2024 is finished – and you’ve got made your decisions. The branching narrative of this 12 months has been determined, your dialogue choices have been locked in, and your ending is prepared.
Thanks to everybody who voted this 12 months in what – in the long run – was a transparent victory to your best choice. Your second place was additionally massively fashionable, thoughts you – and mixed, these two video games’ scores equalled the remainder of your prime 10.
Eurogamer’s personal record of our workers 2024 favourites will comply with tomorrow, however right now it is all about your picks. Thanks once more for taking the time to share yours with us, and keep in mind – when you disagree, you solely have yourselves responsible. Get pleasure from!
50. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
“The online game equal of a heat blanket and a cup of sizzling chocolate in entrance of a roaring fireplace,” Retr0gamer wrote. “Grinding has by no means been so stress-free.”
49. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Yr Door
“This is without doubt one of the sequence’ highlights,” Hippolytus wrote of Nintendo’s 2024 Swap remaster. “Nice new characters, humorous, and a presentation that appears identical to you remembered it. Great things.”
48. Frostpunk 2
“It is a masterpiece that stays with you lengthy after you’ve got performed it,” a reader who determined to stay nameless wrote. “An ideal recreation.”
47. Little Large Journey: Twinsen’s Quest
“The bugs are being ironed out, however even when current they may not overshadow the brilliance of the unique recreation, now with extra intuitive controls, just a few quality-of-life enhancements and naturally these stunning new 3D visuals.”
46. Path of Exile 2
“It’s so a lot enjoyable to play that it scares me somewhat bit,” a reader who selected to stay nameless wrote. “Hats off to Grinding Gear Video games.” Mentioned Reivilo: “I am nonetheless discovering it, however thus far it’s the excellent successor to Diablo 2.”
45. Dungeons of Hinterberg
“The fight will not be to everybody’s style, however on vibes alone, this deserves some recognition,” TC wrote. “An exquisite Zelda-lite.” Added Carl Sheen: “Incredible setup and excuse for a conventional fantasy RPG being set within the modern-day. World constructing and selection was on level.”
44. Botany Manor
“Most likely the cosiest recreation this 12 months,” wrote Malek86. “The puzzles handle to be simply the fitting in-between of simple sufficient as to not frustrate, and arduous sufficient as to maintain gamers engaged. And every vista is healthier than the earlier.”
43. Neva
“I adored Gris and this follow-up has that very same unimaginable artwork fashion while mixing it up a bit with the addition of fight,” Al Pacalypse wrote. “Stunning and haunting,” TheBigBiscuit77 added. “And brief.”
42. Mouthwashing
“Alien if the Xenomorph was Capitalism, Kind Of”, wrote one reader who remained nameless. “Incredible pacing and a terrific script, packing each intense, darkish twists and sufficient sensitivity to handle them.” Added ozyous: “A tightly plotted sci-fi horror within the mould of Harlan Ellison which saved me guessing a lot of the approach by means of and has stayed in my ideas since. Brief however indelible.”
41. Crow Nation
“A beautiful instance of that very uncommon breed of indie retro title that does not simply goal to duplicate its inspirations, however truly takes time to consider what we cherished in these titles that at the moment are objectively horrible by right now’s requirements,” wrote Julian Hazeldine. “The writing is simply the icing on the cake, with a wit to the prose which places mainstream blockbusters to disgrace, and a genuinely unnerving climax.”
40. Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
“I teared up on the preliminary screens and I cried after I went into Lara’s mansion,” wrote Joshua M B. “Tomb Raider and Lara Croft have been a large a part of my life since I used to be six years outdated. 4-6 Remastered will little question make me sob with pleasure too.” Added CitizenSiege: “The love for these video games was evident and it was good to see individuals remembered the video games fondly, for all their flaws.” “A remaster completed proper,” wrote UrineTrouble.
