The 50 games you can't miss in 2016

It's late April, y'all! The weather is warming. The US presidential election continues to be a circus. So, yes: We are firmly entrenched in 2016.

Some great games have already launched, but there's so much more coming in the next eight months.

For starters, this is is the year that PlayStation VR launches, that Facebook's Oculus VR finally released its Rift headset, and that HTC and Valve released the Vive — the year of VR.

It's also the year that Nintendo closes the book on Wii U with a few final major games before moving on to a new console with the (still codenamed) "NX" project, and Sony and Microsoft are cooking up revisions of their own consoles.

In short: It's a huge year for games, and we're barely scratching the surface with the 50 games below. Here's what to keep an eye on in 2016, in order of release date:

"The Witness"

Thekla

"The Witness" was in development for over six years. Creative director Jonathan Blow has been working on it in solitude for several of those years, and with a team for the last three or so. He's notoriously sunk the profits of his previous indie blockbuster, "Braid," into the new game, which is a first-person puzzle game set on a mysterious abandoned island. It's one of the first new games in 2016, and it kicked off the year with a long-awaited follow-up from an acclaimed developer. Starting the year strong!

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Mac

"Firewatch"

Campo Santo

"Firewatch" is the first game from a new studio, Campo Santo, comprised of veteran heavy-hitters (people who worked on Telltale's "The Walking Dead" series, as well as "BioShock Infinite" and more). It's a first-person, story-focused game set in 1989, with a main character quite literally watching the wilds of Wyoming for forest fires in the wake of the 1988 Yellowstone fires. It has a gorgeous, unique art style and a gripping narrative. 

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, OS X, Linux

"Unravel"

EA

Gorgeous, evocative 2D platforming games are one of the most delightful revelations of the last few years. Games like "Limbo" and "Braid" set the standard, and new games like "Unravel" are carrying the torch forward. In "Unravel," you play as a young boy made of yarn who's on a journey. Where that journey will take him is up to you to find out, but he'll have lots of platforming-based puzzles to solve in the process. 

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC

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