Gaming Challenge 2024

Wow good luck on all your challenges everyone and good luck getting through your backlog.

Similar to the list about 10% Retirement, I figured some people might have trouble finding games with Purple/Red/Grey HLTB times. So I made myself a collection with a bunch of games (largely ones in my backlog) I found with those times. Like before, it is just the ones that had it at the time I added them so could change later. Sorted it alphabetically this time since rating is useless sorting through games with so few completions.

Bit late to the party, but here's what I have finished so far:

❌ 01. A new game (released within the past year)
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) -
✅ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) - Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago)
❌ 05. A time sink (50+ hours)
❌ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour)
❌ 07. A game you got for free
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game
❌ 09-2. A game that wasn't translated into your language until some time after its initial release
❌ 10. A game with 6+ endings
❌ 11. A collection of games
❌ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life
❌ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a colour
❌ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
❌ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain
❌ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist
✅ 22. A game without any humans - Pikmin 4
❌ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
❌ 24. An arcade-style high score game
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
❌ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
❌ 29. Another person’s favourite game
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter)
❌ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) - {Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory}
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice
❌ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle
✅ 39. A game that surprised you - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game
❌ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less)
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favourite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.)
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
❌ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/grey background at the time you started playing it (colour indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, grey = zero)
❌ 48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform
❌ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer

❌✅

finished 7 games this month
https://howlongtobeat.com/user/0WoRM0/lists/27291/0WoRM0s-Gaming-Challenge-(2024)

So I only managed 19/50 for last year's challenge but I had a lot of fun so I'll be trying this again. Here's my collection for games this year.

So far 3 three complete:
20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
35. A game containing a real or fictional religion - Assassin's Creed II
36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Friendly Fire

Similar to the list about 10% Retirement, I figured some people might have trouble finding games with Purple/Red/Grey HLTB times. So I made myself a collection with a bunch of games (largely ones in my backlog) I found with those times. Like before, it is just the ones that had it at the time I added them so could change later. Sorted it alphabetically this time since rating is useless sorting through games with so few completions.

Thank you for making that list, makes things a lot more convenient lol

I'm not going to have any more completions by the end of the month, so I'll just post my progress now.

3 completions in January:

Super Smash Bros Ultimate - 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play
Super Mario 3D World / Bowser's Fury - 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
Star Wars: Knight's of the Old Republic - 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain

SSBU is the first game where I'll invoke rule 4 from the OP and count it as a personal completion even though I didn't "beat" the game or roll credits. I put close to 13 hours into the story mode and had more than my fill, as the category I chose would indicate that fighting games aren't my jam. All the spirits and fights were very flavorful and incorporated sooooo many different games, but there's just no way around the fact that a substantial amount of the fights were gimmicky. Sometimes in the player's favor making the difficulty non-existent, and sometimes in the AI's favor to the point of frustration. It can always be overcome, but the "story" just isn't meaty enough for me to care and slog through it. I explored a little over half of the overland map and 3 or 4 of the sub-area, maxed out, upgraded, and summoned several spirits of each type, and pooped several dozen opponents off of a ledge inside a Yoshi egg, and that's good enough for me.

All that said, I will be playing regular smash mode battles with my kids for years to come I am sure!

Currently working on:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.)
Terraria - 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
Plants vs Zombies - 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer
Unravel Two - ???

My Collection

Well, it's the end of the month, so here is my proposed list, with a collection to help visualize everything a little better. I’ll update this list and collection occasionally until I finally lock in all of my games, but for now I’ve hit a wall trying to think of what to add. This was an excellent exercise that will help me to prioritize and clean up my backlog! For any gamers seeking to complete challenge 29, I’ll say my favorite game is Kingdom Hearts II.

