My awesome husband gifted me a 128G Oculus 1 in September of 2020 for my birthday. In less than 6 months after that, I decided to upgrade to the Oculus Quest 2 256G version, as I was already filling my headset with games such that I was running out of space. In the intervening time, I have gotten a gaggle of friends to purchase the Quest 2, which is now known as the Meta Quest 2, and have tried and fallen in love with many many games. 

Recently some friends got new headsets, and I realized it would be helpful to list some of my favorite titles. I will break them into four categories: Movement & Music, Action & Shooters, Casual & Social, and Puzzle & Story. I am not really into sports games generally speaking, so you won't find much in that category for me, and what could be loosely called "sport" games I would put into Casual & Social.

In a future post, I am also going to list my top favorite accessories for the Meta Quest 2, to make game playing more comfortable, and so you can play longer!

Movement & Music

Beat Saber - $29.99
While it is not my favorite of the category, in my opinion, it is one of the must-haves for every Quest owner. It is a great intro to movement and rhythm games, has a good tutorial, has a reasonable footprint to play in (so small spaces won't keep you from playing it), and various play options to tailor your experience and level up as you gain skill. The base music catalog is not my favorite, but it'll get you moving, and there are a lot of DLC (downloadable content) in-app to expand your repertoire, including Imagine Dragons, Green Day, and most recently Billie Eilish. 

Note: Beat Saber does not support custom song maps natively, but it can be done via SideQuest. However, it does break periodically when BS updates their software and the third party app that allows custom songs hasn't updated yet. And even then you have to go through SideQuest to set it all up again. I don't use custom songs for BS for this reason.

Others:
I have tried Pistol Whip, Smash Drums, Audio Trip, Supernatural, FitXR, and Dance Central. I just wasn't into them as much as these top two I recommend. Pistol Whip is fun for a shooting game, but isn't as exciting as a rhythm game; and there are simply shooters I like better. Audio Trip is most similar to SynthRiders, but I found the game mechanics less enjoyable for me. Supernatural and FitXR are really for, well, fitness. I LIKE that I get fitness benefits from my rhythm games, but it isn't why I play them. I play them because they are fun, but the fitness part is more incidental. And Dance Central I might enjoy more socially, but just wasn't fun for me solo, so I returned it. Your mileage may vary!

Action & Shooters

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - $24.99
SW: TFGE + DLC Bundle - $34.98
A longer title than even the full Vader Immortal Series combined (see below), and with more varied action and storytelling. You will visit a bevy of locations from the movies, picking up weaponry and money along the way. You'll buy upgraded equipment, make allies, and enjoy some side-quest fun in the form of finding colorful droid units as easter eggs in the environment. There is full questing in this one, and unlock-able achievements to keep the completionist in you happy for hours on end. I prefer this title over Vader Immortal--and there is certainly more content here--but it will be more challenging for casual gamers. If you want a more dip-your-toe storytelling experience with a little action, try Vader Immortal. If you're into the action as a primary player, this is the better choice, IMHO.

Vader Immortal Series - $29.97
You can buy each chapter individually for $9.99, but if playing in a virtual Star Wars universe interests you even a little, just get the whole thing. Around May 4th, it often goes on sale for 50% off (like right now), but I'd pay full price for this myself without complaint if I have the money. Each chapter has you playing through a short story, with you as a lightsaber-wielding protagonist. There is some light puzzling here, but largely you will be exploring, climbing, and waging battle against various enemies. The battles are not difficult, so even those who aren't familiar with this genre of gameplay will feel like the hero they were meant to be. Excellent graphics and voice acting.

Drop Dead: Dual Strike - $14.99
Good old fashioned shoot-em-up! Take the zombies out in various environments, from farms and cellars, to desert canyons and evil scientist lairs. This game is "on rails", which means it will bring you from point A to point B, and you don't have control over the path like you would in an open world like Walking Dead: S&S (above). Various zombies come at you from 180-270 degrees around you, and you'll use a myriad of guns and melee weapons to take them out. At the end of each chapter, you get a star rating for accuracy and speed, so if you like arcade style shooting games where you can replay levels to improve your score, this will be right up your alley.

