A grand, immersive, clever, and well-crafted action adventure that doesn’t bend the source material to fit the gaming genre but embraces it instead. This is perhaps the most faithful adaptation of an Indy adventure we’ve ever had, where you can spend dozens of hours and still discover something new.

In some ways, Dark Souls II is an altered formula of the original game. Not all of its retouches will be to your liking at first, but you will find out eventually there is a reason they are there, and it's all clear consecutively. Dark Souls II is a die-hard fun title holding up for tens of hours. It will let your hands vibrated by adrenaline. It will torment you, but still being righteous. It's just an extremely difficult game.

When someone brings an excellent title, and then announces they are planning a sequel you automatically expect, and sometimes you are right, that the next installment won't beat the original. However, Rayman Legends traverses this belief with its unshaken confidence, and it sets forward the whole Rayman series to the new, LEGENDARY, level.

Classic RPG done to perfection. Greatly written, full of living characters, incredibly free, supported by excellent mechanics taken from Dungeons & Dragons. Sometimes it throws too much at you, other times it doesn't quite keep up, but even so it's a groundbreaking, unforgettable success and a definite candidate for game of the year.

Hideo Kojima says goodbye to almost thirty years of work on his series in the best possible way. Phantom Pain surprises and tightens, impresses and even torments, but primarily entertains beyond all expectations. It is everything that the stealth game in an open world can be and demands the maximum effort and participation from the players.

A fantastic little horror game with an art style and a soundtrack that are both simply stunning - and an imagery so disturbing you won’t be able to take your eyes off.

A great turn-based strategy game surpassing not only its blood-related predecessors but step-brothers and step-sisters of the Advance Wars series as well. Fire Emblem: Awakening is the new benchmark of the genre that is practically uncriticizable. At the moment on Nintendo 3DS there is not a better alternative.

Playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a pure joy. This triumphant return to the franchise's 2D platforming origins showcases Mario and his companions in their best form. Wonder artfully blends nostalgic elements from earlier titles with tasteful innovations, resulting in a harmonious fusion that's virtually foolproof and won't get old easily.

Another masterpiece by Nintendo. Super Mario Maker 2 is a delight for every creative soul out there - and yet also cares about players with no interest in designing their own levels. There are dozens of hours of pure fun for both of those groups.

Just as the people in the colourful world of the Human Revolution want to be better people, the game itself was eager to propel high above the competition from all other games and succeeded quite masterfully. It's true that Human Revolution sticks too much to story templates of the original Deus Ex, but this minor objection becomes irrelevant when the third Deus Ex is in fact your first.

Psychonauts 2 managed to restore my faith in the genre of 3D platformers. This is a creative volcano spewing ideas left and right - it can make you laugh, it can make you cry, it can make you think. And it will definitely make you have fun.

Dynamic combat, great loot and a brilliant story come together to turn Hades into an extremely addictive game which you’ll love to play for dozens of hours and which will probably never bore you.

This game is utterly bizarre. Gripping. Breath-taking. Surprising. Innovative. Turbulent. You simply must experience it yourself, from start to finish, to truly understand how amazing it is. One of the best games of the year.

Ghost of Tsushima may not be an ode to pure design originality, but it's so incredibly stylish and plays so well that I couldn't put it down (again). An excellent port of a great game. There's nothing to debate.

Need for Speed was seriously starting to look dead and buried – and here comes the rescue party! The combination of beautiful, realistic-looking graphics and effects borrowed straight from an anime works surprisingly well, the story doesn’t get in your way and the driving model hits exactly the right spot. Even the open world is fun! This is how you make an arcade racing game.

Even if there was only one out of ten indie games like Rochard, then an indie scene would still have its meaning. After all, it is a good thing that mainstream has lost its interest in platform genre. Because of that we may now play games by people with their clear minds and their baskets of ideas.

Fortunately, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth doesn't suffer too much from the curse of the middle trilogy installment. It expands the original storyline just enough and manages to offer an open world full of activities, places to explore, and rewards for completing them, just right. It looks beautiful, sounds excellent, and plays great. For RPG lovers, it's one of this year's delightful must-plays.

The developers promised to focus on individual people - and they weren’t lying. Three Kingdoms is great at building interpersonal drama, but can pivot into all-out bloody war at a moment’s notice. You will not find a better Total War.

Hollow Knight is a charming arcade that will not only inspire Metroid/vania fans. You will never be bored in the enormous and magical environments thanks to the colorful RPG elements, interesting story and unique visuals.

The frozen survival strategy has been greatly expanded by this piece of DLC. It will challenge your tactical nous and stress resistance, so prepare your thickest socks and your warmest tea. You’re going to need them.

A great content add-on that takes the best of the basic game and the previous games and adds great new features. The Ringed City excels in design, atmosphere, gameplay, boss fights. In fact, almost in everything that it offers.

A maniacally detailed and complex system of scenery and rollercoaster construction ensures that if there is at least a piece of handyman in you, then you will spend hundreds of hours in Planet Coaster easily. And you will have fun. Players who are looking for dynamic playability or challenge will leave without a buck, but for the builders the game is a paradise.

The king has met his match. Dirt Rally 2.0 is a worthy successor to the legendary Richard Burns Rally and every true rally fan should already be playing this gem. There are plenty of brilliant additions compared to the first installment and the driving model is... well, simply the best.

One of the best examples of gamification in history. This exercise tool masquerading as a fantasy RPG is cleverly designed and actually works.

Spiritfarer is a poignant bridge between Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and a ferryman of the dead simulator. It’s lovely, sad, full of emotions, death and management.

This remake is a great way to remember a true Czech legend which nowadays suffers from old age. This game respects the original but with its own twist - a darker, more believable story.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for the Switch 2 is a technically impressive port that delivers the full experience in a portable form without major compromises. Despite a few weaker spots in visuals and battery life, it offers a surprisingly smooth and visually striking ride. Thanks to smart adjustments, it plays excellently even in handheld mode. And at its core, it’s still one of the best RPGs of recent years, now simply available to take with you anywhere.

The Masterpiece, by all meanings. If you want, you get mastered to pieces. It is an undoubted candidate of the game of the year title; you will wish the game never ends.