❌ 01. A new game (released within the past year)
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) Advance Wars
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) Super Metroid
⏩ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) Baldur's Gate 3
✅ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) Florence
❌ 07. A game you got for free Killer Frequency
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game Crysis 2 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations to other languages some time after its initial release Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
❌ 10. A game with 6+ endings Slay The Princess
❌ 11. A collection of games
⏩ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else Jet Set Radio
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life
⏩ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title Pepper’s Puzzles
✅ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color Blanc
❌ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play Pikmin 2
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
❌ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
✅ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
✅ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain Who’s Lila?
❌ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period The Plague Doctor of Wippra
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future Scarlet Nexus or Metroid Prime Remastered
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist Bayonetta 3
❌ 22. A game without any humans Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
❌ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
❌ 24. An arcade-style high score game
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
❌ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature Maneater
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) To The Moon
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter) ABZU
❌ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) Luigi’s Mansion 3
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game Pikmin 4
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice Roki
❌ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle
❌ 39. A game that surprised you
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game Shin Megami Tensei V
❌ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) Gris
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher) Understand
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.) (Yoko Shimomura) Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold Gravity Rush 2
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying Transistor
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List Astral Chain (courtesy of kyriaki)
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game Before Your Eyes
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it (color indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, gray = zero) Home Safety Hotline
❌ 48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month A Plague Tale: Innocence
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform Portal
❌ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer Critters for Sale

❌ Bonus - Game from Q1 of selected year (2008) Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
❌ Bonus - Game from Q2 of selected year (2008) Disgaea DS
❌ Bonus - Game from Q3 of selected year (2008) The Legendary Starfy
❌ Bonus - Game from Q4 of selected year (2008) Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
❌ Bonus - Game released as close to your Birthday of selected year (2008) (July 30th) Rhythm Heaven

Thank you for making that list, makes things a lot more convenient lol

No problem! I'll keep updating it with new games if I find them too (or if people point out more to me).

And that's January, didn't beat as many games as I wanted to, but that's alright I had a pretty rough month

01. A new game (released within the past year)
01. A new game (released within the past year)
02. An old game (released 10+ years ago)
03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago)
04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago)
05. A time sink (50+ hours): Fallout 4 (138 hours)
06. A quick completion (less than an hour)
07. A game you got for free
08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for
09-1. A remake or remaster of a game
09-2. A game that received new translations to other languages some time after its initial release
10. A game with 6+ endings: Star Fox Command
11. A collection of games
12. A game recommended to you by someone else
13. A game whose title could describe your life
14-1. A game with an alliterative title
14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
14-3. A game whose title starts with a number
15. A game that heavily focuses on flight
16. A game from a genre you don't usually play
17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
18-2. A visual novel or text-based game
19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain
20-1. A game set in a historical time period
20-2. A game set in the far future
21. A game with a female protagonist
22. A game without any humans
23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
24. An arcade-style high score game
25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with: Batman: Arkham Asylum
26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium
28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
29. Another person’s favorite game
30. A game with a diverse cast
31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter)
33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series)
33-2. A spin-off game
34. A bright and cheerful game
35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice
37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
38. A game with a subtitle
39. A game that surprised you
40. A post-apocalyptic game: Anarchy Reigns
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less)
42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.)
44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold
44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying: MadWorld
45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
46-1. A studio's very first game
46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it (color indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, gray = zero)
48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month: Pony Island
49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform
50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer

January Update

You can find my master list at here.

New Year, and as promised, I will try to finish a minimum of 30 entries this year. While some categories are a bit obscure for my liking, I can always rely on some indie games from the Bundle for Ukraine to fill the requirement.

Indeed, this month, I completed 1 DLC and 4 games, where 3 of those games were specifically taken from the bundle to match challenge categories:

Added:
02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) - Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
06. A quick completion (less than an hour) - Bunflower
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) - IGEO
47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/grey background at the time you started playing it (colour indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, grey = zero) - Captain Backwater (grey - I was the first to complete and submit a review)

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood was released in 2009 and is a prequel to the first game in the series. The game still holds up very well, runs smoothly, and has an enjoyable story. The graphics are better than in "Call of Juarez" and the controlls are tighter, but I thought the level design was not as good.

Bunflower is a small first project for his developer at GB Studio. It took me about 8 minutes to finish, which is the main reason I played it.

Both IGEO and Captain Backwater are tile-matching games. The first is smaller, with 20 levels and puzzles that can be solved in a few ways. It's well done, simple, and doesn't overstay its welcome. On the opposite side, Captain Backwater has 80 levels plus 20 bonus ones, and midway through, I could not wait for it to finish.

