Justin McElroy's Top 10 Games of 2012

Justin McElroy is the managing editor of Polygon, co-brother of advice podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me and winner of the 2008 Shorty Award for video game centric tweets.

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Yes, OK, fine, he's also the star of the The Time Belt, an educational sci-fi adventure about the history of West Virginia.

Dragon's Dogma

I should have hated this game. It's loaded with player-hostile choices and the story is largely garbage. But I don't know, it got in there. It got in there and it crawled around and made a little house and that's where it lives now.

FTL: Faster Than Light

By boiling star combat down to its base systems, FTL reminds us of all the unexplored territory still out there in game design. It's like nothing else out there and it's completely new.

The Walking Dead

Like watching Kane Hodder in Friday the 13th and then watching Kane Hodder sell his autograph for $5 at the Mid-Ohio Comic Con, first Walking Dead is scary, and then it's sad.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Another one I should have hated, XCOM inexplicably was able to make turn-based combat feel as thrilling as any first-person shooter.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

I don't know, man, I just like shooting dudes sometimes. It's got lots of, you know, guns and stuff and I just really like shooting guys with them. I don't know what to tell you.

Dishonored

Saints be praised, someone finally managed to make a stealth game that doesn't make me feel like a dickhead when I get spotted and have to murder a few dudes.

Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack

Surprise, the Vita's best game cost like six dollars and was made by one and a half dudes. Bad for Sony, good for you!

Super Hexagon

Milestones in Super Hexagon are the most fulfilling meaningless things you'll ever achieve.

Frog Fractions

One of the only games I can recall you can play for 45 minutes and have no idea what its about. Abstract and fantastic.

You Don't Know Jack

I'm often stunned by modern convenience, but the idea that I have a seemingly unending stream of YDKJ being pumped into Facebook is still a little much for me to handle.

yay

time belt!!!

Oh Hoops, you crazy.

I laughed at Justin's Walking Dead write-up and then was sad.

Where is Sherlock Holmes?! No follow through after two E3s of build up! 

Sad that there's no Sherlock Holmes on this list...

I love that Justin writes with the same cadence that he speaks with. I could hear his voice the whole time... like he's right behind me...oh no!

How come I have never heard of frog fractions until now?

If Chris Plante shows up in these comments to chat up Spelunky, I'm gonna go Coo-Coo for Coco Puffs!

You should have fought harder for Dragon's Dogma Justin, you were our only hope.

That's the best picture I've ever seen. I wish everyone a wonderful Candlenights!

***THIS GOTY LIST WAS SPONSORED BY MICROSOFT KINECT****

@ultraman324 said:

I love that Justin writes with the same cadence that he speaks with. I could hear his voice the whole time... like he's right behind me...oh no!

Do not look directly at the Justin McElroy. If you ignore him, he will go away.

fuck yeah Dragon's Dogma

If Polygon ever goes under (God forbid), please absorb Justin and Griffin into the Giant Bomb lineup.

What does this mean for The Besties? I know all his tastes now!

Dishonored doesn't make you feel like a dick head killing people? All that game does is berate you for killing people and "spreading the plague", Mcelroy! Blarg, still a good list-a-roo.

Wish GB snatched him up instead of Polygon.

Dragon's Dogma...what? I think I want to play that game though.

I remember Patrick talking about Dragons Dogma. He said it wasn't that bad for what it is either. To each his own. You don't know jack is 2012?

That picture isn't too flattering.

@ocdog45 said:

I remember Patrick talking about Dragons Dogma. He said it wasn't that bad for what it is either. To each his own. You don't know jack is 2012?

The Facebook version is I think.

What is Frog Fractions and why does it keep coming up?

Dear MBMBAM,

I laughed way too hard at your Kane Hodder goof, and now I'm sad that there's no episode this week. What do I do?

Chuckle-hungry in Cpennsylvania

@dr_mantas: http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions Don't look anything up about it. Just...play it, upgrade your dude a bunch, and then try out different things (Hint: wasD the d is important). Once the game's big hook happens, it's a hilarious, really crazy and fun experience.

@dr_mantas: http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions

What a picture lol

"XCOM: Enemy Unknown, an educational sci-fi adventure about the future of Planet Earth."

What order is this list? 1 to 10, or 10 to 1?

Isn't this the guy who had a tantrum about the fishing in Nier? Funny to see Dragon's Dogma on his list.

Those Blob games are dope.

Thanks for putting in so much effort to this Justin. Its a shame you don't seem to have anything to offer anymore if it isnt said to a soft-focus film crew.

Frog Fractions FTW!!!

Isn't this the guy who had a tantrum about the fishing in Nier? Funny to see Dragon's Dogma on his list.

If you're reading this and haven't tried listening to My Brother, My Brother and Me yet, I highly recommend adding it to your podcast rotation!

Here's one of my favorite clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKpz7zQvHAw

Yeah!

Good list, good guy, good good good

"This has been Justin McElroy's top 10 of Twenty-Doz, kiss your dad squaaare on the lips!"

@pow1149: It appears to be unordered.

Uhh, could someone elobrate how FTL does anything radically new. It combines elements of many games, it does nothing new imo.

@WMWA said:

@ike7779

Isn't this the guy who had a tantrum about the fishing in Nier? Funny to see Dragon's Dogma on his list.

Can we let that die now? Please?

Wait, what?

@Turambar said:

@WMWA said:

@ike7779

Isn't this the guy who had a tantrum about the fishing in Nier? Funny to see Dragon's Dogma on his list.

Can we let that die now? Please?

Wait, what?

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/03/nier-review-fail/

Hey, whatever. The video is hilarious.

Is Justin's post sponsored by Geico?

@SpunkyHePanda said:

@Turambar said:

@WMWA said:

@ike7779

Isn't this the guy who had a tantrum about the fishing in Nier? Funny to see Dragon's Dogma on his list.

Can we let that die now? Please?

Wait, what?

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/03/nier-review-fail/

Hey, whatever. The video is hilarious.

That is pretty hilarious. A little sad, but still hilarious. Also makes me want to laugh at Justin a bit, but in the grand scheme of things, its only balancing out the degree to which I bow to his musical rendition of Anor Londo.

no Sherlock

I don't know, man, I just like shooting dudes sometimes. It's got lots of, you know, guns and stuff and I just really like shooting guys with them. I don't know what to tell you.

This coming from the guy who got on his high horse after the newtown shooting and said that there should be less gun violence in games moving forward.

Wait, surely this isn't THE Justin McElroy of TTB.