"Humorous banter from an inanimate spelunkable location, whacky playable characters that still manage to bring the creepy, and intriguing yet accessible puzzle solving, The Cave is a small gem that delivers on many levels."

"To be completely honest, I had no idea that I would enjoy living the life of a pirate quite so much. I have always leaned towards the "Ninjas" side of that particular dichotomy, but AC4: Black Flag has really opened my eyes to how thrilling a life of swashbuckling and seawater could really be."

"Because Fire Emblem... bet you all thought my vote would be Pokemon. Hue."

"I played Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, I wasn't impressed. Still I gave Injustice a chance, and I was blown away. The fighters felt more like their characters should instead of just reskinned MK'ers of days gone by."

"I'm still impressed by the Free-to-Play aspects of this title, and while I don't own an Xbox One, what I saw of Killer Instinct at E3 this year cemented it as one of the must play games when I do receive my console."

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"I played this first on what was supposed to be an entertaining drunken night with friends and a mindless game. We ended up abandoning the beer rather than lose to the surprising complexity of the two-button control "system". It's replaced Soul Calibur (x) as my go-to fighting game."

"It's a fun interactive game on twitch.tv where you bet on which AI will win in a fight to the death. No real money involved, it's all for fun."

"It's like Left 4 Dead, but you rob banks and perform various other nefarious activities. A fantastic romp in co-op gameplay but don't try to solo it, the AI is just as dumb as ever. "

"While the gameplay might be linear, the story is anything but. Infinite wraps up a BioShock trilogy in epic fashion, completing circles within the plot that no one knew were even there. The characters of Booker and Elizabeth are equally fascinating, and while Elizabeth sometimes ends up being little more than a coin-tossing irritation in combat, she is integral to the game's progression in more ways than one."

"It is not often that I am emotional and mentally invested in a first person shooter. I tend to use them as stress relief - jump in, blast a few things, then move on to a more engaging game. But BioShock Infinite pulled me in and held me there. I played this game every night that I could find the time, because I had to see the story develop. It kept me ensnared from the very moment I set foot on the cloud city of Columbia to the very last scene of the deep, thought provoking ending. In the end, I was left with one overpowering thought: I want more games like this in my life."

"Yes, I am going to be that guy. Without Call of Duty, there would be no other companies striving to make FPS games to take it down. Believe in CoD."

"You know, I haven't played a real third-person shooter this year sooooooo.... I'm going with playing Bard in Final Fantasy XIV. The game is third-person and the Bard can shoot things. That's how this works, right?"

"The 2013 Windows port of Fez was my introduction to this actually-released-in-2012 platformer. I was immediately transported to childhood by the retro-inspired art and movement, then blown away as the 2D/3D story developed. Pure enjoyment."

"Spoiler alert, this incredible 2D platformer (ported this year to Windows, the only platform where I don't have to fight my children for access) is also a 3D platformer. The ongoing puzzle-solving revolves around perspective--if you've played, count the puns in that statement. "

"Specifically, the Console version. It's a port, but it's a port that made me fall in love with Diablo all over again. After the disappointing gameplay of the PC version this console port gave me that actiony feel I needed to breath new life into some very tired mechanics. Now I can't put it down, it's like 2000 all over again."

"The story and the collectables keep you coming back if you can swallow the pill of combat. So many people ignored the combat issues in their reviews so it was a shock to me when I was confronted with it."

"Sometimes stubborness pays off, and Square Enix gets high marks for their tenacious commitment to FFXIV. With A Realm Reborn they destroyed the world and rebuilt it anew, providing players with the sort of experience they expected when the game first launched. It says a lot about the company that they listened to their players and instead of giving up on the game, instead gave them a game worth playing."

"And then from the fire rose a new treat for the world to enjoy. A frosty goodness that covers the world in a sweet, indulging experience that no other can provi-- Oh, sorry I was reading the back of this chocolate bar I'm eating."

"Dragon riding, customizable player housing and beautiful graphics? That's all I needed to know. Even playing briefly at E3 this year I was hooked on this little F2P and recommend it to anyone who loves a good, solid, Asian MMO."

"The Steam Sale, that monster of madness. It was said when the young man came to town you were to hide your daughters. When Steam comes calling one best hide their wallet before they get sucked into flash sale after flash sale. Don't even get me started on the cards."

"Bringing everyone's favorite block sim to the PlayStation 3 might seem a little tardy in view of the new consoles coming out, but for those of us still playing our old Sony consoles, this is a lovely December surprise. Considering this is the game I played most this year, I am happy to see it proliferate onto every gaming system in my living room. Next up, Minecraft Android, please?"

"There's nothing more satisfying than crushing your opponents with your mind, literally."

"Swiping on your iOS device counts as motion controls right? Yeah I thought so. This little mobile treasure blends gaming and reading, two of my favorite passions. It's also a stellar mystery story in its own right -- a total bonus."

