Honorable Mention: The Witness
It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Starting with a few runner ups, let’s look back at the best new IPs from this year and our 2016 winner!
Like Braid before it, The Witness emerged quietly back in January and dazzled everyone with its difficult puzzles tempered by the game’s very zen setting. While appearing simple on the surface, the game’s challenges forced you to think outside the box. But if at any time things got too tough, the game’s free form nature allowed you to go somewhere, free your mind in its beautiful scenery or through a listen of one of the thought provoking audio tapes found throughout the game, and try again later.
Jonathan Blow’s latest effort is yet another genre leading title. While given Blow’s track record, it’s unlikely we’ll see a direct sequel to The Witness (although who knows), the mechanics that make this game great could work their way into a future game that Blow develops, or inspire other puzzle games; making The Witness quite the impacful new IP indeed.
