Google reveals 10 most searched games in 2023, and Baldur's Gate 3 isn't in the top 5

2023 has been a big year for gaming, and Google has revealed the top 10 most searched games of the year. Ranging from unsurprising major hits to some neat shockers, the list is an interesting one, especially since the official Game Of The Year winner, Baldur's Gate 3, did not even make it to the top five.

This is perhaps expected in some ways but not others. The remaining games on the list are also interesting, as they have reasons for making it over many other titles released thus far in 2023.

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All top-searched games of 2023: Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur's Gate 3, and more

The full list is as follows:

1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. The Last of Us
3. Connections
4. Battlegrounds Mobile India
5. Starfield
6. Baldur's Gate 3
7. Suika Game
8. Diablo IV
9. Atomic Heart
10. Sons of the Forest

As discussed before, Baldur's Gate 3 finds itself out of the top five at #6. This may be surprising at first since the super-ambitious RPG was the crowning champion at The Game Awards 2023, winning six awards.

Tough turn-based combat, in-depth RPG and progression systems, and the isometric, point-and-click nature of exploration and gameplay are all fundamental in establishing Baldur's Gate 3 as a DnD behemoth that made genre fans all around the globe happy. At the same time, these reasons are also likely what turned many players off the game.

By large, gaming is still very much a casual, mainstream hobby, so games like Baldur's Gate 3 are not likely to appeal to the masses. This theory is further emboldened by looking at the other titles on the list which do cater to mainstream fans by and large in one way or another.

• Hogwarts Legacy - A triple-A rendition of the media giant that is the Wizarding World
• The Last of Us - One of the most cherished Sony franchises of all time made more popular thanks to the HBO show
• Battlegrounds Mobile India - The most iconic smartphone game in one of the biggest countries in the world that continues to have a sweeping influence across gamers of all ages
• Starfield - The first new IP from Bethesda Softworks in over 25 years

This should make it more clear why and how Baldur's Gate 3 has had ample competition when it comes to searches across the internet. At the same time, the #6 spot is nothing to scoff at either. Despite having many markings of being a solid game even before its 1.0 launch, the game surpassed fan expectations in nearly every aspect.

it is undoubtedly the title to have ushered developer Larian Studios into the spotlight, even after countless success stories like the Divinity Original Sin games. Other titles on the list, like Connections and Suika Game, seem to appeal more to the casual, perhaps even non-gamer crowd, which could also explain their inclusion here.

At the same time, certain games that should have been no-brainers for high-search traffic are missing, like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Wonder, and so on.

Be sure to check out 2023 Google Trends for games and more categories as well.