This year, though, the awards will be slightly different to normal. Instead of having ten miscellaneous awards with ten runner ups, instead there will be fifteen winners across three distinct categories: Biggest Surprise, Best Games from Yesteryear, and Best Releases of 2023; with an additional five honourable mentions for 2023. 

With so many games to go through, there’s no time to waste – so let the show begin!

BIGGEST SURPRISES

The first game in our ‘biggest surprises’ category is Black Bird. This is absolutely not a new game, but one I’ve put off playing for a long time due to my disinterest in the genre as a whole. In fact, the only reason I kept it on my wishlist was due to the gorgeous aesthetic and operatic soundtrack.

I really wish I hadn’t put this off for so long.

At its core, it plays very much akin to SEGA’s Fantasy Zone series, albeit with a much darker steampunk aesthetic and some absolutely stellar bosses. For those unfamiliar with the style, instead of the game auto-scrolling you have free roam of the environment to take out the key targets at will. Once all of them are destroyed, you move onto the stage’s boss in order to finish it off. It’s an unusual approach, but one that’s rather charming once you get to grips with it.

What really made Black Bird work so much for me is that the initial difficulty really isn’t all that tough. Designed to be more of a high score chaser, it’s surprisingly accessible whilst still offering a challenge. Once you beat the game, you can then try to get a better ending or attempt the newly unlocked harder setting which is really aimed at genre veterans. It’s nice to play a shmup that doesn’t feel unwelcoming and yet offers challenge for varying levels of expertise. I’m so glad I got around to playing this, and it’s well deserving of a belated GOTY Award.

The second ‘biggest surprise’ award goes to Resident Evil 3 (Cloud Version). This game really caught me off-guard for a number of reasons, which is why I feel it fits perfectly within this category.

First and foremost is that I honestly just don’t care much for the original Resident Evil: Nemesis. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it feels like it should have been a bonus campaign for the second game rather than a sequel. I didn’t dislike my time with it, but I also have zero desire to replay it either.

Which is why I was so shocked that this game grabbed me right from its opening moments. Starting with an incredible new sequence, it really shows off the new direction that the remake decided to take. Separating itself from the classic survival horror format that the second game has, instead it decides to opt for an action horror experience that rarely lets up. There are still survival horror elements, mostly with how the progression works, but this feels like the Hollywood blockbuster movie that Resident Evil 6 was supposed to be. Whilst it is disappointing that they cut out a section of the game without any replacement, I still found that the pacing was pretty much perfect and felt like a wild ride from start to finish.

Obviously the biggest drawback with the Switch version is that this is on the cloud; however, the fast paced action and beautiful visuals really help make it feel more justified than the Resident Evil 2 remake (which absolutely could and should have been native). Surprisingly though, this cloud version was really smooth for the most part and I rarely encountered any hiccups: something that plagues Resident Evil VII and Village. That is why I feel happy awarding the game with our second GOTY trophy.

For our third award in the ‘biggest surprises’ category, we’re going into the world of VR and … cardboard. I’ll admit that I was a LABO sceptic when it was first announced, feeling that expensive cardboard was a pretty stupid idea. Especially as it was designed primarily for children: a demographic not well-known for their careful nature.

And then, many years later, my curiosity about VR resulted in me grabbing the LABO VR kit on a whim just to get some kind of affordable taste of the current state of Virtual Reality. I was not prepared for what exactly Nintendo VR would entail.

First of all, I found myself instantly enamoured by the actual LABO creations themselves. The building process proved to be incredibly fun, acting like cardboard origami albeit with intricate mechanisms that somehow brought each one to life. Whether it’s a camera with a realistic feeling lens, or a bazooka that not only has a meaty feeling but is incredibly accurate with its input; they’re all so much fun to build, are fascinatingly complex despite using the most basic of materials, and are surprisingly a hell of a lot sturdier than you’d expect from cardboard. It really is magical.

And as for the VR itself? Well, it works! It’s obviously not the highest resolution given the Switch’s limited power, but as the game opts for its own simplistic artstyle (one that should be familiar to fans of Game Builder Garage), it feels good enough to be immersive for a cheap first virtual reality experience.

But that’s not even the biggest surprise. The cardboard peripherals and VR goggles would justify the price alone, in my opinion, but the actual game that comes packaged with it has so much to offer. There are pretty substantial experiences designed for each of the ToyCon peripherals, which includes an excellent marble-based puzzle game and a lightgun shooter; a ton of mini-VR experiences, many of which can be experienced without the extra peripherals; and even a game creator that is surprisingly robust – even if it’s lacking a little in tutorialisation (something that shouldn’t be an issue for GBG veterans).

