According to our ranking of the top Switch games of the year, 2023 was a great year for gamers.identifies the two best games that the SmartRead team has played over many hours during the previous year. We suggest checking out the titles below this Christmas season if you haven't already, just to see what all the excitement is about.
We've also put up a list of the top mobile games of the year for those who like to play games on their phones. Warning: several amazing titles are included, such Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Monopoly Go, and Honkai Star Rail.
Here is our list of the top 2023 Switch games, without further ado.
Editor Ruby's choice for the Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
The game series Danganronpa, created by the darkly witty Kazutaka Kodaka, is something I like. My most anticipated game of the year was Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, his most recent release, and it certainly lived up to the promise. In Rain Code, you assume control of Yuma, an amnesiac investigator who must work with Shinigami, a strange entity that stalks him, to solve mysteries.
Loading speeds have much reduced thanks to a recent patch, and five additional DLC chapters are already available so you may continue playing beyond the credits. There's never been a better moment to try this game. Check out ourMaster Detective Archives: Rain Code review for more information. to see more of our ideas expressed.
Deputy Editor Kayleigh's choice is Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story
I truly appreciate the A League of Legends Story games, having played various LoL games before, but no one could have predicted how much I would fall in love with Song of Nunu. This is perhaps the most family-friendly game I've ever played; it gripped me from the beginning to the conclusion with a touching tale of friendship and family. The fact that Willump allows you to engage in snowball wars is a delightful bonus.I now get to discover more about Nunu and Willump, which is one of the reasons I like this game so much. My knowledge of Nunu before this game peaked around the age of 10, and he had a Yeti for a closest buddy. Willump, on the other hand, is the last of the Yeti. Unless you like playing the jungle lane, it's unlikely that you have much knowledge of these two. To find out more about them, Song of Nunu is a great resource that tells their narrative accurately. See our
Song of Nunu review to learn more about what makes this game so unique.
Spirittea: Tilly's selection, Editor of Guides
Spirittea is a deliciously pleasant rural role-playing game that successfully combines elements of Spirited Away and Stardew Valley into one delightful experience. But in contrast to other
games like Stardew Valley, it doesn't depend on you being successful by expanding your farm.Rather, you follow a writer who relocates to a small village in quest of inspiration, and you wind up discovering a great deal more than you bargained for. You must help your new neighbors—both living and nonliving—maintain the old bath house for the spirits, restore the town to its former glory, and make a tonne of friends—not to mention maybe finally finishing that book you've been meaning to for a while. You'll be accompanied on this journey by an adorable but sassy ghost cat.Since experiencing Stardew for the first time, I can honestly say that this is the first time I've felt this completely charming and cosy, even if the game started with a few hiccups. However, developer Cheese Master Games has been working hard to address any flaws. However, if you want more persuasion, don't forget to read our
Spirittea review.Connor, Staff Writer, chose the Super Mario RPGAmong the many ports, remakes, and remasters of vintage Nintendo titles that have been released this year, Super Mario RPG is the one that I just couldn't put down. Of course, the fact that I picked up our
Super Mario RPG review has something to do with it, but it also helps that the RPG is a charming one with a pleasant pace, lively conversation, and combat that are hard but seldom annoying. Even better, there's more end-game stuff than in the original SNES game, so those who aren't ready to let go when the credits roll may get even more Geno blasting.Under the watchful eye of publisher Nintendo, developer ArtePiazza discovered the ideal method for reinventing this 25-year-old game. While the quality-of-life enhancements are there, the original charm remains intact, giving the impression that 2023 will be among Mario's greatest years to date even after all this time. Paper Mario fans may disagree, but if a new role-playing game featuring the moustachioed plumber is in the works, I hope it's a follow-up to this one.
Silent Hope, Staff Writer, Daz's choice
As my
Silent Hope Switch review illustrates, I was taken aback by how much I like this game. An cruel monarch and a people devoid of language are the subjects of this dungeon-crawling role-playing game with roguelike aspects. Seven distinct heroes get together to bring peace back to the realm. I'm interested in language since I studied linguistics, thus this together with the farmer class's cute character design pulled me in.Saying that I envision myself playing a game for years to come is one of the best compliments I can offer it. With so many incredible Nintendo Switch games coming out each week, we have an abundance of options, so it takes something really special to keep my interest. There are several approaches to defeat the adversaries, the fighting and exploration mechanics are well-developed and engaging, and the hub area incorporates farming and culinary features.In my opinion, the environmental narrative is the show's standout feature. By means of the Princess's observations and the peculiar symbol at the conclusion of each level, Silent Hope gradually reveals details about the outside world to us. It's done expertly.
Writer Holly chose Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Should I even say it? In every way, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom did not let me down. It wasn't easy to top one of the
greatest Switch games ever, but Link's most recent journey through Hyrule succeeded in doing so and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. With the removal of the pre-established rules and the introduction of a plethora of, quite simply, brilliant new mechanics to use as you navigate the land, the sky, and the underworld, Tears of the Kingdom expands upon the inventiveness of Breath of the Wild.Yes, there are three levels of Hyrule to discover this time around. Above, there are several sky islands, and below, there is a vast, eerie mirror reflection of the surface called the Depths. The new plot, gameplay, and environment bring in a totally new experience and an amazing time, yet enough of the original game is retained to make it easily recognisable and accessible. I could have easily spent a hundred hours discovering this land afresh, and I enjoyed contributing to Hyrule's rescue once more.For more of our opinions, see our
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review.
