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 updates. I'm currently up to 95 different VR games played this year.
The first 22 games I played from January to March can be found are here
The 30 games from April to May are here
And the 21 from June to August 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 22 games I played from September through October 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.
Games Played In September
Track Craft (Demo)
Quest Free
My quick take: Hot Wheels inspired racing with an extremely generous demo.
From the store: Ready to take a joyride down memory lane? Our mixed reality game for the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro brings back the childhood thrill of playing with cars with a twist. Craft your own racing tracks, share them with friends, and compete in high-speed races in a fully immersive environment. This demo version contains a demo track pack containing 20 levels, three cars, and a track editor to challenge your creativity.
My thoughts: This is a very generous demo of a Hot Wheels style car racing game that has shades of Stunt Track Builder VR, but with its own unique take on it. While I didn’t find the track building as easy as in Stunt Track Builder VR, it has a campaign with time trials to beat, a variety of vehicles that handle differently, and user created levels that can keep you quite busy for hours. This is a generous free demo and I can’t wait to see how the full version shakes out. Absolutely give it a go if you like Hot Wheels or racing.
I Expect you to Die 3: Cog in the Machine
My quick take: A master-class in escape room games.
From the store: Outwit your most cunning adversary to date in the latest installment of this popular, spy-themed puzzle series. Wield new gadgets, visit action-packed locales, and wear custom disguises as you dive back into the world of espionage in this escape room game.
My thoughts: This escape room game is a culmination of ideas, talent and creativity from the first two IEYTD games (three if you count Home Sweet Home) that were all put into this title. The intro alone is worth the price of admission. With a great story, collectibles and reasons to go back to get the best score, or unlock achievements, this puzzle game has legs. This exceptional game continues to deliver smart puzzles and takes the franchise in different directions that I won’t spoil here. Give this one a go if you want to express your inner James Bond.
Poly Ego
Quest / Steam $14.99 Demo Free
My quick take: Budget Portal - in a good way
From the store: So, you've got a knack for virtual reality and a touch of masochism? Fancy getting your digital head messed with in an uncanny world where logic is king and folly is your only solace? Well, dear misfit, step right up to Poly Ego. In the infinite space, you become an unsuspecting lab rat - well, lab robot, to be more precise. Thrust into a reality that teeters between "oh, that's clever" and "why the hell am I doing this?", you must navigate through a labyrinth of mind-bending puzzles, all while a robot named Bluepy keeps you company - and sometimes drives you mad.
My thoughts: I started off by playing the demo of this clearly Portal inspired game. I’m not going to lie, the movement is not terribly intuitive and frankly tough to get used to. With a bit more polish, it could be a solid Portal-style game. While the game clearly wears its inspiration on its sleeve, it does lack the fine tuning that many games have. That being said, I found myself playing through the entire demo, slowly learning the controls and made my way to the end. I thought “well, with some more polish, I wonder how a full game might look.” I then noticed they had a full game out. I'm 30 out of 40 levels in and am having quite a good time despite all my concerns. I've ran into game breaking bug, and the dev is quick to fix them. There are problems with this game, but the smart puzzles keep pulling me back. If you're a Portal fan, give the demo a try for sure.
Trivia Crack VR
Quest $9.99
My quick take: There’s a lot of potential in this trivia game, but give it some time to develop.
From the store: This is a place full of fun and curiosity, where you can share your knowledge with others and prove that you are worthy of becoming the future director of the park. You'll be able to compete in trivia matches and mini-games with people from all around the world or play on your own and beat your own high scores.
My thoughts: This game feels like it's in early access, and I’d only recommend playing with friends currently. There is clearly a lot of work left to do in this game as it’s a bare bones 5-player trivia game with wildly inconsistent questions ranging from easy (What is Sponge Bob’s favorite food?) to very specific (What is the smallest island in the Galapagos?). I really think this will be a winner once they flesh out avatars, question difficulty and offer more modes and settings. Let this cook for a couple of months unless you’re dying for some VR trivia. I had a chance to chat with the developers and they really want to make a go of this on the main store, so they are committed to improvements. and it will stay on my Quest as a warmup game with friends.
Call of the Sea VR
My quick take: The captivating story pulls you through this solid puzzle adventure.
