Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 920 critic lists from 146 publications.

Updated: October 16, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 2012

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Journey

#1 Journey (2012) (#48)

ThatGameCompany | PS3 | Adventure | ~2h | 83 lists

The Walking Dead

#2 The Walking Dead (2012) (#75)

Telltale Games | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3, iOS | Point-and-Click / Interactive Drama | ~12h | 68 lists

Spelunky

#3 Spelunky (2012) (#99)

BlitWorks, Mossmouth | WIN, X360, PS3, PSV | Roguelike / Platform | ~20h | 39 lists

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

#4 XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) (#149)

Firaxis Games | 3, X360, PS3, iOS, AND | Turn-Based Tactics | ~27h | 47 lists

Hotline Miami

#5 Hotline Miami (2012) (#161)

Dennaton Games | MAC, WIN, PS3, PSV | Shooter | ~5h | 38 lists

Dishonored

#6 Dishonored (2012) (#167)

Arkane Studios | WIN, X360, PS3 | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~12h | 50 lists

Fez

#7 Fez (2012) (#208)

Polytron Corporation | 3, X360, 3, SW | Puzzle-Platformer | ~6h | 34 lists

Mass Effect 3

#8 Mass Effect 3 (2012) (#220)

BioWare Edmonton | WIN, X360, PS3 | Action RPG / Third-Person Shooter | ~24h | 38 lists

Borderlands 2

#9 Borderlands 2 (2012) (#235)

Gearbox Software | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Action RPG / First-Person Shooter | ~30h | 37 lists

FTL: Faster Than Light

#10 FTL: Faster Than Light (2012) (#259)

Subset Games | 3 | Strategy / Roguelike | ~12h | 27 lists

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

#11 Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012) (#266)

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.2 | 3DS | Life Simulation | ~79h | 30 lists

Far Cry 3

#12 Far Cry 3 (2012) (#297)

Ubisoft Montreal | WIN, X360, PS3 | First-Person Shooter | ~16h | 37 lists

Diablo III

#13 Diablo III (2012) (#320)

Blizzard Entertainment | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~18h | 23 lists

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

#14 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2012) (#368)

Hidden Path Entertainment, Valve | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | First-Person Shooter / Tactical Shooter | ~141h | 15 lists

Fire Emblem: Awakening

#15 Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012) (#373)

Intelligent Systems, Nintendo SPD Production Group No. 2 | 3DS | Tactical RPG | ~31h | 19 lists

Spec Ops: The Line

#16 Spec Ops: The Line (2012) (#418)

Yager Development | WIN, X360, PS3 | Third-Person Shooter | ~6h | 22 lists

Dragon's Dogma

#17 Dragon's Dogma (2012) (#469)

Capcom | X360, PS3 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~37h | 13 lists

Mark of the Ninja

#18 Mark of the Ninja (2012) (#557)

Klei Entertainment | 3, X360 | Stealth / Platform | ~8h | 15 lists

Super Hexagon

#19 Super Hexagon (2012) (#606)

Distractionware, Terry Cavanagh | MAC, WIN, iOS, AND | Action | ~5h | 11 lists

Crusader Kings II

#20 Crusader Kings II (2012) (#628)

Paradox Development Studio | 3 | Grand Strategy | ~67h | 5 lists

Guild Wars 2

#21 Guild Wars 2 (2012) (#634)

ArenaNet | WIN | MMORPG | ~84h | 13 lists

Halo 4

#22 Halo 4 (2012) (#635)

343 Industries | X360 | First-Person Shooter | ~7h | 19 lists

Sleeping Dogs

#23 Sleeping Dogs (2012) (#673)

Square Enix London Studios, United Front Games | WIN, X360, PS3 | Action-Adventure | ~15h | 13 lists

Forza Horizon

#24 Forza Horizon (2012) (#729)

Playground Games | X360 | Racing | ~16h | 7 lists

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

#25 Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) (#853)

Chunsoft | PSV, 3DS | Adventure / Visual Novel | ~28h | 6 lists

Assassin's Creed 3

#26 Assassin's Creed 3 (2012) (#913)

Ubisoft Montreal | WIN, X360, Wii, PS3 | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~16h | 12 lists

Frog Fractions

#27 Frog Fractions (2012) (#940)

Twinbeard Studios | BR | Educational | ~1h | 3 lists

Tokyo Jungle

#28 Tokyo Jungle (2012) (#979)

Crispy's!, SCE Japan Studio | PS3 | Action / Survival | ~15h | 5 lists

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

#29 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012) (#1036)

Spike Chunsoft | PSP, PSV | Adventure / Visual Novel | ~34h | 7 lists

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

#30 Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) (#1061)

Treyarch | WIN, X360, PS3, WiiU | First-Person Shooter | ~7h | 8 lists

Gravity Rush

#31 Gravity Rush (2012) (#1076)

SCE Japan Studio | PSV | Action-Adventure | ~10h | 7 lists

Trials Evolution

#32 Trials Evolution (2012) (#1083)

RedLynx | WIN, X360 | Racing / Platform | ~9h | 7 lists

Thirty Flights of Loving

#33 Thirty Flights of Loving (2012) (#1086)

Blendo Games | MAC, WIN | Adventure | ~18m | 4 lists

Pokémon Black 2/White 2

#34 Pokémon Black 2/White 2 (2012) (#1099)

Game Freak | DS | Role-Playing | ~34h | 4 lists

FIFA 13

#35 FIFA 13 (2012) (#1109)

EA Canada | WIN, X360, PS3 | Sports | ~84h | 6 lists

Yakuza 5

#36 Yakuza 5 (2012) (#1135)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio | PS3 | Action-Adventure / Beat 'em Up | ~36h | 2 lists

Torchlight II

#37 Torchlight II (2012) (#1167)

Runic Games | WIN | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~21h | 6 lists

Max Payne 3

#38 Max Payne 3 (2012) (#1308)

Rockstar London, Rockstar New England, Rockstar Toronto, Rockstar Vancouver | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Third-Person Shooter | ~10h | 9 lists

Dear Esther

#39 Dear Esther (2012) (#1315)

The Chinese Room | MAC, WIN | Adventure | ~1h | 5 lists

Puzzle & Dragons

#40 Puzzle & Dragons (2012) (#1316)

GungHo Online Entertainment | iOS, AND | Role-Playing / Puzzle | 2 lists

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

#41 Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) (#1397)

Criterion Games | WIN, X360, PS3, WiiU | Racing | ~10h | 6 lists

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