Hi, gang!

I’m doing a Game of the Year write-up again!

It’s been four years since my last one, but I just feel like getting writing. I already had done drafts for a bunch of these games, but I figured, what the hell, lemme just get these out now. Unlike in 2020, I don’t have them combined into themes. I’ll be doing twelve write-ups in total, one per day, through February 1. I’ll tell you now, the top 3 of this list are interchangeable, and all of the games I wrote up are very much worth your time, so don’t fret too much about placement please.

It’s a weird, transitional year for games, but I also fully admit I delayed on a bunch of games that are extremely up my alley. A hearty “play you later” to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Metaphor Re:Fantazio, Alan Wake II: Night Springs, Arco, CLICKOLDING, Crow Country, Cryptmaster, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, Fate/stay Night, Indika, Infinity Nikki, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Nightmare Kart, Open Roads, Penny’s Big Breakaway, Satisfactory, Shadows of Doubt, Silent Hill Short Message, Slitterhead, Splatoon 3 Side Order, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, The Rise of the Golden Idol, Thrasher, and Unicorn Overlord.

SOME BULLETPOINT GAMES I LIKED AND WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT

• Go Mecha Ball: The first new game I played in 2024, it’s a roguelike where you play as a mech that can turn into a ball. It feels really good! The mechanics and animations are really high quality, too. I did not end up digging that deep into this game, but I’m surprised it’s gone so completely unremarked upon.
• Hauntii: This game’s art style really is the best thing going for it. An adventure game with a sweet tone, I have a hard time believing I’ll go back to it, but I was immediately charmed by the look.
• Home Safety Hotline: I actually can’t stress enough how impressed I am with the user interface and the quality of everything that’s in Home Safety Hotline, a game where you assist customers with problems they’re having in their home that quickly veer into the supernatural. The voice performances of some of these customers, especially if you fail to address their problems and they call back, are some of the best in any independent game. I honestly think if this had some sort of remixed/endless/community content function, it would easily be on this list, as I find the core gameplay loop and the basic diagnostic project so entertaining. As it is, I found it just a little short.
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: This game is really cute! We finally get to play as Zelda, and it’s in a full-blown 2D style Zelda! I played the first dungeon and a half before getting distracted and playing other games. I think this game will be looked back on as quite underrated, and I keep meaning to go back and play more.
• Mouthwashing: Mouthwashing tells the story of a space trucker delivery gone wrong, with the crew of five getting cabin fever and finding out that the circumstances of their crash are worse than they seem. I really like the things this game does with perspective and jump cuts – at times, it is using filmic editing techniques in real time gameplay to poignant effect. I also think, in terms of story, that it’s a worthwhile, adult game with literary story concerns, and its characterization is strong for such a short few hours. I just also think it’s more in the camp of “the best sci-fi story in this monthly magazine” than “one of the best stories of the year.” Look forward to seeing their next project!
• Persona 3 Reload: I’m farther than I’ve ever gotten in any version of Persona 3, but I’m still too early to really write up what makes Persona 3 great outside of “it’s a Persona game.” I’ll probably circle back to this one, but I think they’ve made a lot of smart quality of life improvements that make Persona 3 a lot more approachable. I maybe prefer the rigid weirdness of the PS2 game, and I definitely prefer the original game’s soundtrack, which has been re-recorded for Reload with almost universally weaker vocals. Look forward to catching up with Metaphor sometime, too!

• Pokemon TCG Pocket: I want to give props to simplifying the Pokemon Trading Card Game, and I want to give props to the fact that just by logging in every day and playing through the single-player content I’ve managed to collect the vast majority of the cards in the game so far. I get happy whenever I see a Pokemon card from my childhood – some of the new art is really good, too! I wish the game balance was at all fun for multiplayer, but anyone playing this can tell you immediately about the three decks that only got stronger with the new expansion. Still, fulfilling my ever-present Fartstone needs.
• Princess Peach: Showtime!: The second of Nintendo’s princess game experiments of 2024, I think this is a really admirable sampler platter for game mechanics and design. Peach participates in a number of stage shows inspired by different genres, and each show plays differently enough to keep things fresh. If someone said “I want to get into video games but I don’t know where to start,” this is a pretty good entry point, and based on their favorite of these shows, you could make recommendations for what to play next. Probably a lot more fun if you’re relatively new to video games than if you’ve been a gamer for decades.
• Shadows of Doubt: This procedural indie mystery game, where you play a private detective and collect clues and evidence to find murder suspects for cold cases, is a fascinating work of design. It unfortunately just runs like crap on my computer and every streamer I’ve ever seen try to play it is a combination of impatient and incompetent. Can’t wait to have a device where I can play this myself!
• Tekken 8: I played like two hours of the campaign and a little online play when I borrowed this from the library and it rocks, dude. I love fighting games but haven’t ever really invested time into Tekken game. In a world where I got to play way more of this, I can imagine it being toward the top of my list.
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!: Maybe wish I’d played this myself rather than watch a bunch of someone streaming it, because the jokes are the appeal of this game! Thank Goodness You’re Here! is basically a “touch everything for a laugh” game, sort of comparable to Untitled Goose Game, except with pretty gorgeous hand animated cartooning and a hundred times more British. There’s a running joke about your weird little gremlin going down a poor guy’s chimney that really took me out.

AND THEN, MY LIST:

#12: Kevin (1997-2077)
#11: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
#10: Astro Bot
#9: Animal Well
#8: Tactical Breach Wizards
#7: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
#6: Nine Sols
#5: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
#4: Caves of Qud

#1a: Balatro
#1b: UFO 50
#1c: 1000xResist