Games

1. 2012 IGF Pirate Kart (18)
2. Minotaur Rescue (16)
3. Shadows of the Damned (15)
4. The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile (13)
5. Kirby Mass Attack (13)

Comments

Whereas 2010 netted me two massive games that I will treasure for a long time, Red Dead Redemption and Super Mario Galaxy 2, my favorite games of 2011 are surprisingly short. The big games that I considered, but didn’t make my list, Portal 2, Dark Souls, and Deus Ex, were compelling enough, but ultimately felt exhaustive. Small experiences, like slicing through 50 cybernetic ninjas in one fluid motion in Vampire Smile, and swooping in to rescue a beast of burden from tumbling into a black hole in Minotaur Rescue, are the moments I enjoyed the most. As if to punctuate the trend, the IGF Pirate Kart seemingly materialized from ether, thrown together on a few days notice to serve up over 300 bites of the strangest, funniest, and most disturbing games I have ever played, making more of an impression in 2 minutes than other games did in 30 hours.

Back to High Scores 2011