The Most Popular Games Within Canada in 2023

Canada is no different to other western countries in its enthusiasm for gaming. It is one of the most popular leisure pursuits amongst Canadians in 2023 and that reflects a global trend.

The development of the internet brought major changes in countries with widespread access to it. One of these was that formerly successful pastimes and brands that failed to adapt to the brave new digital world were left behind by it.

However, even as that was happening, a range of other brands and industries were rising to new prominence, the online gaming sector among them. Top online casino and sports betting sites became well known as did individual games that caught on.

The popularity of games titles waxes and wanes though. Today we are going to look at which ones are capturing the interest of Canadian gamers this year.

Resident Evil 4

This survival horror game was the biggest selling video game title in Canada in the early spring. What makes that more remarkable is that it is a remake of the original Resident Evil 4, which came out back in 2005.

Remaking games is very unusual within the industry at the moment, but the critical and commercial success of this one could see it become more common. The revamp is still a third-person shooter with the ‘over-the-shoulder’ aspect that made the original an innovative hit.

However Capcom have extensively upgraded the visuals, taking advantage of tech advances to create more atmospheric graphics and greater visual depth and reality.

The storyline has also been revised. Players now assume the role of Leon S. Kennedy, an agent, and must save the daughter of the US President from a cult that has kidnapped her.

These improvements to a hit title have made it even more popular, as has its availability for PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as PCs.

Online Card Games

Online casino has been big with Canadians for many years, but blackjack has enjoyed a particular surge in popularity this year. More people are playing the blackjack games at Virgin Games and similar sites than have at any time in the past.

The question as to why this particular game should suddenly blow up is a very good one. Blackjack is a card game that involves quite a lot of strategy and careful thought, whereas games like the slots and roulette are simpler to play.

However, blackjack also gives players greater control over the outcome than those games. Whereas roulette and slots are essentially chance games, blackjack players can narrow the house odds through the smart application of strategy.

That ability to shift the odds in their favor is a big reason for its sudden rise to popularity. Another is its availability at every one of the big online casino brands.

Hogwarts Legacy

It will not be difficult for anyone to figure out the reasons for the immense popularity of the Hogwarts Legacy game in Canada. Harry Potter remains one of the biggest and most lucrative brands in the world and boasts a passionate fan base.

That said; this game has also been a hit because of its high quality. It is an action-based role-playing game (RPG) created by Avalanche Software and is set a hundred years before the period when the Potter books take place.

Players take on the role of a new student at Hogwarts and must carry out a quest to find an ancient and concealed magical secret. Along the way they will master both combat and wizardry skills to complete their task.

Hogwarts Legacy is the second most popular game this year in terms of sales. It is available for PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox consoles and as a PC game.

MLB The Show 23

Next on the top selling list is this baseball simulation game. MLB The Show 23 is the latest in a long and successful games franchise but has added features that have boosted its popularity in Canada.

One of those is the Storylines: A New Game Experience mode that lets gamers experience action from the old African American leagues as well as the current MLB. It has realistic simulations of great players from that league like Rube Foster, Satchell Paige and Jackie Robinson plus narration detailing the careers of these stars.

Conclusion

Sports simulation games are a very lucrative genre in 2023 and the MLB has a lot of fans throughout Canada. This particular game is available for Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation devices so all console gamers can enjoy it.

That is another reason why it has been able to sell so well in the country since its release earlier this year.

These are the biggest Canadian games right now, but the situation will change again because hot new titles are always being released.