Pixel Dive Staff GOTY Picks
If you had to choose, what would YOU pick as Game Of The Year for 2023?
With plenty of incredible game releases and content updates for existing games, 2023 has proven to be one of the best years for gaming in recent memory. The showcase at The Game Awards highlighted this as tons of great games battled for bragging rights. The GOTY winner for 2023 (and the winner of several other awards) was Baldur’s Gate 3, and considering the love Larion put into the game, it’s easy to see why.
Although Baldur’s Gate 3 certainly deserves praise, some of our staff have different thoughts on which game should have taken the crown this year. In an alternate universe where Pixel Dive staff are in charge of The Game Awards, here are the other GOTY award winners!
Pikmin 4
I know I'll be the only one saying this and that's OK. But Pikmin 4 is my Game of the Year. It perfected the Pikmin formula, and by removing hard time limits it allowed you to explore more of the world and see everything each level had to offer. I love the little touches, like the alien descriptions of Earthly items (a Ringpop is called a Sticky Jewel, a dog bowl is called a Bathing Pool). There's so much to explore and find. The game has just as much difficulty as you'd like since the game lets you rewind to correct mistakes. Oh, and your dog companion, Oatchi, is the greatest. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end, and while I loved Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur's Gate 3 quite a bit, they didn't bring me as much pure joy as Pikmin 4.
~ Tink Edwards
Palia
Palia! It has been my saving grace in finding love in games again. As a streamer, I fell into a rut of only playing games that drove a high number of viewers. Palia became the game where I can play and progress without the guilt of not streaming it.
~ TaroBby
Jusant
I feel like I didn’t play a lot of games that came out this year, so it’s a bit of an “oops I need to play more 2023 titles” for me. Jusant is an absolute gem that hopefully a lot of people will pick up for its couple hours of needed playtime because it’s on Game Pass. Playing it on controller feels very kinetic and has a great sense of forward momentum as you climb. For a game about climbing (a mechanic in many games that can feel both liberating for adventure, but also slow and tedious), it feels like you always have good forward momentum and keep making progress towards your goals. The visuals and art design are great and the story is heartbreakingly sparse. A definite recommend to anybody who wants a game that is looking for a more relaxed platformer/puzzler, but with lots of well made mechanics and things to say within.
~ Kevin Wh3h
Cyberpunk 2077
I know Cyberpunk wasn't released this year, but the 2.0 update was, and that's the version of the game I fell in love with. The 2.0 update just straight-up makes the game way more fun in a ton of ways. It feels like the game finally lives up to the promise given years ago. I'm excited to dip back into the DLC after a little break!
~ Patrick Intallura
Baldur’s Gate 3
I've been told many great games were released in 2023, but I've been too busy playing hour after hour of Baldur's Gate 3 to check any of the other ones out. Easy choice!
~ Bobby Hoffman
Baldur’s Gate 3. The turn-based gameplay combined with the classic DnD characters has led me to spend hundreds of hours playing this game. So many different ways and styles to play, which lends to great replayability, and it’s an easy game to pickup and put down if you need to come back later. I really like that each part of a mission gives an in-depth breakdown of what has happened so far, which makes it easy to walk away and catch up on that mission later on.
~ Ben Eckert
Baldurs Gate 3 because I never have time for DnD anymore and this was the perfect way to scratch that itch. It is a masterpiece in regard to interactive narrative and meaningful game mechanics.
~ Zanadood
Offering an almost unprecedented level of player freedom and stunning performances from the cast, Baldur’s Gate 3 raised the bar for every RPG moving forward.
~ Tpage
Okay, we get it! You like this one!
Your Turn!
Our votes were pretty heavily skewed to a particular game this year, but so many incredible games were released that we’re sure some real gems slipped through the cracks. What was your GOTY for 2023? Let us know in the comments below!
