It may be hard to believe, but on January 1, 2015, we will be halfway through the decade known as the 2010s (the '10s? The teens? The twenty-teens? None of these sound right...). The passage of time being what it is, we guess this moment was inevitable. Still, we're finding it hard to get used to the fact that we're about to be in the second half of the second decade of the "new" millennium.

Mid-decade breaks are a good chance for introspection and retrospection, so we've decided to look back at what the decade so far has brought to the world of gaming. To that end, we asked Ars editors to pick up to five games as personal favorites from the past five years.

For this list, we were looking for games that have stuck with us over the years, the games we've spent countless hours immersed inside, the games we recommend to friends without reservation. These are personal picks that reflect the eclectic and wide-ranging tastes of our individual editors, not necessarily the games that will be regarded as the "best" by the critical establishment. We didn't allow more than two editors to pick any one game to ensure a list that wasn't just a bunch of repetitive selections of the same old titles.

The resulting list, below, is an expansive collection of the game's we'll collectively think about when we fondly look back on the games of the early-post-aughts (nope, that phrasing doesn't work either). With another five years ahead before this decade's a wrap, who knows how many more great titles will stand with these classics on the next such list.

Abobo’s Big Adventure (2012)

Modern pop-culture loves old pop-culture. Other mediums use this freely (see the rumored Ghostbusters movies for just the latest example) but gaming seems somewhat hesitant. Beyond familiar faces in new places (i.e. Smash Bros.) and endless iterations in on-going series, the idea of an homage doesn’t really come into... play. (Sorry.)

Create an opportunity, someone will fill it. Abobo’s Big Adventure avoided the logistical headaches involved with a remake by going free-for-all online, and the result is a glorious bit of nostalgia. Navigate Abobo (yes, the Double Dragon boss) through level after level of loving NES homage—Contra, Zelda, Mega Man, Punch-Out!!—each requiring you to dust off game-specific skills. Abobo’s filled with in-jokes, what you remember as difficult still remains difficult (looking at you Balloon Fight), and it’s all topped off by a tremendous end-game sequence with the best and most-over-the-top call back of them all. It’ll take awhile, but this is a worthy timesink down memory lane.

-Nathan Mattise

Alice: Madness Returns (2011)

Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)

I thought it would be a waste of $2.98, but this platform/adventure keeps me coming back. It’s creepy, ridiculous, frustrating fun. What other game can you kill murderous teapots with a pepper grinder? None (as far as I know)!

The now-omniprescent indie-gaming revolution has introduced a lot of cool things to the gaming sphere, but for my money, none are as compelling as the scare-horror genre getting a serious shot in the arm. Amnesia’s desolation and mind-melting tricks leave an indelible mark on anyone who plays this game, but this is no lengthy, $60 boxed product. And these days, that’s okay! Employ a smaller development team, and focus less on excessive length and more on tight, focused horror moments, and you can make a better scary game that still sells zillions of copies. (I should admit that this vote is swayed in part by the other scary games inspired by Amnesia’s launch, including the free, and incredibly creepy, Imscared.)

-Sam Machkovech

Batman: Arkham City (2013)

Every game in the Arkham series (with the exception of unworthy "Blackgate" DLC) are fantastic experiences, but Arkham City has to be my favorite because of its great story, sheer length, and scope—it keeps going on and on and on...

-Jennifer Hahn

Bioshock Infinite (2013)

Borderlands 2 (2012)

If we weren't limiting this list to games released since 2010, the originalwould be on my list too. This second sequel isn't all about shootin' things up—in fact, that was my least favorite aspect. Yeah, there are some crazy weapons and the amazingly fun sky hook , butis all about storytelling in an accessible yet fantastical world. I loved the "Burial at Sea" DLC additions even more. They finally connected the dots between this release from 2013 and the original games. For people that question whether interactive games really approach art, the answer is

The firsthad me at its "Mad Max meets Diablo" pitch. Borderlands 2 solidified my love for the series with a souped-up story and improved gameplay. A first-person shooter dressed up like an action RPG—this game was made to suck hours out of my life.

Striking graphics, an astonishing variety of guns, a strong story, an abundance of side missions, compelling characters, good jokes, the occasional tear, and a villain we can all take pleasure in hating: our second visit to Pandora delivers a finely crafted action RPG experience.

-Peter Bright

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)

This may seem like a surprising pick. Another title in the ever-growing Call of Duty series, this mechanically sound first-person shooter with a cinematic single-player campaign and twitchy multiplayer mode seems like another well-regarded member of the series, not a standout.

But this entry is underrated in my book. Black Ops 2 showed us that the Call of Duty series had the potential to offer so much more than the narrow, linear gameplay for which the series has become known. Black Ops 2 included a seamlessly branching storyline. Actions taken (or not taken) within the game changed the way the story unfolded, and unusually for this class of game, those actions were not all signposted with quick time events. Instead, they're natural, realistic consequences of actions taken within the game.

Black Ops 2 proved that cinematic campaigns are, in fact, compatible with player agency, opening the door to significantly greater interest, nuance, and yes, even replayability.

Alas, the lessons of Black Ops 2 appear to have been forgotten or ignored, and the titles that followed—both Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare—reverted to the strictly linear approach.

-Peter Bright