Games worth discovering

TapTap's top ten games of 2023

24K View2023-12-14

A lot of bad things have happened in 2023, but you know what's been good? Video games! While the games industry has seen a frustrating amount of instability for developers, the actual games they've put out have been incredible. In fact, we'd argue this has been one of the best years for new games in the past decade—maybe ever!

With all that in mind, narrowing down our favorites wasn't easy. Last week, TapTap's editors and other staff members put our heads together and voted on the games we absolutely couldn't forget and felt deserved special honors, even in a year full of amazing releases.

Over the course of the next week-plus, we'll be revealing our top ten Game of the Year picks one day at a time. You can check below for the games that have already been revealed and see when the next addition is scheduled to be unveiled as well.

For each choice, we had one of TapTap's editors who really loved that game write a little about why it was so good and why it represents the best in 2023. We'll be linking to those write-ups here as well, so please take a moment to go read more about them!

Please share your own picks for Game of the Year in the comments or by making a post with the tag #TapTap GOTY 2023. We can't wait to check out your choices and see what we missed!

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #10: Jusant

Hands down, it’s Jusant’s unique approach to storytelling that makes it special. The game is a testament to the power of narrative without spoken words. A compelling tale unfolded as I ascended higher into the unknown. Climbing the mountain was more than just a physical challenge; it was a metaphysical journey into the mysteries of Jusant’s universe. I felt like a fledgling archaeologist, exploring the ruins of a long-gone culture and piecing together the story of what happened to these people from tiny scraps of information—letters, diary entries, and even just snippets of the environment itself. -StaggerLee

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #10: Jusant - a top-tier platformer with extremely chill vibes

https://m.taptap.io/post/6656438

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #9: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

My favorite thing about Wo Long is its brilliant deflection mechanic. In an inspired bit of design, Wo Long’s central combat mechanic isn’t an attack, but rather deflection. The idea is that using an opponent’s own energy against them is far more powerful than any attack on its own. Deflection is so key to Wo Long’s combat flow that one of the controller’s face buttons is dedicated to it, and it opens up opportunities to do spectacular counterattacks and coups de grâce against enemies that tower over your character like malevolent office buildings. -Ian Boudreau

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #9: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - more than just a Soulslike

https://m.taptap.io/post/6656451

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #8: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

There are lots of new features in Wonder, like badges that give permanent power-ups and fruit that turns you into an elephant, but the standout would have to be the Wonder Flower. Discovering these flowers unlocks special effects that can turn a level on its head. One flower switched the camera to a top-down perspective, requiring me to play through the level in an entirely new way. Another one resurrected an ancient dragon, and another made Super Stars rain from the sky. That unpredictability made every level of Wonder feel like a thrill ride, and I didn’t want that ride to ever end. -Ndi

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #8: Super Mario Bros Wonder - the best platformer of the year

https://m.taptap.io/post/6659616

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #7: Reverse: 1999

What is it that sets Reverse: 1999 apart from other gacha games? Well, the biggest thing is exactly what keeps players returning to the gacha over and over again: the characters. There are over fifty playable characters to collect, but unlike in most gacha games, the lower-tier characters aren’t always just boring, low-power nobodies. They’re also all showcased via a really lovely art style. -Kef

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #7: Reverse: 1999 - breaking the gacha game stigma

https://m.taptap.io/post/6663580

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #6: Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI does one thing better than anything else though: its characters. Protagonist Clive Rosfield starts the game as a sullen jerk; I thought he’d be as unlikable as the original Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife or Final Fantasy XIII’s Lightning. I was completely wrong. The game spends a lot of time giving players insight into Clive’s past, showing why his growth was stunted, and then letting us watch him break out of his shell, bit by bit. -Kef

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #6: Final Fantasy XVI - the next step for gaming’s greatest series

https://m.taptap.io/post/6667012

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #5: Sea of Stars

Not only does the world look fantastic, but exploring it is an absolute joy. There are mountains to scale, platforms to jump between, and tightropes to walk across. Even when I was walking down an ordinary path, I could splash through puddles or gather ingredients I could use for cooking recipes. Sea of Stars made getting from one place to another feel like a genuine adventure. -Ndi

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #5: Sea of Stars - an old-school RPG with a modern twist

https://m.taptap.io/post/6670443

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #4: Alan Wake II

It’s tricky to describe any part of Alan Wake II without reducing the magic out of it, and it would be a disservice to anyone who hasn’t played it to spoil it. The game’s ability to surprise and delight me again and again was a huge part of the thrill I felt while playing through its twin narratives, which twist around each other like the double helix in a strand of DNA. -Ian Boudreau

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #4: Alan Wake II - the best action game of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6673602

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #3: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Most games are filled with boundaries and restrictions, but in Tears of the Kingdom, you can do just about anything you want to do if you can find a way to make it work. Sure, you can’t walk up to dogs and pet them, but you can construct a machine that’ll automatically pet dogs on your behalf. I was able to build robots that attacked enemies without my input, stick a flamethrower to my shield, and use my time-reversing abilities to hit bosses with their own attacks. This is a game that smashes past limitations and says yes to the player at every turn. -Ndi

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #3: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - the best Zelda game ever

https://m.taptap.io/post/6676825

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #2: Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail introduces a whole new world full of unique characters, and though it shares some aesthetic vibes with Genshin Impact, it embraces a more sci-fi setting that helps set it apart. Notably, Star Rail also shifted to a turn-based combat system with complex strategies, as opposed to the faster-paced action combat of Genshin. That combat ended up being a big part of what clicked so well for me. It was incredibly satisfying putting together the perfect team that could take advantage of an enemy’s weakness or use powerful status effects to win challenging battles. -Jay Hunter

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #2: Honkai: Star Rail - the best mobile game of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6680418

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #1: Baldur's Gate 3

At every turn, Baldur’s Gate 3 wants to give you more: more options, more spells, more story, more drama. It opens with the crash of a dimension-hopping mind flayer ship, in the wreckage of which you’ll encounter the first of many memorable companions who will join you on your journey. Your first goal is to rid your brains of the invasive psychic parasite that’s been placed there by the squid-faced mind flayers, but every step of the journey draws you deeper into a darker and far-reaching conspiracy that leads all the way back to the high reaches of power in the city of Baldur’s Gate itself. -Ian Boudreau

TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #1: Baldur’s Gate 3 - the new gold standard

https://m.taptap.io/post/6682804

Want more awesome game suggestion from 2023? Each of TapTap's North American editors will also be sharing a personal top 10 list. Check them out here:

Kef's top ten games of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6713799

Jay’s top ten games of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6691136

Ndi’s top ten games of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6691132

StaggerLee’s top ten games of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6690254

Ian's Top Ten Games of 2023

https://m.taptap.io/post/6702923

Thank you for checking out TapTap's Game of the Year 2023 celebration and for hanging out on TapTap over the last year. We can't wait to see what awesome games come out in 2024, to share our thoughts on them, and to read your opinions.

Once again, please share your personal picks for Game of the Year using the tag #TapTap GOTY 2023. Happy holidays and happy new year!

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Mentioned games

Jusant

9.5

CinematicActionAdventureFantasyRelaxingSingleplayerThird PersonPuzzle