Still, I was pleasantly surprised by every aspect of the experience and can truly say that this is the one LABO kit that is well worth seeking out. There are unbuilt kits out there selling for around the original retail price, so grab one while you still can!

You may be surprised to see Super Mario Bros Wonder listed in our ‘biggest surprises’ category (although I suppose that makes this one an even bigger surprise!), but the fact is that I really don’t enjoy 2D Mario games all that much. Sure, Super Mario Bros 3 and World are both fine, but I also never felt much excitement whilst playing them either. Perhaps it’s due to me growing up with Sonic in the 8 and 16 bit eras, or perhaps they’re just not for me. After all, the only 2D Mario game that I legitimately thought was fun up until recently was Super Mario Maker 2.

Which is why Super Mario Bros Wonder surprised me so much. From the trailers, Wonder just seemed like more of the same albeit with better visuals and a stupid elephant power-up. I wasn’t expecting all that much, and I only really grabbed the game because I had a spare Nintendo Coupon lying around waiting to be used.

Even though I will admit that the game didn’t pull me in completely during its initial few stages, by the end of the first world it had completely sucked me in. With stages that all felt distinctly unique, it felt legitimately exciting to see what the next new thing was going to be – and that feeling didn’t let up until the very end. Sure, the bosses were absolutely dreadful (with the final one being especially generic), but the fantastic levels more than made up for all that. I well and truly adored Super Mario Bros Wonder, and it has made me actually excited for the future of 2D Mario.

A very worthy winner for our ‘best surprises’ category.

And so we come to the final ‘biggest surprise’ award, and there could have been no surprise greater than Balan Wonderworld.

That’s not to say that the game is actually some sort of masterpiece that has been shrouded in incomprehensible hate, but it’s certainly a title where all the negativity has damaged the reputation of what could be a fun time for fans of older games. The game has a lot of archaic design that harkens back to the 32 bit days of 3D platforming, and the reliance of having each costume focus on a single button does come at the expense of functionality for many of them – but there’s still a lot of charm brewing underneath.

Whether it’s the colourful cast of characters with a story that requires you to think and piece it all together, or the magical worlds containing their own special gimmicks, there’s just a lot of fun to be had. It’s a shame that the painfully bad demo, which focuses on arguably the game’s worst world, caused its reputation to plummet – thus resulting it being unfairly known as the ‘worst game on Switch’.

I hate that all of this caused me to miss out on what was one of the most memorable gaming experiences of my year. It certainly isn’t for everyone, and I’d rather boil my testicles than play another Balan Bout minigame, but this is easily one of the biggest surprises that I’ve had all year.

BEST GAMES FROM YESTERYEAR

Our next category is for the ‘best games of yesteryear’ – titles which may not have released in 2023, but we played them this year and feel they’re good enough to win their own award.

First up is Dungeons of Dreadrock: a game I had reasonably low expectations for given that it’s frequently on sale for a euro despite already being a cheap game anyway. Typically I find that games such as these end up either being very short (but also kinda fun) or just pure shovelware trash.

Imagine my surprise then when I started playing and was introduced to such a visually stunning tale, with an incredible degree of polish, about a girl who sets off to save her brother inside the titular dungeon. Things only got better from there as the straightforward dungeon-crawling puzzles at the start of the game, usually consisting of switch flipping or enemy killing, quickly turns into something far more ingenious. Before long, puzzles will require you to think slightly more out of the box if you want to achieve success, even mixing elements of later floors into earlier ones. Need to kill an enemy but have no means to do so? Perhaps that trap you avoided on the floor before may be able to do the work for you.

The game does a great job at staying fresh over its hundred floors, and its extremely high quality makes you wonder why they didn’t sell it for more. On the bright side though, this low selling point also means that there’s no real excuse for missing out on this amazing game.

Yes, I am fully aware that the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection released this year; however, the original games were not. Despite being a collection, this is still a collection of games that are decades old. In fact, one could argue that the collection itself barely counts as new as the most common criticism is that it didn’t really do anything that wasn’t already in the previously released HD collection.

It’s for this reason that many fans of the series were ultimately disappointed with the Master Collection. For me, as someone who had no prior experience with the series, I didn’t really care all that much as I (finally) had a great opportunity to experience these games for the first time – and I was in for an absolute treat.

