Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 was even better than the original. Not knowing who the antagonists were going to be was truly exciting, and that feeling of swooping through the streets of New York City was even more exhilarating! The side missions were full adventures with their own cutscenes and unique objectives. The performers were all superb and the twists and turns of the plot were exciting. Matt, Castlemaine, Australia
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It has to be Tears of the Kingdom. I was never a Nintendo kid – always Sega – and I bounced off of Breath of the Wild in 2017 and haven’t touched my Switch since. With this year’s release, I had serious fomo watching clips of Tears on social media, so I blew the dust off my Switch and got to work. I am 200 hours in and find it a tranquil and relaxing experience of distractions and goofiness. I am yet to complete the main quest, but I’m in no rush. Its systems are perfectly weighted towards pure joy and fun – something missing in a lot of modern video games. Here’s to another 200 hours of gaming nirvana in Hyrule. Shaun, Penarth, Wales
Baldur’s Gate 3
Hands down, no contest. Baldur’s Gate 3 was a polished game on release and has true attention to detail. I spent 100 hours on my first campaign. I appreciated that the character creation recognises and respects multiple identities, while different sexualities etc are represented in the game. Then there are the detailed visuals, engaging gameplay, compelling NPC arcs, satisfying combat and subtle humour. I have enjoyed myself so much. Liz, Scotland
The Talos Principle 2
The sequel was much better than the first in all senses; the puzzles were better, the philosophical basis (from Straton of Stageira to very recent existential questions about artificial intelligence and humanity’s demise by our own doing) was discussed in much more depth, and by solving the puzzles we were rewarded with nice revelations and dialogue that the much simpler first game lacked. It was really good to transcend our anxious reality not by escaping it, but delving even more into it, through a hypothetical future (one yearned for by Silicon Valley moguls and accelerationists) in which we can not only experience a post-human world, but also grieve and celebrate humanity. Also: cats. Sofia, 35, São Paulo, Brazil
Lies of P
Lies of P is my game of the year. I didn’t have high hopes for it, as the Soulslike genre is typically only well executed by FromSoftware, but Neowiz absolutely nailed it! The fighting is tight, fluid, exceptionally well-balanced and features some great mechanics that support each other well to make it a tug of war. Nearly all of the bosses are phenomenal, too, providing a good challenge but not unfair (apart from the swamp monster – it can get in the bin). Iain Pollitt, 33, Scotland
Dredge
I really loved playing Dredge on Nintendo Switch – the style and design of the game are great and I love being a little boat bobbing around the sea, catching fish. I stopped playing for a while because the sea monster attacks were stressing me out – I hate when things chase me in games! So when the developers released a passive mode, where nothing attacks you, I felt as if they read my mind. I was hooked – pun intended. Aoife, 27, Dublin
EA Sports PGA Tour 2023
I realise that picking an EA Sports game as my favourite is like choosing vanilla as my favourite ice-cream. Bland, mass-market, no soul ... But EA Sports PGA Tour became a welcome friend in 2023. My gaming is limited to an hour an evening, and that suits just fine to get 18 holes in. The graphics are gorgeous, it’s calm, serene, and you can take your time to plot your path through each hole. The lush fairways, pink azaleas and polite applause at Augusta National have been a delight this year. Tom, 33, Berkshire
Bramble: The Mountain King
Bramble is a Nordic fairytale horror game that is enchantingly dark and hauntingly atmospheric. The story is engaging, terrifying and beautiful while the world created is simultaneously a stunning, earthy vista and a realm of garish nightmares. Hayley, 32, Dublin
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Stray Gods. It’s a musical, with Greek gods in a modern-day setting. Not only is the music incredible, and the cast a who’s who of voice-acting greats, but it innovates with what games are capable of as a storytelling medium more than any game since Final Fantasy VII. The whole game is based around player choice, to the extent that songs can have different lyrics, instruments, even genres, based on your choices. One song, Challenge the Queen, can be everything from a smooth jazz number to a rap battle. The work and maths involved is mind boggling. That it wasn’t nominated for game of the year is criminal. James Bennett, 32, Havant, Portsmouth
Goodbye Volcano High
Goodbye Volcano High is my game of the year. It is one of the most original games I’ve played; the PaRappa the Rapper style rhythm sections are surprisingly addictive and satisfying, and the art style and aesthetic are gorgeous. Principally though, I love it because I just love explaining the premise – especially to my non-game-playing wife. “It’s about a non-binary dinosaur in a lo-fi band called Worm Drama, trying to navigate their way through the last year of high school while dealing with an impending meteorite and the end of the world.” Standard stuff, really. As an adult with a family where game time is at a premium, it is short but sweet. Philip, London
Final Fantasy XVI
I really enjoyed Final Fantasy XVI. Even though it was a big transition for the franchise, moving from the RPG genre to a heavily action-based style, its story and characters were the main focus. Voice actor Ben Starr and the rest of the cast did an amazing job. The music was exceptional, with Masayoshi Soken proving why he is considered one of the best in the industry. But the biggest highlight was the larger-than-life boss battles, which borrowed elements from different genres to provide non-stop action sequences. Alex, 37, Sydney, Australia
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is a supremely artful game from one of the industry’s most creative and thoughtful studios. It immaculately uses different art forms to explore the destructive and salvational power of artistic creativity. It stands out from the competition for 2023’s game of the year for being more aesthetically, thematically and structurally innovative. Nick, 35, Oxford
Chants of Sennaar
I was introduced to this by chance, by a friend who is much more up on what’s new in gaming than I am. I’m so glad – Chants of Sennaar is one of the best games I’ve ever played. The mechanics are brilliant – you’re essentially dropped into a world where you speak none of the native language and have to make your way through various puzzles despite this. It’s very intuitive – you use hand signals in conversations, understand pictures on the walls and pick things up from the context of what’s going on around you – and the storyline just gets more intriguing the further in you go. An excellent choice if you like puzzles, good storytelling and something out of the ordinary. Sorcha, 33, Cardiff
Starfield
The best game I played all year was Starfield. Yes, it’s buggy, barren and, in a lot of ways, strangely generic. If you came in looking for 1,000 planets each as deep and nuanced as Skyrim was you’ll be disappointed. But I get the sense that’s kind of the point. The main character in Starfield is space, and it is all-encompassing, making itself known at all times. Punishingly unforgiving, starkly beautiful, capricious and, for me, impactful. It informs every decision you make, and to Bethesda’s credit, the choices you make feel weighty and meaningful – especially the final decision you are presented with. In that moment, you impose your will, and you’re confronted with the philosophical implications. It’s a rare game that puts you in that place. Todd McGillivray, 46, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Super Mario Bros Wonder
It’s got to be Super Mario Bros Wonder. My wife bought me a Nintendo Switch for my birthday a while ago – my mini midlife crisis – but I don’t play much and the kids use it more often. But then Wonder came out. It’s got all the nostalgia of old-school Mario, with crazy, updated graphics. It’s amazing, creative gameplay. I love playing it with the kids, plus I sneak in a few solo rounds on WFH days. Graeme, 45, Singapore
