We're going to pull the fool over 2024 – a complicated year that brought us some great games but which I expect will be remembered as a “trouble” by the industry at large. We've had over 14,000 layoffs, a shrinking market for three aging consoles, ballooning subscription costs and a (partial) collapse of the live service genre. But we have the first few weeks of January 2025 to suggest the events of the year. Instead, it's that time: Time to talk about our favorite games of the year.
Dean is already published his favorite games of the year… so now it's my turn. Just to be clear, these games are the ones I personally enjoyed the most and found to be the most sublime overall experiences. Hopefully I can make a longer list sometime in 2025 – the list of games I played in 2024 is not as long as it was last year (although in related news, I'm more frustrated than I was a year ago), but for now, here are my top 5 games this year.
5. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Every year on these lists, I like to include at least one game that qualifies as a dark horse in my Top 5 – a smaller title whose inclusion satisfies me a- only Lorelei and the laser eyes it may have come out early enough in the year that it has been surpassed, but I have never forgotten about it. Its surreal, stylized art design would be enough to stick in my mind, but Lorelei is ultimately much more than this.
Lorelei is the type of game that challenges the player. The whole time you're playing, you'll feel like the game is locked in a battle of wits, and while it gives you everything you need to He has a lot of puzzles to solve, he is not going to hold your hand. Even the game's parasitic interface and so-called “clue” systems seem to be more aimed at hindering the player than helping. And matching wits with game may not be everyone's cup of tea – not always my cup, either – but sometimes it's just what I need and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes do that so well.
2024 was a good year for RPGs, all things considered – Baldur's Gate 3 is pretty hard to follow. But we had an amazing year all round. And one RPG rose to the top with its unique, heartfelt story and fun, fast gameplay: Atlus's Metaphor: ReFantazio. For me, RPGs live and die by how much they make me feel like I'm actually a part of the world around me, and the world of Metaphor, unpleasant and casual and full of unfair social systems though, felt real – could feel the struggle of the people important.
Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to avoid many of the setbacks that have befallen other RPGs this year (not naming any names, but IYKYK) by keeping you tied to an in- game goes down to a major global event – an update to Atlus staple time management mechanics. In fact, almost every part of Metaphor feels like a stronger version of something Atlus has done before, from the art design to the turn-based combat. While the story is a bit more relaxed and serious, it is told with such confidence and with such a strong message that it was never tired.
3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Well, look who we have here. MachineGames' licensed adventure game featuring everyone's favorite archeologist has arrived in the last month of the year and has risen almost to the very top of the list. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle This is one of the best adventure games – and, surprisingly, one of the best stealth games – I've played not just in 2024, but in the last five years. Troy Baker's performance as Dr. Jones goes so far beyond mere imitation that it elevates the entire game to my Top 3.
Ciercall Mòr almost perfectly mimics the charm of the original Indiana Jones movies (note that I say “original” with specific intentions) while also paying homage to the classic point-and-click adventure games that came before it. MachineGames has captured the series' humor and banter, its sense of self-deprecation, and the satisfaction of getting out of the Nazi crap (the subject of should they be very familiar after the Wolfenstein titles). Also, one of the villains is played by the late Tony Todd, and it's great to see him again.
2. Astro Bot
As someone who plays games professionally, it is sometimes embarrassing to explain my own opinion or to overdo it. So while I could give a long, drawn-out explanation of why Astro Bot's platforming feels so rewarding, or how its story is compelling despite its simplicity… Astro bot on this list because yes a joke. It's fun and engaging and well made and gives the player exactly what they expect.
Okay, to add a little more complexity to my thinking: Astro Bot is a platformer polished to a diamond shell with heart and a sense of humor. The variety of gameplay keeps it fresh, and the game doesn't wear out its welcome by going over its levels or getting over any of its gimmicks. It's also just the right length to keep its PlayStation-ness from seeming too much like an advertisement (although it does come close a couple of times). Many of the games I play and love are as an adult gamer – very few of the ones I play and know I would have loved as a child.
1. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
To be honest, my top game this year surprised even me. Until the last moments I was writing this, I was going to give it to Astro Bot. But then I really looked at the dozens of games I've played so far this year, and thought about which game gave me the most joy while playing. And maybe it's been long enough – almost a year now – that my memory has gone rosy, but I remember my play of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown with a warmth that I felt for a little more this year.
The Lost Crown has everything I want in a game: Strong gameplay that improves as the game progresses, excellent pacing, platform variety, story and art design that pays homage to the history and mythology of the world while mixing in fantasy, a wide variety of interesting cast of characters and so much beauty that just playing it sometimes leaves me breathless. There have been so many games between its launch in January and now, but it still managed to stay with me all the way to the end of the year.
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