Unveiling 2024’s Gaming Gems: The Ultimate Top 10 Countdown

As another year concludes, it seems to have flown by in a haze. My Steam summary indicates I’ve engaged with over 200 games, which is somewhat bonkers, but it’s been a year worth commemorating. From expansive RPGs to eccentric indie titles, 2024 has proven to be a varied and thrilling year for video games, acting as a delightful diversion from the void.

Our group of 11 writers and editors established a voting framework where we all selected our top ten games. The first position received ten points, with the tenth position earning one point. We also included a wildcard entry, which automatically garnered ten points, along with some noteworthy mentions. After compiling everything, here are our top video games of 2024.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth includes numerous mini-games. With returning favorites like Fort Condor and fresh obsessions like Queen’s Blood, FF7 Rebirth is brimming with content that could rival the chaos of a Yakuza installment. All of this is set against a deeply moving narrative filled with unexpected developments, while still adhering to the foundation laid by the original game from 1997.

The brilliance of Rebirth lies in its ability to seamlessly juggle its tone, transitioning between whimsical and profoundly emotional narrative points. This is achieved by broadening the world and breathing life into its characters through various side-quests, all without losing sight of the primary objective. If you permit yourself to delve into its depths, FF7 Rebirth will be remembered as one of the greatest games ever created.

The Persona franchise serves as an exemplary showcase of narrative craft. Each character is a fully developed, intricately written individual, and their journeys feel genuine, despite their fantastical nature. Created by many of the same talents, Metaphor: ReFantazio sheds the slice-of-life facade and plunges into the fantastical with vigor, featuring adults rather than school youths. Persona aficionados will spot all the signature traits of the series, while also noticing how everything has been enhanced and broadened.

Metaphor unfolds in a semi-open world where your exploration choices shape your experience. Atlus has relinquished control, allowing you to delve deeper into the world, making the limitations of daily activities less clear. You possess greater agency over your allies than ever before, and the new Archetypes system is easier to navigate, yet offers more options for combinations. Metaphor represents a new echelon of Persona-style RPGs, and I eagerly anticipate what Studio Zero will unveil next.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission was among the finest titles on PS4, though you might not be aware of this since very few people experienced it. As a PSVR exclusive, it showcased adept utilization of the new technology, but the platform ultimately hindered its potential. Astro’s Playroom reintroduced the charming companion to a wider audience, yet many remained oblivious that this lovable bot could provide a complete gaming experience.

Fortunately for all of us, Astro Bot is the third and finest entry in the series, offering numerous exquisite levels filled with concealed secrets and areas to discover. Most crucially, if you remain still for a moment, Astro Bot turns around to smile and wave at you, delivering a kind of joy that we all needed this year. With brisk and fluid movement and a plethora of intriguing mechanics, Astro Bot is sheer enjoyment, which is why it has become one of the premier titles this year.

Assailing peculiar little goblins and massive trolls in a fantasy landscape might not seem the most enticing or unique premise for a game, yet Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes a cliched setting and propels it into new heights. The world of DD2 is vibrant. I don’t mean alive in the generic sense where a few NPCs roam – it’s truly vibrant. If you neglect to assist that NPC when instructed, they could very well meet their demise at the hands of creatures along the path, leaving behind only a corpse. It’s a game of simulation and systems, where the unexpected seems possible.

Consider that nonexistent dead NPC. You could simply walk away, but there’s an item you can acquire to resurrect the fallen, meaning that event instigated by the simulation can trigger a unique personal quest that will resonate more than anything pre-scripted. Every single quest feels this way in DD2, making the journey between custom content even more significant than the conclusion. Oh, and you can make a colossal cyclops tumble into a pit and traverse across him like a bridge. That’s pretty cool, too.

Despite my father’s efforts, I have little interest in Indiana Jones. I’m“`html

Apologies. I simply don’t. I would have preferred to witness MachineGames reveal Wolfenstein 3. However, during a press conference, I got an advance glimpse and thought, hold on, they’re creating Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. I was on board.

Despite glimpsing elements of one of my all-time favorite classic games, I didn’t anticipate MachineGames to execute this. Indeed, there are hints of Riddick with its fantastic stealth and impactful first-person melee combat, alongside the flashing-action of Wolfenstein, but Indiana Jones also embodies a remarkable adventure game filled with elaborate puzzles, ancient temples, and enigmatic caves. It’s a virtual trip to some of the most fascinating locations worldwide. It’s a 20-hour experience I’ll never forget.

