From breakout indie hits to highly-anticipated AAA masterclasses, 2023 has been regarded by many as the best year for the gaming industry in quite a few years, if not of all time. Month after month, from January to December, gamers witnessed developers release the best of the best when it comes to video games.
Every game that landed on The Game Awards’ Game of the Year category could have easily won GOTY any other year— 2023 was just that stacked. Here at Gamepur, we asked our staff to do the impossible: pick the best game of 2023. Miraculously, they came through, and here are the games we think deserve an award for being truly the best.
Related: The 2023 Game Awards Should Have Expanded The GOTY Category
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Laura Gray, Managing Editor
Picking a “best game” this year feels almost impossible, but for me, it has to be Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s been a long time since I’ve been a part of a game that altered my actual life. Playing with friends, exploring the world, and savoring the beauty of the development was a treat beyond words. It truly is the game of the decade and one that I am so grateful exists in this world. Life is better with a shoe-eating Wizard.
Starfield – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Zackerie Fairfax, Associate Editor
I toiled over what title would be my game of the year, especially when looking back on what was arguably the best year in gaming history. So, I looked to the future. What game from 2023 will I come back to year after year? And then the choice became much easier. Starfield, a game I still feel I’ve only scratched the surface of after 200 hours, provides the Bethesda magic I’ve yearned for since Fallout 4 and will satisfy that spacey itch that creeps up at least once a year. And with fan-made content allowing the creation of new planets, Starfield will stay fresh for years to come.
Alan Wake 2 – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Zack Palm, Senior Staff Writer
Alan Wake 2— hands down. I laughed, I cried, I felt perpetual fear that I would run out of ammunition, and I enjoyed the most banger of musical numbers that I have heard in recent memory. It’s a game that threw me through several loops, and the narrative would never let me go. It’s a truly remarkable game, and I enjoyed every second of it. Honestly, I was one hundred percent convinced my answer was going to be Baldur’s Gate 3, but Alan Wake 2 feels like it left the biggest mark on me and turned me into a Champion of Light.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Jamie Moorcraft-Sharp, Staff Writer
Baldur’s Gate 3 has to be one of the best, if not THE best, games of 2023 for Gamepur. I say this because the entire team jumped on the game for over a month and could not stop talking about it. We’re still talking about it now! Yes, it’s an incredible title we could overanalyze for years, but I think the power it has to bring friends together each day and talk about completely different experiences even though they’re playing the same game is magical. I am, however, sorry to my colleagues for oversharing about my efforts to romance the worst abominations of magic and nature imaginable.
Sea of Stars – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Cande Maldonado, Contributing Writer
When a turn-based, pixel art RPG with almost no dialogue gets as much buzz as Sea of Stars did, it must be doing something right. Sea of Stars revitalizes a genre that’s pretty much on the brink of death and stands out in a landscape that’s losing its touch. But I’d be doing Sea of Stars a disservice by deriding it as a “nod to the past.” It’s a standout creation that blends nostalgia with fresh ideas. Its combat is a riot, the pacing’s spot-on, the dungeons are masterpieces, and visually, it’s a treat. It’s a modern take that tackles dusty old issues and offers an experience that’s both classic and contemporary.
Sea of Stars – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Matthew Fuller, Contributing Writer
With a year so packed with quality titles, it was the indie JRPG Sea of Stars that truly stole my heart and took my top spot for 2023.
I had the honor of reviewing the game and spent most of my time gushing over the sheer brilliance it displays. Everything from its excellent story, brilliant characters, colorful and beautiful world, and the artful marriage of old and new ideas create a standout title that I couldn’t put down. It’s one of the only games in my life I have 100% completed, and it was worth every single second.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Scott Baird, Contributing Writer
I thought Baldur’s Gate 3 was a terrible idea when it was first announced. As a diehard fan of the original games, I didn’t think anyone could top the Bhaalspawn Saga. Boy, was I proven wrong, and I’m not even mad. Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the greatest video games ever made.
Larian Studios created a virtual D&D campaign filled with memorable characters, countless ways to approach the story, a killer voice cast, and an epic story. The only bad part of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that it ends, and you have to face the realization that few other games will satisfy you in the same way.
The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Jordan Althoff, Contributing Writer
When looking back at the many games that came out in 2023, a few stand out, but Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hit me hard in all the best ways. It was a beautifully crafted sequel to Breath of the Wild that kept me engaged for weeks and happily losing sleep to explore new and familiar locations. It had me laughing and crying. I avoided fighting Gannon for as long as I could. Not just because he terrified me but because I just wasn’t ready for the game to end. I’m excited to see where the Legend of Zelda games go next.
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor – Best Games of 2023
Submitted by Alec Mullins, Contributing Writer
2023 was filled to the brim with instant classics, and as a result, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor passed like a thief in the night. Cal Kestis and the Stinger Mantis crew created something special back in Fallen Order, but there was still so much potential under the surface. Survivor takes that blueprint and builds on top of it like your 13-year-old neighbor playing Fortnite. There are a few flaws, but it’s ambitious, charming, and fed into that classic Star Wars escapism in a delectable way.
