2023 is drawing to a close. The air is cold, the fires are lit, and now we gather ’round the digital hearth to celebrate the games we enjoyed throughout the year. Let’s talk about the best indies of 2023.
Since I have the honor of publishing first this year, welcome to Destructoid’s end-of-year coverage! Throughout this week, we’ll be revealing our nominees for our favorites in a variety of categories. Then, starting next week, we’ll announce the winners, as chosen by our staff and contributors.
We do have a few ground rules, to clarify some questions y’all might have. First off, each game can only be nominated in one category. Also, our window of eligibility runs from December to December, to account for time spent to get to know these games. So games from December 2023 are not eligible, but December 2022 games are.
So what’s up for best indie this year at Destructoid? Let’s take a look at the nominations.
It’s of little surprise that Lethal Company made our list. The co-op horror game about the terrors of space, and underappreciated scrap labor, has been making the rounds. It’s fairly recent, but I feel confident in saying this isn’t quite a flash-in-the-pan compared to other live service games. The mods alone show some significant longevity.
Remember that December rule? It’s why Chained Echoes, a late-in-the-year 2022 entry, is here now. And boy, does it earn a spot. Chained Echoes puts a surprising spin on the RPG nostalgia trip, with fresh mechanics, ideas, and some really memorable moments. It’s still one I can easily recommend to other RPG fans, without hesitation.
Goodbye Volcano High is a curious one. We didn’t get around to covering it here, but it’s one that’s come up in conversations since. A story about dino-school angst in the face of the end of everything. Even on pitch alone, it’s pretty fascinating.
An obvious selection for us was El Paso, Elsewhere, a Max Payne-alike about dealing with your vampiric ex. It sounds like it’s got both action and heart, and really seemed to make an impression on everyone that picked it up.
In a review calling it both “indispensable and unique,” our own Zoey Handley makes the case for Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer as an indie GOTY contender. Indeed, it seems like a frontrunner for the kind of aggressive, visual-meltdown FPS that’s become a hit these last few years.
Void Stranger is a game that I am, frankly, too easily flustered to manage myself. The rich Sokoban-style puzzle game enamored me with its many hidden mysteries earlier this year, and watching fans dig into it has been a joy. I may not see the bottom floor for myself, but it’s a wonderful game that I’m glad exists.
And lastly, World of Horror hit its final release this year. In some ways, this felt like an overdue celebration. While the Ito-inspired, interface-laden throwback horror adventure has been around for ages, it’s a good time to finally recognize just how well it captures a specific kind of experience. It is for a very specific group of people, but for those people, it lands.
These are the nominees for this Destructoid’s Best Indie of 2023.
Lethal Company Chained Echoes Goodbye Volcano High El Paso, Elsewhere Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer Void Stranger World of Horror
Our final results will go live next week, starting on December 18 with the winner of Best Indie. Stay tuned throughout this week for the rest of our nominees, as we build up to the Overall Game of the Year award on December 22!
Eric Van Allen
Senior Editor – While Eric’s been writing about games since 2014, he’s been playing them for a lot longer. Usually found grinding RPG battles, digging into an indie gem, or hanging out around the Limsa Aethryte.
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