The holiday season is the busiest time of year for games. Here’s a look at a selection of this year’s notable video games and tabletop games.

VIDEO GAMES

"Call of Duty: Black Ops II" — Activision; Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC; $59.99; M

The story of “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” is split between two time periods — one in the 1970s and ‘80s, the other in 2025 — with the son of the earlier era’s protagonist continuing the fight in the not-so-distant future.

"Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two" — Disney Interactive; Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U; $44.99-$54.99; E-10+

Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, no longer at odds, team up for another adventure through a world based on Disney’s vault of vintage creations.

"Halo 4" — Microsoft, Xbox 360, $59.99, M

There have been a few “Halo” games since 2007’s “Halo 3,” but this is the first time series hero the Master Chief has been in the spotlight since then. Set adrift after the events of part 3’s finale, he and AI companion Cortana find themselves on a mysterious planet filled with new and old enemies.

"Harry Potter for Kinect" — Warner Bros., Xbox 360, $49.99, E-10+

Players can scan and transfer their own faces onto a young wizard and play through events from the entire “Harry Potter” saga, with their gestures and movements used to cast spells. Requires a Kinect peripheral to play.

"Lego The Lord of the Rings" — Warner Bros.; Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, DS, PS Vita, PC, $29.99-$49.99; E-10+

The “Lego” games have a well-established formula by now — lots of characters, lots of humor, and kid-friendly mechanics that encourage cooperation for two players. The series’ take on “The Lord of the Rings” is no different, but appears no less charming for its familiarity.

"Need For Speed: Most Wanted" — Electronic Arts; Xbox 360, PS3; $59.99; E-10+

Outrun other drivers and avoid the police chasing all of you in this racing game made by the studio behind “Burnout Paradise.”

"New Super Mario Bros. U" — Nintendo, Wii U, $59.99, E

A new Nintendo system (the Wii U, $299.99-$349.99, was released Sunday) is almost always accompanied by a new “Super Mario Bros.,” game. This one follows in the footsteps of “New Super Mario Bros. Wii,” allowing up to four players at once to team up on a new adventure across the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Okami HD" — Capcom, PS3, $19.99, T

One of the PlayStation 2’s most visually striking games is given a revival with this HD version for the PS3. Guide the wolf goddess Amaterasu as she fights to save the land from an evil force. The visuals are styled to look like an ink wash painting come to life.

"Skylanders: Giants Starter Pack" — Activision; Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS; $74.99; E-10+

The “Skylanders: Giants” package includes the sequel to last year’s “Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure,” two small plastic Skylanders figures and one of the new giant figures. Each figure represents a character you can control in the game, but you need the appropriate figure to do so. Additional figures are available separately in various packages, and the game is compatible with all previously released figures.

TABLETOP GAMES

"Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition" — Fantasy Flight Games, $79.95, age 14+

One player takes on the role of Overlord, controlling a variety of monsters and employing terrible powers against a band of up to four heroes trying to complete the game’s 20 quests. The quests can be played singly, or strung together into a long campaign where victory and defeat — and the choices each player makes about what items and abilities to buy in between adventures — can have long-term effects.

"Lords of Waterdeep" — Wizards of the Coast, $49.99, age 12+

As a lord in the “Dungeons & Dragons” city of Waterdeep, you plot against your fellow nobles, recruit heroes to go on quests for you, and send your agents to do your bidding.

"Risk: Halo Legendary Edition" — USAopoly, $49.99, age 10+

The second “Halo”- inspired take on “Risk,” this game’s two long, narrow boards can be played on individually or turned over and combined into a 5-foot-long map that aptly represents the geography of one of the shooter series’ giant ringworlds.

"X-Wing Miniatures Game" — Fantasy Flight Games, $39.95, age 14+

This base set comes with two TIE Fighters and one X-Wing, along with various cards and tokens used for play. Additional ships can be purchased for about $15 each, and come with additional cards and tokens. X-Wing, Y-Wing, TIE Fighter and TIE Advanced ships are available now; early next year should see the Millennium Falcon, A-Wing, TIE Interceptor and Boba Fett’s Slave I ship join the fight. The bigger ships will cost about $30.

"Zombicide" — Guillotine Games, $89.99, age 13+

Perfect for fans of “The Walking Dead” and other zombie tales, “Zombicide” allows up to six players to scurry around a zombie-infested cityscape in several pre-made scenarios. The characters gain new abilities as they mow down the undead, but the stronger they get, the more zombies appear each turn.