A Year In Gaming 2024
One Hundred and Twenty-Seven. Almost 1 game every 3 days. That is apparently what I did this year. Not all of these were completed, enjoyed, or recorded. On the latter note, I suspect the number may be higher, but 127 is what I have written down. I urge you to check out that full list because I don't have the time or patience to share every game I play. But there are many there worth playing, and many there that aren't out yet are certainly already worth playing.
I feel that I don't have any time, and yet, I can see where my time went. So, in retrospect, everything makes sense. I had a blast this year, and I'm so excited to share the games that took up my time. Not only the time spent playing but thinking about them after, reading about their development, or the people who made them.
P.S: If you wouldn't mind, I have a quick survey about your first experience gaming, if you have some time please fill it out: Click here
Influential Folks of the Year
We are in a trying time to be game makers. I respect the folks who do this massively. And so I'd like to give special shoutouts to people who continue to be leaders in this industry, both directly and as a support structure. An ever-growing list of champions within the gaming industry, and there are certainly more than I could even list here or even know about.
In no particular order:
- Rami Ismail - a voice for the unheard and a proud advocate for game devs. Rami continues to be a powerful force within the space
- A special shoutout to Dreams on a Pillow, which I first heard about through Rami. Please consider giving to this Palestinian game developer so they may finish their game
- RubyDev - this gamedev and creator of Tiny Rogues proves to me that you can be small and mighty while creating a banger of a video game. Looking forward to the 1.0
- Pocketpair - the developers of Palworld. Who sold an infinite number of copies of their game, temporarily owned the gaming space, and got sued by Nintendo. I think taking on a giant like that should get you a shoutout, no matter how you feel about the game
- Mattwla (on Twitter) - who made Echo Point Nova. A gamers' game if you ask me, and certainly one of the high points of the year for me. More on that later
- Localthunk - The madman who has likely stolen billions of hours of human life with their game Balatro. The true game of the year winner in our hearts.
- Ironwood Studios - The creators of Pacific Drive who tackled an extreme amount of accessibility within their game and created a daunting and 'vibey' driving world.
- Arrowhead Game Studios - For Democracy and nothing less. For their relentless commitment to making the experience of defending Super Earth anything but flawless and fun
- Strange Scaffold Games - With their primary game of the year being I Am Your Beast. These people are so incredibly talented and driven. Each of their games is a new experience and they churn them out like it's nothing. I want nothing else than to know what is going on in Xalavier Nelson's mind.
- Swen Vincke - The CEO of Larian Studios, who makes you not only question one's distaste for CEOs, but also gave one of the most powerful and hopefully industry critical speeches of the year. Watch it here.
- Mark Brown - who helps people like me really think about what it means to be a game designer and the amount of thought that goes into game design. Just a gloriously helpful individual.
- Skillup - Who provides me with endless motivation to think about the games I play. I watch all of his reviews and admire his commitment to giving every game its due diligence and his honest commentary on the industry every Wednesday.
- John "Totalbiscuit" Bain - I think of him every day. Always. My greatest gaming influence. May he rest in peace.
The Games
As I shared above, I play a lot of games. I also don't really believe in favorites. So I'd like to share a list of games with you that really stuck out to me this year and tell you why. They are in no particular order. The goal is to share games that affected me or, by my perception, the industry in one way or another and why. Any order is purely incidental and likely due to me just grabbing the game off my list of games I've played, which is mostly chronological. The only games I try to exclude from this list are the ones I've previously brought up. Let's talk about them.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
I am blessed to have this game as one of the earliest I have played this year. And while Ubisoft failed the studio that made this game, scattered its developers to different teams, and proceeded to fumble the rest of the year - this game is an instant classic to me.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes the old Prince of Persia formula and pieces of a variety of different Metroidvania games that have come out over the past couple of years and elevates them. The way that this game flows from combat, to movement, to navigation around the map all create a joyous experience that does not overstay its welcome.
There are plenty of challenges to be found within the world made by this team, but none of the challenges are through frustrating mazes of maps or obfuscated mechanics. An absolute blast, and if you have the ability to pick this one up, I would implore you to do so.
Echo Point Nova
Echo Point Nova is the most relentless, fast-paced first-person shooter I have played in recent times. People have said it's like Tony Hawk Pro Skater meets Ultrakill. I don't think that is too bad of a comparison. One of my favorite experiences from this year.
A fair warning. This is a "gamer's game." I'd not recommend it entirely if you weren't already deep down the rabbit hole. But if you are an avid gamer and enjoy well-crafted experiences with a variety of mechanics, this one definitely fits the bill. I personally 100%'d this game, and the solo developer has confirmed that he's working on more content for the future with the goal of "infinite replayability." I suspect this game will be a value purchase for you if you even like it a tiny bit!
Tekken 8
On my Spotify wrapped this year my top album was Brat. My second top album was the Tekken 8 soundtrack. In other words, the music alone in this game almost makes it worth the purchase, for one of many reasons. It's a pounding and energetic house and electronic album that is perfect for late-night gaming sessions, many of which I spent playing this game.
