Remember when we ended last year and said that 2024 was probably going to be a quiet year for game releases? Well that was a lie.
Video games in 2024 have been phenomenal and I personally only wish that I had the stamina and time to play more of them. When I decided to get a ranked list of our staff’s favorite video games of the year, the spreadsheet produced such a variety of quality games that I had to have a list of these top twenty-six. I think, based on The Game Awards and other publications, we all know this year’s indie hitters from Animal Well and Balatro to AAA critical hits like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Metaphor ReFantazio, but there’s some other, harder to make time for, highlights that we really wanted here.
Even still, some favorites didn’t get into the final list. Neva, Pacific Drive, Frostpunk 2, or Lorelai and the Laser Eyes didn’t make the cut, but are well deserving mention here. Additionally, this is the first time in a while we’ve had titles fall off of the end of year list that were on the midyear selection like Unicorn Overlord, Mullet Madjack and Helldivers 2. Despite our efforts, some late contenders like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are releases that just missed the cut off for our list submissions. I think the final results speak of nothing else except the sheer power of the quality of games in this selection, and what games had InBetweenDraft’s team overall in a choke hold.
26. Mouthwashing
Mouthwashing is a deeply emotional and bizarre game, and I think it will be the one that sticks with me the longest out of everything I’ve played this year. You’d probably expect nothing less from a game with the tagline “God is not watching”, but the game pulls absolutely no punches with the story it tells. The premise: a cargo transport spaceship gets stranded in the void and its 5 man crew try to search for help while supplies and sanity rapidly dwindle. Despite its refreshingly brisk 3-ish hour runtime, Mouthwashing packs an absolute wallop of a punch in such a small package, combining influences from all the greatest hits of Event Horizon, Sunshine and Solaris into a walking sim that ends up being far greater than the sum of its parts. This is the kind of game that will have you replaying as soon as you hit the credits to see everything again with the knowledge of the previous run, and I cannot recommend enough making Mouthwashing the next game you check out. [Miles Stanton]
25. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
One of the biggest surprises of this year, Ubisoft’s out-of-left-field release of a traditional side-scrolling Prince of Persia, has proven to be an undeniable watermark for Metroidvanias. Featuring a colorful cast of memorable characters, well-thought-out puzzles, and a meatier narrative than you would expect — you don’t play as the actual Prince of Persia this time — and a punishing combat system, everything the game has to offer feels like it has had attention and care put into it. One of the more notable aspects of The Lost Crown is the depth of its accessibility features and quality of life improvements over its peers; being able to save a handful of screenshots rather than rely on pins for map organizing is a godsend I never knew I needed.
With 2.5-D graphics full of visual flourishes and boss fights that require just enough brain power to feel satisfying, there isn’t much more you could ask for in the genre, all of which makes it even more of a shame that any potential hopes for a sequel were dashed when the team behind it was disbanded after it failed to meet Ubisoft’s expectations. Luckily, at the very least, what we were gifted with in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic love letter to a franchise that deserves its spot in the gaming pantheon. [Quinn Parulis]
24. Metal Slug Tactics
In an era where every IP is being adapted across as many media types and game types possible, Metal Slug Tactics is one the best examples of taking a franchise with a familiar format, in this case run and gun arcade action, into a completely different genre. Developer Leikir Studios and publisher Dotemu knocked it out of the park, capturing the essence of Metal Slug and dropping it into a turn-based tactical roguelike.
Metal Slug Tactics flips the usual style of turn-based tactical games like X-COM on its head by encouraging you to move constantly across the battlefield and engage enemies as much as possible, capturing the element of danger and flying by the seat of your pants that has defined Metal Slug. The roguelike structure also encourages even more experimentation as tweak character loadouts and team composition every time a run ends. Metal Slug Tactics breathes fresh life into not just a franchise but a genre that can often feel stagnant and is one of the best surprises of 2024. [Jose Cordova]
23. Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action
Xenotilt succeeds with two difficult tasks: Being a sequel to a great game and an homage to another one. Wiznwar’s previous title, 2019’s Demon’s Tilt, was an inspired pinball game with a macabre aesthetic that threw all realism out the window to create a wild and fun pinball experience. It was also a tribute to the 1990 Compile game Devil’s Crush, one of the best games on the Turbografx 16 that pushed what a pinball video game could do other than be a simulation. Xenotilt does much of the same, and the three-tiered table is similar to the one in Demon’s Tilt, but it’s not quite the same experience.
