Asklemmy

Few games have captured my attention like XCom2, and it's last expansion.

I often find myself playing something new while also wishing it was XCOM 2...

Kerbal Space Program, Shadow Empire and Baldur's Gate 3.

Descent, over 20 years ago

If by "were" you mean "are", then Balatro.

Returnal. I went hard for a few weeks working those biomes.

I am currently going down the rabbit hole of sim racing. It's dangerous, and I'm trying my best not to drop tons of money into it.

Currently hooked on Factorio.

Before that, Baldur's Gate 3.

Before that, Factorio.

Yesterday i started playing custom doom wads at night because i wanted to see what new mods where available and lo and behold; i saw the sun rise.

Ghost of Tsushima is so good it almost makes me want to buy my own ps5, but I think I'll stick to borrowing my gf's.

I've spent a ridiculous amount of time with Balatro, the Steam Deck is Dangerous...

Horizon Forbidden West just released on PC, been hooked on it since then.

Baldur's Gate 3, four playthroughs back to back, two of em multiplayer. I still play it every now and then when I want to continue my honor run.

Besides that, Rimworld. Nearly 4k hours.

Noita! I've stopped playing it now as I more or less achieved everything I wanted to with it, but it really got a hold of me with how much it rewards creative approaches to problems

Spellcaster University.

It's not the most complex game, but you're given control to build your own set of universities, trying to accomplish the goals given to you. You have a limited amount of time before the Great Evil comes and you have to start over.

Each location has its pros and cons, different graduation classes can give benefits that persist through the run, and all the building is done through picking one of 3 cards themed around what they focus on(Gold for general improvement and random magic things, Mana of particular types for rooms/items focused on that school of magic).

Right now for me, that's Persona 3 Portable. These games have their issues, but the stories really make you care about the characters!

To the moon. Played it a few years ago. Cried.

You'll laugh.

Bus simulator: Ultimate
Android game that will toast your phone, but it's pretty nice. It has a multiplayer too and a 2nd hand market where people bid on used buses. Naturally this means it's best to attempt to put a bus for auction in specific hours, and bid in others.

Some of the longer routes take well over an hour in real world.
One effect on me, which is also true for trains and busses in real life, is that it makes me sleepy pretty quickly.
Low frequency sound of the engine, trees moving past, road lanes quickly zipping past, you're just staring in front while doing minor adjustments and falling asleep.
I should not drive in real life.

Helldivers 2, currently. I'm hooked on the progression and acquisition of all of the unlockables, but it's the moment to moment gameplay that keeps me wanting to hunt all the loadout options I probably won't use anyway.

Postal Brain Damaged. If you like boomer shooters,

It's got charming art and level designs, satisfying weapons, and a whole lot of irreverence.

I'm out of the daydreaming phase because I've beaten it a few times, but it's still my comfort food game of choice.

majormud

spent forever writing scripts to do all the farming. i kinda miss it, but its no fun without other users and no one else would ever want to play it again

Baldur's Gate 3. I just can't get enough. When I'm too tired to play myself I'm watching streams of other people playing. Sometimes I get fed up for a few days but so far it has always pulled me back in.

The "worst" for me was in 2006 with the release of Gothic 3. I had saved up for a powerful new PC and taken two or three weeks off work to play. I played deep into the night. Then deep into the morning. Then deep into the day. Then deep into the evening. Until my sleep schedule was aligned with my regular schedule again at the end of my holidays.

The last game that truly gave me the feeling you described is Lies of P. It was my favourite game of 2023 and the 60 or so hours I put into beating it were very well spent.

Ive been playing a lot of read dead redemption lately.

Completely hooked on: Baldur's Gate 3.

Completely hooked on in the past tense and stopped playing: Overwatch.

Completely hooked on would be Dark Souls 3. Right now I'm playing The Witcher 3, and while it's good, it makes me want to boot up DS3 - less talking more fighting