39. Life is Unusual: Double Publicity
“Regardless of some apparent points within the ultimate chapter, there’s nothing else fairly like Life is Unusual,” Astonish wrote. “Deck 9 will get that it is the quiet moments between characters, or when you may simply sit again that actually make the sequence what it’s. And the character rendering is simply astoundingly good. One explicit scene between two characters in entrance of a hearth is the very best online game animation I’ve ever seen.”
38. Hades 2 early entry
“How does Tremendous Large do it?” wrote jackgaydon. “I went in day one anticipating one thing comparable in scope to the early days of unique Hades’ early entry, but there was already a recreation there larger than its fully-fledged predecessor! And what a recreation. In the best way of nice sequels, every little thing felt intensely acquainted whereas being different in shocking, pleasant, typically mind-blowing methods.”
37. Passable
“Conveyor belts go whrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Makes me really feel good,” wrote MrTomFTW.
36. 9 Sols
“What if Hole Knight however Sekiro,” wrote eze2g. Added jwt: “Stunning, and cats.”
35. The Plucky Squire
“No different recreation has pulled me in visually as a lot as this one has,” wrote engelzman. “The artwork path of this recreation is a standout for 2024. A very pleasant recreation for the eyes, and one I stay up for returning to with my children in the future.”
34. Outcast: A New Starting
“A stunningly stunning world with exceptional verticality, expertly paired with extremely enjoyable traversal mixing gliding with quintuple jumps(!),” wrote itsgood2slide. “Authentic whereas remaining trustworthy to its pioneering predecessor.”
33. Pacific Drive
“An atmospheric oddity the place your temperamental automotive is your finest good friend, your worst enemy, and has extra persona quirks than your entire forged of a Bioware RPG,” wrote dajgohji.
32. Sonic x Shadow Generations
“The Shadow portion of this recreation does for 3D Sonic what Mania did for 2D Sonic,” wrote 2much. “It looks like perfection of the system. The extent design is amongst the very best Sonic Group has ever made, and the sport’s reality-bending visuals make it probably the coolest-looking recreation on the PS5. The one factor that stops it from being larger in my record is how brief it’s.”
31. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
“Utterly new, unique title with fascinating gameplay and elegance and nice consideration to element,” wrote StephanCTR. “I imply, they took hi-fi audio system to mountain forest, performed the soundtrack music there and re-recorded it to get the fitting environment in!”
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
As beforehand acknowledged, solely video games are eligible for Sport of the Yr voting. After all, this didn’t cease a few of you writing ineligble options anyway.
“I perceive this vote contravenes the ‘guidelines’, however Shadow of the Erdtree is completely among the finest issues I performed that launched this 12 months,” wrote larry4000, eager to lodge a protest. “Hopefully like in UK basic elections there will probably be a spoiled poll depend no less than.”
30. Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6
“Nice story for as soon as in a COD recreation,” wrote TF73, “and quick and fluid gameplay.” Added Evariest: “The very best single participant FPS marketing campaign since Titanfall 2.”
29. 1000xResist
“Finest narrative of the 12 months, palms down,” wrote play.good.children.
28. Rise of the Golden Idol
Wrote jackgaydon: “Generally you may overcome an obscure downside, solely to get misplaced in your approach by means of the mansion. In a room you’d beforehand opened however utterly forgotten about you uncover a complete dimension to the sport that had till then been hidden. Subsequent factor it is 2am. You are blearily looking at an merchandise description that references esoteric twentieth century happenings you half-suspect could also be true. You’re not sure why you’re doing this, although a nagging feeling tells you that that conspicuous string of numbers is important to a puzzle you gave up on two days in the past. It is actually a labyrinthine recreation.”
27. Black Delusion Wukong
“Onerous as nails, however not insurmountable,” wrote StevoPirate, “one in every of solely few video games to get the true really feel of these early Darkish Souls video games proper. Stumbling upon an improve simply whenever you’re beginning to really feel too squishy, taking a break from a boss solely to discover a aspect path that comprises an improve that lastly helps you return and take your revenge and the distinctive setting/plot derived from Journey to the West? Deserved each success it had.”
