Vote now for December 2023's TA Playlist game Voting is open for December's TA Playlist! In a year of fantastic games, we're offering four highly-rated brand-new IPs that came to Xbox Game Pass in 2023.The TA Playlist Team Published 15 Nov 2023 FollowtopicsTA PlaylistCommunity eventThe TA Playlist Team It’s been a relaxing November so far with this month’s TA Playlist Game, A Short Hike, but we need you to come down from the mountain for a few minutes to cast your vote for December 2023’s featured game of the month.As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to take a look back at some of the biggest and best games in what’s widely considered to be one of the greatest years in video game history. The Golden Joystick winners were recently announced, and nominees for the Game Awards were released on Monday, so there’s a lot of award buzz going on in the industry as we head into December, but for the TA Playlist poll, we usually try to focus in on a narrower slice of the “Game of the Year” pie by offering up four nominees that fit a certain criteria. Since much of this year’s industry awards are going to be focused on new entries in popular franchises (such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake II, Diablo IV, etc.), we decided to go a different route and pick four completely new IPs that have seen critical acclaim (and high TA user ratings) over the past year. It’s a rare slate of nominees that doesn’t contain any sequels, remakes, or games that are otherwise part of established franchises, so let’s give some love to these games that offered up some new ideas (and brought them directly to Xbox Game Pass) in 2023. Hi-Fi RushTaking things in chronological order, our first nominee is Hi-Fi RUSH, a rhythm-based hack-and-slash platformer developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks that made quite a splash when it shadow-dropped onto Xbox Game Pass back in January. Labeled “defective” after a shady corporate experiment mistakenly fuses a music player to his heart, wannabe rockstar Chai and his ragtag team of allies must fight for his freedom in a slick animated world where everything — platforming puzzles, enemy attacks, and even the colorful gags and banter — are synced to the beat. Take on armies of corporate drones (read: actual robot hordes) in satisfying, rhythm-amplified combat.Hi-Fi Rush has a current TA community rating of 4.47/5.00, and it’s been nominated for five categories at the Game Awards – Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, Innovation in Accessibility, and Best Action Game. Over 130,000 tracked TA users have started the game so far, with just under 200 earning all 71 of the game’s achievements since the "Arcade Challenge! Update!" released in July. It’s estimated that the full completion will take 68-90 hours.Sea of StarsThis month's second nominee is Sea of Stars, which launched into Game Pass in August. Developed and published by Sabotage Studio, this pixel-art turn-based RPG gained high praise as one of the best new indie games of the year.Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.Over 33,000 tracked gamers have started Sea of Stars in just over two months since its release, with just around 4% (just over 1,300 gamers) having completed the game. The TA community rating is a strong 4.53/5.00, and it’s been nominated for Best Independent Game and Best RPG at the Game Awards. The TA community estimates it will take 40-50 hours to unlock all 42 of the game’s achievements, though a DLC is currently in the works, which will expand the game’s narrative and probably add to the achievement list!StarfieldContinuing into September, we saw one of the biggest Game Pass releases of all time with the long-awaited Bethesda Game Studios open-world action-RPG, Starfield, which went on to spend six weeks at the top of the TrueAchievements Gameplay Chart.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.While Starfield had some famously mixed reviews from critics at launch, the TA community has given it a strong rating of 4.38/5.00, and it’s been nominated for Best RPG at the Game Awards. Almost 355,000 tracked TA users have taken their first steps into the Starfield, with around 5,600 (2%) unlocking all 50 achievements, which is estimated to take 80-100 hours. Lies of PFinally, our most recent Game Pass addition also launched in September. Developed by Neowiz and Round8 Studio, and published by Fireshine Games, the Soulslike action-RPG Lies of P brought a dark new spin to a classic tale.Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era. You are a puppet created by Geppetto and awakened by a mysterious voice that guides you through the plagued city of Krat - a once lively place poisoned by madness and bloodlust. Adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city's elites, and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.Lies of P has a TA community rating of 4.4, with nearly 130,000 tracked users starting the game and around 4,400 (3%) unlocking all 42 achievements, a feat that is estimated to take 60-80 hours. Lies of P is also up for Best RPG at the Game Awards, as well as Best Art Direction.So, which of these new IPs should feature as the TA Playlist December Game of the Month? Place your vote and let us know your thoughts in the comments! If you have any suggestions for future Playlist games or themes, be sure to drop them in the TA Playlist Game Suggestion Thread for possible inclusion in a future poll!Which game should the community play for December 2023's TA Playlist? Hi-Fi Rush21.45% (335) Sea of Stars21.64% (338) Starfield34.89% (545) Lies of P22.02% (344) We've had 1562 responses. TA Playlist Written by The TA Playlist TeamThe TA Playlist is a monthly community event. Everyone votes on which of four games to play, and then we all play through it in the following month. There's a dedicated hub to discuss everything about the game, from story beats to gameplay tips – and of course, you can track your achievement progress during the month as well. TA Playlist was created by Mark Delaney and is now run by Miles, Nici and Chewie.