Chris Watters, Editor Follow

When I was a kid, my mom always forced me to write thank-you notes for every gift I received. After miraculously managing to overcome my perennial procrastination and professed loathing of the task, she would encourage me to not only thank the person for his or her gift but also elaborate on why I liked it, what I looked forward to doing with it, and so on. Though I may not have appreciated it then, I've since found that this thoroughness actually makes me more thankful for the gift in question, and also thankful for the relationship I have with the person I'm writing to. With that in mind, I've decided to write thank-you notes to my top ten games of 2012. They might not be able to read them, what with being inanimate objects and all, but it'll help me be more grateful for another great year of playing games.

10. Trials Evolution,

When I started playing you after loving your predecessor, Trials HD, I was expecting to once again grapple with fiendishly challenging tracks and get sucked in to heated leaderboard battles. Sure enough, I did, and it was awesome. What I wasn't expecting was to do all this through the beautiful countryside, in an eerie castle, and around a crazy baseball diamond! Man, you really outdid yourself with environmental and track design, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. But you didn't just let your creativity shine through; you pointed the spotlight at the creativity of your community as well, and that was really cool of you. Even though you make my hands sweat more than any other game, I still love picking up the controller and going for a few rides. Thanks for a great year! Sincerely, Chris.

9. Super Monday Night Combat,

I have to admit, when we first met, I was a bit baffled. You worked quite a bit differently from regular old Monday Night Combat, and it took a bunch of matches (and some forum reading) before I started to get my bearings. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because the ebb and flow of your battles led to some epic struggles. I'm thankful that you have such a diverse roster of pros, because their various abilities create some fun strategies and encourage teamwork. For a few months there, you provided a great way to finish out my work day, and even if my team didn't win, I always went home with a smile on my face. And thanks for having such a lighthearted sense of humor! It's nice to play a shooter that doesn't take things too seriously. Fondly, Chris.

8. Dear The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings,

Thank you, first and foremost, for coming to the Xbox 360. Sitting on my couch and adventuring across the Northern Kingdoms late into the night was a wonderful way to deprive myself of sleep for weeks on end. Though I had spent similar hours with Skyrim just a few months prior, you had so many intriguing characters and great conversations that I was immediately captivated. I'm thankful for Geralt, Triss, Dandelion, Zoltan, Iorveth, Roche (sort of), and all the other humans and non-humans that make your world so fascinating. Your quest scripting, world design, and dialogue were so, so good, and it didn't hurt that your combat was a lot of fun. Dziekuje, Chris.

7. Dear Journey,

Though there are a lot of pretty sights to behold in countless video game realms, I think you are beautiful in a very special way. The textures of cloth and sand, the lovely color palette, and the elegance of your animation all come together to create something magical. Thank you for transporting me to a wonderful world, and for giving me things to do there that don't involve killing. As you can see from the rest of the games on my list, I'm not averse to violence in video games, but I really appreciated the opportunity to play in a peaceful way. Serenely, Chris.

6. Dear XCOM: Enemy Unknown,

I was really hoping for a chance to dive into a tactical challenge this year, and you provided the perfect outlet. Thank you for your methodical combat, which made me more tense than any of the fast-paced shooters on this list. Thank you for giving me a lot of powerful ways to improve my home base, but being stingy enough with resources that I had to do some careful planning. Even after I had to discard hours of play because of a few bad moves, I never got mad at you, because you were teaching me the things I needed to know to survive and succeed. Respectfully yours, Chris.

5. Dear Halo 4,

We both know I've been a Halo fan for a while, but it wasn't until I played your campaign that the story actually excited me. I think you did an excellent job with Master Chief and Cortana's relationship, and now that I'm seeing more of Dr. Halsey in Spartan Ops, I'm one happy camper (not like, in that multiplayer way, just to clarify). Thank you for giving me new reasons to love the series, and new ways to assassinate people in War Games. The tackle one is my favorite. Warmly, Chris.

4. Dear Far Cry 3,

When I sit down to play a game in the evening, I am lucky enough to have a lot of choices. Tense combat, a guided story, unfettered exploration, treasure hunting, vehicular mayhem, and open world hijinks all vie for my time. I'm usually in the mood for one of these things, and there you are offering all of them. Thank you for giving me an enticing place I can go and play however I like. Contentedly, Chris. P.S. I'm sorry I killed that manta ray that one time. They are beautiful, peaceful creatures, and it was wrong.

3. Dear Mass Effect 3,

Are we at the end already? It feels like just yesterday that I was humanity's first Spectre, fighting to gain some respect on the galactic counsel and sparring with an ornery Krogan. Now I've come to the end of civlization as we know it and said farewell to characters I love, not all of whom survived the trip. I'm so thankful to have seen this epic journey through to its conclusion. Playing as Commander Shepard for one last time was bittersweet, but also thrilling, because that lady is a total badass. For making me cackle with delight, cheer in triumph, and churn with regret (in a good way), thanks. Love, Chris.

2. Dear Dishonored,

From the moment that little Emily Kaldwin rushed up to me and gave me a big hug, you had me hooked. As I proceeded to explore Dunwall and come to know the city and her denizens (with the help of that ingenious talking heart), you entranced me. Whether I was stealthily evading my enemies, bloodily dispatching them, or meting out justice on the architects of the Empress' betrayal, you made me feel both powerful and responsible. Thank you for your wonderful world and for making me a part of it. Faithfully, Chris.

1. Dear Spelunky,

You aggravate me. You carelessly throw away all my cautious efforts and prudent preparation without blinking. You cause me to shout in anger, sigh with despair, and writhe in agony. You make me feel like an utter moron and a mouth-breathing incompetent. And now I'm supposed to thank you? Hmmm. Well, I suppose you also intrigue me with your ever-changing levels. You fascinate me with your hidden secrets. You beguile me with how you aggregate so much simplicity into a complex whole. You offer me enticing challenges, and you reward me upon completion with such pure, sweet satisfaction. You give me stories to tell and you make me feel like an adventurer. And even months after I've beaten you, I still return to your caves, time and time again. So thank you, then, for being the most compelling, most entertaining, and most exhilarating game this year. Devotedly, Chris.