Happy New Year lovely readers! It’s 2024, and with another fantastic year of Switch (and maybe Switch 2?) gaming ahead of us, we need to stop, think, and have one last look back at 2023 with eShop Selects this month!

December is usually a quiet month for game releases as publishers and developers make way for the holidays and take a well-earned rest. That doesn’t mean nothing dropped on the eShop, of course. We’re here to run down the best of December’s eShop offerings.

Not only that, but we want to highlight every eShop Selects winner from 2024. But before we do that, let’s dive into December 2023’s highlights!

Honourable Mentions

Now, onto December, then. Even though it’s been a quiet month, it hasn’t exactly been lacking in quality. Alongside an acclaimed indie release, we got a few surprise remasters, a long-awaited indie, and a free-to-play MMO. Before we look at the top three, here are the final honourable mentions of 2023:

Publisher: inkle Studios / Developer: inkle Studios

Release Date: 5th Dec 2023 (USA) / 5th Dec 2023 (UK/EU)

Inkle’s latest game has long been on our wishlists, so to see A Highland Song climb up to the top of the mountain at last in December filled us with delight. And while it might not be the studio’s best work, it’s still an evocative and emotional journey that we shed a tear or two to.

The star of A Highland Song is Scotland. Inkle’s depiction of the mountains of the country is gorgeous and as Moira explores in search of herself and her uncle’s lighthouse, her over-active imagination depicts the myths and legends of the lands. The region’s mythology set against the backdrop of the painted highlands is gorgeous, even if the climb is tough.

When we finished climbing this mountain, we awarded A Highland Song a 7/10 in our review.