Here are the Official Rules of the 2011 Community GOTY Voting Thread. We'll do this FAQ-style.

• What games are eligible for voting? Anything you played for the first time in 2011. So, your fourteenth trip through Mass Effect 2 (because you really, really wanted to import a blonde renegade FemShep adept into the next one) doesn't get to count, and if you just logged your 1000th hour in Left 4 Dead, then that doesn't get to count, either. But if this was the first year you cracked open a classic like System Shock 2 or Silent Hill 4, go ahead and stick it in your list if you loved it enough. Voting this year is open to any game on any platform from any year.

• What if I didn't finish it yet? If you haven't finished a game but feel like you've played enough to know that you really love it no matter what happens in the end, go ahead and list it. Let's face it: some games are really stinking long, and you might not have been able to finish them yet but still know they're excellent.

• Why are we doing it this way? Because we're old. This is a site packed to the brim with mature, adult gamers with jobs, family obligations, hobbies, and other things that take up our time. This is also a site packed to the brim with people who can't afford the new hotness as soon as it's released. We've all got piles, and we all play through them, but we don't often get a chance to say that we really love something even if it's old. (We could tell tboon that, I suppose. Love you, tboon!)

• What if the top game ends up being from 2007 or something? It won't.

• So how are votes counted? Games in the top spot on a list are get ten votes, second place gets nine, et cetera, et cetera, with tenth place getting a single vote. Out of format lists (i.e., lists that aren't ranked and/or lists that go over ten) will get one vote for the first ten games mentioned.

• Can I list a game multiple times so that it gets more votes? No. That's cheating.

• When does voting open? When does it close? Voting is open as of right now, so go post your list! Voting will close at midnight-ish on the 31st of December. That'll give people time to wrap up some of those late November games and also to sample whatever they might find under the Christmas tree.

• Are you going to do anything really neat and special with the results? I'm so glad you asked, because yes! Aside from the community's top ten list and the traditional top games for each platform, the results will be sifted through for some other results like:
  • Best Rereleases - This was a year ripe with HD rereleases and enhanced ports designed to get more of your money. They'll get some love in this separate list.

  • Best Classic Game - This is the top vote-getter among games released before 2011.

  • Most Loved Game of the Year - This is the game that gets the most unranked votes.

  • Hidden Gems - This will be a selection of new games that get a lot of enthusiastic love from a very small number of voters. If a title were to get, say, two number one votes but not appear on any other lists, this is where it would show up.

  • And more! If I think of something! Or if you think of something! Or something!
• Wasn't this supposed to start on the 15th? It's only the 14th! Yes, but work is going to be very busy tomorrow.

Now get voting!

I. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Granted, I've only had three days of non-beta play, but this is going to eat my life for the next year, at least. It fills the MMO void that I've had since I got sick of WoW for the last time, while actually providing a substantive story, characterization, and a sense of getting in at the ground floor.

II. Dragon Age 2
The best example yet of Bioware's dialogue, story and personality engine. The gameplay was streamlined over DA:O, and honestly, that was to my liking. The recycled environments were a pain, and the DLC is of varying quality, but the core game is a really great RPG.

III. Game Dev Story
So many hours gone. So many extended bathroom breaks.

IV. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Holy crap scary. Played it in the dark, under headphones, as it was meant to be done.

V. Mount & Blade: Warband
A bit of an older game, but I first got it in the summer sale. Totes fun.

VI. L.A. Noire
I really liked this more for its potential, than for the game itself. If only they could have completely stripped out some of the legacy GTA driving systems, and thrown a bit more complexity into the main investigation system. I have very high hopes for a sequel.

VII. Portal 2
Would be higher ranked if I'd played it more. The bits I've played are wonderful, though.

VIII. Spectromancer
Came out of nowhere, via a steam sale impulse purchase. I've sunk a goodly number of hours into it. It's a much better suited system for computer play than MtG.

