148Apps Game of the Year 2023
It's that time of year again! Join us as we highlight some of the best mobile games of this past year.
Before diving into picks and talking about games, I just need to say that 2023 felt like a real turning point for gaming on iOS, and not in a good way. This year, I played what feels like fewer mobile games than ever, and I chalk quite a bit up to what the reality of mobile gaming is now, which--with a few exceptions--looks a lot like "run with a subscription model or die."
More than ever, the App Store looks like the nightmare marketplace everyone previously (and somewhat prematurely) made it out to be. There's a small sliver of games that are actually worth your time and attention, and many of those are now just solid but unexciting safe bets, many of which you are asked to pay for on a recurring basis to have access to.
This is the headspace I'm in heading in to these awards, so it feels less like the celebration of mobile gaming that it should be. Still, though, there are things I played that I think other people should also check out. So, with that, the awards will roll in piecemeal across this week and wrap up just before we turn over to 2024. See below for the honorifics:
The Categories
For each of these categories, I'll choose a winner and mention some notable runner-ups. Any game nominated or chosen for any of these cateories is then eligible for the final category, Best Game, which is the culminating category where I will construct a ranked list of my favorite games from this year.
Best Old Game
Dawncaster
I'm honestly not sure how this 2021 deckbuilding roguelite got past me. Until news came out this year that a new sizeable expansion was coming to Dawncaster, I had not even heard of it. I'm glad I do now, though. This was easily one of my most played games this year.
A big reason for my repeated play is definitely just how easy and snappy the game is to play. I am not sure I can think of another game that plays more easily in portrait mode while also feeling deep and satisfying like Dawncaster does. The expansion that came out this year helped put this game over the top to win this category, though, as it nearly doubles the card library, adds new enemies and areas, and gives every run a thrilling feeling of uncertainty.
Runner ups: Genshin Impact, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Vampire Survivors
Best Portrait Mode Game
Geo Gods
A game being in portrait mode is sometimes the determining factor of whether I'll keep putting time into it, and the fact that Geo Gods offered up such a beautiful and fun score challenge in this orientation meant that I kept returning to it and finding myself enjoying it over a large portion of the year.
This game is hard to describe, but in a nutshell it is like a completely reimagined game of Solitaire. You go through a deck comprised of gods and try to place them strategically in a play area so that they interact with each other, trigger bonuses, and (ideally) net you a high score. It's a bit of a departure from other games that Arnold Rauers has made over the years, but it is certainly a welcome one.
Runner ups: Coffee Golf, Madness/Endless, Luck Be A Landlord
Best Music
Omega Strikers (RIP)
It's very possible that my negative headspace for my Game of the Year honorifics are most heavily impacted by Omega Strikers, a game that both released and then essentially went dormant this year. This multiplayer team sport game had many, many, things going for it, not the least of which was its bumpin' soundtrack.
There was some clear care that went into creating musical identities tied to every stage and character in the game, and it also helps that basically all of it sounds pretty amazing. Check out the full soundtrack here or just sample one of my favorite tracks above.
Runner Ups: Wavecade, How We Know We're Alive
Best Style
Omega Strikers (RIP)
Surprise, surprise! All of the attention to detail in the music of Omega Strikers is true of much of the overall game's aesthetic and presentation. A huge reason why I enjoyed this game so much this year was all of fun and expressive characters and the vibes that its world put out.
Again, big bummer that the game has ceased all ongoing development and is basically now abandoned. You can still soak up some of the vibes by playing against bots if you want, I guess, so there's that.
Runner Ups: Wavecade, Omega 13
Best Multiplayer
Omega Strikers (RIP)
Omega Strikers was one of the only splashy multiplayer games to hit the App Store this year, but--even if it wasn't--it would have a hard time losing this category. Not only did this game have a ton of character, style, and charm, but all of that was wrapped around a core game that was a completely original idea for multiplayer competition.
Imagine a sort of hybrid between an arena fighter and air hockey, and you approach what the sport of corestrike (the name of the game's sport) is. It's fast and super easy to pick up and play well, but it also contains a nice and deep set of systems and mechanics to make it both super satisfying and quite replayable.
Runner Ups: Coffee Golf, Puzzmo
Best Story
The Wreck
I'm probably ask skeptical as someone can get when it comes to seeing an emotional narrative-driven game come out these days. It's a category of game that can really miss on all fronts pretty easily, and it happens more often than not. Anyway, this isn't true of The Wreck in the slightest. It tells a stunning and meaningful story and uses its light mechanics to contribute to the storytelling style.
