We are very blessed at RPS to have some of the finest, most interesting columnists in the business. Drawing on the expertise of those who passionately care about their niche, it allows us to go big on topics that otherwise might not receive their due attention. Below you can find a guide to our fine, fine columnists’ work.>

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Gaming Made Me continues to be one of the best occasional features on RPS. The concept began back in 2009, as we talked about the games that had the strongest influences on us. We then started asking others, and indeed getting those who contribute to provide theirs. Back in 2011 Alec pulled together a collection of them all. Last year we pulled together 2012′s additions, and now here are the entries into the lexicon from 2013.>

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As 2013 draws to a conclusion, tying up loose ends, saying goodbye to former companions, before dying and regenerating into a whole new year (which will it be? we still don’t know), it seems an apposite time to look back at some of RPS’s highlights over the last 52 weeks. In this first batch of narcissistic nostalgia, we remember some of the best interviews.>

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Ohh gawd, there are still so many games left in the fridge. Our poor, aching fingers. Come on – we can get through this. A pot luck? Stew? I’ve got it! Let’s invite other people over to dinner, and get them to eat all our games! Perfect. Here’s the final bumper collection of our favourite games of 2013 that didn’t make it into the Calendar. Part one is here, and part two is here.>

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True Christmas contentment impossible while stray sim and wargame news stories still at large STOP Briefly leaving family/fireside to recommend Flashpoint Campaigns Red Storm and Global Air Traffic Control demos and share Combat Mission and SevenG vids STOP Intend to name and shame years worst sim too STOP Seriously if you are thinking about buying Airport Simulator 2014 in the Steam sale STOP this instant STOP in the name of love STOP> (more…)

Intros: such an important part of all the games which made us. First impressions count. First impressions can be indelible, even if what follows is eminently forgettable. Here, then, are just a few of the PC game introductions – be they CGI, FMV or in-game – which we just can’t seem to forget. What, delightful readers, are your favourites?

Be warned: all the videos follow. Your browser may have a little cry. (more…)

Come on, quickly, we’ve got to get through these before the brandy sauce starts to turn, and the sausage meat takes on that funky smell. Fed up of yesterday’s games in sandwiches? How about a games of 2013 fry-up? Here’s the next bundle of 2013′s fine, fine PC games that didn’t make it into our Calendar.>

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UPDATE:We have a winner and a back-up (incidentally, the only two correct answers), both of whom have been informed by email. If you don’t have an email, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.

The answer is Intel’s aborted Larrabee graphics project. It was based on ancient Pentium MMX cores, the first ASIC was cancelled as a graphics chip and reappeared as a co-processor branded Xeon Phi under the codename Knight’s Corner. Would sir care for a vertex – geddit? Sigh.

Thanks to everyone who mailed in.>

Right, then. This is your chance to win that slick, trick Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Tri-X. It’s been winning hearts and minds across the review community in recent days and the early numbers look like it delivers a gaming experience to match anything. And I mean anything. I doubt you’ll be able to feel the difference between Sapphire’s custom-cooled 290 and even Nvidia’s silly-money GeForce GTX 780 Ti. Fingers on buzzers, then. (more…)

Burrrrrrrrrp. And welcome to the first day of not-Christmas-for-aaaages. In the UK we call it Boxing Day, because it’s the day that we all traditionally climb into our hibernation boxes and sleep until New Years Eve. But not at RPS, where rest is for the weak, and healthy balanced work-lives are for saps. We’ve still got so many other favourite games of 2013 we need to talk about! Read on for our first batch of our favourite games that didn’t sneak into the Calendar. >

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And there it is. Our top 24 games of 2013, tucked behind Horace’s mighty doors. Click on any of the doors above to see what lay beyond, and then tell us in the comments here why we’re all so stupid, ugly and wrong. Or wish us a merry season! See below for what’s happening over the next couple of weeks.

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