I haven't played many games from this year and I'm still working on some so I'll update this as I make some progress but right now...

• I'll include some Switch re-releases I played for the 1st time but you can cross them out if you don't count them
• This is all I played from this year.

10. Shadow of the Colossus remake - This was a souless experience and I'll get rid it from this list as soon as I play another game from this year.

9. Donut County - It's funny and fun while it lasts. A good game with a low investment ceiling but maybe too cool or hipster-y or something for me.

8. Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze (Switch release) - My first DK game. Decent learning curve and pretty fun.

7. Return of the Obra Din (Currently playing) - It's super cool game I need to play more of. Still very early so I see it climbing the list. Really up my alley but it makes me feel dumb.

6. Detroit - As bad as the writing is, the world comes alive because of the audio/visual departments. Some good characters and some memorable moments in an engaging world.

5. Spider-Man - As someone that doesn't know shit about comic books but like Spider-Man, this is perfect for my level of knowledge in the genre. Stunning production and very good performances by actors. Swinging is top notch and the combat was better than I thought it was going to be based on the talk around it.

4.Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Currently Playing) - I really don't care for most of the writing but the gameplay is very good. I liked the new additions a lot and having a blast with the missions.

3. Bayonetta 2 (Switch release) - Didn't think I'd ever get to play it. Got to play it and it was as good as ppl said it was, though I think the first one is better.

2. Celeste - I thought it was great on every level. Fun gameplay. Touching story with lovable characters and writing very much on point. And the music is wow.

1. God of War - Major surprise. Actively had no interest but ended up loving it. It's like RE4 or Metroid Prime but with GoW in terms of redefining what the series is or can be.

I still have to think about GB GOTY.

Also op, what is your list?

Mine is still a work in progress for the last few. I need to get in some more time with a couple games and I'd also like to make casual pass through my Top 5, particularly stuff that was earlier in the year, just to refresh my memory and such. I've been writing of my GOTY 2018 Giant Bomb User List thing as the year went on so now its just about making last minute additions, adjustments, writing some thoughts on a few games I hadn't yet, and finally making it look all pretty. I'll spare you all from me scribbling down some thoughts for each one, but if you're curious and want to see the messy list in progress, it can be seen here.

Currently:

10. WipeOut 3 (PS1)

9. Two Point Hospital (PC)

8. Metro 2033 (PC) [As part of the Metro Redux bundle]

7. MXGP Pro (PS4)

6. Monster Energy Supercross (PS4)

5. God of War (PS4)

4. Spider-Man (PS4)

3. Monster Hunter World (PS4)

2. BattleTech (PC)

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)

Not 100% sure if BattleTech or RDR2 is my GOTY yet, hence why I want to revisit BattleTech. They've also added and tweaked a bunch of stuff since it came out, and some DLC content may be coming this month I think? Flashpoint? And yes the list contains a couple old games but they were new to me so whatever. That top 5 though.. geez. A tour de force. Any one of those PS4 releases could be GOTY. BattleTech is a bit more niche and flawed but so bad ass and they're working with the Kickstarter budget they had.

The Biggest Disappointment of 2018 honor goes to Ni No Kuni 2.

As for the Giant Bomb staff list? Eh. It sounds like RDR2 will struggle to even make it on the list which is completely absurd. I have no idea how half the people on staff had so much trouble with the game, as I had zero and its not like I'm some gifted gamer. It has its minor flaws but for a game that plays on such a huge scale and inhuman level of quality, it's insane the thing isn't a dumpster fire. I'd be fine if RDR2 got somewhere in the Top 3, but I suspect something silly like a clicker or a game that only one person (Jeff) really liked will make it into the Top 3.

Didn't play too many games this year but I'll chime in!

7. Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Not much to say here - way better then I was expecting, I really enjoyed the story and Alexios, I love the setting and had fun with the much needed tweaks to the gameplay formula. Why oh why is that map just a convoluted mess of filler objectives and level gates? I play for stories and gameplay, I don't play single player MMOs to grind xp before I can be allowed to do the next thing I want to do. This all culminated in a graph of my enjoyment with the game in the shape of a 2-Dimensional ski-hill. I loved my time with the opening island, LOVED IT... and had to force myself to make it to level 20... maybe I'll go back to finish the adventure of Alexios… or maybe I'll just wait for God of War 2.

