I've been thinking about how to go about a Game of the Year list for a while since I played a lot of games this year that didn't come out this year and don't really like the idea of ranking games. It'd also be too hard to choose from just a few to talk about. Then Merritt Kopas compiled for her curation site Forest Ambassador a game award list featuring every game posted on her site this year with awards given out by anonymous users via Google Docs. I thought that was a really cool, fun way to do an end of the year list for a ton of games. Since I kept track of all the games, regardless of release, I played since January, I've decided to shamelessly copy the format to that list of games. And of course, these awards are all ones that I've given out personally because selfishness, the biggest reason this list could never be as good as the Forest Ambassador one. Forest Ambassador has been a hugely important source of great games for me this year, so a lot of games on this list I first found through the site. You should consider supporting Merritt Kopas and her work here.
The Last of Us - Best Use of the Tired Zombie Apocalypse Trope and Accompanying Themes
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons- Best Bros/Best Button Press
Animal Crossing: New Leaf- Snarkiest Citizens
GTA V- Most in Love with Itself/Best Social Media Simulation
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon- Best Vacuum/Best Game to Actually Turn on 3D function on 3DS
The Last of Us: Left Behind - Best Photobooth
Assassin’s Creed II- Most Distrust of Authority/Weirdest Mario Reference
Dark Souls II - Most Improved Multiplayer/Best Dragon Level
DmC: Devil May Cry - OMGWTF Award for Outrageous Nonsense/Provolone Award for Cheesiest Writing
Valiant Hearts: The Great War - Best Treatment of Soldiers as People/Most Loyal Doggie <3
Child of Light - Coolest Hair Physics
Dys4ia - Best Imagery as Speech
Alpaca Run - Best Song/Most Uplifting
Talks with My Mom - Best Use of Text in Dream Bubbles
Patatap- Most Mesmerizing
Nihilistic Acid Oppression- Most Oppressively Nihilistic/Lowest pH
The Citizen Kane of Games- Best Search for Games as Art
Catachresis - Best Walking Animations/Scariest Apocalypse
Sacrilege - Sexiest Gospel Evangelists
Sacrilege - Sexiest Gospel Evangelists
Oh No! - Best Escape from Hostile Disembodied Head
On August 11, A Ship Sailed Into Port - Silliest Listicles
Other Side- Loneliest Game
Mainichi - Most Uncomfortable Walk to a Coffee Shop
Problem Attic - Best Glitches
Probe Team - Best Robot Noises
Electric Tortoise - Best Cyberpunk Game
The Faeres’ Curse - Most Orange
Bite Me - Funniest Attempt to Escape Death
I’m Really Sorry About That Thing I Said When I Was Tired and/or Hungry - Best Daydreams/Most Recollective
Social Justice Ice Cream Shoppe - I Need It Award for Game I Want to Become a Thing in Real Life or Place I Can Go in Real Life/Best Ice Cream Flavors
brick [brick smash] smash - Coolest Meta-bricks
Last Chance Supermarket - Most Dangerous Shopping
Enviro-Bear 2000 - Smartest Bear Driver
BrokenFolx - Loveliest Hearts
Curtain - Best Use of Space
Glitchhikers - Most Interesting Strangers/Most Introspective
Gone Home - Most Riot Grrl/Most Joyful Ending
Quing’s Quest VII: The Death of Video Games - I gave the award at Forest Ambassador “Best Dancing that Kills Video Games,” which is unwieldy, so maybe “Best Weaponized Dance Moves” is better
Coming Out Simulator 2014 - Most Clueless Parents
Realistic Kissing Simulator - Most Tongue-y
Dee’s Big Night - Best Toying with Player Expectations
How do you Do it? - Best Childhood Confusion
Five Nights at Freddy’s - Scariest Animatronics
Chef - Best Eyebrows
Tampon Run - Best Weaponized Tampons
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U - Best Game to Play While Listening to the Isometric Show/Best Fanservice
Super Meat Boy - Best Wall Jumps/Most Meaty/Most Spinning Saws
Wunderheiler - Best Investigative Medical Care
reProgram - Best Look at Self-Care
The Uncle Who Works for Nintendo - Most Disastrous Sleepover
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle - Sonic the Hedgehog Award for Best Sonic the Hedgehog Game/Weirdest Replay
10 Seconds in Hell - Most Urgent
Parable of the Polygons - Most Educational
Creatures Such As We - Best Metanarrative
Queers in Love at the End of the World :) - Most Upsetting/Most Short-lived Moment
Pornography for Beginners - Most Rules About Pornagraphy
Cis Gaze - Best Use of Colored Text
Capitalism - Most Coins/Least Apples
A Pretty Ornament I Made - Most Stressful Christmas
A Bird Story - Biggest Paper Plane
Okami HD - Most Inciting Anger at Education System for Leaving You in the Dark about Eastern Culture/Cutest Animals You Can Feed <3