NinaStruggles' Top 10 Games of 2023
Hi I’m Nina! I love having our community aboard the Struggle Bus. We struggle through games and life. We like to talk about snacks, rave about amazing stories in games, make jokes, and tease each other. If you ask us, this is all part of the gaming experience and we always have bus passes available to join us. Wishing everyone a happy end to 2023 and even more gaming in 2024!
10. Baldur's Gate 3
This was my pleasant surprise of the year! I don’t have much experience with D&D outside of a beginner’s campaign I played with friends years ago. I was lured into this game with dating options and choice-based gameplay but stayed for the story and combat. It did take me a bit to get the hang of how to play efficiently since I don’t usually play turn-based combat outside of mobile games (shoutout Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes) but right from the beginning of Baldur’s Gate 3 it’s very simple to start with little to no experience. This is why it makes my list this year. As someone who understands the intimidation of getting into a genre but wants to expand their gaming horizons, this was such a comfort to play and inevitably get addicted to.
9. My Friendly Neighborhood
I mean, who hasn’t wanted to be chased around by killer Muppets? Yeah, me neither. I’m not big on horror unless it has a story to distract me from jumpscares. The story of My Friendly Neighborhood is amazing and the way the mystery of the events leading up to your arrival in the game unfolds is so well done. You play as Gordon, who is just trying to do his job of shutting down the power at a broadcast studio, but has to run from TV show puppets trying to stop him. It is a comedy horror done so well with lots of puzzles and hilarious dialogue.
8. Storyteller
I already knew I would love this game the second it was announced. You are given an ending to a story and have to place the correct characters in the right situations that would result in the prompt given. If you like puzzles and humor, this is for you. You still have fun animations that play out the story even if you don’t get the ending you were looking for. This is just so charming, I can’t not put it on this list.
7. The Golden Idol Mysteries DLC
I’ve been so lucky to have been asked to join Offshore Gamescast for their end of year lists again, and last year I put The Case of the Golden Idol on my 2022 list. The developers released not one, but two DLCs this year, The Spider of Lanka and The Lemurian Vampire, so I’m going to cheat and put both on my #7 slot for 2023. You have to infer information from a screenshot of one moment in time and use that to fill out a full story. While you don’t have to play the main game to play these, it does help since there are few characters that make reappearances. I will say that the puzzles in these DLCs stumped me and took longer than the original game at times, but it is brilliantly done and you really can’t beat that feeling of an “aha” moment.
6. This Bed We Made
This is another one that I knew immediately I would like. I didn’t play the demo and knew I should just wait to play the whole thing. This Bed We Made is about a maid who snoops through guests’ rooms and stumbles upon a mystery. I am an avid puzzle and mystery game player so this was right up my alley. The twists and turns in this were so great and emotional at times. I honestly recommend going in blind to this one so I won’t say much more but if you also like puzzles, scandals, and a really good story, please play this.
5. Bramble: The Mountain King
I never really liked platformers because I didn’t grow up playing them when I was younger and have found them frustrating as an adult who hasn’t developed those jumping and timing skills. When I tried the Little Nightmares series though, I was obsessed and then upset that I could not find anything quite like it. Bramble: The Mountain King scratched that itch for me this year. It was inspired by Nordic folklore and you have to find your kidnapped sister by traveling through this dark fairytale and fighting bosses. This is a very grim story, so I recommend this for those of you who like horror elements but maybe don’t like playing jumpscare-heavy games.
4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
If you asked me in January what would make my top 10 list this year, I would have never guessed Resident Evil. I played My Friendly Neighborhood, mentioned earlier on this list, and everyone told me it feels like a comedic Resident Evil game. I had always wanted to play that series but never got into it because I don’t like jumpscares and was nervous to even try it. My lovely community on Twitch told me to try Biohazard as my introduction during our Spooktober streams and now I can’t shut up about this game. The story, the gameplay, the characters – I was obsessed. Especially going in with no idea of what would happen, I fell in love with Ethan Winters. I was proud that I faced the horrors, thrilled by the combat sequences, and emotional by the story I just witnessed. This was my most unexpected Top 10 game hands down.
3. Stray Gods
I’m a theatre kid. Always have been, always will be, and all you have to tell me is something is a musical and I’m in. Stray Gods, though, blew me out of the water. Can you imagine making a decision-based game with musical elements? As in you have to write new lyrics for each dialogue choice? That’s still crazy to me! You play as Grace, who is sucked into a new world of Greek mythology after being accused of murdering Calliope. Your job is to solve the mystery (and maybe pick a love interest on the way) all while using newfound powers. The voice acting and singing was amazingly cast and produced. I cannot rave about it enough.
2. Hogwarts Legacy
To anyone who knows me, this is not a shock. I have loved Harry Potter and the very dated 00s games forever. I cried during the opening scenes and I had a blast from the second I opened the game. This was all I wanted as a kid. This was everything. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the main story, I loved all of the side quests, challenges, and just getting to explore the world that I read about with the mind of a child. Hogwarts is my home.
1. Lost Judgment
My top 2023 game is actually from last year. I have played quite a bit of the Yakuza games but never touched the Judgment series. Little did I know I would sink 60 hours into Lost Judgment so quickly. This has your typical Yakuza minigames and hilarious dialogue, but takes place in a high school where Yagami solves mysteries while also helping out students as a counselor for multiple school clubs. This actually reignited my love for the series and I’m now playing Like a Dragon (which is definitely making my 2024 list since I’ve been side-quest-distracted and haven’t finished yet). This is the perfect blend of mystery, decision-based sim, and ridiculous storylines. Couldn’t imagine my 2023 without it.