Dot GOTY: Indie Game of the Year

This article is part of Dot Esports’ Game of the Year 2023 series. The Dot Esports team have voted for their favorite games this year across a range of genres, including sports, indie, and fighting games. You can check out the other winners here.

There’s been an abundance of exceptional indie games released in 2023. We’ve scavenged isolated moons, ran busy seafood restaurants, and solved complex puzzles, but one indie game has stood out to us the most this year.

The Dot Esports team has voted, and the results are in. Here is Dot’s official Indie Game of the Year 2023.

Dot Indie Game of the Year 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is Dot Esports’ Indie Game of the Year 2023.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an incredible computer role-playing game developed and published by Larian Studios, an indie game developer from Belgium. Since opening in 1996, Swen Vincke, as the major backer and shareholder, and his team of 400 have become renowned for developing the numerous entries in the successful Divinity series, but around 2014, the studio took on the monumental task of developing the next Baldur’s Gate. And boy has it put its mark on the series. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game unlike any other. It takes around 80 hours to complete the main story, but if you enjoy exploring and completing side quests—and there are many of them—it could take you over 120 hours to finish, and that’s just on the first playthrough.

In BG3, your choices matter. Every decision you make, whether you will save one of the main companions or choose to embrace your Illithid Powers, causes a ripple effect that will change the ending you get. On top of this, the sheer number of classes you can pick, along with subclasses, spells, abilities, weapons, and feats, all significantly impact your experience, which means no two playthroughs are ever the same. 

You can create several characters or play as an Origin character, and your experience will be different every time. It’s an incredible feeling to dive into a game where you don’t know what will happen, especially with the dice roll combat system, which means your fate is often in the hands of, well, fate. 

BG3 offers a unique experience you won’t find in many other games, if at all. This, along with the stunning graphics, incredible voice acting, eccentric characters, the depth of the story, and the captivating music, are why it’s loved by so many. There’s so much to experience and love about BG3 that it’s hard to tell it was published and developed by an indie company.

Honorable Mentions

Baldur’s Gate 3 may have claimed our top spot, but two other indie games stood out to us this year.

Cocoon

Cocoon’s launch in late September delivered a win for the puzzle game genre. The game is short—it only took us four hours, in fact—but in an age where the biggest releases run a mile wide and only an inch deep, Cocoon is a must-play, especially if you already have Xbox Game Pass.

The puzzles are complex and innovative, requiring a bit of out-of-the-box thinking from players. While there’s no true narrative, Cocoon’s gorgeous environmental and audio designs guide you along your journey, playing a crucial role as the game’s feedback system—not to mention they’re just downright stunning. 

Dave the Diver

Dave the Diver offers a frankly ridiculous amount of content and keeps throwing in surprises at every turn. I expected a fishing exploration game with a restaurant management sim tied in, but I got so much more with epic boss battles, collectibles, farming, and an exceptional story. Every minute played in Dave the Diver never feels like enough, and there’s always more to do. The artwork is stunning, some cutscenes are hilarious, and the cast of characters is immense. Nothing about the game disappointed me, and I’d urge anyone who hasn’t to give it a go.