You can't judge a game by its cover, but that shouldn't stop you from judging the cover itself. Box art should represent the characters, themes, and action of a game – and look cool to boot. Gamers see amazing and awful cover art on games spanning the entire spectrum of quality, and these are our picks for the best and worst examples of 2013.
Best: BioShock Infinite (Alternate)
Done in an old-timey illustration style and featuring the awesome-looking Songbird, this cover communicates the era, setting, and one of the major figures in the game. Plus, it just looks rad.
Best: Dragon's Crown
This cover just looks fantastic. Vanillaware games have breathtaking art, and despite some controversy surrounding the character designs, this cover does a great job highlighting the distinct visual style of Dragon's Crown.
Best: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
This is just perfect. Blood Dragon pays homage to action movies of the '80s with cybernetics, lots of neon, and cheesy one-liners. This art would have looked right at home in a movie theater (or on a Genesis box), and captures the spirit exactly.
Best: The Last of Us
The world of The Last of Us is desolate and hopeless, which comes across clearly in this image. The cover also features Ellie prominently even though players control Joel – an important fact since she is arguably the more significant character.
Best: Tearaway
Not only does this cover convey the cute papercraft aesthetic of Tearaway, but it's also reversible to give both of the playable characters – Iota and Atoi – an equal chance in the spotlight.
On the next page: The worst covers of 2013.