IX. Elder Sign
Android port of a board/card game. Awfully fun, though a bit too limited, compared to the physical one, in terms of scenarios/opponents. Hopefully a patch or two will expand this.

X. The Witcher 2
Again, if I'd played this more, it would probably be higher ranked, but the style, gameplay and story are all a big step up from the previous game.

I'd say it's safe to assume order = rank, if not then put your foot down now and assume it anyway. I tried to put them in order, but only vaguely as I'm not getting into "Is portal a better puzzler than TW2 is an RPG?" or assigning points to things.

Another hint for those with bad memories (on PC): Go into steam's library, list view, add a column (the +, top right) for 'last played', and sort by last played. You see what you played this year.

1. Saints Row the Third
2. Deus Ex: HR
3. Gears of War 3
4. Bastion
5. Portal 2
6. Battlefield 3
7. Bulletstorm
8. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
9. Crysis 2
10. Alpha Protocol

I think friend Clock wants them numbered because it will help him tally the votes. Help him out, he's doing this out of the goodness (shocking, I know!) of his heart.

1. To The Moon – The game that made me cry. Twice. It’s a story about love and redemption, about morality and science. This is a direction that I hope many more games will take in the future because there’s nothing else quite like it.

2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution – In stark contrast to the way I enjoyed “To The Moon” DX:HR was all about game mechanics. I’ve played through this using stealth, run-and-gun, hacking, tanking, you name it. Any way you approach the game is a viable option and makes for very interesting gun-play strategies. The DLC helped precipitate the mechanics into a condensed and very enjoyable micro-experience, and by a freshman studio no less! Most fun I’ve had with a single player game this year.

3. Battlefield 3 – In my opinion no other multiplayer experience can compare to the mayhem of Battlefield (except perhaps TF2). It’s one of those cases where I had certain expectations and DICE more or less provided exactly what I wanted. Gorgeous graphics, stunning sound, great squad play. I’ll be playing this for many months to come.

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat – Nothing beats the atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Metro 2033 comes close but the linearity of that game confines the experience. Shadow of Chernobyl is easily one of my favorite games of all time, and each new release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. iterates on the basic formula with enough changes to keep me engaged. The recent closing of GSC Game World is a terrible loss for PC gamers because there aren’t many PC centric studios left to maintain dedication towards the system. Hopefully Call of Pripyat will not be relegated to being the de facto swan song of GSC Game World, that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 might rise from the dead. Then again if this is the last product to come out of those crazy Ukranians I’m happy they went out with a strong note.

5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Mammoth Cheese. Thanks for that Bethesda.

6. League of Legends – The thing that really impresses me about this game is how much it has penetrated my non-gaming circle of friends. People I’ve never seen playing a video game, people who have chided me about my hobby as a mere childish pursuit. How is it that this game has converted them over to the dark side? The situation utterly confuses me, but at the same time I’ve enjoyed how much socialization has been generated because of this clone of a clone of a hardcore mod.

7. Portal 2 – I can’t imagine how Valve could have done a better job making a sequel to one of the best games ever made. It would have been impossible to replicate the experience of going through Portal for the first time so Valve made the smart decision to expand on the universe in a clever and fun narrative. Combine that with the euphoric zip-zoom of the classic puzzles/physics and a co-op campaign that could have warranted its own box copy. This is how you do a sequel folks.

8. Dark Souls – This game is kicking my butt. Something about abuse and addiction to abuse… whatever, the fighting mechanics are tight and I don’t feel like I’m being pandered to. This game is at the top of my pile and I know I will thoroughly enjoy the hell I’ll be putting myself through.

9. Splinter Cell: Conviction – As an ardent Splinter Cell fan I had many reservations about the new game mechanics introduced in this game. I guess Chaos Theory ruined me for future releases. That being said SC:C stayed true to its stealthy predecessors while stepping up the speed of the game mechanics. A very slick presentation for a solid entry in the franchise. And for once the PC version didn’t completely suck!

10. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – I want to hate you Ubisoft, I really do. But you keep making these really great games… why must you torture me so? It’s been said to death but this was the sequel no one wanted and it turned out to be even better than it had any right to be. There. I’ve made the dead horse nice and pulpy.

1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2. Skyrim
3. Battlefield 3
4. Mafia 2

That's all that I've played enough to be able to put on a list like this.

Is that including games released before 2011? Those are eligible, too.

Thank you.

1. Batman: Arkham City
2. Portal 2
3. NBA 2K11
4. Forza 4
5: Zelda: Skyward Sword
6. MLB 2K11
7. NHL 12
8. Full House Poker
9. You Don't Know Jack
10. Assassin's Creed: Revelations

1 The Binding of Isaac - Still can't believe that I spent 125+ hours on this simple flash game.

2 LIMBO
3 Bastion
4 Dead Space 2
5 GTA Episodes from Liberty City
6 Skyrim
7 Tiny Wings

Also, a pox on you for making me remember what I played this year.

1) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2) Star Wars: The Old Republic
3) Deus Ex: Human Revolution
4) The Witcher 2
5) Major League Baseball 2k11
6) Dragon Age 2
7) Bastion
8) Divinity 2: Dragon Knight Saga
9) Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
10) Portal 2

This is subject to change. The only games I've beaten on the list are DA2 and DE:HR. Skyrim has made a huge impression on me. Witcher was fantastic and I need to go back to it to see if it can usurp Skyrim. I need to finish up Space Marine, Portal 2, and Bastion to see if they can move up in the rankings.

Edit: Updated

1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Forza 4
3. Mortal Kombat
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
5. Crysis 2
6. Gear of War 3
7. Stacking
8. You Don't Know Jack
9. Jetpack Joyride (iOS)
10. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (iOS)

1) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360)
2) Forza 4 (360)
3) Batman: Arkham City (360)
4) Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360)
5) Dragon Age 2 (360)
6) Portal 2 (360)
7) LA Noire (360)
8) Uncharted 2 (PS3)
9) Lego Star Wars III (360)
10) Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (360)

Skyrim is a runaway winner for me, but 2-7 are probably all on about the same level.

Reviewed a release list, gave hard thought to and tweaked up my order and choices, added a blurb for each, and added notable cuts (which I think are usually more interesting than gushing over your winners)

1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
This and number two are the only ones I didn't have to pore over as far as order on the list. They are the head of the class by a good margin. Skyward Sword hits all the notes a good Zelda game should, which isn't a surprise. What did surprise were the emotionally charged relationships, helping forge an interesting and appropriate origin story for the entire franchise. A lot of game critics have called for sweeping change to the Zelda format. With that in mind, I think Skyward Sword is exactly the game the series needs right now. It doesn't skew so far from the norm that it doesn't feel like Zelda, but enough of the mechanics and storytelling feel fresh enough to remember five years from now when the next one is released.

2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim really needs little introduction or justification. It's the largest collection of short stories ever collected in a fully realized, gorgeous 3D game world. It has warts but they're easy to ignore in light of the incredible scope of the project.

3. Dark Souls
Dark Souls holds a special place for me, the game that rescued me from a dark place (a WoW subscription). The combat is methodical and tactical, and lends the entire game a great sense of extremity - it can be both nerve-wracking and gratifying in the same minute-long stretch of play. The game world itself is I think the most elaborate construction of the gaming year. Each part has a specific reason for being where it is, relevant at both the gameplay and narrative levels.

4. Mortal Kombat (9)
This one I think probably slipped through the cracks around here. While Street Fighter 4 revived the genre a few years back, MK9 brought it back to the masses in my eyes. This deserves a spot if for no reason other than providing the blueprint for a single-player campaign that every consequent fighting game should follow for the next few years. Loses a few points for somewhat borked online and a muddled DLC scene post-launch. One of the best couch-MP games of the year.

