Yeah, I didn't think we'd make it this far either. 2024 is almost wrapped up, several global catastrophes later, and everyone is now winding down, ready for the global hibernation and inter-generational trauma dumping of the Christmas holidays. Even the gaming media cycle is starting to grind to a halt as people begin to look back on the past twelve months and the games that made them.
For me, there's not a lot to say about 2024's big releases. I've only managed to play three games that actually came out this year; Balatro, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. My tendency to wait for post-release patches and sales, while sensible, does mean that, in times like these, I'm about as current and relevant as a floppy disk.
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| Images property of Nintendo, CD Projekt, Lucas Pope, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Larian Studios, LocalThunk, The Game Kitchen, Happy Broccoli Games, Thunder Lotus Games |
So, instead, I'm going to wrap-up my favourite games that I played this year, no matter when they came out. After all, this year's games still have to share store shelves with older, now significantly cheaper, games, making these comparisons about as valid as any.
Oh and while I'm establishing some ground rules, I don't intend to judge games by genre here. Even within genres like shooters or action-adventure games, there's too much variety for direct comparisons in my opinion. So, instead I'm awarding games based on how well they do things that I think are important (creating joy, innovating with gameplay etc.) to make for a healthier conversation.
Lastly, I've also included a list below of everything I played (for the first time) this year in case you want to play along with which ones you would award in my situation. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am via any forum with a functioning block button.
Finished games: Unfinished games:
Spiritfarer Talos Principle
Firewatch Baldur's Gate 3
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor Oxenfree
Prey Blasphemous
Yakuza Kiwami Yakuza 3
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Paper Mario: TTYD
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Castlevania: SotN
Metroid Prime: Remastered
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Cyberpunk 2077
Return of the Obra Dinn
Balatro
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Best game for joy
Joy in games comes in many shapes and sizes. Cathartic gameplay, colourful art-design, witty writing and many other things can all spark joy in games. For my most joyful game of the year though, I'm choosing a game that is almost exclusively about watching seasick, sweaty people being brutally killed. Return of the Obra Dinn, while not joyful in its subject matter, brought out a sense of happiness and wonder in me that is hard to come by in the modern games industry.
(Image property of Lucas Pope and 3909 LLC)
Obra Dinn excites in all the right ways from the compelling intrigue to the interesting characters and striking art direction. Above all else though, what cements its spot on this list is the consistent feedback loop that challenges the player while rewarding them regularly for their efforts. As such, when playing Return of the Obra Dinn, moments of relief, joy and discovery are never far away.
Best game for emotional impact
This was an easy one to pick. While emotional impact can mean a lot of different things, there is no surer evidence of it than a game which cripples me with manly tears for longer than any other piece of media ever has. Spiritfarer was that game.
(Image property of Thunder Lotus Games)
When I first started playing it, I didn't think the game's hooks were in me far enough to elicit the strong reactions that my peers claimed to have. Oh how wrong I was. By the time I rolled credits, I had not only felt compelled to 100% the game but also had broken down crying three separate times. In fact, one sobbing fit lasted for so long that my only memories of the credits are blurred out by my own tears.
So good job Spiritfarer, not only did you win, you managed to emotionally cripple me in the process, congrats.
Best game for gameplay innovation
One of the things that I find most irksome about the real Game Awards is how little time they have for innovation. Sure, they love to nominate the best looking games on the market, but so often those games don't leave any space for taking risks in the gameplay department. As such, it feels right taking the time to celebrate games that successfully innovate beyond the realms of rendering increasingly realistic horse testicles.
(Image property of LocalThunk and Playstack)
Unfortunately for me though, The Game Awards and I seem to have reached a rare consensus this year because my choice for gameplay innovation is, of course, Balatro. You won't hear any complaints from me about Balatro's numerous awards at TGA 2024. It is one of those beautifully rare examples of a game that feels as innovative as it does blindingly obvious. A deck-building rogue-like with actual playing cards. It's a marriage that works so well that it feels like someone should've done it much earlier.
Congratulations then, Balatro, for being so innovative in spirit that you make the rest of us feel stupid.
Best game for compelling characters
Characters are just one part of telling a story. However, bread is also just one part of a sandwich and yet it wouldn't make sense without it. As such, it feels fitting to award the game that, this year, was able to most successfully sucker me in with its characters and make me feel as though I was engaging with something deeper than just pre-recorded dialogue and lines of code.
