In the ’90s, Wing Commander: Privateer made me realize what kind of games I love

Ever since 1993, I think I’ve unconsciously judged almost every game by how well it can capture how Wing Commander: Privateer made me feel.

Steam and PlayStation (the two platforms I use the most) have been doing a year-in-review summary akin to the wildly popular Spotify Wrapped for the past few years. Based on these, I can report that my most-played games in 2025 were, from most hours down:

1. No Man’s Sky
2. Civilization VII
3. Assassin’s Creed…