From the store: Call of the Sea VR is an otherworldly tale of mystery and love, set in the 1930s South Pacific. You’ll explore a lush island paradise, solve puzzles and unlock secrets in refreshing new ways with Meta Quest. Go on the hunt for your husband’s missing expedition as Norah Everhart, fully voice-acted by Cissy Jones (Firewatch, The Walking Dead: Season 1), and take in the beautiful sights of a cryptic land, uncovering occult mysteries and venturing through forgotten ruins.
My thoughts: This puzzle adventure game kept me intrigued and scratching my head a few times. Not terribly difficult, and not technically impressive, I did find the story very unique and the environments varied. I didn’t run into any glitches - a key in puzzle games, but I did find the hint system to be a bit too generous at times. If you haven’t had your fill of puzzle games, I’d suggest this one for the story and quality voice acting. At roughly 5-7 hours of gameplay, it’s one you can sink your teeth into.
FTD: Find the Difference
Quest Free
My quick take: A bit too clunky despite a lot of content.
From the store: Welcome to an enchanting world where your keen observation skills and VR technology intertwine to create a captivating gaming experience. Prepare yourself for an exciting journey through 18 distinct room types, ranging from a delightful bakery to a thrilling arcade and a warm living room. Your mission in this immersive VR game is to detect the differences between two versions of each room, using your visual acuity, memory, and problem-solving abilities.
My thoughts: This game was $15 and then it went free. While you could do worse on the app store, I just didn’t find the experience polished enough to keep playing. There are a lot of levels here to keep you busy finding the difference between environments, and with different difficulty levels if this one speaks to you, you’ll get some good game time out of it. For me though, it just didn’t click and I’d only recommend it for those fans of the genre.
Mini Golf Aeons
Quest Free w/full game IAP / Steam $11.99
My quick thoughts: The third best mini golf game I’ve played on Quest
From the store: Get ready for the ultimate VR mini golf adventure with Mini Golf Aeons! Explore four distinct and exciting worlds, including a desert landscape, an ocean view, a prehistoric jungle, and a frozen Antarctic wonderland. Each world features beautifully designed and challenging courses that are based on real-life greens, ensuring a truly immersive and authentic experience.
My thoughts: I’ve played a bunch of mini golf games on the Quest, and this is the third best I’ve played. It will soon be the second when Golf+ removes their mini golf game. While this isn’t going to replace Walkabout Mini Golf, it’s doing it's own thing and going for a more realistic environment than WMG. A bit clunky and slow (you have to wait a few seconds to putt until you hear a bell), I didn’t get into a good flow after the first course (9 holes). The putting did feel pretty solid though. It was quite close to feeling like real life - with a few tweaks still needed in my opinion. The demo didn’t compel me to buy the full game, but I’d certainly keep an eye out because it really is close to being very a very solid game.
Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station
My quick thoughts: A Metroidvania style game that loses steam halfway in.
From the store: Epic action-adventure is back. Yupitergrad 2 raises the stakes. Check out the refined movement and combat system, evade obstacles, and see what surprises the new space journey will bring. Taste new challenges, use new items & discover the secret of the abandoned base. It's a mix of arcade, parkour, and puzzles, Metroidvania style. It's an experience that has never been deeply explored in VR before.
My thoughts: I was really excited to play this sequel. I quite enjoyed the first game. The swinging gameplay and physics were spot on, and more of the same sounded good - with the added benefit of a Metroidvania style game. While the core gameplay was still solid, much to my disappointment, the upgrades and game itself quickly lost my interest. Halfway through, the constant back and forth of exacting platforming grew to be quite the chore. With most Metroidvania games, you open up a new secret path to avoid a lot of backtracking, but that is not the case with this game, you're stuck taking the long road back again, and again. While I did finish it, and the story was fun, the game didn’t have the same pizazz as the first. Honestly, I’d skip this one, and if you haven’t played either, absolutely go with the first as it has a lot more content to keep you busy.
EarthQuest
Quest $4.99
My quick thoughts: An app that tries hard to be Google Earth on Quest
From the store: Street View Integration: I'm thrilled to also introduce the integration of Google Street View into EarthQuest, taking your exploration to a whole new level. Single Player Mode: I've implemented a Single Player mode to provide a quality-focused solo experience. It's optimized for smoother gameplay and features a refreshed user interface (UI).
My thoughts: Considering the limitations of the Quest and all the data that Google Earth is calling for, this is an impressive app. It’s certainly not as good as Google Earth on Steam proper, but if you don’t have access to that, this is the second best option. While a bit clunky to navigate, slow to load at times, and not as graphically impressive, EarthQuest is something fun to experiment and play with. If this is something that interests you even mildly, you could do worse for $4.99. Give it a try, but know that there are some real limitations.
