They are, beyond control schemes and visuals, the single best reason to play games on a PC. Mods can, at their laziest, tweak a game so its settings or features behave more to your liking. At their most ambitious, they can transform your entire experience, leaving you with something that feels like an all-new game.

This year was a big one for PC mods, with two - DayZ and Black Mesa - rivalling commercial products for public awareness and, perhaps more importantly, quality. But they weren't the only great mods released this year, here's a shortlist of the best mods released during 2012.

Folks eager to play Hammerpoint Interactive's upcoming sandbox survival title will be able to get in on the action as early as October 15 or October 31, depending on how much you're willing to pony up. The War Z is now available for preorder with an array of bonuses offered across...