Editor's Picks for Game of the Year 2024

Slow year? You've been looking in the wrong place, my friend. Rarely has there been a greater abundance of innovative indies than in 2024, as well as a handful of triple-A bangers. In fact, 80% of this Game of the Year list is independent. It's not an intentional decision, and I'm not trying to say I'm better than you (even though…). This just speaks to the strength of the independent scene in this industry.

In an era when the biggest studios think little about the developers they make money from, indies show that there's still hope for the industry. If I have my way, TheGamer's Game of the Year for 2024 will be an indie title. I haven't stopped thinking about this amazing work of art since I played it. But rather than simply bowing to the whims of the site's top editors, we engage in the democratic practice of allowing all editors on the site to create their own lists.

Like a school test, once everything is submitted, the editor-in-chief adds up the scores (1 point for 10th place, 10 points for 1st place, etc.) and crowns the entire site with Game of the Year. You can check out everyone else's list here, but it's not as good as this one.

A game I couldn't play this year but wanted to play

10

fortunately you are here

You're Here is one of the most fun games I've ever played. Not only is it fun to breathe through your nose, but it's also fun to giggle properly. While its goofy northern humor helps influence the world I call home (generally speaking), this slapstick story brought a smile to my face every time I loaded it up.

9

mouthwash

If you've read any of my articles, you've probably mentioned that I don't like horror. Horror movies can go either way, but games? no. Mouthwash and its wider publisher, Critical Reflex, changed that this year. Mouthwash is an unsettling, non-linear narrative that doesn't just scare the shit out of you, it scares the shit out of you while critiquing our capitalist system. Please give me some more of this.

8

Harold Halibut

“Interactive Wes Anderson” exclaims that Harold Halibut gave myself and the world a run for its money when it was released. Beautiful stop-motion animation, a heartwarming story of friendship, and stunning montages make Harold high on my list.

7

magician

When it comes to games designed specifically for me, RPGs similar to Disco Elysium and Baldur's Gate 3 but set in early 20th century Poland were practically written for me. From the detective work to the demonic salutatories, to the fact that you can properly role-play and know the ending, The Thaumaturge ticked all my boxes.

6

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

And this year's surprise awards are as follows: I expected Indiana Jones to be a fun, Uncharted-style romp, interactive adventure movie. Actually, Dr. Jones is closer to Corvo Attano than Nathan Drake, and I'm much more involved with the stealth gameplay than I thought I would be.

If this had been released more than two weeks before my listing closed, it would have ranked much higher. Each painstakingly designed level is sure to have more secrets to uncover. 2024 was truly the year of indie games.

5

Mexico, 1921, deep sleep

Another work that suits me perfectly, Mexico 1921 puts you in the shoes of a photojournalist during the national revolution. The camera mechanisms are tactile and satisfying, the art direction is beautiful, and there are cameos from the likes of Diego Rivera and Carmen Mondragón. Hideo Kojima could never do that.

4

Dragon's Dogma 2

I've been a bit tired of triple A lately, but Dragon's Dogma 2 does everything right. Vermund and Battahl's new storytelling is on par with Breath of the Wild, with tons of travel stories that no other game can match. It's cool to jump on a griffin's back to deliver a killing blow, but if that griffin flies off and lands on the other side of the map, you're very low level and have no way to get home quickly? It's unrivaled. And that's before we get to the ending. No, something else.

honorable mention

3

Neva

Neva is the most beautiful game I've played this year. The impeccable art direction has satisfying platforming, a story about unconditional love, and especially dazzling fight sequences. The result is a fun and emotional five hours of gaming. There's a reason I gave this game a perfect second review score.

2

Balatro

Balatro has taken over my life since its release in February, and the mobile port has sent me into a further spiral. I spend late nights trying to create the perfect play. I try flush runs, pairs runs, and four of a kind runs. I saw Joker while I was sleeping. Jimbo is bothering me. If you haven't played Balatro yet, it's not too late.

1

1000xresistance

For most of this year, I thought Balatro was going to be my game of the year. But as I was preparing the list, I dove back into 1000xResist for the first time since finishing the list and reminded myself that this was something really special.

The 3D interactive novel 1000xResist asks important questions. What if humanity's savior was a teenage girl? And what if she can't stand it? I'm intentionally underselling this, but some of the writing in this game caught me off guard so much that I had to stand up and walk away for a moment. Some lines will stay with me forever. A visionary story inspired by the clear, real world, a beautifully written and heartbreaking story, and a force for change. 1000xResist has it all.