October
Eye of the Temple
My quick thoughts: An interesting example of a room-scale game.
From the store: Embark on an adventure to explore a vast and treacherous temple and uncover the ancient legend of the Eye. Keep your balance as you step between moving blocks, dodging hazardous traps and solving environmental puzzles with just your torch and whip in hand. This game requires a play area of at least 2m x 2m.
My thoughts: I wanted to give this room-scale game the best chance for success. I went into my garage and had a nice wide open area to experience traversing the game world. From the image and description, I thought "who doesn’t want to pretend to be Indiana Jones collecting treasure and whipping enemies?" Well, it wasn’t like that at all. While the room-scale movement was very functional, the game play of collecting gems and struggling to get my whip working correctly was just not that engaging. I put in a decent amount of time with this, but going back and forth to figure out a puzzle and having to wait for the environment to give you the opportunity to move on, via moving blocks was time consuming and quickly lost my interest. If you have the room space and the idea of room scale gaming sounds interesting, it may be your cup of tea, but honestly, I would recommend you try out the Tea for God demo on Quest for a bit more action, or traVRsal for some real walking around at your own pace.
Killer Frequency
My quick thoughts: A creepy fun time where you can live out your radio dj dreams.
From the store: The year is 1987, and as the clock strikes midnight in small-town Gallows Creek, USA, former big city radio DJ Forrest Nash is live on air in what will turn out to be the graveyard shift of a lifetime. In this horror comedy, you must solve puzzles to save callers from being hunted down by a mysterious killer. Where every call is life and death, can you save the inhabitants of Gallows Creek?
My thoughts: This is a really unique game that I quite enjoyed most of the way through. Paced appropriately, you’ll work your way through saving citizens from a killer that’s loose on the streets via phone calls. While you don’t have a lot of freedom in the game, the game has a story to tell and guides you deftly through multiple puzzles that are different and interesting. I had a good time messing around with the dj equipment and exploring the radio station as it opened up as the game progressed. The game was certainly creepy and tense at times, but not overtly horror filled. I did lose some steam at the end, but saw it through. You can replay the game to try and save (or kill) more citizens, but a lack of fast forward/skipping scenes put me off from that. Also, since it was so tightly scripted, I wished that there would have been some interactions with callers or my co-host when I pressed sound board buttons, or played music. Overall, a unique game that is absolutely worth a look if the trailer interests you.
Dungeons of Eternity
Quest $29.99
My quick thoughts: One of the best games on the Quest, especially if you have a friend or two.
From the store: When a cataclysmic cosmic event threatens your homeworld, the only hope for survival lies within the endless labyrinth of dungeons on the forsaken planet known as Eternity. Hack-n-slash takes on a new meaning in VR: swing swords, throw axes, use bows, wield magic staffs, and more to make it out alive. With the power of VR, you will be immersed in a fantasy adventure like no other.
My thoughts: This co-op dungeon crawler has a gameplay loop that is supremely satisfying. With randomly generated rooms that change a few times every hour, you and your buddies will have a new adventure to play each time. The amount of loot, cosmetics and camaraderie that you get from each run gives you a sense of satisfaction that I rarely see from games on Quest. This is the type of game where you finish a run and just want to play one more time. With minimal bugs, a thriving Discord community and new items being added often, now is the time to jump into this one. Solo is good, but co-op is really where the fun is at - talking about what path to take, reviving your fallen warriors and sharing the joy of new loot is incredible. Seldom have I seen a game this polished at launch, and it's only gotten better. Pick this one up for sure.
Time Stall
Quest $14.99
My quick thoughts: A fun puzzle game with a frozen-in-time twist that has playful characters.
From the store: Welcome aboard the Fantastic Leap, Earth's only crowdfunded, luxury escape craft! As the only human serving alongside a robotic crew, your job is to keep the ship safe using TIME STALL, the ship's time-bending safety protocol. When disaster strikes, Time Stall temporarily freezes time aboard the ship, allowing you to manipulate objects, divert projectiles and combine various objects…whatever it takes to save the ship and her Captain from destruction!
My thoughts: This was a unique puzzle game with the catch being that time slowed for the objects around you giving you a limited amount of time to to solve the problem by manipulating items around the environment. Each puzzle was unique and interesting, but the extra hidden objectives for each level weren’t enough to keep me around replaying it after I finished. A shorter game for sure, but the unique premise is enough for me to recommend it. The fun and quirky characters and playful interactions you can have were well thought out. Just don’t go in expecting a multiple hour adventure.
