2023 was a big year for video games. With massive games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, there was no shortage of excellent games for people around the world to enjoy. However, the unfortunate truth of being such a massive year for games is that it results in many hidden gems to fly under the radar. Here are three that I personally really enjoyed, that I think you all will too.
#3: Cassette Beasts
I am sure that I am not the only one who has problems with modern Pokémon games. There’s a variety of reasons why they fall short of general public expectations, and this is where Cassette Beasts comes in. A fresh take on monster catching games, Cassette Beasts has an extraordinary open world and innovative battle system centered around cassette tapes and recording, as well as an elemental type system that digs deeper than Pokémon’s super effective vs not very effective traits. The story is very neat with extremely satisfying bosses, and of course, a game about cassette tapes has very good music. While it is difficult to get into very much without spoilers, if you like Pokémon but feel it’s lacking as of recently, Cassette Beasts is the game for you.
#2: Rain World: Downpour
Rain World is not a new game, but its expansion, Rain World: Downpour is large enough to have basically been a full game in and of itself. This is, without a doubt, the largest expansion to a game I have ever seen; the expansion is over four times bigger than the main game, adding 5 more campaigns, additional modes for existing slugcats, new regions, new music, and new stories. It is still one of the hardest games I have ever played– the environment is as unyielding as ever, the creatures are still weirdly smart, and you will still die dozens of times– but the journey of learning your new place in the ecosystem and taking on every challenge this world has to throw at you is what makes it all worth it. Not only this, but the amount of lore and story added in Downpour is absolutely staggering, making it a fun experience for anyone who loves digging into the histories and legacies of fictional worlds.
#1: Undertale Yellow
Content Warning: the neutral path of Undertale Yellow contains psychological horror aspects, and may not be for everyone.
Oh boy, Undertale Yellow. While a fangame may not be seen by everyone as worthy to be called a game of its own right for a list like this, not only does Undertale Yellow align with the canon history of the original Undertale, it directly surpasses Undertale in many aspects. Following the story of Clover, the sixth human to enter the Underground, Undertale Yellow keeps the same unique combat system of being able to choose to fight or spare enemies, with there being three unique endings based on if you spare everyone, kill everyone, or do a mix of the two. The new characters are creative and compelling, the music is some of the best I have heard in any game (all three final boss themes especially), and the story lines up with that of the existing Undertale story, something most fangames before Yellow are famous for ignoring. Even if we already know the fate of our young cowboy protagonist Clover, the journey of how we get there is what Undertale Yellow is all about. I cannot recommend this game enough, genuinely. If you enjoyed Undertale or are just curious about the funny kid in the sheriff hat, play Undertale Yellow. It is worth it, I promise.
