Judging by my writing output this year (2 whole posts!), you might think that 2023 did not have a whole lot to talk about in gaming. In fact, it was quite the opposite as the year provided us with one of the most memorable gaming feasts of all-time to rival 1998 and 2018. From the rhythm based cartoony fun of Hi-Fi Rush to the intricate Dungeons & Dragons adventuring mechanics of Baldur’s Gate 3, there was something for everyone this year, and I found myself constantly caught up in my next grand gaming adventure that was so compelling I didn’t want to put it down to post. In all, I played over 100 games completing more than 60 of them, and I added one new retro console to my collection (a Sega Dreamcast).

With so many games to cover, feel free to explore this massive collection however you like. If you would prefer to skip the older games, you can go straight to Games from 2023 or My Super-Sized Top 15 of the year since I could not limit the coveted Pwned and Operated accolades to a mere ten. Also, if you want to check out previous years here are quick links to 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Note: A “+” next to a game means that I beat it, completed at least one game in a larger collection, or finished first in a battle royale match.

Games Released Prior to This Year

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (PS5)+

An overlooked December release in 2022, Marvel’s Midnight Suns would have surely enjoyed a spot high in last year’s Top 10 had I gotten to it sooner. I think a pretty easy argument can be made that this is the best thing Marvel has released since Endgame as the witchcraft filled story, Persona 5-esque social aspects, and deck-building crossed with XCOM tactical combat are all intriguing enough on their own for a fantastic game and combined make for a truly incredible 50 hour experience. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go read the next book for my favorite new social group – Blade’s Book Club.

Sonic Frontiers (PS5)+

If Sonic Adventure had a baby with Death Stranding that loved Linkin Park, you would get a lot of concerned looks for the mental health of Sega execs, and you would also get Sonic Frontiers. The game never truly knows what it is and is a bit too empty in sections for its own good. Overall, though, I loved my time exploring the vast wastelands intermixed with classic 2D and 3D challenges and solving little puzzles along the way to unlock the path to the Chaos Emeralds to transform me into Super Sonic for an epic Kaiju battle. There is definitely a better game that could have been made than this, but the absolutely bonkers nature of the story and world building decisions are all part of the melancholic fun.

Fortnite (Xbox Series S)+

The game that keeps finding ways to stay fresh and addictive while adding every IP to ever exist had another stellar year in 2023. For the first half of the year, this was my go to game, as I surpassed 100 career Victory Royales and made sure to squeeze a match or two in before starting each workday. Once Tears of the Kingdom came out, I could not dedicate my daily 1-2 hours to the game, and I decided to quit it cold turkey for the sake of my free time. Still, I’m sure I will find myself dipping back in at some point in 2024 to add a few more crowns and a lot of absurd memories.

Interplay Collection 1 (Evercade)+

Interplay was the master of the weird mildly gross-out platformer back in the 16-bit era thanks to games like Earthworm Jim and Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure, both of which are thankfully included in this set. These games are actually a blast to return to, and having save states is a welcome mercy.

Read more about my thoughts on the Evercade EXP

Indie Heroes Collection (Evercade)+

A relative who’s who of the homebrew scene, the Indie Heroes Collection brings together 12 games of the month from the Evercade. Stand-outs include the charming platfomer Foxy Land, the Smash Brothers inspired Super Homebrew War, and the brilliant twitchy platfomer Flea.

Indie Heroes Collection 2 (Evercade)+

This collection of home brew favorites doesn’t quite feature as many stand-outs as its predecessor, but the ones that hit really hit. Beer Slinger is a fantastic homage to Tapper, and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle is a marvelous follow-up to Flea set in the same world just focused on a different species. A note to Playdate owners: there is an excellent port of Tapeworm Disco Puzzle available for it.

Namco Collection 1 (Evercade)+

No Evercade collection would be complete without this ode to Namco at the height of their arcade domination with such games as PAC-MAN, Mappy, Galaxian, and Dig Dug that helped define a decade plus of coin-ops.

Mega Cat Collection 1 (Evercade)+

Mega Cat has made a bit of a name for themselves with recent releases like Wrestle Quest, and this collection helps establish their auspicious origins with the funny beat-em-up Coffee Crisis and the Punch-Out inspired Creepy Brawlers. The real highlight, though, is Super Painter, a sensational platforming puzzler where you have to paint all the tiles in a level by touching them.

Mega Cat Collection 2 (Evercade)+

With how much I enjoyed their first collection, there was no way I was going to pass on their follow-up. While for the most part I don’t think this one is quite as strong, it does have perhaps the best game in their catalog, Gluf, which builds on the winning Super Painter formula with an electrified frog. I loved it so much, that I even bought a Genesis copy of the game.

Renovation Collection (Evercade)+

One of my favorite things about Evercade is that it allows me not only to catch up with studios I loved as a kid but also to explore new ones I knew nothing about. The highlights of this collection are undoubtedly the splendid beat-em-up platformers Valis and Valis III, but the supremely weird and challenging pinball adventure Dino Land is also worth a look.

Morphcat Games Collection (Evercade)+

There are some truly splendid 8-bit platformers to be found in this set with the tower climbing Micro Mages, Micro Mages Second Quest, Bobl, and the flaptastic Joust/Mega-Man hybrid Space Gulls that is ripe for speedrunning challenges.

Gremlin Collection (Evercade)

Perhaps my least favorite game of my Evercade collection, I only mildly knew about Gremlin from Zool which feels pretty dated to play today. Having said that, there are some interesting games like Actua Soccer, the sim-tastic Utopia, and the Game Boy-esque puzzler Brain Bender that make the collection worth seeking out for Evercade enthusiasts.

