The title of this post made me think about the best and worst I’ve played this year.

The best:

  • The Case of the Golden Idol. Short and sweet mystery game in the vein of Return of the Obra Dinn. Not quite as good IMO but I still liked it quite a bit.
  • Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Don’t let the IP fool you, this is a really solid turn based strategy game, occasionally with really solid writing. The “dating sim”/downtime parts were surprisingly fun at best and dragged down the pacing at worst.
  • Death’s Door. Really cool, minimalistic, take on a Zelda-like game. Similar to Tunic in a lot of ways. Funny, cute and probably the best game about death I’ve ever played.
  • Moving Out. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as much while playing a game as I did with Moving Out. It will always hold a special place in my heart for allowing me to connect and laugh with people I love but don’t get to see very often.

Generally I mostly play games a while after release and based on recommendations I trust. As such there aren’t many real stinkers I can think of (plenty of games that I found overrated though). With that said, here are my worst:

  • Doki Doki Literature Club. With the way this game is set up it’s all about the twist. The problem is that the game it pretends to be until then is incredibly boring. Maybe it would have helped if I wasn’t somewhat aware of what is really is but generally I found this game to be a slog.
  • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. Games that rely heavily on humor are always hit or miss. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me in and the actual gameplay was incredibly bare bones.

Thanks for reading! What is your list?

  • Okami@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago

    Best:

    Factorio - The factory must grow.

    Vampire Survivors - They keep releasing new content, and I keep devouring it. This game is even more addicting than Cracktorio.

    The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog - Best April Fools joke this year, and a solid light visual novel in its own right. This was a pleasant surprise.

    Remnant II - My choice for Game of the Year this year. TotK let me down, and while BG3 is solidly in the #2 spot I don’t really vibe with it. Remnant II is an excellent sequel that builds on the strengths while fixing the weaknesses of its predecessor. It’s a hell of a game that still manages to stand out in a year stacked with great titles.

    Note: I didn’t play AC6 or the new Street Fighter, so I’ve got no opinion on how they match up.

    Worst:

    Keywe - A puzzle game where you play as Kiwi birds managing a post office in Australia. Not my thing, but my sister likes it and wanted to play the multiplayer with me. We played online and holy hell this game’s netcode is broken. We kept desyncing mid-puzzle and then whoever was hosting would have to finish the puzzle while the other stood and watched because they couldn’t see the actual gamestate. It’s probably a fine game as a solo or local play experience, but it left a sour impression.

    • jettrscga@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Did Remnant 2 feel more unique than Remnant 1? I tried the 1st and fell off in the 2nd world because it all felt too similar with a handful of enemies and procedural chunks. Reluctant to try the 2nd if it’s got the same lack of variety.

      • Okami@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I didn’t have an issue with that in Remnant 1, but I think it was improved on that front. There’s more enemy variety, with several fodder mobs and elites with unique gimmicks, and some of the bosses are straight up weird. The maps are still procedurally generated, but there are more types of maps in the pool. They do still feel samey when you get two maps that use the same chunks, but there is less overlap from map to map.

        They also made the area progression part of the world proc-gen, so you can encounter the areas in a different order on different play-throughs. That does help keep the replayability fresh, but it doesn’t fix the issue. It just sort of sweeps it under the rug so that it takes more playthroughs to notice.

  • TheOgreChef@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago

    I really loved:

    • Sea of Stars
    • Roboquest
    • Spider-Man 2
    • Dredge
    • Lies of P
    • Remnant 2

    I really DIDN’T love:

    • Rollerdrome
    • Starfield
    • Hogwarts Legacy

    I think there were some middling games and some really great games this year, and even the ones I didn’t enjoy were just not for me, as opposed to actively being bad games. I’m not going to board the hyperbole train and say it’s the best year for games ever, but I think it was very strong and had a lot of variety which is good for everyone. Looking forward to 2024 when I get to play everyone else’s favorites in this thread :)

    • jettrscga@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      How did Remnant 2 compare to Remnant 1 for you if you played both? I started Remnant 1 just before the 2nd release, and I really liked the concept but everything felt too generic and started to get old really quickly. I think the biggest issue was the procedural generation made everything too similar. The worlds all felt the same with only a few enemy types.

      • hordenduopol@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        Much better in Remnant2! Normal mobs, minibosses, even bosses: on my second play through I’m still discovering lots of new things. Best game in 2023.

        • TheOgreChef@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          It may not be my top game, but it’s up there! I really glad to hear you liked it that much though, I can’t wait to see what the DLCs will look like. There’s already a lot of variety, but more stuff to do is always great.

      • TheOgreChef@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I will agree with the other poster that already replied and say it’s MUCH better in Remnant 2. Variety in stages, story, and enemies are all much better, and the bosses/mini-bosses are more fun than the first. I loved the first game as it was a really great small party game to play online, but the second is better in almost all aspects. If you have Xbox, it just went on gamepass, and I think it’s worth your time to check it out.

        As a side note, I will say that the final bosses in both games are absolute bullshit. It’s the one thing that they didn’t seem to listen to as far as criticisms from the first game. If you have a party you’ll be fine, but soloing can be tough.

