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[Dahbomb]

1. Bloodborne ; A master class in game design and it's a Souls game made for someone like me (aggressive, violent and dark). Superlative aesthetics, top notch level/creature design, actually visceral game play and quality sound design. This is not only my GOTY but so far my game of the generation.

2. Witcher 3 ; This would've been an easy win for Witcher 3 in my books if Bloodborne didn't also come in the same year. Witcher 3 is a staggering accomplishment in scope and technical design. Not only are the maps huge but so is the scope of the narrative. One of the meatiest games of the year that sustains its quality throughout.

3. Ori and the Blind Forest ; A phenomenal 2D platformer with stunning aesthetics and surprisingly tight and challenging game play. One of the surprise hits of the year for me. One of the best non AAA games I have played in a while.

4. MGSV ; This is the MGS game with the best game play without a shadow of a doubt in my mind. Controls are tight, camera is on point, stealth mechanics are varied and interesting. The game is also a technical show piece as it not only looks good but runs great as well. Would've been GOTY if the story and open world matched the moment to moment game play design.

5. Dying Light ; An interesting take on the zombie formula. On the surface it seems like a run of the mill open world action game but the platforming elements and the night/day cycle makes it very interesting and fun to play. One of the few zombie games I have actually enjoyed. Story left more to be desired but overall a very solid game.

6. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin ; Even a non top notch Souls games is still a contender for game of the year. Playing a Souls games at 60fps on consoles is a pleasure and the extra changes plus DLC makes it a very meaty package overall. It's a remaster but one that is worth the asking price IMO.

7. Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition ; It's got Super Saiyan God Vergil in it. Enough fucking said!

8. DmC: Definitive Edition ; One of the better games in the genre especially in the current game. Looks decent enough but plays extremely well with a lot of depth to it. Story and art are hit and miss but fans of the genre should play it for sure. Great entry level action game too. The changes they made to the game were all excellent, if you were burned before then you might actually want to give it a second chance.

9. Just Cause 3 ; Pure unadulterated video game joy. The game knows what it is and it cranks everything to 11. This game really makes unscripted, emergent game play a blast as you are truly the architect of destruction.

10. Rocket League ; Another fun for the sake of fun game. Not much to say on the game other than it's simple, tight and fun.


I didn't play a lot of new games this year, mostly just old games. That's why there are a few remaster in there.

 

[silva1991]

How is SOMA doing vote-wise? Really hope it ranks nicely. My favorite of the year

OMG I forgot about it. yeah I have to edit my list again.

 

[Mushroomer25]

1. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; It's a startlingly brilliant sequel that builds on a strong framework, with the ideal balance of open-world possibility & cinematic extravagance. It doesn't matter if you end up playing it on an XBox, Playstation, or a PC. Don't let it slip you by.

2. Super Mario Maker ; The idea of a 'Mario Builder' has been in the air for a generations. We've all authored out levels on grid paper, dreamed up our own twisted castles. The lack of a game where you could make them a reality always seemed like one of Nintendo's biggest oversights. But as it turned out, Miyamoto & co were just waiting for the right tools. Super Mario Maker is brilliant. A fun, yet comprehensive level editor - paired with just enough discovery tools to make an impact. Combined, they highlight the brilliance of Mario's core - perfect physics, fluid gameplay, and simple visuals that make an impact.

3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; No name has been in conversation this year moreso than Hideo Kojima. The mastermind of MGS' unbelievable fallout with Konami was a constant source of controversy, a seemingly endless string of outrage that only wrapped up in a proper bow last week. In the midst of it all, the game that seemed to break the camel's back has almost been shadowed. Metal Gear Solid V is an incredible feat. It evolves the classic action/stealth formula into something undeniably modern and recognizable, while still being absolutely one of a kind. Controlling Big Boss is a dream made real, and the clockwork battleground lets every mission unfold in a new way. It's the best 1/3rd of a game I've ever played.

4. Ori and the Blind Forest ; The Metroidvania is a long, well-worn path of game design. It's been approached in a million different ways, from a million different names. Ori and the Blind Forest stands out as a game that uses the form for something new - pure visual splendor. The image of Ori is simply stunning in motion, every frame a painting of light. That beauty extends to the control, story, and emotion that this game brings out in the player.

5. Rocket League ; I've never really 'gotten' sports. Sure, I've played the occasional pickup game or participated in a casual league. And I've watched plenty of games, felt the rush of a near victory or crushing defeat. But Rocket League showed me that there's more to sport than that. There's the gradual curve of mastering control over a seemingly wildly object. The thrill of competition amongst friends old and new. The pounding pressure of a game on the line, knowing it all depends on how you execute the next five seconds. That's Rocket League.

6. Her Story ; How often do you see something absolutely new in the world of videogames? Not just an innovation of one element, but a wholly new experience that almost defies definition? Her Story is so simple, but so radically cool. The story it tells is great on its' own, but the genius is hidden in how it can unfold in limitless ways. Everyone discovers Her Story in their own way, treading their own path through the mystery. But all can come to the same conclusion.

7. Fallout 4 ; Fallout 4 is a broken game. That's hard to deny. Core systems break. It fails to explain even its' most rudimentary features. Every turned corner could blow the entire game's world sky high. Yet in a way, the flaws of Fallout 4 are an inevitability. Nobody else makes an RPG like Bethesda, because nobody else dares to. Its' scope is unmatched as a narrative sandbox, laying out so many interlocking systems, ideas, and dynamics in a fully realized game world. It's a deck of cards, with no two players' shuffles ever being quite the same.

8. Undertale ; Undertale is proof of how much I can enjoy a game, while fully realizing that its' core functions may be objectively miserable. The world of this game is delightful, with some of the year's best characters, scenarios, and music contained within. It's brutally clever, charming, and soulful. Yet its' stubborn commitment to the retro aesthetic (while admirably defied in some key moments) hold back the game overall. Regardless, it is more than deserving of its' status.

