2023 drawingtoptarp Top/Bottom 10
2023 is the year that I decided to start seriously trying to clear out my backlog of games. I'm not sure when in the year I started consciously doing this since I am making this list after the fact. I don't remember things about some games I played this year, but I remember things about all of the games on this list, so that's why I chose these games over others that maybe should've been here instead (most likely for the bottom 10 part). Most of these games were new for me when I played them this year, but some of them were from several years ago that I never finished. I'll consider this officially year 1 of my backlog journey.
Ranking:
1-10: Top 10 games I played this year with 1 being the best
11-20: Bottom 10 games I played this year with 20 being the worst
Note: Games do not need to have been released this year. They are just games I played this year.
Note: I am allowing these rankings to contradict the individual game ratings I gave. It is possible that a higher game on the list could have a lower rating than a lower ranked game.
Ranking:
1-10: Top 10 games I played this year with 1 being the best
11-20: Bottom 10 games I played this year with 20 being the worst
Note: Games do not need to have been released this year. They are just games I played this year.
Note: I am allowing these rankings to contradict the individual game ratings I gave. It is possible that a higher game on the list could have a lower rating than a lower ranked game.
20 Games
This is the kind of open world game I like to play. There are tons of stuff to do both for the story and side content, with no pressure to stick to only one or the other. Got a bit restless after doing a lot of side content and exploration, so I just headed straight for the end game and finished it.
Definitely one of my favorite indie games out there. Controls are fluid, graphics are full of personality, and the sense of pressure is intense.
3
Super tight indie platformer. I enjoyed this game immensely and only really started raging near the end of the game.
Fun to replay the original Half Life with updated graphics. Still plays just as good, if not better, than the original. I would probably recommend this version over the original.
A rare instance of a game being really unlike anything I’ve played before. The humor and options available to the player make this game truly unique.
Never played the original, but I enjoyed this for what it was. Made for kids, but still enjoyable. Yes, I’ve seen the critic review videos of this game.
The humor and story was super fun to watch. The controls were a bit awkward at times, but it was still good overall.
Another LEGO game, which is fine. Has the humor and fun that would be expected.
9
A puzzle game that doesn’t make me feel like a complete idiot if I can’t figure out the solution right away? Yes please
10
The gameplay was fine, but kind of repetitive and a bit stale near the end. The enhanced mii maker was fun to use, though.
Can be fun if you’re screwing around on multiplayer, but the shovel knight characters do not lend themselves to a platform fighter like this.
Super overrated. The controls are janky and the game did not age well.
This is the closest I will ever get to beating a Kaizo mario game. It’s simply too difficult and didn’t need to be.
Stuff like this is what gives licensed games a bad name. The game has several big issues and manages to overstay its welcome despite it being a really short game.
Boring and uninteresting. That’s probably the point, but that doesn’t make it fun to play.
Unturned but they had to give it a political statement, making the game worse
Was excited to play the secret half life game, but it ended up being a boring flash game.
Truly a walking sim down to its purest form. Nothing else goes on with it.
Exactly what I would expect from an anti-McDonalds game. It’s super janky and they didn’t even put the time in to make it halfway decent.
20
Played as part of a class in college. I’d hesitate to even call this a game since it is supposed to represent someone’s personal experiences or something. The game is miserable to play and that’s all I can really say.