Star Trek Bridge Crew won’t change the world, but it provides a stunning realization of the Star Trek franchise and brings with it an unparalleled level of immersion and VR fun. I can think of no other franchise that’s better suited to cooperative VR play than Star Trek, and Bridge Crew makes playing with strangers fun again. It also represents the ultimate in wish fulfillment.

The exploration loop is incredibly satisfying, and combat feels both tight and adaptable, like a complex dance where the partners both accentuate each others strengths, allowing any weak points to fade into the background.

Despite its limited vocabulary, Oh... Sir!! The Insult Simulator is far more than just a novelty - it's absolutely superb. It's hilarious, therapeutic, and - thanks to unlockables and a stellar online mode - packed with longevity. Rarely does a game come along that's inexpensive, juvenile, and profound all at the same time. Definitely give this one a shot.

Tactical turn-based combat is something that some won't be able to get past no matter what. As long as that isn't you, Awakening is arguably the best game you can get on the 3DS, sure to be one of the best this year, and a must-play from just about every conceivable angle.

What it comes down to is Rockstar’s intent to build a strongly realized and true to life facsimile of the 1890s — which they’ve done extraordinary well. So well, in fact, that I can’t ever go back to the first game anymore because I'm completely spoiled by this game’s offerings. Red Dead Redemption II is video game escapism at its finest and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything else this year that comes close to matching its accomplishments.

OOTP is a curiosity that reveals itself to be an addicting chess match, jostling for position against the 30 other teams while proving your worth as owner of the team. Interest in this game is almost entirely dictated by your interest in baseball, management simulations and strategy games.

Simple and complex, HackNet is a thrilling and eye opening look into the world that keeps making headlines in the news. Kudos to Team Fractal Alligator for making something so complex feel accessible to everyone.

Nuclear Throne knows what it is and makes no bones about it. It’s a difficult, stylized roguelike with a clear vision of what it’s trying to achieve.

Does it have the best combat system in the world? No. Is it the best looking game out there? No. Does it have the best RPG soundtrack ever? No. Can the game make you feel like you are eight years old again? Hell yes. It certainly had that effect with me. It has been a long time since exploring, fighting, and adventuring has so consistently brought a smile to my face. Breath of the Wild is such a wonderful experience that once you play it, you will likely never look at open world games the same again.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is all about its pacing. It’s a game that will throw you into a huge action sequence and then slowly ramp back up. You don’t have to worry about endless waves of enemies. Instead you will move from one area to the next, traversing the world, hunting so you can craft and upgrade, and scouring the world for treasure and tombs. Crystal Dynamics took what worked in Tomb Raider and made it even better. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best games of the year. It’s absolutely beautiful and plays as good as any game on the market today.

The best game I’ve played all year. It is an extremely fun platformer with stunning graphics not to mention the most extensive level creation tool I’ve ever seen.

Undead Nightmare is an amazing experience that when you factor in the low price truly raises the bar over anything I have seen in terms of DLC packs in the last couple of years. Keep the zombies coming!

The story is true artistry in motion, keeping things fresh and gripping even hours in, not afraid to take risks or introduce new things in ways that feel organic every single time. The Switch has found another great title, thanks to the port of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Each level in Hotline Miami begins with a choice – which rubber animal mask will you wear? Pixelated, haunting renditions of a variety of animals are represented. Dog, insects, donkeys. Which would you prefer? It’s a powerful and completely cosmetic decision that blends simple, fast action mechanics and surrealist narrative to an incredible accumulation.

Super Mario Maker delivers on its promise with the kind of ease you’d expect of a company like Nintendo with a tentpole release of a new entry in their best known series. Level creation is easy and provides plenty of creation room, and using the Gamepad is as simple as dragging and dropping.

It's hard for me to find a bad thing to say about Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, it's just an amazing game. I remember thinking last year before we knew there was even going to be an AC: Brotherhood that it was going to be hard for Ubisoft to top AC2, but I am happy to say Brotherhood does in every single way. This is flat out a great game.

The difficulty of explaining Year Walk without giving its secrets away is self-evident at this point. Anyone reading this who has already played it knows what I mean. For the laymen though, and those who are merely curious, I’ll just say that it’s one of the best adventure games I’ve ever played, and also one of the most terrifying horror experiences in recent and bygone memory.

Civilization V is one of the best strategy games I have ever played.

Even though the game is just a remake of a twelve year old title it is still the best game currently on a handheld and the only reason to own a 3DS right now.

The creative slant makes for a far more interesting game than the original “crash into various structures” formula. With over 400 levels divided in three chapters, over 60 sandbox levels and rewards for collecting hidden skulls, Bad Piggies is packed with a serious amount of content making it the perfect game to spend as little as five minutes or upwards of two hours with.

Rebuilt for a new generation, Bluepoint has created a stunning tribute to one of the best video game experiences on the PlayStation. I haven’t seen a quality remake of a game like this since Capcom’s Resident Evil REmake. And now that the visuals finally match Shadow of the Colossus’ grandeur and scope, there’s no better time to play it for the first time--or third, fourth, or fifth.

There are not enough words to describe how beautiful the game looks, or how despite the huge number of alternate costumes you have access too, nothing feels as right as the new suit Insomniac created. I could spin webs about the excellent boss fights that liter the back half of the game, and how they manage to test your skills without resorting to just packing the screen full of enemies and story-wise. I could do all these things, but I won’t because you need to play this and experience it for yourself. Again, with no qualifiers, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best game you will play this year. It most certainly has been the best one I have.

It is hard to believe that this game is produced by a small developer, only costs $15, and is downloadable. Not only does it contain almost all the features of a full retail fighting game, but it does almost all of them better. Most critically, the online is perfect and the tutorial actually teaches you how to play fighting games.

This is the new standard for open world role-playing games. There is no such thing as a perfect game, but The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt come as close to perfect as any RPG to date.

Perfection is redefined in Link's latest adventure, and making it easily the best game ever, bar none.

While the first game shows its age a little, Bayonetta 2 looks as if it were released last year. The graphics are better, the gameplay has more nuance, and the presentation is even more outrageous. And best of all, both games run like a dream when taken off the dock. It still blows my mind that Nintendo was able to get high-end games like this and Skyrim to run so well when played on the go. If you haven’t played Bayonetta before, then this two-game collection is the perfect opportunity to get on board. And for those anxiously awaiting the release of Bayonetta 3, there’s no reason to not dip back into the well with this fully featured, amiibo supported, and now completely mobile, Switch reproduction of Platinum Games’ best franchise.

Clocking in at a little under 6 hours, there was no part of Unravel that I found wanting. Great visuals, excellent mechanics, and a satisfyingly sweet, personal narrative background make this a complete no-brainer in my book. I adore this game, and if you have any kind of a heart beating inside of you, I have no doubt that you will too.

Thimbleweed Park is one of those extremely rare occasions when all the expectations are not only met but surpassed. I quote myself from my preview: Thimbleweed Park is not an homage, tribute or even a retro game. It's the real deal. It's everything I love about graphic adventures. As much as I was entertained by the time I spent in Thimbleweed County, at the end there was a bit of sadness in the air as I had to bid farewell to the wonderful cast of characters.