There’s different multipliers, power-ups, missions and more that make Xenotilt feel like a totally new experience. It’s also something of an homage to Alien Crush, the 1988 game that started the Crush series, but goes for a neon-tinged atmosphere that separates it from that title. The game is dark but gripping, and you never quite feel overwhelmed by how much stuff there is to do on its sole table. Like Demon’s Tilt, Xenotilt has a nudge system that helps you control the ball. It also has a boost system that provides power-ups that make the game feel just as much like a shoot ’em up as a pinball game. If you love pinball and you’re looking for something new, Xenotilt might be that game. [Ryan Gibbs]
22. Selaco [Early Access]
Selaco continues to be the gift that keeps on giving in 2024. In the 6 months since its early access launch, the game has continued to receive hefty patches monthly, doing large reworks of not just the main campaign, but adding a whole new game plus randomizer feature, and fleshing out more of the already fantastic gunplay. The team at Altered Orbit Studios has done a fantastic job of incorporating user feedback after each major patch, and has rapidly become my favorite example of how an early access game can be done correctly. I recently started my third playthrough after the game’s latest patch, which includes an overhaul of the enemy AI and how they go about responding to the player character during combat, and you can really feel the bots actively hunting you closer than before. Selaco has cemented itself as my favorite game to bounce back to in-between burning out on other games when I need a purely fun, head empty pick-me-up, and I’ll be counting the days till its 1.0 launch. [Miles Stanton]
21. Peglin
2024 has been quite a year for the roguelike, and in particular games that implement roguelike elements into unusual settings. In the case of Peglin: it’s pachinko. The game tasks you with defeating RPG style monsters, like slime and knights, with balls that you bounce off pegs and into wells. Balls with special powers – multiballs, high bounce, critical hit – can be bought and upgraded as you fight through different encounters and bosses. The game’s cute graphics and the novelty of the pachinko setup shouldn’t fool you into thinking this one’s easy. The balls you acquire appear in a predetermined order, and you can only skip a few times, so there is critical thinking in how you’d approach a certain encounter given that order. Peglin has a great gameplay loop that gives you that “just one more run” loop that every roguelike hopes to captivate their players with. [Ryan Gibbs]
20. Super Mario Party Jamboree
Playing a Mario game by yourself is something that people of all ages would agree is a staple of the history of gaming. Playing a Mario game with your friends and family, however, is something that can either make for the best night ever or the end of a friendship. Super Mario Party Jamboree marks the Nintendo Switch’s third venture into the Mario Party world. While it has all of the essentials of any Mario Party game, this game includes new mini games and introduces “Pro Rules” for those who feel like choosing violence on their Friday night game night. Whether you’ve played every single Mario Party game and you somehow effortlessly win every time, or you can’t win a mini game to save your life, Super Mario Party Jamboree is fun for the whole family and even better with a group of friends. [Tyler Carlsen]
19. Star Wars Outlaws
Most of the successful Star Wars games have a few things in common. You play as a force wielder, you have a lightsaber, and you travel to different planets. In Star Wars: Outlaws only one of these features exists, and yet it still feels like a Star Wars game. Playing as a blaster-wielding bounty hunter trying to make her way across the galaxy in one piece, Outlaws takes the classic Star Wars game formula and turns the spotlight on the Han Solos of the universe. With tense heists, complicated puzzles, and gorgeous world traversing aboard a speeder, this game lets you live out your dream to be lone wolf on the run in the galaxy we all know and love. [Tyler Carlsen]
18. Harold Halibut
Harold Halibut and its gorgeous claymation art style are literally a decade in the making. It shows in every visual detail as players move the titular character from menial task to menial task. That movement is frustrating by design, using the interactivity of games to put players in the shoes of a character who completely lacks motivation. As the game takes Harold on a journey of discovery, the player feels the lethargy that life on a crashed space ark has cultivated in him in very real time. Truthfully, a game like Harold Halibut requires just as much patience as the most difficult action game. But just like those, there is a reward: some genuinely heartfelt connections and stunning set pieces. [Travis Hymas]
17. Little Kitty Big City
What a pawsitively charming game to chill with. Little Kitty, Big City paws for appeal from casual gamers, and I found myself exploring with ease and joy. There’s plenty to discover for exploration-heads who love backtracking too. If you like being a chaotic little shithead animal, this game comes highly recommended. What other game this year lets you pounce on birds to your heart’s content? Plus, it rewards you for doing so! The titular kitty also gets to encounter quirky NPCs with the kind of humor fans of animated films will appreciate. Thanks for all the fish, Double Dagger Studio. [Drea H.]
