Welcome to the 2012 OXM GOTY Awards! All this week we’ve run down our picks from the best in games, concluding today with OXM’s 2012 Game of the Year. Check  here all week for the running list of winners.

Here it is; our Game of the Year awards. 2012 was a strange year, leading to an odd mix of finalists. Before we reveal the big winner, here are the runners-up, all classics in their own right. 

RUNNER-UP: Halo 4
The Halo series has never been a stranger to slick set-pieces — and Master Chief’s return in Halo 4 certainly had its share (the Death Star–like run in a Broadsword comes to mind). It was the quieter moments in the shooter’s campaign, though, that made it one of the most memorable games of the year. War Games and Spartan Ops aside, Halo 4 found its surest footing in its convincing portrayal of two characters navigating unfamiliar territory together.

RUNNER-UP: Mass Effect 3
An amazing leap forward for the shooter-RPG franchise, Mass Effect 3 gave us equal parts finality to Shepard’s story and hope for the genre’s future. The campaign’s epic moments complemented the game’s newly added multiplayer (and surefooted) co-op thrills in ways that dismantled our previous skepticism. Taking on the scum of the universe with friends by our side is now something we want in every new Mass Effect, forever.

RUNNER-UP:  Fez
If you deconstructed Polytron’s XBLA charmer into its most basic pieces, you’d end up with a 2.5D(-ish) puzzle game with some platformer elements thrown in. However, Fez is nowhere near this simple. Its inquisitive spirit and reverence for pop culture and videogame history — with nods to everything from TV show Twin Peaks to the Zelda series — makes playing through its brain-bending riddles and silly humor a joy. There’s a fierce intelligence at work here that elevates this gem to the ranks of 2012’s best.

RUNNER-UP: Mark of the Ninja
Among 2012’s bumper crop of stealth games, Klei’s Ninja stood out as a clear highlight. It not only offered convincing proof that the genre can work amazingly well in 2D (no small feat), but also provided some of the year’s most riveting action sequences. Wonderfully open-ended missions let you silently snuff foes without being detected or instead tackle them head-on (though charging in with shurikens aflyin’ wasn’t easy). Beautiful hand-drawn visuals, excellent sound design, and a dazzling finale just made the experience that much more compelling.

RUNNER-UP: Trials Evolution
Having thrilled and spilled our way through Trials HD (2009), we had high hopes for RedLynx’s sequel. But Trials Evo exceeded our expectations, delivering some of the best arcade-style dirtbike riding we’ve seen. More than 60 unique, gorgeous, and inspired courses extend the action outdoors, with giant loops and terrific physics and control. Multiplayer is a blast, while a track editor lets you build and upload courses. It all makes for a must-own package no gamer can (or should) resist.

Head over to the next page to see the OXM Game of the Year!