Rather than narrow down our experiences to single games that fit specific categories, let's instead give thanks and praise to all of the games we enjoyed in 2023.
Tell us what games you enjoyed in 2023 (Doesn't have to had come out that year) and at the end of January, I'll make a big presentation of all of your comments! You can be as detailed or as vague as you wish, and it can be from Steam, Itch, Epic, Newgrounds, etc;
All you need to do is put the game on a line and your comment below, for example:
Pizza Tower
It was fun! :)
On January 31st, I'll take everything submitted and put it together on a big post~! I also apologize if this seems rushed, I've talked about doing this before and never have, so this year I'm saying heck it, let's ball~!
You can reply to this thread here, our website, or on the thread created in our discord!
This game packs big laughs and big fun in such a small console. Its enemy-thrashing button-bashing action-command active combat will leave you enjoying every encounter, from the common Koopa-Troopa to its creative and challenging boss battles. Fighting is not its only strength - its exploration, puzzling solving, and platforming are polished to perfection! This title's classic status is well earned, and it's a must-play for any lover of the brothers.
HeartGold is Pokemon at its best- a simple and engaging personal journey that pushes the player all the way to the top and beyond. Two regions, tons of 'mons and memorable characters, and a sizeable post-game made sure I enjoyed the challenge to Catch Em' All.
Harsh. Ambiguous. Frustrating. Beautiful. Played this after watching Jacob Geller's "Games that Don't Fake the Space" and it scared me into going to an art museum.
Dandori~ Dandori~ It's for me, yes indeed! Every Pikmin installment has something to offer, and I'm glad this sequel got its time in the sun.
My favorite gender-neutral little-guy puzzle dungeoners :).
I still don't understand what this game was about and I loved it.
oh buddy weve got the movement cubes
Power Bounce my beloved < 3.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
I never played an AC game before, but it was accessible for me since it was the first PC release and I could be a stereotype playing the robot game. I had so much fun streaming it and getting through the bosses bit by bit. It got me my first regular stream viewer who comes no matter what I'm playing and sadly gave me my first running joke of hating helicopters x...x I'll always play it and take a shot at S-ranking some of the harder levels for fun, speed based builds were too much fun to not go back to and just zip through the world with.
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters
I didn't play too far into this title yet, but I like Idea Factory in general as a publisher. They make a lot of really... fanservicey games, yes. But they're so packed full of references to old gaming culture new and old, and on a meta level the writing is clever. I also just really love a good JRP that asks for a bit of grind and has some good hidden content you have to work for (final fantasy 7 and your Weapons, my beloved) and lots of things to do with and without achievements guiding you. I'd have played it more but I have to still 100% four other games of that mainline series before I sit down to it since the mechanics change a lot between each entry (usually for the better!)
I unfortunately only got into these games pretty late into the year, but I had a blast with them.
Deep Rock Galactic
If Minecraft and Left 4 Dead 2 had a child, this would be it. I like it mostly for the teamwork aspect, where every dwarf has their place in the team and working together makes everyone stronger, but every part of this game feels perfect. The soundtrack and sound design are lovely, the weapons and customization feel amazing, the voice acting, writing, and enemy design are unmatched, and it shows that the developers care a lot about this game. There is no paid DLC that is not purely cosmetic, the season pass is completely free, and when a new one drops, all rewards from the previous one are added to random drop pools. Playing never gets stale, as there are various weapon combinations, mission objectives, cave types, hazards- and every cave is randomly generated and different from the last. Buy the game, support the devs, play this with your friends and have fun in the mines.
ULTRAKILL
A fast-paced PvE boomer shooter-inspired game with a blood-pumping soundtrack, deep lore, satisfying mechanics that encourage creativity and stylish play, and a large speedrunning scene that's kept me hooked in for most of the past month, as it's gotten a much anticipated update in December with possibly the best enemies, levels, boss and soundtrack so far. The developers love interacting with the community and constantly listen to feedback to make the game one of the best of this era. Not much else to say other than get this game, it's worth every penny; you can even try the demo and get a taste of the first layer and some more. Also Versus >>> Duel, fight me.
The game I obsessed over unfortunately was not released in 2023 so it is disqualified. However, I do have a runner-up!
24 Killers
The sweetest game you'll ever play. I found out about it through a friend, and joined the community discord not knowing what the game was even about. They were in the process of beta testing, and of course I offered my professional gamer expertise. Now I can confidently say that 24 Killers is one of my top 5 favorite games of all time.
