Even the worst years have some really standout titles, and 2012 is no exception. A gaming landscape with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dark Souls, Quantum Conundrum, Uncharted 3, and Where’s My Water is a good year, if not a particularly title-rich …
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In last year’s Games 100, we honored designer Stefan Feld by naming two of his games as Best and Runner-Up in the Advanced Strategy category. We never expected him to surpass those wonderful designs so soon!
In top place this …
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Portal started as a school project, and was published as added content for Valve’s Orange Box compilation. These humble origins belie the heights to which it eventually would rise, and the original is now considered one of the classics of …
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In 1999 and 2005, our Games of the Year were Torres and Australia, respectively. Superb design partners Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling have again found the key to success in a very competitive year. Their latest multi-choice masterpiece has that …
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The original Super Mario Galaxy was a victim of poor timing here at GAMES. First, it shipped at an awkward point in the year (November), which means we didn’t get it in time for the 2007 awards. Second, a little …
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This game of relatively humble appearance by a local independent designer tops the list, beating out higher-priced titles from well-known inventors. It is one of the cleanest designs we have seen, making it easy to learn quickly. Casual gamers will …
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Batman: Arkham Asylum was a true last-minute upset. The idea that a licensed superhero game might not only be outstanding, but qualify as the best game of the year, just wasn’t feasible. Sure, there have been a few good superhero …
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We welcome Belgian designer Philippe Keyaerts to the top spot for the second time. His Evo was our Game of the Year in December 2001. You start with five coins to dominate a tiny, overcrowded island of provinces in five …
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Spore is Will Wright’s magnum opus. The creator of SimCity has spent 20 years creating “software toys” that simulate life. SimCity, SimEarth, SimLife, SimAnt, and The Sims were all leading to this: a game that takes life from a single-celled …
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Belgian designer Kris Burm produces abstract strategy games that testify to his love for those timeless classics that began the history of board games. His Dvonn was our Game of the Year in December 2002, and he has once again …
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