Games of the Year 2011

Go Vacation is a resort exploration adventure where 50 mini-games can be discovered and played.

Go Vacation is a resort exploration adventure where 50 mini-games can be discovered and played. The mini-golf, skating, surfing, volleyball, car racing, tennis and other games use the Wii and Switch motion-sensitive controllers and are simple fun for youngsters.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a role-play game and an expanded version of the DS game Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a role-play game and an expanded version of the DS game Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn. In it, you play a young boy who travels between worlds and battles enemies in an attempt to save his mother.

Ico is a running, jumping and exploring game where you rescue a princess from her evil mother.

Ico is a running, jumping and exploring game where you rescue a princess from her evil mother. You take her hand to help her escape, guiding her along the pathways and protecting her from the hordes of enemies.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a strategic battle puzzle where you position units to form patterns that determine how they behave.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a strategic battle puzzle where you position units to form patterns that determine how they behave. The play combines the simple matching of Candy Crush with the complex strategy of Advance Wars or Fire Emblem.

Dark Souls is a fighting game with an emphasis on precise timing and extreme difficulty.

Dark Souls is a fighting game with an emphasis on precise timing and extreme difficulty. You navigate through labyrinthine ruins and ancient kingdoms, defeating monsters with your weapons and magic.

Dead Island 2 is the latest shooting and exploration game in the Dead Island series, where you use a variety of weapons to kill zombies, survive and find comrades.

Dead Island 2 is the latest shooting and exploration game in the Dead Island series, where you use a variety of weapons to kill zombies, survive and find comrades. As you explore a deserted California, you meet other survivors who can join your group.

Skyblock is a game played on Minecraft servers where you start on a bare island floating in the sky and must gather resources to thrive and reach other players.

Skyblock is a game played on Minecraft servers where you start on a bare island floating in the sky and must gather resources to thrive and reach other players. It's the Minecraft equivalent to being washed up on a desert island and is hugely popular.

Portal 2 is an action adventure where you traverse through increasingly complex (and dangerous) test chamber obstacle courses.

Portal 2 is an action adventure where you traverse through increasingly complex (and dangerous) test chamber obstacle courses. By creating two connected portals (if you walk into one, you walk out the other) you must move yourself around the rooms to escape.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an adventure game in the Zelda series.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an adventure game in the Zelda series. You navigate the floating island of Skyloft before diving down to explore, escape dungeons and bring balance back to the world.

Star Stable Online is a hugely popular adventure game where you care for horses, take on daily challenges, solve mysteries and explore a fantasy online world.

Star Stable Online is a hugely popular adventure game where you care for horses, take on daily challenges, solve mysteries and explore a fantasy online world. Originally only available for PC and Mac, it's recently come to mobile devices.

The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing games that take you to detailed open worlds with free-form gameplay.

The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing games that take you to detailed open worlds with free-form gameplay. The series has sold more than 58 million copies.

Rayman Origins is a platform game where you run, jump, swing and attack your way through fantasy cartoon levels.

Rayman Origins is a platform game where you run, jump, swing and attack your way through fantasy cartoon levels. It stands out because of the strong characters and variety of different enemies ranging in difficulty.

Assassin's Creed Revelations is the fourth adventure game in the Assassin's Creed series.

Assassin's Creed Revelations is the fourth adventure game in the Assassin's Creed series. It follows on from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

The Stanley Parable is an interactive drama with no combat or action to speak of apart from walking around and interacting with everyday objects.

The Stanley Parable is an interactive drama with no combat or action to speak of apart from walking around and interacting with everyday objects. You guide a silent protagonist, Stanley, while a discouraging narration plays in your ear.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is an action-adventure game and the third entry in the Uncharted series.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is an action-adventure game and the third entry in the Uncharted series. In Uncharted 3 you once again take the role of Nathan Drake, treasure hunter, in the hunt for the lost city Ubar (also known as Atlantis of the Sands).

Costume Quest is an adventure game where you play a trick-or-treating child where you encounter a monster that kidnaps your sibling.

Costume Quest is an adventure game where you play a trick-or-treating child where you encounter a monster that kidnaps your sibling. You travel the neighbourhood collecting items for your costume, candy and fellow children as companions in order to face the monster and rescue the sibling.

To the Moon is a story-adventure following two doctors trying to fulfil a dying man's last wish to go to the moon.

To the Moon is a story-adventure following two doctors trying to fulfil a dying man's last wish to go to the moon. With only a few ways to interact with the game, you control the doctors, exploring and solving puzzles to reconstruct the dying man's memories.

From Dust is a strategy game.

From Dust is a strategy game. You play as an all powerful God of a primitive people.

Crossfire X is a free-to-play shooting game similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where two opposing teams compete to complete conflicting objectives.

