1. The Witness
Metacritic Score: 87 (PS4), 88 (PC)
The Verdict: One month into the year and we already have a sure-fire Game of the Year candidate, as Jonathan Blow's (Braid) long-awaited puzzle masterpiece The Witness is finally here. A straight-up word of warning: this game will infuriate casual players, but for those prepared to hunker down and put their mind to some of the most challenging and complex puzzles in recent gaming memory, this is quite something to behold. The visual style may not be mind-blowingly gorgeous but the style is outstanding, helping build a living, breathing world and make the game feel like more than just a series of puzzles strung together wily-nily. What's truly remarkable about the game is that it doesn't hold the player's hand at all, requiring them to tease out solutions from subtle clues and environmental cues, such that players will often need to leave a puzzle half-finished and return to it after some exploration and trained thought. This patient, deliberate unfurling of mechanics won't be for everyone, but even if you don't love the game, it's hard not to respect the ridiculous level of attention-to-detail, visual artistry and sheer, bonkers commitment to a singular vision. What a game. What did you think of January's video game lineup? Which games have you poured the most time into? Shout them out in the comments!