Cue the intro to a fabulous game dynamic in which you essentially play the same 12 hours over and over again. It should be mind-numbingly boring, though it’s anything but.

A number of guests are being knocked off around the clock, and you’ll prevent them meeting their grizzly ends by sneaking around and solving a myriad of amusing puzzles. It’s a genius concept. A concept that keeps you smirking with joy at its cleverness each time you hear the gunshots, crashes and other horrific sounds that go hand-in-hand with the murders taking place at exactly the same hour each day.

​As formerly expressed, being a creature of habit, this type of gameplay - as enjoyable as it was - seemed to eerily echo my own procrastination cycles. Seeing the cutscenes play out identically and the same old mistakes made reinforced my belief that my brain was occasionally ‘stuck on repeat’. I became somewhat keen on the idea that unravelling Lafcadio Boone’s predicament in this murderous masked ball was tied subliminally to breaking my own stale routine this coming year. ​

It’s been a good year for gaming (less so for my wallet) with the Nintendo Switch, 2DS XL, SNES Mini, Xbox One X and a new gaming laptop all making their way into my collection over the past twelve months, giving me quite the selection headache – the good kind, as they say in football.

Technically this counts as two games, but M2H and Blackmill’s decision to house both Verdun and Tannenberg under the WW1 Game Series umbrella means I don’t have to pick between two of my favourite shooters from the past year, which is fine by me (and our editors, I hope).
 
Though Verdun arrived late on Xbox One (it was supposed to launch last year alongside the PS4 version) it was exactly the sort of game I wanted Battlefield 1 to be, forgoing semi-realistic aperture sights and hip-firing heavy machine guns for a more realistic First World War shooter that was incredibly satisfying to play once mastered.
 
Tannenberg continued the developers’ stellar work on the series, this time bringing the action of the Eastern Front to the fore and ensuring the game remained in a constant playable state thanks to the addition of bots. I was a bit sceptical about the lack of controller support (being the filthy console peasant that I am) but the natural limitations of the era’s hardware means you don’t need pro gamer level reactions to enjoy this game.

Turn-based RPGs are one of my least favourite types of game (second only to fighters) so I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed South Park: The Fractured but Whole’s gameplay; turns out all the genre needed to keep my attention was liberal helpings of crass humour, hilarious boss fights and quirky super powers.
 
With South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker at the helm the comedy credentials were never in doubt, but the fact that the gameplay outshone the humour at times is a testament to its quality.

For a game that’s all about taking down a death obsessed cartel in a war-torn country, Ghost Recon Wildlands is weirdly relaxing.
 
I’ve probably spent more time than I should have watching the dynamic weather roll across the game’s stunning scenery whilst melancholic guitar riffs sound off in the background, and since the patch adding Xbox One X support went live, fictional Bolivia has never looked so good.
 
Luckily, Wildlands is also bloody good fun to play, whether solo or with friends, and for those that are willing to go looking for it there’s a decent story about the moral complexities of a war on drugs to be found.

As great as Breath of the Wild is, after the initial sense of awe began to wear off I found myself yearning for the more structured design of the Zelda titles of yesteryear.
 
BOTW’s shrines are fun, for the most part, but even the best one’s I’ve come across so far pale in comparison to the classic temples the franchise has seen throughout the years.
 
Still, exploring a broken, almost dystopian version of Hyrule and uncovering its hidden secrets is immensely rewarding, but without the iconic temples the package just doesn’t feel complete, and it’s because of this the game just misses out on my top spot.

Despite Sledgehammer’s willingness to play it fast and loose with the game’s historical accuracy (aperture sights in the 1940’s, seriously?!) Call of Duty: WWII really is a return to form for the franchise, particularly on the competitive side.
 
The campaign, while enjoyable, is still your classic by-the-numbers Call of Duty affair, but I haven’t been this hooked to the series’ multiplayer since back in its heyday.
 
War mode is the main highlight, taking inspiration from Overwatch’s escort missions and Battlefield 1’s Operations, blending those with the frantic, fast-paced arcade combat of CoD to deliver a truly moreish experience that I keep going back to.

