When The Game Awards nominees were announced, I read some comments expressing how “2024 was a bad year for the video games industry”. I couldn’t agree more: over 14,600 people have lost their jobs, almost 200 studios were affected, and many have closed their doors. Meanwhile, some of the big names seem to have no idea where they are going and what to do. It has been a terrible year for the people making video games.
But the games? The games have been freaking incredible, mate. Sure, there might not have been as many bombastic launches as in 2023, but I have played so, so many great titles this year that this list was much harder to come up with. Let’s hope 2025 is even better.
10
Kunitsu-Gami: Path Of The Goddess
I love everything Capcom has been doing lately. The remakes/remasters, the new Resident Evil entries, Street Fighter 6, Monster Hunter, and the collections of old classics have been nothing but music to my ears. However, what I really love is the weird Capcom. The one with a smaller budget and teams but with strong and original ideas and a determination to take them as far as they can.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of The Goddess taught me that you can present a simple concept— a tower defense game with human units you can transform while you control a hero character to protect your Maiden — and twist it many, many times for hours and still have a fresh and delightful new level to play.
I hope Capcom never stops creating these types of experiences.
9
Astro Bot
It’s easy to get cynical with Astro Bot. This game is a constant reminder of all the PlayStation IPs and genres that are gone and may never come back. A reminder of, maybe, better times in the video games industry.
On the other hand, Astro Bot is also the creation of a team that lost their previous studio (Japan Studios) and still worked hard to bring us the most polished, inventive, and exciting platformer of the year. Astro Bot is a miracle, and I’m so grateful for it.
8
Tekken 8
I don’t have much to say about Tekken 8. It looks and sounds amazing, making T7 feel like a game of two generations ago. The new mechanic, the Heat system, adds a layer of aggressiveness and unpredictability to the matches that make me want to have a rematch every time I lose. I’m excited to see how T8 evolves in the years to come.
7
Balatro
A lot of the discussion around Balatro’s good qualities has been about how you can’t stop playing it, losing many hours of your life before you realize it. In other words, we have talked about how addicting Balatro can be (as if that’s a good thing to begin with).
Balatro is amazing because it takes an exciting and cool game like Poker and makes it ten times more thrilling and creative. The devil is in the details: its accessibility, the variety and synergy of the jokers, and the art design, full of little touches like your score going up in flames when you blast past the score requirements, are just a few of the things that make Balatro one of the best designed games of the year.
6
UFO 50
UFO 50 makes no sense. A video game that’s actually 50 video games in a single low-priced packet? When a good chunk of these titles could be sold individually for much more? A collection of 8-bit-style games that don’t have ray tracing, Nanite, an 8K resolution, all that fancy stuff that we are supposed to look for with our expensive consoles, and they still look and feel great to play?
UFO 50 is an anomaly that shouldn’t exist, but since it does, I give my thanks to Derek Yu and Mossmouth every day when I wake up.
5
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Grief is a common topic in video games, but it could be argued that it is easier to find portrayed in smaller and more concrete stories. Not in epic journeys that can last over 100 hours and present so many characters, locations, enemies, and activities to discover. Well, the second part of the FF7 Remake project achieves that.
FF7 Rebirth is a journey around a world that is dying while we try to save it and save ourselves in the process. Dealing with the death of the people and things we love will leave us marked for life. Rebirth is a reminder that we can always find joy and love, no matter what we go through.
4
1000xResist
How 1000xResist dives into so many topics with the precision and creativity it does still haunts me. It’s a story set in a faraway future with characters that feel emotionally distant, more like robots and aliens at first glance. But as we get to know them, we start seeing their humanity. Their desires, their feelings of isolation, the heavy burden of immigration, how we create our beliefs, and the pursuit to be loved in life.
Some of the most emotional and shocking scenes of the year can be found in this game.
3
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Growing up with Kiryu Kazuma has been an experience. I’ve been playing the Yakuza/LaD games for over a decade, and I’ve been next to Kiryu as he cares for others and tries to do the right thing, no matter the cost.
Infinite Wealth is the end of the road for the Dragon of Dojima. One that is packed with caring memories and characters from all the previous entries that pay tribute to a protagonist in a way that I have only ever experienced before with one flawed title — MGS 4. Infinite Wealth seems to double down on that old cliche: life is about all the friends we make along the way.
2
Animal Well
I don’t remember playing a game as mysterious, scary, and mesmerizing as Animal Well in 2024. What’s wrong with these animals? What are they doing when you don’t see them? In fact, what are you? What’s your goal here? Are you doing everything by yourself or is there someone (or something) guiding you?
Many more questions and secrets are waiting in one of the most intricate and amazingly-designed worlds ever produced in 2D.
Honorable Mentions
From left to right: Lorelei And The Laser Eye, Nine Sols, Sorry, We’re Closed, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
1
Mouthwashing
When I finished Mouthwashing in one sitting, I had to take a big breath and try to relax for a few minutes. I stood up from my chair, turned off the screen, and started walking around my house. This is a story that presented me with the most unlikeable characters in an absurd setting, and made me care and pray for every single one of them in less than an hour.
Since the credits rolled, I can’t stop thinking about these characters and what taking responsibility for your actions really means. I think I will be thinking about Mouthwashing for years to come.
- Released
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September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
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Wrong Organ
- Publisher(s)
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Critical Reflex
- Engine
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Unity