GamesBeat writer Rachel Kaser’s Top 10 games of 2023

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Another year is on its way out, and it’s time once again to talk about my favorite games of the year. 2023 was a rollercoaster of a year, with the exhilarating highs of the games themselves offset by the industry-wide lows of layoffs and money issues. It was a fantastic year for me as a gamer — as someone with close ties to the community that makes the games, not so much. That being said, this is a moment for celebration, and I can say with no exaggeration that picking my Top 10 for this year has been one of the most enjoyably frustrating experiences of my professional life.

Narrowing my most-loved games down to just ten was difficult because I would love to talk to you about all of them — so that’s what I’m doing. In a few days, I’ll publish my year-end ranking of every game I’ve played this year, which should be in excess of 85 games — possibly 90 (I still need to do a final headcount). And keep in mind that this list is based on my opinion, my own personal experiences with each game.

I didn’t play Chrono Trigger until I was an adult, so I confess that I don’t often feel that particularly nostalgic itch towards top-down, pixel-art, turn-based RPGs. But playing Sea of Stars, I can get something similar to that feeling. The game just has those vibes, the sense that it’s both an old favorite and a new delight at the same time, and it won me over pretty quickly. It’s an easy game to return to after a long day and has a warm kind of feeling to it that I find hard to describe.

It helps that Sea of Stars is beautiful and feels good to play. Turn-based RPGs are tricky for me — I either like them or I