The 20 Best Video Games of 2021 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 7, 2021

Which games impressed professional reviewers the most during the first half of the year? Above, we rank the best-reviewed videogames released between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021 by Metascore. Games must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion.

Note that ...

If a game was released on multiple platforms, we included only the version receiving the largest total number of reviews (usually, but not always, the PS5 or PS4 version).

Multi-game compilations and newly released ports of games released in prior years on other platforms are excluded, unless they are substantially different from the prior release(s) (for example, an HD remaster of a previous-gen game that also adds some new content).

12 of 21 photo by GameTomo

86 #8 (tie): Sumire

A narrative adventure for Switch and PC from Japanese indie developer GameTomo, Sumire is set in a picturesque, enchanted village, where a girl named Sumire has a single day to accomplish a series of tasks before night falls. Critics praised the game's bittersweet story and strong visuals, though they cautioned that gameplay takes a backseat to story.

“Sumire is a short but brilliant emotional adventure about getting the most out of limited time by experiencing love, friendship, growth, loss, and more.” —The Mako Reactor

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