I am currently playing through Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and Art of Murder: Hunt for the Puppeteer. Those can slot nicely into the female protagonist and genres that I don't play often (deckbuilding - Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales). To be honest, Thronebreaker is also a mash of RPG and deckbuilding, so it fits into at least one more category as well.

January

Felt like a slow month but ended up with 9 completions, all of which found home in a category.

01. A new game (released within the past year):✅ Apple News+ Crossword Mini
Endless but Completed (a couple of puzzles) on Jan 25th.
Released with iOS 17 on September 18, 2023.
Got maybe my 5th free trial to Apple News+ and decided to try this simple crossword on my Mac.

10. A game with 6+ endings: First Kiss at a Spooky Soiree ✅ Completed Jan 13th

22. A game without any humans: Princess Puffin and the Spider Invasion ✅ Completed Jan 13th
Moths vs spiders. Didn't see any humans.

23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien: TetrEscape ✅Completed Jan 15th.
I don't think it's specifically mentioned that you play as a robot, but you're definitely a robot pushing around Tetris pieces.

33-2. A spin-off game: Persona 5 Tactica ✅ Completed Jan 11th

43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on: Starry Flowers ✅ Completed Jan 24th
Created by NomnomnNami who has created a bunch of queer VNs and adventure games that I really love. 2 other games completed this month were by her.

44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold: SeaBed✅ Completed Jan 4th.
Placed on hold a long time ago when I realized I lost track of the story. Paid a lot more attention this time but still was a bit confused

47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it. Chemically Bonded✅ Completed Jan 16th
Some people might have a hard time with this category, but I bet half of my backlog fits this, with all the itch and other obscure games.

50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer: Thirsty Suitors✅ Completed Jan 30th
Got lucky with this one, the 3rd time I hit the randomizer, with the first 2 being games I would not want/be able to complete, a game I was already playing popped up.

Main Post
Collection

Starting off with 14 games finished.

Here's my collection

03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) - Star Wars Trilogy Arcade - Released in 1998.

04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) - Popeye - A Popeye arcade game that was developed by Nintendo and released in 1982.

09-2. A game that received new translations to other languages some time after its initial release - Jubeat - A Japanese rhythm game that was originally released in Japan and using the Japanese language. It was later brought outside of Japan.

17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Recommendation Dog!! - A game in which you play as a dog, and you recommend people for jobs.

18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres - Pony Island - It has probably 3 or 4 different genres mixed together.

27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium - Tetris (Arcade) - I might be cheating with this as it's not the original version, but Tetris does have a movie.

28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) - MÚSECA - I watched someone at the arcade play this and was interested in it.

30. A game with a diverse cast - Rhythm Tengoku - The Rhythm Heaven games are pretty diverse in their characters.

32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter) - Reel Steal - The name starts with an R, my username starts with an R.

38. A game with a subtitle - Forrest Byrnes: Up in Smoke - Up in Smoke is the subtitle.

39. A game that surprised you - Die Hard Arcade - I was surprised this had existed, and I was also surprised by how much there was to this game as it was a 3D beat-em up from the 90s.

40. A post-apocalyptic game - Ratcheteer - I'd seen the story be described as Fallout. Which is accurate.

41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) - b360 - Could either be 1 or 4 depending on how you interpret the challenge.

47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it (color indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, gray = zero) - Pop'n Music Fever - I had to add this game myself. So definitely zero playtimes.

04. An ancient game - Mega Man 2 - released in 1990
21. A game with a female protagonist - Jack Move
31. A cornerstone to gaming culture - Mega Man - feel free to exchange it with MM2 if it's considered more iconic
33-1. A “threequel” - Mega Man 3 - you can see where this is going
39. A game that surprised you - CrossCode - I was spoiled on the big plot twist, but it still managed to throw me a curveball
47. A game that has its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - COGEN: Sword of Rewind - it's still in red

Challenges (14/50)
Bonus (0/5)
Alternatives (0/9)

