As you have probably already read in my YvoCaro Plays series about moving the site, things are going well at LadiesGamers. We reviewed a good many games, most of them by indie developers, some big titles. I reviewed some of them myself and played a few for my own pleasure. I tried to get into Steam gaming as there is so much on offer. But even with a new PC that can handle it and a SteamDeck, I find it difficult to get used to. I guess I’m very much a handheld gamer, and the SteamDeck is a bit on the clunky side.
Here are the games that I thought were the Best of 2023. Released this year and are playable on Steam or the Nintendo Switch.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
You know, I wasn’t expecting this. Not even when I started playing the game. As always, I didn’t like the strange faces the characters make when surprised or grinning. The game is a bit unbalanced in the first part, but it takes off once you have cleared the barn quest. So my advice is: keep going! It is a game that really grew on me, which is why one of my top scorers.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos starts with the Harvest Goddess surrounded by her four Sprites facing the big volcanic eruption. Each of the sprites locks up an area to help the people stay safe from this catastrophe. The goddess herself sends a note in a bottle.
Ten years later, you wake up on a farm in Lenctenbury, where Doc Jr. tells you to learn the ropes on how to farm. During a quest to catch a runaway chicken, you find the bottle, and together with Doc Jr., you read the note. You two decide to investigate the wall surrounding Lenctenbury. When you get close, you hear a voice giving Doc Jr. an idea for an invention. He is going to make a Wall Whacker to breach the wall and open up the world. With your help, he succeeds.
From there on, it’s up to you to take care of a farm and unlock more and more areas that have been sealed shut. Doc Jr. is the one who comes up with ideas and inventions to make your life easier. After you wake up the Harvest Goddess, helps you with a touch of magic as well.
Curious? You can read my review of the game here.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
Year after year, my most played and enjoyed game has been one of the Atelier games. Yep, I’m a huge fan of the series! In 2023 the last game of the Atelier Ryza series was released, and a grand finale it was.
A couple of years have passed since Ryza left her friends after successfully closing the gate to the underworld and saying an emotional goodbye to Fi. Everyone went their own way, and Ryza returned to Kurken Island. By now, she has become the alchemist that the community depends upon, so when a mysterious group of islands, called the Kark Islands, pop up near her hometown, Ryza is called in to investigate. As luck would have it, Tao and Bos are already there, on vacation, and Klaudia and Lent also hurry back. The friends are back together and set out to find out why the islands popped up and how to make them disappear.
They discover ruins with a huge gate, and just as Ryza approaches, a strange voice echoes in her head, telling her to reach the Code of the Universe. At the same time, a recipe pops into her head to synthesize a key, but she has no idea why. That is the beginning of their new adventure that takes them into a vast open world to new regions and where they meet new characters.
It’s all there again. Exploration, battles and comradery within the group. Meeting new people and cultures and gathering ingredients for a very deep synthesizing system. What’s new is the use of keys. Secret Keys are used in alchemy, battle and exploration. You can make them at the landmarks you discover or in battle with a monster.
It’s a very worthy end to the series! And we have a beginners’ guide up as well.
Fae Farm
Fae Farm resembles many simulation games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and Disney Dreamlight Valley. It mainly reminds me of My Sims (Wii and DS Game). Phoenix Labs seems to have taken some aspects of all those games, rolled them all together, and came up with Fae Farm. The price point of the game is fairly high. By now though, a free update has already added to an already huge game.
Farming, bug catching, fishing, crafting and animal care have all been implemented well in Fae Farm. There is certainly plenty to keep you busy, but there is no romance aspect in the game. The game looks beautiful and plays equally well. A real-time sink! We have a review and a guide up on the site.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
I have a feeling this game can’t not be on my list. It’s the one I looked forward to the most in 2023 and the one I didn’t really get around to. Sure, I explored Hyrule again. I loved the freedom of the open world. The Ultrahand feature is a great find; the abilities are brilliantly implemented. The addition of the Depths and the Skye Islands makes for even more gameplay. It is an epic adventure.
But I do have to add that the game is much harder for me than Breath of the Wild was. It’s great how you can make your own weapons, but it makes every battle that I can’t avoid even more difficult. Can you tell I’m a big chicken when it comes to the fighting? It’s just that I can’t leisurely go about exploring in the same way in Tears of the Kingdom. Still, it’s a must to mention the game in my Best of 2023. Meanwhile, we have a review and a guide up for the game.
Garden In!
Garden In! scratches the gardening itch without getting your hands dirty. More than that, it is a casual game that will appeal to fans of the simulation genre. There is a nice collection of seeds to collect and bring into bloom; there are various rooms to work in and things to take into account, like soil and the sort of vase or pot you use. By growing more and more plants, you can fulfil your achievements and get even more customisation options.
At first, the game was only available on Steam, but by now it’s also released on the Switch. A perfect fit to have a garden in your pocket! My review of the game is here.
Logic Town
Some of you might wonder why the heck this game deserved my Two Thumbs Up: you have to love logic puzzles to like Logic Town. Because if you do, this one is as good as it gets, in my opinion. The logic puzzles are nice; they offer enough of a challenge, and the visuals are great. The puzzles and clues are wrapped in a pleasing scene, giving you the task of beautifying the derelict town.
It’s a great pick-up-and-play game, and it works well on the Steam Deck. A logical choice, right?
Pikmin 4
Talk about a happy game; that is what Pikmin 4 is! To be honest, I left the game unopened for months. But a few weeks ago, I found myself in a gaming slump. Nothing seemed to click until I started my adventure with Oachi. And now I’m seriously hooked.
I’ve loved Pikmin ever since I played the WiiU game. They are so adorable, and Oachi makes the game doubly adorable. My only weakness is that I hate it when my Pikmin come to harm, even though I know I can breed more.
Anyway, if you love a game that has good puzzle strategy elements. The various groups of Pikmin each have their own qualities. With them, you can explore all kinds of areas, fight enemies, secure treasures, and solve puzzles. I love it how you are in areas that are so familiar, but like in “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”, everything seems so large to our little protagonists and Pikmin!
Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra
The last game I want to mention in my Best of 2023 list, is Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra. There are ten different levels, with vistas that are fantastic and unreal-looking. In each one, you must find a certain number of cats hidden in the scenery. This may sound easy, but as they are in the same colour palette as the background, this is surprisingly difficult. The image has different layers as well, and a lot of it moves in some direction or other.
Of course, there are more hidden object games like this one. But what makes the game extra special is that when you find a cat, it’s moved to the bar below the vista and immediately starts playing the instrument it holds. You have to find the clue of which cats form a band in the level at hand, and they play the melody that’s the right one. Great little game!
