I've missed playing stupid, rapid-fire online games with friends, and Fall Guys scratches that itch extremely well. But even in "single player" mode (i.e. without actual friends, just matched against AI and random other players) it remains super fun. The developers have done a good job of diversifying the mini-game options and keeping them fresh. There are definitely some I heavily dislike, but none that feel inherently unfair or rigged – you always have at least a small chance to make it through a round.

Plus, the special modes often seem to double-down on a specific technique or game, which means if it's one you enjoy you can rack of the points, and if it's one you aren't so sure on you can learn how it works a lot faster. And unlike many mini-game based competitive games, Fall Guys does seem to have a decent skill curve. It's rough at the start, but once you have the core physics down you can at least understand what you need to do. But unlike a Rocket League and its "flying" tactics, whilst you can definitely continue improving your capabilities, there isn't another super-steep skills gap after that initial plateau which feels like a whole different game. It has a nice sharp (but short) incline, a long, slow slope, and then a bit of a flick at the very end, which makes it incredibly approachable, but still feels inherently skills-based and rewarding to try to learn.

Throw on top a balanced but still addictive levelling system, decent loot drops (and not too pushy with microtransactions, even if they are ever-present), adorable graphics, and just enough micro-challenges to keep the dopamine running, and I've sunk quite a few hours into the game already 😅 I think this will enter the annual rotation quite nicely.