C64 Collection (Evercade)

Computer gaming was just never part of my life growing up, so being given the chance to explore the wonderful much beloved world of Commodore 64 was a delight. While the Summer Games and Winter Games are solid arcady olympic treats, the true star is Impossible Mission with its sleuthing and exploration.

Xeno Crisis (Evercade)+

This isometric shooter is one of the best and most punishing games out on the Evercade. Unfortunately, it also has one of the most infuriating endings possible that while clever also really felt like a punch to the gut after enduring the brutal hours of difficulty leading up to it. It legitimately made me mad and forced me to put away my Evercade for several days. Maybe one day I will make an attempt at the “good” ending in the game, but I still need time to heal.

Toaplan Arcade 2 (Evercade)+

This collection is a must for any fans of the Evercade’s TATE mode which allows you to play the handheld in portrait mode for certain racing and shoot-em-ups. One of the best and weirdest entries, however, doesn’t need to resort to this tactic thanks to the side-scrolling action of Demon’s World.

Surf Ninjas (Game Gear)+

Somehow, I decided that this unabashed train-wreck of a beat-em-up should be the first Game Gear game that I ever finished (via my Analogue Pocket). Mercifully, the game is only 45 minutes long (shockingly, I was the first person to ever report a completion time to howlongtobeat.com), so you don’t have to be too disappointed that playing as a pixelated Ernie Reyes Jr. does not live up to the 30 years of hype from your childhood that you hoped for.

Tetris (Game Boy)

A phenomenon that sold Game Boys back in the day, one of the simplest versions of Tetris remains one of the absolute best.

Tetris (Chicken McNugget)

McDonald’s customers in China were able to buy Tetris games on Chicken McNuggets. Thanks to the magic of eBay scalpers, I was able to get my hands on one without having to travel across the world. Unfortunately, one of the newest and most WTF versions of the game is also one of the worst. The game is slow and glitchy with some detection issues which are pretty important for Tetris. Still, there’s enough novelty to being able to play Tetris on a fabled Chicken McNugget to make this $25 eBay purchase worthwhile.

Home Improvement (SNES)

I was really expecting this to be a complete dumpster fire, but there is plenty of fun and horsepower thanks to a welcome variety of tools and the inexplicably hilarious decision to give Tim “The Toolman” Taylor Sonic-like health.

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (SNES)+

I did not expect this game to slap as much as it did. I was convinced I had only enjoyed it as a kid due to my deep love of the Power Rangers, but it turns out this action-platformer/beat-em-up goes much harder than your typical licensed games from back in the 90s. Each level shines via mixing up pre-morphing fighting with post-morphing acrobatics and some clever bosses. It’s only about an hour or so long, making it worth a replay or two.

The Lion King (SNES)

This licensed adventure wants to be loved with some exceptional graphics, but good lord that second level “Can’t Wait to be King” is Bubsy-ian in its level of frustration bouncing from giraffe head to giraffe head.

The Jungle Book (SNES)

In our grand exploration of licensed SNES games, this one falls more toward the average side of things. The cartoony feel is spot-on and there is plenty of fun swinging to be had, but there are also plenty of the hallmarks of frustrating platforming that ruled the era.

Toy Story (SNES)

Another rare winning licensed entry on the SNES, Toy Story gets major points for creating a decent facsimile of the Pixar aesthetic while keeping stages fresh by having interesting objectives that go far beyond getting from point A to point B.

Hook (SNES)

As far as 16-bit licensed adventures go, you can do a lot worse than Hook. The game does an admirable job with floaty platforming for a fun Peter Pan escapade featuring plenty of appearances by the Lost Boys.

Pitfall the Mayan Adventure (SNES)

As with many 16-bit platformers of the time, this game still looks gorgeous and remains enjoyable thanks to tight swinging and climbing, but health carrying over between levels and lots of backtracking due to slipping dampen the experience.

The Death and Return of Superman (SNES)

This beat-em-up doesn’t quite hold up to the memories I had of it as a kid, but it is nevertheless pretty fun even if the throwing mechanics are among the worst ever implemented.

Wing Commander (SNES)

I was shocked at how good Wing Commander was. There are a surprising amount of social interactions available on your ship, dogfighting is well honed, and your crewmates even hold a funeral for you after you inevitably crash into an asteroid.

Biker Mice From Mars (SNES)

One of my favorite cartoons growing up has a pretty solid and supremely strange battle racing game. The difficulty quotient is high, but the weird special abilities and RC car controls make it worth checking out.

Aero the Acrobat (SNES)

With all the 2D platformers that crowded the SNES library, it was hard to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack, but Aero the Acrobat does an impressive job holding up as unique with high flying traversal mechanics and unique level goals. While the game doesn’t have the punishing damage-based difficulty of some of its contemporaries, the timer is a little on the extreme side.

The Ren and Stimpy Show: Veediots (SNES)

The gross-out antics of Ren and Stimpy made them a favorite cartoon growing up because it always felt like you were watching something you shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, the joy of the humor does not hold up 30 years later, and this just feels like a generic and abrasive platformer. At least we’ll always have Log.

Killer Instinct (SNES)

I was surprised at how fast and fun this game plays all these years later. I was sure it would feel sluggish, but it really holds up. The battles even have an extra hint of tension resulting from health carrying over between rounds which is atypical of the genre but really worked.

Virtual Bart (SNES)

Half shockingly good Simpsons game and half painstakingly terrible one, Virtual Bart was certainly a childhood favorite of mine. The levels that are pure mini-games (tomato toss, water slide, and motorcycle) hold up, but those that are platforming adventures like the dinosaur world and baby Bart are not worth catching reruns of.