16. Astro Bot
Look, if nostalgia is truly the only way we can get happiness out of pop culture these days, at least there are ways to make it fun. Astro Bot is a blatant, but enjoyable, smoothie that mixes the intergalactic platforming of Super Mario Galaxy with every successful IP in Sony Interactive’s catalog. Team Asobi turns the history of PlayStation into a Saturday morning cartoon with quirky level designs, goofy power-ups for more mayhem, and a breezy vibe that never gets saccharine. The titular peppy robot may not be the most memorable mascot, but at least he’s got friends in adorable Resident Evil costumes you can collect. It’s both a chipper toast to PlayStation’s 30th anniversary and a cozy gateway into gaming for all ages. [Jon Winkler]
#15 Satisfactory
Satisfactory recently hit its 1.0 launch in September, and it briefly caused me to fall off the face of the earth. What my Discord friend group has lovingly referred to as “gamer opioids”, the conveyor belt industry simulation genre is a fantastic way to lose a day or two of productivity, and Satisfactory has honed its addictive gameplay to a fine point that’s hard to walk away from. Starting out with nothing in hand but a pickax and a prayer, you and preferably a group of friends set out to build an orbital elevator and supply it with whatever increasingly complex ore or parts it asks for. As someone who spent most of my pre-1.0 runs playing Satisfactory single player, I cannot recommend enough getting a group together, as I quickly discovered during our groups 1.0 celebratory playthrough that I was routing most of my systems in the least optimal way possible, and had long relied on my spaghetti string of belts and switches that I would often get lost trying to backtrack and figure out which node is making what. While there is something beautiful about the way each player creates their factory differently, the end goal will always be to maximize output at all costs, and that’s where the REAL hooks of Satisfactory’s sisyphean gameplay kick in. [Miles Stanton]
14. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Time for another entry in the never ending saga of “the doot,” aka Call of Duty. After last year’s mediocre entry in the Modern Warfare series, we switched back to the (in my opinion) better series with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. In this installment, we got a real campaign with a pretty decent story, an improved Zombies mode, and some great additions to multiplayer that really helped bring some excitement back to the somewhat stale franchise. The Black Ops games have always been a point of pride for fans as they have consistently had the most cinematic plot lines of any FPS game. Tack on the new “omni-movement” mechanic in multiplayer that allows you to dive in any direction you want and you have yourself a solid addition to the COD legacy. [Tyler Carlsen]
13. UFO 50
Video games are hard to make; undoubtedly the understatement of 2024. I mention this here because we have somehow managed to make the arms race to make video games bigger, better, more feature filled, more cinematic and more realistic somehow under a $70 price tag, even $50 until recently. We were paying around those prices for games around the NES days. The team of indie devs put together with Mousemoth, creators of infinitely replayable Spelunkey, created a unique little treasure trove of the past with UFO 50.
Where Balatro takes something as simple as poker and added layers upon layers of complexity of modern roguelike game development, UFO 50 takes that same premise and spreads the wealth of quality of life changes. The game is a compilation of retro titles unearthed for your enjoyment, by a fictional game studio. The 50 games, presented in chronological order, are each unique fully playable games akin to those of the NES days. For players who dig into each of its titles, they’ll find similar names, references, Easter eggs and a brimming personality of taste and growth in artistry and technical fortitude with each game. [Evan Griffin]
12. Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
After the emotional climax of previous expansion Endwalker, many FFXIV players found themselves in a ‘now what’ feeling. A situation MMOs tend to find themselves in is a question of how to keep things fresh. Dawntrail finds a way to reset the pacing by sending players to another continent to be a champion for one of the potential next rulers. The reset pace is slow and difficult to get into, but the raids make up for it. I found myself enjoying them more. I sunk my teeth into the savage raids to gain the wing mounts (that I still don’t have, RNG hates me) and found a rekindled challenge to the classes I tend to main.
DPS job additions of Pictomancer and Viper are fun for those who enjoy casters and melee. I found myself enjoying the overall cute aesthetic of Pictomancer, though I will die in my leylines as a Black Mage first. Viper is a good alternative for those who are new to melee DPS or newer players wanting to try a new job. Given the vastness of the previous story and how fun the gameplay is now, I am optimistic for the future. In Yoshi-P we trust. [Drea H.]