Games beaten in January:
✅ Cocoon 01. A new game (released within the past year)
✅ Undertale Yellow 07. A game you got for free
✅ I SPY Fun House 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.)
✅ Taiji 39. A game that surprised you
✅ City Connection 06. A quick completion (less than an hour)
✅ Pocky & Rocky with Becky 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
✅ Waku Waku Sweets 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer
✅ Celeste 21. A game with a female protagonist
✅ Youropa 46-1. A studio's very first game
✅ Kine 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less)
✅ Beasts of Maravilla Island 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username
✅ Chantelise - A Tale of Two Sisters 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago)
✅ Kirby: Triple Deluxe 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
✅ Wario Land II 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain

Ended up focusing more on filling challenges this January than I had last year. Had a lot of fun with the games I picked. I had a lot of free time this month, so I won't have this many completions every month lol. I'm playing through Wario Land 3 right now and I'm enjoying the gameplay loop it has. My friend has been hyping up Wario Land 4, which I'll play after I finish the third one.

For January, I am at 7/50:

06. A quick completion (less than an hour) : The Monster Inside
21. A game with a female protagonist : Cloudpunk
22. A game without any humans : United Penguin Kingdom: Huddle Up
27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium : Hasbro's Battleship
33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) : Baldur's Gate 3
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) : ABZU
44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold : Nobodies: Murder Cleaner

I will update February as I finish games and this is my collection.

13/50
01. A new game (released within the past year)
02. An old game (released 10+ years ago)
03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago)
04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago)
05. A time sink (50+ hours)
06. A quick completion (less than an hour) : The Monster Inside
07. A game you got for free
08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for
09-1. A remake or remaster of a game
09-2. A game that received new translations to other languages some time after its initial release
10. A game with 6+ endings : Mind scanners
11. A collection of games
12. A game recommended to you by someone else
13. A game whose title could describe your life
14-1. A game with an alliterative title
14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
14-3. A game whose title starts with a number : 12 is better than 6
15. A game that heavily focuses on flight
16. A game from a genre you don't usually play
17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
18-2. A visual novel or text-based game : Norco
19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain
20-1. A game set in a historical time period
20-2. A game set in the far future
21. A game with a female protagonist : Cloudpunk
22. A game without any humans : United Penguin Kingdom: Huddle Up
23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
24. An arcade-style high score game
25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium : Hasbro's Battleship
28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
29. Another person’s favorite game
30. A game with a diverse cast
31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter)
33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) : Baldur's Gate 3
33-2. A spin-off game
34. A bright and cheerful game
35. A game containing a real or fictional religion : The Universim
36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice
37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics : Winkeltje: The Little Shop
38. A game with a subtitle
39. A game that surprised you
40. A post-apocalyptic game
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) : ABZU
42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher) : Merchants of Kaidan
43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.)
44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold : Nobodies: Murder Cleaner
44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying
45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
46-1. A studio's very first game
46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it (color indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, gray = zero)
48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month
49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform
50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

This is a juicy challenge that I've decided I'm going to sink my teeth into, now that I'm getting back into gaming again after several years of decline.

I put my master list where I track progress in my blog, but I've set up a collection as well.

I've got off to a good start by actually completing as many games in January as I did in the entirety of 2023!

✅ Starfield - 01. A new game (released within the past year)
✅ Cloud Climber - 06. A quick completion (less than an hour)
✅ Metro Exodus - 40. A post-apocalyptic game

January update!

Ended up finishing 11 games that fit in categories, (161h) played this month, I had a lot of fun with most games, but ended up playing some bad let downs too.

06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza - Funny and short, but really likeable.
12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer - Great idea, although bad gameplay, thought I'd like it more.
14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park - Incredible at what it offers, but made me hate my friends hahaha.
14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn - Really fun bullet hell mobile game, played while I had no energy lol.
18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two - Incredible game, especially loved how fresh it kept by adding different styles.
20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment - Genius game, had an absolute blast playing and exploring everything.
23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life - Fun and light FPS story game, had a lot of fun.
25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars - Became such a special game to me, loved it, and specially the protagonist.
33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth - Had huge expectations, since it's Amnesia Series, but disliked this one so much.
37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank - I love Turnip Boy and everything the games have been offering!
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe - Incredible idea and visuals, but ATROCIOUS gameplay, was a huge struggle to finish.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

⏩ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
⏩ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
⏩ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
⏩ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in -
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1 / Cook Food Delicious
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
❌ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
⏩ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

I tried to finish #50 before Febuary but I ended up missing the deadline by 10 minutes, so it will go into the next update, even though it's already finished.

