2023 is wrapping up and so the crew at Gamer Malaya and Gamer Matters are back at it again to recap and deliberate the best games 30 games that were released this year. Of that we’ve played that is.

As part of the Gamer Malaya and Gamer Matters Game Of The Year Awards, the editorial team (of three active crew members) have shortlisted 30 of the games of 2023 the we enjoyed the most.

In a year filled to the brim with excellent games be in the big-budget AAA production, a small indie release, or anything in between, there’s many games to choose from. So many that notable big releases just didn’t make the cut.

For 2023, there are no more games listed in our Best 30 Games that we haven’t played, a reflection to the growth of the site in the past seven years as we have now able to obtain more access to games to review and do coverage of.

The full breakdown of the Gamer Malaya and Gamer Matters’ Best 30 Games Of 2023 can be listened as a 3-hour episode of dia.log – The Gamer Matters Podcast:

For those who prefer to skim through the list, here they are:

Gamer Malaya and Gamer Matters’ Top 30 Games Of 2023

Side Awards are hyper-specific commendations designed solely around the idea to give a game we like something. Introduced in 2022, the full context and explanation of each Side Award, which a game can have at least one and at most two, is found in the podcast episode.

The following 20 games are sorted in alphabetical order.

A Space For The Unbound

• Developer: Mojiken Studio
• Publisher: Toge Productions
• Release Date: 19 January 2023

A nostalgic, beautifully sad journey told by a team that well deserves its newfound international recognition.

Side Awards: SEA Best Award

Runner-Up for: Best Indie Game, Best Story

Dave The Diver

• Developer: Mintrocket
• Publisher: Mintrocket (Nexon)
• Release Date: 26 October 2023 (Previously in Early Access)

A simple game about diving under the sea to catch fish and serve them at a restaurant, but it goes deep and wide with plenty of surprises and side activities.

Side Awards: Best Not-Indie Indie Game

Dead Island 2

• Developer: Deep Silver Dambuster Studios
• Publisher: Deep Silver
• Release Date: 21 April 2023

The comedic tones of the zombie apocalypse makes this one enjoyable and worthwhile to play after it’s lengthy development.

Side Awards: To Hell And Back Medal Of Honour

Runner-Up for: Best Horror Game

EA Sports WRC

• Developer: Codemasters
• Publisher: EA
• Release Date: 31 October 2023

Codemaster’s newest entry uses their knowledge from the Dirt series to make it the most accessible rally game in the market.

Side Awards: Pimp My Ride Award

Runner-Up for: Best Racing Game

Fire Emblem Engage

• Developer: Intelligent Systems
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release Date: 20 January 2023

Intelligent Systems returns with new ways to make their long-running series about strategy refreshing even after a hiatus.

Side Awards: Best Anime Game

Ghostrunner 2

• Developer: One More Level
• Publisher: 505 Games
• Release Date: 26 October 2023

Slick, fast, and a little more ambitious- the cyberpunk one-hit-kill, one-hit-death parkour platformer still has more to offer.

Side Awards: Best Cyberpunk

Runner-Up for: Best Aesthetic

HoloCure: Save The Fans

• Developer: KeyAnimate
• Publisher: KeyAnimate
• Release Date: 17 August 2023 (previously in Early Access)

The best Reverse Bullet Hell game among its peers with a pretty good content connecting fans of Hololive together.

Side Awards: Best Reverse Bullet Hell

Winner Of: Best Indie Game

Lego 2K Drive

• Developer: Visual Concepts
• Publisher: 2K
• Release Date: 19 May 2023

Lego racing at its best, with a sizable amount of content wrapped in the charming, pun-filled Lego charm.

Side Awards: Punlimited Award

Runner-Up for: Best Racing Game

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Publisher: Sega
• Release Date: 9 November 2023

Kazuma Kiryu’s penultimate story is an indulgence featuring the best of the mini-games where we do be ballin’, and tearful of an ending where we do be bawling.

Side Awards: Best Presequel, Men Can Cry Award

Runner-Up for: Best Game On Game Pass, Best Racing Game

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

• Developer: Insomniac Games
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation Studios)
• Release Date: 20 October 2023

A sequel that manages to one-up and improve just about everything from its predecessor, an already fantastic open world action-adventure game.

Side Awards: Best Sequelbait

Phantom Brigade

• Developer: Brace Yourself Games
• Publisher: Brace Yourself Games
• Release Date: 28 February 2023 (Previously in Early Access)

A creative take on a strategy tactics that blurs between real-time and turn-based in the most ingenious way possible.

Side Awards: Best Game For Video Editors

Runner-Up for: Best Indie Game

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Release Date: 24 March 2023

How can you remake perfection? Somehow, the pinnacle of action survival horror was remade to be even better.

Side Awards: Damsel Not In Distress Award

Runner-Up for: Best Meme Generator, Best Horror Game,

Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance Of The Slayer

• Developer: “Big Z Studios Inc.”
• Publisher: No More Robots
• Release Date: 1 June 2023

Crude, childish, and a nostalgia blast for the teens of the late ’90s, delivered in a competent boomer shooter.

Side Awards: Best Cringe

Runner-Up for: Best Game On Game Pass, Best Aesthetic, Best Indie Game

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

• Developer: Respawn Entertainment
• Publisher: EA
• Release Date: 28 April 2023

A wonderful example of an action-adventure game that evokes the very best elements of 3D platformers and soulslikes.