9. Splatoon ; We don't see ambitious new IPs from Nintendo on a frequent scale. Splatoon is something entirely new from the company, their take on the multiplayer shooter. And like so many other Nintendo classics, it brings new ideas on top of the perfection to an existing model. Splatoon is made with a confidence not seen by developers that turn out multiplayer shooters on an annual basis. Combined with Nintendo's unparalleled post-release support, and its' a game every publisher should aspire to emulate.

10. Tales From The Borderlands ; Telltale releases a lot of videogames. Easily too many. They've warn themselves thin on a dated engine, biting off more than they can chew. But as Tales From The Borderlands shows, their key strengths remain. Its' script is fantastic - introducing human characters into a world that has felt remarkably hollow up until this game. It's a thrilling frontier adventure with robots, corporate espionage, and a massive action climax that Pacific Rim would be envious of.

 

[antitrop]

1. Bloodborne ; The first word that comes to mind when I think about Bloodborne is “satisfaction”. Satisfaction from the wild variety of enemies throughout the world, from the absurdly polished and tight combat mechanics, from discovering its secrets, from the soundtrack, the world-building, and the challenge. It has pretty much everything I need from an action game and sees fit to throw intriguing lore into the mix to really cement its place as a classic. It does enough to set itself apart from "Souls", while retaining enough to be regarded for many of the same reasons as the series it was birthed from.

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I liked the part where you infiltrate bases to "The Final Countdown".

3. Fallout 4 ; A game that will be very different things to different people, Bethesda made a deal with the devil to trade what little role-playing roots Fallout 3 had left for a tighter-playing shooter. It's a game where I can complain about more things than I can praise, but its place on the list shows how much I enjoyed what I did find to like about it. The game dangles a mean fucking carrot and as long as there was something to shoot along the way, I chased the shit out of it.

4. Until Dawn ; The cinematic gaming genre has got to be one of the most difficult to get right. Where Quantic Dream failed so spectacularly in the past and Ready at Dawn shit us out a polished turd in The Order: 1886, Supermassive brings the goods with one of the finest examples of cinematic spectacle in gaming. Dripping in expertly-crafted atmosphere and tension, Until Dawn manages to surpass expectations and subvert assumptions with a well-rounded cast of both likeable and (for some) despicable characters. The story is sufficiently twisty and not too predictable, even if it's nothing overly new or groundbreaking when it all plays out. The characters you sympathize with and are invested in seeing through the night make the tension of the one-save, no take-backs playthrough really meaningful. For those characters that don't work for you, the death scenes are really gross and you should totally watch them.

5. Guitar Hero Live ; "Dude, listen to that video crowd!". The makers of DJ Hero gave the stale Guitar Hero formula the kick-in-the-ass reboot it needed. The GHTV mode, though not for everyone, reinvigorates my love of plastic toy rhythm games with a mode that feels like playing air guitar along to MTV, back when MTV played music videos. The FMV "campaign" is neat to go through once, but the generally weak on-disc track selection ensures that GHTV is the mode worth spending time on. I appreciated the new button layout of the guitar knocking me back down to a lower difficulty for a while.

6. Dying Light ; Dead Island was certainly not to my tastes, but Techland has really delivered the goods over the last few years with 2013's excellent Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and this year's spiritual successor to Dead Island. The newly implemented parkour mechanics give the game the flavor the previous iteration was missing and justify the open-world completely. The stronger zombies coming out at night gave the earliest hours of the game a really fantastic sense of dread and horror, which does slightly fade as you work your way through the skill trees. Powering up your character trades the horror for pure sandboxy fun, which is great, too.

7. Tales from the Borderlands ; Telltale brings their best with a hilarious production that takes uninteresting source material and turns it into something completely unforgettable. Troy Baker leads an excellent cast of likeable characters, including the indispensable Loader-bot, on a journey filled with hope, friendship, laughs, tears, and finger guns.

8. Nuclear Throne ; The best "burst-session" game I played this year, Nuclear Throne keeps everything snappy and doesn't fuck around with your time. Start it up, kill shit, die, retry. The weapon variety and Level Up Mutations keep every procedurally-generated playthrough feeling mysterious. You're not going to be able to get your favorite build every game, but mixing things up feels fun and rewarding. After an extraordinarily long period of Early Access availability, the game was finally released feature complete, but the absurd amount of crashes keep it feeling like it needed just a bit longer there.

9. Need for Speed ; After the initial shock of of the Monster-laden FMV cutscenes ripped straight out of the mid-90s, I really found a lot to like about this semi-reboot. The strictly nighttime-only environment keeps everything looking really good all the time and the open world is actually fun to drive through, it's not so big as to ever get tedious. I admit to being the absolute most casual of racing fans, I mostly like my Burnouts and not much else, but this game was definitely the right thing at the right time, for me.

10. Persona 4: Dancing All Night ; The soundtrack and pure energy of the Persona 4 cast dancing in the background of each song elevates this game above its admittedly weak rhythm mechanics.

Honorable Mentions:

x. Undertale ; Fantastic soundtrack and some very inventive ideas, but just didn't win me over quite the same way it did for others.
x. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; A clearly well-made game that I just couldn't bring myself to get invested in.

 

[Cheesemeister]

Cheesemeister, could it be possible to add Groove Coaster 2 for the spreadsheet for eligibility?

Yes, go ahead and vote for it.

Does Amplitude count as a 2015 release, since it is one if you backed it on Kickstarter but it's a 2016 release for everyone else? I think I'm going to count it as a 2016 release either way but man this game would definitely make my list otherwise.

Oh gosh, a new release to crowdfunding backers in one year and release for sale in the next? That's a new one. I think I'd agree and say it should be counted when it's available for sale to anyone.

I think some of you are taking that "naming and shaming" thing a little too literally. Cheesemeister is not that petulant.

Exactly this. It was a cute way to describe an outlier statistic, and in retrospect a poor choice of words open to misinterpretation. I'll leave it out, but if anyone wants to know who voted for a single title, you'll still be able to comb through the data.

