Game of the year 2023: best indie game –

Many of the talking points around 2023 were about the countless mega AAA titles we’ve had that have essentially redefined what we’re used to from big-budget titles. But the indie space hasn’t taken its hits either. There has been such a large collection of great indie games this year that it honestly feels wrong to pick five. We’re sticking to the format, though, so here are our five favorite indies of 2023.

5. Sea of Stars

Sabotage Studio really seemed to hit the nostalgia points with Sea of Stars. This beautifully animated project took us on a journey through wondrous and exciting locations to fight all kinds of powerful enemies and creatures. The turn-based RPG made us realize once again how much we love these styles of classic games, while simultaneously enhancing it and bringing it to modern times with a plethora of updated mechanics and systems. Sea of Stars could be a true Game of the Year contender for many, and yet we have it in fifth place, which just shows how tough the competition has been this year.

4. Seeker

There are few better examples of how simplicity can be complex, except Viewfinder. This wonderful title is a puzzle game that plays with perspective in a way we very rarely see in the gaming space, and proves that one core mechanism, when worked out with maximum attention, can lead to excellence. It may not be a long game and it may not have enormous mechanical depth, but the puzzles in Viewfinder will leave you scratching your head and/or bewildered by their fantastic solutions.

3. Dave the diver

In other years, Dave the Diver might just be considered the best indie title of the year, period. But the competition is so fierce in 2023 that we put it third on our list. This brilliant combination of fishing, exploration and restaurant management is effortlessly fun and filled with so much character and charm. It’s a timeless fusion that made for one of the most fun games of the entire year, one we still can’t get enough of.

2. Dredging

Lovecraftian monsters, a roguelite fishing experience and plenty of secrets to unpack. Dredge really does have it all. This brilliant title from Black Salt Games amazed us with its combination of features and caught our attention earlier this year at a time when AAA games were not debuting as often as summer and fall. Had we not made it our number one choice, Dredge would have taken the spot for our favorite indie game of the year, especially considering that its post-launch support ensured that nine months after we first set sail on the dark, dreary waters.

1. Cocoon

When your previous experience in the indie gaming space includes working on Limbo and Inside, you have to aim for the moon when you debut your own title. That’s exactly what Jeppe Carlsen did in founding Geometric Interactive and launching Cocoon. This puzzle game is all about travel within worlds and uses this very world-spanning mechanism to challenge and baffle its players on their journey to solve a cosmic mystery.

Cocoon is undoubtedly one of the best games of the entire year, and if it weren’t for the vast array of notable AAA titles that have debuted, it could be totally in the running for Game of the Year. It’s beautifully animated, has immersive and unique mechanics, a compelling story and is simple enough to play that it’s perfect for all kinds of people. There’s not much you can say wrong about this truly fantastic indie project.