Here we are; another year is done, so it’s time to look back and reflect on the best of the year. Though my year was busy moving house and several other real life stresses there were plenty of moments to appreciate. Most of which is watching my son grow from a cute little boy unable to walk to a large (but still little) boy who sprints around the house, getting into all sorts of mischief.
In amongst all the chaos of work and not sleeping much, I played and reviewed a fair few games. From observation, we had yet another year loaded with rogue-lite games yet strangely fewer platformers featuring buzzsaws. It’s almost as if people are getting tired of my jokes.
James’ Best Games of 2023
It was another awesome year for indie developers, showing the AAA games how it’s done. Though I did succumb to FOMO (Fear of missing out) and purchased the new Zelda, I only ended up playing about 2 hours of it, so that won’t be here. It was a very good 2 hours, though. Hopefully, my list will bring some renewed attention to what I consider some of the best of 2023. And because it’s me, each game gets a special invisible trophy, too. Enjoy the list
Best Co-Op Game – The Past Within
I have played some pretty good co-op games this year. It’s nice to see so many indie developers remembering that often, there is more than one person in the living room that would like to play a video game. The co-op game that really took me by surprise was The Past Within, a short point-and-click experience with light horror elements that require two players, each with their own screen. No online is required, and you can play on different devices. One player is in the past, and one is in the future. You need to click around various screens with the touchpad with the solution to your problems usually presented on the other player’s screen. It’s all about talking and communicating to figure out the puzzles. The main niggle is it was short, and I wanted more. For the price of entry, it’s well worth visiting if you haven’t had the chance yet. Extra credit for such a clever use of co-op without requiring online play.
Best Roguelite – Wall World
2023 was another year that was chockablock full of roguelike/lite games. Several went for the familiar action platformer roguelike design, but a few tried something different. Wall World may not be considered the best game, but to me, it deserves attention and an award.
You roam around a vertical wall on your giant mechanical spider, stopping now and then to do a spot of mining. Then rush back to your giant spider to fend off the incoming waves of baddies. It is all about quick decision-making, do you mine extra to gain resources to upgrade or play it safe? Ridiculously hard but equally compelling. A unique premise and a very cheap price point made this one of my favourites of the bloated genre in 2023.
Best Sports Game – RoboDunk
I never thought I would ever be awarding a trophy to a sports game, but here we are. RoboDunk takes sports games back to their pure roots of pick up and play fun. 2 vs 2 robot basketball action that is easy to pick up for most players and very difficult to put down.
A fantastic single player with roguelite mechanics and the opportunity to share the experience with friends in co-op or competitive. RoboDunk felt like a passion project for arcade basketball games of old whilst adding its own dunk on the formula. The developers even went the extra mile, adding lore to their dystopian robot setting, making it all the more unique. My favourite part by far was how in the extras menu, you could see the actual builds of the robots made out of plastic bricks.
Best Fishing Game – DREDGE
DREDGE did something I didn’t expect in a video game, mixing relaxing fishing with eerie horror. Two genres I didn’t expect would blend together but DREDGE proved otherwise. Controlling my little boat, I felt comfortable taking things at my own pace. I was very content spending several game sessions simply going out to fish and turning in my hard-earned money to make gradual upgrades. But when the mood took me, I made progress on the plot and braved the creepy waters.
When it did come time to get scared, the game only leaned into creepy feeling rather than cheap jump scares. Overall, this was a nice surprise in 2023. DREDGE tried something different you don’t see in gaming and totally succeeded. For me, it felt like one of the most original ideas of the year. The game would receive multiple updates, including a more casual mode for players who don’t want to deal with the horror elements.
Best Book – Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII
One might consider this cheating as this was the only book I reviewed for the site this year. That wasn’t the original intention, and I am looking to cover more books in 2024. Either way, Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII is a terrific read that deserves renewed attention. A passionate journey into Greek Mythology and how it connects to the Final Fantasy VII universe. The extensive universe includes all the spin-off games. This book even made me care about the film Advent Children which I always thought was a bit overrated. What impressed me the most was how well the book was paced, discussing various parts of Greek mythology, making it quite the page-turner. It’s an essential purchase for a Final Fantasy VII fan. If the author ever wanted to write a book just on mythology alone I would be there day one.
Best Feel-Good Game – Smushi Come Home
You are a cute little mushroom simply trying to find its way home, but along the journey, you help out a few NPCs because your heart is nothing but pure gold. The whole adventure is just relaxing exploration with stress-free puzzle solving. The graphics are gorgeous, delivering all the positive vibes of the outdoors onto the Nintendo Switch. If you’re feeling blue or know anyone needing the video game equivalent of a warm hug, then this is the game. That’s really all there is to say about this short but adorable platform adventure.
