Scoring big on game day: our favorite sports games of 2022

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From the swelling triumph of a close victory to the painful sting of defeat, the best sports capture the emotional rollercoaster of being human. The best sports games do the same, but sometimes in unexpected ways. Whether it’s a realistic simulation of real-world sports or a fantastic vision of some bloody sport of the future, we can’t get enough of striving for each delicious win. Here are our favorite sports games of 2022.

Number 5: Cursed to Golf

Ahhh, golf. The most notoriously boring of all competitive sports. But what if playing golf was the only way you could escape from purgatory? What if golf was a roguelike? What if you were...CURSED...TO GOLF?! This adorable, challenging indie game combines light platforming and puzzle mechanics while still implementing the fundamental skills one would use in actual golf. It’s the perfect way to make a snoozefest of a sport much more exciting. -@Kef

Number 4: Super Baseball League

Super Baseball League is a baseball game for those that love and appreciate the sport, but don’t have the time to invest three hours into a single nine-inning game. As I said in my original review: “It’s baseball hopped up on methamphetamines and stripped clean of any dillydallying,” and I stand by those words one-hundred percent. So if that describes a perfect day at the ol’ ballpark for you then check out Super Baseball League. -@JB

Number 3: FIFA 23

Just in time for World Cup season, we get the juggernaut that is FIFA. On top of new additions to the gameplay, like the theatrical power shots, FIFA 23 ups the ante visually as well, with player animations and intense action replays. EA also added women’s matches and clubs while motion capturing the stars to ensure the same authentic action in the women’s competition as you'll see in the men’s games. A solid follow-up to FIFA 22 and worth unleashing your inner soccer fan over. -@StaggerLee

Number 2: NBA 2K23

I’ve got a basketball jones, and luckily NBA 2K23 is here to fill it. Sure, this title has all the spectacle players of the series have come to love. But the addition of the Jordan Challenge, which serves as an interactive journey through Michael Jordan’s career, makes this game special. Replicating Jordan’s feats is one of the coolest challenges a basketball game has offered in years and provides a true homage to the legend that made basketball as popular as it is today. -@StaggerLee

Number 1: Rollerdrome

Rollerdrome is definitely an interesting sports title, and I’m glad it came out on top here rather than a traditional sports title. Where those annual sports game releases can start to feel a little overly familiar year after year, Rollerdrome is anything but the same old, same old. It combines elements of Jet Grind Radio, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and the classic ’70s films Rollerball and A Clockwork Orange. The weird hybrid of awesomeness that results has to be played to be fully understood. So, go do that. Now. -@JB