I'm an only child of only children, but playing this game over the past couple of years invariably makes me feel what I imagine a visit to the home of a favourite - and awesomely bent - aunt or uncle would evoke. Trine magically knows your needs and wants, and playfully prods you into the midst delightful surprises and puzzles, without ever holding a sense of obligation or responsibility over your head. You might not visit that often over the years, but you're always delighted to go back.

If that's too abstracted: It's a utterly lovable co-op physics platformer, with so much love put into every nuance I want to hug the people who made it to death. From the gorgeous, richly rendered parallax set pieces, to the far-above-par voice acting, and the brilliantly characterized animation and physical mechanics of it all (fun to watch *and* play), Trine 2 oozes charm and heart from every pore. Honestly, I just check into this little storybook world every few months when I want to wipe away the inexorable cynicism about gaming off my face and replace it with an ear-to-ear grin.

Here's to you, Trine [2]!