Hades was a great start to my year! Technically I started this in 2022, but I marked it as finished in 2023. Although I got frustrated with the gameplay and eventually dropped it, the characters and art really stand out. Even if the gameplay isn't for me, I really appreciated this one.

Amazing detective gameplay, really hit the spot Return of the Obra Dinn left empty. Didn't hit the same highs, but really great puzzle-solving all around. I'm excited to play the DLC when it goes on sale.

Oh my god. This one is the roughest of the trilogy, but it really hooked me. It has major Tumblr energy (affectionate). The gratuitous violence and overall messiness make this a rough start to the trilogy, but it worked for me.

Amazing. Oh my god, this is what made me love the Hello Charlotte series. It carries over the earnest Tumblr energy of the first but refines the story to become a really pointed and emotional experience. Made me cry at the end.

Lobotomy Corporation defined my 2023 and probably permanently altered my psyche. I've completely fallen in love with Project Moon's works. I was hesitant to start this game because I don't like management sims, but I'm so glad I did.

This is a weird one - I only rated it 3☆, and it didn't really do much for me personally. But I still really love it? The story touches on themes of growing up as a queer woman and religious trauma. I couldn't really relate to these experiences myself, but I love what the game does with it. If those themes resonate with you, I really recommend you check out this game.

Jesus Christ. I genuinely don't know what to say about this game. Just play it yourself.

Although the story is just okay, Octopath Traveler 2 nails literally everything else. Excellent gameplay, stunning visuals, charming characters, and (in my opinion) the greatest soundtrack in all of gaming. 2023 is a year where I've lost interest in games without good stories, but Octopath Traveler 2 was gripping. Also, a side rant: why do people consider lack of connection between each traveler's story a narrative flaw? The story is underwhelming, but not for that reason and the stories being mostly separate is a perfectly fine creative decision.

Great vibes and great soundtrack. The stories were all really charming, and the game carries a relentless and infectious empathy for everybody. As tough as times are, people will always cooperate and form communities. In a time of pervasive doomerism and nihilism, that empathy is really needed.

Pentiment is similar to Citizen Sleeper for me in how infectious its optimism and empathy are. I really got attached to these characters and this community. The Christmas feast really moved me. A bit janky, but if you can put up with that, Pentiment is a great world to get lost in.

I feel the same way as a lot of others in thinking the prologue was the best part, but the rest of the story is really compelling. The game did kind of show its hand in the prologue and the meta elements start to feel like a gimmick, but it's still a good story that's worth your time.

I shouldn't like this game. It's brutal and punishing and forces you to replay the same segment for hours because you lost a coin flip to save your progress. But it's just so satisfying once everything clicks. I really can't recommend this to anyone, and if that just makes the game even more compelling, then you're the target audience.

Occupies my thoughts at all time. A 10/10 does not communicate how much I adore this game. Everything is so wonderfully realized. The art is excellent. The music is second only to Octopath Traveler 2. The gameplay is unique, complex, and fun. And at any given moment there is a 99% chance I'm tuned out thinking about how much I love these characters and this world. Oh my GOD you need to play Library of Ruina.

You don't need me telling you Tears of the Kingdom is good.

From the creator of Hello Charlotte. She has such a unique style. Again, the theme of religious trauma doesn't connect as strongly for me as it might for other people, but etherane's games are just an experience you can't find anywhere else.

Great character writing and a striking visual style, with great music. That's always a winning trio. After enjoying Pentiment so much, I was really craving another story set in an abbey, and Misericorde nails its setting. The protagonist Hedwig is also a stand-out character; she's genuinely kind of mean and judgemental, but never unlikeable.

Actually made me put down the controller for a good 5 minutes and think before choosing what to say. Brings up really interesting questions and explores them from multiple angles. Also there's gay people!

Fantastic mystery/detective/psychological horror game that sent me spiraling. It's hard to express what I love about this game so much without spoiling it. Yeah, it's one of those games.

More like an interactive poem. It's like 15 minutes and it's literally free. Go play it.

Great art and a really unique idea: this is a visual novel told like a documentary about a fictional species of whale. Emotional and inventive.

It's like watching a movie but you get to make choices sometimes. If you're an outspoken critic of the illusion of choice you should look elsewhere, but it's fun to eat snacks and cozy up with this on.

Weird and existential horror game about fish. It's free! Go try it! It's great.

Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina defined my 2023 in gaming, but the Fear & Hunger games are really important to me as well. So engaging in both gameplay and characters that I played 7 whole playthroughs. I never do that! And I'm planning to play an 8th!

This game is really reactive. Played through it twice, and even on my second playthrough where I got put in a couple of the same routes as the first playthrough, I still saw completely different branches within those routes. Great writing and art as well.

God I love what indie creators are able to do. So endlessly charming in its character writing and execution of a Groundhog Day loop that I haven't seen before. I was really sad that this game had to end because I'd gotten so attached to these idiots. I was crying by the ending.