by totalpatoot
In years prior to 2024 (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), my gaming life felt like I was whitewater rafting–barreling down the river of game releases, never able to keep up with every new game or my backlog while time rushed by quicker and quicker. Due to welcoming a kid into the mix, now I feel like I'm floating on a perpetual lazy river, watching the rapids in the distance rush by while I take note of notable releases splashing up over the chaos here and there to consider playing down the line. I guess that makes it sound more pleasant in some ways, but truthfully, I miss the hype and I’ve harbored a significant amount of fomo.
Ultimately, I've mostly made peace with my situation, and I've done my best to shift my perspective and acknowledge all I have gotten to play this year. Where I only really got to spend significant time with a handful of games, I tried to be intentional with my time on each game. That shift in perspective is something I plan to carry into the new year and the rest of my life.
And where those handful of games were the ones that got my undivided(ish) attention, I ended up being able to freely and easily try on a ton of games thanks to Steam’s Next Fest event. Jesse spurred me on to try a few things with his thoughtfully curated selection of demos mentioned in Noclip’s videos about it this year. Without Next Fest, it's possible I may not have played one of my favorite games this year! And I got to try out tons of great demos this year including Balatro, Arco, #BLUD, Antipaint, I Am Your Beast, Pacific Drive, and more.
I am certain many forces have been hard at work for years to make demos so much more prevalent again, but to me it's like we had a decade or more of game demos being a rarity and then all the sudden nearly every game has a playable demo! On several platforms! It's awesome. Feels like a new golden age of demos is here and hopefully here to stay.
Oh yeah, 2024 was also the year I became a DAD?! I'm stoked for the future that includes my kiddo and all the fun we’ll have. Down the line, I hope to introduce gaming in a fun, healthy way and potentially share the same kinds of joys and rivalries that I had with my own dad growing up. The concept of a dedicated couch co-op buddy really excites me.
Speaking of the thoughts that stemmed from having a new baby around… I explored some more game-adjacent things this year that ranged from deep, deep nostalgia-fueled rabbit holes to adding a silly little daily game to my routine.
In order from the deepest rabbit hole to “heh, fun.”
As I mentioned last year, I briefly waded into the ocean of overpriced physical game collecting. I narrowed my focus to GameCube, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance games, as these are the systems I am most nostalgic for and consoles I already own. As I was continually discouraged by either prices or lack of games while monitoring local garage sales and secondhand markets, I got more actively involved in retro game subreddits, which showed me just how deep the rabbit hole goes.
I first heard about FlippyDrive on YouTube and became obsessed the moment I realized its potential and ease of installation. To quote their documentation:
The FlippyDrive is a solderless optical drive emulator for the GameCube, designed so you can keep your OEM drive installed and use both.
Basically, this means that the GameCube, once modded (solderlessly!), can be used either as a stock ‘Cube or utilize the FlippyDrive’s onboard software to run roms of any games as you like as if they are running from a disc. Like, an emulator that just tells the GameCube “I’m a disc!” when in reality the mod is loading a ROM. The best part about the software called Cubeboot is that it utilizes actual UI assets from the GameCube UI to make a slick loading menu to access all your games in a way that more or less looks like Nintendo made it themselves.
Anyway, I closely followed news about the release for the first wave of crowdfunded orders. When I got my email, I jumped at the chance to order it and got in the first batch. When I received it in the mail a few weeks later, I was thrilled. I had prepared my perfectly legitimate roms, so all I had to do was take apart the system, install the chip by way of a nifty little ribbon cable, and start playing GameCube games to my heart's content! Which I totally did! For like a week.
Turns out, I was mostly just in love with the idea of setting up a new toy that allows for a more accessible version of GameCube games, while retaining the authentic experience. Ain't that just how it is sometimes though? The tinkering is almost, if not more entertaining than the end product. That's how it was for me, anyway. Still, I did end up playing some games with my brother-in-law and bounced around a few games I've been meaning to play for forever. And I plan to dive back in from time to time, so when I'm ready, I'll have a great way to play my favorite console from childhood.
If you type in “3DS hack” in a search engine the likely first result will be a site that offers clear, step-by-step instructions on how to quickly and easily mod a 3DS. I was hesitant to jump in, as I only have one 3DS XL and it has sentimental value to me, but when I learned that modding the console doesn't remove or alter the UI in any way, my curiosity was piqued. Not only could I retain the little 3DS menu as it existed when I regularly played the console between 2011-2015, but I could also mod it to my liking. Best of both worlds.