If you're looking at this game from the outside and have doubts about how well the voice acting can sell it, I encourage you to push through. I felt some of the delivery at times to be a little stilted but as I put more time in the game that melted away and there were also some incredible line reads and segments that end up feeling so natural for the well-considered characters this game examines. So trust me, go play it!
Runner Ups: Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out, Ten Dates, How We Know We're Alive
Best Game
10. Luck Be A Landlord
When I first tried Luck Be A Landlord this year, it consumed my brain. My mind was constantly flooded with ideas for how best to outflank this wicked slot machine with emblems that would shower me with money so I could continue to clear the rent payment requirements. I have since cooled on it, but I can't think of a more purely compelling and inherently mobile-friendly roguelite that I played this year or even for the past several years, for that matter.
9. Wavecade
I have always liked the idea of Geometry Wars, but I lacked a lot of the determination that it demanded for true mastery. Wavecade sidesteps this by being the same kind of visual spectacle while also being somehow both more palatable but also one of the strangest arcade games I've ever played. Lots of style and creativity points for this one, which ultimately made it one of the most memorable and fun experiences of the year for me.
8. Rocco's Island: Pocket Edition
This puzzle adventure is one of those games that is more than the sum of its parts. Its story is unique, but also convoluted, and the puzzles that make up the bulk of the gameplay are rehashed match-three and Threes! style challenges. Somehow, though, these things combine and make for a memorable game that I still look back on quite fondly from this year.
7. Gomorrah
I don't know anything about the property that this game is based on, and I still had a good time working my way through this visual novel about organized crime happenings. One of the nicest things about it was how well paced it was, giving you the feeling of taking meaningful steps forward even if you only pick up and play it for a few minutes.
6. Geo Gods
The only frustrating thing about Geo Gods is how badly I wish I was better at it. This tile-placement game feels like a re-invention of Solitaire, but it comes with a leaderboard that constantly pushed me to up my score. I am proud of that one week I got into the top ten early in the game's release, and--even though I've slid down the charts since then--Geo Gods always feels like it has more for me to discover and improve upon while still remaining very approachable.
5. Puzzmo
Is Puzzmo--Zach Gage's new online puzzle service--a mobile game? Who cares! I'm putting it on my list anyway. I hop on to do Puzzmo puzzles whenever I feel like I have a few minutes to spare and I almost always have a good time. It's also had a number of downloadable and physical puzzles that I've loved getting my hands on doing with my friends and family. It's great!
4. Tangle Tower
Out of all the re-releases of former Apple Arcade exclusives that trickled out this year, I'm not sure any of them stuck with me the second time around quite likeTangle Tower did. This adventure game is just so smart in how it breadcrumbs you along through a mystery while allowing you to use your own noggin to puzzle things together. The whole thing is just a delight for the senses, too. Every character leaps off the screen thanks to some inspired visual design, creative animation style, and immaculate voice acting.
3. The Wreck
I had always wondered what the developers of Bury me, my Love could do with some more budget. It was a great game, but it definitely felt about as threadbare as possible when it came to presentation. The Wreck likely doesn't have a lavish budget to support its stop-motion storytelling style, but every penny spent on visual production and sound design stretches so far to make this one of the most striking and memorable games I've played. I hesitate to say more for fear of spoilers. Just go play it!
2. Omega Strikers
As you could probably guess from all of the eulogizing earlier in this piece, I am super bummed that Omega Strikers is no longer receiving any ongoing development or updates because it was easily among my absolute favorite games of the year. In fact, if it were still an active game, I could easily see it occupying the top spot. I think there is room for experimentation in competitive multiplayer games, and what Omega Strikers put out there found a great balance between being something new but immediately familiar, and it was done with such an eye for style and expression that it's frustrating to find that not enough people picked it up. I had a ton of fun with it for a large portion of this year, though, so I guess I'll always have that. Rest in peace,Omega Strikers.
1. Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out
This might seem like it's coming out of left field considering it didn't win a single category, but Six Ages 2 was the single most immersing and satisfying gaming experience I had this year. It doesn't look like much, but this game pairs gamebook decision-making with civilization management and strategy, and puts all of that in a world that is so deep with lore you'll find yourself perusing reference material to understand celestial omens and the like while also sitting back in awe as you witness the story of your tribe shift and mold around every little decision you make. Or, at least, that's what happened to me. Upon completing it for the first time, I immediately went back to the other games in the series, which I appreciated, but all that did was solidify in my mind that Six Ages 2 is the best one of these games.