Many believe that this year will be remembered as one of the best in the history of video games. You just had to see the list of candidates for the 2023 GOTY, where anyone could be crowned as the best game of the year.
And the truth is that we have had good games, so many that many analysts have been overwhelmed by the avalanche of titles we have received to analyze during this 2023. But it’s a labor of love.
Today we want to dedicate this article to talk about those games that have been released in 2023 and have not enjoyed the flashes of the press. And that, not for that reason, are worse titles. Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are to blame, it’s nothing personal.
List of the best unknown games of 2023
Viewfinder
Could this be one of the most unique puzzle mechanics in history? Viewfinder allows you to take photos within the game, hold them up and appear in your reality within the game, manipulating the space around you.
It works wonders, capturing fun and creativity in equal parts. All you have to do is focus. I loved it, really.
Tin Hearts
Imagine Lemmings mixed with a Victorian toy box, as fantastic as you would expect from the creators of Fable.
Find increasingly ingenious ways to guide a troop of toy soldiers to their goal, with a narrative that will break your heart as easily as a toy soldier falls off the table.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Built with the bones of the 2014 Yakuza game of the same name, Like a Dragon: Ishin! combines the developer’s irreverent comedy with paraphrased Japanese history lessons and a lot of hand-to-hand combat, taking us to the Edo period.
Packed with cameos from well-known characters and even a Bakumatsu Don Quixote, Ishin redesigns an eclectic and emotion-filled Yakuza spin-off for the growing western audience of the series.
The Last Faith
One would think that a game that takes references from Bloodborne and Castlevania would be trapped in some kind of pastiche, condemned to a pale imitation in the gothic shadows of the titans looming over it.
But The Last Faith takes inspiration from its original material with a critical eye, knowing exactly which elements to emulate and which ones to discard. A must-play game for all those who found Blasphemous to be too much.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Wo Long dares to pose the question: “What if the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was narrated by a horrible masochist?”.
Following in the footsteps of Team Ninja’s Nioh series, Wo Long departs from the confines of the “Souls-like” genre, firmly establishing the Japanese studio as an alternative to FromSoftware for people who enjoy challenging, meandering, and silly games.
Full Void
Fans of dystopian cinema and classic 16-bit games, such as Another World and Flashback, will enjoy the dark atmosphere of Full Void and its satisfying 2D platform jumps.
In addition, its story about an evil AI that keeps humanity repressed in their homes while the outside world crumbles is very timely.
Killer Frequency
It’s the 1980s, there’s a killer on the loose, and the only person who can help is a late-night radio DJ. You control the DJ and must use any information you find to guide the listeners away from the killer.
However, the rich vein of black humor in the game makes failure often as rewarding as success.
Planet of Lana
Inspired by Playdead’s Limbo and Inside, Planet of Lana reimagines the eerie side-scrolling as a watercolor tropical dream.
Influenced by Ghibli and artist Simon Stålenhag, this picturesque platform game sees the protagonist, Lana, fleeing from danger as she jumps from the beach to the forest, with an adorable alien creature on her back. After indulging in the 100-hour games of 2023, this charming adventure lasting an afternoon is the perfect palate cleanser.
Thronefall
Thronefall, a delightfully discreet real-time strategy game, puts you in control of a miniature monarch defending a kingdom from demonic assaults.
You earn gold by defending yourself from intense waves of monsters every night, and then spend the days investing those earnings in city defenses and soldiers to survive the next attack.
