>> best steam games of 2012 the full ranking

These are the best Steam games of 2012 — the releases of that year players still rate highest, years after the reviews stopped counting.

No launch-week scores, no hype: every position comes from head-to-head duels between two games in one player's library, and a game's percentage is the share of a typical library it beats. Years are the honest test, and this is what 2012 looks like once the dust has settled and only the games people still reach for are left standing.

Sonic Adventure 2

beats 76%

90 players

percentile across every personal ranking, weighed by the crowd behind it

Games ranked by the share of a typical library they beat.
rk	game	players	beats
02	Dishonored	265 players	beats 75%
03	DARK SOULS™: Prepare To Die™ Edition	119 players	beats 75%
04	Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition	304 players	beats 75%
05	Max Payne 3	106 players	beats 75%
06	STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™	89 players	beats 75%
07	Call of Duty®: Black Ops II	52 players	beats 75%
08	Far Cry 3	163 players	beats 72%
09	Assassin’s Creed® III	34 players	beats 72%
10	Hotline Miami	335 players	beats 71%
11	The Walking Dead	169 players	beats 69%
12	Alan Wake	156 players	beats 68%
13	Thief Gold (1999)	42 players	beats 68%
14	Spec Ops: The Line	125 players	beats 66%
15	Thirty Flights of Loving	10 players	beats 69%
16	FTL: Faster Than Light	231 players	beats 66%
17	Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (1999)	8 players	beats 69%
18	Crusader Kings Complete	3 players	beats 75%
19	Borderlands 2	655 players	beats 65%
20	Quantum Conundrum	23 players	beats 66%
21	Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (2001)	13 players	beats 66%
22	XCOM: Enemy Unknown	189 players	beats 64%
23	Euro Truck Simulator 2	372 players	beats 63%
24	Blackwell Deception	13 players	beats 63%
25	Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition)	22 players	beats 62%
26	Counter-Strike:Global Offensive	75 players	beats 61%
27	Street Fighter X Tekken	6 players	beats 64%
28	Rayman® Origins	37 players	beats 61%
29	Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign	4 players	beats 63%
30	To the Moon	91 players	beats 58%
31	The Blackwell Legacy	18 players	beats 57%
32	Prototype 2	38 players	beats 56%
33	Jet Set Radio	47 players	beats 56%
34	Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles	4 players	beats 54%
35	POSTAL 2	216 players	beats 53%
36	Fairy Bloom Freesia	6 players	beats 53%
37	Sonic CD	20 players	beats 52%
38	SOL: Exodus	3 players	beats 54%
39	NiGHTS Into Dreams	9 players	beats 53%
40	Alan Wake's American Nightmare	41 players	beats 52%
41	Ys Origin	20 players	beats 52%
42	A Valley Without Wind	8 players	beats 52%
43	Iron Brigade	5 players	beats 52%
44	Unstoppable Gorg	4 players	beats 52%
45	Serious Sam II	47 players	beats 51%
46	Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003)	13 players	beats 51%
47	Ys: The Oath in Felghana	11 players	beats 51%
48	Risen 2: Dark Waters	48 players	beats 51%
49	Noitu Love 2: Devolution	4 players	beats 51%
50	Stronghold 3 Gold	18 players	beats 51%
51	Age of Empires® III (2007)	69 players	beats 51%
52	Binary Domain	25 players	beats 51%
53	Torchlight II	159 players	beats 51%
54	Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes	37 players	beats 51%
55	Jagged Alliance 2 - Wildfire	11 players	beats 51%
56	Sine Mora	6 players	beats 51%
57	The Darkness II	88 players	beats 51%
58	Hitman: Absolution™	163 players	beats 50%
59	Thief II: The Metal Age	18 players	beats 50%
60	Port Royale 3	11 players	beats 50%
61	Thomas Was Alone	48 players	beats 50%
62	Rocksmith™	3 players	beats 50%
63	Botanicula	22 players	beats 50%
64	Chaos on Deponia	42 players	beats 50%
65	Blackwell Convergence	14 players	beats 50%
66	Blades of Time	13 players	beats 50%
67	Crusader Kings II	215 players	beats 50%
68	Legend of Grimrock	40 players	beats 50%
69	Divine Divinity	29 players	beats 50%
70	Stacking	30 players	beats 50%
71	Castle Crashers®	397 players	beats 50%
72	LEGO® The Lord of the Rings™	127 players	beats 50%
73	Little Inferno	87 players	beats 50%
74	LEGO® Batman™ 2: DC Super Heroes	65 players	beats 50%
75	DOOM 3	37 players	beats 50%
76	Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers	33 players	beats 50%
77	Zombie Driver HD	13 players	beats 50%
78	I Am Alive	5 players	beats 50%
