Ken Levine is the creative director and co-founder of Irrational Games, makers of one of this year's most oft-listed games, BioShock Infinite. When he's not creatively directing BioShock things or working on Logan's Run remake screenplays, you can often find him chatting up fans on Twitter.
So I really don’t think in terms of lists. Sometimes there’s a game I adore which I never think about after I finish, and sometimes there’s a game I’m lukewarm on that has certain influence that influence me for years. So, in short, don’t waste your time reading this list because it doesn’t mean much. However, if I had to name 10 games of 2013, I’d go with these. (P.S., they’re not in any order of importance.)
Hey, it’s XCom. And it's awesome, adding in rather than adding on. A great design gets better.
9. Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World
Hey another expansion pack! From the company I work for. I’m either a sellout, or am the biggest Civ Whore of all time (Hint: I’m the biggest Civ Whore of all time). They will take my Civ when they pry it out my cold, dead hands.
8. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Pirates. Sword fighting. Sailing ships. Or as Churchill described the life of the old timey sailor, “Rum, sodomy and the lash.” Great game, great characters. Bravo.
7. Lords of Waterdeep (iOS)
A Euro game posing as a Dungeons and Dragons game posing as an iOS game. If I had any friends I’d play it with them, but the AI will have to do.
Yes, it really, really teaches you to play guitar. Or, it teaches me at least. I live for three things now: my career, my wife and playing the bass line of "Creep" at 4 in the morning in my bath robe.
An older game I didn’t to play until this year. Master of Magic for the modern day. Nuff said.
4. Dishonored
Was too busy shipping Infinite to play it properly when it came out, but wow. Amazingly tight, incredibly tuned, full of options, a cool looking world and around 16 tons of fun.
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
A magical game about a floutist. What else do I need to say that hasn’t been said, except I was never one of those haters who didn’t like the way it looked on the GameCube, and it’s even better now.
Why? Because M.O.D.O.K., that’s why!
1. Unity of Command, expansion #3? 4? Who knows.
All I do know is that I’m spending more time thinking about supply lines in the Caucuses than any human adult who’s not actually on the Eastern Front should.