We are about to draw the shroud of 2024 – a complicated year that gave us great games but I fully expect to be remembered as “messed up” by the industry at large. We have over 14,000 deletions, a withered market for three aging consoles, ballooning subscription costs and the (partial) collapse of the live service genre. But we have the first few weeks of January 2025 to appreciate the events of the year. Well, it’s that time: It’s time to talk about our favorite games that we enjoyed the most this year.

Dean has already revealed his favorite games for the year… so now it’s my turn. To be clear, these games are the ones I personally enjoy the most and find to be the most sublime overall experiences. Hopefully I can make a longer list at some point in 2025 – my list of games played in 2024 is not just last year (although in related news, I’m better off than I was a year ago), but for now, here are my top 5 games this year.

5. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Every year in these lists, I like to include at least one game that qualifies as a dark horse in my Top 5 – a small title whose inclusion only satisfies me. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes It may have come out earlier in the year that it was later covered, but I never forgot it. The surreal, stylized art design is enough to stick in my memory, but Lorelei is ultimately more than that.

Lorelei is the kind of game that challenges the player. The entire time you play, you feel like the game has you locked in a battle of wits, and while it gives you everything you need to solve many of the puzzles, it doesn’t hold your hand. Even the game’s diegetic interface and so-called “clue” systems seem more aimed at putting the player on the backfoot than helping. And matching wits in a game might not be everyone’s cup of tea – it’s not always my cup, anyway – but sometimes it’s what I need and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes are great.

2024 was a decent year for RPGs, all things considered – Baldur’s Gate 3 was a tough act to follow. But we’ve had an amazing whole year. And one RPG rose to the top with a unique, passionate story and fun, fast-paced gameplay: Metaphor by Atlus: ReFantazio. For me, RPGs live and die by how they make me feel like I’m actually part of the world around me, and the world of Metaphor, is not good and bad and full of unfair social systems even though it feels like it. which is true – the struggle of his people is felt Fundamental.

Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to avoid many of the pacing pitfalls that have occurred in other RPGs this year (not naming any names, but IYKYK) by keeping you tied to an in-game calendar that ticks to in a major world event – a refinement of Atlus’s staple time management mechanic. In fact, almost every piece of Metaphor feels like a more compelling version of something Atlus has done before, from the art design to the turn-based combat. While the story is a bit stronger and serious, it is told with such conviction and with a strong message that it is never once boring.

3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Well, look who’s here. MachineGames’ licensed adventure game starring everyone’s favorite whip-wielding archaeologist has arrived in the last month of the year and has risen almost to the top of the list. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the best adventure games — and, surprisingly, one of the best stealth games — I’ve played not just in 2024, but in the last five years. Troy Baker’s performance as Dr. Jones is more than just an imitation it elevates the entire game to my Top 3.

The Great Circle almost perfectly replicates the charm of the original Indiana Jones films (note that I say “original” with a specific purpose) while also paying homage to the classic point-and-click adventure games that came before them. MachineGames managed to capture the comical and swashbuckling fun of the series, its sense of not taking itself too seriously, and the satisfaction of defeating Nazis (a subject with which they should be very familiar after the Wolfenstein titles ). Also, one of the villains was played by the late Tony Todd, and it was good to see him again.

2. Astro Bot

As someone who plays games professionally, it’s sometimes tempting to overexplain or exaggerate my own opinion. So while I can give a long, elaborate explanation of why Astro Bot’s platforming feels so rewarding, or how its story is compelling despite its simplistic nature… put it to few words: Astro Bot is on this list because it fun. It’s fun and entertaining and well made and gives the player exactly what they expect.

Okay, to sprinkle in a little more complexity in my opinion: Astro Bot is a platformer polished to a diamond shine with heart and a sense of humor. The game’s variety keeps it fresh, and the game doesn’t wear out its welcome by overstretching its levels or overplaying any of its gimmicks. It’s also just the right length to maintain its PlayStation-ness without sounding like an ad (although it almost does a time or two). There are many games that I play and love as an adult gamer — there are only a few that I played and knew I wanted as a kid.

1. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

In fact, my top game this year surprised even me. Until the last moments I write this, I give it to Astro Bot. But then I seriously looked at the many games I’ve played so far this year, and thought about which game it was that gave me the most joy while playing. And maybe it’s been so long – almost a year now – that my memory has faded, but I remember playing in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown with a warmth that I feel for a little another year.

The Lost Crown has everything I want in a game: It has solid gameplay that improves as the game progresses, excellent pacing, varied platforming, story and art design that honors history and real-world mythology while mixing fantasy, a diverse and interesting cast of characters and more BEAUTY just playing sometimes makes me breathe. There were so many games between the January launch and now, but it still managed to stick with me until the end of the year.