10. Mr. Sun’s Hatbox

I never played Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but when someone explained to me that Mr. Sun’s Hatbox was a 2D slapschtick version of that, I knew I had to give it a try. A goofy basebuilder with an emphasis on gunplay and hat wearing, you never truly know what you’re in for with each mission. The only constant is chaos. The hop on a banana peel hat and slide into a mine that kills you and all the enemies in the area, kind of chaos. Even as I was losing my army of cute little hat wearing soldiers, I never felt like I was losing ground in the game. This is the definition of stupid fun.

9. Return

Return from solo dev, Dead Unicorn was a pleasant surprise I stumbled upon during Steam’s Next Fest in 2022. The demo was enough to convince me to return for the full release earlier this summer. It’s 2D souls-like with a sci-fi coat of paint that reminds me alot of 2018’s indie film, Prospect (it’s a gem and I’m convinced it got Pedro cast in The Last of Us.) Returning home from space after 200 years away, you play an astronaut who comes to odds with ancient creatures and robots that now run amok. The campaign is on the short side, but the variety of weapons and the recent addition of new game+ add some replayability.

8. Battlebit Remastered

I guess I technically play Roblox? Battlebit Remastered has been a lot of fun with my brothers. It’s a call back to the late nights of my teens and 20s, playing whatever rendition of Call of Duty or Battlefield was being peddled by the big boys. It’s simplicity and big battles recapture what has been lost in AAA multiplayer shooters. I’m still awful, but it’s a good time.

7. Dredge

Dredge finds a balance somewhere between peaceful and dread inducing. One minute your fishing cod out of the sea, the next you’re running for your life, dodging jagged cliffs and some otherwordly creature. With an artstyle that can’t help but remind me of Wind Waker, it’s easy to set out on the open sea and get lost in all the colors. There are some QoL issues I had in my time with the game, but it sounds like Black Salt Games is rectifying those issues and more with an extensive roadmap.

6. Dave the Diver

I didn’t know I wanted to dive and run a sushi restaurant, but here I am. Dave the Diver delivers an addiciting gameplay loop that can suck you in for hours. In or out of the water, there is always something for you to do and new things for you to discover. I’ve barely scratched the service with this one, but I think it’s going to be in my rotation for awhile.

5. I Commisioned Some Bees 0

Can you find all the bees in this photo? My son can, kind of. A Where’s Waldo for bees, this point-and-click will go down as the first game I played with my son, and that’s something special that you can’t replicate, no matter how many bells and whistles you throw into your game. It was also free, so that was cool.

4. Street Fighter 6

I have no business being anywhere near a fightstick. My last fighting game obsessions were Mortal Kombat II and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, so I worried I was going to be completely lost when I jumped into Street Fighter 6. Besides having one of the most creative uses of roman numerals in a logo ever, SF6 has one of the deepest fighting game tutorials I have ever played through. It’s got you covered, from the simplest task all the way down to counters and when to use special moves. The modern controls made me feel like an expert after a few hours with the game. The complicated combos are still there for the purists, but for gravy brains like me, not knowing how to perform a move is no longer a valid excuse for why I got spanked. Now I just got to get good.

3. Backfirewall_

This one hit a lot harder than I thought it would. Backfirewall_ is a first-person puzzler with the humor of the Portal series. Dig a bit deeper though and you’ll find a game with a whole bunch to say about being replaced, fighting to stay relevant, and letting go. Its soundtrack is also bursting with bops.

2. Lil Gator Game

I can’t stop talking about Lil Gator Game. Yes, I Know it is a Breath of the Wild clone aimed at kids. Yes, I also know that it came out December 2022, but honestly, who cares. This is a fun little game you can complete in one afternoon. At its center is a lil gator who just wants to get his college-aged sister off her laptop and onto the playground to play some games. If that’s as much as you want to engage it, you’re all set for a good time. Go further and you’ll find a game that explores play, getting older, and being the glue of your friend group.

1. Hi-Fi Rush

If you told me last year that the team behind Ghostwire Tokyo was going to put out a musical beat-em up and shadow drop it in on GamePass, I would have asked you to pass whatever it was you were smoking. What a freaking surprise. First for the fact that not a peep leaked about this game. In the time of video game scoops around every corner, that is amazing. Second, Tango Gameworks were knee deep in horror, so that fact that this is one of their most well recieved games, blows my mind.

With a lovable cast of losers, an awesome soundtrack, and a game that just feels great to play (minus the jumping), Hi-Fi Rush is the full package. I find it funny this game has alot to say about corporate greed and the push to subscription based services, while being a GamePass game. Yet, even with those heavy topics present, the game never takes itself too seriously or hits you over the head with it’s message. Chai and Peppermint are two of the best new video game characters in a long while, with some of my favorite character arcs this year. Go play Hi-Fi Rush.

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Those are my personal picks for Game of the Year 2023…So Far. Not to be confused with the list I did with my brothers as part of GOTYSO. What games are in your top 10 for the year?