(Before I get started, why is Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP up for awards this year? That was a 2011 game with no major differences in its PC/Mac/Android releases from its original. Not that I'm complaining…it was my GOTY last year, but I'm just curious what gets it exempted from the "ROM dump/HD Version" rule.)
1. Fez ; It's really too bad that so much controversy has taken away from such a genuinely good experience. Playing Fez is an experience that is unlike so many in an age of GameFAQs, video walkthroughs and the like. The game can be simple - just hunt for the cubes! - or it can be further and further complex, with coded alphabets and hidden items. As you start to find the hints that point to the crazier puzzles, you feel more rewarded. Despite little text, Fez is awesomely charming with gorgeous pixel art and a superb soundtrack. More than anything, it is a game I can recommend to almost anyone, and that's what puts it at the top for 2012.
2. Analogue A Hate Story ; One of only a handful of games I've ever played that made me want to do further reading into its inspiration. Analogue is not for everybody - it's a visual novel; I'm sorry - but it is a game that everybody should play. The game has you exploring the records of a civilization on a spaceship lost for hundreds of years, whose society underwent some transformation after losing contact with Earth and came to resemble the institutionalized patriarchy of feudal Korea. The story that unfolds as you peer through the messages the ship's inhabitants left behind is tragic, stunning and shockingly less extreme in ways than its inspiration. It's amazing what Christine Love accomplishes where entire teams of writers can't.
3. Super Hexagon ; I've spent more time playing this than almost anything else this year. Obscenely simple and impossibly frustrating. A game that constantly makes you punch yourself for losing; this is the arcade gameplay style's answer to Dark Souls.
4. Halo 4 ; No matter what HaloGAF thinks, I loved every minute I spent with this game. The campaign is just surprising enough, with the sandbox encounters that are why I love Halo; the multiplayer is the most fun I've had with Halo multi in a long time. I can't complain about too many choices, but I do wish campaign scoring was in.
5. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; I can't believe I can score a fan service-focused Final Fantasy title this high! Theatrhythm, while infuriating to type, has tons (tons!) of content in its 3DS incarnation and controls perfect on iOS. Anyone who has enjoyed a Final Fantasy game and a music game can and should get into this, but I understand if you're not a Final Fantasy fan that it loses a lot of appeal. Still, the sheer amount of fun packed into that 3DS cartridge overrides any need for prior education and gets it a spot on my list.
6. Persona 4 Golden ; 2008 strikes back. There still hasn't been a better Japanese RPG since Persona 4 and at the rate things are going there may never be. Persona 4 Golden makes a must-play literally mandatory if you can breathe and like RPGs. Sell your kidneys for a Vita and play this. It only places 5th because it's still a remake, but it is probably the best remake I've ever encountered. And if you need more convincing it seriously references NeoGAF within the first four hours.
7. Sleeping Dogs ; Another pleasant surprise, and one not without its flaws, Sleeping Dogs is a hell of a game. Hong Kong is a fun backdrop and the driving in particular stands out among others in its genre. Loads of personality help the game feel unique in a landscape dominated by Grand Theft Auto and Saint's Row.
8. Persona 4 Arena ; Guilty Gear - a bunch of characters + Shoji Meguro - Daisuke Ishiwatari + a lower bar of entry + a story that almost kind of a little bit makes sense = an awesome fighter. Game is phenomenal fun, limited only by its small cast.
9. Mass Effect 3 ; ME3 isn't as good as ME2, but when it shines it shines brighter. The big set piece events - taking down the Reaper on Rannoch, for example - are tense and memorable. It's a pity it didn't live up to ME2 but that doesn't need to take away from the fun ride that it is.
10. Tokyo Jungle ; Awesome awesome awesome. Just buy this.
x. Journey ; Journey is a game I have such a hard time with. It's very memorable, enjoyable, and moving. It's just the right length and is gorgeous both in appearance and audio. The game is unlike any other online multiplayer game. But playing Journey is, in the end, not that different from watching somebody -else- play Journey, and this is why I can't say it's one of the ten best games released this year. The actual play mechanics in Journey are, well, disappointingly average; very few of the feelings Journey evokes are caused by having the controller in your hand. It is still worth playing and will be a game remembered for a long time, but sadly, not for being fun or interesting to play.
x. New Super Mario Bros. U ; Yes, it's another NSMB game, but it's absurdly fun, challenging, and is packed full of things to do. In a game that had less memorable releases would easily have charted.
