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Top Ten Video Games from 2023

2023 was another great year for gaming for me. I played numerous games on my PC as well as on my laptop and Android via emulation. Whether classic or new, these games defined this year for me and I loved playing every second of them.

10. Kid Chameleon

Kid Chameleon was by far the hardest game I played during 2023. It’s also the clunkiest in terms of controls and quite problematic in some other areas as well. With that being said, I had to put it on this list for its sheer ambition alone. The unique power-up mechanic and its immense scope and variety made this Sega Genesis a must play game for platformer fans.

9. R-Type

R-Type is a classic shooter that is definitely overly difficult in most of its stages and bosses, but most of the levels were superbly designed. Although short, the game is highly atmospheric, artistically inclined and very well realized in weaponry and gameplay mechanics. It’s a great choice for fans of old-fashioned shooters.

8. Sonic 3D Blast

While I do realize that most people dislike this Sonic game, I absolutely loved playing it, so I had to include it here. It has its flaws for sure, but the isometrical perspective and the collecting mechanic did wonders to make this entry in the series more unique. The harder bosses were also refreshing while the score is among Sonic’s best.

7. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

The first entry in the highly underrated Sonic kart racing franchise is an overly short game that lacks in variety, but it compensates that with fantastic gameplay with so many very well realized mechanics with drifting and boosting being particularly accomplished. It’s not as good as its successor, but it still started off this series with a bang.

6. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is a different game in terms of world building and scope with more than one location open to play. This led to a more ambitious undertaking that really paid off. The highlight is the storytelling and that wonderful ending that capped off the entire franchise in glorious fashion. It was a terrific final entry starring Layton himself and I am sad that this was the year that I unfortunately finished this amazing puzzle series.

5. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a fun action-adventure game that is also very much puzzle-oriented. It’s another overly short game that I played this year, but the audio-visuals were superb and the gameplay mechanics were overall fantastic with the weapons, enemies, hidden secrets, camera and exploration all being top-notch. It’s one of the best and most underrated Lara Croft games.

4. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is an immensely entertaining entry in what is one of my favorite series. Both the main and side missions are terrific here and so were the adventurous elements as Rome was meticulously detailed and it very much felt lived-in. It’s one of the better and more underrated installments in this series that is not that inferior to its lauded predecessor.

3. Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy 2 fell short for me in comparison to its timeless predecessor, but it featured improved, more varied and polished gameplay that made it another winning entry in this series. It’s a game that has so many unique ideas and mechanics that are superbly utilized and so much fun to go through. It’s a clever, delightful and much longer sequel that is a blast to play for platform genre fans.

2. Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is one of the best and most underrated mobile games. It has rough graphics, but everything else in this game worked. It is a complex, versatile product that offers story, classes, raids and dueling among many other playing options. The highlight of course is dueling itself, which was superbly realized. It’s a very unique genre mash-up that really deserves more love. It was wonderful finally experiencing an amazing, worthy HP game on an Android platform.

1. Hogwarts Legacy

Yes, my favorite game that I played in 2023 of course has to be Hogwarts Legacy. We Harry Potter fans ate well this year as is exemplified in my list that features two HP games at the very top. The two were actually very close for this first spot, surprisingly so in fact, but eventually I had to go with a bigger and more beautiful game. Everything here worked – the graphics, sound and voice acting were top-notch while the gameplay was varied and superbly utilized. Yes, I wanted more of Hogwarts itself, but the combat mechanics were absolutely outstanding while the side quests and other smaller things that you can do here all led to numerous delightful hours of playthrough. It’s a game that I played most by far during this year and one that I had so much fun reaching that 100 percent milestone.

Honorable Mentions:

Hercules – Disney’s Hercules game is immensely underrated. It features stellar visuals and such a fun gameplay, especially for fans of old-fashioned platformers such as myself.

Layton’s Mystery Journey – Yes, this final Layton game did not have a larger story to it, but it had charming characters and refreshingly easier puzzles.

Scribblenauts – Deeply flawed in its execution but so original in its concept, Scribblenauts was a blast to play and one of the most unique puzzle games out there.