Game we loved in 2023

“As a big fan of cozy games, and eternal ecoanxious person, this was a very welcome escapist fantasy of fixing all sorts of ecosystems and making things right for good.”

“A one-of-a-kind experience that will make you feel like you’re actually learning and mastering different languages. If you’re interested in linguistics, definitely give it a try!”

“A very unique puzzle game! They really make us feel like we’re learning languages through the floors of this babel-like tower. I loved discovering the differences in structure in every language, and the whole thing culminate in a very humble and beautiful way.”

“After having tried Baba Is You, I thought puzzle games weren’t for me, but oh boy did Cocoon changed my opinion on that genre! Beautiful small game with no text, yet it is so easy to pick up. You’ll tell me it isn’t surprising coming from the studio that made Inside and Limbo, but it’s nonetheless quite the tour de force! The atmosphere is great with fantastic puzzles! An amazing success (I even finished it from A to Z without any help)!”

“A remarkably well-constructed showcase of elegant and intuitive game design, Cocoon just lets you pleasurably and gently flex your brain for a few short hours. The too-rare puzzle game that lets me feel smart, instead of sheepishly queuing up let’s plays or walkthroughs.”

“yOU aRE on a path iN the wOODS… Great game! I enjoyed every seconds of it! Art, music, fully voice-acted….meta-psychological/philosophy/Lovecraft horror game! I’m craving to know more of the other routes!”

“The narrative design of this game is extremely cool. It’s visual novel that really pushes the envelope on replayability where your choices matter. Each tiny choice creates a different playthrough and you really wanna collect all of the endings. The less I say about this, the better.”

“MAYBE I DON’T WANT ANOTHER DRAMATIC POLITICAL WAR STORY, MAYBE I JUST WANT SILLY GUYS DOING SILLY SUPPORTS + SOME GAMEPLAY. Engage good actually.”

“This game was my solid GOTY from the moment Invaders Must Die started playing. It’s not a perfect game but dear god it feels good to play (and spam the post-game).”

“Honkai Star Rail is the same company (Hoyoverse) behind the acclaimed game Genshin Impact and Honkai Third Impact. This time, the game is set in space and uses the turn-based RPG system. Story is captivating and the unique simplistic approach with the turn-based with only 2 skills per character is really well done and engaging. Rules are meant to be broken!”

“I’m stuck in gacha hell.”

“Never been fan of these types of gatcha games. I was tempted by the promise of a good turn-based RPG, and I’m now also stuck in hell. Help.”

“What a beautiful game, as a sequel, I wasn’t expecting its art to feel as fresh and inspiring to me! Everything about the Zonais is gorgeous, their character-designs, their architectures, their constructs. It’s really interesting to see how they manage to bring technology in a way that visually fits within the Zelda universe. How can level designers allow players to Ascend like this and still be confident that it won’t spoil the exploration?! It’s amazing.”

“Me: How Nintendo can go even beyond after Breath of the Wild? They did, and oh my they did. Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to Breath of the Wild and pushes the boundaries of the open-world genre. The unique Zonai construct system and the exploration is pushing to 100% and more. (Did you see what people did online with the Zonai construct system? It NUTS!) You really explore every corner of Hyrule from the skies to the ground…to the underground. It is also a beautiful conclusion that left my eyes teary at the end. Nintendo did it again.”

“Those games were a good part of my childhood and I finally got to play proper MMBN6 multiplayer.”

“As a soulslike fan who isn’t a fan of big robots, AC6 really took me by surprise with its refreshing playstyle. Never expected flying around in a giant mech to be this satisfying.”

“Just watch: Wonder (Piranha Plants on Parade) | Super Mario Bros. Wonder OST”

“What can I say, it’s Mario!”

“I used to play the pen and paper way back and I find the game so immersive it was a blast to get into. Two full playthroughs and 100% achievements later, I still miss Night City.”

 

“This game is the best AAA of this last years. he’s not perfect he shares a lot of stuff that i don’t really like in AAA, in general, but, he has a soul, something to tell, one of the best world building i’ve seen, and the narrative/realisation of the main story is f****** awesome.”

 

“They really fully remade the game with this expansion and the new story they’re telling is really solid. It’s intriguing, it’s depressing – it’s pure cyberpunk. 10/10 would listen to the credits song and cry again.”

“What up istiks, Baldur’s Gate 3 was one of the games of all time for me this year. JUSTICE FOR KARLACH.”

“140+ hours in, I still have more I have yet to see about this game. It is incredible.”

“Astarion approves.”

“As an avid D&D player in real life, I was delighted to see just how well they were able to capture the feeling of taking part in an epic campaign filled with complex characters. It’s a true crowning achievement for Larian Studios, and for the digital gaming medium as a whole. Also… make Withers romanceable you cowards! I’ll walkest alone till they do XD”

“I’m a newbie in the world of D&D and seriously, this game is amazing for any fans of the fantasy genre! Great narrative, multiple choices and consequences, music, combat etc You can see this game was made with LOVE AND CARE and the team has a serious respect for the D&D Universe. Critical Success 20+”

“My GF loved it!”

“Make! Astarion! Only! Fangs! Real!”

“Authority.”

“Best game of the year! The story, the gameplay, the visuals, and of course, Astarion.”

“I’m not even into Act 3 and yet I keep creating other Tavs to see everything Act 1 has to offer, send help.”