Best games you played in 2023.

Red Dead Redemption 2
Starfield

I wished it was the other way around.

Also recommended, but not finished yet:
Subnautica Below Zero
Detroit: Become Human
Control

Not counting Forza Horizon 5, since it's just about weekly tasks.

I played many very good games this year, but nothing exceptional yet. Here is my current 2023 Top10:

1. Okami HD (91/100)
2. Final Fantasy VII (the old one, with mods) (89/100)
3. Katana Zero (88/100)
4. Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (88/100)
5. System Shock (2023) (87/100)
6. Chernobylite (87/100)
7. Darksiders Warmastered Edition (87/100)
8. Ghost 1.0 (87/100)
9. Rise of the Tomb Raider (86/100)
10. Shady Part of Me (86/100)

Honorable Mention: Immortality (86/100)

Cheers!

[Edited to include Okami on top]

Entropy: Zero 2
Bloody Hell

Urbek - an excellent and quite innovative city builder; still rough around the edges, but constantly improved. A nice Demo is here.

Gal*Gun 2
Cyberpunk
Control
Hatred

Just realized that I didn't played that much this year (comparing to previous years).

Cyberpunk + Phantom Liberty

Baldur's Gate 3 was far and away my favorite thing I played this year. What a game.

GOW Ragnarok and RE4 remake were both great as well. Norco was an indie that didn't have the wow factor of the previous games but one I still really enjoyed

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Off the top of my head, I can only think of two games that have thoroughly impressed me. There's a number of games I'd say fall under the, "It was a decent time killer, but..." umbrella. Nothing worth mentioning for a 'Best of 2023' list though. As for the two:

Baldur's Gate 3
Vampire Survivors

BG3 is weird. It's not overly innovative in the gameplay department and while the writing is good, the story isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. I'd say its excellence comes from the completeness of the game if anything. For a flat price, you'll receive a 'full' game with minimal issues that knows what it wants to be and is competent in how it delivers that experience.

Vampire Survivors is a bit older—released official in 2022—but still deserves a mention. It manages to combine bullet-hell and roguelite elements in a way that is simple yet addicting. I still feel like I underpaid for this gem of a game to this day. It has received a staggering number of free, meaty content updates since release and a number of good paid DLC as well. The only downside is that there is now an army of clones, some good but many just bad cash grabs, flooding the market as a result.

Vampire survivors was an absolute gem, found it on App Store (and it's free there) first and didn't even know it has a pc version but once i found out i immediately bought it and replayed again. Also found a "clone" which is just as good if not even better, called Nomad Survival

-Boneraiser minions was fun, I also finally played and finished Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening DX.

The ones i truly enjoyed and fondly remember:
Hades
Kena
Outer worlds
Grime
Aeterna noctis
Lone fungus
Dave the diver

Best one - RDR2
Few other candidates:

• Disco Elysium - started few days back, so far excellent
• Plague Tale - Innocence
• Vampire Survivors

Indie corner:

• Enigmatis 2
• Californium
• A Trip to Yugoslavia
• RAD
• Press Any Button

Also maybe worth to mention few total worst which managed to finish or at least give them a chance:

• Karma Miwa
• One Day For Ched
• Doodle God Blitz
• Project Pulsation

Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)
I love cool environment, and it freeze often

Neon White
Vampire Survivors

The best: The Planet Crafter, I just wanted to see what new they added in the last 2 updates... I won't stop until I make a new bigger and prettier base.

Travellers Rest, (life + farming + tavern) * sim = 🤑
Hydroneer, despite any of its issues, it's one of the most relaxing games out there. The definition of grinding.
Halls of Torment, haven't tried many bullet hell games, but I loved this one.

Elden Ring.

Hogwarts Legacy
Ghostwire Tokyo
Horizon Zero Dawn
Nier: Automata

Alan Wake 2 :)

Monster Hunter: World
Days Gone
Mass Effect Legendary
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Deus Ex: Manikind Divided
Alien: Islation
Mad Max

The Expanse (Epic)

So far, Baldur's Gate 3 is the best game I've played this year hands down. That said, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a VERY close second. I can't remember a time when I've had two games, back to back, be so fulfilling and high quality that have come out in the same year.

Heaven's Vault
The Last Campfire
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
Creaks
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Ni No Kuni

Pizza Tower

Warframe
Still my goto F2P grindathon
The gameplay is still fun, there's a good, helpful playerbase and the social interaction is generally good.