Now that it is both near the end of the year and for reasons beyond my control I am highly unlikely to play anything else new (to me) before the start of next year, I can start trying to collect my thoughts on the games I played this year.
I don’t know if I’ll manage a Top Ten (ed: I got to 8), I haven’t given this much prior consideration at all.
The main rule I’m working to for inclusion here are games that are new to me / I played for the first time this year. I agree that there is little value in just re-listing the same game every year with a “haha! I played my favourite game again and it is on the top of my list!”, but strongly disagree that I should not talk about older releases – especially things from last year I didn’t see until now – simply because the calendar ticked over.
The List
#1: No Man’s Sky (2016), PC, steam
While not technically entirely new to me – I played NMS briefly on its original launch on my PS4 – the years of updates and changes have resulted in something largely different from those unsubstantial few minutes I played back then. I can’t remember what the genesis of the thought was, but at some point earlier this year I found myself wondering if I should check this game out again: “…maybe it would be nice to just hang out and float about in space for a bit?”. Turns out, it was quite nice to just hang out and float about in space for a bit.
I started a “casual” mode save and played that for 50-ish hours, which let me see a whole bunch of what the game has on offer without much friction. Then the “Aquarius” expedition launched, and I had never seen nor done any of those before. I figured that was as good a time as any to give “normal” mode a shot, so I started a new save and embarked on the expedition. I’ve been hooked (fishing pun re: aquarius expedition only partially intended) ever since. Lately, they’ve been re-running all the expeditions from this year, so I’ve been able to see a bunch of the limited-time content that I missed before picking the game up.
I played this game so much – and it hit the right notes at the right time for me – that I simply can’t imagine giving anything else the nod this year.
The next few, undordered
Indika (2024), PC, steam
I’m not sure I have a great deal to say about Indika that hasn’t already been said on these forums. I’m glad it was made, and I’m glad I experienced it.
Persona 3 Reload (2024), PC, Gamepass
I’d never played P3, FES, nor P3P before, so this was my first time in the Persona 3 world. I liked it! It isn’t my favourite Persona, but that doesn’t matter. I think I have exactly zero interest in the DLC/expansion, I’m happy to leave the story wrapped up as it is at the end of P3.
I then went on to watch all four P3 films, and they for the most part sucked.
Xenosphere (2024), PC, itch (free)
Here’s my candidate for “absolutely wild game that nobody has heard of or played”. I recorded my entire playthrough of this game, and the file is 31 minutes and 8 seconds long.
This is the sort of game that is more of an experience than anything else, and also it is the sort of thing that could not have existed via any other medium nor at any earlier point in history until now. Absolutely wild. It is free on Itch. Go play it.
The next next few, also unordered but after those first few I guess
Balatro (2024), PC, steam
Yeah, Balatro was fun. It didn’t hit me with instant “holy shit this is the best game ever omg omg” feelings, but it is certainly good. I probably don’t need to ever play it again however, but that’s not a bad thing. I had a bunch of fun.
Jusant (2023), PC, Gamepass
I played Jusant early this year after seeing it recommended a bit on a few end-of-year lists last year. Overall it was “ok”, but there were a few strong moments that for me lift it up to properly “good”. I may not have bothered to check it out if it weren’t on gamepass, but I’m glad that I did.
The Exit 8 (2023), PC, steam
Took me only just over an hour to complete, which felt just right. A cool idea and implementation with just enough quirks and variations to keep me interested, but not so many that it overstays the proverbial welcome.
Picross S Namco Legendary Edition (2024), Switch
I’m a sucker for Picross. I’ll play them all.
Honourable mentions
1000xResist (2024), PC, steam
I have only barely started this. I like what I’ve seen thus far and will likely get around to it some time early next year.
Hades II, early access. PC, steam
I’ve had a lot of fun with this – but I think I’m at the point where I’ll check in briefly to see what gets added each “major update” and then go back to waiting for the full release.
Path of Exile II, early access. PC, steam
I think POE2 is both excellent and highly flawed. That’s fine though! Even though this release has been marketed as “early access”, it really is “early early access” or simply just “open beta” – where “beta” really means it, not “you paid 20% more for 3 days early play time before the game comes out, and of course we can’t do any meaningful testing in that time”. The developer has said that they expect the full game to be available “in 2025” but realistically I expect there to be more like 18 months worth of this EA/beta before it is ready.
Unlike with Hades II, I will be continually playing this through early access.
Dishonourable mentions
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (2024), PC, steam
I had such a good time for the first while playing through this, even though I continue to hate the way From Soft gate the DLC entry via game world state – I’d converted my save to NG+ after playing through the main campaign last year, and that meant I had to replay the whole fucking thing again up to the point I could unlock the DLC just to get access to it. I don’t care for any of the “its not that hard” or whatever arguments: if I’ve made it to NG+ it should just be a main menu option.
I hate the final boss encounter so much that thinking about this game now only results in bitter memories. That was not the fun sort of hard/challenge, it was just “haha we know you tragic fucks will just keep retrying for hours and hours so suck it”. (I am thoroughly uninterested in any “lul it is ez get good” commentary or links to videos of people one-shotting or no-hitting the boss (which exclude the context of the thousand hours worth of practice before the recorded encounter)).
Give me more of the first half-ish of this DLC. Never make the back half again.