The best games of 2022 so far

This clever, shareable word game was the feelgood story of the early part of the year, as mysterious coloured-block emojis proliferated across social feeds and half the planet was drawn into guessing the word of the day. Wordle mania might have dissipated a little since the New York Times took it over, but it'll still be a defining game of 2022. What we said: "The simplicity is the charm. One Wordle is released each day, and it's the same one for everyone around the world. There are no advertisements, no niggling notifications begging you to return each morning, no novelty skins … the game's rejection of the capitalistic systems that define so many video games today has a refreshing, innocent quality. Long may Wordle remain so pure."