Coint and Plick 2013 - The Sixth Annual ILX Video Game Poll

it's good, but i would lower my expectations a bit for anyone coming to it fresh

will never get tired of moving my entire crew to the medbay when i'm boarded, sealing the medbay off, then opening every door and airlock on the ship

THIS alone sells this game!

FTL is fun!

even tho i DID vote for frog fractions and i did NOT vote for FTL i am still somehow embarrassed that one outplaced the other.

http://i.imgur.com/FeHtRif.gif
#12: The Walking Dead: Season One (Episodes One through Five) – iOS, PC, Mac, PSN, XBLA – 55 pts – 4 votes - 2 top game votes

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qzZcGtcvNUM/UOmrfjBUYeI/AAAAAAAABa8/1mQqFeRZrlU/s1600/The-Walking-Dead_-The-Game-Episode-Five_-No-Time-Left-Trai_Nov-20-2012-2.28.30-PM.png

Official Game Site

Metacritic

Gameplay Video (Episode 1 Complete Walkthrough)

http://thegaminggang.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/the-walking-dead-video-game1.jpg

Zero Punctuation

Popmatters

Experience Points

California Literary Review

Gay Gamer

Kirkman Interview

WSJ Sales Discussion with TellTale CEO

Writer Interview

Season Two?

Soundtrack

http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/05/the-walking-dead-game-review-pc-610x333.jpg

The Spoilerific Telltale WALKING DEAD Thread so we don't spoil the game for people who want to ask if 'Stacking' is good

WillM: When I heard about the Walking Dead comic book series, I thought: "finally, a zombie serial. This is exactly what I think would make the zombie genre neat." I read the first few TPBs and, while I didn't dislike it, I wasn't really moved to keep reading. Then, the TV show came out. "Finally," I thought, "a zombie TV show. This will be awesome." I barely finished the first season before giving up on it. So I wasn't exactly excited about the game -- let alone a game by Telltale, whose games I've never particularly cared for. I mean, as far as adventure games go, I kind of liked Day of the Tentacle back in the day when I watched my friend play it on his computer, but since then I've found them vaguely pleasant at best and irritating at worst. Enough people seemed to be talking about it, though, and it was on sale, so I figured, why not?
Boy, am I glad I played it. I don't think a game has ever made me cover my mouth in abject horror. I also don't think a game has ever made me cry, either. This game did both. I certainly didn't expect this game to be my #1 game of the year, but, really, nothing else came close. Nothing else made me excited about the future of storytelling in games (something I've all but given up on in recent years). In a year where Mass Effect 3 came out and kept on with the game boring hero-anti-hero conversation mechanic, this came out of nowhere and embarrassed the "leading" choose-your-own-personality RPG.
Warning to potential players: while this game is excellent, it is probably the feel-bad game of the century.

Huh. Thought that would be higher.

Would be if you could invert the y axis.

can't believe dishonored beat ftl and walking dead

walking dead not even making the top 10? wow. y'all disappoint me

but thanks will for putting into words that which i could not

INVERT Y AXIS

http://i.imgur.com/H4HY2e2.gif
#11: Punch Quest – iOS – 57 pts – 4 votes - 1 top game votes - FREE

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2012/10/image2-610x406.png

Official Game Site

Metacritic

Gameplay Video

http://www.destructoid.com/ul/237188-review-punch-quest/PunchQuest1-noscale.jpg

Creating Profitability

Polygon: Yes, You Can Do More Than Just Punch Stuff

Soundtrack

http://wpuploads.appadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mzl.qwqfsymn.640x960-75-642x428.jpg

S. Clover: I have some systems, but I never have the time or inclination to play them. I have some computer games, but I tend to get them a few years behind, from humble bundles. That leaves iOS games, which I play on the train, while watching TV, etc. Single servings, digestible, right to the stimulus-response pleasure centers. So what I value tend to be games with lots of novelty, a gradual difficulty curve, and frequent rewards. Punch Quest is simply the best/most replayable runner I've played. Everything feels precise, and everything feels balanced. There's an immense variety of enemies, each with different combat mechanics. There are probably over 30 randomized mini-levels, and thousands of combinations of skills, each of which brings something unique to the table. And the quest system pushes a range of goals, which mean exploring the skill-tree fully. Then there's the "hat" metagame, which provides a high-leveled coin-sink for incremental, largely cosmetic perks. This is basically Diablo as a 2D runner.

http://i.imgur.com/Mf4CEzj.gif
#10: Trials Evolution – XBLA – 61 pts – 6 votes

http://d1vr6n66ssr06c.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/trials.jpg

Official Game Site

Metacritic

Gameplay Video

http://i2.cdnds.net/12/05/618x347/gaming_trials_evolution_screenshot_1_1.jpg

Dev Interview

Nightmare Mode

Tech Interview

'Trials Evolution’s Soundtrack Is So Bad It’s Like They’re Kidding'.... but don’t take Kotaku’s word for it.

http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/microsoft/trialsevolution/evo610.jpg

Trials HD - "worse than crack cuz u gotta go out and get crack"

CraigG: Trials Evolution is more of the same as Trials HD, but also nicely different, and so many levels. I still haven't completed it (think I'm at about 75%), and some tracks like Gigatrack just keep bringing me back to just have a 10-15minute zip around an awesome circuit, before I waste a bunch of time trying to get past the first obstacle on some of the insanely difficult tracks.