Puzzle & Story

This is my favorite category of gaming, so you're gonna get a lot of suggestions here.

Puzzling Places - $14.99
I have been playing this since it was $4.99 on SideQuest, and backed their Patreon for months before their full release title. A full release which I gladly paid for all over again, and am enjoying the bells and whistles they added to the experience. Through the magic of 3D photogrammetry, the developers have created an interactive, immersive puzzle experience that I find incredibly challenging and relaxing at the same time. I love how this game gives me locations and objects to try to assemble, encouraging me to really appreciate the smallest details. A small corner of carpet I may never have appreciated before is suddenly my sole focus as I try to find its place is a palace sitting room scene. A particular shape of a rooftop in a faraway country demands my utter concentration as I seek the villa it belongs to. The full release added ambient soundscapes from the location of the photo, so you can hear music from the harpsichord, or bustling traffic and children playing from the park. You can choose easier or harder challenges by choosing your puzzle be split into fewer or more pieces.

This title overlaps between puzzle and casual, because it really is the kind of casual game you can just pick up and put down anytime you feel like it. but obviously...it's literally puzzles!

Note: Some people said they got motion sickness from the movement style of this game, but I am sensitive to that and I did not personally experience that.

Down the Rabbit Hole - $19.99
I am a sucker for Alice in Wonderland themed games, and this one does it justice. If you like games like Moss, you'll appreciate the immersive environment and charming characters in this puzzler. It is clever how it draws you in, the artwork is playful and lovely, and the puzzles are right in the middle of the difficulty spectrum. Hidden collectibles throughout as well, to get you really scouring your environments, which are deep and beautiful.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter - $29.99
I have played every The Room game available from Fireproof Games, so knew I was going to really love this game. 3D environment with physical puzzles to solve, in order to unlock...more puzzles! If you want to know if this type of game is to your liking before sinking $30 into it, the original The Room is something like $.99 to put on an iPad or smart phone. $4.99 each for the next three titles, as of this writing. It is low on story, but high in ambiance. Beautiful environments, creative puzzles. And the VR chapter of this series delivers on everything I love about the original series of games.

A Fisherman's Tale - $14.99
This is a title developed by a French team, and their unique approach to the art and puzzle mechanics shines through. It is just so CLEVER. The way you interact with the environments is like nothing I have ever played before, and will have you feel like Alice in Wonderland (no relation to Down the Rabbit Hole above LOL). Let's just say you bend the laws of physics to achieve your goals.

The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets - $9.99
Guided by your grandfather's voice, unravel the mystery of the stolen pets! A story-supported puzzler, with adorable miniature claymation-style environments to interact with as you try to solve the physical puzzles. This one can be fun to play with hand tracking, which makes you feel even more immersed in the scenes. While it misses the tactile feedback from the grips, it frees you in other ways-- turning, pinching, grabbing, nudging. And the environment itself encourages you to bend down, lean in, peek into and around obstacles to see all the details. Really adorable.

Ghost Giant - $24.99
A gorgeous game with a bit of a heavy story from Swedish developers Zoink Games. You really enter the world, reaching through the 4th wall to share in the environment with the characters. Similar to Moss, in that you will manipulate the environment for your tiny protagonist to be able to solve various puzzles. The world often offers dioramas you can turn to examine and interact with to discover what needs to be done to advance the story. I said heavy story, but don't let that scare you off. It is ultimately a story of courage and hope, and worth every minute spent helping your little friend in his time of need.

Shadow Point - $19.99
Let's be honest. They had me at Patrick Stewart narrating it. But the game itself has a unique puzzle mechanic in using shadows and mirror images to manipulate your environments, unfolding a story chapter by chapter. 

Casual & Social

Walkabout Mini Golf - $14.99
This is just casual, social fun. Carve out a 3X3 space in your living room and hop back into your childhood playing mini golf. Make a room with friends and compete with each other while you chat. Lots of different courses to choose from.

