You'd be forgiven for thinking it's just adding new systems with reckless abandon, but somehow Dave the Diver all comes together to be the best designed game of 2023. For more awards, head to our Game of the Year 2023 page.
Fraser Brown, Online Editor: There should be too much going on in Dave the Diver. You've got a restaurant to manage, fish to collect, mysteries to uncover, big ol' sharks trying to eat you, and some roguelike elements that would normally stress me out—but this scuba adventure is, miraculously, never anything less than effortless and elegant. It has the chill vibes of a summer holiday spent on a boat, all sunny skies and Hawaiian shirts, and despite my long list of tasks, I never feel burdened or busy. Pure joy.
