2021 has been another extremely unusual year, so hopefully it's a bit of a treat to end it in our usual way - with the top fifty games of the last twelve months, as chosen by you.

What we said: "Chalk this one up as another slightly botched Battlefield launch - only at least this time it's been botched in new and interesting ways."

“After a VERY shaky start it's slowly becoming the game they promised,” says benchambers. “Feels like a true war with 128 players.."

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Hello! Over the next few days we're going to be going back over some of our favourite games and moments and themes and whatnot from this very strange year. We hope you enjoy looking back with us!

It's not easy finding games to play with other people in the same house. You'll know this if you've tried. It's one of the reasons I was so impressed with It Takes Two earlier in the year. It's not only playable in local co-op but entirely designed for it, which means gameplay solutions require two people rather than can also be played by two people. For instance, one person throws giant nails into a wall while the other person uses the head of a giant claw hammer to swing on them. It's just one example and there are many - the ideas keep changing and they keep coming - and it's brilliant. It Takes Two is probably the best example of dedicated local co-op gaming in years, if not ever.

But playing together isn't always about defined co-op. It can also mean two people - or more - contributing to a game even though only one person is actively playing it. The Dark Pictures series does this really well, and it's become a defining feature of it. The newest game, House of Ashes, came out this year, and in it, you can assign different characters to different people in the room and then pass the pad when their sections come up. And having a quick break while someone else is pulled in and takes over - at their own difficulty level (a neat feature) - works really well.

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Hello! Over the next few days we're going to be going back over some of our favourite games and moments and themes and whatnot from this very strange year. We hope you enjoy looking back with us!

It started with a reveal that had the internet thirsting; it ended with voice actress Maggie Robertson winning best performance at The Game Awards. 2021 was the year of Lady Dimitrescu.

The tall vampire lady of Resident Evil: Village is truly the icon of the game - so much so that her infamy has transcended the game itself.

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Hello! We're still catching up with our memories and moments of 2021. Here's Lottie considering a long career in Runescape.

I like to joke about how, for me, RuneScape is less of a game and more of a lifestyle choice; though, after 15 years, I should probably admit to myself that this joke is bordering on the realm of fact.

Thanks to my 2006 diary, I can reliably say I walked my first steps in Gielinor - RuneScape's setting - on April 29th that year. Younger Lottie wrote about how RuneScape 'seemed pretty good with its cool map,' before going on a tirade about how she couldn't find the last episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion on what I assume was a perfectly legal website. I wonder what she would have written if she knew RuneScape would become a mainstay in her gaming library.

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Hello! Over the next few days we're going to be going back over some of our favourite games and moments and themes and whatnot from this very strange year. We hope you enjoy looking back with us!

Spoiler warning - this piece goes into how Death's Door's end-game works. It's intentionally light on specifics, but it's highly recommended you experience the moments after the credits yourself first, of course - it's one of the best games of the year, after all, as our Death's Door review explains.

We've all played enough Metroidvanias and Zelda-likes to know what to expect by now. Upon reaching a new area, you'll come across things you can't unlock, reach, or simply fathom there and then - so you continue on your way and put it into the recesses of your mind, safe in the knowledge you'll figure it out later.

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Hello, Bertie here, sitting in my armchair next to the fire. Here we are at the end of the year. I hope it holds some good memories for you. I also hope you manage to find some time to yourself, as the year closes, to rest and restore yourself to your dazzling best.

We've had a busy year on Eurogamer. Never is this more apparent than when I'm staring an enormous pile of pieces in the face, hoping to make some kind of list out of them. I like these lists because people miss things in the rush of the year. I miss things. And this season provides a chance to look back and highlight some of the great work gone by.

But to showcase everything would take forever, so instead, I'd like to showcase our writers. There's an army of them, as will soon become apparent, and we're enormously grateful for the wonderful richness they bring to our site. We couldn't do it without them.

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Welcome to part-two of my end of year reading list - part one was published yesterday. It's a list that highlights the writers we're really lucky to publish on Eurogamer, and without whom, the website would not be the same. I hope you saved some space after yesterday's feast, and remember, if there's a writer who really clicks with you, then return the favour and click on their name next to their author portrait, to go to their author page. There, you'll find many more pieces by them. I hope you enjoy the platter before you.

Sir Clive Sinclair sadly passed away this year, and he leaves a legacy in gaming that will never be forgotten. From calculators to some of the first mass market home computers (that could play games), Dan Whitehead tells Sir Clive Sinclair's remarkable life story.

Matt Wales really sticks with some games, and one of those is No Man's Sky. He's been on and off dabbling for the five years it's been out - gosh has it really been that long?! - and it's a game that's changed a lot in that time. Here he explains why No Man's Sky's latest Expedition is a great re-introduction to the game.

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Our look back at the great games and moments of 2021 continues. This piece contains spoilers.

Guardians of the Galaxy is my game of the year. Settle into the Milano and enjoy this perilous quest to uncover the truth.

The rag-tag team of cosmic misfits Starlord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket (not a) Racoon and Groot have stolen the crown of the greatest superhero game ever. Guardians is a narrative, character development, world-building, graphical masterpiece, with a killer soundtrack. Square Enix should be proud of their development team for creating such a celebration of the underrated cosmic side of Marvel.

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The Steam Winter Sale is now live until 5th January 2022.

Yes it's that time of year to go trawling through your wishlist to grab any discounted games and add to your 2021 backlog.

There are big savings across a number of franchises, from Final Fantasy and Resident Evil, to Yakuza, Hitman, Assassin's Creed and plenty more.

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Weird West, the new Devolver Digital-published game from Arkane Studios co-founder Raphaël Colantonio, has been delayed until 31st March 2022.

Due out on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, it was originally given a January release date but that's been delayed to iron out remaining issues.

Colantonio explains further in a new video.

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