Games

1. Bastion (20)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (10)
3. LittleBigPlanet 2 (10)
4. Super Mario 3D Land (10)
5. Dungeons of Dredmore (10)
6. Stacking (10)
7. Rock of Ages (10)
8. Bit.Trip.Complete (10)
9. Rochard (5)
10. Lume (5)

Comments

My picks this year are clearly dominated by an overwhelming (if completely subconscious) desire to avoid the color brown. From the startling, utterly charming appeal of Bastion all the way down to the tiny, environmentally oriented, stop-motion-animated Lume, my tastes this year tended toward colorful, accessible, mildly quirky experiences.

Perhaps the strongest thread running through these games is the obvious commitment each team had to their respective creative visions.  Whether that vision was to create the most immersive motion controls ever conceived for an action-adventure (Zelda), blend minimalist retro mechanics with rhythm elements (Bit.Trip), or overhaul the adventure genre by subverting the inventory system with characters and animation (Stacking), they all brought something fresh and enjoyable to my gaming “table” this year.

Back to High Scores 2011