A polished and well presented game, Super Stickman Golf 2 doesn't always get its angles right, but when it does it's an awful lot of fun.

Witty, varied, challenging and gorgeous to look at, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is one of the finest physics-based puzzlers on iOS and an outstanding start for Rovio Stars.

Utterly phenomenal. Tearaway is inventive and joyous in equal measures, making for one of the best adventures this year, on any platform.

A supreme stealth action game that isn't just true to the MGS canon but offers exciting new elements for both singleplayer sneakers and multiplayer junkies.

Baseball Superstars 2011 makes enough improvements on its predecessor to become the definitive version, but it doesn't offer anything substantially new.

A melancholy, surprisingly poignant and oddly hopeful physics arcade game, which burns brightly, even if its conclusion descends into sheer frustration.

A satisfying blast of colourful, creative on-rails shooting that's only slightly let down by an occasional lack of responsiveness in its controls.

Pulled up from Davy Jones's locker, Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge breathes new life into a classic while at the same time setting a new standard for adventure gaming.

While it's not quite as devastatingly original as Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks is still an utterly essential purchase and comfortably ranks as the undisputed DS event of the year.

A beautiful if flawed point-and-click adventure game with a look and feel all of its own.

Raising the game in terms of its slick and sleek delivery, FIFA 12 stands up to its big billing on the pitch, serving as EA's ultimate attempt on goal to date.

An unlikely classic, Disgaea is one of the most perfect expressions of freeform strategy gaming it's possible to imagine.

Brimming with content, eminently replayable, and much improved over previous iterations, Sid Meier's Pirates! is a must-have for any self-respecting iPad buccaneer.

The best Pokemon game so far. Combines the addictive elements of the originals with the latest graphics to great effect. Just don't mention the Pokewalker.

Unforgiving, relentless, soul-crushing, precise, gorgeous, addictive, fantastic - RETRY is all these things, go get it.

A squelchy blast of gothic turn-based violence that ticks the right boxes for 40K fans, and offers enough for everyone else too.

Pokemon Black and White doesn't mess too much with the tried and tested formula, providing an experience we know and love.

Complicated controls can't stop Dead Space from entertaining with its action-packed gameplay and phenomenal presentation.

Wildfrost is a gorgeously designed and brutally unforgiving roguelike deck-builder that tasks you with putting an end to an eternal frost. The strategic depth and replayability factor alone make the premium price worth it - add to that the possibility of encountering a naked gnome and it might just be a no-brainer for you.

Velocity is an intelligent shmup that takes its presentation notes from the past while looking forward for its systems of play.

Much more than a shooter, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is an ingenious game of elemental manipulation.

An accessible but massive roguelike that will suck you in and then murder you. But in a good way.

A brilliant roguelike with a finger in a load of genres that gets the balance just right.

A game that's easy to pick up, easy to play, and pretty easy to get engrossed in.

It's a pleasure to be involved in Jurassic GO's vivid world, but don't expect more than a cute digital safari.

Causality crafts challenging puzzles out of its clever time loop mechanics and colorful isometric aesthetic.

It may not be a particularly long game but Oxenfree is the right kind of creepy without relying on visual cliches.

A slick and entertaining puzzler that doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of its predecessor.