 

[Percy]

1. Bloodborne ; It was a slightly technically iffy game at launch, and stylistically it may not stray a huge distance away from the Souls games, but the fresh twist on making the combat more dependent on reflexes and close quarters offense was definitely a big shake up for those of us who relied heavily on bows and shields in Souls. The whole thing just played wonderfully and brought us some of From's best monster designs to date into the bargain. A genuine delight to play.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; The single most fantastically designed open world I think I've ever seen in a game coupled with seriously solid gameplay mechanics and variety of stuff to do that doesn't revolve around an inane Ubiworld checklist driven scramble to clear icons off a map and that can keep you busy for dozens of hours before you even realise you haven't done a story mission in ages. An incredibly addictive game let down only by a very weak story and narrative structure and some of the most user unfriendly tutorialising I've ever seen.

3. Dragon Quest Heroes

4. Tales of Zestiria

5. Transformers Devastation

6. Hotline Miami 2

7. Super Mario Maker

8. Splatoon

9. Tearaway Unfolded

10. One Piece Pirate Warriors 3


Honorable mentions

x. Godzilla ; Clunky as shit and limited in the extreme, but fuck if this wasn't a hugely enjoyable slice of Kaiju fanservice heaven.

x. Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water ; not as good as the original PZ trilogy, but it was still a pretty decent follow up on the whole and a worthwhile experience in it's own right despite some fairly shitty design decisions.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

1. Bloodborne; My first "Souls" game. My only real platinum. 'Nuff said. Amazing gameplay and atmosphere.

2. Rise of the Tomb Raider; Best game in the Tomb Raider/Uncharted genre so far IMO. Love the exploration, combat, setting etc.

3. Until Dawn; The best of the interactive movie genre so far IMO. Scarier/creepier than I expected as well.

4. The Witcher 3; My favorite open world WRPG so far, despite not playing the first two or reading the books. Wonderful world, characters and meaningful sidequests.

5. Metal Gear Solid V; Yes, the story was lacking compared to series standards. But the gameplay was sublime.

6. SOMA; The best sci-fi story I've encountered in a game and great atmosphere.

7. Life is Strange; Loved the setting, story and characters. Basically a Telltale game without the jank.

8. Splatoon; A huge breath of fresh air in the online shooter genre.

9. Super Mario Maker; Endless Mario Levels, and fun to dick around making my own.

10. Halo 5; Story lacking, but campaign was solid othewise and the MP is great.

Honorable Mentions:

X. Star Wars Battlefront; Fun, casual shooter and great use of the SW license.

X. Her Story; Very unique method of story telling.

X. Yoshi's Wooly World; Solid 2D platfomer with great art design

X. Ori and the Blind Forest; Great art design and music. Enjoyed it quite a bit, but the difficulty level led to enough frustration to keep it out of my top ten.

X. Undertale; Finished a neutral run and started a pacifist one. I like it, but don't get all the high praise.

Need to Play Still (AKA could make my top 10 if I get to/finish them before the deadline):

X. Tales from the Borderlands

X. Batman Arkham Knight

 

[Alex]

1. Undertale ; Honestly outdoes a lot of it's own inspirations. Wonderful little RPG with an amazing soundtrack.
2. Heroes of the Storm ; Fixes nearly every issue I have with the genre, pumps in much needed new design.
3. Pillars of Eternity
4. The Witcher 3
5. Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void
6. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
7. Xenoblade Chronicles X
8. Tales from the Borderlands
9. Shadowrun: Hong Kong
10. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward

 

[Jumping Chief]

Edit as of 01/21/16 (Until Dawn at 3, Halo 5 to HM)

1. Rise of the Tom Raider ; The best game I played all year. Fun gameplay, mix with a great story is only the beginning of what makes this game great. The crafting system adds a survival layer to the game that Tomb Raider (2013) was lacking. More optional tombs, and awesome set pieces add to the fun of this action packed game. Camilla Luddington's performance as Lara Croft was nothing short of a home run. A fantastic experience from start to end.

2. Fallout 4 ; A great, and full open world game with great exploitation. Not a flawless game by any means but, still a great game with that classic "Fallout" charm to it. As an overall package this may be the best Fallout game to date.

3. Until Dawn ; This game was kinda a surprise for me. I thought the game would be good but never thought it would be this good. I love everything about this game from to slasher/horror themed setting to how this game made me real think, and ask questions about myself. This game hits all the right notes for me. A must play in my mind.

4. Ori and the Blind Forest ; The game was fun and challenging, a great example of the metroidvania genre. The story is simple but still touching, paired with a beautiful art style made this a top game of 2015.

5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Gotham was beautiful to look at and to play in. The side quests and the Batmobile were not perfect. Still the main story was well done, and makes this a fun entry to the Arkham games.

6. Rocket League ; Rocket is League is just a well executed simple idea. A simple idea that I can't seem to stop playing. The prefect casual sports game.

7. Mad Max ; Fun gameplay, and I felt that game captured the dead, and hopeless world of the Mad Max movies perfectly.

8. Star Wars Battlefront ; Not a deep game in terms of content, but as a Star Wars nerd this game is the best look, and sounding Star Wars game to date. It does the job I need it to do which is to scratch my Star Wars itch.

9. Destiny: The Taken King ; I was pretty disappointed with vanilla Destiny, but Taken King fixed a lot of the problems I had with Destiny, from RNG to the story. Thanks to the Taken King, Destiny is back in my good graces.

10. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; A fun stand alone expansion to a fun game. The Old Blood did nothing new, but it was fun to revisit the Wolfenstein world again with a B-movie feel to it.

Honorable Mentions
x. Halo 5: Guardians
x. Battlefield Hardline
x. Mortal Kombat X

 

[Cheesemeister]

Hey Cheesemeister, is there a way to add a list of the (likely top 5) games we didn't play (or play enough of) without cluttering up the thread? I think that would be something good to analyse, particularly with the Bloodborne vs Witcher 3 thing that's going on.
It's probably too late now, but maybe in future.

How about honorable mentions?

 

[Oxirane]

How about honorable mentions?

That's possible, but I don't think the info gained that way will be that interesting (in aggregate) without getting most of the people to list the games they didn't play.

