Unless you were a member of Josh Wardle’s inner circle, it’s unlikely that you started playing Wordle before 2022. Here, in no special order, are some of the year’s best. And yet, amid this bleakness, artists find a way to prioritize craft over the balance sheet, producing games that enchant, unnerve, and delight. Ideas refined in the gaming industry are becoming commonplace elsewhere some new cars require owners to make a one-off payment, or to take up a subscription, to unlock features such as heated seats, high-beam assist, and color-changing paintwork (the automotive industry’s answer to avatar skins). In many cases, games are no longer a mode of pure distraction they demand ongoing investments of time, money, and attention, which are meant not only to satisfy the player but also to appease developers’ shareholders. But, in 2022, the long-term effects have become clearer. The medium has followed this trajectory for years.

Many video games, by contrast, aim to so deeply immerse us in their worlds that we are compelled to purchase digital clothing, furniture, weapons, and subscriptions that allow us to exhibit our tastes and interests online. The business models are distinct, of course: Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram seek to engage us long enough to harvest personal information, which can be used to sell us stuff we might want. Enter video games, which are second only to social media in their ability to assume residence in our daily routines. The profit imperative demands a greater sacrifice. For many companies, holding a person’s attention for the length of a film or a book is no longer sufficient.

Each year brings fresh, competing demands on our attention.

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