Crossfire X is a free-to-play shooting game similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where two opposing teams compete to complete conflicting objectives. It's a tactical team-based game, that may seem like many other games.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a role-playing game played with hundreds of other players online, as well as complete single-player narrative-based experiences.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a role-playing game played with hundreds of other players online, as well as complete single-player narrative-based experiences. It's set in the Star Wars galaxy thousands of years before the films.

The Binding of Isaac is a series of adventure games where you progress through randomly generated rooms, collecting items and fighting off monsters.

The Binding of Isaac is a series of adventure games where you progress through randomly generated rooms, collecting items and fighting off monsters. It's a twist on the simple Zelda dungeon, with hundreds of enemies, room variations and upgrades.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is an adventure game in miniature.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is an adventure game in miniature. You explore a myth-rich world and use your sword to do battle and evoke spells to solve musical puzzles.

Bridge Constructor is a series of physics-based building challenges to make stable bridges over chasms and ravines.

Bridge Constructor is a series of physics-based building challenges to make stable bridges over chasms and ravines. While it's a simple concept, the variety of locations and different geometry means that building a stable bridge requires patience and deep thinking.

Fingle is a Twister-style physical puzzle game played on a smartphone or tablet screen with your fingers rather than limbs.

Fingle is a Twister-style physical puzzle game played on a smartphone or tablet screen with your fingers rather than limbs. Like the popular tangley board game, it plays to this physical interaction with other players.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a running, jumping and fighting game where you explore and fight monsters as Nintendo's famous Kirby, who inhales enemies to gain their abilities.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a running, jumping and fighting game where you explore and fight monsters as Nintendo's famous Kirby, who inhales enemies to gain their abilities. Alone, or with up to three other people, you explore lush and varied worlds.

Windosill is a collection of toy-like puzzles through ten mysterious rooms.

Windosill is a collection of toy-like puzzles through ten mysterious rooms. You follow a small, toy truck navigating a mysterious world.

Dead Space: Extraction is a shooting game where you only control the aiming, like a light gun game.

Dead Space: Extraction is a shooting game where you only control the aiming, like a light gun game. It's a spin-off prequel from the main Dead Space series and follows survivors of a mining colony as it is overrun by deadly monsters.

Jetpack Joyride is a running, jumping and shooting game you play by just tapping the screen or button at the right time to control your jetpack.

Jetpack Joyride is a running, jumping and shooting game you play by just tapping the screen or button at the right time to control your jetpack. You play a scientist who runs through each of the levels and must survive and get to the end.

Riptide GP: Renegade is a fast-paced racing game set in the underground hydro-jet racing scene.

Riptide GP: Renegade is a fast-paced racing game set in the underground hydro-jet racing scene. It takes extreme jet-ski action in a wacky direction, but there's a significant skill in manoeuvring your vehicle through tight twists and turns to achieve air time for stunts.

Temple Run 2 is a running, jumping and dodging game where you race to escape a deadly beast.

Temple Run 2 is a running, jumping and dodging game where you race to escape a deadly beast. You collect coins and dodge obstacles by tilting and turn corners by swiping left or right.

The Gunstringer is an Xbox Kinect camera game where you use your body to control a cowboy puppet and shoot the villains by forming a gun with your fingers.

The Gunstringer is an Xbox Kinect camera game where you use your body to control a cowboy puppet and shoot the villains by forming a gun with your fingers. You can play with two people working together, with one player controlling the character’s movements and gun while the other gets their own target.

Bastion is an action role playing game, where you explore a series of floating, fantasy-themed levels.

Bastion is an action role playing game, where you explore a series of floating, fantasy-themed levels. What starts as a familiar exploration quickly becomes an engaging and interesting game.

De Blob 2 is a platform-puzzle game where you explore cartoon-style urban landscapes to recolour the city.

De Blob 2 is a platform-puzzle game where you explore cartoon-style urban landscapes to recolour the city. You play a sponge-like creature that can collect coloured paint and take it to different locations to turn the buildings and landscape features to full colour.

Stacking is a puzzle game where the characters are Russian stacking matryoshka dolls.

Stacking is a puzzle game where the characters are Russian stacking matryoshka dolls. Controlling the smallest doll in the game, Charlie Blackmore, you go on an adventure.

Wii Play is a collection of multi-player party games originally designed for the Nintendo Wii and its motion controller.

Wii Play is a collection of multi-player party games originally designed for the Nintendo Wii and its motion controller. Play varies from game to game but each focuses on a motion interaction.

Alien Hominid HD is a running and shooting game where you play an alien, fighting secret agents.

Alien Hominid HD is a running and shooting game where you play an alien, fighting secret agents. Play is a simple challenge of progressing to the right of each level, whilst dispatching the on-rushing enemy humans.