Games of the Year 2024
It was a year. A seemingly eternal, historically notable, altogether concerning year. Nevertheless, games persisted.
These are the ones that meant the most to me this year.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Nintendo
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
A few different oddities converged upon Forgotten Land. It was released 5 years into the Switch's lifecycle, and as of this writing, there hasn't been any official word on Nintendo's next successor. Typically, Kirby games drop around the platform changeover, showcasing the pinnacle of what the hardware can do while still bringing a first-party franchise to a system that's being phased out. On top of that, it's been touted as the first fully 3D game in the series. It's also the first Kirby title that I've finished.
And it's easy to like the game! The character design is adorable, the gameplay feels... okay, and there are enough ability upgrades and collectibles to keep your attention. I may have come to it late, but it was worth the wait.
Arcade Paradise | Nosebleed Interactive
Arcade Paradise
I've become more and more enamored with simulation games recently. Powerwash Simulator, Gas Station Simulator, any number of clones in Roblox, and now Fortnite, these slow incremental games seem to scratch an itch for me. Someday, I'll connect my affinity for these games with a GameStop simulation game available only to management on an employee-only forum on Kongregate.com in 2012. For now, I'll continue to sing praises on the markedly slow-paced Arcade Paradise.
You take the role of an aimless daughter who takes over the family laundromat and uses the profits to expand the arcade closet in the back. It takes plenty of time and energy to fold laundry and pick up trash to expand your cabinet offerings, but it never felt like a chore. The control you have over the price and difficulty of the games is excellent, and the idea of overcoming generational expectations to follow your passion is always a heartwarming plot device.
Balatro | LocalThunk
Balatro
I didn't want to fall for it. I tried to avoid dipping into Balatro. But the famously addictive loop that took over everyone's attention this year got me, too. I disagree with PEGI's 18+ determination (you kinda have to have a gambling mechanic to be a gambling game), but something about the play cycle is serotonin-boosting. I only completed it once, but that was enough for me.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
I've got a Triforce on my arm for a reason, right? I was so excited for Zelda to get a starring role, and overall, I wasn't disappointed. I had hoped for Zelda to kick ass with her own sword, and it felt like a cop-out to relegate her combat to hands-off spell-casting, but the vast array of possible summons and cool puzzle solutions ultimately won me over. It doesn't hurt that the Nintendo magic still does a fantastic job of smoothing over most wrinkles in a first-party title, but it was a great showing of what new options are still possible in this series.
Little Kitty, Big City | Double Dagger Studio
Little Kitty, Big City
Have you ever wanted to just be a cute cat wandering around your neighborhood causing mischief and collecting shiny trinkets? That's the game! Sure, there's a narrative about finding your way back up to your apartment, but there are so many cute things to find and explore! You can mess with construction workers! You can be petted by businessmen! And through it all, you can get cute hats from gashapon machines. Delightful!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
I still can't believe that the best Paper Mario game got a remake, but it happened, and it was perfect. Did we need quality-of-life improvements? No, the game was perfect on the GameCube, but they sure were nice. All I can say is that I've played this title countless times, and it was still one of the best experiences of my year.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered | Insomniac Games
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
I consistently forget that Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. I'll always say, collectively, my favorite is any number of X-Men, but when I think of a specific individual superhero, it's Spider-Man in that number one spot. This year, I finally got the chance to play Insomniac's Spider-Man, and like many of the other titles on this list, it lived up to the extreme amount of hype.
I loved it so much that I 100%'d it. But honestly, I was just happy swinging through Manhattan. It wasn't even about taking in the sights; it was about the incredibly satisfying flow of swinging around buildings and launching high over an approximation of Madison Square Garden.
Butterfly Soup | Brianna Lei
Butterfly Soup
As it does every year, Butterfly Soup closes out my Game of the Year list. The incredible visual novel about four gay teens that helped me realize my own surprising place on the Kinsey scale profoundly impacted me, and I will continue to include it each year. I have yet to play the sequel, partially due to my deep reverence for the first title. I’m not sure what else Diya, Min-Seo, Akarsha, and Noelle have to teach me, but this year is the year I will find out.
Butterfly Soup is important, and everyone should play it.