Not sure if you knew this, but TechRaptor does reviews. In fact, in 2019, we did a little over 300 of them. That's a lot!

But what if you just want to know the games we scored the highest? The games we gave a 9 or higher to? Well good news, this is the post for you. Contained here is every game we gave a 9 or higher to. So come take a trip down memory lane and see which games we loved playing in 2019.

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January

Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary:  Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! offers up a wok full of cooking fun. Once you get the controls down you'll be remembering lamb sauce with the best of them.

Kingdom Hearts II

BY Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Having the most absolutely fantastic combat, design, boss fights, worlds, and soundtrack of the series keeps Kingdom Hearts II's slightly convoluted plot from ruining it.

Slay the Spire

By Richard Costa

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Slay the Spire is a vertiginously challenging and infinitely replayable roguelike deckbuilder set in a highly original dark fantasy universe.

Wargroove

By Austin Suther

Score: 9/10

Summary: Wargroove is the turn-based tactics game you've been waiting for. It looks wonderful and sounds amazing, but it also plays so well. The strategy layer is deep but simple to learn. With several different modes in single-player and multiplayer, there is something for both hardcore and newcomers of the genre.

Resident Evil 2

By Dan Hodges

Score: 9/10

Summary: Resident Evil 2 is a triumphant celebration of the original that scares to the core and sets a new standard for remaking old games.

February

Kingdom Hearts III

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Kingdom Hearts III plays up to the series' strengths, leaving one hell of a closer for fans.

Metro Exodus

By Robert N. Adams

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Metro Exodus builds on the gameplay of the previous titles and expands it into a much broader world, adding new mechanics and expanding the narrative without padding things too much.

When the Darkness Comes

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: When the Darkness Comes is a surprisingly smart horror game that manages to blend in introspective narrative elements seamlessly.

March

Devotion

By Samantha Ooi

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Devotion is a story about a deeply personal tragedy made both more horrific and familiar with its carefully recreated '80s setting of a Taiwanese household that successfully draws on the feelings of nostalgia of its target audience.

The Occupation

By Richard Costa

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: The Occupation is a taut investigative simulation and stealth thriller. It's infused with a realistic and multidimensional approach to mechanics, systems, and level design. This is a must-play for fans of Deus Ex and Dishonored.

Baba is You

By Brian Renadette

Score: 9/10

Summary: Baba is You offers a charming and unique puzzling experience that's certain to challenge newcomers and fans of puzzle games alike.

Devil May Cry 5

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Devil May Cry 5's few minor flaws are blasted away by one of the best combat systems this side of gaming. Each fight is a treat, each boss is a challenge, and I loved every second of it.

Pikuniku

By Trevor Whalen

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Pikuniku is a short-and-sweet experience that's fun, simple, engaging, and smooth. I can recommend it to just about anyone.

April

Islanders

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Islanders is a deceptively simple puzzle game where you build little cities to score points. More importantly, it's the absolutely perfect game for making beautiful picturesque villages you can fall asleep and dream about.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

By Joe Allen

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: With pin-sharp combat, peerless world-building, and masterful movement mechanics, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice breathes brutal and savage new life into action gaming.

Pathway

By Austin Suther

Score: 9/10

Summary: Pathway throws in a lot of different gameplay elements, but it does everything well. The strategic combat is simple and fluid, and doesn't outstay its welcome. The vignette-like adventures are palatable and entertaining. And perhaps best of all, it's one of the best looking pixelized games in recent memory.

One Finger Death Punch 2

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: One Finger Death Punch 2 manages to take a simplistic gameplay system and turn it into one of the most bizarrely addictive score chasers I've ever played.

Katana Zero

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Katana Zero's gameplay is genuinely fantastic. It's the perfect choice for someone looking for the next frantic and challenging indie darling.

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech

By Dan Hodges

Score: 9/10

Summary: SteamWorld Quest may be Image & Form's finest game yet, presenting a charming tale and a nuanced combat system wrapped up in a wonderfully cohesive style.

May

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

By Richard Costa

Score: 9/10

Summary: Months after the final release, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is still going strong. The minigame-turned-esport continually goes through iterations and patches, shedding skins and morphing into a real beast of a card game. It has a wistful past, a solid present, and a bright future.

Figment

By Kyle Johnson

Score: 9/10

Summary: Boasting surprising depth and an engaging world, Figment is proof that something that looks geared towards a younger audience can be enjoyed by everyone.

Void Bastards

By Austin Suther

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Void Bastards is a work of art, not only in its visuals but also in gameplay. The progression is strong and the gameplay is a blast. Exploring each derelict ship was a treat, and I can't wait to dive back into the Sargasso Nebula for more fun.