There could be a simple code that can be easily parsed, which can indicate which of the top(or games of interest) X games a ballot poster did or didn't play (maybe using letters of the alphabet).

 

[Cheesemeister]

That's possible, but I don't think the info gained that way will be that interesting (in aggregate) without getting most of the people to list the games they didn't play.

There could be a simple code that can be easily parsed, which can indicate which of the top(or games of interest) X games a ballot poster did or didn't play (maybe using letters of the alphabet).

We already did something similar with LTTP voting on games from the year before, but it didn't have enough participation to generate any meaningful data. I get the feeling that this would be the same: not worth the trouble.

 

[Mooreberg]

1. Metal Gear Solid V ; The most fun I have had with a game so far in this hardware cycle.
2. Bloodborne ; My favorite "souls" games since Demon's Souls.
3. Fallout 4 ; Awesome game, besides the settlements crap.
4. Rocket League
5. Batman Arkham Knight ; Could have been ranked higher, if not for the Bat mobile.
6. The Talos Principle Deluxe Edition
7. Dying Light

 

[spliced]

1. Bloodborne ; Another great game using the Souls formula, only this time with more of an action game feel to it. The highlights for me are the ingenious gun parrying and health regain system. To have developers create fun gameplay mechanics that I've never thought of is a special treat.

2. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; My favorite game of the year, but I don't feel a remake deserves a spot over Bloodborne. The multiplayer is some of the most fun I've ever had in online gaming, and the "DLC" areas are great.

 

[ghibli99]

1. Undertale ; A game I've been waiting my whole life for. Sublime story and GOAT soundtrack.
2. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Improved upon the 2013 reboot in every way. I'm in love with Lara Croft. LOL
3. The Beginner's Guide ; What a surprise. Thought it'd just be funny, but it's so much more than that.
4. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons ; Although only slightly updated from last-gen, this is one of the most unique story-driven games I've ever played. Wonderful.
5. 3D Out Run ; The remake we deserve. Amazing 3D, 60fps, and nice mods. Love the two new songs too.
6. Box Boy! ; Surprisingly fun puzzle-platformer that throws new things at you constantly. I didn't stop until I'd 100%'d it.
7. Lara Croft GO ; Another big surprise. I didn't get all that into Hitman GO, but Lara Croft GO takes those ideas and adds better production value and intensity. Great journey with head-scratching puzzles.
8. Rare Replay ; More than just basic emulation, the NES Remix-like challenges and all the extras make this essential as a historical piece, even if you didn't grow up with their games.
9. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; Yeah, it's slow as all get-out, but once you get locked into the narrative, it's tough to let go. Really makes you think about our fleeting time on this planet.
10. Tales from the Borderlands ; I don't like the Borderlands games, but I love this. I think Telltale still needs better animators to match the quality of the writing, but what a journey.

 

[EGOMON]

1. Rocket League ; This game define why we play games and how fun video-games can be it is one of the few games in recent memory that i kept coming back to play everyday and to this day. Everything about it is just perfect and it deserves all the universal praise and this year GOTY

2. Toukiden Kiwami ; My most played PS4 game and i don't have much time to play games but for this game i found the time to play i even took leaves just to play, addictive and amazing game that i pour so much time just to get that godly equipment

3. Earth Defense Force 4.1 ; I always wanted to play this series but almost always something happen to prevent me from doing so or i just forget but with EDF 4.1 i finally manged to play one and holy shit it is as i imagined tons and tons of fun, am still playing the game it just have that feel of pick up controller and lose yourself for hours

 

[Nasreddin]

1. Rocket League ; A great design idea in perfection. So much polish compared to the first game.
2. Life Is Strange ; Dontnod does what Telltale and Cage don't.
3. Helldivers ; Easily the best coop game in years.
4. N++ ; Has the most amazing soundtrack from 2015.
5. The Beginner's Guide ;
6. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round ;
7. SOMA ;
8. Tales from the Borderlands ; One of the rare cases where humor in games does work.
9. Three Fourths Home ;
10. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ;

 

[NorthernIX]

1. Bloodborne ; Already my likely goty, the release of Old Hunters pushed this game into orbit. Atmosphere, lore, and most importantly, the gameplay make this my game of the year.

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Best stealth combat sandbox ever. Seriously. Ever. Missions can play out completely different by changing how you play.

3. Witcher 3 ; Far and away the best rpg this year in my opinion. Much better than the first two games. And, Gwent, because I played Gwent as much as the rest of the game.

4. Dark Souls II : Scholar of the First Sin ; Yes, another Souls game in my top 10. Just can't get enough of these games.

5. GTA V ; Best GTA open world yet.

6. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ; Absolutely addicting gameplay. 250 hours in, and I'm still discovering new stuff.

7. Axiom Verge ; Best Metroid game since Metroid. I was smiling the entire time playing through it.

8. Cities Skylines ; Excellent city builder. Finally.

9. Dying Light ; Really liked this one. I'm a sucker for end of the world stuff, which leads us to...

10. Fallout 4 ; Surprisingly, I almost didn't put this in my top 10. I felt the story was the worst of the Bethesda Fallout games, but the exploration aspect of the game ( which I love ) made up for it. The world also 'felt' smaller to me than previous Fallouts.

 

[sir_bumble_bee]

1) Xenoblade Chronicles X;

2) Fast Racing Neo;

3) Dragon Quest Heroes;

That's all I got for 2015 lol, been mostly a lttp year for me

 

[TyrantGuardian]

1. Undertale ; What an emotional roller-coaster. Geez. The only thing I didn't like about this game is that it isn't quite clear enough about how important it is to do a full pacifist run to first time players. Many people just stop there after clearing the game once with the neutral ending. Bleh. Their loss.

2. Mushihimesama ; A true classic in the shmup genre, and a great port addition to a genre that severely needed to become hardware/region agnostic. While there were some minor issues at release, all of them have been fixed via good patches and it is pretty much the definitive release of the game.

