2013 Game of The Year List

This year was a huge year for gaming, we saw the release of two major consoles, and at least one minor console...I'm looking at you my beloved Ouya when I say that. The thing is, this year I found a lot more enjoyment in games that came out before 2013, so my list isn't going to follow the conventional rules of "Game of the Year" because these were just the games I enjoyed playing the most this year, and not my favorite games released this year. Don't worry though, I checked the rules, I can put whatever I want on this thing, so that's what I'm going to do! I know that The Last of Us deserves to be on this list, but I couldn't really justify putting a game I never came close to finish on this list, so I'll save it for next year; which will probably be dubbed as "The Year of the Backlog". (I won't be picking up the new consoles just yet). I'll probably have to put it up on next years list.

10. Grand Theft Auto V

There isn't a lot to say about Grand Theft Auto V That hasn't already been said, but the one thing that I think does need to be said, is that I really wonder why this game is not on more Game of the Year lists. Not only is it a near perfect game, but it's also damn good fun to play! Either way I had a blast playing it this year and that's why it was good enough to make it to this list.

9. SimCity

I'm not going to lie to you, the launch of SimCity this year was a disaster, but for some reason I found myself over and over again being drawn back into it's broken arms. I never played much of the other SimCity games before this years iteration. I was always more of a fan of the more simplistic RollerCoaster Tycoon games instead, but the more I read, and saw about SimCity, the more excited I was for it. I've never been in an unhealthy relationship, but I can only imagine my relationship with this game was very much that type of relationship. No matter how broken it made me, I kept returning back for more. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of the people who thinks that SimCity was a busted piece of garbage, in fact for me the only problem I really had with the game was with server issues. All told I've apparently put close to 90 hours. "Why?" you ask? Well, because I love it. That's why. SimCity really is a great game.

8. Tomb Raider

When I first heard Crystal Dynamics decided to reboot the Tomb Raider franchise, I could not have been more excited, as a guy who has never really been a huge fan of the Tomb Raider games, I couldn't have given a crap before about them, but for some reason I found myself really drawn to this game. Then I saw the first game play footage of the game, and like a lot of people, I kind of lost interest in paying any sort of attention to the release of this game. When March rolled around, I had kind of forgotten about the game altogether, but when it started getting really good press, I decided to give it a shot, and much to my surprise it ended up being one of my most adored games of all year. In fact I'd be surprised to not see it show up somewhere on my games of my life list someday. It was really that great of a game! I got a free copy when I built my PC this July, and I'm really excited to sometime soon fire it back up and give it another play-through, and since I'm not picking up any of the new consoles. 2014 might just be the year to do that.

7. Gone Home

I find it hard to even consider this a game, because it isn't much more than just walking around a house finding stuff, but when you dive deep down into it, it's really a wonderful story. I will keep this short because I'm afraid I'll spoil it for everyone! Go play Gone Home Now!

6. Windjammers

I have only the Giant Bomb Crew to thank for my addiction to this game. I know I'm not exactly playing it the "proper" way, when I plug in my Ouya, and play it on an emulator, but this game was made for one thing, and that's fun. Every time I have people over we pop out my Ouya, and play some Windjammers. It's a huge hit with all my friends now, and I have this site to thank for that. This game is one of those games that's extremely easy to pick up and play, but yet it has enough complexity to feel like it's worthwhile to keep playing it. Here's to the hopes that somebody will make a faithful remake with an online mode, so i never have to stop playing it.

5. Divekick

Don't get me wrong, but Divekick is the dumbest game to come out all year. It really is extremely stupid. Everything from the characters, to the fact that there's a "YOLO gem" that is essentially like committing suicide before a match even starts. Not to mention their commitment to the two button format so much, that even the menus are controlled with the use of two buttons. In fact, writing about how dumb this game makes me want to go play this game again so...hey, this is Tom, and I'll be finishing this post for Caleb, since he had to go play more divekick. He really loves this game. Enough said.

4. BioShock Infinite

Once I started playing Infinite, I couldn't stop. I bought it, and finished it within three short days, which is a very rare occurrence these days as a college student. It's not a perfect game, but in my mind it is a perfect story, and the creators of the game have definitely crafted a perfect world with Columbia. There was a moment where I knew this game was special, and it wasn't anything in the game part of the game. It was a moment near the end of the credits where the two voice actors who play Booker DeWitt, and Elizabeth are sitting in the recording studio and singing the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard of the old hymn "Will the Circle be Unbroken". There really was a ton of love poured into this game, and it definitely shows. If you haven't played it it's at least worth a try.

3. League of Legends

I know this game came out in 2009, but I didn't even play it until this year. I do remember trying to play it once back when it was first released, but I was so confused how to play, I probably didn't even play a full match. I didn't even really play all that much of this game, but it made it on my list simply because of the experiences I did have with it. More than once this year did a few friends and myself get together to play some of this game in the same room. In fact every single match I have played has been with friends. It really hearkens back to a time when we would all get together and have Halo lan parties in high school, and for that. This game was great!

2. Dota 2

I think Brad Shoemaker has talked at such great lengths about this game, that I don't need to justify why it's on my list. I've come nowhere near to plugging in the amount of time that he has into the game, and in fact I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of this game yet. The thing is, for a game that I'm not really that good at; I still find myself returning to it an awful lot.

1. To the Moon

I told you my list wouldn't follow the rules. Who says a game that came out in 2011 can't be my 2013 Game of the Year Not to be confused with the game Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon, To the Moon is a small little indie game with one of the best, and most overlooked stories in the medium.. Without spoiling too much, it's a beautiful love story that is told through a series of vignettes. The game plays out through a series of vignettes, that play sort of like a 16 bit era RPG. There's no combat, and it's a story that can be wrapped up in less than 4 hours, but it kept me engrossed the entire way. This game is entirely deserving of being game of the year for the fact that, like BioShock Infinite, it was one of the only games to ever make me cry. Yeah, that's right ladies...I cried from a game. If you haven't played this gem then stop what you're doing and go play it right now, and come back in four hours and tell me what you think. I personally, loved this game to the moon and back...pun intended.