The digital halls of gaming publication Rock Paper Shotgun will be temporarily silent as the team takes a well-earned winter holiday. In a display of diligent forethought, the team arranged their leave starting now and lasting until the New Year bells have quieted—returning to their keyboards on January 2, 2024. Despite the pause in real-time activity, gamers and readers alike won't be left in a contentless void; the team has ensured that there remains a slew of material to explore.
Rock Paper Shotgun has made sure to keep their beloved readers engaged over the festive season, kicking things off with the climactic end to their Advent Calendar. The calendar's final door swings open to reveal 2023's crowned Game of the Year. The choice might not come as a surprise to some eagle-eyed Discordant conversationalists, but the tradition of the holiday fanfare marches on.
For those who voiced their critiques or felt a certain jewel might have been overlooked in this year's Advent Calendar, Rock Paper Shotgun fires back with a good-natured "ya boo sucks." Instead, they offer a consolation in the form of the RPS Selection Boxes. These are collections of games staff members passionately argued for but which didn't quite make it into the limelight of the calendar. With no hesitation, one RPS Selection Box will be unveiled each day starting December 26th, giving readers an additional array of game recommendations to ponder.
Beyond celebrating the high points, Rock Paper Shotgun also takes a comprehensive look back at the year with a series of Year In Review roundups. Reflecting on the games that shaped the year—like the electric Hi-Fi Rush—is an annual ritual, providing a momentary anchor in the swift current of time. In this retrospective, the team compiles and celebrates the titles that received the highest praises with Bestest Best reviews, along with top features and a peek into the guides that steered players through 2023's gaming landscape.
Rock Paper Shotgun's dedication to their community shines through as they've unlocked previously Supporter-funded posts for public viewing. Accessible under the "From The Archive" tag, these posts are a testament to RPS's commitment to inclusivity and sharing rich content with the wider audience.
On a lighter note, the team has maintained the tradition of serving up their annual Christmas Crackers. Known for their grisly puns—so dreadful they'd make even the hardiest of jokesters wince—the site promises a daily dollop of humor throughout the holiday hiatus. Whisperings of a particularly "Star Trek" inspired joke stir curiosity, but the team refrains from spoilers, preferring to preserve the element of surprise.
Though the team may physically be indulging in chocolate or becoming ensnared by future dreams, they've not forgotten to leave a trail of scheduled Tweets to highlight the cache of content prepared in advance.
Even as they unwind, the RPS team keeps one eye on the future, prompting readers to muse on their gaming resolutions for the upcoming year. With a personal resolve to delve into "more weird stuff," a staple objective that recurs each year, the team extends a heartfelt invitation for readers to share their own gaming ambitions for 2024 in the comments.
As they sign off for 2023, the RPS team expresses sincere gratitude for the enduring support and spirited camaraderie that accompanies each article and interaction. With the promise of return on the horizon, they encourage their audience to embrace the holiday spirit and look forward to reconnecting in the coming year. Rock Paper Shotgun's temporary silence is filled with anticipation for the stories, discoveries, and shared joys that await in the boundless realm of 2024's gaming universe.