79	Orcs Must Die! 2	118 players	beats 50%
80	Shank 2	34 players	beats 50%
81	Wargame: European Escalation	9 players	beats 50%
82	The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition	274 players	beats 50%
83	Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003)	10 players	beats 50%
84	Fortune Summoners	3 players	beats 49%
85	Tomb Raider II (1997)	13 players	beats 49%
86	Blackwell Unbound	14 players	beats 49%
87	Divinity II: Developer's Cut	24 players	beats 49%
88	Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken	19 players	beats 46%
89	Krater	14 players	beats 45%
90	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™	10 players	beats 45%
91	Warp	4 players	beats 42%
92	The Book of Unwritten Tales	16 players	beats 43%
93	Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet	10 players	beats 42%
94	GT Legends	4 players	beats 40%
95	Counter-Strike 2	1,272 players	beats 43%
96	Beyond Divinity	12 players	beats 42%
97	eXceed 3rd - Jade Penetrate Black Package	4 players	beats 38%
98	Conflict Desert Storm™	4 players	beats 38%
99	Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3	4 players	beats 38%
100	Myst V: End of Ages	3 players	beats 36%
101	SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny	5 players	beats 39%
102	Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory	4 players	beats 38%
103	King's Bounty: Warriors of the North	12 players	beats 40%
104	Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy	32 players	beats 41%
105	Super Hexagon	69 players	beats 40%
106	Evochron Mercenary	4 players	beats 36%
107	Shad'O	6 players	beats 37%
108	Resonance	7 players	beats 37%
109	Painkiller Hell & Damnation	20 players	beats 39%
110	Luxor Evolved	6 players	beats 37%
111	Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013	11 players	beats 38%
112	They Bleed Pixels	16 players	beats 38%
113	Fieldrunners	4 players	beats 34%
114	Tomb Raider I (1996)	19 players	beats 38%
115	Ticket to Ride: Classic Edition	38 players	beats 39%
116	Stealth Bastard Deluxe	14 players	beats 38%
117	Continent of the Ninth Seal	5 players	beats 35%
118	Dynamite Jack	4 players	beats 33%
119	Dead Pixels	13 players	beats 36%
120	MapleStory	21 players	beats 37%
121	LEGO® Harry Potter: Years 5-7	31 players	beats 37%
122	Call of Duty®: Black Ops II	65 players	beats 37%
123	Tomb Raider V: Chronicles (2000)	10 players	beats 35%
124	Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection	16 players	beats 36%
125	Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II	9 players	beats 34%
126	Unmechanical	5 players	beats 31%
127	Tomb Raider III (1998)	10 players	beats 33%
128	Gateways	3 players	beats 26%
129	Viking: Battle for Asgard	14 players	beats 34%
130	The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles	7 players	beats 31%
131	Tiny Troopers	3 players	beats 25%
132	Midnight Mysteries 4: Haunted Houdini	3 players	beats 25%
133	Scoregasm	3 players	beats 25%
134	Auditorium	9 players	beats 32%
135	7 Wonders: Ancient Alien Makeover	3 players	beats 25%
136	ETHER VAPOR Remaster	3 players	beats 25%
137	Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit	37 players	beats 34%
138	3SwitcheD	3 players	beats 24%
139	Galaxy on Fire 2™ Full HD	13 players	beats 32%
140	Deponia	139 players	beats 34%
141	The Lord of the Rings Online™	81 players	beats 33%
142	Primordia	4 players	beats 26%
143	Cubemen	11 players	beats 31%
144	Dead Hungry Diner	3 players	beats 22%
145	Yesterday	4 players	beats 25%
146	Gratuitous Tank Battles	4 players	beats 25%
147	The Testament of Sherlock Holmes	19 players	beats 32%
148	Fly'N	4 players	beats 25%
149	PixelJunk™ Eden	19 players	beats 32%
150	Analogue: A Hate Story	8 players	beats 29%
151	Dogfight 1942	4 players	beats 25%
152	Dungeonbowl - Knockout Edition	3 players	beats 22%
153	Confrontation	8 players	beats 29%
154	Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack	9 players	beats 29%
155	Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut	22 players	beats 31%
156	Of Orcs And Men	10 players	beats 29%
157	Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams	31 players	beats 32%
158	R.A.W. Realms of Ancient War	8 players	beats 28%
159	Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition	4 players	beats 24%
160	Dustforce DX	31 players	beats 31%
161	Warlock - Master of the Arcane	28 players	beats 31%
162	The Basement Collection	32 players	beats 31%
163	Scribblenauts Unlimited	124 players	beats 32%
