So 2023 is coming to a close, another year in the books. There’s been a lot to look back on, and I think it’s about time I got to getting my list of picks for games that I sank my teeth into this year. So here is a list of what I played, what I enjoyed, and what I returned to this year.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

When Breath of the Wild came out for Switch way back in 2017, I was pretty confident we were seeing the best the console had to offer. It was huge, deep, and extremely detailed. Well, I could not be happier to have been proven wrong this year by the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.

This game is an instant classic, up there with the best Zelda installments of all time for me. In building on all the successes of its predecessor, Tears elevates the world by adding new areas to explore and new mechanics to master. The building/crafting system alone would be enough to carry a less ambitious title. But they kept going – batteries, bubbul frogs, weapon augments, you name it. Want to go slay monsters with the local militia? We got that. Want to go spelunking for gems? Got that too. How’s your driving skill on a hovercart? You’re about to find out.

If anything, I feel like Tears of the Kingdom might have tried to do too much without stopping to ask “Why?” at times. Things like Korok seeds are held over from Breath of the Wild, but as just one of the million things to collect, they now feel more like a task to complete rather than a fun novelty to chase after. There’s also the issue of the map getting significantly bigger, and feeling a bit more empty as a result. Sure there are Moblin forts and talus’s around, but what purpose do they serve if you don’t need their resources? They take up space without adding to the overall experience, which is a real detriment when a game of this scale can dedicate side quests to just about any area of the map.

All that said, Tears of the Kingdom is undoubtedly a gem of a game, worthy of playing and replaying. So get your schema stones together kids, it’s time to build a battle wagon.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Every once in a while you get a game that scratches a particular itch in a way that few others do. For me in 2023, Midnight Suns was that game. A card battler that used tactical arena combat and an RPG all rolled into one – with bonus points for being part of the Marvel universe.

I’m not a massive Marvel fan but I’ve watched most of the movies, and a few of the characters were favorites from my childhood. So getting to direct Iron Man and Wolverine in combat was pretty exciting for me. Add to that a reasonable (if someone predictable) storyline, and you’ve got me in for a good time. The gameplay is definitely what I was most fond of here, especially the characters that felt just like they should feel when compared to the comics or movies. Spiderman, Wolverine, and Venom all struck the exact chord I wanted from their characters in combat, making them among my favorites to use whenever available.

Overall Midnight Suns was a solid card battler and a very solid tactical RPG wrapped in an OK narrative/relationship game. I wish it had more to offer in terms of the custom battle arena, like a death match mode where you draft your deck from packs right before a fight begins. But I’ll take what we got and be happy. If only it did well enough to warrant more DLC or a sequel. There’s always next year…

Red Dead Redemption 2

While I realize I was somewhat (or very) late to the party with this one, it’s hard to overstate just how worth it Red Dead was to play. This is a true masterpiece of a game, in just about every aspect. The setting, the scale, the storytelling, the gameplay, all of these exceed expectations in a way that I could not have anticipated. Characters like Lenny and Sadie have no business being as compelling or well-rounded as they are, but the game is so much richer for it.

While Red Dead Redemption 2 might go on a bit long and have a bit of the “oh look, another gun fight” conundrum, this is a spectacularly ambitious and grand game that delivers on every front. I choose my single player games very carefully these days, given the time commitment they require and the other options available to me. This is one that I would happily play again, or continue to play, given the extensive epilogue that I’ve barely started.

Cobalt Core

The most recent addition to my games library is the roguelike deck builder Cobalt Core. This is a charming and captivating game that knows what it wants to be and executes it to perfection. Unlike its predecessors such as Slay the Spire, Cobalt Core has a movement component that has the player’s ship on a lateral axis across from the opponent. That makes your ship’s tactical positioning just as important as your strategic card playing, giving Cobalt Core a lot of freshness from fight to fight.

There isn’t a ton of new ground covered here in terms of the card options – some do damage, some disable your opponent, others give you armor or allow you to move. But the simplicity and elegance of the game as a whole takes the burden off the gameplay in a way that means the snappy dialogue and quick battles can stand on their own. I look forward to unlocking all the different ships and pilots, and getting through a run without fearing for my crew’s safety. And if the devs continue to expand the roster of enemies and cards, this will be a mainstay for a while yet.

Dota 2

Some games come out and blow the doors off a year, like Baldur’s Gate 3. Others quietly keep chugging along, making updates and evolving with the times. Dota 2 is the latter – a relic of another era by all accounts. And yet…and yet. There’s life still in those old bones.

It’s been several years since I played Dota 2 seriously – seriously enough to be ranked anyway. But after The International this year I saw how different the game was to years past, with a bigger map and a slew of new or changed heroes. So I decided to jump back in the pool and see if I could still swim. Turns out I was never much of a swimmer in the first place, but I still enjoy floating around in the shallow end.

The trouble with Dota 2, as it always has been, is that there is a very, very small percentage of the player base that shares both my skill level and my acceptance of being at that skill level. So my ranked games often become a referendum on a team’s ability to communicate, coordinate, and execute a plan. Predictably, this produces mixed results and can lead at times to frustration. But with a cool head and a clear goal, Dota 2 is still one of the best multiplayer games ever made, and I can still pull off a hook or two on my day. Here’s to old man Dota lasting another year, and hopefully a few more beyond.

Magic: The Gathering Arena

Finally we get to the elephant in the room. I play a LOT of Magic, and most of my casual play now happens on Arena either on my PC or my phone. The game is definitely a different animal from when I first started slinging spells at my cousin’s house. But for my part, I only really use Arena to draft the latest sets when they come out, or to go deep on a format I really enjoy.

This year that draft format was unequivocally Wilds of Eldraine. I loved the clean designs, the synergy decks, the unflinching whimsy of cards like Mintstrosity and Candy Grapple. I loved the callbacks to old cards and the use of role tokens. It was just a joy to play and draft.

I also appreciate the integration of cube events into the Arena ecosystem, which has been growing over the last year or two. These are some of the richest veins of gameplay that we as players get to enjoy on Arena, and I hope they continue to grow and thrive.

Third Age: Total War – Divide and Conquer

This is a deep cut, but one of the best modded versions of a game I have ever played. Third Age: Total War is a complete overhaul mod for Medieval Total War 2, turning it into a Lord of the Rings Total War game. The current version of the mod, Divide and Conquer: A Kingdom Reunited, is still receiving regular updates, despite its source material being literally decades old at this point.

The game has dozens of playable factions, from the Men of Gondor and Rohan to the Elves of Lothlorien or the Orcs of Mordor. Each faction has a unique roster of buildings and units, unique events, and unique win conditions. In my playthrough as the Free Peoples of Bree, I got to build the sleepy Shire into an economic power that rivaled any great kingdom, and with support from the Dúnedain rangers and the Elves of Rivendell, we defeated the Goblins of the Misty Mountains and brought the Witch King’s armies to heel.

Overall, this really is a treat of a mod. Given the extensive and well-rounded faction list, it is incredibly replayable. And with a rich setting to draw from, the campaign feels dynamic and resonant. If you like old school Total War titles and long for one that brings the land of Middle Earth to life, grab a Medieval steam key and get modding.