26. Tekken 8
“Having been an informal Tekken enjoyer since a wee lad, I mentioned I would try to truly get good at a Tekken in any case these years,” wrote AcidWisdom. “Ended up terribly, horribly addicted. Nonetheless not that good at it, although.”
25. Star Wars: Outlaws
“I used to be sick and misplaced a great job, so this recreation was the pure escapism I wanted,” McMurphy wrote. “I purchased it day one and cherished each second of it – the Star Wars recreation I would all the time needed to play.” Added Rokkai: “For as soon as, a Star Wars recreation truly took me to a galaxy far, far-off. The detailed and beautiful environmental design, mixed with the incredible audio, transport you to a different world.”
24. Persona 3 Reload
“Persona 5 Royal was so polished, full and all-round incredible that it was troublesome to think about the place Atlus may go subsequent,” wrote rogueywon. “It seems the reply was ‘Persona, however fantasy’, which works extremely effectively. It is a considerably slimmed again tackle the system, chopping away among the historic cruft and giving a shorter, pacier recreation. The change of setting retains issues feeling contemporary.”
23. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
“Attractive trying recreation that always had me stopping to soak up the view,” wrote Grubby_Gryffin. “Actually only a phenomenal audio-visual expertise, placing you in Senua’s head,” added britesparc. “Additionally IMO the very best ‘photo-real’ graphics we have ever seen.”
22. Nonetheless Wakes the Deep
“As somebody who has been out to a rig within the North Sea, the sound of the wind and waves alone when every little thing’s ‘superb’ made me anxious,” wrote HerrProduk. “By the point you are into among the finest voice appearing and pure dialogue writing I’ve seen in video games, and the claustrophobic, no-escape strain cooker of more and more otherworldly horror, only a few video games have had such an intense impact on me.” Added swedishfishes: “I believe the primary character known as somebody a ‘fuckin roaster’ which you do not hear sufficient in video games today.”
21. Unicorn Overlord
“Crunchy and compulsive technique gameplay, and it is a miracle of UI design that its many menus and techniques are coherent on the Nintendo Swap,” wrote larry4000. “Glorious layered technique that simply will get deeper as you play,” added The_Weird. “Whereas it has concepts taken from different titles, the entire feels contemporary and unique. Stunning artwork fashion too.”
20. Warhammer 40,000: Area Marine 2
“It was simply enjoyable,” wrote Citizensiege. “A slick marketing campaign, a beneficiant operations mode and three participant co-op, which is simply the candy spot for me and my Xbox mates. All two of them.” Added Mallow_the_destroyer: “It is the Gears of Warfare sequel I did not know I needed!”
19. Stalker 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl
“An distinctive recreation that holds nothing again,” wrote StormbringerN. “Onerous to the core and with the design and gameplay to again it. Stalker locations full belief on the participant to seek out their approach. We want extra of those!” Added Moxyz1: “My most performed, favorite sequence of all time.”
18. Tactical Breach Wizards
“This was such an absolute pleasure, and actually got here near taking my GOTY nod,” wrote OmagnusPrime. “A incredible tactical recreation with a beautiful forged of brilliantly written and charming characters. In the event you like tactical video games it is a should. In the event you like enjoyable video games, that is additionally a should.” Added blackpaladin105: “I do not count on this to make many individuals’s lists however I cherished the idea, writing, and gameplay loop. Flip-based technique like X-COM has appealed to me for a very long time and this brings it to you in bite-sized chunks with a whole lot of enjoyable mechanics that allow you to method fight in ways in which aren’t simply ‘shoot everybody within the room’.”
17. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
“A recreation for a really explicit sort of puzzle and narrative recreation sicko. I’m that sicko,” wrote maccydee. “A incredible entry in some of the compelling new puzzle genres (Obra Dinn-likes) which additionally doubtlessly varieties its personal new style that requires pen and paper for some aspect be aware doodling,” one other reader added. “If somebody had seen my notepad put up rolling credit they may have assumed I used to be the Zodiac killer!”
