The Game of the Year Awards seek to highlight games that show technical and creative excellence, and 2024 was a pretty good year for that. “Astro Bot” came out on top, but other top contenders like “Black Myth: Wukong,” “Helldivers 2,” and more all ripped through the gaming universe like Terminids through a colony planet (or Tyranids, depending on your persuasion).
Here are some of the nominees that are worth your time.
1. “Astro Bot”
“Astro Bot” won Game of the Year at The Game Awards and was selected as Game of the Year by several other publications, including Digital Trends. The platformer is exclusive to Playstation 5 and contains nods to Playstation history throughout. It’s fun, and trying to fully complete each mission adds replayability. It also offers 50 planets to explore, many of them fun and unique.
2. “Balatro”
I’ll be honest: I was sleeping on “Balatro,” but it’s pleased thousands of gamers since its February release. It’s a poker-inspired, deck-builder card game with about as much math and statistics as “Magic The Gathering.”
3. “Black Myth: Wukong”
Inspired by Chinese myths, “Black Myth: Wukong” sees players take on the mantle of the Destined One as he collects the relics of Sun Wukong, the protagonist of the Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” The game features tough boss fights and a rewarding storyline, as well as a “new game plus” feature to allow players to pursue all the possible endings.
4. “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth”
Probably my personal favorite on this list, “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, which is more of a re-imagining. This entry takes the party from their escape of Midgar through the events of Nibelheim, Corel, the Gold Saucer, and the Temple of the Ancients. The story gets even weirder than the original game, but the gameplay is fun, and seeing the 1997 characters and settings in 2024 graphics is a real treat.
5. “Metaphor: ReFantazio”
“Metaphor: ReFantazio” was a crowd favorite that many thought would win at The Game Awards. The game is very much a Japanese role-playing game, with the player taking control of Will as he tries to win a vacant throne in the magical Kingdom of Euchronia, an alternate version of our world. The game can be a bit trippy, but it’s fun. Be warned, though: It’s a big time commitment even for a JRPG. Sprinting through the main story takes over 60 hours, and there are a lot of side quests.
6. “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree”
“Elden Ring” made news during the awards for announcing a new multiplayer game, but the “Shadow of the Erdtree” team went home empty-handed despite nominations in five categories, including Game of the Year and Player’s Voice. The massive expansion added a new story, realm, weapons, and dungeons to the intensely challenging “Elden Ring” base game. It’s worth the price of admission if you already have and like “Elden Ring.”
7. “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II”
While it only won in technical categories, “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” is absolutely worth your time. It’s relatively short by modern game standards, clocking in at 10 hours even if you take lots of detours. But the story-driven, Nordic-inspired game is gripping, beautiful, and haunting. The art is gorgeous, and Melina Juergens killed it as Senua.
8. “Helldivers 2”
We’ve talked about “Helldivers 2” before. It’s a great game that’s mostly about being an overpowered infantryman fighting off bugs, bots, and now aliens. You have your own star destroyer in orbit, giving you orbital artillery, fighter and bomber support, and more. Just be prepared: You’ll need to keep a sense of humor as your fellow divers team kill you (usually accidentally) quite often.
9. “Baldur’s Gate 3”
The game that essentially swept the 2023 Game Awards is back with a 2024 win for community support. Nothing new to report on the gameplay front, it’s still one of the most beautiful ways to experience “Dungeons and Dragons” as a video game. If you like fantasy games, eldritch horror, or DnD, “Baldur’s Gate 3” is a good choice with lots of replayability.
10. “Manor Lords”
I just love this game personally and wish it had garnered a win or two out of its two nominations for best debut indie and best strategy game. The player has to build and lead a feudal city in a detailed and historically accurate setting. What’s most impressive from a meta perspective is that it was made almost entirely by solo developer Greg Styczeń. There are three game modes for the player to emphasize city-building, real-time tactical combat, or both. It is a game for history nerds, though, with almost no story to speak of but tons of historical tidbits to learn.
11. “Frostpunk 2”
Where “Manor Lords” had gritty, realistic history, the winner of best strategy is “Frostpunk 2” with its even grittier depictions of a terrible, feudal future. The player runs a crumbling city and has to balance all of its physical needs, like fuel and food, with political needs like maintaining trust. It often feels like a dystopian future Charles Dickens novel, where you’re Scrooge and have to hold tight to every bit of coal.
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