Tekken 8 is a powerful evolution of it's predecessor and also elevated the fighting game genre massively. There is a wacky campaign that frankly makes no sense and is better for it. The training modes for teaching you how to play are better than ever before; you can also watch replays of your online matches and jump in at key points, and the game will give you tips on how to counter whatever situation you may have been in. You can battle against "ghosts" of top players to practice against players of similar or higher rank.
All of this wrapped up in a fulfilling and extremely FUN fighting game with a diverse cast and fighting styles. You'll certainly find your perfect character. If you even have a passing interest in fighting games, I suspect that this one will draw you in and make you want more.
Children of the Sun
I find this game a bit difficult to describe with only words, but I'll try. Imagine that you are playing a puzzle game. The goal of the puzzle game is to eliminate enemies from a map where they may be hiding behind cover, driving in a car, or standing in the open. Your goal is to do it in one shot. You take your first shot, and after eliminating them, you can re-adjust and maneuver to find your next target.
This is Children of the Sun. The story of the game is dark, and the gameplay is dark, but the act of carrying out vengeance is incredibly interesting. The game is short, but for good reason. It introduces new ideas and builds upon itself perfectly. It ends while leaving you feeling powerful and smart. There's a bit of replayability here doing time attack or score attack. Worth every penny and certainly the catharsis of achieving retribution.
Hypnospace Outlaw
One of the most nostalgic games someone who grew up in the 90s could play. This game takes a snapshot of a moment in time and displays it proudly on the screen for you to enjoy. It distills the essence of the early internet, poorly built personal websites, low rez videos, and goofy ads into an investigative game where you're trying to solve a mystery that unravels before you.
It's incredibly fulfilling and full of secrets to discover the deep dark of Hypnospace. I suggest going in blind and not using a guide while exploring an having a good time. The internet used to be a much more strange and quirky place and this game captures in a perfect way what it was like, in my opinion. I believe this game is still on Game Pass as well!
Helldivers 2
I have nothing new to say about Helldivers 2 that has not already been said. This game felt like it took all social media over for around 2-4 weeks after it came out. In the name of democracy and freedom, thousands of people have dropped into the battlefield to fight off bugs and robots.
The game makes you feel as if you are in Starship Troopers or some crazy 80s action film. The moment-to-moment gameplay features massive explosions, hundreds of enemies, and objectives that you are doing for 'reasons.' All of this is wrapped up in a fun parody that makes the experience enjoyable. You will never have more fun with a group of your buddies than hopping in a vehicle, driving through the city streets, and barely getting out in the drop ship as enemies close in on all sides. It's just something glorious you have to experience for yourself.
Balatro
This game is a digitized crack. I've never tried crack, but I have tried Balatro, and that's just what it is. It's a roguelike version of a number go-up game wrapped in a pseudo-poker game.
This game just forces you mentally to come back again and again, beating your head against a slightly higher wall to be able to conquer the game. The creator of this game is solo, and many people I know own this game on every device they own, which is certainly wild to think about.
Long live Local Thunk. We're excited to see what you do in the future with your bazillion dollars and massive anonymous fame.
Pacific Drive
There is something special about your first car. Pacific Drive is a great representation of driving your first car. It kinda sucks most of the time, but your love for it is endless. You care for it, and hopefully, your car cares back.
All of this is happening, except rather than you driving around in your home town or somewhere similar, you are driving around in a spooky version of the Pacific Northwest surrounded by unknown creatures, powers, and anomalies. It's a magical experience that alone would be compelling. But underneath, there is an interesting story with a couple of other characters that help drive (pun intended) you forward toward the conclusion. There's so much here; the developers clearly crafted a perfect distillation of a certain experience for you, and it's amazing at doing exactly as intended.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring, the base game, was incredible. It saved me in so many ways. I was engrossed in a world for days on end. The gameplay was tight, the bosses were unique, and everything you saw and touched had thought put into it.
Shadow of the Erdtree is that, but a second time. You are taken to a land between, beneath, and around that is full of layers and crevices that continue to impress. I didn't know what to expect, but what I got was greater than anything I could have ever imagined. Worth every penny and moment of time spent. This has solidified this as one of the greatest of all time.
Spiritfall
This was, by my perception, a lesser known game from the year. I enjoyed it a ton and think it was crafted perfectly for me! It's a mixture of a game like Super Smash Bros (a platform fighter) and a roguelike.
There's a great amount of gameplay variety between different masks, weapons, powers, and upgrades. It also does an excellent job allowing you to become extremely powerful. Something, I personally appreciate though is the ability to still feel strong and in control even if you haven't broken the game.
I really appreciate the attentiveness of the developers, and the game continues to be fulfilling to play. Definitely check it out if you like Super Smash Bros!
Rabbit and Steel
This game landed for me at the perfect time! I have played World of Warcraft for nearly two decades. At a lull in my play between raid releases, this game was released. The game is like a 2D version of playing a World of Warcraft raid that you can play with friends or alone; it's a great time to practice basic mechanics and problem-solving while maximizing your output.
I still have yet to conquer this game on the hardest difficulty, but what I have played so far is incredible and definitely worth checking out if you like teamwork or big boss fights!
