2023 has been a remarkable year to be a fan of good media.
Tears of the Kingdom landed with a splash, and seemed to have the game of the year race locked up all the way back in May. But a litany of surprise contenders entered the fray later in the year, led by Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2, rewriting what is possible in their own corners of the medium.
Barbenheimer demonstrated that The Movies are fully back, bringing audiences back in droves with record box office numbers, potentially signaling the beginning of the end of Disney’s recent box office dominance. And they were just two of many significant releases in a year full of cinematic spectacle.
The year was also filled with video game adaptations of all stripes, as the mainstream entertainment industry continues to embrace the medium more and more. The Mario movie! HBO’s The Last of Us! Twisted Metal and Gran Turismo! Mixed results there, to be sure, and plenty more are on the way.
Some of the biggest anime series in the world had thrilling new seasons, along with new shows that quickly grew their own dedicated fan bases. And the great books and tabletop games that came out this year will keep you occupied well into 2024.
Here’s our look at the best of the best 2023 had to offer in games and entertainment.