The third year of Cracked LCD comes to close, and again I’m truly astonished that this column has gone on for as long as it has and as successfully as it has. Thanks to all the readers who stop by every week- and brace yourself for 2010, because the torrent of smarty pants game-talk, below-the-belt game reviews, and abject hatred for TOMB will continue unabated. I’m kicking around some new ideas for subjects and article concepts for next year as well, so don’t be surprised to stop by and see something completely new and- hopefully- interesting.

So how ‘bout that 2009, huh? I have to say that I don’t think it was a particularly strong year for hobby gaming. Throughout the year, I felt more and more that even trusted and valued publishers like Fantasy Flight Games were spinning their wheels, coasting on past successes and not doing enough to really move hobby games forward. Games got more and more expensive, which is a worrisome trend but some of the most expensive games turned out to be not only the best looking titles, but also the best period. Reissues continued to be announced and released which is both good and bad as great games are made accessible but publisher resources are spent to bring older games back into print. That being said, there were a number of exciting and innovative releases that I think we’re going to be talking about and playing for years to come.

And here they are—the Gameshark Games of the Year for 2009:

Game of the Year: CHAOS IN THE OLD WORLD

I was fairly sure that MIDDLE-EARTH QUEST was poised to win Game of the Year. I thought it was an incredibly interesting, risky design that did much to redress my claims that the adventure game genre has grown too repetitive. But it was a difficult game for many to really sink their teeth into, and it emerged as a game that is probably better studied than played. Much like 2007’s GotY winner STARCRAFT, opinions tended to be all over the map- rabid love, middling “mehs”, and absolute hatred. But up until the last quarter of 2009, it would have been my choice if only because I felt it was the most daring and forward thinking design of the year.

But along came Eric Lang’s CHAOS IN THE OLD WORLD. Also published by Fantasy Flight Games, it turned out to be the game that I believe best represents the year in gaming, a tour de force combining finely tuned Eurogame-style mechanics and structure with the brute force, twists of fate, and massive narrative afforded by Ameritrash design idioms. Calculation and chaos rest side by side in this title and the result is a rich, thoughtful game that doesn’t pull up when it’s time to put your opponents to the axe. A great production, a reasonable price point, and a completely viable excuse to holler “blood for the blood god” all night long round out the package.

Reissue of the Year: SPACE HULK

This was a tough category because two of the greatest games ever published were both reprinted in definitive, extremely well-produced editions. Z-Man Games brought us an exquisite reprint of TALES OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS that introduced many gamers to its seductive storytelling charms and it remains one of the must-buy releases of 2009. But, as Master Yoda says, there is another.