Cutthroat Island (SNES)

Sometimes I like to make myself laugh with my retro game purchases, and buying a complete-in-box (Matthew Modine poster included!) version of the notorious flop Cutthroat Island (it managed to bankrupt a movie studio and a game studio!) is without a doubt the pièce de résistance of my collection. I was pleasantly surprised at how the combat and art held up, but an infuriating mine cart level and lack of continues ensured I wouldn’t make it too far.

Jurassic Park (SNES)

The Genesis version of Spielberg’s dinosaur opus is rightfully more lauded with its dual raptor/Dr. Grant protagonists, but you have to respect how weird the SNES one is. Ostensibly an isometric shooter where you roam the park blowing up dinosaurs, the game shifts into first person mode whenever you enter a building and plays like a far more unwieldy Wolfenstein 3D.

Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)

I miss the days of the mascot 3D platformer. Everyone’s favorite hedgehog’s first foray into the third dimension still feels pretty zippy and fun if a little dated with control and camera issues. Even so, it was a great intro to the Dreamcast, and I look forward to picking up a copy of Sonic Adventure 2 in the future.

Goldeneye (Xbox Series S)+

Yes, most people’s memories of this game are from the incredible standard-setting multiplayer mode. While I did love playing with my friends for countless hours as a teen, I also thought the story mode never got as much love as it should. Thanks to the remaster released for Game Pass, I got to relive my 007 glory days and rock out to that killer pause menu music. While yes there is some jankiness with this 25 year old game compared to today’s first person shooters, I thought it held up fairly nicely, and it is an informative artifact of developers figuring out how to make FPS games for consoles. The mission structure and unlockables add a ton of speedrunning fun to the mix that encourages replaying levels, and, as good as they are, more often than not you will be happy to try again.

Kuru Kuru Kururin (Nintendo Switch Online)

One of the stranger puzzle games I have played, Kuru Kuru Kururin finds you having to navigate a rotating stick through mazes filled with hazards without touching the walls. This Gameboy Advance title is a lot of fun but does get too hard too quickly and was not as breezy of a time as I wanted it to be as the experience became reminiscent of a poorly skilled run of Operation.

NFL 2K1 (Dreamcast)

Back in the good ol’ days, 2K ruled the gaming football scene providing tons of innovation and tighter gameplay that made Madden feel obsolete. Unfortunately, due to some exclusivity deals, Madden eventually took over and 2K was relegated to fond memories. I had an enjoyable week or so playing most of a season with my 2000 New Orleans Saints. The gameplay hovers in a pleasant area between Sim and Arcadey, and innovations like showing the playbook on the VMU remain cool to this day.

Soul Calibur (Dreamcast)+

One of the first truly great pseudo-3D fighters, Soul Calibur still plays exceptionally well in large part due to the magnificent weapons wielded by each of the combatants. I made the mistake of introducing my nephew to this game when we had our standard video game filled sleepover only to discover that his skills (and younger person reaction times) were beginning to eclipse my own, and he handily wiped the floor with me.

River City Girls (PS5)

Thoroughly disheartened from the shellacking my nephew gave me in Soul Calibur, I decided some co-op play was in order. We had a blast fighting together through the colorful world of River City Girls, and this truly asserts itself as a stellar modern-day beat-em-up.

River City Girls Zero (Switch)+

This 16-bit game was never previously released in the US, so it was amusing to check it out. While it feels a step below contemporaries like the Streets of Rage series, it does benefit from some additional content giving some bonus screen time to the girls who were otherwise just here to be rescued.

River City Girls 2 (Switch)

Something about the sequel just didn’t click for me like the original, and I found myself abandoning it after only an hour or so of playing it on a plane. It seemed like a lot more of the same without anything new to drive things forward. In spite of the lackluster initial impression, I definitely need to come back to give Kyoko and Misako’s second headlining adventure a fair shot.

Streets of Rage 2 (Nintendo Switch Online)+

Inspired by an #RGBHighScore challenge courtesy of my online buddies over at Gamer’s Week Podcast, I decided to spend a wonderful morning off replaying my favorite beat-em-up. Fully tapped in to 30 years of my Blaze-muscle memory, I had the best run of my life making it all the way to the elevator to the final boss before having to use a continue.

Game Dev Story (Switch)+

A truly sublime “number go up” game, Game Dev Story saved me during several long cross-country flights earlier this year. Unlike in my original playthrough where I was a benevolent studio head who kept the same employees through the entirety of the company’s lifespan, I went all in this time to ruthlessly win as many Game of the Year awards as possible. The result was an even grander power fantasy with plenty of pun-tastic fake game titles along the way.

See how my first gaming studio went from disaster to dominance

Celeste Classic (Playdate)+

This port of the Pico-8 version of Celeste was a pleasant surprise when it dropped for Playdate. While it’s a simpler version of the main game, this predecessor sets the stage for what would become a classic and is a great little compact adventure to get your reaction time up before trying the main event.

Celeste (Switch)+

This is a game that I could easily revisit annually, and I find myself doing just that most years. It’s challenging but not unfair, and the story remains heartfelt and touching no matter how many times you play it. Really the only question I have whenever I jump back in is how many Strawberries can I collect to make the most delicious end game pie for my friends.

Read my initial review of the timeless Celeste

House of the Dead Remake (Switch)+

I have been itching for some light gun games these days, but with no desire to purchase a massive CRT to actually make light guns work, I have instead settled for controller based shooting. This Switch remaster does an excellent job utilizing the controller’s gyroscope for minor adjustments, and i found myself barely missing the proper hardware. The game itself looks great with a fresh coat of paint, and it is just as cheesy as ever. The multiple branching pathways and trying to save all the scientists add a lot of replay value. Most importantly, though, the game feels fair and is an entertaining little 1-2 hour adventure to fill a quiet evening.

