It’s not often that the PC side of gaming gets big exclusives over the consoles. If the PC market does then it’s usually not for that long. For example, Loop Hero, one of 2021’s best roguelikes, launched on PC in March and on Switch in December.
That was a decent lead. However, these ten games managed to stay exclusive throughout 2021. Will these PC games ever come to consoles? It’s hard to say but some fans are dying to try them out on their system of choice as soon as possible. Some of these games just came out of Early Access. Hopefully, 2022 will see a few surprise ports.
10 Dark Deity
Dark Deity announced its Kickstarter back in 2000 and it already hit its first release date. That’s quite impressive for any Kickstarter let alone one from a new developer, Sword & Axe. That name is fitting seeing as how this game is paying homage to Fire Emblem and other strategy RPGs of that nature.
The PC reviews have been mostly positive so hopefully, this hits its tentative Switch date in 2022. It would be nice to see Dark Deity announce some surprise ports for other consoles as well.
9 Wildermyth
Wildermyth comes from Worldwalker Games and it is their first title. It is also a strategy RPG game but with a completely different aesthetic. Characters and enemies look like they are made out of paper and the boards are homemade.
It was revealed in 2019, went into Early Access soon after, and hit its 1.0 statue on PC over the Summer. The reviews have been good for this new indie title as well. So far, the Switch has been listed as a console platform but not much else is known as far as dates go.
8 Grime
Grime is a Metroidvania with a Souls-like combat system. It’s another game that was received positively upon its release. One of the reasons why is because its upgrade material, Mass, does not diminish upon death.
Grime can still be brutally difficult but at least players won’t lose that sense of reward. The Switch has been named to get a console port so far. Whether Clover Bite, the developer, can get it ready for Summer 2022 remains to be seen.
7 GTFO
GTFO is an abbreviation that most gamers can figure out. This first-person, multiplayer-focused co-op horror shooter has been cooking for a long time. It was revealed in 2017 along with the studio, 10 Chambers. They are comprised of former Payday developers who know a thing or two about co-op shooters.
GTFO went into Early Access as far back as 2019 and just hit 1.0 status in December. Hopefully, GTFO can land on some consoles in 2022 but no port news has been made yet.
6 They Always Run
They Always Run is like a space western action platformer. The art style makes it look like a painting come to life with a bit of anime flair as well. The reviews for PC so far have been mostly positive.
The game's developer, Alawar, has been around for a while, however, they are a bit obscure as their releases have been smaller PC or mobile titles. They Always Run is arguably Alawar's most ambitious title yet. Here’s hoping it’ll hit a console or two soon.
5 Wolfstride
Wolfstride is the first game from the indie developer Ota Imon Studios. It is another release that just barely made the 2021 cut as it dropped at the beginning of December. The black and white aesthetic looks great and the anime-like presentation is appreciated.
The gameplay looks a little like No More Heroes. The giant mech RPG battles are the highlight, but players must do menial tasks around town to earn money to compete. The balance could be tweaked a bit for future ports.
4 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure
8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure has a similar style to Wolfstride. Instead of going for a pure black and white aesthetic, it uses a sepia tone. The game follows the main character, Aurum, in her quest into the afterlife to find out what happened to her village.
8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure is a Metroidvania with melee-focused combat. The Switch has been named as a future port but the developer, Rootless Studio, has not specified a date or release window yet.
3 Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue was supposed to launch on all platforms on December 14. However, at the last second, the developer, Dejima, delayed every console release. They are now in limbo territory for 2022. The PC release was met with a very mixed reaction ranging anywhere from the 60s to the 80s.
Hopefully, the kinks in this fire rescue platformer can get fixed for a better launch when it hopefully hits all modern consoles in 2022.
2 Mechajammer
Mechajammer is the worst-reviewed game in this article and it is the first from Whalenought Studios. That is never a good feeling to see with any debut. It is in the 40s, which is the red territory on Metacritic. No console ports have been announced yet.
Suffice it to say, the developer has a lot of work cut out for them to turn this aggregate score around on PC at the very least. It is possible. The game looks cool as a modern Fallout game in the classic isometric perspective.
1 Super Robot Wars 30
Super Robot Wars 30 released on PC, PS4, and Switch in 2021. However, those console versions were for Japan only. Weirdly, the game was limited to PC since the English translations were also done on consoles.
​​​​​​​Gamers could import the tactical RPG from Japan and have a rocking time. It would just be nice to see these versions hit officially in the West in 2022 as importing is expensive. Maybe then Super Robot Wars 30 will get the love it deserves.
