2023 is almost over, folks. I’d say, “We made it,” but who am I kidding? 2024 will begin, and all the same shit that made 2023 a non-stop hellscape will continue in perpetuity. But 2023 did have a lot of cool games, and every December, we gather to talk about our favorites. We’re doing it here at Kotaku, as well. You might’ve seen some of our personal Game of the Year lists go up on the site already (like mine and senior editor Alyssa Mercante’s). We’ll be posting our site-wide Very Official top 12 list soon, but in the meantime, we wanted to ask you lovely folks: What was your favorite game you played in 2023?
There are some clear frontrunners. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 are topping the lists of plenty of outlets already. The latter also won the top prize at this year’s The Game Awards. It’s my personal Game of the Year and has pretty much owned my headspace since even before it launched in August. I’m glad Xbox players are finally getting a chance to play it before the year ends.
But it’s not always the biggest games that stick with us. I had a lot of love this year for some smaller projects, too, like Black Tabby Games’ Slay the Princess and KO_OP’s Goodbye Volcano High. Sometimes it’s the dark horse pick that pulls out ahead of the frontrunners, and I hope to hear some off-the-wall picks from some of you!
So, Kotaku readers, what is your 2023 Game of the Year? By all means, champion Zelda, Baldur’s Gate, and Spider-Man if that’s what’s in your heart, but I don’t just want a never-ending list of those heavy hitters. Tell me the underrated hidden gems of the past year, too. Now’s your chance to shine a spotlight on the games that moved you, transfixed you, or just occupied large swaths of your time in 2023.