Jordan: It's oddly peaceful with the music turned off. I am basically terrible at this game so I hit my wall early on, but it was a solid week of obsession.

if: I never played Trials HD, so the racing/platforming crossbreed timetrial approach came as new to me and was very compulsive, especially with the friendslist competition (I haven't dared to go back recently and see if I am still second placed ilxor on many tracks, I suspect not). Some bold and brilliant and sometimes very funny level design in there too.

diamonddave85: What blew my mind about this game was just how such a simple control scheme could translate into a steep yet rewarding learning curve. Props to polyphonique for obliterating every one of my best times.

we're gonna take a little break here before rolling out the top nine. while we pause for station identification, feel free to throw out some guesses as to placement.

I never actually voted in this due to heavy travel/laziness/who knows. I'll throw out my 10 faves from last year in no particular order:

-Far Cry 3
-XCOM
-Kairosoft iPhone games
-Spec Ops: the Line
-FTL
-Dishonored
-Hack, Slash, Loot
-Walking Dead
-Sleeping Dogs

best 2011 game played in 2012: Skyrim and Tropico 4

wish this poll got as many votes as the music polls

no idea what the top 9 will be

I recently started playing the Trials Rev "Origins of Pain" add-on pack and have been really enjoying getting back into the flow of things. The new bike they give you is really hard to control, though.

Walking dead got robbed, y'all are crazy.

Maybe if I played it standing on my head I would have liked it better.

totes robbed

no inverted Y would be unforgivable in even dark souls

i forgot to vote for Walking Dead, although i've only played the first episode. thought it would be a good game to play with my gf and she got way into the decision-making but didn't really care to play more. plus it seems like it's best played a full episode at a time, and i only have time for shorter bursts these days. also #invertyaxis.

i feel like the only games that i recognize are the ones i voted for

predicting a top 3 finish for Hexagon

ones i know have yet to place are hexagon, spelunky, xcom, dishonored, and frog fractions -- and i would not be unhappy if that ended up being the top 5 in that order

Journey hasn't placed yet, has it?

no, kinda hoping it isn't no. 1 tbh

It topped my ballot.

three letters, baby

I'm not sure if Spec Ops is going to not place, or place high, both of which would shock the hell out of me

I haven't yet played Spec Ops, but why would a high placement be shocking? It seems to be generally well-reviewed, or at the very least interesting to have been talked over a lot this past year.

I've yet to finish Spec Ops. It just strikes me as one of those games that 1 or 2 people on ILX would champion but far from a "universal appeal" type game.

ok i ahve to ask is the invert y axis walking dead thing for serious? i have no idea how the control scheme is on console, i played it w/ a mouse,but it doesn't exactly strike me as a game where axes are very important (as in the plural of axis, not the plural of axe, which are fairly important in TWD)

there's a handful of FPS sequences, i suppose

http://i.imgur.com/B6cvRU1.gif
#9: Super Hexagon – iOS – 62 pts – 5 votes - 1 top game votes - Top iOS Game

http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2012/09/super_hexagon_tips_03.png

Official Game Site

Metacritic

Gameplay Video

http://www.thumbactive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Super_Hexagon_original.png

Play Hexagon Online

Wired: Terry Cavanagh can’t keep his high score

Composer Interview

Super Text-Based Hexagon

Little Big Hexagon

Rock Paper Shotgun

Problem Machine: Spiralling Shape

A Modest Proposal

Batterywine

Unwinnable: Allow Natural Death

Soundtrack

http://morbidholiday.com/comics/2012-09-15-super-hexagon.png

JCL: Such a simple concept, so perfectly executed. I was never able to master the last few levels of challenge, but for a few weeks there, I had a great time trying.

cozen: fuck this game in its fucking fuck

BASTARDS #1 4EVA HEXAGON HEXAGON HEXAGON

sigh hexagon ijdgi

my number one vote. kinda a perfect game.

a great game for iOS, for sure. Perfectly suited for 0-60+ second bursts (depending on how good you are, i guess). and it's satisfying to witness your skill level gradually improving, even if it feels like you're just failing repeatedly at first. before you know it, that first 30 seconds that used to be a nightmare is something that you navigate through relatively calmly as you prepare for the onslaught that arrives near the end.

still, cozen otm. it's kind of a stressful game! even just making the gif brought back flashbacks to losing at 57.8923 seconds and realizing that i'd been holding my breath the entire time.

i've seen super hexagon called a 'rhythm game' elsewhere but i was never able to connect the music and throbbing with the gameplay.. is this something that makes itself more apparent the better you get?

i always play better w/ the sound off

i'm with cozen on this one

Re: Spec Ops - the only downside to forks' exhaustive approach is the certainty that if anyone voted for something that hasn't placed, it is still to place.

ok i ahve to ask is the invert y axis walking dead thing for serious? i have no idea how the control scheme is on console, i played it w/ a mouse,but it doesn't exactly strike me as a game where axes are very important (as in the plural of axis, not the plural of axe, which are fairly important in TWD)

not a big deal when nothing is happening, but annoying in the 'action' scenes where zombies are breaking down the door and you need to move the cursor up to select something quickly and you move it down and have to do it over again.

^ this. i'm fine during the downtime/exploration parts but nearly all the action parts which need you to make a split-second reaction i've had to replay a couple of times

That's why I only played the first chapter. Liked the storytelling, but the split-second stuff controls like balls on the ipad.

I'm pretty sure that's not how you're supposed to use an iPad

no invert Y axis = no dice for me

Oh man that super hexagon gif!

I can't look away!

yeah i really can't understand it when developers don't implement inverted Y functionality.. it's literally just: if ( inverted_y ) { y_value = y_value * -1; }