Best Retro Inspired – Double Dragon Gaiden
I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Double Dragon series, probably because I witnessed the horror that was the Amstrad version back in the day. I have really grown to love the series over the years thanks to Double Dragon Neon and the 2023s release of Double Dragon Gaiden. The classic brawling action is present and accounted for with a roguelike twist. However, what stood out to me with this entry is how the game allowed you to swap between two characters during a single-player run, making it almost as enjoyable as playing with another human being. Plus, who could forget the memorable moments of Marion bringing a rocket launcher to a fist fight? No longer a damsel in distress indeed. Gaiden takes the retro formula and makes it just as fun in 2023 as it was in the arcades back in the day.
Best Hidden Gem – Brok The InvestiGator
DREDGE somehow figured out how to merge fishing and horror, but Brok the InvestiGator did something more unusual. It combined point-and-click puzzles with brawling. I don’t dislike point-and-click games, but I have often found the genre to be hit or miss. It is only a matter of time before I hit a puzzle wall and need to seek help online.
Brok basically takes the point-and-click formula and allows you to optionally solve problems with your fists should you become frustrated. It’s almost like a video game created for frustrated dads. But that’s not all that’s good about the game. The game has a great story and impressive voice acting, and it makes for a pretty wholesome adventure. I place this as a hidden gem as it really feels like a game that didn’t get enough exposure this year and certainly deserves some renewed attention. The game has even seen updates adding multiplayer to its brawling gameplay so go check it out if you haven’t.
Best SIM – Powerwash Simulator
When it comes to SIM games, I am still very split. I have played some good ones this year and some truly awful ones. I’ve played Powerwash Simulator on Nintendo Switch, which was released in 2023. The simulator that makes cleaning with a power washer more fun than it should be, to the extent I quit my job and went into this for a new career venture. Okay, that’s a lie, but I am considering it. For a long time, I was coming home from my real-life job, shockingly eager to take on my second job on the Switch to clean up someone’s van or children’s park. As the year progressed, the game saw multiple updates, both paid and free, and it looks like that will continue into next year.
Game of the Year – The Monster Game
The game I played the most in 2023 is one I’m still learning. It is also a real-life game I play with my son. Let me explain. Every now and then, the youngling wants to play what I dub ‘The Monster Game’ This is where I often crawl around on all fours, roaring like a monster while my son runs away in laughter. I guess it’s sort of a horror game. Anyway, the game has evolved over the years. To the degree that I now have to hide behind the curtain and roar whilst the boy runs to find his mother, who then needs to find me so I can deliver a bad jump scare. But the boy is never scared; he just laughs. He gets mad and pushes me behind the curtain if I pop out too early. Either way, it’s the game of the year because I have lost count of how many times I have played it. Also, its a game that appears to continuously evolve, so who knows how it will change in 2024. Maybe it will even get a sequel. Maybe it will turn into a real video game. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Thank You
I always like to conclude my 2023 by taking a moment to award some important thank yous.
Big thanks to the lead editors, Yvonne and Paula, for allowing me to write and express my thoughts on this wonderful website. LadiesGamers to me, has always been a site for absolutely everyone, and it’s been a pleasure to be a part of it.
Big thanks to the Patrons for helping with the site costs and upkeep of the site. Your support is greatly appreciated.
As always, thanks to my wife for helping with editing and being the stand-in co-op person to test any game with a co-op mode (and sometimes competitive mode). She has always been a pillar of support with my writing obsession, and I am very grateful she continues to have my back, even with a highly energetic young person keeping us busy.
Thanks to my pal, who I will codename Mahjong for stepping in to help review online co-op games as well as keeping me sane after tough weeks at work. Though he lives too far to buy a beer or sushi, his friendship has meant the world to me this year.
Thanks to my son for letting me occasionally sleep. In all seriousness, I will thank him for helping me connect to the wonders of childhood and see things in a more positive light. Something that becomes much harder when you’re older. During a particularly dark period this year. I believe he sensed I was quite low and he stood up and came over to me and hugged me as if he knew at that moment that’s what I needed. I’ll cherish this moment forever.
Thanks to the publishers and developers for the review codes.
Thanks to anyone who took the time out of their day to read any of my articles. Even those of you not too happy with the score I gave a game or misspelt your favourite RPG, I consider you all awesome.
Lastly I always like to take the opportunity to say if you fancy getting into writing or maybe something new like podcasting, getting fit or a new hobby. Then, be sure to go out and do it.
That’s it for 2023. I’ll see you next year. All the best.
I bought the final fantasy book because of your review and while I’m not done I’m loving it!