The only shooter on my list, much to my surprise, is the sequel to a game I’d heard good things about but never played. Splatoon 2 set the barrier of entry low, a welcome feature for any follow-up, and has a skill ceiling which can be difficult to spot at first glance, thanks to its cartoony presentation.

There are certainly some curious design decisions, which only Nintendo could get away with. Limiting maps to two at a time on an arbitrary rotation? Nonsense! Only a handful of modes, gated by yet more arbitrary-ness in the form of level requirements? Preposterous!

Despite these quirks, the game is just such simple, sit down and play fun which you can find real depth and satisfaction in if you have the commitment (and time) to devote. The fact this is one of two games which not only drew in me, but also my other half, is telling of how slyly it introduces new players.​

​Get inked with the video review.

​Portability is a big reason why this game makes it to the top of my list. As a standard game you can just plug into in front of your big screen at home, there’s still an excellent game to experience, but it’s when you let it slowly overtake your life, stealing moments at every turn, that it really goes that step further.

Crashing two different IPs together is no mean feat, particularly when one is as world-renown as Mario, and Ubisoft have done an exceptional job. While visually Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle doesn’t quite reach the caliber Mario’s own quest does, and, you might argue, nor should it, but the presentation is smooth and the gameplay gripping.

Creating something which looks easy but can actually be quite challenging is somewhat of a recurring theme of this list, and Mario + Rabbids does the best job of it, giving you what you never knew you always wanted. A surprising, addictive experience which is just the right length and difficulty to suck you in without it becoming too much, and paves the way for greater things going forward if Nintendo continue to let others play with their toys.

Want more? Here's our video review.

The Stick of Truth was an outstanding game that needed no improvement. Evidently, Ubisoft didn't get that memo because The Fractured But Whole fixes things that weren't even broken.

The most striking change is the completely overhauled combat system, which has been upgraded to such an extent that it makes revisiting The Stick of Truth seem like a real step backwards. There are more classes to choose from, more companions to assist you in combat, or whilst exploring, and tons of references for fans of the show.

Add to that a completely bonkers story that wouldn't be possible in any other universe, and you've got a near flawless gem.​

Ever since it launched on Xbox One roughly nine months ago, Verdun’s already small player base has been steadily declining over the course of the year to the point where you’d more than likely struggle to find the 32 players needed to populate the game’s standout mode, Frontlines, if you were to venture online nowadays.

As far as can I see, the only way of ensuring Verdun remains playable in any meaningful form is by enabling cross-play with PC. Out of all the platforms on which the game is available, it’s the only one that has a consistent populous; at the time of writing, Verdun’s 24-hour peak on Steam was 444 players, a figure that’s more than healthy enough to support multiple lobbies and matches.

​In fact, the game’s done well enough on Steam that developers M2H and Blackmill Games have brought a standalone expansion to the platform, taking players to the eastern front and introducing Russian forces. Somehow, I don’t see Tannenberg being announced for consoles anytime soon.
 
Although this is by no means a perfect answer, due to the balancing issues that come with putting console players up against the greater accuracy and reaction times afforded to PC players by mouse and keyboard support, the game’s First World War setting, and the developer’s commitment to historical accuracy, may actually help to partially mitigate these issues.

While a lot of shooters will stick an enlarged set of iron sights or semi-historically accurate reticles on weapons in order make life easier for its players (I’m looking at you, Call of Duty), Verdun is unapologetic when it comes to replicating First World War-era firearms - particularly rifles, the weapon of choice for most players – ensuring that both console and PC users are at the mercy of their limitations, including tiny, hard to use iron sights and limited fire-rates.
 
Coupled with the need to draw breath in order to ensure a steady aim, the advantages of mouse and keyboard control don’t seem like they’d be quite as advantageous in Verdun as they would in other shooters where fully-automatic weapons and large magazines are the norm.
 
Even if it does mean having my ass handed to me by the gaming master race every now and then, I genuinely hope, and I’m sure those who enjoy Verdun just as much as I do agree, that whoever is in charge of these decisions takes note of this plea, because the game deserves better, and it may be the only way to ensure I can keep enjoying Verdun on my platform of choice.

Do you have any old favourites that you’d like to see revived by the implementation of cross-play? Let us know in the comments below or over in the forums.
 
We’re also working on a review of the Tannenberg expansion, so stick around for more on Verdun.