Premium Bowling - $19.99
Multiple different themed bowling alleys, a simple interface, and a chance to get to the lanes from the comfort of your home. Bonus: no tennis elbow!

Honorable Mentions

Demeo - $29.99
I don't know where to slot this one in, and my recommendation for it would really only go to very specific gamers, so I put it down here. It's like a D&D game meets a deck builder, with a 3D game board in front of you, where all your minis are playing out the battles in front of you. You can play solo and up to 4 players. There are ways to get matched with strangers online, but I don't prefer to trust that, so I've mostly played solo and a bit with my husband on a second Oculus. For me it was a little bit challenging to learn at first, and the scenarios are not easy, but once you get the rhythm of your character class, the options become more clear and you will get closer to beating the biggest bosses.

Alcove - FREE
Clearly looking to harness Boomers and their immediately adjacent aging generations, Alcove transports you to a calm home with a big TV with curated content, a collection of simple virtual games, walls where you can put up photos of your loved ones, a virtual world tour to visit unique locations around the globe in full surround, and more. While it isn't very deep, developers are actively trying to increase content. It is completely free, so worth getting to check it out.

Pottery VR - $19.99
Learn pottery skills, including shaping, firing, and painting your pieces. Increasing skills gets you not only money to expand your set of tools and glazes, but also some popularity. You start to receive commission requests. Do your best to match your masterpiece as closely as possible to the inspiration item to receive payment and more commissions, or make your own creations to sell at auction. This game is just very...chill. The kind of game where you do very little, so it's relaxing, but you still feel like you have something to work toward, so you aren't bored.

RealVR Fishing - $19.99
I hesitate to list this one, because I think it's kind of a high price for what you get. But people who get into this game get REALLY into this game. If you just need a quiet escape from the outside world, doing a casual activity, this might hit the right note for you. Travel around South Korea to the most beautiful rivers, lakes, and ocean views (they added the US West expansion recently as well). Collect fish in your giant fish tank at your own personal cabin on the water. Upgrade your fishing kit and boats, buy hats and clothing. You can crate a room to play with friends and chat while you fish. You can always try it and return it if it isn't up your alley, so I include it for your consideration.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

12 cashews (or almonds)

4 pitted Medjool dates

1 can (15oz) coconut milk

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1.5 cups oats (Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats was my first experiment)

1 can (15oz) coconut milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

INSTRUCTIONS

Put water, nuts, and dates in a blender and blend until milky and broken down significantly.

In large jar, pour in water/cashew/date mixture, and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir, or seal and shake.

Put in fridge overnight. Spoon into dishes and enjoy with fruit, nut butters, or as-is! I like to portion mine out into short individual jars for quick-grab in the morning. Good for 3-5 days in the fridge.

We're in the thick of it now. It's officially Thanksgiving week, which means my counters and fridge are overflowing with ingredients, ready to tackle the mountain of dishes I plan to cook up this week, including all the necessary ingredients to make and freeze some leftover turkey pot pies.

Despite *Science telling us otherwise, our favorite has continued to be the Alton Brown wet brine. We have made many birds many ways in our past 21 Thanksgivings as a couple, including the pre-brining years, dry brines and wet brines of various ilk, the miserably attempted smoked year (threw the whole thing out it was so bad), the amazing sous vide year, and various combos of whole, pieced, and spatchcocked.

 

Also, I will be spatchcocking again, putting aromatics in a little foil nest under the center of the bird and a ring of stuffing around the outside. This is a method I developed for myself years ago when I discovered spatchcocking of poultry generally, and as well wanted turkey drippings to still flavor the stuffing without the food-borne illness concerns of stuffing a whole bird.

Photo of me with one of my early very successful turkey attempts! 2005?

Here's 2020, spatchcocked goodness:


Video of Alton's brine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKr1rByVVCI

Written recipe:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

* Kenji throwing down the science that supposedly proves me wrong. But you can't argue with our taste buds, Kenji!! https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-the-truth-about-brining-turkey-thanksgiving