5. Portal 2
I am probably one of the few that feels this game beats the sh*t out of the original in every facet, and that's a tall order. The narrative adds so much to the formula that it makes the original feel less complete. The mechanics are amazing, as expected, and expanded upon appropriately. I still have a hard time fathoming that cooperative play actually works, much less that it is so...functional.

6. Dragon Age 2
I think this game would be much more highly regarded if it was the first Dragon Age game. While it is missing some of the magic that comes from 5+ years in the cooker, I think it made some great improvements over Origins. These include the feel of combat, the graphical style, and the cohesion of the narrative. The limited world and less interesting (relatively) party members are the only drawbacks.

7. Crysis 2
Crysis 2 is another of my favorite first person shooter campaigns, either two or three with CoD4: Modern Warfare. Great shooting mechanics and feel, customization options, and a more interesting story than anticipated. It combines what I think people like about Halo (combat puzzles?) and acceptable speed of play. If only I'd gotten more into the multiplayer...

8. Singularity
Singularity is a 2010 game, which I said in its catch-all would have cracked my top-10 last year. It holds a special place for being the ONLY original property on this list. Simply put, it's my favorite single player first person shooter of the generation. It's Bioshock with a better combat feel, a more interesting setting, and combat mechanics that are as necessary as they are interesting.

9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
I love the Modern Warfare multiplayer suite, and have for a long time now. This is the best of the series mechanically, the best balanced. The gun registers leave something to be desired and the community is as hit-and-miss as you'd expect the most popular game of the year to attract. The campaign narrative is much stronger than the previous three iterations, providing both cohesion and closure for characters that have become the face of the franchise over time.

10. L.A. Noire
I've never played anything like L.A. Noire, and that's saying something. The characters' fidelity might be revolutionary, or it might be the distinctive feature this game alone is remembered for going forward. The narrative was mature and mostly believable. Unfortunately, the open world gave little incentive for exploration and the conclusion was a bit ham-fisted.

Notable cuts (in order of preference)

Super Mario 3D Land
I really got nothin' on this one. If you like 3D mario games, this is a gem. I'm insanely thankful for this game's surprise appearance on my radar - it alone justified my day-one 3DS purchase.

Pokemon Black
This is the only cut that I really did not want to make. It's a little too iterative, though it took big steps too modernizing one of my favorite franchises, and one of the few JRPG models that still work.

Mario Kart 7
This game seems great! But I have not yet played enough to justify a higher spot. Hurray for Nintendo getting better at the onlines.

Catherine
I love the weird Japanese-ness, like the box puzzling, but dislike the small scope of the gameplay experience.

Saints Row the Third
The activities in this game so far don't raise the bar at all from the second game, and the narrative seems much less compelling. Due to co-op responsibilities I'm only about 10 hours in, but so far it feels like a lateral step from the previous game.

Gears of War 3
Gears 3 did little in my eyes to improve upon Gears 2, which is a shame. The narrative provided some good moments, but the combat did not.

Downloadable Games

Trenched
I wish this had been fleshed out into a full retail game. The mechanics were sound enough that I could have gone for way more content. The co-op is too much fun. Looking forward to playing the new stuff with some of you guys.

Outland
I usually don't jump at the "platformer with an artstyle" bait, but this game hits all the right notes. Intense combat and bosses, satisfying exploration, mechanical complexity - this is the best in the genre since Shadow Complex.

1) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC)
2) Dark Souls (360)
3) Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together (PSP)
4) The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP)
5) Minecraft (PC)
6) Battlefield 3 (PC)
7) Dragon Age 2 (PC)
8) Forza 4 (360)
9) Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (DS)
10) Gears of War 3 (360)

Honorable Mention: I will leave off my voting for Xenoblade and Zelda Skyward Sword until next year, because the former isn't even out in the US yet (and I've only scratched its surface) and I haven't even started the latter yet. Too much Skyrim!