Outer Wilds is the best 22 minutes you will play on repeat

I am not going to tell you much, because telling you things is the one sure way to ruin this one.

Here is the safe version: you are a little astronaut in a tiny, hand-built solar system, the sun blows up every 22 minutes, and you keep your memories through the loop. The only thing that carries over is what you figured out. No gun, no skill tree, no gear. Your upgrade is understanding.

It is the rare game that made me sit back and say "huh!" out loud, more than once. The whole solar system runs on real, consistent rules, and once you finally see them, a place you flew past ten times suddenly has a door you can open.

One tiny warning: it asks for patience, and a certain planet had me white knuckling the controller. Worth it.

If you take one recommendation from me all year, take this: play Outer Wilds, and do not look anything up. That is the whole review.