164	MacGuffin's Curse	5 players	beats 25%
165	Realm of the Mad God Exalt	181 players	beats 32%
166	Rune Classic	5 players	beats 25%
167	King Arthur II: The Role-Playing Wargame	5 players	beats 25%
168	Worms Revolution	75 players	beats 32%
169	Carrier Command: Gaea Mission	5 players	beats 25%
170	iBomber Attack	5 players	beats 25%
171	Ridge Racer™ Unbounded	5 players	beats 25%
172	Avernum: Escape From the Pit	5 players	beats 24%
173	Kung Fu Strike - The Warrior's Rise	7 players	beats 26%
174	Waking Mars	6 players	beats 25%
175	eXceed - Gun Bullet Children	6 players	beats 25%
176	Roller Coaster Rampage	3 players	beats 19%
177	Magical Diary: Horse Hall	6 players	beats 25%
178	Miner Wars 2081	6 players	beats 25%
179	Critter Crunch	5 players	beats 23%
180	Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City	6 players	beats 25%
181	Fallen Earth Classic	21 players	beats 29%
182	Primal Carnage	8 players	beats 26%
183	Galactic Civilizations® I: Ultimate Edition	7 players	beats 25%
184	A Game of Dwarves	7 players	beats 25%
185	Miasmata	7 players	beats 25%
186	Oil Rush	8 players	beats 26%
187	Dream Pinball 3D	5 players	beats 23%
188	Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition (Classic)	7 players	beats 25%
189	Nexuiz	7 players	beats 25%
190	Party of Sin	6 players	beats 23%
191	Postal III	8 players	beats 25%
192	Foreign Legion: Multi Massacre	6 players	beats 23%
193	Chivalry: Medieval Warfare	178 players	beats 30%
194	Wizorb	8 players	beats 25%
195	Spirits	9 players	beats 25%
196	Cherry Tree High Comedy Club	9 players	beats 25%
197	Hard Reset Extended Edition	15 players	beats 27%
198	Gotham City Impostors Free to Play	35 players	beats 28%
199	Indie Game: The Movie	22 players	beats 28%
200	McPixel	38 players	beats 28%
201	Waveform	15 players	beats 27%
202	Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode I	9 players	beats 25%
203	Lunar Flight	10 players	beats 25%
204	Symphony	10 players	beats 25%
205	Toy Soldiers	7 players	beats 23%
206	A New Beginning - Final Cut	13 players	beats 26%
207	Cargo Commander	10 players	beats 25%
208	Intrusion 2	11 players	beats 25%
209	EverQuest	12 players	beats 25%
210	Vindictus	28 players	beats 27%
211	English Country Tune	11 players	beats 25%
212	Adventures of Shuggy	12 players	beats 25%
213	Stellar Impact	6 players	beats 21%
214	Splice	14 players	beats 25%
215	A Virus Named TOM	14 players	beats 25%
216	Wanderlust: Rebirth	13 players	beats 25%
217	Home	23 players	beats 26%
218	Vessel	15 players	beats 25%
219	Game of Thrones	15 players	beats 25%
220	Triple Town	12 players	beats 24%
221	Awesomenauts	117 players	beats 27%
222	Dragon Nest	3 players	beats 13%
223	The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav	19 players	beats 25%
224	Jagged Alliance - Back in Action	9 players	beats 23%
225	Hack, Slash, Loot	11 players	beats 23%
226	Dungeons & Dragons Online®	36 players	beats 26%
227	Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP	31 players	beats 26%
228	Puddle	7 players	beats 21%
229	Offspring Fling!	17 players	beats 25%
230	Pid	21 players	beats 25%
231	The Dream Machine: Chapter 1 & 2	19 players	beats 25%
232	Towns	21 players	beats 25%
233	Mabinogi	3 players	beats 11%
234	Battle vs Chess	23 players	beats 25%
235	Deadlight	28 players	beats 25%
236	Really Big Sky	30 players	beats 25%
237	Dwarfs - F2P	15 players	beats 23%
238	Stronghold Kingdoms	27 players	beats 25%
239	Planets Under Attack	18 players	beats 24%
240	Star Trek Online	36 players	beats 25%
241	Alien Shooter 2 Conscription	4 players	beats 14%
242	Tribes: Ascend	25 players	beats 24%
243	Blacklight: Retribution	37 players	beats 25%
244	ENDLESS Space™ - Definitive Edition	124 players	beats 26%
245	Super Crate Box	41 players	beats 25%
246	Titan Attacks!	12 players	beats 22%
247	Sins of a Solar Empire®: Rebellion	82 players	beats 25%
248	Lucius	48 players	beats 25%
249	Natural Selection 2	69 players	beats 25%
250	Cortex Command	60 players	beats 25%
251	PlanetSide 2	189 players	beats 25%
252	Snapshot	11 players	beats 21%
253	Guns of Icarus Online	119 players	beats 24%
254	Closure	18 players	beats 21%
255	iBomber Defense Pacific	5 players	beats 13%
256	eXceed 2nd - Vampire REX	6 players	beats 13%
257	Tower Wars	20 players	beats 19%
258	Iron Sky: Invasion	7 players	beats 11%
259	Death Rally	7 players	beats 11%

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