Greetings, readers of Pushing Buttons! Enjoy your holiday season!

Over the past few weeks, you have been submitting your top picks for games in 2023 and what you are anticipating most in 2024. It is still possible to share your opinions on the latter, but it is now the moment to reveal your favorite games of this year.

It’s impressive that even with 50 games listed on the Guardian’s games-of-the-year and games-you-might-have-missed lists, you have managed to come up with some new suggestions. In the past, it was possible to play almost every noteworthy video game released in a year, but now it would take a month just to finish one game, like Starfield.

Without delay, let’s display your excellent discernment. Please be aware that not all of the games mentioned here were released in 2023; some of them were played by people in 2023. Thank you once more to all who submitted their contributions.

“Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: played it with my children, who loved the sense of creativity and adventure. They were scared, thrilled and laughed in all the right places. Beat with all shrines and light roots, 130+ hours played.” Thomas Q

“I have spent the most time playing Coral Island among all the new games I’ve played this year. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is very fulfilling. Although it was released in an unfinished state, there is still a lot of enjoyment to be found.” – Geoff

‘s top game of the year is Cyberpunk 2077, which she has devoted 356 hours to. She recently finished playing it after exploring various story options and completing achievements. She already misses it.

‘s most played and favorite games this year were Venba, Vampire Survivors, Jusant, Gris, and Steamworld Build. Venba is a beautiful and charming game that Matt enjoyed a lot. He also became hooked on Vampire Survivors when it was released on GamePass and couldn’t get enough of the hidden secrets within the game. Jusant is a captivating and slightly eerie game that explores a potential future for Earth. Gris stood out as the most visually stunning game Matt played this year, and its poignant story about grief left a lasting impact. Lastly, Matt loved the Steamworld universe and was impressed by the challenging gameplay in Steamworld Build.

started playing God of War on PS4 earlier this year when he found out his wife was pregnant with their first child. He finished the game in October, just as their son was born. Despite not typically being interested in long or violent games, Phil’s wife was drawn to the storyline of a father and son mending their relationship. The game has become a running joke between them, often asking themselves “What would Kratos do?” With the arrival of their baby, they have moved on to playing God of War Ragnarök and the sounds of the game have become a familiar soundtrack during their sleepless nights.

‘s top game of 2023: Lies of P surpassed my expectations with its impressive storyline, graphics, mechanics, and soundtrack. Despite not being a fan of soulslike games in the past, this one truly stands out as a masterpiece. Initially struggling with the gameplay, I persisted and eventually excelled (if I do say so myself). Mastering this game improved my skills in other games as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who may not typically enjoy this genre.

loves the game Starfield and believes it should be considered one of the top games of 2023. The game’s focus on exploration and romance has restored her belief in the potential of video games. She appreciates that Starfield specifically caters to women who enjoy reading and connecting with their characters. The game’s inclusion of relationship options adds depth to the gameplay as Marta navigates through the vast universe. As a long-time gamer, she has never encountered an open world game that integrates romance and love in such a realistic manner. For this reason, she believes Starfield deserves the title of “game of the year.”

I did not have the chance to play a lot of new games in 2023 as I am still catching up on my FromSoftware backlog. However, Super Mario Wonder is aptly named and brings great delight. – Kenny

What to read

• An individual who is 18 years old and has acute autism has been given an indefinite hospital order for releasing over 90 hours of GTA VI leaks last year. The person, Arion Kurtaj, was already out on bail for hacking Nvidia and BT. While under police protection at a Travelodge, he used an Amazon Fire Stick, his hotel television, and a mobile phone to hack into Rockstar.

• The previous day was a catastrophe. Critiques for the video game featuring zombies were extremely negative and sales were so low that the creators, Fntastic, decided to close down and take the game off of online platforms. So why are redeemable codes for the game being sold for $300? Kotaku delves into the matter.

• According to Mark Delaney of Gamespot, 2023 was a highly successful year for horror games, with the release of Alan Wake 2, remakes of Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, and the previously mentioned Lies of P.

What to click

• The 20 best video games of 2023

• The video games you may have missed in 2023

• Could a crossover between video games and musical theatre be the most unexpected event of 2023?

• Simon Parkin’s five best games of 2023

Question Block

There were no reader questions to answer this week, but feel free to let us know if there is anything you would like answered in a future edition.

Curious about the top game to purchase during the January sales? Unsure of what to do with the Dreamcast you recently discovered in your parents’ attic? As always, feel free to respond or email us at [email protected].

Source: theguardian.com