10 of the Best Games I Played in 2023
From the cozy to the terrifying, let's dive into my favs from this year!
I’m all over the place with video games - or, I guess with everything in general, which is kind of the point of this whole thing, right? But video games in particular have always been a huge part of my life, and I’ve always played a lot of them without really caring about the genre or title. I grew up with two younger brothers, and we spent almost all of our free time together playing everything we could - I have so many memories of the 3 of us taking calling next and taking turns with Tekken or Twisted Metal, or of me passing the controller to one of them when a water level came up because I am not about that underwater life. (I also have vivid memories of us pretending to be Dragonball Z or Teen Titans characters and acting big fight scenes out, but we’re not getting into that level of embarrassment this early into the newsletter, okay?)
Although I have a long history of loving video games, unfortunately as an adult, I don’t often have a lot of time for them since I tend to prioritize reading or making new art. That said, I did play quite a few things this year that I want to recommend because they helped me escape for a bit during times that I struggled to do either of the other things I normally resort to when I need comfort. Not only do I recommend the following for being fun and well-made games in general, but I can also attest to the total immersivity of each one - I spent HOURS with these!
10 Games I Loved Playing in 2023
This Bed We Made | Mystery, Investigative, Sapphic
You know how sometimes things are made and you feel like they were made just for you? That’s how I feel about this game. It’s got so many perfect-for-Cassie things that my boyfriend saw it on his own Steam and said, “YOU’D LOVE THIS, look!”, not knowing I’d already had it installed.
In THIS BED WE MADE, you play as a hotel maid in the 50s who works in a fancy hotel and gets a little too interested in the people that check in there. I loved this - it’s got a big mystery that requires investigative work on the maid’s end, completing puzzles and finding different clues in the bits of story you’re able to uncover as you go. I love games with clues and mysteries, so this was such a good time for me! I wouldn’t classify this as horror, but I will say that there’s a dark turn in the last part of the game and I’d have been creeped out if I were playing it in the dark alone - so be warned!
Resident Evil 4 | Survival Horror, Remake, Third Person Shooter
Speaking of games I grew up playing, the Resident Evil franchise is up there in terms of one of my longest loves game-wise. Resident Evil: Code Veronica remains one of my all-time favorites, and I’m really hoping they remake that one soon! For now, as far as remakes go, this one has been great.
Leon feels like Leon should, and so does the gameplay - I also love the small changes they’ve included, which keep the game fresh even for folks who have played it multiple times. I haven’t played the DLC yet for it, but the base game is so much fun.
Fae Farm | Life Sim, Magical, Cozy
This was one of my birthday gifts this year, and although it suffers from some pacing issues in terms of playability, I think it’s super cute & if you manage to get past the initial grindy bit, it’s so worth the payoff. If you’ve ever wished Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley had a little more magic involved, check this out!
Disney’s Dreamlight Valley | Cozy, Life Sim, Seasonal In-Game Events
I think Dreamlight Valley is probably my most-played game of the year next to one of the ones coming up below it — I love this game, omg. It’s so cozy and fun, and as someone who grew up in Florida & has a lot of nostalgia for Disney World and the movies/characters, it’s so cool to be able to befriend my favorite princesses and more!
I will say that there are some issues I have with the way the game has been rolled out (it was originally supposed to be free to play, and now… isn’t), but I can personally attest to how easy it is to get completely absorbed and sink lots and lots of hours into this one.
Planet Crafter | Sci-Fi, Open World, Crafting
I haven’t seen enough people talk about this since it came out in 2022, which sucks because it’s seriously such a fun little game to get immersed in! I won’t spoil any of the actual game story, but basically you end up on this planet that’s completely unhabitable, and you have to slowly work to terraform it and bring life back with plants, water, animals, and more!
It doesn’t have much of a tutorial, but it’s pretty simple and straightforward to figure out - and I love the exploration aspect of it! I can’t wait until they release a multiplayer mode (which they do have planned in 2024!), ‘cause it’d be so much fun to start a new planet with friends.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Open World, Puzzles, Action-Adventure
Okay, look, lol. I’m a little late to this because I have a huge attention span issue, and the first three times I attempted to play it, I got pulled in other directions and ended up doing something else. That isn’t to say it isn’t good, only that my brain is really dumb sometimes, alright? So, with that out of the way, I spent SO MUCH TIME this year with this game. I made it a goal to 100% it before moving onto the sequel, which is probably silly, but I am sticking to it and that’s the only reason I haven’t completed it fully yet. I know that when I beat Ganon at the end, I’m gonna move onto the next - so I need all those little Korok boys beforehand, dangit!
The game encourages world exploration as a primary game mechanic, so the more you explore, the more fun little things you’ll find — or, if you want, you can just go from the starting area straight to the final boss battle (if you’re cool enough, which I am not, haha!).
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist | Life Sim, Deck Building, Choices Matter
This game is super unique and difficult to describe without giving anything away that would be fun to discover firsthand while playing. It’s heavy on the sci-fi, with you playing as a person settling a new space station with your family and other team members. You start out very young and get to shape your character with specific choices throughout their lives, following them and the people they meet and interact with along the way.
There are some really emotional, heartbreaking things that can happen, depending on how you play - I can’t recommend this enough! It’s also got a pretty fun leveling system for character traits & skills that involves using cards and building a deck, which is usually something I like in games and I think is done in an easy-to-master way here.
Cloud Gardens | Calming, Sandbox, Atmospheric
This is such a super chill, calming game - I highly recommend it for anyone feeling stressed or who may be looking for a way to unwind or relax. With each level, you plant little seeds to grow lush greenery over these abandoned man-made areas and buildings. You help nature reclaim small areas by completing little goals and harvesting as you go!
Cult of the Lamb | Roguelike, Construction/Building, Management
This is exactly what it sounds like - you play as a little lamb pal who is tasked with starting a cult worshipping the deity that saved your life at the start of the game. To do this, you fight through levels to earn experience and meet new animals to indoctrinate into your literal cult - yeah, it’s kind of dark I guess, but it’s so cute, right?? There are a lot of things to craft and collect, and also a lot of ways to decorate your main little cult land. There’s also a new update/expansion coming out in early 2024!
Layers of Fear | Horror, Remake, Compilation
I played the first Layers of Fear game in 2016 when it originally released, and I loved it! I didn’t play any of the follow ups, but knew I wanted to try the remake to see how it’d hold up against the original. I was happy to discover that it’s so good, both improving upon the original and also adding a little bit more to the game so it’s new. The team working on it also ended up combining all the games (DLC, sequels, etc) with a brand new sort of wrap-around story that I had a lot of fun with - there were some familiar characters, and they creeped me out!
I plan to include any new games I’ve played in my end of the month media recaps, so if you’d like to hear more about the stuff I’m playing, make sure you’re subscribed to get those updates!
I’d love to hear what you spent your time playing in 2023 - any stand out favorites you loved, or any of the ones on this list you plan on checking out?