10/50 Completions
1/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Got off to a good start with 10 games beaten:

✅ 07. A game you got for free - Test Test Test
✅ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game - Resident Evil 4 (2023)
✅ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight - A Short Hike
✅ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres - Resident Evil Village
✅ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Resident Evil 2 (2019)
✅ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien - Live A Live (2022)
✅ 39. A game that surprised you - Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
✅ 40. A post-apocalyptic game - Remnant II
✅ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List - Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
✅ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it - The Melting Apartment

full list

In January I beat 5 games:

✅ 05. A time sink (50+ hours): Borderlands 2

✅ 29. Another person’s favorite game (my nephew) Super Mario Odyssey

✅ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) : Dark Souls III

✅ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics : Turnip boy commits tax evasion

✅ 54. A game released on Q4 of 2016: Call of duty Modern Warfare Remastered

❌ 1. A new game (released within the past year) Super Mario RPG
❌ 2. An old game (released 10+ years ago) Bioshock
❌ 3. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
❌ 4. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) The legend of zelda: link's awakening
✅ 5. A time sink (50+ hours) Borderlands 2
❌ 6. A quick [/B]completion (less than an hour) - Devil's Kiss
❌ 7. A game you got for free - Inside
❌ 8. A game you've been wishing and waiting for Elden Ring
❌ 9-1. A remake or remaster of a game - Demon's Souls
❌ 10. A game with 6+ endings - Chrono Trigger
❌ 11. A collection of games - Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
❌ 12.A game recommended to you by someone else - Journey
❔ 13. A game whose title could describe your life -
❔ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color - Beyond Blue
❔ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number -
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight - AER: Memories of Old
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play - Deponia (Point & Click)
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Cat Quest
❔ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres -
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game - Coffee Talk
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain - Shadow Of The Colossus
❌ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - A Plague Tale: Innocence
❔ 20-2. A game set in the far future -
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans - Night In The Woods
❌ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien - Alien Hominid
❌ 24. An arcade-style high score game - Persha and the Magic Labyrinth - R-Type
❔ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
❌ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with - Scarlet nexus
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature - Hollow Knight
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium - The Last Of Us Remastered
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) - Portal: Still Alive
✅️ 29. Another person’s favorite game - Super Mario Odyssey
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast - Dandara
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture - God Of War 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (N) - Narita Boy
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) - Dark Souls 3
❔ 33-2. A spin-off game -
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game - Super Paper Mario
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion - Cult Of The Lamb
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Lost Planet 3
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics - Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle - Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
❌ 39. A game that surprised you - Jusant
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game - Metro 2033
❌ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) - Lake
❔ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.) - Bloodborne
❔ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold -
❔ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying -
❔ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❔ 46-1. A studio's very first game
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game - Rollerdrome
❔ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it -
❌ 48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month - Oxenfree
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform - The Walking Dead - A Telltale Games Series
❌ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer - Manual Samuel

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice (2016)
❌ 51. (Q1: January – March) - Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
❌ 52. (Q2: April – June) - Quantum Break
❌ 53. (Q3: July – September) - The Final Station
✅ 54. (Q4: October – December) Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare - Remastered
❌ 55. A game released close to my birthday (December) - The Last Guardian

Here is my collection.