I enjoy card games and those where digits increase, but never have these two elements merged in such a sophisticated and captivating manner as seen in Balatro.

It incorporates something many individuals already know (and can be easily grasped) in the conventional array of Poker hands while adding a few seemingly straightforward systems that will challenge your intellect as you desperately attempt to devise strategies around the seemingly endless combinations that can propel your score ever higher with each playthrough.

The finest deck builders compel you to rearrange your thinking to the extent that you’re effectively communicating in an entirely new language, and Balatro achieves this using a classic deck of playing cards. You find yourself vocalizing thoughts on how this new joker engages with everything else in your hand. Never in my life have I felt closer to obtaining an ultimate comprehension of the universe than when I scored so highly that it caused the in-game counter to malfunction and simply return null.

Just when I thought I was done, they drew me back in. FromSoftware is on a legendary streak of consecutive hits, and Elden Ring might be one of the finest action RPGs ever created. An enchanting world, demanding combat, and a narrative that you craft as you traverse the realm come together to form one of the greatest games ever. And that was even before it received DLC.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC enhances what was already excellent about Elden Ring, refines the focus, and presents players with a much richer world to discover. This represents the ideal density for an open-world action title from FromSoftware, and I maintain high expectations that the team’s next significant release will improve upon and further refine this blueprint.

I never anticipated I would be praising a game where you assume the role of a nun, but here I am. I don’t mind if it’s deemed blasphemous to assert, Indika is an absolute treasure. It’s part walking simulation, part 2-D platformer, and part adventure game akin to Naughty Dog’s creations where firearms are substituted with contemplations on ethics and belief.

You take on the role of a cursed nun who is despised by her fellow sisters and seduced by the devil. Indika merges surreal elements with the ordinary to draw you into its universe, compelling you to carry out mundane tasks one moment before delving into an Escher-like environment that twists and loops back on itself. There isn’t another game quite like this, and there are few better ways to spend your time.

It has been ages since I ventured into that town. Silent Hill. It’s been so long that I couldn’t recall much about it. The broad outlines, sure, but the finer details, no. This was the ideal situation for me to experience the remake, as I was never clear about what was novel and what had always existed, and the narrative was equally captivating the second time around. Bloober Team truly captured the essence of what made the original Silent Hill 2 exceptional but incorporated the quality-of-life improvements that modern gamers had longed for.

Not only does everything appear polished and revitalized, but there are even more sinister secrets than ever before. Additional nooks to discover, and the puzzles are more fiendish if that’s what you seek. I revisited Silent Hill with a more positive outlook than ol’ Jimbo, and every aspect of my stay was thrillingly terrifying from beginning to end. Silent Hill 2 is such a classic title that it arguably didn’t necessitate a remake, and yet, Silent Hill 2 is here to demonstrate that even a revered game can be enhanced.

Anyone who enjoys video games has that one title that embeds itself in their brain until they find themselves daydreaming about it during every waking moment. Then comes The Zone – that harmonious state you enter when you’re perfectly in sync with a game, whether it’s Tetris or WipeOut. For some, this occurs during an intense action sequence requiring complete concentration, but for me, it’s during those moments when I spend ten minutes staring at a static screen, contemplating every possible move and result of a specific situation. Never before has such an experience been as gratifying as it has been with Tactical Breach Wizards, the latest creation from the certified game design wizard, Tom Francis.

It distills XCOM-type turn-based strategy down to its most elemental and genuine form. Rather than expansive maps that require exploration and clearing, you’re presented with a single screen featuring a set of enemies that all…

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need to be rendered unconscious or, ideally, propelled out of a window. To accomplish this, you have five sorcerers, each possessing entirely distinct abilities that enable you to alter the battlefield, your adversaries, and your companions in numerous ways to achieve your aims.

Even the most straightforward situations provide me with plenty to ponder, and it’s all presented with an exquisite little narrative and some comical writing that brings this whimsical concept for a world to existence and makes me even more committed to my endless screen-staring and vocal musings.

Never has the grim foreboding of Warhammer 40,000 been illustrated as impressively as in Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment’s third-person shooter. Continuing the tale of Titus, the main character from the previous game, Space Marine 2 is an unapologetic tribute to the universe, brimming with little nuances and references to the broader cosmos that enrich the experience for aficionados without alienating newcomers – and there were plenty of the latter, as Space Marine 2 seems to have bridged 40k closer to the mainstream, welcoming many individuals into this intricate and profound milieu.

In terms of playability, Space Marine 2 could not be more exceptional when it comes to making you feel like a supersoldier towering over two meters and causing the ground to tremble with every step in his colossal power armor. Unleashing projectiles into hordes of Tyranids offers immense satisfaction, yet it still pales in comparison to the sheer delight of witnessing your character slice through enemies with a chainsword in a series of meticulously crafted animations while yelling “For the Emperor!”

Referring to media as “an experience” is rapidly becoming a cliché, but for RGG Studio’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, it’s one of the few descriptions that nearly encapsulates what this exquisite, unwieldy, marvelous chaos of a game represents. Ichiban Kasuga’s journey to locate his long-lost mother takes him and a select few companions to Hawaii – and, for some of them, returning to Yokohama – where they become embroiled in yet another grand criminal narrative. That’s the premise, nonetheless, but there exists a vast web of smaller tales delving into alternate interpretations of much deeper issues. Ultimately, you come to realize Infinite Wealth is about the aftermath of when your life’s ambitions crumble, when everything you envisioned dissipates, wilts, and perishes, yet you awaken the following day still needing to navigate life somehow.

It encapsulates the entire spectrum of human experience, and beyond the narratives of absent mothers and fading dragons, sun-drenched vacations, and nefarious wrongdoers, I believe that’s what RGG aimed to explore. It’s also about delivering pizzas on a bicycle, assisting elderly individuals with aches, and imagining that you’re leveling up by combating creatures in a dungeon because this is a Yakuza game, after all.

Call of Duty ranks among the priciest gaming franchises globally, and yet the narrative segments of each remind me of those horror film franchises that somehow accumulate numerous films. It’s yet another installment. Another military shooter. It’s predictable, fleeting, popcorn entertainment. However, in the appropriate context, a large bucket of popcorn can provide more satisfaction than anything else.

Black Ops 6 is yet another Call of Duty title, indeed, but it’s also significantly more than that. An additional year in development ensures that Black Ops 6 is the most comprehensive Call of Duty available at launch in nearly a decade. The story missions rank among the best in the franchise, the multiplayer variety is satisfactory, and the Zombies mode has improved dramatically compared to previous years. Black Ops 6 marks a genuine return to form in 2024.

Upon the announcement of Pokémon TCG Pocket, I found myself somewhat perplexed. There’s already a Pokémon TCG app on mobile devices – Pokémon TCG Live – so why introduce another one? After dedicating an unreasonable amount of hours into the game, I now realize my skepticism was unfounded. The modifications to gameplay compared to the traditional TCG are impressive, featuring a quicker, more streamlined cadence to card battles, yet the real attraction lies in the collecting aspect. Opening card packs almost evokes the same excitement as it does in real life, especially when multiple packs are opened simultaneously, and discovering a new card when you’re on the cusp of completing a collection is tremendously thrilling, particularly when sharing that delight with friends and colleagues.

With weekly events, a surprising amount of solo content, a robust competitive environment, and the opportunity to open a few packs daily, TCG Pocket has swiftly and seamlessly integrated into my routine, and I don’t foresee putting it down anytime soon.

When one thinks of Nintendo titles, a psychological thriller visual novel is certainly not the first thought that arises. And yet, somehow, that’s precisely what Emio: The Smiling Man is. No one could have anticipated the revival of the three-decade-old Famicom Detective Club series, and its comeback was absolutely astonishing. It’s disturbing, exhilarating, and a genuine puzzle throughout. Regardless of how convinced I was that I’d solved the enigma at the heart of the narrative, I would always find myself thrownfor a loop moments later. Even at the very conclusion of the game, when everything was finalized, the game delivered yet another shocker. It possesses stunning atmospheres, excellent illustrations, some outstanding narration, and some surprisingly gruesome scenes that stay with me eternally. 

Indeed, Zelda finally takes the lead role, but that’s merely the beginning of what renders The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom so remarkable. This game once more deconstructs the norms of a Zelda title, this time examining the standard 2D Zelda formula, and dissecting it into elements. Those trees that have, historically, always essentially functioned as barriers? Well, now they’re platforms, too. The environment genuinely feels 3D, and not merely in rendering terms, but also in the manner you traverse it.

The game’s primary feature is the ability to generate items and creatures you encounter to aid you in exploration, puzzles, and combat. This gives the impression of observing a multitude of Godrick’s Soldiers engaging with an Elden Ring adversary, as you witness the various beings of the world battle one another. It may not seem like a concept that could sustain a 20-hour gaming experience, but due to the immense variety of echoes you can conjure into the world, it never feels stale. A crucial Nintendo Switch title.

Having lost my father at a very young age, I immediately identified Tales of Kenzera: Zau as one of those narratives that arrives in your life at the right moment to provide solace in sorrow and guide you as you navigate the anguish of loss. For me, that was Disney’s Lion King three decades ago, which, much like Zau, draws from the rich African heritage that is often overlooked in media.

Some individuals may find such stories unappealing, as no one truly wants to be reminded of the cycle of life and the certainty of death, yet giving them a chance often results in a cathartic experience that imbues you with optimism instead of despair.

Abubakar Salim – best known as the voice behind Bayek from Assassin’s Creed Origins – and his small team have crafted a magnificent tale, and it’s evident that they have invested their hearts into a truly exceptional project. Tales of Kenzera: Zau also serves as a wonderful representation of African myth and narratives, particularly Bantu folklore, which is seldom seen in games, especially in an authentic manner.

Moreover, Zau excels as a superb metroidvania, reforming certain conventions of the genre and intertwining its mechanics seamlessly with its predominant themes. In a year teeming with metroidvanias, it distinguishes itself through its moving narrative, engaging gameplay, and stunning visual aesthetics, so it should not be disregarded.

As enjoyable as lightsabers and Force abilities may be, it’s challenging to maintain a sense of reality in a universe where you can elevate a person with your mind and hurl them through a doorway. Ubisoft Massive’s open-world Star Wars game forgoes the spectacle, placing you as a powerless scoundrel in an expansive galaxy where stormtroopers are just as much to be evaded as confronted. Best of luck if you’re trapped by a few.

I take pleasure in wandering around an open-world Tatooine, petting peculiar dog-like aliens, and discovering worn arcade machines in the corners of shabby garages. As a Star Wars enthusiast, experiencing a gamble in a gaming den is as exhilarating as blasting my way out of an Imperial fortress. There are countless hidden gems, like two very recognizable droids tucked away in a random bunker. While side missions may seem a bit supplementary, a gratifying campaign filled with captivating characters will keep you engrossed.

Great were the expectations that 11 Bit Studios needed to satisfy with the sequel to Frostpunk, and it must have felt particularly sweet to meet those lofty standards. Frostpunk 2 is the most captivating and unusual type of sequel – one that reinvents itself without betraying what made the original exceptional. You are still required to sustain humanity in the midst of an apocalypse, but the scale has shifted compared to the previous installment: Instead of a small village, you oversee a burgeoning metropolis. Rather than dispatching a couple of scouts here and there, you establish entire outposts to cater to the demands of your expanding city.

However, the real challenge arises not from the ice alone but from the human spirit. Individuals possess their own visions on how to endure, on how society should function, and they wish to have their voices heard. Your responsibility is to discover compromises, broker deals in secrecy, or outright stifle dissenting opinions in order to maintain governance in the city – and be prepared for the worst, as some would prefer to see the city freeze rather than concede their demands.

Aerial firefighter, cargo courier, search and rescue operator, commercial airline pilot, and tour guide are just a few of the vocational routes awaiting you in the revamped Flight Simulator 2024, the continuation of Asobo’s 2020 title that grants your adventures in the clouds more purpose. 

An assortment of helicopters enhances the roster of flawlessly constructed aircraft, while a walking photography mode allows you to explore a 1:1 replica of real Earth (still an extraordinary accomplishment, by the way) enabling you to get intimately acquainted with historical sites such as the Sphinx, Taj Mahal, and impressive Las Vegas Orb. They’ve even brought it to life with a large yellow face that gazes back at you.

Dungeons of Deadrock 2 – Oliver Brandt

I adored the original Dungeons of Dreadrock, and this sequel is even more impressive. Blending dungeon exploration with spatial reasoning challenges, Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 is filled with beautifully crafted puzzles and a narrative that seamlessly aligns with the first installment. It’s also visually stunning, with absolutely beautiful pixel art and fantastic sound design. It’s the finest puzzle game I’ve engaged with this year, and perhaps the best puzzle game I’ve encountered in the past decade.

Flock – George Young

During our Alternative Game Awards, we declared Palworld to be the premier Pokemon game of 2024. We made this choice due to its humor, but also because many on the team hadn’t experienced the actual top Pokemon game of 2024, Flock. Flock centers around catching various creatures as you traverse the globe, charming the different mythical beings residing within it. Once enchanted, they can become part of your flock, aiding you in charming other creatures of the same type.

Every new creature you encounter must be documented in your guidebook so that others can also appreciate the world’s inhabitants in a similar fashion. While soaring through the air and attempting to charm an entire flock of Basking Bewls or Frogmouth Gleebs, the various bean-shaped beings in Flock’s universe captured my heart in return.

Slitterhead – Dave Aubrey

Slitterhead is nothing like any other game of 2024 and genuinely feels completely distinctive in my gaming experiences to date. You assume the role of a parasite that inhabits human hosts, utilizing them to navigate and engage in combat. This culminates in an early episode where you leap off a building while possessing an individual and then transfer to another just before the horrific impact. While the game may not recapture that magnitude of shock and astonishment later on, it remains impactful.

The game expands further as you meet Rarities; humans who retain consciousness and can communicate while being hosted. These individuals also grant your player parasite access to a multitude of novel abilities to employ in confrontations with the Slitterheads, a menacing extraterrestrial-like “threat” that prowls the streets. Once more, Slitterhead is unlike anything around, and that’s precisely why you should give it a try.

Solium Infernum – Marco Wutz

Civilization intersects with Diablo and Game of Thrones – if that combination intrigues you, then Solium Infernum is worth examining. As the throne of hell becomes vacant, the finest – or perhaps the worst? – of its inhabitants start vying for the seat, bringing forth all the intrigue and subterfuge imaginable.

This board game-inspired turn-based strategy title boasts a wealth of captivating mechanics and subsystems, an impressive art style, and outstanding asynchronous multiplayer features that allow you to plan your moves during coffee breaks or dull online meetings. While it stands as a commendable single-player experience, I would recommend this one for game nights with comrades – it’s a truly marvelous opportunity for betrayal and laughter afterwards.

Satisfactory – Kirk McKeand

Overlooked in every Game of the Year compilation (including our own list due to insufficient exposure among my team), I had to discover a way to acknowledge Satisfactory in 2024. It has been in early access on PC for what appears like ages, but its 1.0 debut this year represents the culmination of all that effort, all that feedback from the community, and it is now an undeniable masterpiece with a rating of 10/10.

This automation-focused game scales in a way unlike anything else. Every element is grand and intricate, and in the later stages, you’ll find yourself coordinating 50 machines just to efficiently produce a single component. I caught myself jotting down plans on paper like a lunatic, establishing the perfect sequence to construct my space elevator. When you engage with it, the clue is in the title – it’s gratifying. You accomplished it; you optimized the machinery, the conveyor belts, the arrangements. You pieced it all together on belts hanging from the ceiling, navigating through small vents that channel those up to the next level. You’re a true genius.

However, all that is merely a portion of what renders Satisfactory so alluring. It is not entitled to…to accomplish this, but for some reason, this manufacturing game features some of the most impressive movement techniques in video gaming. Once you’re established, you’ll catch yourself dashing along your own power cables with a grappling hook, parachuting over the landscape, sliding down a slope, boosting to the crest of a cliff using a jetpack, racing through an air-powered conduit – it’s ridiculous. And that’s without even discussing the vehicles, ranging from buggies to trucks and trains. It’s not merely one of the finest of 2024 – Satisfactory stands out as one of the greatest games ever conceived.

Mouthwashing – Rahul Majumdar

Mouthwashing presents straightforward mechanics, yet the themes it addresses and the format in which it does are anything but basic. Positioned in an alternate retro-futuristic setting, Mouthwashing narrates the tale of the spaceship Tulpar’s crew prior to and following a disastrous crash. This three-hour journey places you in the roles of the Tulpar’s captains before and after the incident, whose leadership styles clash. It’s a horror game that skillfully exploits its confined, personal environment to investigate how seclusion impacts individuals’ psychological states through unreliable narrators and significant commentary on capitalism and corporate aspirations.

In addition to offering one of the year’s most remarkable story twists in a video game, its dedication to non-linear storytelling is praiseworthy. You likely won’t anticipate its next surprise even when you believe you’re nearing the conclusion, along with the dark, unsettling areas its narrative explores.