This will be in order, 1-6 starting on the top left and going down, and 7-12 starting on the top right and going down.

1) Pokemon Black/White Version 2: (DS/3DS) An updated version that contains more challenges, different story lines and of course, more Pokemon.

2) Fruit Ninja: (multiple platforms) This is an addicting time-killer, and the Kinect version makes for a great holiday party game.

3) Assassin’s Creed III: (PS3, 360, Wii-U, PC) A highly polished action/adventure, transporting players in the midst of the American Revolutionary War. 

4) Organ Trail: Director’s Cut: (iOS, Android): A zombie genre re-imagining of Oregon Trail, this light RPG is even more fun than the original.

5) Skylanders: Giants (PS3, 360, Wii-U, DS) Sequel to the massively popular Skylanders, in which real-world toy figures are used for playing within the game.

6) Minecraft: (multiple platforms) A tough game to classify … think of it as a virtual LEGO World, in which you can do pretty much anything you can imagine, from building entire cities, battle monsters with friends, or create your own games.

7) Angry Birds Star Wars: (iOS, Android, PC) Definitely not an obscure game, but the new Star Wars theme is worth noting. Easy to learn, but hard to master.

8) Hitman Absolution: (PS3, 360, PC) A new studio took the helm for this fourth installment, and critics have noted that the stealth-based game-play has been brought back from the acclaimed original.

9) New Super Mario Bros. U: (Wii-U): The first side-scrolling Mario game to be released with a new platform in over a decade, this is classic Mario gameplay with plenty of new features and multiplayer.

10) LEGO: The Lord of the Rings: (PS3, 360, Wii-U, DS) Spanning the entire Lord of the Rings series and re-imagined in a LEGO format, this is fun for kids and adults alike.

11) Halo 4: (360) With a new publisher at the helm, Halo 4 has a completely new storyline, and the “Spartan Ops” online feature, in which new episodes to the multiplayer are released weekly.

12) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game: (PS3, 360) A traditional side-scrolling beat ’em up that can be played with friends, this game recreates moments in the comic series with the original artwork manifested in 16-bit form.