Before I begin this post, I just want to say, welcome to my blog! I’ve wanted to start a blog for some time, but never committed to it. I started a Substack newsletter a few weeks ago, but finally decided to move over to my own blog. Appreciate your support through this process!

It’s astounding how time flies. When you’re young, you simply cannot help but want to grow up. You can’t wait to finish school, you can’t wait to move out, you can’t wait to start working. But with every passing year, I find myself wishing time would slow down.

I try my best to acknowledge the things I love and the things that make me happy. I started a newsletter for this exact reason. To remind myself of the things that bring me joy each week.

To wrap up this year, I want to share my favorite things of 2023. I keep an ongoing list and update it whenever I come across something I love. This list includes video and board games, movies, books, and music.

Let’s dive right into the things that made my 2023 better. This list is not in rating order; it’s organized by when I discovered a certain piece of media. If there is no year by an item, that means it released in 2023.

video games

• sifu (2022)
  • Sifu is a combination beat ‘em up and fighting game that takes place in modern-day China. You play as a martial artist who is seeking revenge for the death of their father. Every time the protaganist dies, not only do they get stronger, but they also get older. Become too old, and you can no longer fight. Such a clever and stunning game with amazingly fun gameplay. There are over 150 unique moves, which can string together as combos. This was the first new to me game I played this year, and it certainly needed to make the list.
• tchia
  • Tchia is an action-adventure game, where you explore an archipelago inspired by New Caledonia. You can explore at your own pace, and have fun with the movement abilities like flight and sailing. The game is well-researched, and cutscenes are fully voiced in French and Drehu. The musical score also infuses traditional sounds. Overall, such a beautiful and fun game. I quickly played through it within a couple of sick days at the beginning of the year. I highly recommend it if you love exploration games!
• legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom
  • Of course, I had to include Tears of the Kingdom on this list. This was one of my most anticipated games of the year. I had much more fun with this game, in comparison to its fantastic precursor, Breath of the Wild. The abilities Link gains are just so interesting, and I love piecing together random vehicles and driving them around. Although, don’t tell anyone I still haven’t finished this game.
• baldur’s gate 3
  • This game came out of nowhere and ended up being my favorite game of the year. My partner kept telling me about how excited he was for Baldur’s Gate 3, and how much he loved Larian Studios’ Divinity: Original Sin II. I didn’t know anything about the game, but decided to buy it anyway when it released earlier than anticipated. I love games with turn based combat, so I immediately fell for this game. Every action you make matters and will change the game. However, I dedicated so much time to my play through and ended up falling short of finishing the game in Act III. I’m hoping to finish up the game over my holiday. It’s such a stunning and fun game, and I will probably do another play through soon.
• a short hike (2019)
  • I can’t believe it took me so long to get to one of my favorite games of possibly all time. A Short Hike is exactly what it sounds like; you play as a bird who goes on a short hike to the top of a mountain to get cell service. Along the trail, you meet quirky characters who need your help finding their lost items and completing tasks. Such a sweet game, with an ending that made me sob uncontrollably. It takes about two hours to complete the main story, and a handful of hours to reach 100% completion. If there’s one game I wish I could replay for the first time again, it’d be this one.
• jusant
  • What a beautiful, meditative game. Jusant is a puzzle rock climbing game, where you climb an immensly tall tower. Discover the secrets of the tower and learn about a lost civilization that once inhabited the tower. The movement in this game is so fun. I loved being able to control each hand to decide where to climb next. Made me want to actually go rock climbing!

board games

• monikers (2015)
  • 2023 was my year to find party games. I’m not a fan of games with “Take That!” combative elements, so it was my mission to find fun games for many people to enjoy that weren’t just Exploding Kittens (apologies to those who love this game!). Monikers is a hilarious party game where players describe cards using a long description, one word, and charades. The same set of cards are played with for three rounds, which is a great way to create funny inside jokes. There hasn’t been a game of this played where I didn’t almost pee my pants from laughter.
• clank! catacombs (2022)
  • Clank! was my favorite board game I played in 2022. I love deck building games so much, so I had to give the newest game in the Clank! series a try. In Clank!, you play as adventurers crawling through a dungeon trying to steal the dragon’s treasure. Clank! Catacombs is similar, however the board changes every time you play it. Every game feels like a slightly different experience! I love pushing my luck and trying to find more valuable treasure, only to inevitably be eaten alive by the angry dragon. 
• tiny towns (2019)
  • If there is a game with cute animals, sign me up. In Tiny Towns, you build a town for critters trying to start a new life away from predators. The catch is, you can never say no to a building material. You must wisely place materials and buildings to build the most effective town. Such a cute and simple game filled with so much strategy. It’s always funny when your plans are ruined because you received an unnecessary material. A great game to play with the family too!
• wandering towers
  • This might be my favorite game of the year. I have never laughed so hard while playing a game. In Wandering Towers, you play as wizards trying to pass their final exam by making it to Ravenskeep. Move wizards, move towers, trap wizards under towers, and be the first player to drop all of your wizards into Ravenskeep. Such a fun game, and it’s absolutely hilarious when everyone in your group can’t find their wizards.
• point city
  • Point City is such a small, yet clever game that really makes you think. Draft material and building cards to get your engine going and build the best city! If you love games like Calico, Cascadia, or Point Salad, I think you will really enjoy Point City.

