2023 had too many games for any one person to play, but also saw some of the worst layoffs the games industry has ever suffered. There were new rumors and announcements of lost jobs seemingly every day, and that comes along with the grim news of the largest consolidation deal ever seen in the field.

Embracer Group, noted for vacuuming up everything from "Tomb Raider" to "Lord of the Rings" rights, very publicly stumbled as well (RIP, Volition!). So, in spite of the well-deserved celebration of outstanding creative endeavors, this GOTY season is a solemn affair, I'm afraid.

With a heavy heart, let's get into my favorite releases of this hellish year.

Honorable Mention: 'Burning Shores'

This DLC follow-up to "Horizon: Forbidden West" delivers hours of excellent open-world content for fans of the series, but what makes it stand out to me is where it takes Aloy's character. To date, romance hasn't really played a major part in the series, but this expansion hints that Aloy's personal life might just play a bigger part in the inevitable "Horizon 3."

This is also one of the last roles for Lance Reddick. Rest in peace.

10. 'The Expanse'

I've made it clear that the book series and TV show are both very good, so it's no surprise that the video game adaptation does it for me as well. Developed by Deck Nine ("Life Is Strange: True Colors") and published by the corpse of Telltale Games, this back-story for fan-fave Camina Drummer is delightful for newbies and "Expanse" diehards alike. Just don't expect much closure if you're unwilling to explore other media.

9. 'Oxenfree II'

It took seven years for Night School Studio to revisit the spooky world of "Oxenfree" again, and a whole bunch has changed. Heck, "Stranger Things" wasn't even out back then. Oh, and Netflix bought the company too, so the spoopy teen thing resonates even harder.

"Oxenfree II" is focused on much more adult concerns though — it's grown up a bit in all that time. The haunted radio waves and freaky deserted island are still effective, but the introspective moments about parenthood and generational trauma are what makes this sequel stand out.

8. 'Stray Gods'

"Stray Gods" puts Greek gods in the modern world, and thrusts our normie protagonist into the realm of deities in the most chaotic way possible. And it's a musical to boot! I didn't know that I wanted to rock out while making kissy faces to Persephone, but I absolutely do. And with some of that old BioWare magic from ex-"Dragon Age" lead writer David Gaider, it's a heck of a ride for such a short game.

7. 'Final Fantasy XVI'

While this fantasy epic plays more like the "God of War" games than it does other "Final Fantasy" titles, there's so much to enjoy here. There are two standout boss fights that play with scale and franchise history in very clever ways, and there's an odd thrill of hearing f-bombs in a "Final Fantasy." Better yet, the addition of a context-sensitive codex to add relevant information to every single scene is a revelation. If nothing else, that feature needs to be implemented in every other narrative-heavy game.

6. 'Tears of the Kingdom'

I liked "Breath of the Wild," but I didn't love it in the same way that many people did. It did its own thing, and that's just dandy, but it got rid of much of what I loved about earlier "Zelda" titles. With that in mind, "Tears of the Kingdom" is a heck of a sequel to "BotW," but it's still not my "Zelda."

The new mechanics and the elaborate underground area are delightful, head and shoulders above what they did previously, but I can't deny that I miss the temples and gear of the classics. Huge shout out to the new little freaks Kilton and Koltin though.

5. 'Goodbye Volcano High'

I was once an angsty teen trying to make music as the world crumbled around me. That might as well be a lifetime ago, but "Goodbye Volcano High" brings me back in an instant. It melds together a fully-voiced visual novel with a pretty tricky rhythm game to tell a coming of age story for a group of young people who won't actually get the benefit of growing old.

4. 'The Invincible'

This "walking simulator" is a loving adaptation of Stanisław Lem's 1964 sci-fi novel of the same name. It goes off course from the original narrative to tell its own story of the necroevolution on Regis III, but its retro-future aesthetic and intermittent isolation ends up working incredibly well for an eight-hour game. More '60s sci-fi video game adaptations, please!

3. 'Alan Wake II'

"Alan Wake" didn't set the world on fire when it first came out on the Xbox 360. It ended up selling a couple million copies, far from a flop, but it didn't do numbers like I'm sure everyone wanted. With a mix of "Twin Peaks" and Stephen King horror, though, it became a cult classic that both fans and Remedy Entertainment wanted to revisit.

Eventually, that became possible with a little help from some of that sweet, sweet "Fortnite" money that Epic Games has racked up. By moving into survival horror, and expanding the universe to include their other games, Remedy has delivered their best title to date.

2. 'Season'

Remember what I was saying above about layoffs being constant this year? After releasing this lovely exploration game early in 2023, Scavenger let go of more than half of its employees. Years after it came out that there were serious abuse allegations at the studio, my heart breaks for the workers who gave their all under terrible circumstances to make a very special game only to end up losing their jobs outright.

I can't put the real-world suffering out of my head, but I simply must praise what was made. Exploring this nearly-deserted area is joyous and sad in equal amounts, and the experience of documenting the world before it's destroyed resonates well with me as I ride out ecological collapse for the rest of my short time on earth.

1. 'Baldur's Gate III'

As you might remember, "BG3" was one of my most-anticipated games going into this year. It didn't just meet my lofty expectations, it blew the doors off. Larian Studios raised the bar for role-playing games in our modern age, and the sheer number of meaningful decisions on offer here makes other big developers look weak in comparison.

BioWare made a name for itself with the first two "Baldur's Gate" games, but it hasn't shipped a well-liked RPG in about a decade now. "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf," has been in development hell for years with multiple internal reboots, and we'll be lucky if they actually ship the game at all.

Bethesda, on the other hand, got decent reviews at launch with their space game, but community sentiment hasn't been exceptionally positive. The "Fallout 3" and "Skyrim" model of RPGs just feels ancient these days, and the fact that "Starfield" released right after "BG3" made the comparison even more stark. It's a looker, sure, but Bethesda's role-playing ambitions cannot hold a candle to Larian's.

Looking for even more great games? Check out Jared Russo's game of the year list that have very little overlap with this one.