Summary

• 2023 is one of the best years in gaming history with a diverse range of AAA titles that have not disappointed.
• Both major releases and indie games have shined this year.
• Baldur's Gate 3, Sea of Stars, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are some of the top games of the year, each offering unique and immersive experiences.

2023 may be one of the best years in gaming history. It seemed like an endless parade of AAA titles launching one after another, with none of them disappointing. While Screen Rant's game of the year is Baldur's Gate 3, there are so many games that deserve a spotlight that we've assembled a list of our editor's individual choices. Really hammering home how diverse and interesting this year in gaming has been, all seven editors ended up picking different games.

This year saw many of the most heavily anticipated games finally make their debut. Final Fantasy 16 told a new, innovative story for a series that has experienced a renaissance over the last few years thanks to FF7 Remake and stellar Final Fantasy 14 expansions. Spider-Man 2 proved Insomniac is the superhero game developer. Baldur's Gate 3 launched into what many considered a niche genre that then erupted into one of the most important RPG releases ever. The list goes on and on - we haven't even talked about Tears of the Kingdom yet! - but the point is, 2023 might be the most stacked year for major game releases ever.

It wasn't a bad year for indies either, though. Sea of Stars and Cocoon both received high praise for their releases and both are critically acclaimed, fan-favorite darlings. Dredge and Dave the Diver provided very different experiences for the nautically inclined, both coming highly recommended. And Viewfinder challenged players' creativity and spatial awareness in ways that were reminiscent of Portal and other puzzlers.

In summary: 2023 was incredible, and we can only hope 2024 follows suit. Here's our rundown of our team's favorite game launches this year.

Lara's Best Game of 2023 - Super Marios Bros. Wonder

Selected by Lara Jackson, Screen Rant's Gaming Section Lead

In a year that saw the release of both Resident Evil 4 (remake) and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I couldn’t be more surprised to call Super Mario Bros. Wonder my personal GOTY. In single-player mode, Mario Wonder offers gorgeous visuals and tight, intuitive gameplay. In multiplayer, the game becomes a chaotic free-for-all that had me laughing until tears streamed down my face. In 2023 I was desperately in need of some joy and a reminder of how silly, fun, and magical gaming can really be; what I really needed was Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Honorable Mentions: Disney Lorcana & Sticky Business

Although not a video game, an honorable mention for my GOTY 2023 has to be given to Ravensburger's Disney Lorcana TCG. I haven't played a physical TCG since Pokémon in the late 1990s/early 2000s, but Lorcana has ignited a ion in me that I simply forgot existed. I spent a lot of 2023 researching strategies, tweaking my deck, and I even entered a locals tournament. To sneak in one last shout-out, Sticky Business, a sticker store management sim, is wonderfully addictive when I need something simple, creative, and calming. As a fan of physical planners, the Plan With Me DLC is also a dream.

Austin's Best Game of 2023 - Final Fantasy XVI

Selected by Austin King, Screen Rant's Lead Game Features & News Editor

This year was absolutely stacked with great RPGs, but Final Fantasy 16 managed to stand out with its storytelling, characters, and combat. It personally reinvested me in the series after about a decade of having lukewarm reactions to it. People always argue over what makes a Final Fantasy game a Final Fantasy game. Case in point - there are likely just as many people rolling their eyes on this GOTY pick as there are people nodding their heads in agreement. But for me, a great Final Fantasy game is all about narrative and cast. It's about exploring a world I don't want to leave with characters I don't want to abandon. FF16 was that kind of game.

ittedly, I thought I'd hate FF16's combat (I ended up loving it). It was even a highlight. Valisthea felt like a living, breathing place. Clive, Jill, and Joshua were characters I cared about, characters I wanted to see succeed. The ing cast is equally great - Cid, Dion, Min, and Gav were just a few of the people I fell in love with. What really sold me on FF16 was its story. Although FF16 can be brutal and heartbreaking, its narrative was still filled with hope. It somehow had an epic scope while still feeling extremely personal. The best fantasy (final or otherwise) is all about escapism and FF16 offered an engaging and absorbing escape I won't forget. I loved pretty much everything about it.

