Aside from the few fighting games that have absorbed me over the years (and the odd round of Counter-Strike With The Boys), my preferences lean single-player. So don't hit me up for a round of Deadlock- it's not gonna happen.

Ikaruga (2001)

I'm just now dipping my toes into the Shmup genre, and Ikaruga's the gateway drug of choice for a lot of folks, it seems. It's been on my radar for years, but it wasn't until an arcade cabinet seduced me that the hooks really sunk in. While I'm certain I'll never master it, I enjoy the mental exercise of planning and tweaking my route, as well as the ensuing mad scramble when my plan inevitably goes off the rails.

Thief (1998)
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Bayonetta (2009)
Pikmin (2001)
Half-Life (1998)