We believe that Game of the Year is a rung, not a single title. With so many great games to choose from in 2023, it was difficult to narrow our list down to just five — so we went to the trouble of making the case for each game.
The Super Mario Bros.
The Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the classic 2-D, side-scrolling Mario game we all know and love, with a few new twists. The map contains many secrets, and badges grant you a plethora of special moves: it is jam-packed.
Mario Wonder is also an excellent multiplayer experience. It encourages teamwork, from being able to resurrect your friends from ghosts to complete the game’s harder levels to the search party levels, which are easier to complete with a group of friends.
Strong couch co-op bonds were formed in my house as we screamed at the TV over boss fights, power-ups, and just missing the end of timed levels.
I came for the adorable new Daisy and Prince Florian character designs and stayed for the thrilling gameplay.
Mario Wonder is so replayable by anyone, with anyone, and is easily, hands down, my pick for Game of the Year. I would recommend this to everyone I know, from my baby cousins to my grandmother.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The PlayStation 5
Fans of superhero comics, such as myself, have long wished to see their favorite characters on the big screen. And while we have plenty of that now, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the most faithful adaptations I have ever seen.
It’s a game that excels at grounding the alter-egos of the superheroes in reality. Sure, you can stick to walls and swing through buildings, but there are still those moments of just being Peter Parker or Miles Morales: helping friends and family; throwing out old takeaway containers; exploring Coney Island.
From the very first cutscene, every hallmark of Spider-Man was there. A bad apartment, overdue bills, pictures of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, a bunch of science-y tech stuff, the Daily Bugle, and, of course, the incredible hero shot of Spider-Man jumping out of a window and into trouble.
It throws you straight into the action, skipping over everything we already know (we get it, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider in high school; we don’t need a rehashing of that origin story).
It perfectly captures what it means to be Spider-Man.
Alan Wake II
PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox SeriesX/S
As a fan of the original Alan Wake, I thought I knew what was in store. But I wasn’t ready for this.
Alan Wake II didn’t just do a bit more of the same and expand on the first game’s rulebook. No, it hurled the rulebook into an alternate dimension, almost literally.
Its new, more open-world design makes us feel like we are visiting a real place, complete with just enough wonderful extras and puzzles to solve. However, the puzzles that forced me to do math can be removed. (What is this, the tenth year?)
I loved its ability to stitch together so many influences.
It is equal parts Steven King novel and episodes of The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, X-Files, The Killing, and Hannibal, but it still feels like its own unique beast.
Alan Wake II is simply a fantastic experience. It is a brilliantly terrifying horror game with the exceptionally clever, deftly directed, and mature story that Spider-Man 2 from Marvel’s storytelling can be.
It’s the kind of unique gaming experience that is going to stick with me forever.
Baldur’s Gate 3
PlayStation 5, Windows, macOS, Xbox SeriesX/S
Baldur’s Gate 3. Those three words can spark a forest fire of conversation or elicit the biggest groan in history—because you’ve either been forced to listen to it before or you just haven’t embraced the joy, the wonder, and the glory of Larian’s dating sim disguised as an action RPG.
Well, darlings, I’m here to start another forest fire, because Baldur’s Gate 3 is my game of the year.
It’s full-on Dungeons and Dragons fantasy shenanigans without the need to drag your 20-kg bag of shiny math rocks around. Never played DnD? Doesn’t matter. You don’t need to have in-depth knowledge of it to enjoy Baldur’s Gate 3. I certainly didn’t when I first started.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the first RPG I’ve played in years where I truly feel I can be anyone. I can be the loveable rogue, the brooding wizard, the distrusting ranger, or the naive warlock.
The game has taught me how to be a better player and, beyond that, how to embrace change, experiment, make mistakes, learn from them, have difficult conversations, take in the beautiful moments, and live in the now.
What a wonderful thing for a game to be able to do!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo Switch
Of all the games that came out in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK) straight-up tore through the video game burnout that I’d been feeling and reminded me why games are so silly and fun.
Breath of the Wild allowed you to climb, glide, and travel by mount; this isn’t groundbreaking on its own, but that game filled the world with points of interest that make all of those traversal options fun.
Then TOTK comes along and is like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, what if we did all that but then added in… experimentation?”
It’s a game that gives you enough space to tackle the same puzzles and problems with different solutions.
The story in TOTK is something you discover piece-by-piece, and there are a tonne of options to unfold it. It felt like a chatterbox way of telling a story—even though there is a set story, the way you go about it is up to you.
TOTK manages to pack something into every nook and cranny while also giving you the option to go buck wild.
To me, the game of the year can’t just be an excellent game. It’s got to be one that you will continue to talk about for years.