Cody's Best Game of 2023 - Honkai: Star Rail

Selected by Cody Gravelle, Screen Rant's Game Reviews, Previews, & Interviews Editor

To me, Honkai: Star Rail feels like HoYoverse taking almost every good element of Genshin Impact and porting it to a more time-friendly setup in a turn-based RPG world without as much exploration. While Genshin's exploration is a major selling point, it's also a big time sink, and can feel daunting when players fall behind. Honkai: Star Rail solves that issue by railroading progression somewhat, and although the lack of an open world is certainly noticed, it almost functions better as a result. I can't stop playing the game thanks to its intriguing story, great characters, and deep, fun combat systems that continue to change as new characters get added to the game.

While there were plenty of games that were incredible this year, only one of them is one I'm going to happily be playing for the next several. Honkai: Star Rail has hooked me, in a way that keeps me coming back daily to complete quests, farm for equipment, and tinker with my team compositions endlessly.

Kyle's Best Game of 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Selected by Kyle Gratton, Screen Rant's Game Feature & News Editor

I was so desperate to both have a physical copy of Tears of the Kingdom and play it immediately upon release that I stood in line for the midnight release at a local GameStop, which doesn’t feel like an activity that should be possible in 2023. Getting home and playing TOTK, though, I had a huge grin plastered on my face until I finally went to bed after 4am, all the while frequently shaking my head in disbelief at the things the game let me do.

Much like its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, TOTK still feels like an outlier in the Zelda canon for its unbridled agency in gameplay, but its sandbox nature left me with lasting memories of what would've otherwise been inconsequential, routine interactions, like strapping a rocket to a Korok to get it to its buddy’s camp across a river, or performing a strafing run on a Bokoblin fort with my custom-built warplane.

William's Best Game of 2023 - Vampire Survivors (Again)

Selected by William Cennamo, Screen Rant's Game Guides Editor

2023 has been one heck of a year for video gaming, and choosing between all the huge releases is not an easy decision. The main issue I had with this year's crop of AAA titles is their longevity. Hogwarts Legacy consumed my life in February - I was living my wizard dreams, but only for about three weeks. Diablo IV brought back my love for the series, until about halfway through Season 1. Then came Starfield, the massive, expansive, multi-world playground; Skyrim in space. Less than a month later I had already completed every faction quest and reset the universe three times over. But there was one game (that technically came out last year but was released for the Switch this year so it counts). The one game I went back to in between every single AAA release this year was Vampire Survivors.

I have been playing this game since it came out on Steam in October of last year and when it was released for the Nintendo Switch on August 17 this year, I gladly purchased it again and started from scratch. Vampire Survivors is a game that will always be there for me when I need "just one more run." With the 1.8 Update, Vampire Survivors Adventure Mode will refresh the game again with an all-new story-ish mode, so I'll be playing it again then.

Akshay's Best Game of 2023 - Sea of Stars

Selected by Akshay Bhalla, Screen Rant's Game Guides Editor

Sea of Stars is very much rooted in classic RPGs from the SNES, but much like Chained Echoes, it incorporates enough modern touches to make it an exciting 30-hour adventure. The game clearly takes inspiration from classic titles such as Chrono Trigger but adds a new twist to the turn-based battle system to make it a must-play title in 2023.

With captivating music, charming pixel art, and an invigorating narrative, Sea of Stars is a magical experience that holds its own against other heavy hitters from this year.

Garrett's Best Game of 2023 - Baldur's Gate 3

Selected by Garrett Ettinger, Screen Rant's Game Features Editor

Baldur's Gate 3 stands as Larian's masterwork and has had such a considerable impact on the gaming landscape it's hard to argue it's not the best game of 2023. Intricate storytelling, superb voice acting, and a wide range of player-choice options make this game special, even for those who aren't fans of CRPGs.

While other games merely provide the veneer of player choice, BG3 fully leans into the concept. It enables one to truly sculpt the world around them for significant results that reverberate throughout the continent of Faerûn. Even with so much content densely packed within its three acts, exploring and doing side quests never feels like a chore, and the characters met along the way will leave a lasting impression, even after the final credits roll.