6. Read Dead Redemption 2 - Not much to say about RDR2; it didn't really grab me but without a doubt this has to be the most meticulously crafted videogame ever made. Every single animation and ambient dialog and character model is just of such an obscenely high caliber- I think it goes without saying. Its just ridiculous how much went into this game. Morgan is a very enjoyable character and I was surprised by how much I quickly began to prefer him to John in the end. Regardless of someone's level of enjoyment with this game if you cant at least gush overwhelming respect for how much it succeeds at what it was trying to do... well I think you need to give your head a little shake.

5. VampYre: What a surprise! For an out of nowhere indie game I absolutely loved my time with Vampyre. Surprisingly well acted and a fresh enough take on the subject of Vampires with a rarely explored setting to boot! It definitely has some archaic gaming hang-ups from the previous generation and is a little long in the tooth in terms of what it asks you to grind and backtrack through, I had my fill a little before the story ended but its a game I definitely enjoyed and would consider greater then the sum of its parts.

4. Spiderman: I haven't gotten to enjoy being Spiderman since I was a teen playing the much lauded Spiderman 2. They did it! Beautiful graphics, fun wall crawling and a lovely new spin on the wallcrawler ethos. I find the Peter Parker aspect of Spiderman the hardest part to really nail down and I felt this game did an adequate job - the fighting is nothing to write home about but damn if it isn't fun to just web people onto scaffolding, mailboxes, irongirders you name it! Add it all up and it is an absolute treat to just be spiderman for a few days. ***Special note*** I absolutely despise the typical open world formula of collectables but I collected all of them because swinging around with Spiderman was THAT much fun.

3. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition - If you love table top Dungeons and Dragons and haven't played a Neverwinter Nights Persistent Online World like Arelith you are missing out on the closest surrogate you'll ever find to capturing the magic of PnP on your computer screen. Its an old game, its graphics haven't aged but it is propelled to something much greater by the vibrant community that has kept it alive for nearly two decades! Like DnD? No time to play PnP or cant find a group? NWN:EE + Arelith is your answer.

2. Batman: Enemy Within - It is devastating that Telltale is closing with this franchise in their roost. If you love Batman you owe it to yourself to play Telltales series. I'm an avid Batman fan and after decades of stories with this character we all kind of build our own version of him in our heads. Sometimes you see a movie or read a book that features "your" batman or wets your appetite enough it makes you remember why you're a fan of him in the first place... Telltale has completely made the characters you know and love their own, keeping them the same but changing them enough in new and unique ways to keep it exciting. Their two greatest accomplishments: Making Bruce Wayne the man the most fleshed out and interesting character. He's not even Batman for the vast majority of the game and you're going to be happy for it. The second: The freshest take on the Joker and the intimacy between him and Batman as I think there probably has ever been.

Everyone knows the Joker and how he's the perfect foil for Batman for this reason or that, but I've always felt that relationship to be one sided and carried mostly by the joker. How Telltale introduces the character makes you (as Batman) feel responsible and care for him, I felt really fleshed out that chemistry in ways I've never seen before. And depending on the choices you make you can have the wildest version of the Joker you're going to see!

1. God of War - As I've gotten older I've had less time to play Videgames, less drive to play videogames... sometimes I feel like I spend more times wishing I wanted to play videogames then I do actually following through. Games like Red Dead 2 I admire as a fan of the hobby and play around to marvel at how far we've come but usually just fall off for this reason or that and I'm never really left feeling the fulfilment I used to get from games.

God of War made me feel like a Teenager crushing WoW or killing Reapers with Garrus and Tali again. The gameplay was tight, that axe is just a treat to throw over and over, I found the story to be really touching as a father and the little dangled bits of subverted Norse lore were enough to keep me wanting to come back for more.

God of War is definitely my game of the year and 100% my game of the generation so far. Its given me hope that maybe I'll get to be engrossed in something again next year!