3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; As much as I kind of never want to replay the game after figuring out how to completely cheese out the AI (going prone is ridiculous and breaks the game along with d-dog takedowns), my first 50 hours with it were some of the greatest improvisation-based gameplay I've experienced in an open world. Too bad it reeks of being unfinished.

4. Axiom Verge ; Spooky, tight and very inventive. Not quite as fulfilling as a SotN, but I might come back and replay it one day not too far down the road.

5. Super Mario Maker ; Hugely flawed game that nonetheless made it very intuitive to become a level designer for a template of game most people are familiar with. I wish it was as fun to play other levels as it was to make them, and Nintendo have huge issues presenting actually well-designed and playable levels to players, but hey, at least it made me more aware of game design in general.

6. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; While the combat is completely broken garbage that just makes me wish I was playing literally any action game from Japan instead, the writing, voice acting and world building more than makes up for it. Also Gwent is the best card mini-game since Triple Triad.

7. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Adorable. Perfect for couch co-op with less experienced friends.

8. Rocket League ; This game would probably end up waaaaay higher if I played it more than I did. Fantastic fun and endless hilarity when played with friends.

9. Pillars of Eternity ; Never got around to finishing it, but what I have played was very good. I was never a big fan of Baldur's Gate and its ilk, much preferring the weird setting of Planescape: Torment and such, but this game had good enough writing most of the time to stay interesting even though I ended up skipping most of the backer stories in the end.

10. Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition ; Another game I wish I played more of, but a port that was worse than the original (!?!?) on PC kept me from enjoying it to the fullest. Still, Vergil is an insane character in this game and shows endless potential for DMC5, if that ever ends up being a thing.

 

[Bl@de]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The greatest achievement of The Witcher III is, that there is no quality drop when comparing it to the books of Andrzej Sapkowski. The characters, story and world - everything is so carefully designed with respect to the original source. What CD Projekt RED has achieved with the Witcher trilogy is a crowning achievement. A magnum opus. What started as a polish fantasy book in the early 90s, has become a blockbuster so many people love. After playing The Witcher 2, I never thought CD Project RED could achieve that density and quality in a huge open world. They proved me wrong. The growth of the studio over these three games is astonishing. After all these years following the franchise there is just one thing left I want to say. Dziekuje i do zobaczenia w roku 2077.

2. Bloodborne ; Very close second place. When it comes to pure gameplay, this game would take the number 1 spot. My favourite game from FROM Software behind Demon's Souls. I also enjoyed the different setting. For me the overall achievement of CD Projekt RED is bigger, but any other year this FROM title would be my choice. And guess what, Dark Souls 3 is coming next year...

3. Hotline Miami 2 ; Many people didn't like the bigger levels. I enjoyed using guns. Gave the game a John Woo feeling. Playing the game with some good Beyerdynamic headphones does wonders. The game made me a believer of hardcore synth music.
For that alone it has a top 3 spot secured.

4. Resident Evil HD Remaster ; Great remaster of the remake. Added controls and aspect ratio are a great way to experience this classic. I gave it the 4th place because it's a remaster. Otherwise it would be a number 1. One of my favourite games of all time. I can still do a speedrun of 2h *proud*.

5. Fallout 4 ; Great game and yet disappointment of the year. Everything is better compared to 3, but the terrible writing and immersion breaking voice-acting leave a sour note.

6. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter ; Another great remaster. In my opinion the game still holds up as a great shooter. I also prefer it to Turok 2. But this game is 100% christmas nostalgia for me. That's why I include it in the top 10.

7. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Surprise of the year. Really good game by Good-Feel Studios (no pun intended). Going for 100% makes this game a real nail biter. Took me 30h to finish. Quite a while for a Jump'n'Run.

8. Mad Max ; An open-world third-person RAGE. Exactly what I wanted. Sadly it suffers from too much repetition.

9. Project Zero: Maiden of the Black Water ; My first Project Zero game. Loved the atmosphere and old-school survival horror mechanics. Pacing is a bit too slow for its on good sometimes.

10. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ; The gameplay is fun (big step up from Revelations) but I doubt I'll ever see another new RE title near my top 3. Forced co-op mechanic is annoying and takes away any atmosphere. Feels more like a standard third-person shooter with some added horror elements. Something The Last of Us does a lot better. Classic Resident Evil is something totally different.

That concludes my top 10. Many games I played in 2015 are considered retro by now, that's why I haven't played some big games yet (Pillars of Eternity for example). Will catch up on it. Overall a great year and 2016 is going to be even better.

Merry christmas and to a great 2016.

 

[Grief.exe]

Was just checking my votes to confirm eligibility.

Might have to add Divinity: Original Sin, sans the Enhanced Edition portion or some votes won't be counted.

Does kero blaster count? I think it was released in 2014 to pc but got its steam release a few months ago

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12IWj-b0iN7Z8FpGTD5EvLYBA8CkTxjSu9Gs2IBoHk9k/edit#gid=0

Doesn't look like it, though there is a large chance it slipped through the cracks.

 

[Shepard]

1. Pillars of Eternity ; Still playing it after 140 hours of pure, traditional RPG bliss. If this is to PoE2 what Baldur's Gate was to BG2, we might have the game of eternity in just a few years.
2. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition
3. Ori and the Blind Forest
4. Paint it Back
5. Batman: Arkham Knight
6. Cities: Skylines

 

[Tizoc]

Does kero blaster count? I think it was released in 2014 to pc but got its steam release a few months ago

 

[Donos]

I just don't think someone is capable of making a "game of the year" vote if they only played 1 or 2 games. That's just my opinion.

I just named two games (1. W3 and 2.Bloodborne) too. I played more than these two games this year but it's not a "rank 10 2015 games you played this year" vote. E.g. i was addicted to Rocket Leauge for a short while but i don't think that it is a "GOTY" game for me in comparison to the others.

 

[Cheesemeister]

Does kero blaster count? I think it was released in 2014 to pc but got its steam release a few months ago

Upon checking last year's spreadsheet, we had a PC release listed for 2014. A Steam release does not constitute a new platform if there had already been a PC version.

