Not only was 2023 a banner year for some of gaming's most-anticipated sequels, remakes, and debuts, but the sheer volume of new games arriving in 2023 made it practically impossible for players to get to experience everything on the release schedule. Nearly every month on the 2023 calendar saw a new major title launch, with dozens of others preceding or following major releases practically every week. Roughly beginning with Dead Space and ending with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, 2023's jam-packed release schedule was one for the ages, meaning there are plenty of hidden gems that may have slipped out of players' radars.

Between lesser-known indie titles and AA or AAA games that may have been released in the same week as one of 2023's marquee titles, there are dozens of games that, for one reason or another, have largely escaped the same kind of discourse and adoption as some of 2023's other notable releases. For every Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Baldurs Gate 3, there are several lesser-known or overlooked games that are deserving of their time in the spotlight. The following 10 games are titles that players might have missed throughout 2023's hectic release schedule, listed in no particular order.

Pizza Tower (January 26)

Part Sonic the Hedgehog and part GameCube cult-classic Wario World, Pizza Tower's arrival in January went unnoticed by much of the mainstream despite the game having one of the most fervent followings for an indie title. Currently sitting at an impressive 99% "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam, Pizza Tower is both wholly unique and familiar at the same time, calling to mind the brilliance of the platforming genre's heyday while also utilizing a one-of-a-kind art style and sense of humor. Obviously inspired by the onslaught of "alternative cartoons" featured on MTV and Nickelodeon in the early 1990s (like Ren & Stimpy), Pizza Tower's frantic and frenetic visuals are only outdone by its pitch-perfect platforming gameplay and absolutely phenomenal soundtrack.

Season: A Letter to the Future (January 31)

Read Game ZXC's Season: A Letter to the Future Review

Season: A Letter to the Future is one of those rare titles that makes an immediate and lasting impression on those who play it (including even getting some nods as a potential early Game of the Year contender) but then fades into the background as the year's release calendar rolls on. Primarily due to it releasing at the very end of the first month of a jam-packed year, several players may have missed Season, but it's an unfortunate scenario that is easily rectified. Season is a meditative adventure game in a similar vein as Journey, but with the twist of its world facing an impending cataclysm. With all the melancholy one would associate with knowing the end of the world is about to happen, Season is an emotional and beautiful journey that deserves to be played.

Vernal Edge (March 14)

Even without (or potentially because of) Hollow Knight: Silksong not releasing this year, 2023 was absolutely rich in quality Metroidvania titles. One that may have gotten lost in the shuffle is the excellent Vernal Edge, which provides a unique perspective shift across the disparate parts of its gameplay. When exploring Vernal Edge's overworld map, the graphics take on a low-poly PS1-style aesthetic that brings to mind the trio of Final Fantasy games on the console. Switching to the action on-foot, though, transforms Vernal Edge into a vibrant side-scrolling action-platformer with a charming 16-bit aesthetic and some finely-tuned combat. Vernal Edge may lean more heavily on its fighting and action than its exploration, but it's still a noteworthy Metroidvania joining some other excellent genre entries from this year.

Tchia (March 21)

Tchia is yet another special game that presents a unique story and setting compared to every other game released in 2023. Taking influence from the developers' childhood home of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, players could be forgiven for mistaking Tchia as a video game adaptation of Moana, but it happens to be so much more than that kind of surface comparison might reveal. Tchia is a game of contrasts, in which it features a plethora of entertaining and engaging systems that the player can choose to completely skip. Further, the game presents itself and its visuals in a cartoonish, child-like style but then delivers some truly dark and shocking moments throughout the course of its story. A close comparison to draw would be Breath of the Wild, but even that analogue would be doing Tchia's unique qualities a disservice.

Bramble: The Mountain King (April 27)

Arriving a day ahead of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and just two weeks prior to the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Bramble: The Mountain King is an excellent indie title that was largely overshadowed by the proximity of its release to two major AAA games and is an absolute must-play for its setting alone. Drawing heavily from Nordic folklore and Scandinavian mythology, Bramble's world is both terribly frightening and incredibly charming all at once. The gameplay is mostly linear and boils down to what many would expect from a third-person adventure game, but the atmosphere, music, and visuals combine to create something that is essential gaming for fans of Inside or Little Nightmares.