Whether its the charm of the original MSX title, or the ridiculousness of the later Solid titles, each game on the collection is an absolute blast to play. Whilst the earlier ones (including the original Metal Gear Solid) have some obtuse elements that really affect the overall pacing, it’s the great writing that saves the day. David Hayter in particular does a great job voice-acting Snake, but the storytelling is superb right across the board. Which is great, as you’ll be seeing a lot of story during the course of the game.

This collection is what made me discover and appreciate the series, which is why I’m happy to award it with the next ‘best games of yesteryear’ trophy.*

*not a real trophy

Hotline Miami really was a revolution for the time. With its fast paced brutal action, hard difficulty, and wonderful aesthetic, it created a vibe that many games have tried to replicate since but ultimately fail at providing that same experience. That’s not to say that clones such as Mr Shifty, Hong Kong Massacre, and – I suppose – even Ape Out aren’t still fun, but they feel like lesser imitations of a classic.

Deadbolt, however, recaptured that same exhilarating feeling perfectly. I think part of its success is down to the fact that it doesn’t try to imitate Hotline Miami at all. It’s a 2D game, rather than top-down, and its skeletal reaper focuses more on stealth and shifting through vents rather than simply just fast reactions. Either way, that high-skilled action-puzzle style of gameplay is just as thrilling, and it’s a real shame that more people don’t know about it. Considering it’s from the same developers who made the immensely popular Risk of Rain series, I find it strange that nobody seems to know this even exists. If you loved Hotline Miami, or even high skilled action games in general, you owe it to yourself to buy this game. It never goes on sale, unfortunately, but the low price means that it’s easily worth a recommendation regardless.

Deadbolt was easily one of my favourite games from this year, so was a no-brainer for a GOTY award.

Another game that technically released this year, but still one I consider to be an older game. Sure, the remaster does a fantastic job at updating the models into HD (and they do look absolutely stunning), but the game is still essentially the same as the 2002 release which is why I think it’s worth lumping into this category.

Not that the lack of any substantial additions is a bad thing as a HD overhaul is all the game really needed. Retro Studios did an amazing job at making the Metroid series work in 3D and I’d even argue that the extra dimension makes the formula even better than it already was. The game still holds up amazingly, and it’s great that a new generation of gamers can now get to experience the joy that is Metroid Prime.

Sure, it may not be my favourite in the series due to how safe the game is in many regards, but the level design, bosses, and overall worldbuilding make the game a masterpiece regardless.

Metroid Prime Remastered is an obvious choice for a GOTY Award, but an absolutely deserving one.

Finally we have our last pick for the ‘best of yesteryear’ category, and it’s an absolute belter. Sayonara Wild Hearts is a game I’d had my eye on for a while, but never took the plunge as I just didn’t really understand what the game was all about. Needless to say that when I finally did give it a shot, I fell in absolute love with it. From the offset it just grabs you and refuses to let go until you see the end credits roll.

In essence Sayonara Wild Hearts is an arcade game themed around music. It feels a bit like a rhythm game to a certain degree, but you’re not really hitting beats – even if you do find yourself often moving in time with it. It’s hard to describe, but a close comparison would probably be SEGA’s classic NiGHTS into Dreams, as both are about collecting points in order to garner a high score. Unlike NiGHTS, however, I’d say that the core gameplay and set-pieces are far more awe-inspiring and thus more likely to appeal to a wider audience of gamers.

Sayonara Wild Hearts was an absolute delight and there was no doubt about it getting an award this year. 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

We’re almost at the final strectch now, but we’re not that yet. Before we look at the final Best 2023 Releases, lets look at some other fantastic titles that came out this year that didn’t quit make the cut.

BEST 2023 RELEASES

Now we’re onto the big hitters: the games that released this year that impressed me so much that they deserved an award over the previous five games on the list.

This first winner was a game that I probably wouldn’t have even played this year if it wasn’t for the horror theming. I have zero interest in fishing, so a game with that as the primary gameplay loop seemed a bit boring to me. However, the fusion with a Lovecraftian narrative was enough for me to give it a shot, and thankfully I ended up loving it. Sure, the sanity system felt like a bit of a dud as it barely made all that much difference, but Dredge has so much foreboding atmosphere that it still succeeds at keeping you on edge.

But it wasn’t just that atmosphere that grabbed me, it was the gameplay too. Taking a leaf from Resident Evil 4‘s inventory management system, you need to organise both your equipment and catches with each trip, being careful not to damage your ship and lose your stuff.

Dredge is a great game that’s well worth playing, even if – like me – you not think it’s your cup of tea.