  • caut_R@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    The games that caught my attention the most were Payday: The Heist, Crusader Kings III (essentially a live service), and Hollow Knight. Honorary mention: Lovely Planet, it pushed me right to my limits, any little bit harder and I wouldn‘t have been able to get full stars. I did play some Zelda but it didn‘t blow me away.

    The worst games, hmm. For sure Magicka, CTDs en masse, absolutely unplayable. DiRT 5 was a huge disappointment to me, driving felt terrible and somehow it looked worse than GRID 2019 with cars that could’ve been toy cars. An HDR spectacle though for sure.

  • Cadenza@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    Best : BG3

    Empyrion (you love sandbox games with endless content with very little guidance? Try it, I’m on HWS RE server and after 260h I’m still just scratching the surface)

    Marvel Midnight Suns (top notch on many levels)

    Chrono Ark (one of the best roguelite deck builders for me)

    The scroll of Taiwu (perfect cultivation sandbox RPG, official translation should come in 2024)

    Worst : Not much… I just don’t understand why I can’t get into Thea 2. It’s supposed to kinda be my dream game. Yet, I’m always bored after 30 min.

    Shoutout to Archmage Rises. It has a long way to go but it could possibly be my GOTY 2024.

  • dumpsterlid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    The best I played this year

    • Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead with the Sky Islands mod Absolutely best survival game I have ever played by a long mile. There is just so much time and love behind this game.

    • Deep Rock Galactic A flawless game

    • Halo Infinite multiplayer it is actually good now!

    • Battlebit So good to have a battlefield not owned and ruined by EA

  • jettrscga@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    Best:

    • Baldur’s Gate 3
    • Against the Storm
    • Dave the Diver
    • Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew - I usually hate tactical strategy games, but this one’s good. The quicksave/reload feature makes it pretty fun to experiment and goof around.
    • Dead Cells (I’m behind)
    • Grounded
    • Tears of the Kingdom

    Mediocre

    • Dredge - It was a unique experience, but I never really understood the fear/consequences despite fully finishing it.
    • Armored Core 6 - The balance in this series always ruins them, even though I try to love them every time. Being forced into a specific build takes the fun out of customization.

    I guess I avoided the worst games this year!

  • OrgunDonor@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Favourites, not really ordered

    • Street Fighter 6 - Really really good fighting game, definitely a recommend if you want to play one.
    • Baldurs Gate 3 - It is BG3, what more needs to be said?
    • Octopath Traveler 2 - It is more of the first, but more refined and better at tying the characters together.
    • Dead Space Remake - If you like the original, you should really play this, it is incredible.
    • Remnant 2 - Great game, a good refinement of the first remnant, and fantastic in co-op.
    • Last Epoch - I really like the leveling systems(Character and also Skills). Not perfect, but fun and chaotic.
    • Crab Champions - Crab goes BRRR. Not many games I go out of my way to 100% but this games feels incredible to play.
    • Spiderman & Miles Morales - Finally pick up on the cheap, if you enjoy the Batman Arkham formula, these two are fantastic. Miles Morales definitely feels like a large DLC though.
    • Driftwood - Longboarding Sloth, super chilled out and relaxing. Just enjoy carving down the hills on sticks of butter.
    • Lumines - The best game on the PSP, and still love it(picked up for cheap with Tetris, but prefer Lumines)

    The not so good.

    • Ghost Runner 2 - I want to like this more, I loved the first game, but the wide open levels and bike traversal just don’t feel good or fun.
    • Diablo 4 - Play Last Epoch instead, D4 feels boring and bland and uninspired after finishing the story.
    • Blasphemous - Didnt click with me, the combat felt good and the movement was good, but never stuck with it, will probably try again at some point.
    • Hyper Light Drifter - I have tried a few times, and I keep bouncing off it.
    • Ori and the Blind Forest - I also want to like this game, but bounced off it again.

    While Street Fighter 6 is my Favourite game of the the year, Baldurs Gate 3 is definitely the GOTY. I would strongly recommend any game from the favourites list. I haven’t played any really bad games this year, Diablo 4 is probably the worst I have played, do not recommend it. Unlike the other games which I would be tempted to suggest under certain circumstances.

  • SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Cocoon - short with no dialog but really enjoyed the puzzles

    The Talos Principle 2 - great puzzles and well done story. Really enjoyed it.

    Far - Lone Sales - the start wasn’t super intuitive but didn’t take long. Short, no dialog. Ok puzzles. Fair enough especially on sale

    Dave the Diver - Really good. Didn’t finish since I played it enough that it didn’t drive me anymore. That’s not the games fault since I tend to do that and rarely play longer games much with my schedule.

    I expect you to die 2 - short and alright. Loved the first one, second wasn’t as good but not bad either

    Stray - I really enjoyed this one. Fantastic world setting and ambiance even though it’s too short for some people’s taste I found it to be really good.

    Gorogoa - Really weird and really good. I love deeper narratives revealed over time and this one hit me like Rime

    • Hagdos@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I expect you to die 3 is out. I’m halfway through, and I think it’s better than 2.

      Still too short, 6 levels, but that’s indie VR games for you I’m afraid.