What I played in 2012

I write for video games, but for some reason I get asked a lot by my peers whether I actually play games. This never happens in circles of novelists. No one ever asks me, “so do you… read?” But in gaming circles, the conversations go like this:

Colleague or Journalist: So do you… play games?

Me: Yes.

CoJ: Like what? What do you play?

Me: Recently I enjoyed [a couple of games that stood out]. But I play many games, as much as I can.

CoJ: On what platform?

Me: All of them except Nintendo for now.

CoJ: Like what? iOS?

I tend not to enjoy these conversations because I’m not much of a cataloguer, and these conversations mainly occur on press junkets or business trips, while I’m trying to concentrate on the game I’m promoting or making, through a thick fog of jet lag and often some kind of headache. And, I instinctively reject invitations to justify my existence, which can be a real conversation stopper.

Nevertheless, it’s a listy time of year, and testament to my love for this form, the first thing I want to do on my first day of vacation from the game company I work for is reflect on the games I played over the last 12 months, and link out to some games I really enjoyed. I’ll mark my favorites with a loving (*) and reserve the right to add the games I forgot when I remember them as soon as I hit “publish.”

XBOX

• Assassins Creed II
• Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassins Creed III
• Dishonored
• Driver SF
• Fez (*)
• Just Dance 3 (*)
• Mass Effect 3
• Quantum Conundrum
• Rayman Origins
• Spelunky
• XCOM Enemy Unknown (*)
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 (* one of mine)

iOS

• Carcassonne
• Civilization Revolution
• Middle Manager of Justice
• Rayman Jungle Run (*)
• Spaceteam! (* not just a favourite, but also the only game I got to test over potlucks, in the developer’s living room.)
• The Walking Dead
• Plague Inc. (it’s like the opposite of Pandemic)
• Ticket to Ride Pocket
• Plants vs. Zombies (I would have thought I’d be sick of PvZ by now, but it’s still on my phone and when I run out of new things to play or read on the subway, I play it over.)

PS3

• Journey (*)
• Papo & Yo
• Super Hexagon

PSVita

• Asphalt Injection
• Assassins Creed III: Liberation (* My baby!)
• Gravity Rush (*)
• Lumines
• Little Big Planet
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss

PC

• The Binding of Isaac
• CLOP (lol)
• Dear Esther

Hybrid

• JS Joust (*)

Paper, Ink, Glue, Wood and Plastic

• Blokus
• Carcassonne (It would have a star, but I’ve been playing it too long)
• Cards Against Humanity (*)
• Pandemic (*)
• Ticket to Ride
• Munchkin
• Dominoes (so very many games dominoes, often accompanied by rum drinks )

On deck, but I won’t get to them before 2013 because I can’t stop playing XCOM

• Analogue, a Hate Story
• Replay Half Life 2 (*)
• Hotline Miami
• That game that’s like Pictionary but with Lego. Someone should get me that for xmas
• Mark of the Ninja
• Mirror’s Edge
• Persona 4 Golden
• Settlers of Catan (I know… what is WRONG with me that I haven’t played this already?)
• Sound Shapes
• Unfinished Swan
• ZombiiU (and other WiiU stuff if I can actually get one. We ordered them at work and then they cancelled our orders at the last minute. The nerve!)