1. Fez ; It's really too bad that so much controversy has taken away from such a genuinely good experience. Playing Fez is an experience that is unlike so many in an age of GameFAQs, video walkthroughs and the like. The game can be simple - just hunt for the cubes! - or it can be further and further complex, with coded alphabets and hidden items. As you start to find the hints that point to the crazier puzzles, you feel more rewarded. Despite little text, Fez is awesomely charming with gorgeous pixel art and a superb soundtrack. More than anything, it is a game I can recommend to almost anyone, and that's what puts it at the top for 2012.
2. Analogue A Hate Story ; One of only a handful of games I've ever played that made me want to do further reading into its inspiration. Analogue is not for everybody - it's a visual novel; I'm sorry - but it is a game that everybody should play. The game has you exploring the records of a civilization on a spaceship lost for hundreds of years, whose society underwent some transformation after losing contact with Earth and came to resemble the institutionalized patriarchy of feudal Korea. The story that unfolds as you peer through the messages the ship's inhabitants left behind is tragic, stunning and shockingly less extreme in ways than its inspiration. It's amazing what Christine Love accomplishes where entire teams of writers can't.
3. Super Hexagon ; I've spent more time playing this than almost anything else this year. Obscenely simple and impossibly frustrating. A game that constantly makes you punch yourself for losing; this is the arcade gameplay style's answer to Dark Souls.
4. Halo 4 ; No matter what HaloGAF thinks, I loved every minute I spent with this game. The campaign is just surprising enough, with the sandbox encounters that are why I love Halo; the multiplayer is the most fun I've had with Halo multi in a long time. I can't complain about too many choices, but I do wish campaign scoring was in.
5. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; I can't believe I can score a fan service-focused Final Fantasy title this high! Theatrhythm, while infuriating to type, has tons (tons!) of content in its 3DS incarnation and controls perfect on iOS. Anyone who has enjoyed a Final Fantasy game and a music game can and should get into this, but I understand if you're not a Final Fantasy fan that it loses a lot of appeal. Still, the sheer amount of fun packed into that 3DS cartridge overrides any need for prior education and gets it a spot on my list.
6. Persona 4 Golden ; 2008 strikes back. There still hasn't been a better Japanese RPG since Persona 4 and at the rate things are going there may never be. Persona 4 Golden makes a must-play literally mandatory if you can breathe and like RPGs. Sell your kidneys for a Vita and play this. It only places 5th because it's still a remake, but it is probably the best remake I've ever encountered. And if you need more convincing it seriously references NeoGAF within the first four hours.
7. Sleeping Dogs ; Another pleasant surprise, and one not without its flaws, Sleeping Dogs is a hell of a game. Hong Kong is a fun backdrop and the driving in particular stands out among others in its genre. Loads of personality help the game feel unique in a landscape dominated by Grand Theft Auto and Saint's Row.
8. Persona 4 Arena ; Guilty Gear - a bunch of characters + Shoji Meguro - Daisuke Ishiwatari + a lower bar of entry + a story that almost kind of a little bit makes sense = an awesome fighter. Game is phenomenal fun, limited only by its small cast.
9. Mass Effect 3 ; ME3 isn't as good as ME2, but when it shines it shines brighter. The big set piece events - taking down the Reaper on Rannoch, for example - are tense and memorable. It's a pity it didn't live up to ME2 but that doesn't need to take away from the fun ride that it is.
10. Tokyo Jungle ; Awesome awesome awesome. Just buy this.
x. Journey ; Journey is a game I have such a hard time with. It's very memorable, enjoyable, and moving. It's just the right length and is gorgeous both in appearance and audio. The game is unlike any other online multiplayer game. But playing Journey is, in the end, not that different from watching somebody -else- play Journey, and this is why I can't say it's one of the ten best games released this year. The actual play mechanics in Journey are, well, disappointingly average; very few of the feelings Journey evokes are caused by having the controller in your hand. It is still worth playing and will be a game remembered for a long time, but sadly, not for being fun or interesting to play.
x. New Super Mario Bros. U ; Yes, it's another NSMB game, but it's absurdly fun, challenging, and is packed full of things to do. In a game that had less memorable releases would easily have charted.