So I got to work modding, which took all of 30 minutes, then accessing games I never got the opportunity to play and are harder and harder to access as physical copies or in some cases, are otherwise inaccessible legitimately. I've gotten to play Kid Icarus Uprising, Dillon's Rolling Western, and a handful of other great games I'm happy to have access to.
An unexpectedly great part of this is that the 3DS is also capable of emulating DS, Game Boy, and GBA games with ease, opening a mountain of possibilities for games I never got around to playing. Oh, and it's maybe the best way to play Virtual Boy games?? Ever?! I've only ever had a passing curiosity in the Virtual Boy, but it looks great using the 3D functionality. Makes one wonder how Nintendo never ported those titles officially when they feel almost made for 3DS.
And I get to do all this on official Nintendo hardware! In my mind, there is no reason not to mod a 3DS if you have one. It's so simple, doesn't alter the original UI, and allows the console to live on in a more useful way. Nothin’ but benefits.
When I started playing Pokedoku, I didn't expect to latch onto it the way I have. I thought I'd give it a week and then drop it, but it turned out to be my favorite daily game I play on my phone this year. Despite the fact that I haven't played a couple Pokemon games, I have had a lot of fun using the otherwise useless mountain knowledge I've amassed since I was a kid about these goofy lil guys.
I think this will become a top 3DS game of all time for me personally. I can't believe how much juice this game has for a 3DS game.
I could just tell you this a mashup of a lot of my favorite indies, including Journey, Grow Home, Gone Home, and Outer Wilds. But that would be lazy! And fairly reductive. Jusant is a fantastic game. I can't stress enough that if you love any of the other games I just mentioned, I think you'll find something to love about this game. One recommendation I have is to play it in a sitting or two if you can, which is something I was unable to do, but by the end I felt like it would've helped this game hit even harder.
f this game had come out before I became a parent I would have fiendishly grinded for hours on end. It would have been a problem. I was lucky enough to play a few rounds with friends, which is truly the best way to enjoy this game. Seriously, what an achievement in online co-op multiplayer games. Everything's fun and is easy to group up. I couldn't ask for more. Well, except maybe a new PC to run the game a bit better.
THE S BLADE HAS A HACKBLOOD CHARGE. Immortal words for an amazing immortalization of "boomer shooters." Being honest about my time with this game, I found it to be good as a game, but the real greatness is in the clear craftsmanship and commitment to The Bit. Jay Tholen and Co. really committed in every way you could ever hope for in a memorialization of a genre. And to top it all off? It's frickin' FUNNY. I haven't laughed out loud for real this much in a game since Jazzpunk.
I might’ve passed this game by with a casual, “looks cute, but nah,” but my wife wanted to play it together, so we did! It’s basically a bigger, more open version of Untitled Goose Game, which I absolutely love. This game also has a dedicated “meow” button, which I endlessly appreciate, and allows you to just do cat things while completing tasks and missions for various creatures. My favorite part so far is stealing phones from salarymen and hiding them.
Not a ton of time in this one yet, but boy do I love having a physical copy of Marvel vs Capcom 2 on hand. That game is so special to me, so all the other games and history that comes in this package are just the cherry on top.
Speaking of great online multiplayer games–this late addition to 2024’s games surprised me. I expected very little from a licensed hero shooter from Marvel, but this game has tons of variability and a little something for everyone with their giant roster of characters.
this is the first romhack for a game that has held my attention more than a few minutes. I didn't get far in it, but I like what it has to offer, which is a huge selection of Pokemon in a beautifully pixelated third generation package.
Yo did you know that you can emulate the motion controls of an emulated game on your phone??? You CAN. This was a delight to pick up and play every once in a while. Bonus: my nephews also enjoyed it when I shared it with them.
I've only got a handful of hours In Ōkami HD, but as mentioned in my 2023 list, I desperately wanted to challenge myself to play older games this year. I set my sights high thinking I would have way more time than I actually did, but I chose well by starting Ōkami. What a magnificent delight this game is. The design and art direction are so thoughtfully made and simultaneously feel of its time and as good or better than many modern-day games could ever hope to be. The game is beautiful, but also genuinely funny (games almost always miss the mark for me there); the gameplay is fast-paced and fun when you want it to be, but you can also slow down and spend time barking at villagers with the dedicated bark button. Where is my dedicated bark button in any game featuring dogs?? Scratch that, any game period.
I have a majority of the game left to play, but I know once I finish it it will be an all timer. I'm wondering if, had I spent more time with it, if it would land higher on this list. And now the sequel has just been announced nearly 20 years after the original game released! So I've got even more reason to enjoy it and that next game when it comes out.
