In a surprising twist, ModDB, the self described "largest website dedicated to supporting independent development of games," awarded the Half-Life mod Black Mesa ahead of the mod that reinvigorated ARMA 2, DayZ.
Released this past fall, Black Mesa was a complete overhaul of one of the most critically acclaimed FPS of all time, Half-Life. To put it simply, it's the meat and bones of the first Half-Life, re-done with all the stunning visuals seen in Half-Life 2, courtesy of the Source engine.
While Black Mesa is certainly nothing to scoff at, the award comes as a surprise when compared to the high amount of attention garnerd by the ARMA 2 mod, DayZ. To date, the mod is played by just shy of 1.5 million, and is on it's way to becoming a standalone game. However, Black Mesa did get a higher averaged rating of 9.7 on ModDB's site, compared to DayZ's 9.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 list for mods of the year were as follows:
10. The Sith Lords Restored Content mod - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
9. Brutal Doom - Doom
8. COH: Modern Combat - Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
7. COH: Blitzkrieg - Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
6. MISERY - S.T.A.L.K.E.R
5. Rise of the Reds - Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour
4. COH: Eastern Front - Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
3. Cry of Fear - Half-Life
