In a year overflowing with great-looking Metroidvanias, Minishoot' Adventures popped out to me for the sheer oddity and novelty of its premise.
It's a top-down twin-stick shooter where you play as a small spaceship in a bright, colorful world under attack from a shadowy villain called the Unchosen.
And I do mean you play as a spaceship, not someone piloting a spaceship, which really adds to the charm of the world. I've only played the opening act, but it's officially my next weekend game, because it's immediately clear why it's been so well-received on Steam, with over 1,500 97% positive user reviews at the time of writing.
There's a lot of Zelda in the way Minishoot' Adventures – that rogue apostrophe is the game's, by the way, not mine – hits you with collectible heart pieces, caves, and room-based fights.
There's even an achievement for blowing up a room full of pots. Likewise, while some ship upgrades are normal skill tree stuff like more damage and a faster fire rate, you'll also find bespoke upgrades that give your ship new gadgets or weapons entirely and let you access different areas of the world, a distinctly Metroidvania rhythm entering the mix.