Chants of Sennaar (September 5)

Following in the tradition of last year's The Case of the Golden Idol, Chants of Sennaar is arguably 2023's best adventure/puzzle game and only the second title from developer Rundisc. Much like Color Gray Games' Golden Idol, Chants of Sennaar is a brilliantly designed puzzle game with an arresting visual style, but it separates itself from other fellow games in the genre thanks to its emphasis on language and the connection it provides. Chants of Sennaar's narrative loosely follows the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, and it's up to the player to work their way through its floors while simultaneously deciphering the language of each tribe and eventually bringing them all together. The stunning visuals, complex and ingenious puzzles, and lessons it teaches about the value of language and communication all combine to make Chants of Sennaar that rare puzzle game with emotional weight.

El Paso, Elsewhere (September 26)

Ironic that just a month before the release of Remedy's highly-anticipated Alan Wake 2, players would get one of 2023's best indie games in El Paso, Elsewhere, which obviously wears its love for Remedy's Max Payne proudly. Switching out mobsters for vampires and going all-in on the supernatural that was only hinted at in the original Max Payne, El Paso, Elsewhere is positively bursting with personality and style. The visuals give the game a sense of it being a Max Payne "demake" of sorts, bearing more resemblance to the original PlayStation rather than the 6th generation consoles Remedy's original released for, but the game's setting and atmosphere are both effective and evocative. The bullet-time enhanced, John Woo-style diving gunplay is dialed in perfectly, and the game is divided up into bite-sized levels (the floors of an otherworldly motel) that are perfect for quick "pick-up-and-play" sessions. It's a must-play for fans of Max Payne, vampires, noir fiction, or just third-person shooters in general.

Jusant (October 31)

While several other titles with originally planned late-October release dates opted to delay into next year with the one-two punch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Marvel's Spider-Man 2's shared release date, Jusant bravely marched forward as-planned to end up receiving widespread critical acclaim. Still, the game didn't quite seem to hit as large of an audience as it may have in any other year, and thankfully, it's available on Game Pass for subscribers to experience at any time. Develop Don't Nod attempted something quite different from the Life is Strange series that it's best known for, but Jusant absolutely exhibits the characteristic emotional resonance and level of quality synonymous with the studio's work. To grossly simplify Jusant would be to say that it's a game about climbing a tower, but that would fail to capture just how great the movement and traversal involved in climbing that tower feels.

Astral Ascent (November 14)

If someone were to combine Dead Cells and Hades, Astral Ascent is a close approximation of what they might end up with. Releasing for PC and consoles, Astral Ascent is a 2D side-scrolling roguelite with some incredible encounter design, a captivating art style, and a connective hub world that entices players to learn more about its characters and world. The unique twist to Astral Ascent is that it's intended to be played more like an isometric ARPG than a hack-n-slash, with players benefiting most from finding a rhythm to how they cycle through their four available attacks rather than spamming the attack button and hoping for success. Astral Ascent is an enjoyable and addictive roguelite that may have yet to be experienced by several members of its target audience.

The Last Faith (November 15)

Read Game ZXC's Review of The Last Faith

Another excellent Metroidvania releasing in a year absolutely stacked with great new games in the genre is The Last Faith. The easiest way to summarize The Last Faith is to liken it to being a 2D Bloodborne, and spending even a limited amount of time with the title makes it apparent just how much FromSoftware's Gothic horror masterpiece influenced its setting and gameplay. Ultimately, The Last Faith doesn't innovate as much as it refines, taking the aspects of games like Bloodborne, Hollow Knight, and Castlevania and merging them together to form something that is enjoyable, atmospheric, and at times unnerving. Fans of both Metroidvanias and Soulslikes absolutely owe it to themselves to put this game on their radar, and it's just the kind of title to help make the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong easier.

TheLastFaithCoverArt
The Last Faith
Platform(s)
PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
November 15, 2023
Developer(s)
Playstack
Publisher(s)
Kumi Souls Games
Genre(s)
Metroidvania