11. Silent Hill 2 Remake
Now this is how you do a remake! Silent Hill came back from the dead to remind us why we love this creepy foggy town. Silent Hill 2 Remake was a modernized entry that captured all the spooky and emotional depth of the original. Konami Digital and Bloober Team stayed true to the original story of James Sunderland searching for his thought-to-be-dead wife. Where Silent Hill 2 Remake comes in is with needed updates for a new experience. New cutscenes, a vastly improved combat system, new dialogue, and redesigned camera angles make this entry a strong return ready to compete. If future Silent Hill games keep up with this energy, we’ll be treating ourselves to survival horror fun to come. [Justin Carreiro]
10. Persona 3 Reload
What does it say about a game if it’s your third time playing it on as many platforms? Persona 3: Reload is like catching up with an old friend and reminiscing about the good old days. Atlus’ remake delivers more than a fresh coat of paint. The updated menus and visuals streamline the experience of a massive JRPG adventure. The narrative in Persona 3 remains as intriguing and compelling as it ever was and it’s a joy to experience it with new and updated cutscenes. Persona 3: Reload is the definitive version of what was already a stone cold classic. [Jose Cordova]
9. Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a strange game. Immersive to an intense degree in some regards while cartoonishly ‘gamey’ in others, this sequel to a beloved cult classic takes everything that made the original unique and slaps a fresh coat of paint on it. As a semi-open world action rpg fantasy game with a giant and an overwhelming monster population that will kick your ass repeatedly, the quality and quantity of the myriad of contenders in its release window necessitate some clever and original features.
The main things that make Dragon’s Dogma 2 such a unique experience are the fact that it knows the difference between making a game feel dangerous rather than challenging and the pawn system in which you round out your team with personable and player-created NPCs to form your ideal play style. Featuring some weighty and addictive gameplay that feels balanced enough to make playing each class enjoyable, this is a can’t miss game that makes each play session feel uniquely yours. [Quinn Parulis]
8. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Ever wondered what a Legend of Zelda game would be like if it were Princess Zelda instead of Link? Finally, this is the game for you! Princess Zelda is front and center in one of Nintendo’s best and most refreshing 2024 games. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom balances both modern puzzle-solving and creative crafting with the dungeon exploration of past Zelda titles. This is the best of both worlds! LOZ: Echoes of Wisdom allows you to build up your roster of crafting kits and monsters so that you can then use them for future battles and room puzzles. It’s a creative spin on the classic Legend of Zelda style; one the felt uniquely fun and so exciting for Princess Zelda’s first turn as the main hero. [Justin Carreiro]
7. Tekken 8
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Tekken 7 was the shot in the arm Bandai Namco’s fighting franchise needed with new mechanics like Rage Art and a slicker energy. With Tekken 8, the Rage-fueled takedowns and flashier characters return with more glitzy stages to break and over-the-top combos to master. The “Heat” power system is a nice way of building tension at the beginning of fights and “Arcade Quest” is a cute framing of online gaming lobbies and tournaments. It may not be as refreshing as last year’s Street Fighter 6, but there’s little need to fix a formula this fun. [Jon Winkler]
6. Metaphor ReFantazio
Just when Atlas seemed to have struck gold in their decades-long endeavor to perfect the JRPG genre with the smash hit Persona 5, here they come with Metaphor: ReFantazio to remind us that the only way to stay on the top is to never get comfortable. Taking the best parts of their previous franchises and fine-tuning them with surgical precision, they’ve hit that sweet spot between universal accessibility and complexity deep enough to satisfy the min-max crowd.
Featuring a politically charged narrative set in a classic fantasy kingdom desperately in search of a new king — the old one currently preoccupied with being a creepy massive face in the sky weird enough to stand in good company with the Majora’s Mask moon — that touches on a variety complex concepts and is full of genuinely surprising plot twists and a cast of characters as loveable as any of the best RPG parties. Investing time into Metaphor feels like sinking deep into a great anime and should be catnip for any fan of the fantasy genre. The originality and freshness that it showcases make it a more than worthy contender for the Game of the Year crown. [Quinn Parulis]
5. Hades II
For a game that’s technically not even done yet, Hades II already has a lot worth playing. The sequel to Supergiant’s 2020 smash sees Zagrues’ sister Melinoe avenge her captured family with the aid of a new cast of allies. While some of the same gameplay beats remain from Hades, the sequel adds others, like a newfound focus on magic, a sprint instead of a dash, new Gods with new powers to bestow, and gardening?! One of the biggest differences is there are now two paths for Melinoe to traverse, one back to the house of Hades to face Chronos, and the other to Mount Olympus itself. While there’s more than enough for your money as is, it will be exciting to see what Supergiant adds to the game in the next year. [Ryan Gibbs]
4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Three years after pulling off one of gaming’s wildest stunts, Square Enix tries and mostly succeeds at doing it again. Rebirth predecessor Remake appears tiny by comparison as this game attempts to recapture the awe of the original Final Fantasy VII. You can’t quite go back, it turns out. But, Rebirth does use the modern open world tricks it has picked up pretty well. Side quests are generally fulfilling and even regional exploration via Ubisoft Towers method is purpose built.
