As someone who hasn't gamed in a decade, there are certain game projects I just like to check in on every now and then out of sheer fascination with the dedicat

As someone who hasn't gamed in a decade, there are certain game projects I just like to check in on every now and then out of sheer fascination with the dedication that's been invested into them. • Thrive — An overly-ambitious, Spore-inspired, free/open-source survival game. It's everything people wished Spore was with the depth of mechanics and scientific basis. They've been working on it for over decade (releasing weekly dev updates) and they've barely scratched the surface on the multicelluar stage (stage 2 of 9 planned stages) • Dwarf Fortress — One of the most phenomenal passion projects ever created and it's pay-what-you-can. I hope some day they consider open sourcing it or passing it on to other hands so it can live on forever. • Star Citizen — see tfa. • No Man's Sky — The most dramatic turnaround of a reputation in gaming imo. Fans saw a trailer and way overhyped it leading to a dramatic disappointment at release. The devs have never stopped releasing content for it since launch, turning it into one of the most beloved games on the internet. • Minecraft — The original indie breakout star (no longer indie). This year they switched to a 2-year version naming system. The PaaS-ification of gaming is complete. • EVE Online — Just the economics of it really. Special mentions: Overgrowth, RimWorld, Terraria, and Stardew Valley