First Encounters
Quest Free
My quick thoughts: A neat free adventure to try out mixed reality.
From the store: Discover mixed reality on Meta Quest 3 with First Encounters. You are on a strange new planet and pesky space puffians are about to flood into your room. Catch as many as you can before time runs out – match colors for a high score!
My thoughts: This is the type of game you’ll play for 10-15 minutes and then probably not play again. The proof of concept with mixed reality shown here is quite good, but the gameplay is a bit light. This is the type of game to show off to family and friends to get them excited about what the Quest 3 color passthrough can do. Try it out for sure just to see the potential of mixed reality.
Shores of Loci
My quick thoughts: Puzzling Places with a light story and far fewer puzzles.
From the store: The Shores of Loci is a single-player narrative puzzle game that can only be experienced in VR. With compelling characters, beautiful cinematic scenes, and surreal worlds, the Shores of Loci will transport you to other dimensions to create visions larger than life. In this multidimensional story, Giants and Villagers alike need your help to reclaim their lands and rebuild their cities. Complete your journey creating a universe where puzzled pieces are assembled and transformed.
My thoughts: This game kept popping up as a recommendation and I honestly knew nothing about it. At the end of the day, it’s Puzzling Places, but you’re creating other worldly cities for aliens to live in. There’s a story there, but it’s superficial at best. If you like Puzzling Places, you may get something out of this, but for me it was over too fast and I’d probably have rather bought a DLC pack in Puzzling Places for more replayability. A neat time, but I believe you can skip this one.
The Break-In
My quick thoughts: A wacky break-in simulator
From the store: The Break-In is a 4 player online co-op burglary game about sneaking into houses, stores, and casino vaults to steal everything that isn't bolted down. (And maybe some of the things which are bolted down). If you can get it into your van, you can sell it for a profit. And you can use the money you make to purchase new thief equipment, to help you take on riskier heists
My thoughts: I felt the Thief Simulator VR: Greenview Street vibes immediately from this one, but without the polish. While similar, this game does have it's different game play loop of upgrading your vehicle, tools and multiple locations. There is a fair amount of jank which can lead to a bit of frustration when trying to be silent or sneaky. The main appeal, and what I think is going to make me keep this on my system is the four player co-op. While the jank was still there, spending time in VR with friends always makes things better, and the laughs and stories we had narrowly escaping the cops, or getting away with breaking a window and not getting caught was a blast. Personally, I liked making my own stories - like moving the fridge upside down and wondering what the residents will say when they wake up. For now, I'll say this is a pickup only with friends.
Just Another Cooking Game
Quest Free
My quick thoughts: Another cooking game, but very bare bones.
From the store: Just Another Cooking Game is a time management game inspired by several other cooking games such as Overcooked and Cook-Out. JACG is also part of a PhD research project focused on understanding what factors enhance immersion and presence in VR games. Play the experience to unlock 12 more levels. Serve all robots as fast as possible to unlock the next level. Cook Under Pressure and see if you can handle the heat!
My thoughts: There’s a ton of cooking games out there, almost too many to mention. It’s certainly as advertised, and if you’ve never played the genre before, this is an easy way to get a taste of what they’re like for free. You can’t go wrong with the price, but veterans of the genre won’t find anything new here. This is for newcomers wanting to sample the genre only.
Synth Riders
Quest / Steam $24.99 Quest Demo / Free
My quick thoughts: How did I sleep on this great game for so long?
From the store: Unleash a new level of immersion with Synth Riders' Mixed Reality Update. Your room becomes the stage as you catch notes, master the rails, and evade obstacles. The thrill is yours to experience, and you get to decide where it all happens! Let the music move you in a unique combination of freestyle dancing & fitness workout that’ll allow you to burn calories while having tons of fun at the same time.
My thoughts: I was a Beat Saber guy, and especially enjoyed the modded version - which was always kind of a pain to get set up on the Quest. When I got my Quest 3 and found out it the mod scene wasn’t working yet, I finally pulled the trigger on getting a game that some people seemed to like much better than Beat Saber - Synth Riders. Wow, what a fun time this has been. I’ve found a ton of base songs that I enjoy, the gameplay is fun, and it’s a bit of a workout. The icing on the cake though has been the officially supported modding scene. While nowhere nearly as robust as the Beat Saber scene, I’ve certainly found a good twenty songs to try out. I absolutely get the hype about why some people like this more than Beat Saber. If you’re looking for you’re next rhythm fix, give this one a try for sure. There’s even a free demo, so you can’t go wrong.