Mine is a work in progress - I don't actually know if I've played 10 new games this year - it's been a lot less than usual for me.

On the list for sure are Hitman 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Pillars of Eternity 2, and God of War

Ni No Kuni 2 and Octopath Traveler were huge disappointments to me. Spiderman I've only just picked up and have only played the opening mission/tutorial - so I need to get some more hours in.

I spent a lot of time this year playing games from prior years (Rogue Legacy, Divinity OS2 - Definitive Edition, Steamworld Dig 2, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun etc)

RDR2 I really enjoy but I don't love playing it. I can handle playing it in bursts but it also burns me out a bit.

God of War is 100% my GOTY by a long shot. It's the first game I've ever platinumed because I didn't want to leave it's game world. I hope it comes close to the GB GOTY too, but won't be surprised if it doesn't quite get there.

Red Dead is the best game this generation so of course its the best game of the year.

I haven’t bothered with much of 2018 yet...probably Monster Hunter since Fire Pro came out last year on Steam.

Once I finish replaying Witcher, I’ll probably check out Spiderman, God of War, and Tomb Raider. I don’t see myself getting to my copies of Red Dead or Hitman 2 before the new year.

I feel like this year has lacked a unifying game that enough editors are into. Monster Hunter feels like the one that burned the brightest and longest at Giant Bomb...this year featured a lot of hype followed by weeks of “meh, got old, didn’t finish it” from the Bombcast and Beastcast.

I’d say it begins like this...

1. God of War

2. RDR 2

3. Spider-Man

4. Astro Bot

...then the rest are in a somewhat random order.

5. The Messenger

6. Hitman 2

7. Tetris Effect

8. Spyro Reiginited Trilogy

9. Detroit: Become Human

10. Donut County, I guess. It could’ve been way more ”video gamey”, but it was still a better experience than Ni No Kuni 2 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

I haven't played much of 2018 AAA, so here's the list of games that I played a lot this year (some are very old):

Again, extra special mention to Civ V, for my "shoot, I don't wanna do anything else but play this game till next morning" game

And special mentions to all those Wadjet Eye Games, I've played and finished The Shivah, Gemini Rue, Lamplight City, and Resonance. And I like all of them, but especially Resonance and Lamplight City.

I don't really do lists anymore, but this is my general sentiment.

1. Monster Hunter World

2. Total War: Warhammer 2 (came out last year, but I didn't touch it before this year, sue me)

3. God of War, Spiderman, AC Odyssey, Fallout 76, Guacamelee 2, RDR2, Yoku's Island Express

4. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Two Point Hospital, Frostpunk, Detroit, MtG Arena

@billmcneal:

Here’s a top ten list of my favorite things I saw you do this year.

10. Bill McNeal is honored to have been deemed adequate.

9. Bill McNeal stresses over sandwich machine removal.

8. Bill McNeal becomes the Blue Jeanie.

7. Bill McNeal shills for Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor.

6. Bill McNeal is appalled by rap music lyrics.

5. Bill McNeal gets a cane.

4. Bill McNeal hires a man servant.

3. Bill McNeal calms lunatics at the asylum with the tale of Urklebot’s job interview.

2. Bill McNeal takes up political satire music.

1. Bill McNeal fakes his own death.

You’re my hero, dude.

And... I dunno, Dead Cells or something.

@junkerman: Thanks for reminding me about Batman, with all the Telltale hell I just forgot it mostly came out this year. Terrific game.

I've not played much in 2018, but for me:

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

2. Batman: The Enemy Within

3. Life is Strange 2 (only 1 episode but really loved it)

4. Spider-Man

5. God of War

6. Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Playing right now, it's decent)

I'm getting Pokemon Let's Go soon, but for me that's about it for 2018.

I think God of War will probably end up taking Giant Bomb's GOTY. RDR2 should, ideally, but sounds like a few of the crew aren't sold on it.

Did we just become best friends?

1. RDR2

2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

3. P3/P5 Dancing

4. Hitman 2

5. Far Cry 5

As for the site goty, right now I'd assume something like Hitman 2 or Tetris Effect or BLOPS4, since those seem relatively agreeable among the crew.

@omegadef: I love NewsRadio