movies

• fire of love (2022)
  • I was not expecting to love this documentary. Fire of Love is a poetic documentary about two volcanologist’s lives. It’s beautiful to look at, and the narration and story makes you feel emotional. I still think about some of the footage to this day.
• dungeons and dragons: honor among thieves
  • This was SUCH a fun movie. It warmed my nerdy heart so much. It’s lighthearted, funny, and easy to watch. Also a fantastic fantasy adventure. I remarked after seeing this film that I hadn’t seen many fantasy films, and this movie filled that hole beautifully.
• guardians of the galaxy: vol. 3
  • Tears. Everywhere. I was surprised to have a Marvel movie on this list, as I haven’t liked a Marvel movie in a LONG time (don’t tell my 13 year-old self that, she’d be so sad). Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 was a beautiful closing act to the Guardians story. It was an endearing story about found family, and the animals made me cry so hard.
• taylor swift: the eras tour
  • Now, I may be biased due to my love for Taylor Swift and seeing the Eras Tour live twice (and a third time incoming in 2024!). But I absolutely loved this concert film. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to see that several songs were not included in the film (and then even more disappointed to later see them stitched onto the end of the movie), but I just felt in awe for the duration of the movie. The Eras Tour is a performance I will never forget. Also, I have never seen so many people dressed up in costume and merchandise. It was just a heartwarming experience to see so many people bonding over one thing.

books

• happy place by emily henry
  • Emily Henry is an automatic must read author for me. I read Happy Place on day one, and while it took some time for me to become invested in the characters and plot, I was hooked once it happened. I cried so much. The main character’s anxieties and feelings felt a little too relatable. Happy Place is a second-chance romance that takes place at a friend-group’s coastal cottage in Maine. Every time I read an Emily Henry book, I am swept away to a new location. I love how she takes me away to a different setting, and I feel as if I am physically there. And I am SO looking forward to her newest book, Funny Story.
• nettle & bone by t. kingfisher (2022)
  • I’ve recommended this book to so many people this year. If you have the chance, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Nettle & Bone is a fantasy quest that takes place in a dark world. It’s like a fairytale but with a dark twist. The book is beautifully written and incredibly compelling. Probably one of the best standalone fantasy books I have ever read!
• the poppy war by r.f. kuang (2018)
  • I had been meaning to read The Poppy War for such a long time, and finally got around to it this year. The well researched epic fantasy draws inspiration from twentieth century China; an incredibly dark time in history. This book is no easy read. It’s incredibly harrowing, but I could not put it down and look away. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy (and several other R.F. Kuang novels), hopefully in 2024.

music

• the record, boygenius
  • I was a fan of Phoebe Bridgers, and casually listened to Boygenius’ debut EP prior to the record releasing. Such a beautiful and emotional album, starring three musical powerhouses. My favorite song has to be “True Blue”. I was going to see the trio live in Bend, Oregon this summer, however my partner got sick and we had to cancel our trip. Hopefully I will have another opportunity in the future!
• stick season, noah kahan
  • It took me awhile to come around to listening to Stick Season, due to the virality of the title track. But once I gave the album a chance, I immediately fell in love. I think tears fell from my eyes the first time I heard track one, “Northern Attitude”. Kahan perfectly captures feelings of longing and transition. And whenever I listen to the album, I want to run away into the woods and go for a hike. I am SO looking forward to seeing him perform live in 2024.
• guts, olivia rodrigo
  • GUTS was a highly anticipated album of mine. And now, I constantly listen to it. Rodrigo does a fantastic job capturing what it’s like to be a young woman, emerging from her teen years. I love the energy this album brings; it’s fun, humorous, and is broken up with emotional ballads. I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with in her career.
• 1989 TV vault tracks
  • This isn’t an anntokki favorites list without the inclusion of Taylor Swift! I think the 1989 vault tracks are my favorite vault tracks out of all of the rerecordings. My favorite of the tracks being “Slut!”. When I listened to the track for the first time, I was surprised to hear that it was a dreamy love ballad. It took me a couple of listens to get into it, but it’s now my favorite.

That does it for my long winded list of favorite things from 2023! I hope 2024 has great things in store. Wishing you all the happiest of new years.