Acclaimed Video Games
The top 1,000 most recommended games across 902 critic lists from 140 publications.
Updated: January 21, 2026
Most Acclaimed Video Games of 2012
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#1 Journey (2012) (#41)
ThatGameCompany | PS3 | Adventure | ~2h | 85 lists
#2 The Walking Dead (2012) (#70)
Telltale Games | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3, iOS | Point-and-Click / Interactive Drama | ~12h | 66 lists
#3 Spelunky (2012) (#80)
BlitWorks, Mossmouth | WIN, X360, PS3, PSV | Roguelike / Platform | ~20h | 39 lists
#4 XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) (#128)
Firaxis Games | 3, X360, PS3, iOS, AND | Turn-Based Tactics | ~27h | 47 lists
#5 Dishonored (2012) (#154)
Arkane Studios | WIN, X360, PS3 | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~12h | 49 lists
#6 Hotline Miami (2012) (#161)
Dennaton Games | MAC, WIN, PS3, PSV | Shooter | ~5h | 37 lists
#7 Fez (2012) (#188)
Polytron Corporation | 3, X360, 3, SW | Puzzle-Platformer | ~6h | 33 lists
#8 Borderlands 2 (2012) (#211)
Gearbox Software | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Action RPG / First-Person Shooter | ~30h | 39 lists
#9 Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012) (#245)
Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.2 | 3DS | Life Simulation | ~79h | 30 lists
#10 Mass Effect 3 (2012) (#251)
BioWare Edmonton | WIN, X360, PS3, WiiU | Action RPG / Third-Person Shooter | ~24h | 35 lists
#11 FTL: Faster Than Light (2012) (#255)
Subset Games | 3 | Strategy / Roguelike | ~12h | 26 lists
#12 Far Cry 3 (2012) (#288)
Ubisoft Montreal | WIN, X360, PS3 | First-Person Shooter | ~16h | 37 lists
#13 Diablo III (2012) (#327)
Blizzard Entertainment | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~18h | 22 lists
#14 Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012) (#348)
Intelligent Systems, Nintendo SPD Production Group No. 2 | 3DS | Tactical RPG | ~31h | 19 lists
#15 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2012) (#368)
Hidden Path Entertainment, Valve | MAC, WIN, X360, PS3 | First-Person Shooter / Tactical | ~128h | 16 lists
#16 Spec Ops: The Line (2012) (#398)
Yager Development | WIN, X360, PS3 | Third-Person Shooter | ~6h | 24 lists
#17 Dragon's Dogma (2012) (#453)
Capcom | X360, PS3 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~37h | 13 lists
#18 Super Hexagon (2012) (#576)
Distractionware, Terry Cavanagh | MAC, WIN, iOS, AND | Action | ~5h | 11 lists
#19 Crusader Kings II (2012) (#608)
Paradox Development Studio | 3 | Role-Playing / Grand Strategy | ~67h | 5 lists
#20 Mark of the Ninja (2012) (#609)
Klei Entertainment | 3, X360 | Stealth / Platform | ~8h | 14 lists
#21 Guild Wars 2 (2012) (#622)
ArenaNet | WIN | MMORPG | ~86h | 13 lists
#22 Sleeping Dogs (2012) (#665)
Square Enix London Studios, United Front Games | WIN, X360, PS3 | Action-Adventure | ~15h | 13 lists
#23 Halo 4 (2012) (#742)
343 Industries | X360 | First-Person Shooter | ~7h | 18 lists
#24 Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) (#840)
Chunsoft | PSV, 3DS | Adventure / Visual Novel | ~28h | 6 lists
#25 Forza Horizon (2012) (#857)
Playground Games | X360 | Racing | ~16h | 6 lists
#26 Frog Fractions (2012) (#909)
Twinbeard Studios | BR | Educational | ~1h | 3 lists
#27 Tokyo Jungle (2012) (#972)
Crispy's!, SCE Japan Studio | PS3 | Action / Survival | ~15h | 5 lists
#1
#41
Journey
2012
#2
#70
The Walking Dead
2012
#3
#80
Spelunky
2012
#4
#128
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
2012
#5
#154
Dishonored
2012
#6
#161
Hotline Miami
2012
#7
#188
Fez
2012
#8
#211
Borderlands 2
2012
#9
#245
#10
#251
Mass Effect 3
2012
#11
#255
#12
#288
Far Cry 3
2012
#13
#327
Diablo III
2012
#14
#348
#15
#368
#16
#398
Spec Ops: The Line
2012
#17
#453
Dragon's Dogma
2012
#18
#576
Super Hexagon
2012
#19
#608
Crusader Kings II
2012
#20
#609
Mark of the Ninja
2012
#21
#622
Guild Wars 2
2012
#22
#665
Sleeping Dogs
2012
#23
#742
Halo 4
2012
#24
#840
#25
#857
Forza Horizon
2012
#26
#909
Frog Fractions
2012
#27
#972
Tokyo Jungle
2012
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