PC game players had a smorgasbord of blockbusters on the menu in 2023, with so many bright, shiny worlds ready to explore. While there were some consoles exclusives that skipped PC this year – notabley titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy 16 – the vast majority of games that launched were also available on PC.
That what makes this year’s Best PC Games GOTY list so difficult to curate. There were genuinely so many great games on PC this year, and such a vast, diverse array of titles. From the wilds of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2, to the dark, twisting imagination behind Lies of P, there was so much to experience – and that’s not even scratching the surface of all the unique genres that only exist on PC.
It’s taken a long time to narrow down our favourite PC picks from what we’ve played this year – but after much deliberation, we’ve finally arrived. Here’s the GamesHub list of the best PC games in 2023.
How does GamesHub pick its Game of the Year list?
GamesHub’s Game of the Year picks are selected collectively by tenured staff and regular contributors. Each participant puts together a ranked personal list of their favourite games released in 2023, and titles are given a score according to their rank, with 10 being the highest, and 1 being the lowest. The scores are collated, and the games are ranked by their collective score, with staff members adjusting where necessary before locking in the final list.
Table of Contents
Honourable Mentions
To kick off, we should mention our starry array of honourable mentions – all the PC games we loved in 2023, but ones that didn’t quite make our top five list. Let’s kick off with Venba, an excellent narrative game about family, cooking, cultural connections, and also with Shadows of Doubt, an incredibly innovative detective game. Both were made by smaller studios, and each had a wonderful impact this year.
Honourable mentions should also be given to blockbuster space adventure Starfield, for its unique approach to space travel, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty for its snazzy spy missions, Resident Evil 4 for its terrifying approach to horror survival, Knuckle Sandwich for its Aussie-infused RPG ingenuity, and to Street Fighter 6, for its wonderfully silly story mode, and robust battles.
And now, onto our list of the top five best PC games in 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an incredible role-playing experience that seems to change shape based on individual players. Nearly all of my friends became Baldur’s Gate 3 stans in 2023, and we all played the game in tandem, making for an ultra confusing time when we frequently wound up in different areas, meeting different people, and experiencing different events. I will never forget when someone told me they’d just fought dinosaurs, and I had zero clue how that was even possible.
Read: Baldur’s Gate 3 Review – Glory, guts, and brain worms
In true Dungeons & Dragons fashion, it’s a game that gets incredibly wild, and one filled with wacky, wonderful moments at every turn – whether you choose to indulge in mind worms, romance a Mind Flayer, piss off a genie, find the pieces of a dead clown, or otherwise spend time actually playing through the game’s sweeping plot. No matter what you choose, you’re in for some real gold. – Leah J. Williams
Lies of P
- See Lies of P on Amazon.
For all the games inspired by Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and the rest of the FromSoftware repertoire, I’ve never seen one that has completely enamoured people like Lies of P.
Perhaps it’s the stunning art direction, featuring Victorian costumes and creatively macabre mechanical terrors. Perhaps it’s the inventive reframing of the story of Pinocchio, and how the game uses it to do something interesting in examining themes of self-actualisation. Or perhaps it’s the tight and exciting combat, featuring inventive weapons and an entertaining array of prosthetic limbs, whose abilities can completely change the way you approach things.
Read: Lies of P Review – The Perfect Game Isn’t Just a Fairy Tale
Whatever it is, it’s clear the developers at NeoWiz have been able to tap into what makes the Soulslike genre resonate so strongly, and have excelled at putting their own unique spin on things. If you’re a Souls fan, do not sleep on Lies of P, and keep a close eye on this studio. – Edmond Tran
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Even more so than its previous games, FromSoftware’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon makes every major victory against its overwhelming odds, and its fearsome boss characters, feel exhilarating, well-fought, and hard-earned. In a desolate far-flung future where industry mars the world, corporations are at each other’s throats, and alliances change on a whim, it feels like there is no hope. But that’s what makes charging through the awfulness feel so liberating.
Read: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Review
No RPG levelling, no hand-holding – it’s just you and the mech you built against the world. If you fuck up, maybe you change out your parts, your weapons. But at the end of the day, it comes down to you and your persistence, your focus, and your mettle. It’s a power fantasy you have to work hard for. When you hear the crunch of metal and see the dramatic slow-motion effect when your killing blow lands… it feels like you could punch the moon. – Edmond Tran
Dredge
- See Dredge on Amazon.
What a vibe. What a loop. Unknown horrors lurk just below the surface in Dredge, just out of view, just out of reach. That tantalising ‘almost’ feeling is intoxicating, and permeates every facet of this horror fishing game. A fishing game! We’re talking about a fishing game here, folks. How can a fishing game be so engaging? So unnerving? So moreish?
Read: DREDGE review – An inescapable siren song
It’s that habitual feeling of wanting to try and catch just one more fish before darkness covers the ocean, and you start to see scary things. To sail out just a little bit further to reach the next safe haven across rocky waters. You’re constantly pushing yourself to the brink for that extra bit of a gain, or to get a peek at what’s through the veil – even if in the back of your head, you really don’t want to. Dredge is a masterclass in atmosphere that gets stuck into your brain. It’s an unforgettable journey with some seriously fucked up fish. – Edmond Tran
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 positively blew me away in 2023, after more than a decade of waiting for it. Frankly, Remedy Entertainment outdid itself with this sequel. It’s creepy, and gorgeous, and extremely obtuse, in a way that’ll have you salivating for answers, generating conspiracy theories, and going deeper into its strange, winding lore. Remedy is a company known for its storytelling, and Alan Wake 2 represents the best of what the studio is capable of.
It’s a multi-threaded monster. A literature-minded horror adventure with sprawling plot threads that dangle and tease, inspiring questions, curiosity, and an ever-forward march as it spins a complex web of terrors. But while it weaves a tale that seems to dance out of reach with every strange chapter, as the interlocking stories of Saga Anderson and Alan Wake play out, deft writing and a strong plot means the answers eventually coalesce in gripping fashion.
Read: Alan Wake 2 Review – Save The Writer, Save The World
That’s not to mention that Remedy hid a full-blown musical in this game, and plenty of other quirks besides. It’s a phenomenal experience and one well worth exploring yourself. – Leah J. Williams
Catch up with more of GameHub’s favourite games of 2023, including platform-specific lists and picks from special guests in our Best of 2023 roundup.
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