House of the Dead 2 (Dreamcast)

The sequel has twice as much adventure and cheesiness as the original. Those early 2000s arcade graphics still looks nostalgically appealing, and the Dreamcast controller does an adequate job of replacing the light gun. My only complaint, though, is that the game is a bit too hard and requires a lot of pattern memorization and replays to succeed.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PSOne)+

Despite Resident Evil 2 being one of my all-time favorite games since its release in 1998, its sequel Nemesis never really captured my attention. I finally decided to see Jill’s adventure through this year, and I am glad I did. Sure, the formula was beginning to get a little stale at this point, but the stalking and sneaky fast Nemesis is a fantastic addition that really heightens the terror quotient. Throw in having to make decisions periodically with major consequences, and this is a worthy Resident Evil adventure with some serious replay value.

Resident Evil Remake (PS5)

After playing the other three Resident Evil remakes, I decided to revisit the original remake. This one doesn’t quite hold up from a gameplay perspective due to maintaining the tank controls of the series’ beginnings, but it definitely has the most horrifying atmosphere of them all compliments of those carefully set and ever-changing camera angles. Additionally, I have to give the developers props for adding some new things like the Crimson Head zombies that require burning or decapitating corpses to prevent them from forming and the whole Lisa Trevor character, but in the end this one did not hold my attention like the other remakes, causing me to bounce off of it before finishing it.

Resident Evil 2 Remake (PS5)+

While my love of the original Resident Evil 2 is undying much like the zombies occupying Raccoon City, I do have to admit that the remake is a better game to play. This really is the Resident Evil series firing on all survival horror cylinders with two fantastic protagonists, two incredible stories, a bonkers setting of an art museum turned into a police station, Metroidvania backtracking, and the unstoppable terror of the thumping footsteps of the well-dressed and deadly Mr. X.

Read my Resident Evil 2 Remake Review

Resident Evil 3 Remake (PS5)+

My second offensive through this more action-oriented remake, I was shocked at just how much I enjoyed it. To start, the graphics in this one are absolutely insane thanks to some phenomenal lighting. The action itself is a blast mainly as a result of the game’s mission to make Jill Valentine into the biggest bad ass possible. Sure, the Nemesis encounters only being scripted is a little bit of a letdown after the unparalleled stalking of Mr. X in the previous game, but each time it happens is still terrifyingly thrilling.

Learn more about Resident Evil 3 Remake and the best line ever uttered in gaming

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Switch Online)+

Ever since I played Windwaker last year, I had to know if my favorite childhood Zelda game still reigned supreme among the traditional 3D variants. After my first nostalgia-choked playthrough in 8+ years, I am happy to report that it indeed remains the premier one. While there are some rough edges (looking at you, controls and camera), the overall adventure is extremely tight compared to later 3D Zeldas, and the sheer importance of the game for all the breakthroughs it introduced to gaming cannot be ignored. Hey! Listen! I would gladly revisit this game and its compact but thrilling Hyrule yearly even if it does require me to grow a third hand to handle the N64 controller.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Nintendo Switch Online)

Perhaps I was suffering from a bit of Zelda fatigue after Tears of the Kingdom, but I never quite fully embraced this Game Boy Advance title. There are certainly some cool elements like the shrinking and some advanced for the time physics puzzles, but it just could not get its claws into me and make me want to see it through to the end.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Dreamcast)+

Not only does this fighting game have the best character select music ever, it’s also an absolute powerhouse of a game. The 3-character teams provide excellent variety to every fight, and there is a ton to explore without feeling overwhelming. The final boss’s three stages are among the hardest but most rewarding fights out there that will test your skills to their limits.

Final Fantasy IV (Switch)+

While I have an abundance of love for the NES and PSOne era Final Fantasy games, I somehow never really delved into the SNES titles as a kid. Thanks to the lovingly recreated Pixel Remasters, I finally got a chance to right those wrongs. I was blown away at just how amazing Final Fantasy IV was. While it has been surpassed by a lot of the follow-up titles, it truly laid the groundwork for over a decade’s worth of games in the series. It remains a stunning achievement highlighted by an epic story, whale spaceships, and almost every party member sacrificing themselves at one point or another that made me laugh every single time.

Final Fantasy (Switch)

I have played the original Final Fantasy quite a few times, and it felt even better in the remasters thanks to some quality of life improvements that took most of the grind out of the game. It’s a tight, but sprawling adventure that was a joy to replay up until the final boss who apparently was ramped up to insane levels of difficulty from the original and eventually caused me to give up painfully short of completion.

Vampire Survivors (Switch)

It’s so simple yet so perfect and oddly complex. When Vampire Survivors released on Switch there was no doubt that I would be spending another 40 or so hours seeing how many hordes of monsters I could survive. Somehow, my second time doing so was even more rewarding than the initial run on the Xbox. Getting to know all the characters, weapons, and unexpected holy upgrades will never get old, and this is definitely a game that warrants starting over from scratch on revisits versus building on what you accomplished before.

Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo Switch Online)+

The game that truly set the standard for 2D platformers in the 80’s holds up wonderfully even if some edges are a little rough feeling these days. Aside from some incredible level design teaching you how to play the game, I was shocked at how spot-on the momentum felt and how naturally I could pick it up and immediately be performing the trickiest jumps. A plethora of secrets and warps also means you can conform your journey into anywhere from a 30 minute or so jaunt through the Mushroom Kingdom all the way to a several hours long adventure to see it all. Now if we could just get Mario 35 back…

Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo Switch Online)+

After playing so many other 2D Marios this year, I figured I needed to at least round out the NES set and complete the trippy Mario 2. There is so much to love in this game with throwing vegetables, potions revealing hidden doors, whales, rockets, Birdo, and four unique characters with different feels to choose from, but overall this game set within a dream doesn’t come off as polished in level design as the other 2D Marios. Still, it’s worth a replay every now and then for how supremely strange it is.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Switch Online)+

The GOAT of 2D platformers remains one of the most polished and joy-inducing games ever made. The overworld and abundance of suits (tanooki, frog, hammer bros, and so much more) still feel revolutionary, but it’s the little touches like the level where you get to play in a green shoe or being able to melt ice cubes to free coins that really bring out the kid in me whenever I play. I have finished this game dozens of times, but it always feels like there’s something new to appreciate. This go-around, I was amazed at just how compact and tight the levels were, never overstaying their welcome and rewarding you for either flying through them or taking your time to explore.

Argue over what is wrong with my list of the best Mario 3 Power-ups

Super Mario World (Nintendo Switch Online)+

At long last, I was able to ultimately decide that Super Mario Bros. 3 is the greatest 2D Mario game, but that is not meant to take away anything from Super Mario World. The difficulty and length of levels are really ratcheted up here, and the world is abound with secrets to discover that add a ton of depth. It truly feels like a generational leap from the 8-bit Mario 3, but it just doesn’t have quite the personality or power-up variety to vault it over its predecessor.

The Quarry (PS5)+

This was perhaps the finest implementation I have seen of the Telltale style of games since The Walking Dead. Part interactive movie where your every decision may doom one of the camp counselors and part detective game, The Quarry was a fantastic Werewolf horror tale that warrants multiple playthroughs to see how your choices impact the ending.

Alan Wake Remastered (PS5)+

As the hype grew around Alan Wake 2, I determined it was finally time to check out the original and see if Remedy’s streak of incomparable games remained intact. At first, I was very in to the cheesy Twin Peaks atmosphere, but I found the gameplay to be a little too repetitive and moored in the Xbox 360 generation it came from. The central mystery was enough to keep me going, and I am glad I did because the back half of this game absolutely slaps. Alan Wake knows how to do a set piece.

LEGO NES Console (LEGO)+

Ok, so this isn’t a game so much as it is gaming adjacent. Regardless, I would be remiss if I didn’t show off my first big LEGO build ever complete with “working” TV screen and loadable gaming cartridge.

Games From This Year

Dead Space Remake (PS5)

One of my favorite gaming memories is playing the original Dead Space in the dark and scaring myself shitless. The remake does the original justice and is somehow even scarier with some of the best graphics and lighting (or lack thereof) ever produced. However, the gameplay itself feels stuck in the Xbox 360 area, and I found myself bouncing off of it after I got to the midway point because it just did not seem compelling anymore.

Octopath Traveler 2 (Switch)

The award for “game I wish I had more time to play” goes to Octopath Traveler 2. I enjoyed the original quite a bit despite the grind and underwhelming story, and the sequel really seemed like it made massive leaps in fixing the flaws of the original. Unfortunately, it came out in the wrong year. With too many other massive 60+ hour games to play, it was the one that kept getting pushed to the side. I do hope I find time soon to explore the fascinating world it appears to be building.

Reel Steal (Playdate)+

The first of two free games available for Playdate’s Catalog launch, Reel Steal is a pun-tacular heist game where you have to use your crank to slowly raise and lower a thief through a series of obstacles. It may not have a lot of depth, but it’s a clever little 1-2 hour adventure that’s unlike most other games out there.

Recommendation Dog (Playdate)+

The second free game to launch Playdate’s catalog was an adorable rolodex game where you make worker recommendations to clients based on the profiles of the candidates available. More importantly, you’re doing this as the goodest boy, and this game has one of the most heartwarming endings I have ever seen.

The Crank Gym (Playdate)

Put your Playdate skills to the test with the running, rowing, and weightlifting activities that push your cranking speed and endurance to their limits. While these mini-games are fun and do actually help you improve as you try them more and more, there’s also a charming little story playing out at the gym as you get to know the other members and ownership.

Spike II: The Great Emu War (Playdate)+

The first ever “physical” Playdate game was a truly stunning package all around. The gameplay itself is quite a simple crank shooter, but the upgrade tree and fitting level of challenge make replays a blast. Not to brag (read: of course I’m bragging), but, according to the creator, I was the first person to finish the game.

Direct Drive (Playdate)+

This game where you are charged with turning a record player to keep up with a song recording is one of the best uses of the Playdate’s crank and also an impressive display of the audio capabilities of the niche handheld. It’s not overly complex but is quite enchanting, and I could have easily gone for another 10 recording sessions by the time it was over.

Core Fault (Playdate)+

The Playdate’s first legitimate Vampire Survivors inspired game is a blast. The runs are appropriately short, and even though the game starts slowly, once you begin to unlock upgrades it really opens up and can seriously affect your sleep schedule with the siren’s call of just one more run.

Word Trip (Playdate)

This is a fun little word based puzzler where you have to move between 2 different 4-letter words by using 3 letters from the top word and 1 from the bottom. If you can gradually get there by making new words without running out of gas, you travel to a new destination. Additionally, there are online leaderboards to climb, and seeing how far you can get each run provides lots of replayability.

Gravity Express (Playdate)

This Atari-throwback makes great utilization of the crank for piloting a ship through treacherous mines to deliver cargo, and is also quite the technological feat as it is the first Playdate game to feature Full Motion Video cutscenes that make it feel like a Sega CD is in the palm of your hands.

P-Racing (Playdate)

I am always in awe at how amazing it looks when Playdate games simulate 3D graphics, and P-Racing is surely one of the prettiest games out there. There is plenty of fun to be had here including racing against others online through mirror cars and a Rocket League-esque soccer game.