I unfortunately tried to dive further into this when my new kiddo was 6+ months old and for any parents out there, it's easy to see how my game time dried up even further when the little one starts trying to pull up and sit up before they can sustain the actions on their own and generally be more independent. For me, a game like this requires more attention, so I can't play it in 10-20 minute chunks like, say, a Balatro. Unfortunately, the next game on my list met the same fate, but it still impressed me in my short time with it.
Greatest demo I've ever played. Hands down. This is one of those demos I would've played over and over again as a kid with limited games to choose from. If you haven't tried this game, but like 2D games of any flavor, just trust me and download the demo and try not to have fun immediately. Like, the moment you start moving as Sargon, you'll know what you're in for.
I have plenty of this game left to play, but holy cow everything about it is so thoughtfully designed from top to bottom. The art direction is both beautiful and smart—you can see where they cut down production time in favor of retaining great performance, while also looking absolutely stellar when it counts. Fluid is the word I would use to describe this game. From the cutscenes to attack animations to that buttery movement, this game operates with such fluidity and flow.
What I also appreciate about The Lost Crown is how it so clearly shows the lessons learned from other metroidvanias outside of taking some best practices. In particular, the feature where you can just pin a screenshot of an area to your map so you can reference it later when you need it. In the scope of the whole game, it feels like a minor mechanic, but it's such a fantastic quality of life improvement.
As I said, I don't have nearly enough time in this game yet, but I have enough to know it was one of my absolute favorite games I played this year.
Elden Ring was my favorite game I played in 2022. It earned that spot handily, so it's no surprise to me that I made time where I had little this summer to complete this full-game-length DLC. Finishing this was basically the end of my ability to play upwards of an hour of a game any given day. Shortly after I completed Shadow of the Erdtree, my baby became more aware and active, ending my ability to play anything while laying around together on the couch.
This DLC is everything people say it is: more Elden Ring (with a twist) and an insane amount of content for a DLC. I thought $40 on release was a bit pricey, but after experiencing it I think it's spot on. This is Elden Ring 1.5.
In order to play the DLC, you have to meet some conditions in your current save, and I had foolishly just restarted a new game plus file on my original save earlier in the year because I wanted to dink around. Then I found out the conditions to enter the new content and quickly had to complete those requirements prior to the release date.
But I was ready on release. Ready to get my butt kicked up and down the Land of Shadow, that is. While I knew there was a new levelling system distinct from the base game, I figured my over-leveled character would still have an easy time with the new enemies and bosses, but I was dead wrong. I remember dying dozens of times to the Blackgaol Knight before realizing I needed to learn the new rules or continue having a bad time. But once I figured out those rules (thanks to wikis and guides) I was fully back in like it was 2022 all over again. It's not ideal (or perhaps, even kinda bad?) that a game as thoughtfully made as Elden Ring can't be understood without the assistance of guides for a working adult like me. I'm happy to git gud at the combat, but navigating the UI and comprehending upgrades on my own is a slog that I'm not willing to put myself through.
I could go on and on about all the fun new weapons, locales, and boss designs, but I'll just say: they're great, y'all. Sure, some bosses or groups of enemies felt like pure torture to overcome at times, but it's made all the sweeter when you do. I will say more specifically that I swapped from being a faith caster to more of a strength bonk boy and had the absolute best time wielding either a giant hammer and great shield or two magnificent, beautiful hammers. It was endlessly fun to bonk my way to victory, chunking out huge portions of enemy HP and staggering fools left and right.
My time with Erdtree also inspired me to wrap up the last handful of achievements to 100% the base game. Did it kinda feel like completionist chores by the end a bit? Yeah! Do I regret expending the effort to put a tidy little bow on my time with Elden Ring? Not one bit.
There are few DLCs that I've ever played that I would recommend higher than this one, given you enjoy its base game. The only DLC I've played that I’d say is more important to experience is Outer Wilds’s Echoes of the Eye. While neither are strictly necessary to have a full and satisfying experience with each game, these two DLC experiences are of the highest caliber when it comes to additional content for a game. Even calling it “additional content” feels inane when I feel this is a full experience that rivals the base game.
The Supergiant Games Fanboy has logged on. If you know me at all or read any of my previous GOTY lists from 2018-2020, you knew Hades II was an inevitable addition to my GOTY list when it eventually arrived. Early access launched this year and it came out with a bang—especially compared to the early access version of the original. Aside from some feature gaps and caps on the progression for unfinished zones, the game largely felt… complete in a lot of ways from day one. Final or near final art was in place almost everywhere and the feel of the gameplay was smooth and responsive. I could immediately see and feel how the sequel was similar, but different from the original.