Vambrace: Cold Soul

By Kyle Johnson

Score: 9/10

Summary: Packing some serious challenge, Vambrace: Cold Soul grips you with atmosphere and gorgeous visuals, even as the combat isn't as deep as it could be.

June

Outer Wilds

By Richard Costa

Score: 9/10

Summary: Outer Wilds is a triumphant first-person exploration adventure with innovative (quantum) physics puzzles. More than that, it's a microcosm in itself that pleads to be explored and untangled in its minutiae.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer

By Austin Suther

Score: 9/10

Summary: Cadence of Hyrule is a strange spin-off between The Legend of Zelda and Crypt of the Necrodancer, but it works so well as a mashup. It's a bit too short and the replay value isn't substantial, but the remixed songs and exhilarating gameplay are too good to pass up.

July

Amid Evil

By Trevor Whalen

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Amid Evil is a superb first-person shooter crafted in the classic style, and a more than worthy spiritual successor to Heretic. But it's more than either of those things: it is its own masterpiece, an instant classic for all times.

Nowhere Prophet

By Richard Costa

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Nowhere Prophet is a unique and thoughtful single-player deckbuilding card game set in a fascinating Indofuturistic world. It features compelling convoy management with hints of The Oregon Trail, and a highly innovative 'living card' mechanic.

August

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

By Austin Suther

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Fire Emblem: Three Houses excels in almost every aspect. The combat feels fresh and extremely fun. Meanwhile, the story will keep you engaged all the way to the end of its duration. It's just so close to total perfection, were it not for the lacking difficulty and the average performance on the Switch.

Ion Fury

By Trevor Whalen

Score: 9/10

Summary: Ion Fury is a high-energy, action-packed retro ride with great gameplay, level design, visuals and audio. It's a reminder that great old-school design is forever.

Control

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Control combines a fantastically weird setting with fast-paced combat, awesome exploration, and impressively destructible environments. It's an absolute gem of a game. Just make sure you get it on PC or an upgraded console.

September

Children of Morta

By Robert N. Adams

Score: 9/10

Summary: Children of Morta serves as a fine ARPG for newbies and veterans alike. A beautiful world brought alive by beautiful pixel art, catchy music, and incredibly compelling gameplay that holds the whole package together.

Gears 5

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Gears 5's campaign is the best the series has seen, and Escape mode is a brilliant new addition. It's fun to play, beautiful to look at, and full of some of the best characters the series has ever seen.

Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)

By Samuel Guglielmo

Score: 9/10

Summary: Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) has the one major goal of making the world less lonely, and it manages that exceedingly well.

Borderlands 3

By Anson Chan

Score: 9/10

Summary: Borderlands 3 improves upon the Borderlands formula in every way possible, showing what a looter shooter is capable of when the basic requirements like a coherent story and cool loot are not just fulfilled, but exceeded

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

By Max Moller

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Iceborne is as good as expansions get. It presents welcome tweaks to the original formula and monsters that will challenge even the toughest of hunters. If only more of the campaign explored this.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

By Andrew Stretch

Score: 9/10

Summary: Link's Awakening takes everything excellent about the original release and adds a fantastic shine to it. This already might have been one of the best Zelda titles to date, and it's only improved here.

October

The Outer Worlds

By Robert Scarpinito

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Obsidian created a universe that's easy to get lost in. The Outer Worlds oozes personality and charm, and the robust character creator encourages multiple playthroughs just to see how different archetypes affect the gameplay.

Disco Elysium

By Robert Grosso

Score: 9/10

Summary: An intense role-playing odyssey, despite some overstuffed writing, Disco Elysium is an experience that has to be played to be believed.

December

Arise: A Simple Story

By Jeffrey Lerman

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Arise: A Simple Story tells a charming narrative with a beautiful atmosphere in both its design and soundtrack. Controlling the progression of time forward and backward is frequently used in unique ways to keep gameplay delightful.

Spirit of the North

By Courtney Ehrenhofler

Score: 9/10

Summary: Spirit of the North has much to offer, even though some of the finer points get lost in between the cracks, it's a journey well worth taking.

Sayonara Wild Hearts

By Nick Mallet

Score: 9.5/10

Summary: Sayonara Wild Hearts is easily Apple Arcade's first "killer app" and a must-play if you're a subscriber, interested in music games, or just want to try something new. The synergy between the visuals, gameplay, and music raises the bar for the genre.

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Are there any games you thought deserved a 9 or higher? Shocked to see something here? Anything you didn't want here? Let us know in the comments below!