16. Dragon’s Dogma 2
“It is a goofy-arse fantasy sandbox with entertaining fight shenanigans,” wrote apocra. “It is an motion RPG, certain, however greater than that it looks like a Lord of the Rings-like,” added 2much. “I do know it isn’t for everybody, however the act of strolling most locations makes even essentially the most minor quests really feel like adventures stuffed with peril. I do not know if I’ve ever performed a recreation that is felt like that earlier than.”
15. UFO 50
“Most likely essentially the most inventive ‘factor’ in a really lengthy whereas, UFO 50 exhibits not solely unimaginable vary by its builders, but additionally learn how to assemble a metanarrative by means of essentially the most concise and sparse particulars,” a reader wrote. “Lots of the video games are completely nice on their very own, and a few would have been classics in the event that they got here out within the 80s (and even the 90s).”
“The cut price of the 12 months,” wrote retr0gamer. “Weeks later and I’ve nonetheless not explored this assortment of video games absolutely. It is always shocking and the standard of the video games stays constantly excessive.” Mentioned erwie: “Celebration Home alone would already be #1 of 2024.”
14. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Developer: RGG Studio
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth evaluation – Yakuza’s extreme delights head to a crime-ridden Hawaii
“There’ll by no means be sufficient of those video games for me,” wrote sonoftvsadam. “Whether or not it is Kamurocho, Sotenbori, Ijincho, Honolulu, or another yet-to-be-identified locale, I’ll roam the streets in search of guys to hit with bicycles as usually as RGG Studios gives me the chance to take action.”
Mentioned Robo-Moon: “Have you ever ever needed to shred grownup nappies on a rooftop to satisfy a dying girl’s dream of seeing snow falling? Then that is the sport for you.”
13. Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown
“Really earned its place within the Pantheon of up to date Metroidvanias alongside the likes of Metroid Dread and Hole Knight,” wrote larry4000. “High-tier platforming, fight, boss fights and time bending powers.”
“It is peak Metroidvania, and what a factor to behold. VERETHRAGNA certainly,” mentioned TC. In the meantime, KarlosCV added: “Probably the greatest Metroidvanias ever.”
12. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge
“What if we take the faster-paced Hyperlink’s Awakening framework, add some Breath of the Wild-style techniques and set it in map of A Hyperlink to the Previous?” wrote Fallout2. “Additionally, you may play as Zelda. It is a bit chattier than I would like, however enjoyable, creative and doesn’t shy from just a few tough challenges.”
“Of all of the video games I’ve performed in 2024, that is the one one I nonetheless take into consideration,” wrote KinanEldari. “Echoes of Knowledge did not simply give us Zelda as a playable character, it additionally gave us enjoyable mechanics, glorious dungeons with nice puzzles, a good story and a number of other collect-a-thons that truly have been enjoyable, not like these gosh-darned 900 Korok seeds in Breath of the Wild! In the event you love Zelda video games as a lot as I do, you actually owe it to your self to play this one.”
11. Thank Goodness You are Right here!
“It’s extremely brief, it is very northern, and its largely about punching every little thing till one thing occurs,” wrote Madame-Drofla. “It was additionally the supply of my most memorable and absurd gaming moments of the 12 months. I laughed quite a bit, and I’d suggest it to anybody who can get the very British context.” Added H1ppyDave: “‘Peans – not fairly peas and never fairly beans, however one thing particular in betweens.’ A quote my 10-year-old and I’ve shared frequently since enjoying. It is an utter pleasure.”
“A few of the funniest few hours of gaming of my life,” mentioned Omgokami. “I nonetheless do not miss Yorkshire but it surely stayed with me.” Mycrofty concludes: “It is contemporary, it is humorous, it is attractive, it is every little thing the present video games panorama is not, it isn’t cosy or edgy or any of that. It is simply reet good.”
