Without a shadow of a doubt, FromSoftware's majestic Elden Ring has quite comfortably earned my own personal GOTY spot for 2023 (with Obsidian's amazing Pentiment in second place) and, really, it's been an easier choice to make than in any other year in recent memory. Nothing else really came all that close, especially with regards to the year's selection of great big AAA monstrosities.
However, as much as I adored my epic journey through The Lands Between, and boy did I adore it, when I look back over 2023 as a whole, it's been indie games, yet again, that have kept me interested, kept me playing and kept me coming back for more on my Xbox over the past twelve months.
There were some indie arrivals in 2023 that we all knew would be crackers long before they got here, such as Sam Barlow's incredible Immortality (the guy just doesn't know how to make a bad game), but others, plenty of others, just sort of sneaked up out of nowhere and provided me with what were easily my most memorable experiences of the year, the kind of gaming experiences that stick in your mind for the long haul and remind you why you love this artform in the first place.
Tribute Games' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was a game I'd been keeping an eye on for ages - if Dotemu has got anything to do with a project, I'm usually keeping a beady on it - and, although I expected it to be pretty good, it ended up blowing me away, perfectly recapturing the addictive excitement of the old Turtles games I spent so much time and money playing down the arcades after school, but with a modern sheen that made everything that little bit slicker.
In terms of stuff that blindsided me entirely, well, there's been quite a few. Rose-Engine Games' delivered a jaw-dropping bit of sci-fi survival horror with Signalis, a game that has quite unexpectedly ended up in my top five for the year. Bounding Box Software served up an absolutely exquisite slice of old-school shooter action in the form of Prodeus - genuinely the year's finest shooter overall, no questions asked - and Matthias Linda's Chained Echoes is an old-school RPG that manages to pay tribute to the classics whilst bringing plenty of its own unique ideas, excellent combat and endearing characters to the table. How on earth does one person go about making something like that?
Saturnalia is an incredibly unique horror game with a truly nightmarish art style and atmosphere that gave me proper trouble at bedtime over the handful of nights it took me to play it through, Citizen Sleeper is one of the most beautiful and memorable sci-fi experiences of the year and Tunic, well, Tunic is one of those games that's so clever it makes you feel like a total bloody idiot as you play it. An idiot in love with the thing that's making him feel like an idiot, for sure, but an idiot all the same.
There were lots more, too. Vampire Survivors quite rightly took over the world with it's wonderfully simple, maddingly addictive action, Weird West is an absolute cracker of a top-down RPG that's bursting at the seams with emergent fun and Norco, which just arrived onto Game Pass recently, is probably one of the very best point and click adventures ever made and a game you should go and download right now, mate. Seriously.
Honestly, I've heard folk complain on countless occasions recently that 2022 was a bit of a duffer for the old video computer games, but seriously now, if you've even approached coming to that conclusion you're not casting your gaming net nearly wide enough. 2022 has been an absolute banger. A BANGER. It's been a banger in part because of the majesty of Elden Ring, of course, it's one of the greatest video games of all time, period. But it's mostly been a banger because beautiful indie games, time and time again, have delivered exquisite and unique experiences that put the question of games as art way beyond doubt. They've genuinely taught me things, shown me different perspectives and kept me wanting to play, to stay interested and remain passionate about this wonderful hobby for the long haul.
Which indie games grabbed your attention in 2022? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments 14
Lots of people still don’t seem to understand that the actual creative and fun games largely aren’t in that AAA space anymore.
But yeah, stuff like Omori, Signalis, Vampire Survivors, Tunic and Shredder’s Revenge are top tier game releases this year.
I actually agree. I know people are complaining about the lack of AAA games on Xbox, and rightfully so, but I think this year has been fantastic for the ecosystem. I don’t understand this narrative of Xbox had nothing to offer in 2022.
Just a few games I loved this year off of the top of my head:
Tunic
Sniper Elite 5
TMNT Shredder’s Revenge
Persona 5 Royal
Pentiment
High on Life
Signalis
Chained Echoes
Vampire Survivors
Weird West
Prodeus
Immortality
And there are so many more. I’ve played my Series X more than my Switch and PS5 combined. I think this year is arguably one of Xbox’s best, but that’s just my opinion.
@SplooshDmg
You have a good point about GOWR.
But how about some different new AAA type experiences, that would good and good for Xbox.
@BBB pretty much my experience with Elden Ring. Not sure what all the fuss is about, but since everybody seem to love it.. I guess I'm just too old.
Anyway, topic of the day, indies are great, but I love myself some AAA games. Also, there is this tiny little company called Nintendo doing all these fun and experimental AAA games. So it's not like nobody risked through 2022 it just wasn't MS or Sony (predictably).
So true.
Forgot about Weird West as well, how time flies. Some of the most fun I've had in ages!
Yep, best thing I ever did was get gamepass. There are so many indie games I would not have played but try with gamepass and end up loving. Removing the barrier to trying these games and letting me play tunic, immortality, weird west, pentiment and citizen sleeper is brilliant. The interesting thing for me is, in a year when microsoft has banger games coming out, is the indie/3rd party support as strong? I hope so, if they keep the indie offering as good as it has been and add some AAA 1st party stuff then there is no denying it's the best deal in gaming.
@BlackMayge Xbox has nothing to offer that couldn’t be played on other platforms which is what people are complaining about. Xbox get a butt load of games, and all of those games are fantastic, but I can play them on my PC or PS5.
Though Elden Ring is my Game of the Year, Shredder’s Revenge is a very close second, I’ve had such a blast playing through that solo and playing it with my son too. Prodeus and Vampire Survivors are two fantastic Indies that I’ve had a blast with too.
@Floki That is a valid point; however, all of those games I mentioned are available on Game Pass. Moreover, they are generally released day one. If I had to choose between Game Pass or actually buying the game on my PS5, I’d have to choose GP because it’s much more accessible, and saves me money in the grand scheme of things.
Of course it was. Same for me.
Actual blockbusters that make me wanna play my Series X pretty much don't exist.
Most of the best experiences in any medium typically aren't the ultra-mainstream stuff that everyone fixates on. It always amuses me when "core gamers" brag about only playing AAA games. Which, to me, would be like someone claiming to be a cinephile who only watches The Fast and the Furious, Marvel blockbusters, Star Wars, etc.
There's absolutely room in my heart for big, loud, spectacle-driven experiences that cost a fortune to make and sell 10+ million copies. But there's so many richer experiences to be had if one should look just under the surface of what is offered up for mainstream consumption.
@BlackMayge Not everyone is a fan of the subscriptions model for games. I for one still buy all my games even first party Xbox stuff; and refuse to sub to gamepass. I just like the feeling of "owning" my games and not being forced to play stuff within a timeframe.
Owlcat is an independent studio again and Xbox says I spent over 300 hours playing through Wrath of the Righteous this year, so that's a pretty big win for indies for me. I really think it might be my favorite CRPG of all time passing Baldurs Gate 2 20 years ago.
I don’t get the hype with Elden Ring??? I mean it’s very good but not even close to one of my favs. I much prefer the Demon’s Souls remake on PS5. It’s way more fun and it looks far better too. I love some of the sim games on Game Pass, House Flipper is excellent!!! Lawnmower Simulator is another one i enjoyed, it’s so therapeutic to play.
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