 

[Tizoc]

Upon checking last year's spreadsheet, we had a PC release listed for 2014. A Steam release does not constitute a new platform if there had already been a PC version.

Ah so it's not eligible then, moving it to honorary menion

 

[Adry9]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; One of the best RPGs I've ever played. The world is huge, interesting and alive. Secondary missions might be where the game shines the most.

2. Her Story ; One of the most innovative narrative experiences I've ever had.

3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; A bit let down by the story but the actual gameplay is amazingly polished.

4. Life Is Strange ; A step forward in Telltale's formula.

5. The Beginner's Guide ; The game made me realise how bad we treat artists sometimes, we should be more grateful that they share their creations with us.

6. Subterfuge ; Easly the best mobile-only game I've ever played and one of the few to actually take advantage of the medium.

7. Invisible, Inc. ;

 

[TheUnsunghero26]

1) The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt; This summer I finally got around to playing the 360 version of The Witcher 2. I really enjoyed it, and started 3 shortly after. I was blown away at the quality of this game. A fantastic world to explore and really great quests.
2) Ori and the Blind Forest; An amazing looking and playing game. Can't wait for the definitive edition.
3) Halo 5; Amazing multiplayer.
4) Rare Replay; Rare is my favourite developer, and this is one of the best packages you can get. The bonus content alone makes it worth it.
5) Life is Strange
6) Super Mario Maker
7) Massive Chalice
8) Contradiction: Spot The Liar
9) Dark Souls 2 Scholar of First Sin
10) Destiny The Taken King


Might think of more to add later. Some of the heavy hitters I haven't had a chance to play this year, like Bloodborne, Splatoon, Undertale, etc.

 

[Anarkin]

1) The Witcher 3: This summer I finally got around to playing the 360 version of The Witcher 2. I really enjoyed it, and started 3 shortly after. I was blown away at the quality of this game. A fantastic world to explore and really great quests.
2) Ori and the Blind Forest: An amazing looking and playing game. Can't wait for the definitive edition.
3) Halo 5: Amazing multiplayer.
4) Rare Replay: Rare is my favourite developer, and this is one of the best packages you can get. The bonus content alone makes it worth it.
5) Super Mario Maker
6) Massive Chalice
7) Life is Strange
8) Contradiction: Spot The Liar
9) Dark Souls 2 Scholar of First Sin


Might think of more to add later. Some of the heavy hitters I haven't had a chance to play this year, like Bloodborne, Splatoon, Undertale, etc.

Read the OP again.

Comments on games must begin on the same line as the game title itself, following a semicolon ( Not a hyphen. Not a dash. Not a slash. Not a space. Not a period. A semicolon.

 

[yog-sothot]

1. Bloodborne ; Great game, yet so hard... it's my first "Souls" game
2. Warhammer End Times: Vermintide ; Very good coop' game
3. Helldivers ; more coop' greatness.
4. Rocket League ; pure fun.
5. Infinifactory
6. Sunless Sea ; Great atmosphere and writing.
7. Broforce
8. Guitar Hero Live


I did not play many 2015 games in 2015, unfortunately... I still have so many to play that will mostr likely be fantastic (Witcher 3, Pillars of Eternity...)

 

[ohlawd]

Read the OP again.

will you balance Magic Mushroom and remind non-Bloodborne voters to fix their formatting?

 

[tuxfool]

1) Xenoblade Chronicles X;

2) Fast Racing Neo;

3) Dragon Quest Heroes;

That's all I got for 2015 lol, been mostly a lttp year for me

You should read the OP, fix your formatting.

will you balance Magic Mushroom and remind non-Bloodborne voters to fix their formatting?

Clearly somebody has to. I'd do it myself, but I don't really discriminate and just show up whenever.

 

[Anarkin]

will you balance Magic Mushroom and remind non-Bloodborne voters to fix their formatting?

That's the plan. No, I just read the current page, that's all.

 

[poet at play]

1. Yakuza 5 ; A soulful, deeply immersive, blue-blooded Sega RPG for the ages.
2. The Swindle ; A procedurally generated burglary masterwork, harkening back to the Bonanza Brothers.
3. Read Only Memories ; Long have I dreamt of this spiritual successor to games like Snatcher and Rise of the Dragon.

 

[benny_a]

1. Yakuza 5
2. The Swindle
3. Read Only Memories

Re-read the first post. Your formatting is incorrect and your ballot won't be counted if left like that.
--
v You too v

 

[Tactics18]

1. Bloodborne ; Miyazaki does it again. Stellar art direction, amazing boss battles, haunting music, the best combat in the series so far and a captivating gothic story with a great twist. All of those make it my GOTY.

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ;

3. Axiom Verge ;

4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ;

5. Life is Strange ;

 

[tuxfool]

1. Bloodborne

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt

3. Axiom Verge

4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

5. Life is Strange

^ You too ^

In case it wasn't clear.

 

[Psychoward]

I haven't played SOMA but I read a plot summary and watched the opening and ending on YouTube and liked the story beats a lot... would it be weird if I added that?

 

[benny_a]

I haven't played SOMA but I read a plot summary and watched the opening and ending on YouTube and liked the story beats a lot... would it be weird if I added that?

I think it would be weird.

But the rules say you can vote on any playable content released in 2015. There is no stipulation that you have to have played it, or in your case even seen the majority of it. Follow your dreams.

 

[Majestad]

1) The Witcher 3: This summer I finally got around to playing the 360 version of The Witcher 2. I really enjoyed it, and started 3 shortly after. I was blown away at the quality of this game. A fantastic world to explore and really great quests.
2) Ori and the Blind Forest: An amazing looking and playing game. Can't wait for the definitive edition.
3) Halo 5: Amazing multiplayer.
4) Rare Replay: Rare is my favourite developer, and this is one of the best packages you can get. The bonus content alone makes it worth it.
5) Super Mario Maker
6) Massive Chalice
7) Life is Strange
8) Contradiction: Spot The Liar
9) Dark Souls 2 Scholar of First Sin


Might think of more to add later. Some of the heavy hitters I haven't had a chance to play this year, like Bloodborne, Splatoon, Undertale, etc.