Side Awards: Best Mullet

Suika Game

• Developer: Aladdin X
• Publisher: Aladdin X (Baidu)
• Release Date: 20 October 2023 (Worldwide release)

The new king of merge puzzlers has arrive thanks to VTubers.

Side Awards: VTuber Viral Award

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

• Developer: Nintendo
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release Date: 20 October 2023

The return to Mario’s roots brings in incredible new ideas that helped keep it’s level design fresh and fun from start to finish.

Side Awards: Best Theme Park Experience

The Crew: Motorfest

• Developer: Ubisoft Ivory Tower
• Publisher: Ubisoft Ivory Tower
• Release Date: 14 September 2023

The Crew’s version Hawaii brings pretty good iterations towards the open-world racer formula that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Side Awards: Best Ubisoft Game (by default), Best Tourism

Winner of: Best Racing Game

We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie

• Developer: Bandai Namco
• Publisher: Bandai Namco
• Release Date: 2 June 2023

The return of the quirky, one-of-a-kind rolling star. Peak Katamari only needed slight retouches to still be fun today.

Side Awards: Best Earworm

Wild Hearts

• Developer: Omega Force
• Publisher: EA (EA Originals), Koei Tecmo
• Release Date: 17 Feberuary 2023

The Monster Hunter challenger introduces new ideas and proves that the “hunting game genre” has room to grow.

Side Awards: Best Box Stacking Simulator

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

• Developer: Team Ninja
• Publisher: Koei Tecmo
• Release Date: 3 March 2023

Team Ninja’s fast-paced, parry-heavy, flavour of soulslike action RPG is honed sharper with this latest iteration.

Side Awards: Parry The Platypus Award

Gamer Malaya And Gamer Matters’ Top 10 Games Of 2023

Ranked from #10 to Game Of The Year

#10: Dead Space (2023)

• Developer: Motive Studio
• Publisher: EA
• Release Date: 27 January 2023

Relive the horrors of USG Ishimura with a fresh coat of blood paint.

Side Awards: The Gordon Freeman Award

Winner of: Best Horror Game

#9: Street Fighter 6

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Release Date: 2 June 2023

The new entry to the fabled fighting game series isn’t stumbling on the ground on round 1 again, bringing in rich new features, a full RPG story mode and accessibility options that makes fighting games fun for everyone.

Side Awards: Best (Cursed) Character Creator

Runner-Up for: Best Meme Generator, Best Aesthetic

#8: Lies Of P

• Developer: Neowiz/Round8
• Publisher: Neowiz
• Release Date: 19 September 2023

Best Bloodborne-esque with its own unique twist of aesthetics, narrative setting and combat mechanics.

Side Awards: Bloodborne on PC Copium Award, Best Soulsborne

Runner-Up for: Best Game On Game Pass, Best Aesthetic

#7: Final Fantasy XVI

• Developer: Square Enix
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Release Date: 22 June 2023

Bold, ambitious epic with a rich world, sick action and breathtaking performances that stands tall among the fifteen other numbered Final Fantasy games before it.

Side Awards: Best Godzilla Game, Bri’ish Award

Runner-Up for: Best Meme Generator

#6: Against The Storm

• Developer: Eremite Games
• Publisher: Hooded Horse
• Release Date: 8 December 2023 (Previously in Early Access)

An unlikely genre pairing (roguelites and city builders) that goes so well together to create a riveting challenge.

Side Awards: Mangga Sambal Belacan Award, Best City Builder

Runner-Up for: Best Indie Game

#5: Baldur’s Gate 3

• Developer: Larian Studios
• Publisher: Larian Studios
• Release Date: 6 September 2023 (Previously in Early Access)

The new standard for CRPGs that blends incredible storytelling and game play mechanics that you really can’t put down.

Side Awards: Best (Ever) Stadia Game, Deus Ex Award for Best Immersive Sim

Runner-Up for: Best Meme Generator

#4: Alan Wake 2

• Developer: Remedy Entertainment
• Publisher: Epic Games Publishing
• Release Date: 27 October 2023

Writing it’s own destinies by interwoven stories, Alan’s return and the start of the Saga storyline makes it hard to put down.

Side Awards: Silent Hill Award

Runner-Up for: Best Horror Game, Best Story

#3: Starfield

• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher: Bethesda
• Release Date: 6 September 2023

Bethesda Game Studios space game can be wildly enthralling yet also utterly frustrating, but nevertheless deliver a captivating journey that makes the space explorer in us wonder and ponder about life, the universe and everything.

Side Awards: Dr Who Award

Runner-Up for: Best Story

Winner Of: Best Game On Game Pass

#2 Hi-Fi Rush

• Developer: Tango Gameworks
• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Release Date: 25 January 2023

An unexpected rambunctious romp of a rockstar that carries a rhythm unlike any other character action game ever.

Side Awards: Best Use Of The Prodigy, Best Shadowdrop

Runners-Up for: Best Game On Game Pass, Best Story

Winner Of: Best Aesthetic

Game Of The Year 2023: Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon

• Developer: FromSoftware
• Publisher: Bandai Namco
• Release Date: 25 August 2023

The return of FromSoftware’s long-dormant (and underrated) franchise. Staying mostly true to its core: fast-past, mission-based mecha action with unrivalled levels of customisation and build options.

Side Awards: Best Game With No Human Models, Mecha Game Of The Year

Winner Of: Best Meme Generator, Best Story, Game Of The Year