A stacked year defined by surprise hits, masterful sequels, and one pint‑sized platforming legend.
How we picked: We pulled from major year‑end awards (including The Game Awards 2024), aggregate review data, and clear popularity signals like peak‑concurrency and sales roundups. Then we ordered the list with the best at the end.
20) Homeworld 3 (2024)
The long‑awaited return of one of PC’s most distinctive RTS series proves that slow, tactical space combat still rules. Homeworld 3 brings back true 3D battles—with ballistic modeling, line‑of‑sight tricks, and those breathtaking capital‑ship volleys—while adding massive space “megaliths” and trenches that turn maps into navigational puzzles as much as battlefields. A robust campaign eases you into its fleet management, while the roguelike‑inspired War Games co‑op mode keeps the meta fresh once the credits roll. It’s also a generous visual feast, the kind of game you pause just to screenshot a carrier’s fighter launch against a nebula backdrop. Not every mission lands and the difficulty pacing can spike, but Blackbird’s stewardship of the series’ identity—melancholy, operatic space war—feels right. If you’ve missed thoughtful RTS in a sea of city‑builders and shooters, this is your call to return to the void.
19) Manor Lords (2024 — Early Access)
Part medieval city‑builder, part real‑time tactics experiment, Manor Lords hit Early Access like a trebuchet and instantly became one of Steam’s biggest success stories. Its hook is authenticity: hamlets grow organically along roads you place, fields are hand‑laid to match terrain, and seasonal rhythms matter. Then the camera zooms out and your fledgling market town must field a levy, marching into Total War‑style clashes over trade roads and titles. Systems aren’t complete—this is still Early Access—but the scaffolding is strong and the fantasy of being a 14th‑century lord already sings. If you enjoy settling into chill builder vibes and then testing your economy on the battlefield, there’s nothing quite like it from 2024. Keep an eye on how warfare and diplomacy deepen as patches arrive; for now, it’s both a comfy sandbox and a fascinating promise.
18) Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (2024)
Few games match Hellblade II for audiovisual craft. Ninja Theory doubles down on binaural audio, tactile foley, and intimate camera work to put you inside Senua’s head as she navigates ninth‑century Iceland and her psychosis. Combat is cinematic and weighty, with one‑on‑one duels foregrounding choreography over combo lists; the campaign is lean, meant to be absorbed in a few sittings. Not everyone vibed with its emphasis on spectacle over complex systems, but it’s an easy recommendation for anyone who treats a game as a Dolby Atmos showpiece—and for fans of narrative‑led adventures that value mood over menus. Melina Juergens’ performance anchors the experience and rightly drew awards attention. If you own a capable TV or headset and want to show friends what “next‑gen presentation” actually means, start here.
17) Paper Mario: The Thousand‑Year Door (2024)
This Switch remake doesn’t just dust off a classic; it carefully preserves the slapstick timing, stage‑play battles, and Sterling City gossip at the heart of the 2004 original, then polishes everything—art, UI, and quality‑of‑life—until it gleams. The result is the definitive way to experience Mario’s funniest RPG, with its badge‑driven builds, audience interactions, and lovable partners (yes, Vivian’s arc reads better than ever in 2024). Even if you know every curtain cue, the redrawn paper dioramas and orchestration make Rogueport feel brand new. As remakes proliferate, Thousand‑Year Door stands out for remembering that charm and pacing are systems too. It’s also a superb on‑the‑go RPG: chop a dungeon into set‑piece rooms, nail your action commands, and you’ve had a complete little adventure on your lunch break.
16) Persona 3 Reload (2024)
The best way to play one of the most influential JRPGs ever made, Reload modernizes Persona 3 from dungeon layouts and skill balance to lavish cutscenes and a stylish UI that rivals Persona 5’s swagger. Its calendar life‑sim loop—studying for exams, nurturing social links, and chasing midnight up Tartarus’s tower—feels timeless, while the new voice work and animations make SEES feel like a contemporary cast. Debates will continue over which story beats were reinterpreted or left for DLC, but the core emotional spine lands just as hard in 2024. For newcomers, it’s an ideal doorway into Atlus’s universe; for veterans, it’s a chance to re‑fall in love with blue‑hour melancholy. Bring tissues for the finale, and maybe a spreadsheet if you’re min‑maxing Personas between exams.
15) Tekken 8 (2024)
Thirty years in, Tekken still knows how to raise the roof. Tekken 8’s new Heat system juices aggression, rewarding forward play with explosive wall carries and combo routes while keeping the series’ trademark movement intact. It’s a gorgeous fighter—sweat, dust, and sparks fly with every electric wind god fist—and its netcode is among the year’s most reliable. For casuals, the Arcade Quest mode and controller shortcuts make learning less intimidating; for competitors, the frame‑tight lab is back and the roster is stacked. It’s the rare installment that satisfies lore die‑hards and first‑timers alike, and it left 2024 with silverware to prove it. If you’ve ever wondered why Mishimas family‑drama memes never die, this is the most kinetic answer yet.
14) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024)
A triumphant reinvention. The Lost Crown trades the franchise’s 3D parkour for a razor‑sharp 2D action‑platformer that plays like a modern Metroidvania: intertwined zones, secret‑riddled maps, and time‑bending powers that make traversal sing. Combat is crisp and readable—perfect‑parry a hulking brute, then cancel into aerial strings—and boss fights demand mastery rather than mashing. Smart accessibility options and a superb map marker system earned it industry recognition, while late‑game routes reward curiosity with delicious movement tech. If the series’ identity is “precision meets panache,” Montpellier distills it. It’s also an art banger, striking a balance of stylized character work and ornate, mythic Persia. For Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, this is one of 2024’s best “weekend‑to‑100%” adventures.
13) ANIMAL WELL (2024)
A mysterious, one‑developer labyrinth that disrespects every spoiler and rewards every notebook doodle. ANIMAL WELL is less about combat and more about curiosity: a dense web of flip‑screen rooms, where each tool you find—yo‑yo, firecracker, bubble wand—has “obvious” uses and then secret ones you’ll only uncover hours later. It’s the rare game that trusts you completely, refusing to explain and shining when communities collaborate to unravel its deepest layers. The pixel art has this phosphorescent sheen, like CRT memories filtered through brand‑new eyes, and the sound design makes every echo feel like a hint. If you live for “aha!” moments and late‑night Discord threads, 2024 didn’t offer a purer puzzle‑platforming high. Start blind, take your time, and enjoy being lost again.
12) Balatro (2024)
Proof that one brilliant idea can conquer the world, Balatro fuses poker hands with roguelike escalation to create a perfect, endlessly replayable “one more run” machine. You’re not gambling—there’s no real money here—but you are building engines: jokers with wild synergies, planet cards that level up hands, tags that reshape a run’s economy. It’s simple to explain, blissful to optimize, and fiendishly hard to master. The game’s meteoric rise (and award wins) reflect how universally it clicks, whether on a handheld during a commute or on a triple‑monitor PC. If 2024 had a single “everyone’s playing it” indie, this was it, and it’s destined to be a permanent install for years. When people say “tight design,” they mean Balatro.
11) Palworld (2024 — Early Access)
The year’s loudest phenomenon. Palworld launched into Early Access in January and immediately broke records with over 2.1 million concurrent Steam players—second only to PUBG—while also topping Xbox Game Pass engagement. Behind the memes is a compelling survival‑crafting loop: capture Pals, automate production lines, min‑max bases, and explore a big, breezy map in co‑op. Balance has matured patch by patch, but even in 2024 the sandbox was irresistible: a toybox of mounts, dungeons, and factory weirdness that asks, “What if monster collecting powered an economy?” Whether you bounce off in 20 hours or lose months to breeding spreadsheets, it defined the year’s conversations and delivered real mechanical freedom. Keep in mind it’s still evolving; for many, that’s the fun.
10) Stellar Blade (2024)
Kinetic boss fights, slick parries, and a stylish post‑apocalypse—Stellar Blade is a throwback character‑action game with modern polish. The combat curve is the star: learn patterns, nail perfect guards, and you’ll shred late‑game encounters that once seemed impossible. Exploration, light RPG gear, and photo‑op vistas round out a campaign that’s just long enough to feel epic without dragging. Post‑launch updates and a PC release widened the audience, but its PS5 debut set the tone: a confident new studio delivering a crowd‑pleaser with real mechanical bite. If you’ve been craving a linear, boss‑forward action game in a sea of open worlds, this scratched the itch better than almost anything in 2024.
9) Star Wars Outlaws (2024)
At last: an open‑world Star Wars that centers a scrappy scoundrel instead of a Force prodigy. As Kay Vess (and her scene‑stealing companion, Nix), you case joints, sweet‑talk syndicates, pick your shots, and then jump to orbit for breezy dogfights. It’s as much crime caper as galaxy tour—Tatooine dust, Canto Bight neon, Toshara’s new frontier—and when the heists pop, it feels like Star Wars. Launch day wasn’t spotless, and Ubisoft has patched plenty since, but the core fantasy lands and the vibe is irresistible. If you ever wanted to roleplay the galaxy’s most charming troublemaker, Outlaws is the ticket.
8) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)
Infinite Wealth is the funniest, warmest RPG of the year—then it blindsides you with a gut‑punch. The switch to Hawaii opens the series, letting Ichiban Kasuga’s optimism clash with sun‑drenched crime dramas and a mountain of absurd side content (hello, animal‑rescue business sim). Combat doubles down on the turn‑based reinvention from Yakuza 7 with smarter positioning, new job antics, and tag‑team super‑moves that look like high‑budget comedy sketches. It’s sprawling, yes, but RGG’s knack for human moments ensures the heart stays front and center. If you want a 60‑ to 100‑hour world that’s generous with laughs and feelings, start here—and bring snacks.
