We've reached the end of the year, so it's that time again: Award Season! And of course people putting out listicles of their favorites...so naturally we should jump in the mix! Here is my definitive list of the bestest games I played during the year 2023. Some might be bonafide heavyweights you've most-definitely heard of, but perhaps a couple have slipped under people's radars and are deserving of more attention. In order of release:

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Original Release Date: December 2nd, 2022.

Current Platforms: PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows.

"Hey, this game didn't even come out in 2023! D:" While it might have released in December of last year, I was still playing it come the changing of the calendar; plus, it added four DLCs with new characters and story content throughout the early months of this year, so I say it counts! From the makers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you play as a custom character "The Hunter", resurrected in the modern age to track down your evil demon-summoning mother Lilith. A team develops consisting of various Avengers, X-Men, and Midnight Sons regulars in a quest to save the world; given their propensity for butting heads, though, it's up to you to steer this ship-of-chaos and become a leader of heroes once more.

Incorporating Marvel favorites into the mix like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Iron Man with less universally-known characters like Nico Minoru and Magick was a wise move, allowing you to play with the big boys while still giving "the B Team" a chance to shine. Everyone is rather fleshed out and contributes to the plot in their own way, developing further as you get to know them and your bond strengthens. The gameplay itself is card-based, where you pull your abilities from a deck and have a set number of actions per turn to smack your enemies around, blast them with energy, cast magic, etc. Some might wonder why superheroes have to be hamstrung with a strategy system that limits their potential, but shut up it works! The game gives you that unparalleled feeling when you make smart decisions and clever moves, while still letting you be powerful and flashy.

With the MCU flagging lately, Marvel's Midnight Suns is the strongest Marvel story I've encountered in a while; arguably my Game of the Year from 2022, even with Elden Ring present. It just pulled on so many of my strings: give it a chance!

Cassette Beasts

Original Release Date: April 26th, 2023.

Current Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Linux, Microsoft Windows.

One of the best games you've probably never heard of, Cassette Beasts is an indie monster-catching title with more meat on the bone than the current king of the genre, Pokémon. I will dare to call it an evolution, with a more interesting story, more complex mechanics, and multiple quality-of-life tweaks that help the player realize that gotta-catch-'em-all mentality. Having washed up on the shores of the mysterious New Wirral, you must venture across the island with your friends to discover the secret of this place and find a way home. Monsters will impede your progress, but never fear: by using the power of your cassette tape, you can record them and then transform into a copy of the creature to fight back! You can even fuse monsters in battle, to form over 10,000 unique combinations.

The gameplay is more involved than regular Pokémon players might be accustomed to, with a health bar for the monsters and one for yourself - should you take too much damage while in monster-form, it carries over to your personal health; if your bar runs out, you'll be defeated! Type-advantages create chemical reactions that could result in debuffs, extra damage, or it could backfire and do something positive. Rather than "Ice beats Dragon because reasons", you can figure that "Water freezes when it touches Ice, adding bulk to the Ice monster", or "Fire burning Plastic creates a caustic cloud, turning the Plastic monster into Poison". Science! All of this is explained with a handy chart, but don't worry: the game literally warns you with a graphic hinting at what's about to transpire should you use a particular move.

There are a bunch of other small additions that help it exceed its predecessor, like using a sticker system for movesets so you can add and remove them without issue. When you attempt to catch record a monster, that monster cannot fall below 1HP, meaning you're safe to blast it with your most damaging attack to improve the odds of success. And all the major battles in the land scale a bit to your level, meaning that grinding will improve your characters without completely neutering all the challenge from the game. All of this combines to make for a better Pokémon-like, and I haven't even mentioned the poppin' soundtrack and the cool monster designs! For a third of the price of their major competitor, how can you go wrong?

Age of Wonders 4

Original Release Date: May 2nd, 2023.

Current Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows.