The whole thing feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket. The soundtrack, artstyle, and dialogue of the game all contribute to this peaceful and cozy vibe reminiscent of a bedtime story. But it's not just an art game. It has actual gameplay too! It's inspired heavily by the PS1 game Moon: Remix RPG Adventure and restricts the number of actions you can perform according to the amount of energy you have. Once you run out, you have to go to bed. As you progress through the game your maximum energy will increase, allowing you to explore more of the island and do more things.
One single playthrough took me 14 hours, but each save file has a different "blessing" that shakes up the gameplay in case you ever wanted to play it again. Great game highly recommend.
I didn't play many "new" games this year, but I'll list off the ones that I enjoyed!
My favorite game I played this year also happens to be the only game actually released this year, that being Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Wonder is a welcome change after the stale (albeit fun) NSMB games. Super Mario Wonder manages to bring back the creativity Nintendo is often lauded for into a long overdone series, the game controls tight and has a lot of fun stages and challenges along with Wonderful graphics. Wonder quickly became one of my favorite games of 2023, and one of my favorite Mario games of all time.
Terraria
I have a long history with Terraria, getting it almost as soon as it came out and having played it heavily across PC, PS3, Vita and even Wii U. Terraria is honestly one of my GOATs and I enjoyed it in 2023 just as much as I have over the last nearly 13 years. The fact that the game still gets new updates is just icing on the cake. I also enjoy modding the game, which is made relatively easy due to the game's usage of C# and the XNA Framework.
Satisfactory
My wife introduced me to this game in 2022 and I instantly became hooked. The factory management aspect tickles my autism in the perfect way and especially with a handful (or two) of mods, I enjoy just knocking hours away building and organizing massive factory complexes.
OpenTTD
OpenTTD has been close to my heart for nearly 20 years at this point. It was one of the games I played the most on my iMac G4 and Powerbook back in the day, and 2023 was no different, having clocked 300 hours in the game in 2023 alone according to Steam. Despite the game's simple premise and presentation, spending hours building complicated train and road networks has never gotten old to me.
Animal Crossing
Another game that's always been special to me, from playing the Nintendo 64 version with a bad English translation, to getting my first copy of the US Gamecube version in 2005. Animal Crossing is a game I always come back to, regardless which of the 4 versions I'm in the mood to play. It's charming in ways the later AC games just can't compare, from more interesting villagers, to almost perfectly emulated Famicom games, to all the fun differences between versions. It's always been fun writing diaries and sharing stories between friends. And while the game technically close to ending (the calendar only goes to 2030), this is probably a game I'll keep playing far beyond then.
Alright! I've got a few I can list.
According to Steam last year I played the Binding Of Isaac Rebirth for 32% of the year's playtime. So I have to mention that addiction of mine. Almost every time I pick it up it feels like I discover something new and I'm always tempted to just play just one more run. Still addicted to it 2 full years later.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Slayers X Terminal Aftermath. If you've played Hypnospace Outlaw (One of my all time favorite games) you'll recognize this one as a spin-off from the universe from that game. Its a silly, over the top, Duke Nukem 3D inspired game written by an edgy teenager. The story feels like a Si-Fi B-Movie, mixed with satisfying gun play, classic graphics and a banger soundtrack. (No suprise, as Hypnospace has an awesome OST as well) Totally worth the price of admission.
Overall though, my GOTY has to go to Pizza Tower. While I never played any of the Wario Land games, I can see the appeal and what makes this game be a fan made successor. On all levels, this game slaps. From tight controls, satisfying platforming, crazy level design, a cast of silly characters and a hilarious premise. Oh and of course the soundtrack, oh the soundtrack. It now has a permanent place on my phone for when I need a pick me up. Not to mention the game is challenging to 100% but still perfectly rewarding. It's a game that is certainly made out of pure love. I cannot recommend this game enough if you are looking for a fun and challenging.
Here's to a good 2024 with many more fun games and moments with friends here in SCG ^w^
Honorable Mention: Kittens Game. Its a silly browser based idle/incremental game where you raise a colony of kittens, research technology, religion, trade with others and grown your colony. I picked this back up and leave it idle on my work PC. Originally played it a ton in high-school. https://kittensgame.com/web/