Between Baldur’s Gate 3 and Zelda TotK there was no other game deserving that title this year.

TotK isn’t a top-10 game this year. It’s just an expansion to BotW (which was amazing) with a couple new mechanics slapped on – so exactly like an expansion. BG3 is great, but it exists in these two simultaneous states; there is a massive world, game, and population of that world, then at the same time it’s just not that complex or engaging. IDK, BG3 is my game of the year, but that’s because there wasn’t much this year. Elden Ring would have my vote if it was just a little bit better, but it’s not. AC6 might end up being a better FromSoft game as the years go on and replayability becomes more of a factor, tbh.

There is a strong argument for Mario Wonder to be the game of the year. It’s the first genuinely fresh entry in a series spanning five decades, since Galaxy came out. And, honestly Alan Wake 2 is more of a storytelling, artistic, and world-design achievement than any of those other games.