This document provides a top 10 list and honorable mention of the best retro games from 2013 as selected by Fawzi Mesmar. Each game is briefly summarized, highlighting elements like compelling story, level of customization, mature themes explored through innovative gameplay, emphasis on player decisions and consequences, attention to detail, tight controls and level design, local multiplayer fun, and perfect mixture of old and new elements. The number one pick is The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, praised for its character design, missions, levels, items, soundtrack, and blending of old and new.

1. Retro Gamer’s Top
10 Games of 2013
By Fawzi Mesmar

2. 10 - The Wolf Among Us
Let’s get this out of the way: I’ve never read the
Fables comics, but this game made me want to
do just that! The masterfully made world,
interesting characters, surprisingly deep and
dark plot made me go through this game of it’s
entirety in one go. I was both disappointed and
delighted that it’s episodic because i wanted
more and I’m happy that there’s more of this to
come.
In the meantime, I’ll be reading the comic books.

3. 9 - Fire Emblem Awakening
The main problem with Tactics RPGs is that
once you’ve gone through the first hour you
pretty much have seen all the game has to offer
in terms of gameplay and mechanics, most good
games of that genre rely on story to keep you
hooked in.
Fire Emblem Awakening not only offers a very
compelling story, the level of customization that
you can do for your gameplay experience make
this game the quintessential tactics RPG game
to come in years.

4. 8 - Gone Home
Seeing games like Gone Home makes me
happy. Not just because it further establishes
games as an art medium, but because it
explores mature themes in new and innovative
ways.
Gone Home presents environmental storytelling
in ways that haven’t been experienced before,
showcasing it’s strong design decisions while
delivering a strong narrative. There are no
character models, no combat, no puzzles but yet
the game delivers an experience that can not be
described as anything else than a game.
Reminded me a lot when I used to read reports
in early Resident Evil games and get a better
understanding of the world I’m exploring.

5. 7 - Papo & Yo
Speaking of mature themes, Papo & Yo deals
with topics so heavy that you can’t help but be
touched at the game’s completion.
Sure it has it’s fair share of technical mishaps
and glitches, but that shouldn’t cloud our
judgement of the main picture: the game itself.
A deep personal message from it’s creators,
Papo & Yo creates a beautiful almost surreal
world that transforms you into a little kid as you
joyfully dance through it until it’s powerful finale.
Papo & Yo demonstrates how different cultures
can broaden our gaming horizon and introduce
us to worlds we never knew existed.

6. 6 - Papers Please
Video games are all about decisions, choice and
consequence. While most games will focus on
having the players make decisions that will
directly benefit them, Papers please present
them with options that will have negative effect
on them, but will have a heavy moral
consequence. Sometimes doing what’s right for
you can harm others (even if they don’t exist).
Papers please hires you to do a mundane,
routine job and somehow makes it exciting,
stressful and often tricky.
Its a fine example of finding inspiration for game
design anywhere.

7. 5 - Grand Theft Auto V
GTA V is fine game and perhaps the best in the
series. The world is vast and believable, the
characters are varied enough to have something
for everyone, the heist mission have great
potential to be built on for future iterations of the
series.
There is so much to do within the offline mode of
the game, and by going online that just doubles
the amount of time you can spend in Los Santos.
Solid shooting, driving, flying, tennis mechanics
ensure that this is the defining GTA game of this
generation.

8. 4 - Dota 2
I’ve had a love hate relationship with DotA for
years, it’s probably one of the most competitive
games out there. Nothing feels as good as
winning a Dota game and nothing feels worse
than losing a Dota game.
Valve were always known to do community
games justice, and DotA was just that. So much
careful work and attention to detail has been
poured into the game and it shows.
Regardless of my attempts of escaping it I’ve
spent most of 2013 playing Dota 2 and most
probably be doing so for years to come.

9. 3 - Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D Land is probably one of the best
games I’ve played on the 3DS, tight controls,
strict beautifully constructed levels, your mastery
of the game becomes better as you play it and it’
s just so darn cute, so you can imagine my
excitement when I heard that the same team
was expanding on the concept to the Wii U - btw
its the same team that did the genius Galaxy
series and Mario Sunshine before that as well.
Super Mario 3D world is good old fashioned
gaming, they way you loved gaming and is a
blast on a local multiplayer.

10. 2 - Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends, has charm, character, genius
level design, wonderful Musical levels and
incredibly catchy can’t-get-it-out-of-my-head
soundtrack. Everything that the fantastic
Rayman Origins did legends did better. The
levels are fast paced and creative, the monster
design is charming and funny, obstacle design
creates something new for you to enjoy in every
single level.
The Local multiplayer is hectic and a ton of fun. I
don’t remember laughing so hard this entire
year.
They also have a lot of remastered Rayman
Origins levels included in the game, what more
do you want?

11. 1 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link
Between Worlds
Being a crazed Zelda fan I was hesitant to place
this as my top pick of the year as it would make
it questionable; but the amount of fun I had
playing this game states otherwise.
This is definitely the best Zelda made in YEARS!
and my number one game of 2013.
Character design, missions, level design,
treasure locations, item design, orchestrated
soundtrack, the mixture of old and new is just
PERFECT!
If you’ve never played a Zelda game before, this
is the perfect entry point to the series; and if you
are a Zelda fan, you owe to yourself to play this
game.

12. Honorable Mention - The Stanley
Parable
This is the type of game that is best enjoyed if
you don’t know anything about it.
If the internet hasn’t spoiled this for you yet or
you haven’t heard of it, go pick it up and play it
now.