Another year, another dent in the ol’ list of games to play that just never seems to get any smaller. 2023 was a mishmash of games all across the spectrum, from narrative driven puzzlers to open world epics to Tetris-style peculiarities with fruit, it’s certainly been a year for the books. As a professor that is constantly seeking out new games to scratch the narrative itch, I play a lot of games, and not necessarily always new ones. As such, I played a lot of great games this year; some narrative powerhouses, some simple escapes to give my brain a little break. Not all of the games on this list were released this year, nor is this list in any particular order. But if you’re looking to get a lens into the mind of a professor who literally teaches about video games for a living (at least partially), then look no further!
Flower
A very simple game that can be completed in an hour or less, but full of color, beautiful music, and a plethora of feels. Developed by Thatgamecompany, Flower is actually one of the older games on our list, released on the Playstation 3 back in 2009. Though there is no spoken or written story in the game, a beautiful narrative is weaved with the free flowing flower petals controlled by the player, at odds with the darker metal bones of urban life. Everything you touch as this collection of flowers feels like a King Midas-esque adventure, without the chaos and destruction. And even without words, it’s a wonderfully symbolic story and a peaceful experience, an hour well spent in gentle contemplation.
The Oregon Trail
Gameloft’s The Oregon Trail brings a new interactive spin on the classic computer game we all played in elementary school. With gorgeous 2D retro visuals and a thoughtful approach to representation of the many types of people who crossed the Trail in the 19th century, the game does a great job of forcing the player to be tactical while also instilling greater awareness of the true trials and tribulations of the time. There are a multitude of different modes you can play, as well as varying degrees of difficulty if you really want to challenge yourself. All in all, it was a fun game to play amongst friends and to feel that childhood nostalgia of dying of dysentery for the thousandth time.
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
I’ve been playing the Assassin’s Creed games for well over a decade, with varying levels of enthusiasm for each. However since Black Flag, there hadn’t been a single game in the franchise that really stood out to me as anything memorable. Sure, it was fun to be a Victorian gangster, or a Grecian mercenary, or a Viking, but none of these games really captured the essence anymore of what it truly meant to be an assassin. Mirage has brought the series back to its roots, with stealth-first gameplay and an emphasis on the tenets of the creed. Playing as Basim in his early days as an assassin is a satisfying turn for the series, bringing back the old tools of the trade for stealth kills, and also some fun new mechanics that are just a blast to learn and use. Here’s hoping this is just the beginning of a positive new direction for the beloved series.
Blanc
Essentially a Disney movie playable on controller, Casus Ludi’s Blanc was probably one of the cutest and most wholesome entries this year. A cooperative puzzler platformer, you and a friend take control of a wolf cub and a fawn who are stranded in the snowy wilderness, and must work together to find your respective families. The puzzles aren’t innovative by any means, but the music, design, and adorable little howls and bleats from these characters made my friend and I guffaw over the levels of cuteness. It’s a short game, around 2 hours, but felt like a lovely treat to play with a friend on a cozy winter evening. So gather your tissues and settle in for a sweet story about friendships in the most unlikely places.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
No doubt topping many lists this year, Nintendo’s latest entry into the Zelda franchise scratches that proverbial itch left by Breath of the Wild in the best possible way. Being able to revisit this beautiful iteration of Hyrule, a place I thought I knew so well, and feel like I was seeing it for the first time again, is a true triumph of development that I tip my cap to. The story felt timeless in a way that it hasn’t felt since Ocarina of Time, and the true moral, that it takes a village to save a Kingdom, is a refreshing perspective for the franchise. Zelda steps into the spotlight in a really unexpected but welcome way, and by story’s end, I was in awe and cheering in a way I hadn’t expected but fully welcomed. Though unfortunately overshadowed by a few other games released this year (which you will find on this list), Tears of the Kingdom deserves every bit of praise received this year, and honestly more.
Sun Haven
Think Stardew Valley with dragons and magic. I’m personally quite particular about my management style games; I prefer ones with a direct narrative that I can progress towards as I improve my property. Even though Pixel Sprout Studios’ cozy farming sim doesn’t quite fit that description, it’s a delightful romp through a fantastical landscape rife with exploration and adventure. If you don’t feel like tending crops, gather your sword and shield and venture off into the woods. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, then venture into town and make friends with the locals, or even try wooing that one townsperson you have a crush on. In the land of Sun Haven, the choices are only as limited as far as your imagination.
King of the Castle
Romance! Intrigue! Betrayal! Politics! If you’re looking for some high key stress with friends, especially if you’re a streamer, Tributary Games’ medieval party game King of the Castle is a great choice. The narrative is driven by you and your friends as you, the ruler, make choices for the good of the kingdom and your friends, the subjects, scheme to undermine you at every turn. I love creating a story with friends, hence my recent foray into the world of Dungeons and Dragons, but if you’re looking for a more party style (and incredibly stressful) strategic kind of game, King of the Castle should be high on your list.
Starfield
I’ll start this off by saying that Bethesda’s highly anticipated Starfield did not hit its mark with me in the long term the way I hoped it would. It is a spectacular achievement in design and gameplay, and I enjoyed soaring across the stars, building my ship to be a replica of Mass Effect’s Normandy, and landing on random planets to explore and watch the stars. Unfortunately, from a story perspective, Starfield did fall a bit flat for me, with repetitive fetch quests and the typical Bethesda formula of tons of different factions to meet and quest for. So while the overall experience didn’t blow me away as I’d hoped, there is still a warm feeling in my heart every time I land on Enceladus and stare up in awe at Saturn, the closest I will ever get to living my childhood fantasy.
Heaven’s Vault
In 2022 I played Mobius Digital’s exploratory puzzler Outer Wilds for the first time, and anyone who has played the game will tell you that the hardest part of finishing it is that you can never play it for the first time again. Consequently, I spent much of the rest of 2022 and into 2023 seeking that same fix of uncovering mysteries and being part of an intriguing nonlinear narrative. A friend suggested Heaven’s Vault, a 2021 sci-fi adventure game developed by Inkle. You take on the role of Aliya, an archeologist in the distant future who travels across an unnamed nebula with her assistant, a robot named Six. Together, they must crack the code of an ancient language and uncover the history of its writers and the story of the nebula itself. The art style and music are absolutely gorgeous, and while the pacing didn’t always land for me and keep me engaged, my curiosity carried me the rest of the way.
Baldur’s Gate 3
I tried so hard to resist. I insisted over and over again how much I can’t stand turn-based combat games. I broke several friends’ hearts when I stopped playing Octopath Traveler after an hour because I couldn’t stand the combat system. But something about Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 continued to gnaw at me, and the more I watched friends play and the more it popped up in my social media feeds, the more curious I became. Until finally, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to team up and do a co-op together. At last I relented, and boy am I glad that I did, because boy is this game fun when you know what you’re doing. Has it changed my mind with turn-based combat games? Absolutely not, but it has convinced me that when you team up with friends that have a knack for it, you have a lot more time to absorb the story and just enjoy the roleplay. There’s not much more I can say about Baldur’s Gate 3 that hasn’t already been said, but there really is a lot to love with this game, from the well rounded characters to the gorgeous scenery to the enchanting music. I know I’ll be coming back to this one well into 2024, and I am just fine with that.
Which games made your personal top 10 this year? Let us know in the comments!
