2015! Another great year in video games, am I right? There were plenty of things to get excited about from the past year, some expected and some not. We saw great introductions of new IPs, storied franchises see new chapters, and some games that were just down right weird. For me, this year was a strange one. The main reason for that is because I had less time to enjoy games this year, more so than any other year. I moved, twice. My household saw job changes, and with that new financial plans change the landscape of my gaming purchases. It was hard for me to get the time to play the big titles. But that's not a bad thing! Throughout this year I was able to find smaller gems that would have not otherwise caught my eye, and I am grateful for that. The following is my top 10 games of 2015.

10. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the best cooperative experience I've had in years. That's one way to describe a game that entails people working with others to defuse a bomb with a manual. The catch being that the people with the manuals can't see the bomb, and the person with the bomb can't see the manuals. It brought out a whole new level of teamwork through vocalization that I never thought could be obtained between myself and my family. I took this over to my parent's house and played it with my wife, mother, and sister and quickly lost track of time playing the game. The thrill of describing each module and quickly trying to find the solution to defuse it, all the while seeing the timer quickly burn seconds was enough for me to recommend this game to anyone looking for a good party game. Just be prepared to argue a lot with your teammates!

9. BoxBoy!

Oh BoxBoy, how quirky you are. A game that I found myself downloading out of pure curiosity, coupled with a much needed desire to play a puzzle game. It proved much more fun than anticipated. I spent much of my free time working on how to keep my box count under the limit for each puzzle, just so I could be rewarded with another crown. The characters were simple, yet charming. And the unlockable costumes for your little box boy were addicting to get! Even the game's mechanics of placing boxes in order to move across the stage were easy to grasp, but hard to master. I found BoxBoy to be the perfect game to play in short bursts. And any game that gets me to bust out my 3DS is a good game to me!

8. Mortal Kombat X

Every year I crave a new fighting game, and most of the time I'm left disappointed at the selection of new fighters out each year. That's not to say I'm an elitist in any way, but I am picky with which fighters catch my eye. This year saw a new release from one of the most storied fighting series, and it gave me exactly what I desired! Sure the game is far from the perfection of Mortal Kombat 9, but to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the game's story would be a lie. I loved the new fighters that were introduced in the story and I loved the aged look of the old fighters. The mechanics were as smooth as ever, and they truly outdid themselves when it came to the visceral fatalities. I loved the introduction of different styles for each fighter, giving the game a more strategic feel. The game even looked good! I was a little let down with the lack of a proper challenge tower, like that of the last game, but the daily towers were a nice addition. It is still one of the few games that I return to, even months after launch. My friends and I setup a room and spend hours thrashing each other and talking tons of smack on occasion. And for me, that's enough to give this great fighter a spot on my list.

7. Nuclear Throne

So apparently this game has been in early-access for what feels like an eternity? Yeah, I didn't know that. I'm that guy that downloaded it on my PS4 after seeing Jeff and Dan play it in a Quick Look. This game is awesome! I'm rarely into rogue-likes, but I'm sure happy to have gotten my hands on this one. The overall style of the game is fantastic, in that sort of "we know we're making a bad-ass, over-the-top shooter" sort of way, and yet it's more than that. The controls are tight, the unlockable player-characters are funny, the guns feel epic, and the upgrades system feels appropriate for it's post-apocalyptic theme. Sure, the game is frustrating as hell at times, and if you ask my wife, Melting is the worst character ever. But I find this twin-stick shooter to be a great way to waste an afternoon.

6. Prison Architect

Speaking of games that have been in early-access for awhile, Prison Architect. I've played this game since it hit Steam, playing each of the alpha updates, and cringing at the long list of bugs that early-adopters had to go through. But over time this game got it's shine. The bugs were fixed, the features were fleshed out, and the game grew into an intoxicating sim game. I never knew that I wanted to build a prison and see to it's financially stability, but I do! The concept of introducing hundreds of different prisoners, each with their own stories to tell, and throwing them into a prison with guards that usually equal out to about a sixteenth of the populous is both exciting and scary. Even when things go horribly wrong (and they always do), I still had fun with it. Sure, half of the prison is on fire and the other half is rioting into a bloodbath, but at least my prisoner escape percentage is low. Plus I still always have the swat team to rely on to bail me out...right? This game is an easy recommendation for anyone out there that has the slightest interest in sims...or prisons...or both!

5. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Last year I ranked Wolfenstein: The New Order in my top 10 games. I don't find it hard to believe that the stand-alone expansion to that game has made it to my top 10 this year. Sure, the game plays a lot like The New Order, but for some reason I can't get enough of that old-school shooter. B.J. Blazkowicz is still the best representation of an action figure ever, and he doesn't let up in this game. Mowing down Nazis is still fun, and the game even changes up the pace a little by introducing some more stealth based areas. The story was also compelling, and helped to fill in some of the blanks left from last year's game. What I liked most about this game is that it offered a large amount of content (around 8 hours) for just $20. For me, you can't go wrong with a deal like that!

4. Super Mario Maker

Yep, I'm one of those people; I have fallen into the hole of endless levels and fun. And you know what? I don't regret a second of it! The concept is simple, and the execution is perfect. Being able to create and edit levels on the fly, then immediately test them out just by hitting the play button is amazing. There is so much to do in this game too. You can create levels with the extensive amount of tools and game pallets that they give you, you can go find and play other peoples' levels, or you can attempt a Mario Challenge or Event Course to unlock special costumes! I found this game to be much more fun than I ever expected from a Nintendo game that relied on an internet connection to fully experience. I'll still probably (definitely) will be playing this game a year from now.

3. Rocket League

I love soccer. So why wouldn't I love cars playing soccer? Another game with such a simple concept, and another perfect execution, Rocket League is the most fun surprise I had this year. The game is easy to grasp, but much harder to master. I stressed over this game on a daily basis about what I needed to do to get better and stay competitive. I discussed strategies with friends and trash-talked others. I scored epic goals and lost heart-breakers in overtime. Rocket League made me experience a plethora of feelings, most of them good. Everything about this game was fanatasic to me. So much that I bought the DLC hats and cars. I even bought the soundtrack (my first video game soundtrack purchase ever) because of how good it was! The game has since lost its appeal to me, but for the few months that I played it, I couldn't stop playing!

2. Dota 2

I'm sorry, I'm going to pull a Brad here. But damn if this game isn't the epitome of multiplayer perfection for me. Sure, this game came out in 2013 technically, but with all of it's constant updates and patches I feel like this game is a new game every year. I've put roughly 1,800 hours into it over the past two years, more so than anything else that I have played, and still I want more. I play it at least three times a week. There is just something to be said about the finely tuned mechanics and small nuances of this game and it's ecosystem. I love the free-to-play model of being able to have access to all of the heroes without ever spending a dime. But I'm also the first person to tell you that I obsess over compendiums and hats! I love this game, and have introduced countless people to it's existence; some loved it, some hated it. But there is something really rewarding about one of the most punishing and stressful multiplayer games out there. Yeah, the community is downright toxic, but I can't pull myself away from it's grasp. And you know what? I'm okay with it.

1. Contradiction: Spot the Liar!

Okay, so this game is downright the best game I played this year. I know that it sounds weird to say, but it's true. I loved every second I played of this game. From the start when Jenks walks into the village of Edenton, to the moment you find out who the killer is and the credits roll, I was enthralled. I loved the characters from top to bottom. The evil Paul Rand? Check. The super creepy James Wilson? Double-check. Despite the fact that the game is full FMV and lacks a real sense of gameplay, I loved it. The lameness was charming, and let's be honest, FMV isn't that awful of a game feature. The game was never terribly hard, except for a couple of key moments when the contradictions in the townsfolks' stories were harder to spot than usual. But even in those moments I relished the opportunity to find the truth. I stared, determined, at every little bit of dialog for the next clue, and beat the game in only 3 sittings. It was all I could talk about for a solid month, and I even convinced my mom to download the game! I'm sincerely hoping that Baggy Cat makes a sequel, because the game ends wtih so many more questions left on the table. Contradiction: Spot the Liar! is truly the best game of the year to me.