DYG (Playdate)

Dig Your Grave is one of the more morbid Playdate games out there. It’s an essay about life and death where you literally see how far you can dig your own grave by successfully executing commands with the crank. Overall, I thought it was a little too hard and bounced off of it quickly, but it was an intriguing idea.

Donut Dodo (Evercade)+

The first free game of the month for the Evercade EXP was an excellent take on the Burger Time arcade formula featuring lots of replayability and precisely the right difficulty.

F-Zero 99 (Switch)

I will never get tired of turning old games into Battle Royales (see: Mario 35, Tetris 99, and Pac-Man 99). While I did not have much experience with F-Zero prior to this, the game was easy to pick up and a ton of fun to play. My only complaint is that I never won a match because it requires seemingly flawless control throughout the entirety of the course, and I am a baby who needs constant validation of my excellence.

Chants of Sennaar (Switch)

This year’s Return of the Obra Dinn Metroidbrainia came at exactly the wrong time. My brain was far too exhausted for the critical thinking and comprehension skills required in this language deciphering puzzle game. I hope that my post holiday refreshed self will be better suited for tackling this Tower of Babel inspired highly lauded game.

A Highland Song (Switch)

I had really high hopes for this gorgeous watercolor-esque tale of exploration across the Scottish countryside. There are truly beautiful moments to be had like when things turn into a rhythm game as you follow animals through the mountains. In the end, though, the journey was not as breezy and A Short Hike-like as I wanted as it is too easy to get lost or fall down unclimbable areas.

Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)+

The most puzzling of all the major releases this year, Final Fantasy XVI is a solid game if you don’t think of it as a Final Fantasy. The Game of Thrones inspired story is thoroughly engrossing, but a lot of the game just misses the mark. The action-heavy combat is too easy, and the lack of control over your party really takes a lot out of what makes Final Fantasy games so compelling. But the disappointments are constantly overshadowed by tons of excellent set pieces including some truly gorgeous Summon battles. Sure, I had an enjoyable time in my 40-hour or so playthrough, but the further I got away from the game the more apparent the cracks became.

Persona 5 Tactica (Xbox Series S)

During the final few weeks of the year, I started to feel burned out by all the big releases I finished this year, and I couldn’t decide what to play next. So, I dusted off my Xbox and downloaded three games on Game Pass to see what stuck. Of the three, Persona 5 Tactica is the only one I didn’t finish, but I imagine 2024 will see that rectified. The first hour of so had plenty of those killer Phantom Thieves vibes that I loved so much in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Strikers, but the gameplay didn’t immediately grab me. The tactics style is actually a natural fit with the turn-based weakness exploiting combat of the original, and the new chibi art style, while not as pretty, does not really detract from the well established world.

Starfield (Xbox Series S)+

The trajectory of Starfield reminds me a lot of Cyberpunk:2077. It was a game with colossal expectations that was met with plenty of “meh” at launch. Except while Cyberpunk was mainly brought down by egregious bugs, it was at least still fun to play. Starfield on the other hand is just thoroughly underwhelming in most aspects. The story is not interesting, and the dialogue is a major letdown after other big titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. Most worrisome, though, is that it feels clunky to play giving the impression that Bethesda has not grown at all since Fallout 4. While the story does finally hit its stride in the final 1/3 or so and the ending and New Game+ possibilities are quite intriguing takes on the multiverse, the gameplay itself isn’t good enough to warrant spending more time in this world.

Honorable Mentions

Suika Game (Switch)

Had I happened upon Suika earlier in the year, there’s a strong chance it would have made it all the way into the coveted Top 10. This game that combines Tetris, 2046, and evolving fruit is one of the most soothing games I have ever played. The concept is simple enough – you must match 2 of the same type of fruit to get them to evolve into progressively bigger fruit, but as a result of cartoony physics, it is never that simple. The results are always fun, and writing this now has inspired me to go take a break for a few rounds while laying bed.

Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)+

Engage had quite the uphill battle to follow-up 2019’s Three Houses. From a gameplay perspective, it actually surpasses its predecessor with even better tactical combat compliments of the Engage system letting you pair your characters with the protagonists of previous games in the series. Ultimately, though, the completely inconsequential story, watered down social aspects, and v-tuber aesthetic keep it from its full potential. While I thoroughly enjoyed my 45 hours in this incarnation of Fire Emblem, I am left with no real lasting memories unlike Three Houses whose students I would still die for four years later.

Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)+

The only thing holding this game from being in the Top 5 is that it’s a remaster. Sure, it’s a remaster of one of the greatest games ever made and is now the definitive way to play it thanks to improved controls and clean visuals, but I can’t bring myself to throw it in the top. What makes Metroid Prime such an achievement is that the team at Retro Studios absolutely nailed bringing the traditionally 2D Metroid series into the third dimension. There is an unparalleled sense of isolation and the power of being Samus Aran that is boosted by little flourishes like seeing your face in your visor after an explosion.

Season: A Letter to the Future (PS5)+

If you’ve ever wanted to scrapbook and ride bikes through the end of the world, then boy do I have a game for you! The 5 hour or so journey to chronicle life at the end of a season is truly serene, and the mysteries you unravel through taking pictures is a rewarding and rich narrative experience. It’s a shame the studio that made this suffered massive layoffs after because this was a lost gem in a year of outstanding offerings.

The Last Worker (PS5)+

What would life be like if you were the last human worker in an Amazon-inspired fulfillment center, only interacting with robots and doing some last minute QA while packing up orders to go out? It turns out you would have a pretty fun little mini-game and an even better take on late-stage capitalism that has enough quirkiness and wit for 10 games. It’s a VR game that works magnificently outside of VR (and did truly make me want to get a headset). Plus, it birthed one of my top games of the year, Skew, which you’ll read more about later.