10. Stellar Blade
“Greatest shock of the 12 months and possibly essentially the most enjoyable recreation,” wrote Col_McCafferty. “Glorious fight, intriguing story and sensible soundtrack. Shift Up have completed a incredible job particularly contemplating that is its first single-player title on console.”
“There is a dialog available about intercourse and violence in video games, the place one is lazily hand waved by means of whereas more and more the opposite is stopped exterior the door with an particularly disapproving look, however this is not the place for it,” wrote MarcusJ. “Stellar Blade is an especially entertaining and beneficiant (each in content material and extra freebies put up launch) recreation which deserves the utmost reward. Arguably essentially the most precise enjoyable I’ve had enjoying a recreation in years. And it’s had nowhere close to sufficient recognition as a brand new IP both.”
9. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
“After practically 10 years I would forgotten how a lot I needed a brand new Dragon Age recreation,” wrote Greenllama88. “Fortunately it did not take greater than a pair hours of enjoying the Veilguard to remind me how a lot I really like this world and the way good it may be with such a assured fashion and imaginative and prescient. When the actual world goes mad exterior, it feels nice to remain in and resolve the issues of 1 that really feel a lot extra manageable.”
“The ultimate act is great,” wrote Boooo_urns. “It has points, however in the primary the gameplay is enjoyable and story is participating.” Mentioned pierrot: “Actually responsive and expressive motion fight and a few stunning maps to navigate.” Added one other reader: “An extended-due followup to one in every of my favorite sequence that did not disappoint (even when it is no Dragon Age: Origins – however what’s?)
8. Helldivers 2
“A recreation that truly feels extra enjoyable to play the extra shambolic you might be at it,” wrote The12thMonkey. “When every little thing simply falls aside and also you’re working to your life, frantically tapping out the reinforce sequence, solely to trigger the drop pod to crash onto your personal head, and it’s nonetheless enjoyable to play? That’s some high quality design.”
“Not essentially a brand new tackle a multiplayer recreation however one which redefines a style of what PVE might be,” added Peter McNally. “A recreation that looks like a inventive sandbox however with correct aims and, when you put the problem up, a chaotic frenzy.”
7. Silent Hill 2 Remake
“Like everybody else I used to be apprehensive the sport would not stay as much as expectations,” added LemyAtom. “I used to be shocked after they far surpassed it. I practically $h!y myself in Toluca Jail and needed to restrict gameplay to 45-minute chunks for a bit. Pant-wettingly scary.”
Mark1412 agreed: “The completely brutal and suffocating jail degree, performed with headphones and the lights down low, utterly redefined survival horror for me. It was terrible. After I completed I mentioned I would not overlook it, or play it once more, in a rush. Every week later, I would completed it once more.”
6. Animal Properly
“I am going to admit I am not sensible sufficient for the superior late recreation puzzles,” engelzman wrote, “however the pure surprise and awe of exploring this world for the primary time and soaking within the environment by means of audio and visible design alone, this recreation is a real masterpiece.” Golazodave mentioned: “Nobody can overlook being chased by that ghost canine for the primary time.”
“There could be higher Metroidvania video games,” Ross Farrey wrote. “There may effectively be subjectively and even objectively higher video games from 2024. However Animal effectively drew me down a rabbit gap like few video games ever have. It is bizarre, with an air or thriller that hints at greater than you may ever hope to seek out. After I wasn’t enjoying it I used to be neck deep in YouTube movies and remark threads hoping to seek out the that means of all of it. I used to be eight years outdated enjoying The Legend of Zelda once more solely this time the sport was Animal Properly and the web was my playground. Magical.”
5. Closing Fantasy 7: Rebirth
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“Remake did not sit effectively with me,” Slowdog76 wrote. “The adjustments nonetheless felt bizarre and pointless. Rebirth began to make these adjustments make sense, although, and even appreciated. I really like this recreation. Virtually as a lot as the unique. There’s not one space it failed to please.”