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| (Image property of CD Projekt) |
For me, Cyberpunk 2077 was that game. Was its writing Shakespearean at every moment? Absolutely not. Rather, Cyberpunk, is exactly what it is supposed to be. While some of its characters can be exhausting and abrasive at times, they all come with their own charms, quirks and very obvious flaws. There were very few points in Cyberpunk 2077 when characters failed to feel tactile, compelling and sympathetic in their motivations, making it one of the most immersive games I've played this year.
Best game for depth of systems
Sometimes games make a name for themselves through innovation, like Balatro, or with style like Return of the Obra Dinn. Some games, however, make themselves notable through sheer bloody-minded force of will by cramming themselves so full of activities, choices and if-statements that you can reliably play through them multiple times with different experiences. In this category, there is no game that excelled quite like last year's Baldur's Gate 3.
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| (Image property of Larian Studios) |
Having played through the first half of the game both solo and with a partner, it never ceases to amaze me just how far down the depths of Baldur's Gate 3 seem to go. Whether it is in resolving and creating conflict, solving puzzles or discovering new story-beats, the game is packed to the brim with new and exciting moments around every turn. In so many ways, Larian's magnum opus really is a once-in-a-generation experience.
Best bite-sized game
From arguably the biggest game of the decade to the total inverse, I want to celebrate the small games that don't set out to change the world but rather choose to pretty themselves up and make a truly remarkable experience that exits your life after only a few hours.
I had a hard time weighing up this category. Duck Detective crafted a compelling case for itself with its short-bursts of witty dialogue and a micro-scale intrigue to explore. However, for me, while excellent, Duck Detective didn't leave me with the lasting waves of introspection that my first choice, Firewatch managed to.
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| (Image property of Campo Santo and Panic) |
If you don't remember Campo Santo's 2016 stroll-em-up, Firewatch follows a forest-fire watchman named Henry as he wanders through the woods of Wyoming while talking on the radio to his female handler, Delilah. It's straightforward, understandable and consistently captivating throughout its roughly three
hour runtime. Just remember to turn off map markers if you play it so that the game still carries some sort of challenge.Best game I didn't finish
Odd choice for a category, I know, but I'm only human. I have wildly varying tastes and sometimes I just don't get round to finishing a game no matter how much I like it. It seems only fair that I acknowledge the herculean efforts of game devs even when I don't roll credits on their projects.
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| (Image property of Larian Studios) |
In that regard then, I'm sure you'll feel no level of surprise to hear that Baldur's Gate 3 was the best game that I didn't finish this year. I probably won't finish it any time soon either, seeing as I don't have access to a time machine or a never-ending sabbatical. What a clever ploy by Larian, making a game that gives me such bad choice-paralysis that it can win both the gameplay depth and unfinished game categories. Well, take your prize Larian. I just hope I'll still have good things to say about your game at my retirement party when I'm finally done with it.
Game of the Year
This is it, the final game in my wrap-up for 2024. My game of the year. To put it bluntly, this was a total pain. As you can probably tell, this was a great year of games for me. I have played some of my all time favourite games in the last twelve months. From outsider indies to triple-a masterpieces, it felt like a Sisyphean task to narrow down my list. But, narrow it down I did.
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| (Image property of Larian Studios) |
Eventually, I had two games which traded places in my mind several times over the last week. One was Baldur's Gate 3 for all of the things that I've already praised it for. Its world, its characters, its depth and its overall polish all shone through in my judging of it.
However, it all came down to one deciding factor. I haven't finished Baldur's Gate 3, and while that is partly so that I devote the time and energy to it that it deserves, it is also in part because another game eclipsed it. You see, since I started playing Baldur's Gate, I have gone back to another game from earlier this year and not only did I finish it, I also started a new playthrough to experience it all again. The game in question: Cyberpunk 2077.
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| (Image property of CD Projekt) |
What started off as a total disaster for CD Projekt has turned into a true masterpiece. Its world, its writing and its story make it one of the most immersive and enjoyable experiences I have had with a game in years. When you throw on top of that stellar gunplay and an outstanding DLC in Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk now feels like a complete package and more. While I cannot deny Baldur's Gate 3's importance, and I acknowledge all of the ways that it does outshine Cyberpunk, CDPR's futuristic masterwork continues to compel me and draw me back in in a way that no open world has for a very long time. It is, without doubt, my favourite game of 2024.
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| (Image property of CD Projekt) |
But what do you think? I've said a lot about the games I've played this year, but what have been your favourites? Let me know on Bluesky, X or Instagram. What's more, as we approach 2025, what are your recommendations for things to play? Which of my unfinished games should I clock first? Let me know and, if you don't see me before, have a very happy new year!
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