Ruby's selection for Persona 4 Golden
After making its Nintendo Switch debut at the beginning of the year, Persona 4 Golden has continued to hold a spot among my GOTY selections. In this game, you play as Yu Narukami, who must balance keeping friends, seeing the city, and getting better marks at school during the day with trying to solve the secrets of the Midnight Channel at night.The Nintendo Switch is without a doubt the finest gaming system since it allows me to explore Japan and establish social media connections on my television before switching to docked mode to grind some levels in the Midnight Channel. A review of the Persona 4 Switch is available.We can't believe you've waited this long for the game, even if you're not sold yet—it's been almost fifteen years.
Kayleigh's choice is Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon.
Who is not enamoured by the Umbra Witch? With her abilities and all-around badassness, Bayonetta is a great combination of sass and sensuality. However, where does her narrative start? We were able to discover out this year with the help of the captivating plot in Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, a game that presents Bayonetta in a whole different way. Here, she's only an adolescent who gets lost in the forbidden Avalon Forest. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—Cereza's toy is in the hands of a demon, whom she calls Cheshire.The two go on an amazing journey together that is distinct from the Bayonetta trilogy's primary plot. As you work to assist Cereza and Cheshire, you get to explore a beautiful forest and solve a variety of riddles. In my
Bayonetta Origins review, I mentioned the gameplay, noting how much I like that each Joy-Con lets you control both characters simultaneously. Cereza and the Lost Demon is an enjoyable game that is undoubtedly among the top
Switch games for 2023.
Tilly's choice: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Now, I love horror films; the more fantastical, the better. Give me a ghost, a ghoul, or the promise of bloodshed, and I'll watch them all. It's fair to say that when I played Paranormasight for the first time in early 2023, its cunning tendrils managed to burrow their way into my heart, and over a year later, I'm still thinking about it.A graphic novel called Paranormasight intertwines many stories into a complex web of morality, curses, and other themes. This intricate story forces you to look at and maybe make some lethal choices in addition to putting you in the shoes of various individuals who have been cursed. I really like everything about this dark visual novel, which has stunning artwork, an original 20th-century Japan setting, evocative storylines set in the Edo period, and some very intriguing characters.See our
Paranormasight review for more of my opinions on this little marvel. But before we go, let me also mention Vlad Circus, which is one of my other favourite
horror games of the year. You can learn more about it in our
Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness review. It's a very beautiful, pixelated survival horror with some amazing psychological horrors.
Connor's choice: Dave the Diver
You can't argue Dave the Diver isn't a terrific game, even though there may be a lot of debate over its inclusion in the 'Best Indie' category at this year's
Game Awards. I've spent a good portion of this year diving deeper and deeper because of the game's captivating gameplay loop, which ranks up there with my personal favourites Stardew Valley and Hades. There are also plenty of underwater creatures to discover and capture, and the narrative gradually reveals the size of the in-game ocean and its inhabitants.Nevertheless, I think the people in Dave the Diver are my favourite part. There's something about this group, from Bancho, the fastidious head chef pushing the limits of palatable delicacies, to Dave, our haphazardly harpooning hero with a large heart, and everyone in between, that makes me want to return and see them whenever I can. You can guarantee that I'll be back in the water searching for priceless ingredients and having a blast if you're wondering what I'll be doing during the holidays. You see what I did there?
Daz's selection for In Stars and Time
This game is really a work of art. I'm a rather colourful person, as anybody who's met me would attest, so I'm a bit taken aback by how completely a monochromatic game has captured my attention. I seldom weep when playing a video game, but this one succeeded, as I said in my
In Stars and Time review. As I've come to anticipate from single dev efforts such as this one, it's really heartfelt.In Stars and Time masterfully blends the nostalgia of classic role-playing games with contemporary time loop mechanisms and a cast of multifaceted, well developed individuals that epitomise the concept of a finding family. Adrienne Bazir's masterful world-building and narrative serve as evidence of the power that games may have on their users. Take a moment to play this game.
Holly's selection for Pikmin 4
One of the best games of the year is Pikmin 4, which almost made up for the ten-year gap that separated it from Pikmin 3. This year, I gave it a perfect score of 10/10 in my
Pikmin 4 review, and I still do. The game has amazing visuals, which is a welcome change of pace from some of the other releases this year. It's a welcome change to play as a customisable character with plenty of different NPCs to engage with, and I'm thrilled that Oatchi, your rescue dog and friend, has arrived.While Pikmin 4 is a step higher from its predecessors, it remains a useful continuation of the series by staying faithful to its fundamental concepts. Two notable changes from prior Pikmin games are the ability to create your own character and the presence of a central hub for additional missions and activities. Both new and seasoned fans will find much to enjoy here, whether they're looking for a casual fruit gathering experience or something more challenging.If none of our GOTY selections have impressed you, check out our lists of the top
new Switch games and
best mobile games for even more suggestions.
