Published , by Shack Staff
Published , by Shack Staff
2023 is coming to a close, and the Shacknews Staff has assembled an amazing list of games, people, studios, and other awesome things that shaped the year. Leading up to the Shacknews Game of the Year 2023 announcement on December 31, the staff got together to celebrate some other games worthy of praise for a number of reasons. Each award includes a deliberation video, if you want to get a look at the heated debates and intense staff votes. Games released between January 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023 are eligible for Shacknews Awards 2023 consideration, with December 2023 games eligible for awards in 2024. Please take a look.
Check out the Shacknews Top 23 Games of the Year 2023 article to read the whole list.
Check out the Shacknews Game of the Year 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom article to read more.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.
Check out the Shacknews Person of the Year 2023 - Charles Martinet article to read more.
Follow Charles Martinet on Twitter to keep up with this living legend.
Check out the Do it for Shacknews Award 2023 - Nightdive Studios article to read more.
Follow Nightdive Studios on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.
Check out the Shacknews Best Developer of 2023 - Nintendo article to read more.
Follow Nintendo on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.
Check out the Shacknews Best Publisher of 2023 - Larian Studios article to read more.
Follow Larian Studios on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.
Check out the Shacknews Top 23 Indie Games of the Year 2023 article to see which games made the cut.
Check out the Shacknews Indie Game of the Year 2023 - Humanity article to read more.
You can play Humanity right now on PS4, PS5, and PS VR via the PlayStation Store, and on PC via Steam.
Check out the Shacknews Best Fighting Game of 2023 - Mortal Kombat 1 article to read more.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Check out the Shacknews Best Nintendo Switch Game of 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom article to read more.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.
Check out the Shacknews Best PC Game of 2023 - Baldur's Gate 3 article to read more.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Check out the Shacknews Best Expansion of 2023 - Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways article to read more.
Resident Evil 4 (2023) is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Graphics of 2023 - Alan Wake 2 article to read more.
Alan Wake 2 is available on Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Check out the Shacknews Best Narrative Game of 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom article to read more.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.
Check out the Shacknews Best RPG of 2023 - Baldur's Gate 3 article to read more.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Check out the Shacknews Best Open World Game of 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom article to read more.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.
Check out the Shacknews Best Racing Game of 2023 - F-Zero 99 article to read more.
F-Zero 99 is available on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.
Check out the Shacknews Most Overlooked Game of 2023 - Octopath Traveler 2 article to read more.
Octopath Traveler 2 is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.
Check out the Shacknews Best Co-Op Game of 2023 - Baldur's Gate 3 article to read more.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Check out the Shacknews Most Improved Game of 2023 - Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed article to read more.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Strategy Game of 2023 - Dune: Spice Wars article to read more.
Dune: Spice Wars is available on Steam and Xbox platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Remake of 2023 - Resident Evil 4 article to read more.
Resident Evil 4 (2023) is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Art Style of 2023 - Lies of P article to read more.
Lies of P is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. It's also available as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Check out the Shacknews Best FPS Game of 2023 - RoboCop: Rogue City article to read more.
RoboCop: Rogue City is available on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Mod of 2023 - MyHouse.wad article to read more.
MyHouse.wad can be downloaded on the Doomworld forum.
Check out the Shacknews Best Gaming Accessory of 2023 - SteelSeries Alias Gaming Mic article to read more.
The Alias Gaming Mic is available to purchase on the SteelSeries website and at other consumer electronics retailers.
Check out the Shacknews Best Horror Game of 2023 - Resident Evil 4 article to read more.
Resident Evil 4 (2023) is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Early Access Game of 2023 - Dark and Darker article to read more.
Dark and Darker can be downloaded on IRONMACE's own store.
Check out the Shacknews Best Sports Game of 2023 - MLB The Show 23 article to read more.
MLB The Show 23 is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Cozy Game of 2023 - Hello Kitty Island Adventure article to read more.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available on the Apple Arcade platform.
Check out the Shacknews Best Comeback of 2023 - F-Zero Franchise article to read more.
F-Zero 99 is available on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.
Check out the Shacknews Best Strand Game of 2023 - Super Mario Bros. Wonder article to read more.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available on Nintendo Switch.
Check out the Shacknews Outstanding Achievement in Accessibility 2023 - PlayStation Access Controller article to read more.
PlayStation Access Controller is for sale now on PlayStation Store and other online retailers.
