We’re wrapping up a massive year in video games, which begs the question – which ones are considered the best? The Game Awards crowns its winners each year based on a mixture of expert judges and fan votes, meaning you often get a good sense of the best video games from the past year. The Game Awards ceremony has just taken place in Los Angeles, and we have a new crop of winners that have been crowned the best games of 2023.
The best games of the year from the 2023 Game Awards
Baldur’s Gate 3
Awards: Game of the Year, Best Performance, Best Community Support, Best RPG, Best Multiplayer, Player’s Voice
Baldur’s Gate 3 has possessed the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere since it was released in August, and that carried it to an almost clean sweep at the Game Awards. As essentially the video game version of Dungeons & Dragons, Larian has tapped into a massive subculture of gamers around the world who simply cannot get enough of running around in a fantasy world, fighting and romancing whoever they please. Can’t blame them, really.
Alan Wake 2
Awards: Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Game Direction
Alan Wake 2 sees the novelist attempt to escape the alternate dimension he’s been trapped in for over a decade. The long-awaited sequel to Remedy’s classic psychological horror brought more spooks, an incredible story and… a musical number? You’ll have to play it to believe it.
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Awards: Best Family Game
It’s no surprise that the delightful new Mario game, Super Mario Bros Wonder, got an acknowledgement at the Game Awards. The sidescrolling platformer is a delightful tribute to the Mario games of old while also blending a selection of new power ups and beautiful worlds to keep things fresh.
Forza Motorsport
Awards: Accessibility in Innovation, Best Sports/Racing
Forza Motorsport’s incredibly realistic driving simulation and its innovations in accessible technology for gamers have made it a stand-out for the year. The game delivers real-time ray tracing and has even more in-depth systems for every bump, bruise and bit of dirt on your car. It really is one of the most immersive driving sims out there.
Cocoon
Awards: Best Indie Debut
Winning best indie this year with their debut game is Geometric Interactive, whose little gem Cocoon puts you in control of a beetle who can solve puzzles and hop between worlds.
Sea of Stars
Awards: Best Indie
Another lovely little Indie game that was recognised this year is Sea of Stars. The retro turn-based RPG sees you swim, climb and jump around a fictional magic world where your two characters – one with sun powers, the other with the moon’s – to perform special Eclipse Magic.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Awards: Best Action Game
The much-anticipated Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was released in 2023, and it lived up to expectations. Playing as a giant mech will never not be fun, but Armored Core really makes good on that promise with enthralling new customisation and combat systems that make the game difficult to put down.
Hi-Fi Rush
Awards: Best Audio Design
A rhythm action game where you play a self-proclaimed rockstar who perceives the world through sounds simply had to sweep the audio category, and that is exactly what Hi-Fi Rush did, marking it as a standout game of the year.
Honkai Star Rail
Awards: Best Mobile
Mobile games are a competitive category, but Honkai Star Rail took the cake at the Game Awards this year. It combines a lot of favoured things like classic JRPG styles and turn-based mechanics, as well as compelling reward systems, that make it one of the most popular mobile games around.
Resident Evil Village VR
Awards: Best VR/AR
You’ll never catch me playing a horror game like Resident Evil Village in VR, but it’s hard to deny that the game did an excellent job of bringing the spooky atmosphere, action and characters of the RE games to the 360-degree world of virtual reality.
Tchia
Awards: Games for Impact
Tchia’s lovely visuals and heartwarming tale of a character who explores a New Caledonia-inspired archipelago on a mission to save her father has a wonderful message at its heart.
Final Fantasy XVI
Awards: Best Music
Final Fantasy as a franchise is one that rarely misses, particularly in the music department, which is what it was rewarded for at the Game Awards this year.
As the sixteenth main instalment in the franchise, you’d think it might be getting stale by now, but Square Enix always manages to find a way to feed its hungry legion of fans with more great games.
Street Fighter 6
Awards: Best Fighting Game
If you’re looking for the best fighting game of the year, it should come as no surprise that it’s Street Fighter 6. The next iteration of the fighting franchise brought back favourite characters with new moves and next-gen technology.
Cyberpunk 2077
Awards: Best Ongoing Game
Three years ago, no one would have ever thought Cyberpunk 2077 would be on the Game Awards stage. But the team’s commitment to the game and bettering it with new updates and content has meant it finally earned its redemption this year, in large part thanks to its epic Phantom Liberty expansion with Idris Elba.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Awards: Best Action/Adventure Game
It’s been a big year for video games, so much so that it’s almost easy to forget the sequel to one of the biggest games of all time came out earlier this year. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was an incredible follow-up to Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild, adding a new layer of verticality to Hyrule that made it fresh, along with new building mechanics that made it fun.
Pikmin 4
Awards: Best Sim/Strategy
We can’t round out a year of top games without acknowledging Pikmin 4. Who doesn’t love a game where you play as little plant creatures running around to fight enemy creatures, score treasure and solve puzzles?
Well, that’s a wrap on what has been a monumental year in gaming (and there are so many great games that weren’t even mentioned here).
Keep an eye on all the latest video game releases in our monthly list.
Image Credit: Larian/Nintendo/CD Projekt Red
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