Last night, Baldur’s Gate 3 won the coveted Game of the Year award at the annual Game Awards for 2023. Though the title rightfully got millions of players this year, getting into the 2023 Game of the Year is still a daunting challenge, especially for those who don’t have experience with the turn-based RPG genre. If you’re also scared to commit to a genre you’re not familiar with, I’m here to tell you that you still absolutely should.

Who am I?

When the year started, Baldur’s Gate 3 was not on my radar at all. In fact, I wasn’t a fan of turn-based games. My only experience with the genre was through Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Though a turn-based game, it’s hardly similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. And at the end of the day, I’d still prefer a quicker-paced action-adventure over a turn-based slog.

I am, however, a fan of roleplaying games. There’s just something appealing about putting myself in the shoes of a game’s protagonist and taking them through their story. Now, most of the big RPGs today have turned into giant collect-a-thons. Playing through them was a chore. That, and modern games just doesn’t allow for a lot of roleplaying.

When I saw people playing Baldur’s Gate 3, I was captivated. You could play as anything you want. You could roleplay however you choose. Every decision and dice roll absolutely mattered. Even if it was still at full price, I had to get it.

Creating a character

Steam has a two-hour policy for refunds. If you’ve played a game for less than two hours, the platform will grant you a refund automatically if you ask for it, no questions asked. As the logic goes, two hours is enough for players to tell if a game is worth keeping. Two hours, however, is not enough to get to the meat of Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s just enough to dip your toes in and get a feel for the game’s mechanics.

I used to laugh at RPG players who spent hours on the character creation menu. I never fiddled around with sliders and customization options. I wanted to get into the game as soon as possible. That changed with Baldur’s Gate 3.

While the game still has a lot of options to change how your character will look (including, yes, genital size), the character creation screen focuses a lot on how you want your character to be. I spent a good chunk of time figuring out the best race and class for me. Should I be an evil monk or a goody-two-shoes bard? Oh, and do these black horns go well with how I want my tiefling’s junk to be?

The prologue

Right after creating a character, the game quickly catapults you into the fire. A mind flayer — a tentacled humanoid that looks like child of Cthulhu — abducts your character and infects you with a parasitic worm that can turn you into a mind flayer like them. Your first job is to escape the mind flayer’s spaceship.

The introductory prologue teaches players the basics of Baldur’s Gate 3 — moving, fighting, and talking. However, one of the biggest aspects of the prologue is the introduction of two vital characters you can add to your party: Shadowheart, a selfish half-elf cleric, and Lae’zel, a brash githyanki fighter. From the beginning, these two characters are at each other’s throats. Unlike a lot of games that immediately portray teams as well-oiled machines, Baldur’s Gate 3 thrives on conflict. Party members are often at odds with one another. A lot of times, you’ll find yourself playing a mediator. Sometimes, you might even do something that causes them to leave your camp for good.

The focus on character-driven actions makes it so compelling to follow everyone’s stories to their conclusion. Every player will have favorite characters and interesting ways to deal with their conflict. They’re not just warm bodies you can throw at enemies. It also helps that Baldur’s Gate 3 has the best voice action and motion capture I’ve ever seen in a game. After you play the game, every other game will pale in comparison.

The moment everything clicked

After the prologue, the game drops you into the meatiest part of the game. The first act is a vast playground. Though there are goals, players are invited to tackle the game however they want — peacefully or with a sword in hand. This is also when the most important part of the game rears its head: the dice roll.

As with the traditional Dungeons and Dragons experience, everything is determined by the roll of the dice. In battle, the swing of a sword is determined by a dice roll. Planning before engaging is important just to account for the randomness. More importantly, dialogue and actions away from battle are determined by the same dice. Want to pick that locked door? Roll for dexterity. Want to talk down a rampaging barbarian from attacking you? Roll for persuasion.

The moment this is all clicked for me was a moment shortly after the start of the first act. My party runs into a dying mind flayer. The game asks me if I want to explore the monster’s mind. Since it was dying (and I felt that I had enough intelligence), I said yes.

Cue the dice roll.

I rolled a natural 20, the best possible roll because it’s an automatic win. However, this encounter was one of the rare moments when the game asks for a second, more difficult roll right after passing the first.

Cue the next dice roll. I went for it. After all, I rolled a 20 beforehand.

I rolled a 1, the worst possible roll because it’s an automatic failure. Unbeknownst to me, this was a death-saving roll. If you pass, you live. If you fail, you die. And I failed spectacularly.

The mind flayer took control and killed me. Fade to black.

Game over.

Aghast, I could do nothing but applaud. I wasn’t even two hours into the game. Though it was a kick to the gut, I was amazed at how willing the game was to let go of your hand. This isn’t an easy traipse through a fantasy land. It’s a complicated maze that will take you through a lot of unexpected twists and turns. I knew I was in for a good time.

Randomness defines the community

It’s understandable that making randomness a feature might turn some players off. If you can’t rely on pure skill, what’s the point?

However, the concept of failure does not mean an end to the game. Yes, my particular experience ended in a game over screen. Most don’t, though. A lot of times, failing a dice roll often means the opportunity to tackle a problem in a different way. Failed to persuade an enemy to lay down their arms? Maybe you can sneak past them. Failed that? Well, time for a battle.

Baldur’s Gate 3 makes failure fun. Every playthrough is automatically unique. It also adds to the community aspect of the game.

After a lengthy session, my first instinct is to go to the game’s subreddit and read what other players did in their playthroughs. Every single time, I would find an encounter I’ve never seen before or a result I haven’t tried yet. I’d immediately want to hop back on to see if I can replicate how they did with my character.

Outside of the actual game, Baldur’s Gate 3’s biggest appeal is its community. It’s almost like sharing war stories around the campfire. Every experience is valid, no matter how good or evil a playthrough can be.

A generational game

The game’s six awards should speak for themselves. Larian Studios created a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a fresh gaming experience, near infinite replayability, unmatched acting, and a supportive community.

Even at full price, the game is worth every penny. If you haven’t tried this year’s Game of the Year yet, there are so many reasons to go for it. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.

SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2023: Full list of winners