It's that time of year when every games publication rolls out its best-of-the-year lists, and the calendar-topping Game Awards looms large. It's hardly a phenomenon unique to games; every broadsheet culture section is busy recapping and ranking books and TV shows right now (though awards are different - the film industry, for one, spins out its laborious and intensely political awards season well into the following year).
Personally, I love it. I get a superficial enjoyment from the argument and speculation and positioning that goes with ranking things and selecting winners, however spurious the criteria and comparisons may be - of course I do, I'm only human. But what I really love is the more important and worthwhile process that lies beneath that: taking stock, joining the dots, finding the trends, celebrating great artistry. Pausing the relentless march towards the next thing to take a moment to enjoy what we've had.