Disappointing year but great games in 2023 as we had seen a remake of Dead Space, breakout success of Pizza Tower, and dozens more games fighting for attention. There were missteps — such as Redfall and Starfield — but overall, the year was packed unusually low on disappointment.
We’ve never tried to name a single title as “the Game of the Year.” So here are the games, presented in alphabetical order. Alan Wake 2 is the first game I’ve thoroughly enjoyed in a long time. I adore Remedy Entertainment, and the studio continues to impress.
Armored Core 6 was my first step into the FromSoftware universe since Chromehounds for the Xbox 360. The game felt fulfilling and satisfying.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is my game of the year, as it smoothes out the procedural part while still deciding the fates of heroes, villains with the roll of a dice.
Cocoon is my personal game of the year and a near-perfect puzzle game in which you play a bug and have to jump between worlds to progress.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is one of my favorite games of the year, from one of my favorite studios of all time. It is sexy, well-written, and replayable, and it’s about building tarot decks, manipulating an election from afar, betraying a coven of witches, gaining power.