Venba (Switch)+

Venba is a cooking puzzle game that tells the story of an Indian immigrant family in Canada over the course of several decades. Figuring out how to fill in the missing recipes is clever and captivating, but the true beauty is in witnessing the growth, trials, and tribulations of this family. Most importantly, this game knows how to tell a concise story and get out before it grows stale, which was greatly appreciated in this year of mega-releases.

My Top 15

15) Super Mario RPG (Switch)+

I missed out on this game as a kid, but I am so glad that I gave the remake a try. Even without nostalgia-tinted glasses, this charming world and characters are an absolute joy. The battles themselves are never overly difficult, but they remain engaging thanks to button-taps required to power up your attacks and block you opponents. This is a perfect entry-point for kids to get them exposed to the magic of RPGs.

14) Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5)+

This current generation of consoles seems to be filled with sequels that can’t really take-off like they should and distinguish themselves from their originals. The gameplay itself is much improved in Survivor, and the much more open world really sets the stage for what could be a truly epic end to a trilogy. Unfortunately, the story lets the game down somewhat, but, in spite of the writing shortcomings, I had plenty of highly enjoyable hours completing side quests, performing Jedi parkour, and engaging in Sekiro-lite duels.

Learn about the good, the bad, and the rancor, in Jedi: Survivor

13) Skew (Playdate)+

For a brief moment in time during the first few weeks of this 3D endless flier’s launch, I held the second highest score in the online leaderboards and was constantly trying to avoid obstacles in the halls of this prequel to The Last Worker. It truly is a game that highlights the capabilities of the Playdate, and the controls are perfect for endless hours of addictively trying just one more run to top your high score.

12) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5)+

Much like Jedi: Survivor, Spider-Man 2 is a perfect example of a sequel not topping the original (or even the spin-off Miles Morales in this case). Once again, it’s a blast to swing around as the two Spideys, and there are some spectacular side quests (particularly involving helping the elderly and playing as Hailey, Miles’ deaf crush). But the story never feels like it comes together as the game is trying to fit too many things in at once without letting them have the proper time to breathe and develop. As a result, Kraven and Miles can often come across as afterthoughts, but I’ll forgive the game that compelled me to seek out a platinum and maximize my web-swinging.

11) Street Fighter 6 (PS5)+

To this day, Street Fighter 2 remains the gold standard of fighting games for me, but Street Fighter 6 came closer than anything else has. The tournament mode is the usual excellence buoyed up by the wonderful addition of the Drive system, but the real highlight is World Tour mode that has you taking a custom avatar through various zones full of NPCs who are ready to brawl. There was nothing quite like getting tutelage from Chun-Li and using those skills to beat up a random old woman on the street. The real shock of this game, though, was discovering that after nearly 3 decades of being a Ryu-stan, I switched my allegiance to the hobotastic, burlier Ken.

10) Hi-Fi Rush (Xbox Series S)+

The surprise drop of Hi-Fi Rush in January signaled that great things were in store for gaming in 2023. Amazing set pieces and boss battles are highlighted by a killer soundtrack and one of the most memorable bands of misfits in gaming this year led by the idiotic but lovable Chai. The rhythm based combat is perfectly tuned and easy to pick up but difficult to master. You could easily complete the game with some well-timed button mashing, but there are plenty of combos and counters to learn to help compel you to maximize how long you spend with this world just bursting with color and charm. Hell, this game even manages to make Zwan cool again (or is it for the first time?).

9) Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5)+

The remake of the game that transitioned the Resident Evil series from its survival horror roots to an adrenaline fueled action bonanza did not feel like as huge of a technological step up as the previous REmakes. For the most part it felt like a fresh coat of paint and better controls were added to the original, and, well, let me tell you, that was still absolutely thrilling. Incredible mine cart set pieces, simple but compelling puzzles, terrifying chainsaw men, el Gigantes, Mercenaries Mode, and the Merchant all led to one of the tightest and hardest to put down games I have played in a long time.

8) Diablo IV (PS5)+

With nearly 200 hours logged in Diablo IV this year, it was by far my most played game. For large chunks, it was a serious GOTY contender as the campaign was brilliant, multiplayer provided plenty of memorable gaming moments and chances for heroism, and leveling up characters never got old. There are plenty of complex seemingly game breaking builds to explore, and the experience of mindlessly clicking to fight and collect endless loot is among the best ways to wind down after a long day. Unfortunately, the endgame keeps it from true GOTY status as the grind slows down far too much after ~level 70 leading to painful repetition. It appears this will likely be smoothed out over the course of several seasons, but it was a shame to see so many friends bounce off of the game while we waited for it to be fixed.

7) Lies of P (Xbox Series S)

What I thought would be a throwaway game to keep me busy during the holiday season turned into one of the best games of the year. Initial previews for the game almost bordered on comical with a Timothee Chalamet look-alike cosplaying as Pinocchio lost in Bloodborne, but the final result is the finest Soulsborne not made by FromSoftware. The team at Neowiz Games and Round 8 positively nailed the formula and atmosphere somehow turning the story of the puppet who lied into a terrifying post-apocalyptic world spurred on by a puppet uprising with loads of interesting lore behind it. The difficulty and combat are on par with anything from the Dark Souls series, but it’s the little touches like being able to refill your final pulse charge (think Estus Flasks) by landing hits on enemies and the lie system that make this worthy of being more than just another homage.