Of course, the real strength is continuing the expansion of the party dynamic that began in Rebirth. These versions of some of gaming’s most iconic characters are not only branching out, they’re feeling even more detailed than ever before. That’s in large part to everything else — each side quest unlocks new conversations and even new storylines. Making players love this cast even more than before is a whole new kind of magic trick. Square Enix stuck that landing, even if we’ll be debating the game’s actual ending for years to come. [Travis Hymas]
3. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ryu Ga Gotoku expanded its premiere franchise across the ocean and made a loving tribute to its past all in one grand RPG. Infinite Wealth is stacked to the gills with heft. The RPG tributes continue, expanding the previous game’s already funny Pokémon parody into its own subgame and adding a full island management sim on top. Previous protagonist Kiryu is now sharing the lead role with his replacement, eventually running two parallel narratives. All this is on top of the already robust side content the franchise is known for.
A lesser game would have completely collapsed. Instead, Infinite Wealth embraces its chaos. It asks of its leads “what would bring these two together, what could they learn from the other?” Players are still allowed to set the pace and tempo of their downtime, rather than be bullied into playing things they don’t want. And the sub-stories still carry the whole adventure, from the downright absurd to the tear jerking. Not everything fits together perfectly, but when you’re having this good of a time, who cares! [Travis Hymas]
2. Balatro
LocalThunk decided to forego the trendy path of putting gambling into free to play games full of microtransactions when he made Balatro. It is rare that a game with so many opportunities to take the wrong lessons time and time again through its development and early release, choosees the right ones. Balatro is a rare gem in the indie space that organically blew up due to its easy pick up and play style, bolstered by a roguelike deck building structure.
We have a lot of those nowadays between the likes of Slay the Spire, Insrcyption, and Loop Hero, but for as much as we’ve loved each of those titles, there is something utterly transcendent about Balatro. It is easy to look at it from a distance and presume its an addictive little Texas Hold-Em with flashy graphics and that’s the end of it. The changes to your deck of cards, the multiple stacks of jokers, and new deck styles you unlock keep you playing round after round and every discard feels like a crucial strategic dare. Balatro is genuinely a hell of a lot of fun and it can, and should, be played by all. [Evan Griffin]
1. Animal Well
Animal Well does something impossible: it makes you nostalgic for something that didn’t exist. Or rather, something that didn’t exist in the way that Animal Well does. Inspired by the old days of discussing game secrets on the playground, Animal Well makes the raw act of discovery the only point. Upgrades aren’t some kind of power suit or weapon, they come in the form of trinkets with no explanation. Snooping out a hidden passage is just as likely to put you through a terrifying encounter as much as it is a wall.
Every single successful solution or step forward is an invigorating high. Each road block doesn’t come off as frustrating in the same degree, which is amazing design on its own. There is constantly a sense of something to discover, with those discoveries always having a tactile component to them. There’s no real lore to dig up, everything is raw gameplay in the most literal sense of the word. It’s fitting, even beautiful, that one of the best games of the year is one that strips away so much of what would be celebrated about modern games and replaces it with a feeling you only slightly remember. [Travis Hymas]
Featured Image Credit: ⒸSEGA, © SQUARE ENIX, © 2024 Mossmouth, LLC., © 2024 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., © 2023 Ubisoft Entertainment., © 2024 CAPCOM | Edit Composed by Jon Negroni, Evan Griffin
Based in the northern stretches of New England, Evan is an elder high-wizard and co-founder of the inbetweendrafts.com. Leading the Games section, Evan is determined to make people remember the joys of older games which have since lost their way. Evan’s voice can be heard in podcasting, YouTube videos, essays, and overlong diatribes on media he wants you to have the full context on.
