Baldur's Gate 3 GOTY
Image: Push Square

For the many accolades Larian Studios' roleplaying epic, Baldur's Gate 3, has earned, the fact that it even exists is somehow still its most impressive accomplishment of all. Its predecessor, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, was released almost a quarter of a century ago and is still considered one of the all-time genre greats. Not only did Larian surpass it with Baldur's Gate 3, it reimagined the classic series for a new generation and found monstrous success in the process.

It tells a masterfully written story that weaves engaging character interaction and titanic combat sequences with quieter moments of revelry and contemplation. Origin characters allow the narrative to be expanded and even experienced from multiple perspectives, and Larian has the confidence to lock meaningful amounts of content behind each, adding incredibly compelling reasons to replay this lengthy game over and over again.

Combat is about as excellent as turn-based CRPGs get, and rather than make concessions, respectfully demands your attention. Easy to pick up and play but insanely complex at its core, character depth and progression make the experience of playing through the game a worthy and memorable experience, regardless of the choices made.

Baldur's Gate 3 sets the bar for RPGs so high that other developers will be playing catch up for years, and we can't wait to see where the series goes next.


Push Square's Game of the Year list is primarily decided by an internal staff vote. Our community Game of the Year poll is also taken into account. Feel free to agree or disagree with our list in the comments section below.

You can check out all of our Game of the Year coverage by clicking the link.

Do you agree with Baldur's Gate 3 being our #2 Game of the Year? (1,741 votes)

  1. It should be higher on the list77%
  2. Yeah, it's about right8%
  3. It should be lower on the list4%
  4. It shouldn't even be on the list1%
  5. I don't know / I haven't played it9%