Check out the Shacknews Best Multiplayer Game of 2023 - Street Fighter 6 article to read more.
Street Fighter 6 is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best VR Game of 2023 - Assassin's Creed Nexus VR article to read more.
Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is available on the Meta Quest platform.
Check out the Modojo @ Shacknews Mobile Game of the Year 2023 - Hello Kitty Island Adventure article to read more.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available on the Apple Arcade platform.
Check out the Shacknews Best PS5 Game of 2023 - Marvel's Spider-Man 2 article to read more.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available exclusively on PS5.
Check out the Shacknews Best Xbox Series X Game of 2023 - Starfield article to read more.
Starfield is available on Steam and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Trendsetter of 2023 - Street Fighter 6 article to read more.
Street Fighter 6 is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Check out the Shacknews Best Hardware of 2023 - Steam Deck OLED article to read more.
Steam Deck OLED is available to purchase on Valve's Steam store.
Check out the Shacknews Esports Hero of 2023 - AngryBird article to read more.
Street Fighter 6 is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Check out the Shackbattle Game of the Year 2023 - Street Fighter 6 article to read more.
Street Fighter 6 is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
F-Zero had been such a neglected franchise for so long that it almost became a running joke. Every Nintendo Direct would come around, one would hear, "Oh, I bet we're going to see F-Zero, ha ha ha ha, yeah right!" Then came the September 2023 Nintendo Direct and the publisher shocked fans everywhere by announcing F-Zero 99, the next franchise to get adapted for the "99" battle royale formula.
It wasn't just that Nintendo reminded fans of what the F-Zero series could still bring to the racing game table, but it was also that Nintendo integrated many of the best elements across the series into F-Zero 99, mixing together the classic Super NES tracks with the multiplayer elements of later titles. It's an exciting new way to experience racing games and a great introduction to the series for a whole new generation of players.
F-Zero 99 is available on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.
While some had a general idea of what to expect from the titular main character of Alan Wake 2, few expected him to have a co-star for this story. More than that, people were pleasantly surprised when Saga Anderson's story proved to be just as captivating as Alan's, partly because they were so intertwined and it fed that much more into the mystery.
However, the other key to what made Saga such a memorable main character was the performance of Melanie Liburd. She brought a more grounded approach to the role, one that sharply contrasted with what players experienced with Matthew Porretta's Alan. Whether her character was facing down cultists, coming to grips with a stunning revelation, or getting contemplative in the Mind Place, Liburd brought Saga to life in ways few other actresses could have. She showed the kind of range that a character like this needed and Alan Wake 2's story was that much richer for it.
Alan Wake 2 is available on Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Deceive Inc. is quite an amazing game, and the only unfortunate circumstance surrounding it is being a live-service game at a time when live-service games seem to be in turmoil. This game from Sweet Bandits is brings concepts like 007 James Bond and Prop Hunt together in one solid package. As one or a team of specialized spies, you creep through a giant map collecting intel to help you steal a briefcase. You must blend in to creep among the wait staff, security, and scientists that protect the package, and if your cover gets blown, they'll attack you. The other catch? There are other competing player spies trying to get the same package and escape on their own. That made for an exciting game of hide-and-seek where players would have to be careful as they tried to figure out who was a spy and who wasn't. Deceive Inc. is oodles of fun when you have folks to play with. Unfortunately, the game has had a hard time finding its footing in a year where the live-service game industry is faltering on a lot of fronts. Even so, we'd be happy to see players discover this game and give it a try. You'd be surprised what kind of fun and shenanigans are in store once you're out in the field among fellow spies.
Deceive Inc. is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
We’re all animal lovers here at Shacknews. We love snuggling with our furry friends, and that holds true when it comes to video games. If there’s a creature or animal in your game that we can nurture or pet, then we’re petting it. This year, the standout pet was hands-down the Handler’s Dog from Remnant 2.
This good boy isn’t just a check box to pass the “Can You Pet the Dog?” Twitter account check, it’s damn near one of the most powerful assets in the game. This fantastic little helper can boost your team’s damage output, reduce the damage everyone takes, or heal everyone over-time, all while attacking any enemies you sic it onto and taking the aggro while you run away to reload. What’s more, the dog can actually revive you. It goes without saying that this is a game-changer when it comes to surviving regardless of whether you’re alone or in a squad.