Car Parking Simulator
My quick thoughts: A fun and accurate parking simulator that’s priced right.
From the store: Car Parking Simulator is a fully interactive, realistic and immersive car parking experience. Introducing one of the most advanced and dynamic car physics in VR. Giving players more wings of freedom by introducing a Free Roam mode in a town with a realistic traffic system, bustling with various fun activities and challenges to compete in, or just drive around and chill with any of your unlocked vehicles.
My thoughts: Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from this title when I downloaded it. The trailer looked fun enough - parking cars and avoiding obstacles. Well, it was exactly as advertised, and it really hit the spot at the right time. Relaxing, challenging and unique, I had a good time with this parking simulator. You have four different cars to choose from and dozens of challenges. While the more curated parking challenges were my jam, the open world challenges certainly added more game play for those interested. For me though, that is when the lack of refinements in the handling lost me. Still, I don’t regret the purchase and certainly had fun with it. Give the free trial a go for sure, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Neon Sprint
Quest $5.99
My quick thoughts: An odd game with quirky unlockables.
From the store: Neon Sprint has a perfect combination of VR and rideable animals, allowing you to experience an unprecedented sense of speed in VR without dizziness. Neon Sprint has both endless mode and campaign mode. You will encounter various challenges while riding. Dodging obstacles, sprint over walls and also face up the increasing speed. Players use the characteristics of the mount to quickly avoid obstacles, pass levels, unlock achievements!
My thoughts: I bought this game because it reminded me of an old arcade game I played, which I can’t remember the title of, but plays like Atari's Tempest in a sense. This game can get quite fast paced and will test your reflexes. Add the fact that you can ride different horses, dragons and other beasts and you have a recipe for a trippy experience. I played an hour or two and felt like I had a good time. While I probably won’t revisit it, you may find some high-score chasing if you like the premise and unlockables.
Pixel Ripped 1978
My quick thoughts: More Pixel Ripped, but more isn’t always better.
From the store: Pixel Ripped 1978 is the newest game in the Pixel Ripped series. Our hero Dot has to once again fight against the evil Cyblin Lord, who has a very complex plan: to hack into the game creator’s past at ATARI and to make himself the protagonist! But Dot isn’t alone in this crazy endeavor through time - she has the help of Bug, Pixel Ripped’s creator herself, as they join forces to dispel Cyblin Lord and launch the game on time.
My thoughts: I quite enjoyed the first two Pixel Ripped games. The first two had a unique adventure, story and the gameplay was fresh and unique. As someone who grew up with an Atari in my home, I was excited to see what the third entry in the series could offer. My disappointment only grew though as I played the game though. The same main villain, basic powers and lack of fresh or “wow” moments somehow made this four hour experience drag on. To be fair, there is some fun to be had, and some battles are quite satisfying, but not enough for me to recommend this game, especially over the first two. The Atari license didn’t feel fully utilized and while the cameo’s were fun (both game and voices), it didn’t come together to feel like a fresh experience.
Gladius
My quick thoughts: If you have the game play space, you can live the Spartan dream.
From the store: Gladius is an immersive VR sword fighting game set in ancient Rome. As a gladiator, you will choose your weapons, train against different enemies, and finally fight for your freedom in epic battles against the mightiest warriors of the ancient world. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom!
My thoughts: Some of my favorite entertainment are swords and sandals based - Spartacus on Starz, Rome on HBO and the Gladiator movie. Imagine my excitement when I stepped into the arena to prove myself amongst other gladiators. This game is quite well done, with loads of weapons to choose from, several different enemy types, arenas and rankings to climb. I’d recommend a larger play space if you have it, as this can get a bit intense. There is a fair bit of grinding to level up, but you unlock items at a good pace once you get past the first 15 minutes or so. The combat feels good, graphics are solid and gameplay loop works. I had fun with this one, and if you like Gorn or Swordsman VR, this is right in the wheelhouse between realism and accuracy in swordplay.
Summary and Giveaway
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 (11/13/23), there is a giveaway for Battle Bows for Quest. You can enter on the discord channel above, but will need to have three 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
- Dungeons of Eternity
- Killer Frequency
- Car Parking Simulator
- I Expect You To Die 3
- Synth Riders