Some games are just an absolute vibe, and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk definitely falls into that category. With its effortlessly cool characters and world, it’s a game that will easily win over anyone that plays it. With it’s simple to grasp skating/biking/skateboarding mechanics and a surprising amount of 3D platforming, it’s just so much fun to play – whether you’re exploring for more graffiti spots, or going around performing tricks. The police can be a bit of a hassle, and I really wish there was an option to disable them in the postgame, but it’s not enough to spoil it.

Team Reptile really took what made Jet Set Radio work and brought it into the modern era. Stunning visuals, amazing soundtrack, and an addictive gameplay loop secures this game’s place as a GOTY winner. As a game that I still think about a lot even after completing it, how could it not deserve a place on this list?

I only hope that SEGA’s effort to bring back their series is even half as good as Bomb Rush Cyberpunk.

It has been forever since Pikmin 3, or at least it seems that way after so damn long. With Pikmin 4 being announced shortly after the launch of the third game, many expected that it ended up getting quietly cancelled due to the minute fanbase and lack of attention that the series seems to have. There was some hope due to Miyamoto’s adoration for the franchise, but that was all that we few Pikmin fans had to hold onto.

And then they announced the game properly, and it looked absolutely stunning. There were concerns that Miyamoto would make it weird due to some unfortunate phrasing about the controls, but the final product turned out fantastic. The decision to make the fourth game have a much lower viewpoint than prior titles actually made the surroundings all the more striking and didn’t make you lose any of the control you previously had.

Pikmin 4 had its issues for sure, with a lock-on function that seemed way too excessive and so much damn dandoori, but given the sheer scope of the game, those problems are easily overlooked. There’s hours upon hours of content here, with bonus modes and postgame story modes to keep you playing for quite some time. Nintendo really went all out with the fourth game, and it paid off in dividends. Out of all the 2023 Nintendo releases, this one is definitely the most deserving of an award.

When a game impresses you so much that it introduces you to a whole new world of entertainment that you’d never been aware of before, you know it’s something special. SIGNAILIS did it last year with The King in Yellow mythology (something that was also in this year’s great Sucker for Love), and now World of Horror has done it this year with the work of Junji Ito.

As a huge Lovecraft fan, any game focused around cosmic horror will instantly grab my attention, which is what drew me to World of Horror in the first place. I was curious about its roguelike storytelling, but really it was the striking visuals and cosmic horror that drew me in.

To say I fell in love at first sight was an absolute understatement. The gorgeous monochromatic look combined with the excellent aesthetic style needs to be seen to be believed. Even the tutorial, a short tale about an attempt to stop a three faced woman with one long mouth sliced across them all, was an absolute delight. It captures Ito’s stylings perfectly, and the gruesome horrific monstrosities are so wonderful to look at that I had to seek out Ito’s work for myself. I didn’t really understand how the game actually worked at this point, but I was still absolutely captivated.

As I worked through the main game, I gradually learned more and more about its inner workings as I tried to stop that run’s terror from destroying the world. It’s a punishing game in many ways – especially due to the inherent nature of the RNG –  but it’s still brilliant. I can only hope that more cases are added down the line as what is here is so damn good and I just want more and more of it. If you’re a horror fan, then you owe it to yourself to try World of Horror. A worthy winner of one of our 2023 Game Awards.

And now we have our final GOTY winner. A game that I only found out about by accident due to the discord I’m in talking about it a lot upon its release. As I looked further into the game, I saw that it was from the team behind Limbo and so I decided to give it a shot. I liked Limbo, for sure, but I wasn’t prepared for how much fun Cocoon was going going to be.

Right from the offset, the game introduces it to its world of insects and the mind-bending world within. You only have a single button to work with (just like Balan Wonderworld!), but it works so well at doing so much with so little. Each world has its own gimmick as you manoeuvre various orbs around different biomes. Some create hidden paths, some allow you to teleport, and so on. Each gimmick is simple and easy to grasp, allowing you to instantly understand how each one works.

Each of the biomes have a series of carefully crafted puzzles that manage to make you feel incredibly clever whilst not being overly difficult either. Even when you have to start juggling various orbs at once, the game still directs you rather well and ensures that you keep on progressing without getting frustrated. It’s one of the puzzle games, like Portal, where even non-fans of puzzle games can play and have an absolute blast. Cocoon is one of those games that you just have to experience at some point in your life, and I have no doubt it will go down in history as one of the classics.

Well, that’s it for this year’s GOTY Awards! It has been a long one this year, which we hope to rectify next year, but with so many exellent games, we just had to give out so many awards. Let us know if you’ve played any of these, or if you plan on adding them to your backlog!