The Game Informer Fight For The Top 50 Challenge 2014

Every year, as the last of the holiday game reviews start to wrap up, we turn our eyes toward the year-end Top 50 list. We take selection of these games seriously, with some lengthy and often heated debates where we each state our cases for our favorite games, and try to come up with a balanced list that shows off the 50 titles from that year that gamers should take the time to check out. 

In some cases, included games are easy choices. Quality titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition, Hearthstone, or Dark Souls II are virtually guaranteed a slot, and have been played by many of our team members. But other games sit on the bubble, either because there’s split opinion about their quality, or because too few of our editors have played the game to offer a broad opinion. 

In the name of a more informed decision, we created the Fight for the Top 50 Challenge. Each of our editors chooses a game they want to champion that deserves more attention, and challenges someone else on the team to play the game for a day and share their opinion. 

Check out the list throughout the day on November 27th (Thanksgiving) to see each editor’s game that they’re championing. Then come back on Friday to read the opinions of the editors that were challenged to play those games. 

Champions – Thursday, November 27

Assassin's Creed Unity by Matthew Kato
Skylanders: Trap Team by Jeff Cork
Wolfenstein: The New Order by Mike Futter
Fantasia: Music Evolved by Matt Miller
Thief by Andrew Reiner
Civilization: Beyond Earth by Dan Tack
Alien: Isolation by Tim Turi
LittleBigPlanet 3 by Matt Helgeson
Kirby: Triple Deluxe by Kyle Hilliard
Assassin's Creed Rogue by Wade Wojcik
Monument Valley by Jeff Marchiafava
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc by Kimberley Wallace
Earth Defense Force 2025 by Joe Juba
This War of Mine by Ben Hanson
The Banner Saga by Ben Reeves

Challengers – Friday, November 28

Assassin's Creed Unity by Andrew Reiner
Skylanders: Trap Team by Joe Juba
Wolfenstein: The New Order by Wade Wojcik
Fantasia: Music Evolved by Jeff Cork
Civilization: Beyond Earth by Matt Miller
Alien: Isolation by Dan Tack
Thief by Matt Helgeson
LittleBigPlanet 3 by Jeff Marchiafava
Kirby: Triple Deluxe by Ben Hanson
Assassin's Creed Rogue by Ben Reeves
Monument Valley by Matthew Kato
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc by Mike Futter
Earth Defense Force 2025 by Kyle Hilliard
This War Of Mine by Tim Turi
The Banner Saga by Kimberly Wallace