I recall thinking the game was a lot harder than the original when I did my first few runs, but chalked it up to inexperience with the new play styles. Then I kept seeing takes claiming the same—that the game was much harder—too hard, according to some. I didn't really get that, and still don't. I'm not sure these negative takes impacted development, but I do know they took some of the edge off certain bosses and beefed up some of the weapons shortly after release. Regardless, the game is similar, but different than its predecessor. What I mostly tell folks is that it's like the weapon styles have flip-flopped—Zagreus had more of a melee focus, with a touch of ranged combat, and Melinoe’s weapons are primarily ranged, with a couple melee options. I think with that one thing in mind, you can pretty quickly understand the differences and begin your journey through Hades II with concrete expectations.
And honestly, I love the way Melinoe plays generally. The focus on ranged combat makes her a perfect compliment to Zagreus’s hack-n-slash approach. Getting used to the new play style kinda just feels like I unlocked a new character to play as in the base game. I even dreamed about Hades II having a cast of characters to choose from like so many other roguelikes out there, but more and more that doesn't seem like a possibility. This game is focused on Melinoe and telling her unique story, so it's hard to see other playable characters joining the mix without it feeling a little jarring. And her story is fascinating. Without revealing too much, the stakes are higher than the first game, and yet all the same charm and humor from Hades has carried over. The circumstances of the world may be more dire, but no one has lost their wit.
Aside from a story I feel deeply invested in, I'm enjoying the new mechanics they have layered into the game. There're familiars who assist you in battle, resources to gather with specific tools, challenge runs that test your ability, and more. Supergiant has taken the complete package that Hades was and (so far) doubled it: two paths to run, twice as many options for equipment, more ways to gather materials needed to alter your home base. And they're not done yet!
I'll reserve my full thoughts on this game until next year when it will likely hit 1.0. But for now, I'm so pleased with Supergiant’s first sequel to the game I consider my favorite of all time. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a new favorite game by this time next year…
Simply put: I have over 250 hours in Balatro this year. Many dozens are probably idle time when I left the game running—especially overnight a handful of times. So let's call it around 200 hours to be safe. Even so, that's more time than I usually sink into any one game, let alone in a year where I played less games overall. Usually I wouldn't consider hour count as any more important than how fun the gameplay is or how good the writing is, but there are reasons I spent more time with Balatro than all other games combined this year:
When I found out I was going to be a dad, a small part of me also got a bit excited for the possibility of gaming on the couch with our newborn on my lap snoozing away. It was just a nice picture I had in my head. I had heard from other parents that this special time could allow for this opportunity to sink into a game and I got excited about it. I fantasized about playing through some big chunk of Baldur’s Gate 3 or some other epic narrative-focused game that could sustain me through the long hours tending to a baby who needed to sleep anywhere from 12-18 hours a day. Even Danny from Noclip has mentioned that he played through all of Bloodborne when his daughter was born. Surely I'd be able to experience a grand adventure accompanied by a sleeping baby too!
Well, as it turns out, Balatro was my grand adventure. About half of my playtime occurred in the first few months my kid was born according to Steam’s year-end stats. It was just… too perfect for what I needed. I could play it with a baby in one arm and a mouse in my other hand. It’s a lightweight, turn-based game, meaning I could boot it up on anything quickly and pause any time. And most of all, it was fun. Like, really fun. Initially the game has so many objectives to reach for on any given run. Even if you're not focused on any goals, like any good rogue like, it's just fun to see where a run might take you.
In the weeks following release as it picked up steam and officially entered the zeitgeist, more and more friends started playing and I had the thought to start a new group chat on Discord dedicated to discussing the game—something I love to do. Some of my best gaming memories in recent years involve dedicated group chats with friends from different parts of my life. And boy is there plenty to talk about with Balatro. For a good while I could expect to be wowed every day as we all discovered more and more about the game’s intricacies and synergies between jokers, card enhancements, and deck alterations.
Some of the conversation was spurred on by the achievements. We were all so fascinated by the seemingly endless combos that solving for the conditions of the various achievements became a kind of puzzle game all its own. Made even better as there are unlocks hidden as a reward for completing many of them.
These days, the chat has cooled off as we all squeezed as much juice out of the game as we could before either burning out on it or reaching a natural end point with the game. For me it's a bit of both: it started feeling like I was relying on chance too often as I reset constantly for a better run in the first ante as I upped the difficulty higher and higher. But I also don't …[truncated]
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