To balance the 'Disappointing gaming purchase' thread:
what was the best / most enjoyable game you bought in 2012 ?

I'll start with: Chaos on Deponia (great, whacky humor. Even a notch better than it's already very good predecessor).

GOG. I discovered it, I loved it. That's the gaming highlight.

Hotline Miami.

I've never experienced anything that played that hard and that fast in such short spurts. Truly memorable.

Finally getting into those space sims I could never get to grips with 10 years ago. Freespace 1&2, Tachyon and I have even finally ventured onto X2 after the disc has been gathering dust for many years, got it on Steam a few days back which saves me messing with patching and am actually getting used to it, not as complicated as I first imagined!

Dishonored has been my highlight for 2012, new I.P from a great developer, can't wait for the story based DLC this year. The setting and story behind this game is fantastic, played it pretty balanced and got the good ending. Found myself reloading if things didn't go my way, was addicted to it start to finish.

Getting back into the Tom Clancy games like Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, sitting and working out a plan of action is quite absorbing.

Borderlands 2 still has me hooked, loved the first game and the second is even better. Looking forward to the Hammerlock DLC which is due soon.

All the great mods for Skyrim helped.

Borderlands 2 for some great gameplay

Xcom for bringing back a great game franchise.

WoW: Mists of Pandaria launch
Witcher 2 Enhanced edition released
Serious Sam 3
DMC HD and MGS HD collections released
Darksiders II
Jet Set Radio and Nights re-released in HD

FTL was my favourite new release, returning to the zone, in Call of Pripyat, was certainly an experience (not all fun!), and Unmechanical was a pleasant surprise!

But the best experience has been playing old classics I missed back in the day, just one of the reasons I love this site. Here's to another year of classic games! Think I'll kick off the year with Sacrifice!

Whoops:Misread thread.

My best game of 2012 came on the last day of 2012. I picked up Flatout (as was recommended by you fine folks) and I am a pig in sh&t. Who the hell wants to race overpriced over-gaudy sports cars along the French coast!? No way. Give me a tin can turning ovals on a glorified swamp pit and I'm a happy guy.

Arkham City, for sure.

Borderlands II, Skyrim, re-discovering how much I liked old FPS games with Blood. Replaying a LOT of games I'd forgotten about, due to GOG.

Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Picked them up super cheap during the Steam summer sale.
I have since spent around 300 hours playing them. That sounds like a lot, but as Beatrix says, "Time you enjoy wasting isn't wasted time."

Spec Ops: The Line

Are pigs flying? What is going on? Is Licurg starting to love King Of Dragon Pass more than Sacrifice? Is it only a matter of time before we see him start telling everyone to buy King Of Dragon Pass 10 times a day? The Mayans were right about 2012. They didn't mean the world will end. They meant there will be a great change. I can now see that change.

Minecraft.