10 Hidden Gem Video Games Of 2023
8. Chants of Sennaar
As anyone who isn't preternaturally gifted at language-learning can attest to, mastering another country's tongue can be a thankless task of rote memorization and fiddly grammar rules. Kudos, then, to the minds behind Chants of Sennaar, who made learning not just one but ???? fictional languages one of 2023's most engrossing experiences.
In a year where developers flexed their creative muscles to deliver some truly unique experiences - as seen when industry icon Mario embarked on the wildest, weirdest journey of his four-decade career - Chants of Sennaar still stood out as an incredible achievement.
The game tasks the player with decoding the symbology behind each of the game's five languages, but does so with such such élan that learning how to communicate with the residents of Sennaar's monolithic Tower proved to be one of the most rewarding tasks of the previous year.
Intriguingly, Chants of Sennaar's language-learning gameplay lends it a uniquely heartwarming tone. As you become increasingly fluent in each of the languages, the initally alien and unfathomable world of the Tower gradually opens up, feeling less and less like a hostile environment and more and more like home.
As it turns out, things really are better when you can talk to the monsters.