Whereas the Spencer Mansion was elegant and pristine, this house was in shambles and falling into disarray.

For those who played the original Resident Evil and explored the Spencer Mansion, you could appreciate the vast difference. “The Dulvey Haunted House is decrepit, dirty, and dark. #9 Resident Evil VII: Biohazard – Capcom – PS4, PSVR, PC Animal Crossing Pocket Camp does both in a pure and wholesome way, and in a year as stressful and tense as 2017, I am incredibly thankful for that. I think too often when we consider which games should be considered “the best” we focus too much on serious debates of artistic merit and complexity of mechanics that we lose sight of what games really are: ways to pass the time and bond with other people. There’s no toxic fanbase there’s only people having a good time together. Everyone with a phone can get in on it for free, and everyone who has it can laugh over the stuff they’ve built or which animal is their favorite. More than that, it echoes the real-world communal bonding I haven’t experienced since the height of Pokemon Go. Waiting at the doctor’s office, doing the laundry, trying to unwind before bed – all of these moments are now enriched by the fun fluff of catching butterflies, talking to a Texan penguin, and building a rock stage for a bunch of dogs. The distinctive cutesy Animal Crossing aesthetic is suited perfectly to a mobile game, allowing you to pull out your phone and escape to another more adorable world during those brief periods of time when the dreary mundanity of life seeps in. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t put a smile on my face every time I pick it up. You own a campsite, there are tons of friendly animals out there, and you want to build up the former, and befriend the latter. It’s not a flashy game – indeed it’s very simple. That’s because it may feel like a joke entry, but I’m being dead serious here: no other game in 2017 has brought me more consistent joy than Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. I had to endlessly berate the other editors and TYF staff to get this on the list. (*Sigh*) #10 Animal Crossing Pocket Camp – iOS, Android

Top 10 best games of 2017