Forget the Baftas … here are our alternative game of the year awards
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In this week’s newsletter: From perfect first dates to giving guns to cute Pokémon-like creatures, we celebrate the games that did things their way. You’ve seen the Game awards nominations. You’ve seen the Bafta longlist. Our own Guardian games of the year list is still a wee while away, but while you’re waiting – with bated breath, I’m sure – here’s an appetiser: Pushing Buttons’ alternative awards. Without further ado ….
![[Keza MacDonald]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/07/26/Keza_MacDonald.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Best use of beds as a gameplay device. Need to recover your hearts while adventuring through a bunch of eerie rifts that are tearing Hyrule apart? Simply conjure a bed out of thin air, make sure you’re out of enemy reach and have a wee nap. Need to make your way across a bridgeable gap? This time, conjure several beds. Need a staircase? A barricade? Something decorative? Bed, bed, bed. In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the bed is the true hero.
![[Balatro.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/08567005721d112a0f138bfce795285cf4d7aea1/43_0_1800_1080/master/1800.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Best game to get you through a long-haul flight. On my way to Summer Game Fest in LA this year, I boarded the plane with a Steam Deck and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree pre-downloaded, ready for the first uninterrupted 10-hour gaming session of my 30s. But when I loaded it up, it wanted to authenticate my purchase. And the wifi on the plane wasn’t working. So after having a massive sulk, I turned to Balatro (pictured above), and five hours of my flight disappeared in what felt like an instant. Thank you, Balatro, for not only stealing most of my free time in February, but getting me through that horrible flight.
![[Life is Strange: Double Exposure]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f142d36d2cad9521a3f6a5ff645d70b5614c7113/120_0_1800_1080/master/1800.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
