I think Outer Wilds is the most unique and fantastic way to tell a story I've ever experienced. Truly open in a way I've not seen before or since.
With the banger of a soundtrack too, I just can't bring myself to rate other games higher than it; even if I enjoy them more, Outer Wilds is probably the best game I've ever played.
Slay the Spire probably makes the list as it's inspired countless tweaks on its incredibly balanced deck building experience

I'm not sure how I feel about AI chatbots as NPCs. On one hand, it does add near infinite dialogue options and flexibility to adapt to what a player does. That's super cool and immersive.
On the other hand, it feels so damn lazy. Like I want to play games with dialogue/story as an art form, not as a "how much time can I spend here"