Forget triple-A GOTYs, 2023 was year of the ‘B game’

It’s common to hear 2023 referred to as one of the best years we’ve had in a while when it comes to the quality of video games consistently releasing throughout the year. But I’d like to argue that it’s also the year many B games established themselves as more than just the stuff you skip past when you’re looking at the calendar.

The definition of what a B game is one we could spend all day arguing about, so I’m going to put forth what I believe to be a fair assessment of what a B game is. First, it’s important to keep in mind that the term has nothing to do with a game’s quality.

As I see it, a B game is a genre game. Which is to say, the game has a very clear focus on replicating something specific, delivering on a set of core mechanics, and generally favouring a limited, but tailored experience that ignores popular tropes, and sometimes even modern takes on that same genre.