While we loved all of the pets in every video game this year, the Handler’s Dog from Remnant 2 is the best. You might even say it was the best boy. Or best girl. We’re not sure. Either way, congratulations to Gunfire Games for giving everyone the best pet of 2023.
Remnant 2 is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Suika Game was a latecomer to this year's gaming greatness, but boy howdy were we addicted once we saw what it was about. A simple drop puzzle game, Suika game tasks you with assembling increasingly large marbles of fruit by combining two identical smaller fruits together. The more you combine, the larger the resulting fruit becomes, up until you have a big, screen-filling watermelon. Heck, if you can combine two watermelons, they'll disappear, freeing up space for you, but the challenge is in combining larger and larger fruits without filling up your play space to a line at the top. Go over that line and its game over. We had tons of fun exploring this modest free browser and mobile game turned Nintendo Switch port. What's more is that developer Aladdin X added even more fun and features to the Switch port, making it all the more addictive. Whether you're hunting a high score, aiming to be the fastest to assemble a Suika, or simply chilling and having fun, Suika Game is an addictive challenge that we're happy to see on the Switch this year.
Suika Game is available on Nintendo Switch and on mobile browsers.
Marvel Snap was carefully designed for mobile devices. We loved it so much that it won our Mobile Game of the Year Award in 2022. With that, it's even more impressive how well the PC port turned out. The widescreen UI is gorgeous and the PC version is undoubtedly the best way to create decks and manage your collection. We love playing Marvel Snap on the go, and now we can spend hours playing from the comfort of our desks.
Marvel Snap is available on Google Play, App Store, and Steam.
It was an action packed year, not only when it came to the sheer number of games released, but the quality of high octane action experiences. But when it comes to letting players live the fantasy of non-stop, wall-to-wall action, nothing else compares to the intensity of combat in Remnant 2. Whether you’re playing it alone or with two other friends, every moment in Remnant 2 is a pulse-pounding experience. You’ll spend time crafting your perfect build using some weird weapon that you crafted from the husk of a boss, two of your favorite archetypes, and a myriad of other trinkets and knick-knacks, and then dive into the next challenge and see if you blast it to pieces or vice versa. Then you’ll do it all again in a run that feels fresh thanks to the game’s inherit random nature. Gunfire Games managed to improve upon the first game and squeeze more action into Remnant 2 than we thought possible.
Remnant 2 is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
While the New Super Mario Bros. series was still Mario at a high level, it left a lot to be desired. More than that, after being around for more than 15 years, the formula started to grow stale. New Super Mario Bros. wasn't so "New" anymore. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a step forward for the series in many ways, introducing brand new platforming challenges that stay true to the classic Mario formula while also taking it to strange new places.
The Wonder Flower, especially, makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder a different kind of Mario game by adding random effects and presenting players with different challenges for every level. If the constantly-changing scenery isn't enough, the special world levels offer some of the most brutally challenging Mario stages to date.
There hasn't been anything in years that has freshened up Mario quite like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and we can only wonder (no pun intended) how Nintendo can possibly follow this up.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available on Nintendo Switch.
The best puzzle games are the ones that take a seemingly simple concept and run wild with imagination. Viewfinder, from Sad Owl Studios, takes its name after the classic photography tool in which photographers could get an approximate preview of what a photo would look like before snapping it. In this game, the idea is to take a photo, lay it out in front of the player's eyes, and then use that photo to create new platforms out of thin air and solve puzzles.
Viewfinder is simple to approach, easy to play, and a marvel in action. The landscapes are appropriately picturesque, the narrative ties everything together, and the actual puzzles are deviously clever without feeling overly difficult. It's the kind of thing that can be shown to a non-video game player to blow their minds and show them what games are capable of creating. And the game is presented in such a way where friends and family can gather together, appreciate the different art styles, and colloborate on potential solutions.
Viewfinder is a marvelous first effort from Scottish developer Sad Owl Studios and we're hopeful that they'll continue to blow our minds in the future.
Viewfinder is available on Steam and PS5.
It's astounding to think about how long Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been around and how much we still play it. It's simply that good, and it helps that Nintendo took a large part of this year to make it even better with the Booster Course Pass. Through the Booster Course Pass, we got a total of 48 new tracks in the game across 6 releases, which by itself is enough to constitute an entire new game worth of Mario Kart tracks. However, Nintendo sweetened the pot even further by adding new characters. Birdo, Wiggler, Funky Kong, Pauline, and more made it to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe roster. Simply put, while other live-service games had their ups and downs, Nintendo continued to bring the goods on top of a great thing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. We're not sure when a new Mario Kart is coming, but we have plenty to play here, and it feels like its going to continue to be fun for a pretty long time ahead.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Booster Course Pass is available on Nintendo Switch.