Use the ; instead of : after the names of the games or the votes won't we counted.

 

[Grief.exe]

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; These distractions stand out in part because The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is otherwise incredible and sumptuous; the little quirks are pronounced when they are surrounded by stellar details. And make no mistake: this is one of the best role-playing games ever crafted, a titan among giants and the standard-setter for all such games going forward. Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring. -Kevin Vanord, Gamespot

2. Kerbal Space Program ; Eventually, Kerbal Space Program becomes a game about triumph. Getting into space. Landing on the moon. Mastering physics to leave the ground behind and blasting into the history books on a rocket of your own creation. When it finally happens, it's one of the most satisfying moments in the history of gaming. What makes Kerbal a classic, though, is what happens before that point. As a great Kerbal once probably said, we do not choose to go to the Mun because it is easy, but because... well, why not? Look at it, hanging up there in the sky like a great big smug thing. Don't you just want to wipe the smile off its poxy moon face? -Richard Cobbet, Eurogamer

3. Cities: Skylines ; If you play city-building games to, well, build cities, this is the best you can get. Never before have I felt like I could just walk up to an enormous tract of land, open up some tools and just...build whatever I wanted, however I wanted. Straight roads, curved roads, designated office blocks, districts with their own tax rules, it's all at your fingertips.

If you despised SimCity for its tiny scale, this is not a tiny game. Skylines begins small, but as your city grows, you're able to unlock more and more of the surrounding countryside. It gets to the point where you can start building satellite communities just for the hell of it, because your primary city is so damn big. --Luke Plunket, Kotaku

4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Metal Gear Solid V is the best Metal Gear yet, and has immediately become one of my favorite video games of the last few years. It’s an impeccable stealth-action game, clearly inspired in all the right ways by modern series like Far Cry, and it’s got a level of moment-to-moment joyfulness that kept me satisfied even when I was slogging through harder versions of levels I’d already beaten just to see the “true” ending. The pacing might be terrible, the dialogue incoherent, the character motivations incomprehensible, and the ending woefully unsatisfying, but Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is, really, an excellent video game.

Too bad it’s not finished. -Jason Schreier, Kotaku

5. Resident Evil HD Remaster ;

6. Prison Architect ;

7. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ;

8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ;

9. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D ;

10. Pillars of Eternity ;

x. Dirty Bomb ;
x. Invisible, Inc. ;
x. Sunless Sea ;
x. Life is Strange ;
x. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition ;
x. Downwell ;
x. Don't Starve: Giant Edition ;
x. Ori and the Blind Forest ;

 

[dlauv]

1. The Witcher 3 ; Ambitious and intelligent dark fantasy that rarely, if ever, manages to make me feel that I've wasted my time in the course of its 100+ hour campaign. Fantastic music, great art, great C&C. I have more than two niggles with it, but its ambitiousness and determination to web weave quests and involve the player left me hooked, even if it took DLC to finally compete with a certain early-game quest.

2. Bloodborne ; I was digging it for a while, but the Demon's Souls health system, very lacking character customization, chalice dungeons, camera; weird-when-it-matters-most hitboxes and crazy-good-whenever-they-feel-like-it-auto-facing; and progressively poorer level design left me wondering what everyone was smoking, and whether or not whatever had been smoked was wrapped in a PS4 receipt. I heard the DLC redeems the game a bit, but it's already out of my possession, so I can't play it . The game gets by on the Souls' skeleton. Still a solid 8/10, despite my bitching, but it is also pretty disappointing. The revised combat is fine but didn't excite me much.

3. Until Dawn ; This should be the future of horror movies and a future path of horror games. And, it's probably the future David Cage imagined but without all of the stupid Matrix awakenings and racial stereotyping.

4. Transformers: Devastation ; I still haven't beaten this, but I liked the combat so much from the time I played it that I can't see myself putting anything other than it into slot 4. It's slightly frustrating that it is just Bayonetta's combat -again- in a new coat of paint, but it feels so smooth and looks so good that I just can't fault it too much for that. It seemed a little repetitive, but I think that's because I took gaf recommendations to start on hard mode first.

V. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; If repetition could kill. Fantastic gameplay, the blandest open world imaginable, and mind-numbing quests. It is the skeleton of a great game made unpalatable. Could not finish! Still rather fond of! Keifer Sutherland is a treasure and Kaz made me grind my teeth. There was a gigantic chasm between those two in terms of VA quality, and I think it strengthens the idea that actual actors should do VA from now on.

6. Fallout 4 ; I actually loved this game. Truthfully, I'd give it third place, but I also completely forgot about it until after I wrote about Metal Gear Solid V. I think that probably means something, so I'm determined to leave Fallout 4 where it is on this list. Fallout 4 was fun for wandering around, customizing weapons, wearing silly outfits, and especially shooting. This is the best ARPG shooting I've ever experienced, not that it has much competition. The AI and enemy variation made sure that gunfights were pretty fun. I think its failings are well-documented. Insubstantial and forgettable, but delicious junk food is what I'd call it I guess.

7. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide ; This is actually pretty awesome. With the hammer weapons, this game has the most satisfying first-person melee combat that I've experienced. I am not too familiar with the game as of yet, but I appreciate the loot-grind mechanics. It feels charitable, but not too charitable. The classes are varied. It's something I'm excited about, but these games take more time than I've spent to fully understand.

8. Batman: Arkham Knight ; I own this on PC, and I was not especially bummed out that it did not run correctly because I did not have much fun with it at all. However, now I can be bummed out at a silky-smooth 60 fps. I have gotten far in the campaign, but I cannot for the life of me be bothered to finish. The sidequests are all very stale and repetitive. The combat is the best and most complex it has ever been, but you hardly even do it. The most fun I've gotten out of this game is hot-seating the 40-dollar DLC Batmobile tracks with a friend. Everything sucks about the story except a particular character's story arc, which is probably my favorite incarnation of the character put to games and a brilliant way to re-introduce him. Beautiful game to look at tho.