7) Dragon’s Dogma 2 (2024)
A truly wild open world where the systems conspire—sometimes against you—to generate stories worth telling. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is about vocation builds, physics‑driven monster brawls, and the magic of Pawns: your AI companions who feel like real co‑adventurers as they learn routes, whisper hints, and toss you onto a griffin mid‑flight. Exploration is dangerous and meaningful; the map hides solutions as much as loot. Technical issues at launch couldn’t dull the thrill of improvisation, and the game grew into one of 2024’s richest sandboxes. If you smile when a plan goes wrong and three new plans explode out of the rubble, this is your jam.
6) Metaphor: ReFantazio (2024)
Katsura Hashino’s new universe is a triumph: a grand, page‑turning fantasy quest with social RPG depth. Metaphor blends turn‑based tactics and real‑time positioning into snappy, strategic combat, while its “archetype” system scratches the Persona‑style build itch without repeating it. Politically charged worldbuilding and a road‑trip campaign frame a party you’ll actually miss when it’s over. It’s also a stunner—bold UI, painterly biomes, and Shoji Meguro’s earworm soundtrack. Among critics and awards voters, it quickly became 2024’s “best RPG” consensus pick, and it’s easy to see why: few games this year felt so big, so assured, and so replayable.
5) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
Part two of the remake trilogy embraces maximalism: a generous open‑region structure stuffed with character moments, mini‑games, and gleeful fan service, anchored by set‑pieces (Junon! the Gold Saucer!) that feel like operas. Combat perfects Remake’s ATB/real‑time blend, while Synergy skills give the cast fresh interplay. Yes, it’s lengthy, but the high points—including a score that deserved its award—are astonishing. More importantly, Rebirth makes bold narrative swings, reframing sacred cows without losing the original’s heart. It’s the rare blockbuster that delights superfans and invites newcomers, and its ending ensures 2025+ will be buzzing about how Square closes the loop.
4) Helldivers 2 (2024)
The year’s co‑op sensation. Helldivers 2 is pure emergent comedy: four friends, deadly stratagems, and a galaxy map that updates as the community “liberates” planets in real time. The shooting is chunky, the friendly fire is constant, and the slapstick is sublime—extraction fails have never been so fun. Arrowhead’s cadence of operations made 2024 feel like a living war, and awards juries noticed. Even as the team paused updates to shore up performance later on, the loop remained irresistible: drop, accomplish the impossible, die gloriously, repeat. If you believe in managed democracy, you probably spent a chunk of 2024 spreading it.
3) Black Myth: Wukong (2024)
A cultural event and a stellar action RPG. Wukong reimagines Journey to the West with lavish art direction and tactile, staff‑centric combat that rewards patience and mastery. Boss designs are showstoppers, and the folklore‑infused bestiary keeps surprising across its striking biomes. It’s not a Souls clone so much as a confident cousin, with difficulty tuned to punish greed and celebrate spacing. Sales and awards momentum made it one of 2024’s defining releases, but the game stands on its own: sharp feel, mythic swagger, and countless “did you see that?” moments. If you like your action challenging and your worlds steeped in legend, this was essential.
2) Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (2024 — Expansion)
Call it DLC if you must; Shadow of the Erdtree might be 2024’s best game, period. The Land of Shadow rivals entire open‑worlds in density and discovery, with interlocking zones, devious dungeons, and boss fights that re‑teach humility to veteran Tarnished. Buildcrafting blooms again thanks to new talismans, weapon types, and ashes, and the storytelling—From’s oblique, tragic poetry—hits as hard as any mainline entry. It’s more Elden Ring, yes, but it’s also a focused masterclass in level design and encounter variety. Few expansions ever felt this necessary. If you bounced off the base game, this won’t convert you; for everyone else, it’s the summit of 2024.
1) Astro Bot (2024)
Astro Bot is joy crystallized. Team Asobi turns a mascot platformer into a love letter to 30 years of PlayStation—clever power‑ups, tactile DualSense tricks, and level ideas so good they feel inevitable once you see them. Every planet is a toy box of fresh mechanics; every rescue reveals a cameo that lands as a punchline and a memory. Most importantly, it plays beautifully: precise jumps, readable hazards, and a difficulty curve that welcomes kids without boring speedrunners. Critics adored it, players platinumed it, and The Game Awards crowned it the year’s Game of the Year. In a sea of massive open‑worlds, Astro Bot proved that tight design and sheer delight still win. If you own a PS5, this isn’t a suggestion; it’s a celebration you join.
Honorable Mentions (and why they just missed)
- Princess Peach: Showtime! (charming but lighter‑weight next to the 20 above).
- Still Wakes the Deep (immaculate horror polish, but a slimmer experience).
- Kunitsu‑Gami: Path of the Goddess (striking hybrid tactics/action that flew under the radar).
