52 Games In

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
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52 Games Challenge

The challenge is quite simple – try to beat 52 games (or more) in .

  1. In general, nothing can be looked up or referenced online (exceptions for understanding rogue-lite mechanics).
  2. To complete a game means to see its ending credits. If none exist, best judgment must prevail.
  3. Beating previously beaten games is allowed. Games started the previous year are valid.
  4. Difficulty is flexible. Higher difficulties are encouraged, while the lowest may violate the spirit of the challenge.

1. Ak-xolotl: Together

Ak-xolotl: Together Cover

Ok. Well It's currently April 13th and I'm inputing my first entry into the 2025 list. Although I've now spent numerous hours reconstructing the site, it's safe to say that there's a very small chance that the challenge gets beaten this year. Regardless, we will try. Ak-Xolotl: Together is a top down, twin stick rogue like shooter that has every ingredient of a game that I love. It's similarity to Gungeon, at least in my opinion, is nothing but a good thing to help fill the void that game has left now so many years ago. It ticks every box in terms of the rogue lite experience - upgradeable guns during the run, little buddies you hatch that give you special passive abilities, unlockable areas, the list honestly goes on forever. I read in the Steam comments that this game was once in a terrible, almost unplayable state so they must have done some serious development to bring it to the very playable game it is today. One knock on it, perhaps, but good for me, is that it only took 4-5 runs to beat the game and see the credits on the highest difficulty - at least the highest difficulty unlocked at the time. The same Steam comments I referenced earlier suggested a brutal difficulty so I'm imaging that's something that was patched. This is a game I would have seriously sank my teeth into in years past, but that's a luxury I can't afford these days. Overall, awesome experience and it kicks the year off with a banger 8.

Platform: PC Difficulty: Hard Rating: 8/10