My relationship with games like Civilization has always been a little odd: I don't play them for the multiplayer, but rather as a single-player sandbox of strategy and experimentation with the various factions. I play each available leader, win a game against the AI with them, then move on to the next until I'm satisfied. Well, I might have bitten off more than I can chew with Age of Wonders 4: with a ridiculous plethora of customization options, you can create a seemingly-infinite number of factions to wage war upon your enemies and dominate the land. Why content yourself with the bog-standard choices of Elves, Dwarves, Humans, etc., when you can be crocodile marauders, frog paladins, mole engineers, or bird-people with guns and cannons? Mix-and-match the concepts to your heart's content: I created "the Iron Rito", an avian civilization of super-industrious builders who seek to expand their cities into the finest empire in all the realms. The game even comes with a small set of campaign/story maps to play, adding to the sprawling list of opportunities to keep the game fresh and interesting.

"4X" games always include the mantra of "Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate", and this one is no different in that regard. What is special is the ability to cast magic, using it to bombard enemy armies, terraform the landscape, or evolve your nation's people in new ways. Don't just be bird-people when you could cast the Link Minds transformation to make your armies more like the Borg. Why be toads when you could be draconic toads, with rapid healing and a resistance to fire and burning? Of course, all of this magic costs Mana to use and maintain, adding an additional layer to your empire management...and to warfare, as you can cast spells in the midst of the turn-based tactical battles to turn the tide.

I haven't played a major fantasy-4X game since Endless Legend back in 2014, almost a decade ago. Will I be able to drop hundreds of hours into this latest iteration? With plenty here to sink my teeth into, this meal could last me a long time.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Original Release Date: May 12th, 2023.

Current Platforms: Nintendo Switch.

The Legend of Zelda is my username-sake, so of course a new title had to be on the list, right? "Breath of the Wild, but more" is the name of the game here, with the adventures of Link this time taking him to the skies above and the depths below. When Link and Zelda explore beneath Hyrule Castle and discover a malevolent force (which is obviously Ganondorf), they trigger a sequence of dramatic events that will alter their destinies forever.

Honestly, I don't even know why I would bother explaining myself here: if you like Zelda you're already on board, having bought the game and played through it nonstop back in May like I did. Breath of the Wild won the Game of the Year award back in its time; will Tears of the Kingdom do the same? Very possible...if not for one particular contender...

Baldur's Gate III

Original Release Date: August 3rd, 2023.

Current Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, Microsoft Windows.

All hail the King of 2023. The title that all-other Game of the Year contenders must...well, contend with first. Roll for Initiative!

Baldur's Gate III is an incredible piece of RPG storytelling and turn-based gameplay. There was some controversy when the game released about how some developers cried foul at BG3 being called "the new standard", but can you blame it? Quality runs rampant throughout, from the writing to the tactical decision-making gameplay to the story responding to all of your crazy choices. The sheer amount of creative freedom captured in this game is truly a wonder to see; it's quite literally a dream Dungeons & Dragons scenario in a box (...at least, it will be when the physical editions come out). I would babble on, but it would just be redundant: buy this game, support the developers, and support the notion that this is what we have come to expect from our games. Not some shameless, heartless grab for our wallets, but a truly rewarding experience that will stick with you long after the credits roll. A game that you want to play again and again to witness everything it has to offer. You don't have to be a D&D nut to enjoy Baldur's Gate; as seen by the countless reviews and other YouTube videos doling out praise, this is a game to get behind. If it doesn't win Game of the Year, something frankly terrible will have transpired.

Relic Hunters Legend

Original Release Date: September 25th, 2023.

Current Platforms: Microsoft Windows.

The game is still in Early Access on Steam, so something to keep in mind, but it has so much potential I just had to say something about it. Essentially "Borderlands 2D", this looter-shooter has you joining a cast of quirky characters as you fight off an empire of ducks trying to control the multiverse. While currently sparse on content, what is there is fun, goofy, and full of hectic energy. The developers are constantly updating, though, so hopefully this'll be the start of a grand adventure. Gather your friends, complete objectives and make it rain treasure; what more do you need?

Honorable Mention goes to Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which I haven't actually played yet because I'm a good girl and didn't buy it...waiting for Christmas is killing me D: Also, while I enjoyed what I did play of Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Stars, I just didn't get far enough into them to give a quality opinion on the games. Consider them Honorable Mentions as well.

2023 was a strong year for games; what are some of your favorites? Have you played any of those listed above? Let me know in the comments below!