Bit late to the party, but here's what I have finished so far:

❌ 01. A new game (released within the past year)
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) -
✅ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) - Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago)
❌ 05. A time sink (50+ hours)
❌ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour)
❌ 07. A game you got for free
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game
❌ 09-2. A game that wasn't translated into your language until some time after its initial release
❌ 10. A game with 6+ endings
❌ 11. A collection of games
❌ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life
❌ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a colour
❌ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats
❌ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain
❌ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist
✅ 22. A game without any humans - Pikmin 4
❌ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
❌ 24. An arcade-style high score game
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
❌ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
❌ 29. Another person’s favourite game
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username (if your username doesn’t contain letters, pick a random letter)
❌ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) - {Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory}
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice
❌ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle
✅ 39. A game that surprised you - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game
❌ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less)
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favourite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.)
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
❌ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/grey background at the time you started playing it (colour indicates the amount of submitted playtimes, red = low amount, grey = zero)
❌ 48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform
❌ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer

❌✅

thatr is a nice list

01. A new game (released within the past year) - Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain (Completed: 1/31/2024, Rating: 7/10)
09-1. A remake or remaster of a game - Sega Ages Phantasy Star (Completed: 1/19/2024, Rating: 7/10)
10. A game with 6+ endings - Wheels of Aurelia (Completed: 1/23/2024, Rating: 3/10)
12. A game recommended to you by someone else - Cosmic Star Heroine (Completed: 1/27/2024, Rating: 7/10)

Only 4 games the first month, but hey, I'll still take it. A lot of solid but not amazing games. Celeste 64 is a fun little bite sized platformer and impressive for a week project but the camera controls, some slippery physics and the like keep it from going much higher. Phantasy Star was impressive for a very old school 8-bit JRPG and I greatly enjoyed the vibes, but the combat system is pretty rudimentary even for the time period. The Sega Ages changes definitely helped out with this. Cosmic Star Heroine was a fun one, big mid/late-2000s RP energy in the storyline and the combat system is very interesting but the encounter design and dungeon design is a major hamper plus it neeeeever really tries to reach too high.

I wrote a review on Wheels of Aurelia but tldr: Bad driving controls, story seems like it doesn't follow itself well, great music and good art.

January update.

completed games:
01/01 #07 - a game you got for free - Repella Fella
05/01 #47 - a game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray - Kill The Crows
06/01 #09.1 - a remake or remaster - System Shock
11/01 #39 - a game that surprised you - The Surge
13/01 #33.2 - a spin-off game - Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
16/01 #46.1 - a studio's very first game - The Inner World
23/01 #12 - a game recommended to you by someone else - Prodeus

starded:
#46.2 - a studio's most recent game - Enshrouded
#38 - a game with a subtitle - LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
#02 - a game released 10+ years ago - Alice: Madness Returns

full log:

❌️01. released within the past year
⏩02. [Alice: Madness Returns] released 10+ years ago
❌️03. released 20+ years ago
❌️04. released 30+ years ago
❌️05. completion time: >50h
❌️06. completion time: <1h
✅️07. [Repella Fella] a game you got for free
❌️08. a game you've been waiting for
✅️09-1. [System Shock] a remake or remaster
❌️09-2. a game with post-release translations
❌️10. a game with 6+ endings
⏩11. [TWD: The Telltale Definitive Series] a collection of games
✅️12. [Prodeus] a game recommended to you by someone else
❌️13. a game whose title could describe your life
❌️14-1. a game with an alliterative title
❌️14-2. a game whose title contains the name of a color
❌️14-3. a game whose title starts with a number
❌️15. a game that heavily focuses on flight
❌️16. a game from a genre you don't usually play
❌️17. a game that is themed around dogs or cats
❌️18-1. a mashup of different genres
❌️18-2. a visual novel or text-based game
❌️19. a game where you play as an antihero or a villain
❌️20-1. a game set in a historical time period
⏩20-2. [Dead Space] a game set in the far future
❌️21. a game with a female protagonist
❌️22. a game without any humans
❌️23. a game where you play as a robot or an alien
❌️24. an arcade-style high score game
❌️25-1. a game set in a world you would like living in
❌️25-2. a game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
❌️26. a game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
❌️27. a game that was adapted from another medium or vice versa
❌️28. a game you watched someone else play first
❌️29. another person’s favorite game
❌️30. a game with a diverse cast
❌️31. a cornerstone to gaming culture
❌️32. a game that starts with the same letter as your username
⏩33-1. [HITMAN 3] a threequel
✅️33-2. [Tiny Tina's Wonderlands] a spin-off game
❌️34. a bright and cheerful game
⏩35. [Warhammer 40k: Darktide] a game containing a real or fictional religion
❌️36. a game that heavily features either fire or ice
❌️37. a game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
⏩38. [LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga] a game with a subtitle
✅️39. [The Surge] a game that surprised you
❌️40. a post-apocalyptic game
❌️41. a game with a short title
⏩42. [Grounded] a game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB
❌️43. a game that one of your favorite artists worked on
❌️44-1. a game you previously retired or put on hold
❌️44-2. a game that you have beaten before
❌️45. a game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
✅️46-1. [The Inner World] a studio's very first game
⏩46-2. [Enshrouded] a studio's most recent game
✅️47. [Kill The Crows] a game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray
❌️48. a game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month
❌️49. a game listed on the HLTB stats page
❌️50. a game chosen by the HLTB randomizer

