Individual Game of the Year Lists

Individual Game of the Year List 2013

Oftentimes when compiling a top 10 or top 5, the popular choice overshadows many personal favorites. And while Game Rant's top 10 does reflect our writers' favorite games of the year, here is a chance to find out which games were our individual favorites. These are games that resonated with each writer on a personal level, and that we feel are must-plays.

Without further ado, here are our individual choices for Game of the Year.

Hannah Shaw-Williams - The Stanley Parable

Individual Game of the Year - The Stanley Parable

A lot of great games came out this year, but The Stanley Parable was the only one that had me raving to friends about how they should drop everything and play it immediately. Hilarious, charming, and constantly surprising, The Stanley Parable puts the nature of gaming under a microscope and gets stuck in your mind for a long time afterwards.

Honorable Mention: BioShock Infinite and The Walking Dead: All That Remains.

Ben Kendrick - Beyond: Two Souls

Individual Game of the Year - Beyond Two Souls

Certainly not the most traditional "game" experience on the market, Beyond: Two Souls (much like its predecessor Heavy Rain) was easily the most rewarding video game of 2013 for me.

It's not for everyone, and is held back by a few awkward mechanics, but I never tired of learning more about Jodie and Aiden as well as shaping the unfolding narrative through subtle (not to mention substantial) decisions.

Honorable Mention: The Last of Us, Tomb Raider

Patrick Dane - BioShock Infinite

Individual Game of the Year - BioShock Infinite

To some, BioShock Infinite may not be the best game of the year, but in many ways it is literally 'Game of the Year'. 2013 was the year a generation ended and BioShock Infinite encapsulates the end of that generation perfectly. With narrative FPSs arguably the most popular genre of the last gen, BioShock Infinite felt like the inevitable bookend we were leading too. While arguments will be made about the game not having the most touching story or the most nuanced combat this year, BioShock Infinite possibly struck the best balance between the two and that is more than enough for serious consideration.

While to many, the first BioShock marked the pathway for the last generation, BioShock Infinite very much felt like it finished that particular chapter in gaming.

Honorable Mention: The Stanley Parable, Assassin's Creed 4

Samuel Riley - Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures

Individual Game of the Year - Angry Video Game Nerd

"I'm gonna take you back to the past, to play a licensed game that kicks ass." Yes, the Angry Video Game Nerd — that same beer swilling, curse creating, retro gaming sensation finally received his due in 2013. Developed as an ode to the side-scrolling greats of yesteryear, AVGN Adventures packed in enough fun, farce, and playful frustration to be worthy of its Internet namesake.

Tough and unforgiving at times, though never entirely unfair, Adventures channeled the spirit of the series, and its celebration of awful games without ever becoming one of them. With well-adjudged platforming mechanics and a series of cleverly designed levels this licensed title made success feel special and failure look fun. Few games can lay claim to that.

Honorable Mention: Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto V

Denny Connolly - Super Mario 3D World

Individual Game of the Year - Super Mario 3D World

After letting my Wii U gather dust for the majority of its first year in my living room, I was just as surprised as anyone to find myself enjoying Super Mario 3D World more than anything Sony or Microsoft’s consoles had to offer in 2013. The same room co-op and mix of classic and contemporary Mario magic managed to single-handedly restore my faith in the mostly dormant Nintendo console. 3D World has enough replay value to keep me chasing down green stars and hidden stamps well past the New Year.

Honorable Mention: Tomb Raider, The Last of Us

Riley Little - Pokemon X and Y

Individual Game of the Year - Pokemon X and Y

Going into 2013, there wasn't a lack of blockbuster games to be excited for, but Nintendo instantly gained my attention the moment it announced that Pokemon X and Y would be coming to the 3DS later that year. While it's far from the best game that made its debut in 2013, there were few games that held my attention as long as the latest Pocket Monster title did. With the planned release of three additional event Pokemon, and the ability to transfer monsters over from past games coming into affect, there's still plenty to look forward to in Pokemon X and Y in 2014.

Honorable Mention: Grand Theft Auto V, BioShock Infinite

Andrew Dyce - Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

Individual Game of the Year - Assassins Creed 4
After a disappointing time with Assassin's Creed 3, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag righted nearly every one of its predecessor's wrongs. With dozens of hours of Sid Meier's Pirates! under my belt leading me to joke that Black Flag would be an evolution, it turned out I was right. Hunting down shanties and terrorizing the open sea is an experience I won't soon forget. Honorable Mention: Lost Planet 3, Gone Home

Anthony Taormina - BioShock Infinite

Individual Game of the Year - BioShock Infinite 2 From the very first moment, BioShock Infinite grabbed me — it took hold at the lighthouse and left me, mouth agape, at the final baptism. With their wonderful visual style and clever storytelling devices developer Irrational Games transported me to a world I was endless fascinated by, one where the combat was fluid and varied in all the right ways and the subtle touches forced me to search every nook and cranny. But most importantly, Irrational delivered on their promise of a game that would ignite fervent discussion. No game experience stuck with me longer than BioShock Infinite, and for that reason it was my top game of 2013. Honorable Mention: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Rob Keyes - The Last of Us

Individual Game of the Year - The Last of Us The Last of Us is my game of the year since it both made up for my disappointments with Uncharted 3 from Naughty Dog and did a better job of pulling me through an interesting and immersive post-apocalypse zombie-esque experience, more so than Telltale's The Walking Dead. It was more like The Walking Dead TV show thanks to incredible performances, but with a better story. Honorable Mention: MechWarrior Online, Tomb Raider

Individual Game of the Year

Individual Game of the Year List 2013 While these personal choices don't accurately reflect it, the ultimate decision for Game Rant's collective number 1 game came down to BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us. But what's great about this list is that we can highlight the game experiences that resonated most with us on a personal level, without having to worry about choosing the "top game." We think all of these games are great and worth playing, and we hope you check them out if you haven't already. What was your favorite game of 2013? What was your least favorite? Also make sure to check out Game Rant's other end of the year features including: