While 2024 may not one day be remembered as fondly as 2023, that doesn’t mean there weren’t lots and lots of excellent games released this year. Far from it, in fact: sometimes it felt like there were too many great games to keep track of, which is reflected in our list: more than 60 games received votes from Gaming Age staff, across every genre imaginable. So which were our favourites overall?
21. Persona 3 Reload
Reload is a phenomenal game, one of the best JRPGs I’ve ever played, and an absolute joy. Every minute I put into it I was having a blast. It is a culmination of everything ATLUS has learned over their decades of game development, and yet another excellent addition to their list of incredible games. (BC)
20. Black Myth: Wukong
Such a surprise contender for Game of the Year, this action RPG is more akin to a boss rush game than a Souls game, despite what most folks out there will tell you. A perfect blend of action and difficulty, while offering plenty of optional bosses to seek out, makes Black Myth: Wukong a worthy pick-up for anyone willing to tackle the challenges it presents. (TN)
19. Gori: Cuddly Carnage
So much blood. So much violence. So many dead unicorns. Gori: Cuddly Carnage lived up to its name and then some, feeling like a game that should’ve come out fifteen years ago but didn’t — and we’re the better for it, because it kept everything fun about those hack & slash gorefests while ditching everything that didn’t need to make the jump to the present day. Just absurdly fun. (MP)
18. Crow Country
Crow County: What a remarkable take on Survival Horror. 2024 has been a year of PS One Retro inspired games and from the moment Crow Country started, I knew we were in for a treat. Experience this one blind if you can. For Retro Survival Horror fans. (BR)
17. Warframe: 1999
While technically not a full new game, the most recent story expansion for the long running Free to Play Sci-Fi shooter Warframe elevates the whole game to entirely new heights. A fully voiced new campaign, introducing more Warframe lore and story beats than most of the expansions that precede it, makes Warframe: 1999 feel almost like a standalone sequel, not simply another expansion. (TN)
16. Super Mario Party Jamboree
Like every good new Mario Party game, Super Mario Party Jamboree captures everything that has made the series so loved and hated for so many years. It’s got loads of fun new minigames, courses that run the gamut from easy to absurdly punishing, and a new buddy system that’s either amazing or unfair, depending on how much it’s either just helped or screwed you over. You’ll get together with friends, you’ll destroy your relationships, and you’ll come back to play it more because it’s just that much fun. (MP)
15. Little Kitty, Big City
I played this title on a whim on a Sunday afternoon and there was just something about exploring a fictional Japanese neighborhood as a cat that had me completing it in a single sitting. Cause a ruckus, help other animals, collect silly headgear and eventually get back home in this whimsical adventure. (SY)
14. Dragon’s Dogma 2
All I can say here is “Finally.” After so many years waiting and wondering, Dragon’s Dogma fans finally got the sequel that they deserved. Elevating everything that made the first game great, while shedding everything that was maligned, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a perfect sequel. (TN)
13. Thank Goodness You’re Here
You may not think that an absurd game with a hyper-specific sense of humour about a tiny man doing odd jobs around town would be the funniest game of the year. But, well: Thank Goodness You’re Here proves otherwise, because every minute of it is comedy gold. (MP)
12. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The 2nd attempt at an RPG from the SEGA’s hardest working development team continued to build upon the solid foundation they had and made something that was extremely fun to play. While I was in the small contingent that felt that former main character Kazuma Kiryu should’ve stayed retired, RGG managed to craft a tale which honors his grand history and was close to giving him an actual happy ending. (SY)
11. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree is another perfect culmination of everything that has come before it, which at this point seems to just be the norm for From Software. (TN)
10. Metaphor: ReFantazio
Blending elements of everything Atlus has released up to this point, Metaphor is a beautiful culmination of decades of development efforts. Combining Persona’s day-to-day life and social links, Shin Megami Tensei’s Press Turn system, and a class system reminiscent of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem, Metaphor is the ultimate JRPG of the decade. (BC)
9. Balatro
As a big fan of Texas hold’em and a not-so-big fan of roguelikes, Balatro really surprised me with how fun and addictive it is. (PR)
8. Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 Remake from Bloober Team takes everything that made the original so good, while updating the quality of life features to make the game feel more modern. A true horror classic that more than holds up in 2024. (TN)
7. Tekken 8
The latest entry of the long running 3D fighter continues to be fun to play without weighing down players with complex systems. The continued in-fighting within the Mishima clan will always capture my attention and the character models continue to look jawdropping. (SY)
6. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
When the possibility of a Final Fantasy VII remake was floated around as early as that old PS3 tech demo, I couldn’t help but wonder how amazing these characters and this world would look on modern day consoles. Granted, it took a while to get there, but as much as I loved Final Fantasy VII Remake, I love Rebirth that much more. Free from the confines of Midgar, Rebirth delivers on every possibility I came up with when watching that tech demo back in 2005. (DC)
5. Helldivers 2
The breakout, squad based shooter that seemingly came and (unfortunately) went with equal speed. While it dominated the cultural zeitgeist, Helldivers 2 was king, so I feel it deserves a spot on this list. (TN)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Princess Zelda finally got her time in the spotlight and proved it was long overdue. The game borrows from the series’ long history without ever feeling indebted to it, and gives Zelda a chance to be Hyrule’s savior on her own terms. Echoes of Wisdom could’ve felt like a game that just featured Link in a dress; instead, we got one of the best games of the year with a core mechanic that’s as unique as it is fun. (MP)
3. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Is it cheating to have a compilation as one of the best games of the year? Maybe. But when you have seven of the most fun fighting games ever made in one package, it makes that compilation a must-play. (PB)
2. Stellar Blade
This game might’ve unintentionally become a rallying cry for the culture war but Shift Up managed to create an incredibly enjoyable action title with an earworm of a soundtrack. For a studio whose output has mostly been gacha games, this game proved the studio is definitely versatile and I look forward to their future output. (SY)
1. Astro Bot
Easily the biggest surprise of 2024 and undoubtedly a game for the whole family. It’s a no brainer. Astro is well on his way to becoming This generations coolest gaming mascot. (BR)
Also receiving votes: Anger Foot, Animal Well, Another Crab’s Treasure, Ara: History Untold, BAKERU, Castlevania: Dominus Collection, Cat Quest 3, College Football 25, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Fear the Spotlight, Funko Fusion, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Marvel Rivals, Massacre and the Mirage, Neva, Nikoderiko, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Puppet House, Rewind or Die, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Still Wakes The Deep, Strinova, SVC Chaos SNK VS Capcom, Tales Of Kenzera: Zau, The Glass Staircase, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Voidwrought, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, WEBFISHING, WWE 2K24, Zenless Zone Zero
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