6) Dave the Diver (Switch)+

There are so many different games in breakout hit Dave the Diver, and they all somehow work together magnificently due to the game slowly doling them out throughout the 25+ hours of gameplay. The roguelike diving mode is where you spend most of your time, and the game does a great job slowly increasing the depths of the Big Blue Hole to which you can search and the aquatic life available to you. There is some palpable stress because your oxygen is tied to your health meter, but you never get too mad if you lose a run. While there are also a farming simulator, phone mini-games, aquariums, and Pokemon-esque card collecting to keep you occupied, I found the most fun to be had running the sushi restaurant each night. Slowly building up my staff and list of available recipes from the day’s catch while trying to make as much money as possible running plates and pouring the perfect beer each service was the most consistently engrossing aspect of the game. What brings it all together is the fantastic and hilarious world that tells lots of jokes but never feels mean, making this a game you could easily play forever with a huge smile on your face.

5) Sea of Stars (Switch)+

There’s practically a whole market out there for games trying to capture the nostalgic feel of the 16-bit days of yore with modern quality of life improvements. No game better captures that early 90’s magic like Sea of Stars, Sabotage Studios’ stellar follow-up to The Messenger. Taking heavy inspiration from Chrono Trigger, Sea of Stars weaves an engrossing and well paced tale of solstice warriors and friends banding together to save the world. The combat borrows heavily from games like Super Mario RPG requiring well-timed button presses to string hits together or minimize enemy damage which keeps you invested throughout without being burdensome. This pairs well with the weakness breaking mechanics similar to Bravely Default that helps you disrupt your foes and adds a level of tension to whether or not you can stop an enemy from attacking while on your last sliver of health. The true heart of the game, though, lies in the characters, especially Garth the Warrior Cook, who will go down as one of the greatest RPG heroes ever. It’s a truly extraordinary journey that only gets better the more you play. I highly recommend seeing it through to the true ending which features some of the most rewarding challenges out there.

4) Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)+

From the moment the game’s second wonder seed turned the stage into a piranha plant musical, I knew that I was in for a surreal treat and that Mario’s best 2D days were not behind him as had been previously feared. After a disappointing outing in New Super Mario Bros. U, Wonder is a unequivocal return to form that is only a slight step below Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Mario pantheon. The trippy wonder seeds instantly transform each level into the most magical and wonder-induced world you could imagine. There’s plenty to explore, several outstanding new power-ups like Elephant Mario and Drill Mario, and an extremely challenging and rewarding set of secret Star Levels to conquer. Even on my second playthrough focused on collectibles, I continued finding plenty of amazing little details to bask in and make my ever-growing smile even bigger.

3) Alan Wake II (PS5)+

Alan Wake’s second foray into writing manuscripts that alter reality couldn’t be any different from the original. Sure, there’s plenty of Scandinavian Twin Peaks vibes to be had, but the gameplay has now firmly transitioned to survival horror in the vein of Resident Evil 2 Remake mixed with detective cork-boarding and universe-shifting writing (seriously, that’s a mechanic that is central to it all). All together, this game is unlike anything I have ever played before, and it deserves discussion as Sam Lake’s masterpiece and a place among the all-time greats by virtue of one of the most engrossing spiraling mysteries in gaming and amazing flourishes like rock operas that catch you up on the story.

2) Baldur’s Gate 3 (PS5)+

The very first thing I did in Baldur’s Gate 3 (well after spending a ton of time building my Bardic Wood Elf), was fail a skill check and get blown halfway across the room. This along with some fantastic dialogue by the Narrator had me immediately all-in on the game despite not having any history with Dungeons & Dragons. For the next 100+ hours, I watched an absolute masterpiece unfold as my merry band of adventurers grew into a family having increasingly ridiculous encounters with heightened tension on each dice roll. The game is seemingly built to let you try to do whatever you want, and I was constantly amazed at how situations that had me banging my head against the wall for hours would suddenly turn into the easiest things ever once I unlocked a new strategy (like going invisible and simply walking past an unholy gauntlet). Acts 1 and 2 are master classes in quest design. It is a shame that Act 3 gets overly bloated and does not hold up to the earlier shenanigans, but the final hours provide a thrilling finale to close things on a wonderful high. With new content constantly coming in like a recently added epilogue, it’s clear from each persuasion check to pick-pocket attempt that the developers poured their hearts into every single line of code.

1) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)+

If Breath of the Wild was the realization of the grand promise of exploration made in the original The Legend of Zelda and teased in Ocarina of Time, then Tears of the Kingdom was the fulfillment of Nintendo’s ability to achieve perfection. For three weeks following the game’s launch, I did nothing else but play it during the hours not occupied by my job or family. I simply had to cover every inch of this world from the Sky Islands to the changed and absolutely bursting with life Hyrule down to the mysterious depths. Every direction I ventured in rewarded me like no other game ever had thanks to Link’s four new abilities completely transforming the Breath of the Wild formula into something else entirely. Ultrahand in particular provided seemingly limitless opportunities to tackle challenges by building everything from flying machines to massive bridges to laser beam shooting drones.

While the discovery-filled gameplay itself likely would have been enough to earn this game GOTY status, what truly puts it in the history books is one of the best Zelda stories to date that elevates the titular princess from more than merely a kidnapped damsel to an absolute force as the Sage of Time. There were moments so brilliant that they made me gasp, and the finale was utterly thrilling and worthy of the 110 hours of pure magic leading up to it. Due to all of this and so much more, Tears of the Kingdom is not just the 2023 GOTY, it also is the newest GOAT.

Now that the truly incredible 2023 is in the rearview with at least 3 all-timers to add to the annuls of gaming history, here’s hoping 2024 actually lets up a little bit, so we can catch up on all the other big releases now overflowing our backlogs.