2023 was a year of euphoric highs with fantastic games released by both major publishers and scrappy indie studios, all of which have raised the bar across the bar. It was a year where various business interests and rising trends led to layoffs and management shake-ups in service of short-term gains and loss of good will.
This tumult did lead to me playing more offbeat smaller games and fewer major releases this year. But I was hard pressed to just choose 10 for this list. I mean the only reason Baldur's Gate 3 isn't on here is because it is in my backlog.
So here in no particular order are my personal top 10 games of 2023.
World of Horror
An analog horror roguelike horror RPG inspired by Junji Ito sounds like something that should have happened sooner.
And thanks to a very small development team and a few years in Steam Early Access, World of Horror has become one of 2023's pleasant surprises. A horror RPG packed with creative horror scenarios, a thematically clunky UI, fittingly nightmarish pixel art, as well as multiple endings for each investigation you undertake.
Pizza Tower
Pizza Tower is the kind of game that feels like it was made for me and nobody else. It's a blisteringly fast action-platformer packed with hidden secrets and madcap energy.
On top of that, the whole thing is animated like a deranged Nickelodeon cartoon from the 1990s. I don't know how the developers were able to make everything appear off-model all the time and still look visually appealing, but they found a way.
Also the soundtrack is pure hype.
Slay The Princess
A relatively late entry in 2023, Slay The Princess is a visual novel with a deceptively simple premise. You are led to a cabin by a voice. You are told there is a princess in the basement of the cabin. You are told you must kill her or the world will end.
What follows is a psychologically warped tale packed with manipulation, ghoulish sights, unsettling twists and... a passionate love story?
Elevating this horror experience to something truly special is the expressive and macabre pencil artwork of Abby Howard and some fantastic voice acting by The Magnus Archives' creator Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight.
Ghostrunner 2
Ghostrunner 2 was the one game in 2023 that felt like a relentless thrill ride. Developer One More Level managed to take their split-second cyberpunk ninja parkour gameplay and refine it with more player customization, more demanding levels, and motorcycle chase sequences that are pure hype from start to finish.
Add to that a rewarding roguelike mode and a catchy synth soundtrack and you have the kind of adrenaline-pumping action that is truly special.
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Like A Dragon/Yakuza series has a special place in my heart. Its heady blend of gritty crime drama, strong bonds positively affirmed by manly protagonists, and buckwild absurd comedy has helped turn the likes of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima into household names.
But Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name feels like the first time the series has looked back at its own history. The result is a melancholic, even bitter experience, with Kiryu stuck between his turbulent past and an uncertain future.
Thankfully, this drama is propelled forward by a short but solidly paced story and features the best action combat seen in the series to date. Plus the final story cutscene emotionally destroyed me.
Alan Wake 2
I've been waiting for a sequel to Alan Wake for 13 years. And Alan Wake 2 managed to not just be a great sequel, but a dense existential work of horror fiction in its own right.
It's a game that wears many hats. A metatextual dissection of interactive narrative. An extended allegory for the emotional and mental toll of the creative process. A celebration and critique of developer Remedy Entertainment's past work. The list goes on.
Alan Wake 2 is just packed to the brim with creative energy that is seldom seen in the modern gaming landscape. I mean, what other horror game randomly breaks out into an extended rock opera without completely shattering its atmosphere?
Shine on Remedy Entertainment. It's not a loop; it's a spiral.
Dead Space (2023)
EA Motive should be commended for breathing new life into the Dead Space franchise after its initial rise and fall.
This remake of the 2008 survival horror title managed to keep the pitch-perfect atmosphere of the original while adding some welcome touches.
The narrative has been touched up, giving protagonist Isaac Clarke a more fleshed out personal story. The strategic dismemberment combat is elevated thanks the audiovisual shine of modern hardware and some welcome quality-of-life improvements. And the necromorph enemies look even more grotesque thanks to the remake's viscera-sloughing peeling system.
Personally, I hope this remake leads to newfound interest in Dead Space. After all, if Resident Evil can get a glow-up, why not its space-faring body horror cousin?
Final Fantasy XVI
It is never easy to try something new. Final Fantasy XVI tried several. Out with high fantasy, exotic races, and magic, in with gritty dark fantasy, unjust institutions, and political intrigue. Out with tactical combat and in with fast-paced hack-and-slash action.
The result, while a major departure, still manages to feel like a Final Fantasy game, one packed with jaw-dropping set pieces, challenging boss fights, and deeply rewarding gameplay.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Cybepunk 2077: Phantom Liberty feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline, a world where CD Projekt RED's adaptation of Mike Pondsmith's dystopian dark future TTRPG had the time it needed to be something amazing.
As it stands, this expansion tells a fantastic spy thriller story packed with strong themes of freedom, loyalty, and personal identity. It also includes my favorite take on a final act in recent memory; invoking shades of The Witcher 2.
Equal parts contemplative and cutting, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is one hell of a send off for V and Night City, one that will not fade away any time soon.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a shining example of why Nintendo is still one of the best in the business.
Their team managed to iterate and refine the open-world format of Breath of the Wild, introduce more interesting wrinkles to its familiar heroic fantasy narrative, and showcase some truly impressive design and programming achievements with six-year-old hardware.
The result is a seemingly endless sandbox of creative possibilities, discovery, and that indescribable feeling of going on an epic adventure.
Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net
Ever since he was small, Tyler Chancey has had a deep, abiding love for video games and a tendency to think and overanalyze everything he enjoyed. This… More about Tyler