"The Kinect 2.0 is vastly superior to its predecessor and actually accurately reads motion. "

"I was skeptical that this would just be a reskinned and rehashed game right out of the gate. Not like I hadn't been burned before by some birds that need a little anger management. Within the first few minutes of gameplay it caught me off guard and showed me there is still something worthwhile in this franchise."

"Pikmin 3 was an awesome game. The puzzles were great and the overhead map on the WiiU pad was an really nice touch. I've waited for this game since the dawn of... Pikmin 2 so there's that too."

"I'm not big on racing games... ok, I'm not big on realistic racing games but I looove the new Forza. The cars are so shiny and the gameplay is so fluid, it just feels good to play."

"Don't Starve, what an odd title. How friggen true it is though. I've never scurried for food and fire so much in my life. This makes Minecraft look like Disneyland. This was a nice foray into the survival space and felt like a science experiment, but one I gladly participated in."

"Player 2 is a simple story game that effectively pulls its player one to victory in both gamespace and meatspace. The game's unique take on dealing with conflict has been taking notice on many corners of the Internet. I'd love to see this Twine-based game take on even more life in a graphical environment."

"I'm not sure what I was expecting from such a lauded game, but what I received was a thought provoking, elegant story that seeps into the very marrow of the player. In only a few short hours and with very little direct story elements, the game manages to provide a compelling experience every gamer would appreciate."

"Thaumcraft 4, what have you done to me!?! My Minecraft addiction was bad but then you added all these secrets to discover. When will I be able to escape this game? This is the MOD of the year as far as I'm concerned."

"While this is definitely a little bigger than the typical definition of "DLC" but we don't seem to have a 'best expansion' category, so I plug this in right here. Heart of the Swarm adds a ridiculously good chunk of story as well as additional balancing to multiplayer."

"There were a lot this year, but the latest is by far the most hazardous to the gaming community: YouTube's bot attack on gaming journalism videos. Over and over again we are seeing our game content brethren banned from YouTube for showing clips of games that have a copyright claim attached to their footage, artwork, or even worse, music within the footage. The result is that hundreds of people who rely on YouTube for their livelihood have had their lives turned upside down in the name of free speech. This current debacle will have far reached consequences for years to come and may even open the door for other video providers such as Vimeo to grab a segment of market share amongst gaming vloggers."

"The launch of SimCity 2013 may not have been such a colossal disaster had it not been the product of such a veteran publisher. Tough launches aren't so out of place, but this is one for the gaming history books on multiple fronts."

"RIIIOOOOOOOTTT... MAKE MY FRIENDS LIKE YOUR GAME AGAIN!!!!! Yes, I again, had to be that guy."

"A combination of Code Red Mt. Dew, Emergan-C and Orange Juice (what I like to call the "Code Red Emergan-C") is what has kept me alive and moving this flu season. If I could only convince both companies to start sponsoring us, I bet my monthly beverage costs would finally break even."

"Arthur's Code Red Emergan-C is a pretty sweet idea, but a Starbucks sponsorship would save me a ton of money... It would also keep me from extending my practically 10-year Starbucks Gold membership."

"It's my game of the year, and it'll kick you in the ass. It's rare when this game forgives a misstep, and that's one of the reasons I love it. It's no Dark Souls, but it'll take you down a peg."

"Blizzard's virtual card game, set in the Warcraft universe, is an impressive example of the old "simple to learn/difficult to master" adage normally applied to checkers or chess. Until you get a good deck of cards built, and some strong strategies under your belt, you *will* get your heart handed to you on a silver platter by other players. Repeatedly. And without mercy. Fortunately, the player on the other side can't hear you cry."

"If League of Legends is the MOBA for every man, then DOTA 2 is the MOBA for the hardcore. Not only is the game brutal for first time players, the community is unrelenting in their hazing. Get ready for a serious learning curve guys. But if you can die your way through your training, the world (of Valve) is your oyster."

"Don't you be tellin' me you can dance Lady Gaga till you show me you can, mhmmm."

"I have to say, this game was at the top of my anticipated list this year. When I first heard of it, I was charmed by the artistic style and the promise of a heartwarming yet dark story about innocence, family, and growing up. What I played was none of that, and felt like a flimsy tech demo horribly implemented rather than an actual game. This is definitely one I shouldn't have set my heart on, because in the end, it was just a shadow of what it could have been."

"As a long time SimCity fan, I was shocked and dismayed at how EA handled the latest iteration of the franchise. From a disastrous and unplayable launch all the way until the barely stable glitch-fest of today, the game has been a horrible train wreck and a mockery of all things Sim. And yet EA still has the gall to charge $60 on Origin for an always-online yet mostly broken shell of shattered memories and broken promises."

"And let it be known, the PS4 box will forever scar me for life... It was a launch title they said... It'd be here they said... YOU'LL LOOOOVVVVEEE WATCHDOGS THEY SAID!!!!!! "