“In the end I am glad they modified issues up,” added Wrathbone. “The sport is fantastically trustworthy in all of the ways in which matter, which permits the story to change into an intriguing extension of the unique reasonably than a easy retelling. The entire thing is a large, sprawling pleasure to expertise.”
4. Metaphor Refantazio
“A fantastic story paired with an excellent forged of characters, and notably an excellent villain – one thing that many video games, however significantly fashionable JRPGs, are likely to fumble,” apocra wrote. “Had an excellent time with it. (Did not half look fairly, too! And the soundtrack!)
“Atlus all the time produce such polished video games, every little thing is ideal, every little thing matches,” fragglerocks added. “That is the primary of their video games that feels prefer it has actual depth of story and characters to create an ideal expertise.” Mentioned one other reader: “Persona in a fantasy setting? A plot that is disturbingly well timed? Fuck sure.”
3. Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle
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“I am 48. It has been an terrible very long time since watching a film or present has made me secretly want I may develop as much as be a spy, or an adventurer,” wrote slowdog76. “This recreation whisks me again to my youth, working across the playground, whip cracking an imaginary whip and placing one over pesky Nazis. This recreation makes me joyful, a nostalgic dollop of enjoyable and funky and reminiscences of all these occasions I saved the damsel, and the world.”
“Completely captures the journey and humour of the unique film trilogy and combines it with a mix of nice fight, exploration and puzzles,” added Darren. “The icing on this tasty cake is the very good story, visuals and music. It is MachineGames finest recreation so far, taking every little thing they learnt from their elegant Wolfenstein video games and refining the system to create among the finest first-person video games I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying.”
“Having grown up with the Indiana Jones films, enjoying this recreation introduced me again to these occasions,” concluded Evariest. “The environment and particulars are spot on, it’s so good that it may (ought to?) have been the fourth Indiana Jones film.”
2. Balatro
“Sport design in its most delightfully pure type – a well-known and compelling idea, however with numerous prospects because of the sheer number of choices on the participant’s disposal,” wrote maccydee. “Each determination you need to make is a significant one. It helps that the music is so memorably repetitive and the artwork so immediately iconic.”
“Extra addictive than crack,” declared Bushmonkey. “At the least I think about it’s. I am unable to assume how something could possibly be extra addictive than Balatro.”
“I purchased Balatro seven occasions this 12 months, 5 of which have been for mates,” admitted Tomo. “I’m a digital croupier, firing out essentially the most wonderful deck-building recreation since Slay the Spire. It is an ideal collision of the world’s most traditional card recreation and well-trodden roguelike gaming mechanics, but manages to really feel utterly contemporary. I hear the music in my sleep.”
1. Astro Bot
“Tactile and joyous,” wrote jonappetit. “An entire delight from begin to end. Straightforward sufficient for the youngsters to play, difficult sufficient that I’ve spent late nights attempting to rescue all of the lacking Bots.”
“Most Potential Sport,” wrote Anslant. “I heard Warren Spector communicate of his dislike of the time period ‘Minimal Viable Product’, and the way this does not go well with video games. He mentioned he prefers the time period ‘Most Potential Sport’. Group Asobi embodied this adage with Astro Bot.
“It has all of the staggering high quality of a Nintendo platformer, however on a Sony console – but it surely’s additionally way more than that,” wrote Golazodave. “It is an irreverent celebration representing many years of gaming historical past, and each time I performed I had an enormous smile on my face. Magnificent.”
“I’ve had such a magical time enjoying Astro with my 4 and six-year-old daughters,” mattb2020 wrote. “One of the wonderful gaming experiences of my life.”
“In a 12 months the place work and life pressures made it arduous to decide to something that demanded extra of me than leaping and grinning, Astrobot was simply what I wanted,” Lalaland wrote. “Easy however exquisitely crafted to please with one thing each 30s or in order that made me smile and for that motive alone it is my #1 this 12 months.”
“I’ve averted platform video games for over 30 years since in all probability Tremendous Mario Bros as a toddler,” concluded Billhickswaaright. “This made me really feel like that youngster once more.”
