It’s that time of the year again! The time where you argue with me despite this being my personal Game of the Year list. What a magical occasion! Reliving the year in games through this list is one of my favourite things to do, mostly because as a person with a terrible memory, I relive the events of the year based on which game I was playing at the time.
Every editor at TheGamer does their own list, and you can check them out here. I’ve also given each game on this list a personal award which may or may not make any sense. Enjoy!
10
Pacific Drive
Long, lonely drives while listening to the Drive soundtrack is one of my favourite things to do. Yes, I’m literally him. Unfortunately, the crowded and perpetually under-construction city of Mumbai doesn’t afford me that luxury. While its overall story didn’t connect much with me, cruising around by myself on eerie highways in Pacific Drive is one of the most peaceful gaming experiences of the year.
Personal Award: Best Ryan Gosling Simulator Of The Year
9
Forgive Me Father 2
A Doom clone will always pique my interest. But what really drew me to Forgive Me Father 2 was its Lovecraftian setting and weapon design. Blasting cultists and unnamed monstrosities with a shotgun is fun, and it gets better when you augment it by sticking a mythical sea monster on top to get targeting ammo.
Personal Award: Best Doom Clone Of The Year
8
The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
2024 finally gave us a Zelda game with the titular princess as the protagonist. Navigating a familiar world with unfamiliar tools felt like a breath of the wild, fresh air. My favourite thing about Echoes is that I could use my clones to do my bidding as well as take up the sword myself, depending on my mood.
I could also solve puzzles in an overtly complicated way, or use the tried and tested three-box method. While it’s no Tears of the Kingdom, it offers player freedom in its own unique way.
Personal Award: Best Game To Play Before Sleeping
7
Wild Bastards
It’s weird that I didn’t hear about Wild Bastards until after it launched, considering how much I loved Void Bastards. While the spiritual successor lacked the replay value of the 2018 title, it was still hard to pry myself away from the game once I started. The first-person action and a lovable gang of misfits kept me going till I finished the game, all in one sitting.
Personal Award: Best Game To Finish In One Day
6
Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
The Game Awards caused a stir when the expansion pack was nominated for Game of the Year, and everybody knows I love causing stirs. There’s not much else I can say except that it’s more Elden Ring.
The Land of Shadow is more beautiful than The Lands Between, and the levelling system was a stroke of genius. But getting to fight Radahn again was the icing on the cake, especially since I cheesed the boss on both encounters.
Personal Award: Best War Cry (Igon’s “Curse You Bayle” monologue)
5
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
It’s a pity that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wasn’t as well received as it deserved. 2D platforming is the right way to go for Prince of Persia’s future, and it’s one of Ubisoft’s best games in years. As a Zoroastrian I also appreciate the fact that The Lost Crown represented ancient Persia and Zoroastrianism better than any previous installment.
The combat, lore, platforming, and visuals were all on point. It’s a pity that the team was dissolved, as it shows that Ubisoft still has some of the magic that made it so great.
Personal Award: Best Genre Pivot Of The Year
4
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
I’ve always been curious about the Warhammer 40K universe, and Space Marine 2 finally made me take the plunge. Obliterating xeno and heretic scum is a great power fantasy, but becoming an easy gateway into 40K is perhaps the best achievement of Space Marine 2. It also helped me reconnect with a friend, who preached about 40K throughout our sessions. Praise the Emperor!
Personal Award: Best NPC Of The Year – Honoured Brother Valtus
3
Astro Bot
Astro Bot doesn’t hide what it is – a celebration of PlayStation. The fact that it owns that sentiment is a major reason why the game was so well received. A PS5 spaceship, a DualSense shuttle, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on full display, it was a throwback to the exciting launch coverage of the console.
The powers weren’t just gimmicks to advertise things you already own, they were fun to use. The highlight of the game, however, is its themed levels, each of which would make a great game on their own. I really hope Astro Bot becomes PlayStation’s avenue into Lego-type games.
Personal Award: Best Nostalgia Merchant Of The Year
2
Black Myth: Wukong
Perhaps the most hyped game of 2024, Black Myth: Wukong had high expectations to manage, and it surpassed them. It officially marked China’s arrival onto the triple-A stage, becoming the number one single-player game on Steam. The combat was a delight, especially considering how bogged down we’ve been with subpar Soulslikes. Incorporating the Monkey King’s well-known powers into combat was a masterstroke by Game Science.
The cinematic boss fights were a callback to the original God of War games where it actually felt like you were fighting the divine, rather than a dude with powers. I’m usually a rebel, but I’ll happily jump aboard this hype train.
Personal Award: Most Satisfying Attack Of The Year – Four Tier Heavy Charged Attack
1
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 was a potential GOTY for me right from when it was announced. As someone who loved the first game, I knew all it had to do was keep the basic elements the same for the sequel to succeed, but it did so much more. I usually hate playing with others, but it made me fall in love with multiplayer games again.
There’s nothing that compares to the absolute cinematic chaos of evacuating from a planet with bugs or bots coming at you from all directions. The explosions, the exhilaration, the friendly fire, the always-in-character communication, all wrapped in a neat little package of liberty is why Helldivers 2 is my 2024 Game of the Year.
Personal Award: Make Multiplayer Games Great Again Award