While a lot of longtime players had an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude when Valve released Counter-Strike 2 (overwriting CS:GO), it's hard to argue with the improvements made to one of gaming's greatest tactical shooters. Not only has the game received a needed visual upgrade, but the Source 2 engine has opened the door for some solid technical advancements. Most notably, the reworked smokes create new strategies for players on both sides of the bomb. Everything that made CS:GO special is still there, and CS2 brings quality-of-life and technical upgrades at just about every corner.
Counter-Strike 2 is available on Steam.
F-Zero 99 takes its inspiration from the original SNES classic. While this year was full of some amazing retro-inspired game titles, seeing a brand new F-Zero game built on the SNES game's shoulders is truly an old school throwback miracle to behold. From the menu design featuring artwork from the original game's instruction manual to the retro soundtrack, F-Zero 99 is an amazing celebration of a classic franchise that has introduced a whole new generation to the race of the century.
F-Zero 99 is available on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.
The Nintendo Switch has been home to nearly every Nintendo franchise imaginable. There have been 3D Mario games, 2D Mario games, Paper Mario games, Luigi's Mansion games, both 3D and 2D Zeldas, some Xenoblades, lots of Kirby games, a pandemic gem in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a new Pikmin, some old school Donkey Kong Country, old school Metroid, and even some more obscure classics like Advance Wars. Heck, there's even an F-Zero game here. Now imagine that all of that exists, but there's no sign of a Wario Land title.
Developer Tour De Pizza saw the lack of Wario Land and decided to create its own homage to the series with the lovable and wacky Pizza Tower. There's just one problem. That's not on Switch either!
In lieu of an actual Wario Land game, we're more than happy to take the next best thing. Let's get Pizza Tower on Nintendo Switch and give this Wario Land-like the home it was always meant to have. If Wario has to be relegated to the microgame factory, let's at least introduce players to Peppino Spaghetti.
Pizza Tower is available on Steam.
How does Dotemu and Tribute Games go about improving on a game like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge? The Arcade Mode and six-player co-op already make it the best kind of game that this type of game can offer. As it turns out, there are lessons to be learned from the roguelite genre and that has rejuvenated Shredder's Revenge with an entirely new game mode with copious amounts of replay value.
Dimension Shellshock challenges players to gradually build to a climactic finale by jumping across dimensions, taking on remixed boss battles, and even by becoming the bosses themselves. There has always been some level of fantasy among old-school players of becoming the Shredder himself and now it's possible. Add in new playable fan-favorites like Usagi Yojimbo and Karai and Dimension Shellshock offers enough reason to revisit this modern arcade-style classic.
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge - Dimension Shellshock is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
When it came to the vote for best music, many of us agreed that Octopath Traveler 2 is something almost entirely out of the ordinary. It's got impeccable tracks throughout its soundtrack. The world music is the kind of stuff you can throw on in the background and just boost the mood of the room as you do other things. The day/night cycle of the game also adds a delightful twist of track variations in most of the game's locations that change depending on when you're exploring them. However, the most standout nature of Octopath 2's OST is that its music accentuates most of its moments perfectly. Whether joy, sadness, sheer hype, or a bevy of other emotions were the target of any given moment, Octopath Traveler 2's music accompanied and heightened the events of the game nearly flawlessly. Also, Critical Clash 2 might be the best boss theme most of us have heard in a while.
Octopath Traveler 2 is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.
When it comes to incredible soundscapes, there's arguably just as much power in the absence of sound as the presence of it, and that's something that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom captures with incredible proficiency. Tears of the Kingdom is a living world full of noise. Wandering among the fields, you'll hear wind blowing through the grass, birds chirping, and possibly some Bokoblins making mischief in the distance, all with a gentle sprinkle of piano here and there. In the temples, you'll be hit with a cornucopia of sounds such as winter storms and tornadoes as you bounce on sky-sailing ships in the Wind temple. In the Depths you'll be engaged mostly by the echoing darkness as you wander carefully through. In all cases, Tears of the Kingdom uses as much or as little sound as it needs to make the world truly feel like a character in of itself. For such a wonderfully employed soundscape it earned our vote for Best Sound Design of 2023.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.