This article is part of Dot Esports’ Game of the Year 2023 series. The Dot Esports team have voted for their favorite games this year across a range of genres, including sports, indie, and fighting games. You can check out the other winners here.
This year has been an incredible one for games. In 2023, we traveled the galaxy, romanced questionable NPCs, sliced and diced our way through Sanctuary, and were morally challenged over our fishing practices. But which game has had us hooked more than the rest?
The Dot Esports team has voted and the results are in. Here is Dot’s official Game of the Year 2023.
Dot Game of the Year 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3
Likely coming as a surprise to no one, Baldur’s Gate 3 is Dot Esports’ official Game of the Year 2023.
Following an early-access period, Baldur’s Gate 3 fully released for PC on Aug. 3 to critical acclaim. It’s no easy feat to recreate DnD in video game form, but Larian Studios proved it was up to the task, delivering a rich world and story where players are in charge of their journey.
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers an abundance of choice, from how your character looks and plays to how they interact with those they encounter on their travels, making it perfect for those who want a true role-playing experience. No two playthroughs will likely be the same, with each decision creating a butterfly effect that ripples through the game: your choices will either help or hinder you.
And that’s a large portion of the fun. Maybe you want to lean into the Dark Urge and be a top-notch arse to everyone you come across, including your own companions. Or maybe you’ll take on more of a Robin Hood role, helping every downtrodden NPC you can and smooth-talking your favorite companion. Or maybe you simply want to throw the rule book out the window and do what feels right at that moment for you. The choice is yours.
While there are (of course) parameters to this, BG3 doesn’t feel restrictive. You feel like the master of your own destiny, and the characters you meet have a depth to them rarely seen in modern RPGs. The writing is sublime, so it’s easy to become emotionally invested in the game’s many story threads and characters. This immersion is pushed further thanks to compelling and personable voice acting. All of this makes some of the choices you have to make much more challenging, and the overarching narrative much more captivating.
This DnD RPG understandably had us hooked this year. At the time of writing, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the ninth most-played game on Steam of all time, sitting comfortably beside the likes of Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 in the top 10. Quite a feat for a game from an independent studio.
This success is rightfully earned, however. Baldur’s Gate 3 pushes the boundaries of the RPG genre and is a must-play for DnD and non-DnD fans alike. Just don’t blame us if you make some… questionable choices.
Honorable mentions
Baldur’s Gate 3 may be our overall Game of the Year winner, but two other games were close contenders for the top spot.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It may not have got the top spot, but Tears of the Kingdom is still one of the best games of 2023. The sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, masterfully excels in every individual aspect of game production: gameplay, graphics, sound, and narrative. Its double whammy of riveting storytelling and innovative gameplay actually makes it difficult to ever go back to Breath of the Wild—the overall betterment proving to be both a blessing and a curse. Our GOTY vote went elsewhere, but make no mistake, Tears of the Kingdom will transcend generations and would’ve won this award in virtually any other year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, very few games can do what Spider-Man 2 can. Our song was awful, but Insomniac’s eagerly anticipated sequel to the smash-hit 2018 debut is not. Spider-Man 2 is another eerily familiar example of taking something that works and reshaping it into something that embodies all the qualities of its predecessor, but everything it throws at the wall sticks—like a web. Its setting may be the same, yes, but it’s easy to overlook this minor fault when you’re practically dual-wielding Spider-Men. Kraven is a compelling bad guy, the introduction of Symbiotes is a game-changer, and Spider-Man 2 wasn’t far off swinging our favor.