Bonus: TBA
total - completed 7, marked 8, bonus 0

And my collection

Off to a not so good start, I've only completed two games in January.

Legend
🔆 Planned
🆕 Completed past month
✅️ Completed

Game Challenge 2024
01. A new game (released within the past year)
2. An old game (released 10+ years ago)
3. A really old game (released 20+ years ago)
4. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago)
5. A time sink (50+ hours)
6. A quick completion (less than an hour)
🔆 7. A game you got for free - Adios through Epic
8. A game you've been wishing and waiting for
🔆 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game - Warcraft III: Reforged, Super Mario RPG
🔆 09-2. A game that received new translations to other languages some time after its initial release - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
10. A game with 6+ endings
🔆 11. A collection of games - Another Code: Recollection
🔆 12. A game recommended to you by someone else - The Caligula Effect: Overdose
🔆 13. A game whose title could describe your life - Cocoon
14-1. A game with an alliterative title
🔆 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color - Pokémon Violet
🔆 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 112th Seed
🔆 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight - AER: Memories of Old
🔆 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play - The Last of Us Part II
🔆 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Cats Organized Neatly
🔆 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres - SuperMash
🔆 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game - Harmony: The Fall of Reverie
🔆 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain - Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, Wario Land
20-1. A game set in a historical time period
🔆 20-2. A game set in the far future - Horizon Forbidden West
🔆 21. A game with a female protagonist - Lost Words: Beyond the Page
🔆 22. A game without any humans - Backpack Hero
23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
🔆 24. An arcade-style high score game - Persha and the Magic Labyrinth - Arabian Nyaights
25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with
26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
🔆 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) or a game that has been adapted into another medium - Game of Thrones Telltale
28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
29. Another person’s favorite game
30. A game with a diverse cast
31. A cornerstone to gaming culture
🆕✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username - Assemble With Care
🔆 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) - Final Fantasy III, Dragon Quest III
🔆 33-2. A spin-off game - Persona 5 Tactica
34. A bright and cheerful game
35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice
37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
🔆 38. A game with a subtitle - Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
🔆 39. A game that surprised you - Palworld
40. A post-apocalyptic game
🔆 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) - GRIS
42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
🔆 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.) - Xenoblade Chronicles
🔆 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold - Persona 5 Royal, Pokémon Trading Card Game
🔆 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying - Baldur's Gate 3, Mario Wonder
45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
46-1. A studio's very first game
46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
🆕✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it - Ratropolis
🔆 48. A game that has been a HLTB Game of the Month - Pony Island
49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page, or the stats page filtered for a single platform
🔆 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer - Gemini Rue

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice (2023)
🔆 (Q1: January – March) Hi-Fi Rush (January 25, 2023)
🔆 (Q2: April – June) Dordogne (June 13, 2023)
🔆 (Q3: July – September) Sea of Stars (August 29, 2023)
🔆 (Q4: October – December) Silent Hope (October 03, 2023)

- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can
🔆 Scary Turnaround (January 28, 2023)

Anyone else having trouble deciding which category to put some games?

I just played Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and I found it could fit any any of the following:

07. A game you got for free
21. A game with a female protagonist
25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in
30. A game with a diverse cast
34. A bright and cheerful game
38. A game with a subtitle
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less)

After much deliberation I went with 38, as I felt it might be less common than any other category.

I might change it to 25-1 though if I play another game with a subtitle. It was so charming!