A list of games of note and nominees for my favourite games of 2012.
Showing 1-10 of 18 items
Fez isn't just my favourite game of the year, it just might be my favourite game ever.It is more than the platformer it may appear to be on the surface, with a stunning visual style and affecting awesome music Fez is an absolutely surreal experience. Add the mind-blowing meta-game puzzles that lie inside and Fez has much more to offer to those who want to sink their teeth into something great. Personal award: Best game, possibly ever Secondary award: Best music
Crusader Kings 2 is a game that cannot be explained in a few words, but despite its complexity there is a brilliant novelty that comes from taking up the reigns of a medieval nation, building spy networks, arranging plots and assuring the continuation of a strong dynasty. Crusader Kings tells amazing stories that you can really become invested in. I spend hours in my own version of this wonderful history game and many more in the games fan-made Game of Thrones mod. Personal award: Most engrossing Secondary award: Most historically accurate
Journey provided one of the biggest departures for videogame conventions this year. It was a beautiful looking game that sent players on an epic. Its use of multiplayer co-op, lack of dialogue and sand-surfing mechanic made for an enjoyable experience, all backed by one of the best videogame scores in a long time. Journey deserves to be on everyones' top ten this year and should be well rewarded for pushing the boundary for what games should be. Personal award: Most progressive game Secondary award: Best use of multiplayer
The Walking dead is Telltale game's newest and best attempt at their adventure game revival. This time, they manage to create an emotionally gripping story with twists and turns that never let you forget your mistakes and constantly have you wondering what challenges your group will be up against next. Personal award: Most emotionally inventing Secondary award: Best adventure game
I had never played XCOM prior to Enemy Unknown, but after being hounded by friends to give it a shot I got hooked after just a few missions. XCOM does a fantastic job of not only making complex strategy simple but fun.I would say Enemy Unknown does for XCOM what Civ V did for its francise which is no surprise considering the Firaxis pedigree. XCOM gives players a lot to do and managing resources makes you feel stretched, while engineering new weapons gives you the joy of beating aliens at their own game. This game is a lot of fun, mixed with stress and the feeling of accomplishment. Personal award: Best evolution of a genre Secondary award: Saddest death
FTL seemed to come out of nowhere and then seize my attention. It make simple tasks such as "keep flying" seem insurmountable at times and provides more than adequate challenge when it feels you are having it too good, but no matter the outcome it makes you want to jump right back in with a new crew and a sense of hope that this time will be better. Personal award: Best roguelike Secondary award: Best use of airlocks
Spaceteam is great. There could not be a better, more ingeniously-inventive mulitplayer experience out there, and it's free. Spaceteam is an exhilarating mix of panic and communication that leaves everyone panting by the end of a the mission. It is more than anything I could have hoped for from the ios platform and shows everyone that there is a lot of great experiences to come from all kinds of games. Personal award: Best party game Secondary award: Most panic inducing
Tokyo Jungle is weird. It takes everything I used to love about crazy Japanese games from their hay-day and makes a play for the spotlight. This is a game that sounds crazy, but makes perfect sense once you start playing. There is plenty of content and hours of zoologic adventure to be had, and while I cannot immagine this as a $60 retail release, its a perfect budget download to have in your collection. Personal award: Most Japanese game Secondary award: Most, "I can't believe they actually made this."
Puzzlejuice is intriguing blend of Tetris, Boggle and match-3 games all wrapped up in a sexy bow. The game offers challenges, power-ups, leaderboards a a variety of modes to keep players satisfied and enguaged. Personal award: Best puzzle/word game Secondary award: Best game to play with a sweetheart
Shattered Horizon is a game I did not know I wanted until the first second I saw it. It takes the standard team-based FPS and puts such a spin on it as to make the genre feel brand new. With breathtaking maps and awe-inspiring galactic gunfights zero-g combat is one of my favourite developments of the year. Personal award: Most surprising Secondary: Best use of three dimensions