game of the year
Tilting at Pixels' Top Games of 2016
Staff | April 8, 2017
We've been keeping you in suspense for months. At last, we bring you a full stack rank of 2016's games, plus a variety of exciting categories.
This is our combined list of the year's top games. For our individual rankings and detailed thoughts, check out:
The Categories
Game most likely to have been named by an algorithm
Winner: TIS-100 Tessellated Intelligence System
Runners-up:
- VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
- Guilty Gear XRD: Revelator
The “hype machine exploded in my face” award
Winner: No Man’s Sky
Runners-up:
- The Last Guardian
- Mighty No. 9
Most unnecessary re-release
Winner: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PS4/XBO)
Runners-up:
- Super Meat Boy (Wii U)
- Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (PS4)
Longest development-to-release time
Winner: Final Fantasy XV (2006-2016)
Runners-up:
- The Last Guardian (2007-2016)
- Owlboy (2007-2016)
Best free game
Winner: Clash Royale
Runners-up:
- Pokémon GO
- Let It Die
Best game movie
Winner: Assassin’s Creed
Runners-up:
- Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
- Warcraft
Worst “Dark Souls of another genre” comparison
Winner: “DiRT Rally — the Dark Souls of racing games” (Metro, GameSpot, GamesRadar, and countless others)
Runners-up:
- “Dark Souls was my Westworld” (Destructoid)
- “Knightmare was, pardon the now-common cliche, very much the kids TV Dark Souls of its day.” (VICE)
The SpiffyMarc “I played this only because it came out on Xbox” award
Winner: ReCore
Runners-up:
- Gears of War 4
- Oceanhorn
Best theme park simulator
Winner: Planet Coaster
Runners-up:
- Parkitect
- RollerCoaster Tycoon World?
Worst virtual pet of the year
Winner: The Rotom Pokédex (Pokémon Sun and Moon)
Runners-up:
- Tama (World of Final Fantasy)
- Almond the Frondillo (Dota 2)
Best game we forgot to play, apparently
Winner: Grand Kingdom (sure bought the limited edition, though!)
Runners-up:
- Mafia 3
- Titanfall 2
WTF I thought this already came out
Winner: Speedrunners
Runners-up:
- Battlefield 1
- Starbound
Best Dota version
Winner: Dota 7.00
Runners-up:
- Dota 6
- Dota 2
- Dota
Games we got review keys for (apparently this happens now?)
- Black Hole Hazard
- Redactem
- TEOT - The End of Tomorrow
Combat systems we need more of
- Turn-based
- (no others were nominated)
The Stack Rank
This year, rather than just a boring (and limiting) top 10, we ranked all notable games that came out in 2016.
Here is our stack rank:
- Mighty No. 9
- Homefront: The Revolution
- Job Simulator
- Battleborn
- Batman: The Telltale Series
- Tom Clancy's The Division
- Quantum Break
- The Last Guardian
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
- Firewatch
- Pool Nation VR
- Worms W.M.D.
- Dragon Quest Builders
- The Banner Saga 2
- Golf With Your Friends
- Quadrilateral Cowboy
- I Am Setsuna
- Stellaris
- Starbound
- World of Final Fantasy
- Bravely Second
- Owlboy
- Let It Die
- Abzü
- Thumper
- Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
- NHL 17
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Space Pirate Trainer
- Pocket Card Jockey
- Pony Island
- Fire Emblem Fates/Conquest
- Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- American Truck Simulator
- Darkest Dungeon
- No Man's Sky
- Uno (Xbox One)
- Super Mario Run
- Battlefield 1
- MLB 16: The Show
- World of Warcraft: Legion
- Shantae: ½ Genie Hero
- Oxenfree
- The Witness
- Pokémon GO
- Pac-Man Championship Edition 2
- Clash Royale
- Rhythm Heaven Megamix
- Hyper Light Drifter
- Final Fantasy XV
- Furi
- Superhot
- SpeedRunners
- DOOM
- Forza Horizon 3
- Street Fighter V
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Dark Souls III
- HITMAN
- Stardew Valley
- Planet Coaster
- Overwatch
- Civilization VI
(Tilting at Pixels' Game of the Year, 2016)