I would like to clarify that I enjoy all of these games. I'm not just devolving the list into merely a list of games I've played this year. For example, I will not be nominating Lightning Returns on PC because it's very poor, nor will I be nominating Divinity: Original Sin: Enhanced Edition even though I enjoy it, because I have not played it nearly enough to have fleshed out thoughts on it yet. It doesn't help either that these are re-releases of older games.

 

[TheUnsunghero26]

Read the OP again.

Use the ; instead of : after the names of the games or the votes won't we counted.

Fixed, my bad.

 

[higgsboson1997]

1. Splatoon ; My favourite new idea by Nintendo since Super Smash Bros. The gameplay is some of the most fluid I have ever had the joy of playing, the style is amazing, the atmosphere is great, the Miiverse integration is fantastic, there is tons and tons of content. There was nothing I didn't like, from the drip feeding of the content which kept the excitement going to the map rotation which prevents the same ones from being played over and over. It was the game I was looking forward to most this year, and it delivered. Even if it launched with one map, one gun, no gear options, and no single player, I would still have it in my top 5 just because the base idea and gameplay behind it is so interesting and fun.

2. Super Mario Maker ; My second favourite new idea by Nintendo since Super Smash Bros. This being the be all end all of 2D Mario cemented the Wii U as the best platform for Mario games, with NSMBU (top 3 2D Mario), Super Mario 3D World (best 3D Mario).

3. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Best open world I have ever seen in gaming. That alone makes it worthy of a spot. The mechs, the great music, and the combat system elevate it to top 3 status.

4. Fallout 4 ; Does it have flaws? Yes. Does that stop this from being one of the best games of the year? No way. It is amazing, and the best Fallout game in my opinion. The gameplay is very smooth, and there is so much to do and experience, it's insane.

5. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon ; The best spin-off of the GOAT franchise - it's Pokemon Mystery Dungeon being good again. Probably the best one actually. Loved it.

6. Her Story ; What a unique and great game. I wouldn't mind trying a lot more like this one.

7. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Better than Yoshi's Island, and one of the best 2D platformers of the last few years. Absolutely great art style as well.

8. Halo 5 ; The king of shooters is back. Good stuff.

9. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; Played it for twenty or so hours and kept dying all the time. It is too hard for me, but it is undeniably a very, very fun game. Deserves it's spot.

10. Affordable Space Adventures ; The most inventive use of the Wii U gamepad. Loved the atmosphere of the game as well.

Honorable Mentions
x. Majora's Mask 3D ; Would have had it in around the #5 or #6 slot, but preferred not to count it with it being a remake.
x. Invisible, Inc. ; Really great game. Reminded me of Mark of the Ninja.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Am I allowed to use a semicolon in my thoughts about a game? I use it in my normal writing fairly frequently and it's shown up in a draft I have.

 

[mrpookles]

This thread is really making me want to give Bloodborne a chance.

 

[Imperfected]

This thread is really making me want to give Bloodborne a chance.

It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, obviously, but if you can get into it the game is an incredible experience.

 

[Vlodril]

1. The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt ; CDPR managed to do what no other company has done for me so far. Take the promise of the open world potential and actually fulfill it. A grand epic of an rpg, full of memorable characters and story. A wonderfully dark medieval world and probably the best sidequests in any game i have played (their quality rivaled the main quests). What a fantastic epilogue for geralt of rivia and a great completion of probably my favorite trilogy in gaming.

2. Pillars of Eternity ; Kickstarted this the moment it went online and obsidian did not fail me. A great crpg which while adhered a bit too much some times on the classical formula still innovated (that map quick movement i want it in every crpg from now on) and offered a pretty good story with gameplay that did not get stale for the about 70-80 it took for me to finish the main story. Durance is probably my favorite new character this year. A priest that hates his goddess and his dialogue was so amazing. Loved him.

3. Hard West ; Surprise of the year for me. I had 0 expectations because i didn't even see the kickstarter and just bought it on a whim when it came out because i like the genre.
I certainly did not expect the dark,downright macabre at times, storyline or the pretty good writing(did not expect so much story between missions). Gameplay was also deep enough i felt to keep me going. Really enjoyed it and it was also big enough (about 20 hours). Especially for the price it debuted.


4. UnderRail ; Isometric crpg which is a mix between fallout,stalker and deus ex. Multiple paths to quest solving. A pretty nice alternate exp system (oddity system) and great gameplay. Nice atmosphere (which actually feels post apocalyptic unlike other post apocalyptic games).

5. Stasis ; Another kickstarter game i backed. My favorite adventure this year. A mix between aliens and dead space in an isometric adventure. Game looks beautiful, is extremely atmospheric and perhaps best of all all the puzzles are actually logical and not hit your self in the wall to guess what developer wants you to do (which is something most adventures suffer from). Except one puzzle. That puzzle sucked. Also made by a tiny team. Good job.


6. Life is strange ; I like the genre (cinematic pick your choice games a la david cage) but you would think an adventure game about a high school girl and time travel would be kinda hard to get into. Apparently not at all. Dontnod did a great job and this was one of the big surprises of the year. Quality in all episodes and this (along with dreamfall chapters) have shown me how stale i find telltale games these days.


7. Shadowrun Hong-Kong ; 3rd kickstarted game from me. Hong Kong is another excellent shadowrun game. It improves quite a lot gameplay wise from the previous games (and made all classes equally awesome to play with) and had a great setting and good storyline. The only minus i would give it is that i felt the characters were a step down comparing them to Shadowrun Dragonfall.

8. Contradiction ; What do you have to say about this?? Jokes aside i enjoyed this game (with all its wonderful cheese) a ton. Huge amounts of chewing scenery and overacting but it just added to the charm of this wonderful little game. Just a joy to play through.


*Extra note: Another year in which crowdfunded games filled most of my list thus proving kickstarter and the various crowdfunding sites are the best thing to happen in gaming in the last few years.

 

[Cheesemeister]

Am I allowed to use a semicolon in my thoughts about a game? I use it in my normal writing fairly frequently and it's shown up in a draft I have.

Yeah, go for it.