere else. I actually ended up buying all the rest of the DLC (there’s quite a bit actually), and when I want to chill for 5 minutes, pop this on. It won’t be for everyone, but even a hardcore VR player like me found quite a bit of joy in the simplicity of this game.
19. Glassbreakers
Free Quest / Steam (releasing 2023)
My quick take: A beautiful looking game, but 1v1 is just not my jam.
From the store: Lead your squad of Champions into an immersive arena in this exciting game of strategy, magic, and power! From the developers of the Game Awards’ 2022 VR/AR Game of the Year Moss: Book II, this 1v1 real-time battler puts you face to face with your opponent and their squad for action-packed gameplay that will keep you coming back for more.
My thoughts: From my note above, you’d think I love everything Moss, but alas, this one was a real miss for me. I think it will be a big hit, with the strategies, characters and gameplay evolving to be a complex back and forth battle. Unfortunately, from what I played, it just wasn’t very strategic and I won just by going headlong into my opponent. There are a lot of tutorials and unlockables, but I won’t be revisiting it. It’s free, so if you like 1v1 games and want to put in the time to learn, I think there’s a lot of meat on the bone here.
20. A Knight in the Attic
$9.99 Quest
My quick take: A hidden gem that isn’t as simple as it looks.
From the store: Guide Guinevere on a quest to save the kingdom from darkness. Find mysterious objects in a living labyrinth board to solve unique puzzles and defeat the evil Mordred, all from the comfort of your grandmother’s attic. Take the world in your hands, and roll Guinevere through puzzle-filled levels, filled with strange objects that help guide you along your journey, from cranks and hammers to scrolls and an old notebook that tells the story of Camelot.
My thoughts: Essentially this game is like one of those wooden maze puzzles with the metal ball that you try to get into the right hole. But it’s so much more than that. The puzzles are larger mazes that you can only see a part of. You get different abilities that you need to combine to progress, and it’s sometimes a bit of a thinker. It’s not a hardcore game by any means, but I certainly had to think about how to tackle certain areas. With a cute story, dialed in physics and just the right amount of difficulty, I highly recommend this one for all players.
21. VR 8 Ball Pool
$2.99 Quest
My quick take: Nothing mind blowing, just a solid pool game.
From the store: Sharp Forks is here with a mission to provide you with the most graphically realistic, and intuitive Pool game in the business. Crafted around the unique theme of the 1920s. The game integrates advanced physics simulations to deliver high realism in gameplay mechanics, making players feel as if they were physically present in a pool hall.
My thoughts: There’s no shortage of pool games in the store, and this one kind of falls in the middle of the pack currently. I believe I got this for free, and now it’s $2.99, so improvements or new features may have been added since I played. I know that more are planned. I will say that the graphics look much better than ForeVR Pool. The physics felt on point and the A.I. competition was solid. If you don’t have a pool game and want to try it, the entry price is fair, especially if the planned updates come through.
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I hope you find a few games on this list that you might not have heard of, or that you might find worth revisiting. Let me know here or on the Ruff Talk Discord channel if you have a game you enjoy that I should try, I'm always open to recommendations. Until then, I hope your next VR experience is a memorable one.
Also, the week this is posted (9/4/23), I'm hosting a contest where I'm giving away two codes for Meta Quest's A Knight in the Attic. You can enter on the discord channel above, but will need to have five posts on the discord channel within a week to enter, so if that interests you, feel free to join. The Ruff Talk VR guys usually have giveaways every week and there's always plenty of solid VR chat if you're looking for like-minded individuals in a non-toxic space. They also have a great VR podcast I recommend.
TLDR: Top five games to check out - A Knight in the Attic, Espire 2, We Are One, Moss: Book II, Vertigo 2
