Games of 2006
It’s that time of year when everyone compiles and awards their game(s) of the year. Since, compared to others, I do not play a lot of games and I complete even less, I figure I am really in no position to hand out “of the year” accolades. Instead I thought I would list and discuss the games I talked about this year. These are the games that kept coming up in discussions and seemed to captivate me and the people I encounter. They are presented in no particular order:

Civ 4
Yes I know this technically came out last year, but with the beta releases of the Fall From Heaven 2 mod, Civ4 was the subject of much talk this year. Many, Many hours actually playing the regular game and this excellent Mod led to even more hours discussing strategies and ways to improve our plans for world conquest.

Gears of War/Dead rising
I know they are not the same game, heck they are not even the same genre and I have played neither. That is not going to stop me from putting them on my list together. You see its all the talk about these two games that drives me crazy to buy an xbox360. Sure I do not have time to play the game I already have but when did that matter. All the great reviews and excited stories I hear from people playing these games, makes me feel like I am missing out of riding the wave of greatness if I do not also play these games now. *sigh* *shrug* I will survive 🙂

Titan Quest:
Ok, so I guess there was not as much talk about this game as I would have liked, but dang I had a blast with this game and just wished some of my friends would have picked it up.

WoW
Sure it was released a couple of years back, but it by and far was the topic of more conversations this year than any other game. In my mind it continues to offer some of the best computer entertainment on the market. Each new big patch seems to give players something more to experience and debate. I still put more time into this game than any other this year.

Company of Heroes
Even with only playing the demo I had to put this one on the list. It generated a lot of buzz in the office and on the web and is from the same company that brought one of my favorite table top games to the PC; Warhammer 40k. Kudos to Relic.

Neverwinter Nights 2
Maybe there is not as much talk amongst my friends / co-workers about this game as I would like, but there has been enough internet discussion to justify it on my list. Whether is be the debate over a badly written review, discussion on its flaws, debate on the best character build, or tips on performance, this game has spawned some huge threads on internet discussion boards. And I was right there reading them; well that and playing the game.

Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Sure it is not without flaws, but this game is not only huge but a whole lot of fun. It’s multiplatform release was the basis for many a debate, the moddible UI provided even more greate discussions, and that was just the start. The graphics, performance, story, leveling system and editor all were the basis for much talk/argument/debates. In the end, Oblivion is a stand out game of 2006

WoW TCG:
This game took the card game playing world by storm. From the first announcement that Upperdeck was creating a CCG based on wow, I knew it would be a hit. But even the executive producer on the game, underestimated how well it would be received. Not only is it a game based on a great computer game, it is great game. A great game that sold out of its huge initial print run , one of the largest in CCG history, and has been the center of a ton of talk. In our office, amongst my friends, and on the ‘net this game is being talked about, and I love it. If you like CCGs you owe yourself at least a starter box of this.