2024 was interesting, to say the least.
I fully recognize that the list that follows is not going to be similar to most end of the year lists you see, and frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ve never been one to cling on to a lot of the heavy hitters from year to year, not out of some hipster need to be different and unique, but more that I simply gravitate towards titles that don’t get as much love and attention as the heavily publicized GOTY contenders. That’s not to say the games on this list are esoteric and unheard of, moreso that they’re likely not going to be winning many of the actual awards given out at year’s end.
Except Balatro. Spoilers. That’s gonna win a crap-ton of awards…
I will openly recognize the impact of games like FFVII Rebirth, Metaphor ReFantazio, Silent Hill 2 remake (even though I think it looks crap), or any number of the other big named titles that’ll be completely off my radar. Hell, I’ll even give credit to games like Black Myth Wukong and Stellar Blade for… we’ll say diversifying… video game appeal this year.
I will also admit I simply did not get to everything I wanted to this year. There are a remarkable amount of games that’ll be added to potential Mog Pile’s of years future. As well as a few that I wanted to eek out this year that are collecting dust on my shelf, such as that damn System Shock remake I keep intending on playing…
But, alas, adult life means you don’t get to play everything every year, and that’s why the Mog Pile exists. Before I get to the list proper, let me quick address a few games that I did play this year that didn’t quite make the list. Consider it a runner-up prize. Sand Land was a delightful game and a wonderful send off to the great Akira Toriyama who sadly passed this year. I did quite enjoy the admittedly busted-as-fuck Eiyuden Chronicles Hundred Heroes… which ALSO came out shortly after it’s creator died, now that I think about it. Yes, I did put too many hours into FFXIV Dawntrail (which I liked, and if you don’t like Wuk Lamat you’re a coward and wrong). Also, I played the Another Code Recollection and found them quite delightful. But those games didn’t quite have what it took to make my top 10.
So, enough waffling. Let’s get down to it.
#10 Neva
While it didn’t hit me quite as hard as Gris before it, Neva was a delight on the eyes and a punch square in the heart.
A beautiful game capturing the essance of the cycle of life and death through seasons ever-changing. Nomada Studio has picked a vibe and ran with it, and this feels like a perfectly natural evolution of what they did with their debut game before it. The platforming was crisp, the combat was surprisingly fluid, and the atmosphere dripped off every screen.
What they’ve managed to accomplish without words is something special, and I can’t wait to see what they do next. Also, they owe me a box of tissues yet again.
#9 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
When Nintendo released the Link’s Awakening remake, I spent the better part of a year yelling about how they should take that art style and lower budget and make a new Zelda game that followed the old 2D design styles.
And now that they have, I feel very much validated in my opinion. What’s special about Echoes of Wisdom, besides finally having a playable Zelda in an official game, is that it took everything from the “go anywhere, do anything” open world Zelda titles like Tears of the Kingdom, and applied it to a tried and true formula. This feels like a lost Oracles game at times, and at other times, it feels like a spin-off of those recent 3D titles. It’s more puzzle-focused direction worked incredibly well, and it left me feeling remarkably smart.
Even if most of my solutions to problems ended up being a well-placed Table or giggling as Peahat go brrrrrrrrr.
#8 Visions of Mana
Setting aside the awful fate met by the studio behind it, Visions of Mana is a genuinely excellent little game.
Capturing the look and feel of the classic Mana games, while streamlining the experience into a modern style action RPG, this game was charming from beginning to end.
Surprisingly dark storyline elements trapped inside a cute Saturday Morning Cartoon aesthetic and writing, this game went places I didn’t expect and left me in awe at times at the beauty of it’s well crafted world.
Granted, the combat boiled down to me absolutely wrecking fools with Morley’s crit-build, which may have been me ruining the fun of using it’s deep customization features a bit. But hey, I had fun dual-weilding daggers and commiting cartoon genocide on entire races of cute lil’ critters as a dapper catboy. And in the end, isn’t that all that matters?
#7 Astro Bot
It has a Klonoa robot in it, what more could I ask for?
Astro Bot has no problem feeling very… familiar, we’ll say. Taking whole mechanics from Mario down to the level design. But sometimes, in order to make something great, you need to take what made other things great and simply build off them. And this game does that in spades.
Some of the tightest controls and level design I’ve ever experienced in a platformer, Astro Bot is not want for pure, undiluted fun. And while I am exactly the right age, and the right type of gamer, to bask in it’s nostalgia-baiting references, I can’t say that that is what truly kept me playing.
I’d like to make a side note that I think the level where you can control your size is genuinely one of the best platforming levels I’ve ever seen in a video game. That could have been an entire PS2 platformer on it’s own.
#6 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
People slept on this game, and that is just truly criminal to me.
This is one of the best Metroidvania games I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a damn lot of them. The precision in which you can move, the smoothness in which you can fight, and the thumb-blistering you can get from it’s platforming challenges all come together to create a game that is constantly engaging and well-executed.
It helps that it looks amazing, with stunning animation and environmental designs, coupled with a surprisingly intrigueing story. But what truly will make this game stand the test of time, and I predict establish a cult-following much like earlier games in it’s franchise, is just how absolutely fantastically playable it is.
#5 Unicorn Overlord
Perhaps the single most over-looked game released this year, Unicorn Overlord continues Vanillaware’s trend of releasing games that set a standard for animation and art direction. And, as is generally the case, they back up all that style with plenty of substance.
What’s most impressive about this game is that even a complete ass-for-brains such as myself was able to beat it. It’s a strategy game built from the ground up for people of all skill levels, offering a fun and engaging experience even if you don’t want to spend 100 hours min-maxing every single party member.
But of course, if you WANT to do that, this game’s systems are staggeringly deep. With a level of customization most tactical games could only dream of. I couldn’t even begin to fathom playing this on the harder difficulties.
If there was one game I’d recommend people check out that they likely passed over, it’d be this one. A truly excellent game that I think has set a new standard for an entire genre.
#4 Balatro
Yup. It got me too.
This is the only game that is on my list that I predict will clean up at year end game awards across all levels.
And that’s not without good reason. This is just about as perfect as a video game can get. It’s not overly complicated, but it’s plethora of ideas keeps it fresh dozens of hours in. It takes all the fun of a roguelike, and turns it into a far more casual and easy to pick up and play format. All the while keeping a chill vibe that makes it perfect for accidentally time-travelling to 3am in the morning.
I don’t imagine I’ll be putting this game down any time soon. It may seriously last the next ten years of my life. And everyone else’s lives for that matter.
I’ll be cheering it on at any and all game awards this year.
#3 Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
I’ve not made my love of Don’t Nod’s action adventure games a secret. And Banishers continues the consistent evolution and growth of their output. Like Remember Me and Vampyr before it, I can’t pretend like Banishers isn’t blemished on the surface, but underneath is a genuinely wonderful experience.
While the combat is a bit clunky, and the overworld exploration can get a bit tedious with the back tracking, all of this is easy to overlook when the design of it’s puzzles and the writing of it’s various stories works so damn well.
A beautiful meditation on death, I felt like the haunting side stories were all very interesting and built on the concept of ghost stories perfectly within the established universe. But what truly carries this story is the touching love story between Red and Antea. Given the loaming and inevitable outcome for Antea, the game builds an emotional core between the two and lets the player know they’re going to be impacted by tale’s end. And it manages to stick the landing in many ways that I don’t think it’ll ever get enough credit for.
Another narrative masterpiece for Don’t Nod that has sadly under-performed just as much as the previous two games I mentioned. Please, please, please give this one a shot. I want them to make more.
#2 Ys X: Nordics
To the surprise of no one who knows me well, an Ys game is this high on my favorite games list.
This series simply never disappoints me. And Ys X is a breath of fresh air in a series that is constantly shifting and changing. And while it definitely took some time to adjust to the new combat style, it eventually clicked into place and joined the rest of the Ys games in providing the slickest, sexiest movement and combat in an action RPG you can get.
At this point, there isn’t even a reason for me to talk about how killer the soundtrack is, or how Falcom continues to deliver plenty of wink-nod moments to franchise regulars. But what I should mention is how genuinely great the story is in this one. Choosing to toss aside a party in favor of focusing entirely on Adol and Karja’s relationship as Shield Brothers was a great choice, and it makes Karja one of the best companion characters in the entire series. I was so in love with their partnership by the end of the game, it was almost bittersweet to roll credits.
To summarize, Ys X is another finely tuned action game with pulse-pounding tunes and charm oozing from every corner and a welcome addition to a franchise that’ll continue to populate my favorite games of the year list for as long as Falcom will continue to make them.
PLAY YS GAMES DAMMIT
#1 1000xResist
Hekki grace, sisters.
I kept hearing video essayists talk about 1000xResist. I looked at the trailer and it seemed neat, but I didn’t get around to it at first. But when I finally did… my god. It made an impact, to say the least.
I knew from the very start this game was going to be my kind of shit entirely, and by about in hour in I was already figuring it would rank high on my favorite games of the year list. But by game’s end, I knew I had experienced a game that would stick with me for the rest of my life. I feel like I’m a better human being after playing this game, seriously.
While some will write it off as another abstract artsy walking simulator, 1000xResist uses that formula flawlessly to deliever a sci-fi story that manages to hit surprisingly close to home on many levels. The sheer number of things this game touches on, from family dynamics to bullying to existential dread to how humans react to crisis, is great, but to tie it all together in a deeply personal and well-written story that weaves it’s way through more twists and turns than you could ever imagine. All while actually managing to be coherent and coming to a clean, satisfactory conclusion? Damn amazing, if you ask me.
It does it all with stunning and creative art direction, surprisingly great voice acting, and tight writing and pacing. Just a genuine master class in how to use interactive media to tell an important story. This is one that should be talked about for years to come as a next-step in video game narratives.
Hekki allmo… hekki grace.
Alright well, there you have it. My favorite games of 2024. Hope everyone else had a great year of gaming, and I’ll catch you all in 2025 where I constantly yell about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 because FUCK THAT GAME LOOKS GOOD.
The Mog Pile 