UFO 50
There is something very special about this game that is hard to state. I think you'd have needed to grow up playing video games, both old and new. A position I am blessed to be in. UFO 50 is a collection of 50 games that represent an older style of games that pretend to be of a certain era. These games use the technology of the time but with modern-day design principles, and it shows.
The game steps through time from 1982 to 1989. This allows you to experience for yourself the massive evolution of gaming over the time, but also the extreme amount of creativity the folks who made this game display by limiting their scope and working with constraints. Not every game here is necessarily worth your time to complete, but they are all worth your time to experience and appreciate. This is definitely one of the most interesting and thoughtful games I played this year.
Tiny Glade
It's the perfect cozy game, in my opinion. I actually to did a video to show it off. It's kind of like the perfect doodle notebook but for small towns and villages or giant hillside castles.
The developers took great care and attention to make sure anything you make, no matter how experienced you are with the tools, looks absolutely beautiful with well-crafted assets and a great lighting system.
One of my favorite games this year to load up for a short amount of time and try the daily theme or to just do something that I'm feeling for the moment. I really enjoyed watching this one come to fruition.
Diceomancer
This game definitely won the "most interesting mechanic" award this year from me. The basic gist of it is that you can, in certain circumstances, click on any number on your screen and adjust it.
This, combined with a Slay the Spire deck building and "climb," Magic the Gathering colored mana mechanic, and a wonderful cartoony art style, makes this one of the most well-crafted games of the year. A total joy if you love the feeling of breaking games.
Deadlock
While this game still has not been fully released, it proves one thing. That with infinite time and money, Valve still has the ability to pump out incredible games.
Deadlock is to League of Legends and Dota what Risk of Rain 2 was to the first Risk of Rain. It's a natural evolution, pulling the camera back literally to the 3rd person perspective while maintaining many of the same mechanics that these games share. There is an incredible depth of mechanics here through hero abilities, movement, items, skill builds, etc. This depth is what has allowed games like League of Legends and DotA to last for the many years they have, and I suspect that when Deadlock is fully released and ready for the mainstream, it may capture that same essence and excellence to become a giant mainstay.
Thank Goodness You're Here
A short and sweet comedy game. You are what I think is a salesman in this game trying to visit the mayor, told to come back later given one task: to help people. You do it in your own way, and the entire experience is certainly very funny and distinctly British.
It is a 90-120 minute game, depending on how much you dawdle. There's a lot to love here, with jokes around every corner that almost always hit and are always based in a Monty Python dry humor style. It does a great job getting you in and out, not overstaying. Definitely check it out if you love things like Monty Python!
Mind Over Magnet
This game is a fairly bog-standard puzzle platformer, though still competent and a good game. Arguably, it isn't particularly outstanding in any way. What, however, makes this game stand out massively is that you are able to watch each step of its development through a regularly published article by Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit.
A great resource for anyone who is interested in getting into game design, game creation, or practicing making games themselves. Definitely give this or the Youtube videos a look!
Proverbs
A delightful puzzle game that is like playing something akin to a minesweeper mixed with Sudoku or something similar, almost like a reverse minesweeper. The goal of the game is to fill out the entire board and, through doing so, recreate a famous painting that I had never heard of or remember now.
All that I know is that the game was really satisfying, and there is a lot of it! If you love number puzzles that are fairly simple but satisfying to complete this is definitely worth your time to check out!
I Am Your Beast
Strange Scaffold is an incredible development studio led by Xalavier Nelson Jr. This year, they released multiple games, all of which are enjoyable, but one stood above the rest as their marquis game I Am Your Beast.
This game makes you FEEL like a badass, even if you, in reality, are not. You feel like an incredibly talented assassin getting vengeance for ruining your life. The story is fun and well-voiced, the soundtrack is an absolute banger, and the gameplay is addicting. The time-attack nature of each level nudges you to do the level faster with each try. And beyond that, you are able to take your level time into the negatives in some cases. The first time you do this, you feel like a genius and an unkillable god. Definitely worth your time to check this game out!
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
A surprise hit that has come out towards the end of the year. Indiana Jones frankly blew me away, not only because I expected it to be bad, but because it went above and beyond and frankly is one of the best games of the year!
This game combines many different pieces from a variety of games, like Dishonored, Tomb Raid, and many others. It does its own thing, though, and it does it really well. The environments are gorgeous, the voice acting is perfect (shout out to Troy Baker as Indy), and the experience of playing an Indiana Jones movie is incredible. They did a great job of capturing the romantic feel and tone of adventure. The story is super fun and totally fits something you might see in an Indiana Jones movie. Of course, most importantly, you spend a lot of time punching Nazis. It's definitely a great pickup on Game Pass that you can check out!
Conclusion
This was a massively amazing year for video gaming. I likely said that last year, too, and I hope to continue to say that in the future as well. I have fears that there will be a major crash within the industry. But as long as there are passionate people who aspire to make great art and have new, interesting experiences, we will always have something new to play.
I am excited for the future, and I know we won't be let down. Here's to 2025.