2023 might have been one of the best years ever for the video game industry. This year saw major releases in several beloved franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Street Fighter, and more. While developers were left with high expectations to meet, companies like Nintendo, Insomniac, and Capcom not only delivered, but they often excelled far beyond what players were anticipating. A number of 2023’s major releases had been expected to arrive in 2022, but ended up getting pushed back, and wth that extra development time, studios were able to deliver some truly special experiences.ย
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Platforms like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC were all blessed with truly great games throughout 2023, but it wasn’t just video games that excited players; there were also a number of quality tabletop experiences offered as well. Given the quality we saw throughout 2023, publishers are going to have a real challenge in 2024. There are still a lot of questions about what games we can expect to see released next year, but for now, we can focus on all of the good that was offered in 2023, and hopefully shine a light on some games that might have flown under the radar.ย
As gamers debate the best games of 2023, here are ComicBook.com’s nominees for our Golden Issues Awards for gaming, which are broken up across 5 different categories. Next week, we’ll reveal the winners as voted on by the site’s staff!
Game of the Year
In past years, it’s been a lot easier to select an overall Game of the Year, but that was not the case in 2023. Just getting the list down to five candidates was a tall task, given the sheer quality of releases we saw in 2023! This list could have just as easily been a top 10, but here are our candidates for overall Game of the Year.
- Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games)
- Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Best Ongoing Game
While many games offer a finite experience, many others last for years, offering a steady stream of content and updates to keep players coming back. Ongoing games have become a major part of the video game industry over the years, though not every developer has as much success keeping players invested. Our nominees this year are mostly comprised of games that have been going for several years now, as well as one game that made its way to more platforms in 2023 after launching last year.ย
- Final Fantasy 14 (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Overwatch 2 (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Rocket League (Psyonix)
- Vampire Survivors (Luca Galante)
Best Multiplayer Game
Some people prefer to experience a video game on their own, while others have more fun with a group of people. Whether it’s in-person or online, 2023 offered great multiplayer games that spanned several different genres. Fighting games, RPGs, and asymmetric horror options all released this year, giving players a number of high-quality options. Here are our top 5 nominees for best multiplayer game.ย
- Diablo 4 (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios)
- Party Animals (Recreate Games)
- Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Sumo Nottingham)
Best Narrative-Driven Game
Some developers put a bigger focus on gameplay versus story, while others strive to tell a compelling narrative. Several games released this year offered storylines that kept players engrossed, and gave them an incentive to reach the conclusion. Here are our nominees for the best narrative-driven game for 2023:ย
- Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn Entertainment)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games)
- Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Best Tabletop Game
The majority of our categories this year relate to video games, but tabletop games also had a big year in 2023. Star Wars Villainous was our pick for Best Tabletop Game of 2022, and it will be interesting to see what game comes away with a win this year. Here are our five nominees for the best tabletop games of 2023:ย
- Disney Lorcana
- Freelancers
- Frosthaven
- Sky Team
- Ticket to Ride: Legacy
