Gaming Recap 2024
Nowadays, I have a lot more fun critiquing the video games I play, as opposed to music, these days. Perhaps that’s because the video game reviews don’t really get shared around much, so they’re really low-consequence for me. Since nobody’s waiting for them, I just write them for my own amusement, more or less.
Much like 2023, this year was mostly centered around Nintendo Switch gaming, though I did throw two new things into the mix: TTRPG system reviews and mobile game reviews, though the latter was really created just to shout-out some nice folks I met at IGDA (I’m not really a mobile gamer these days because I try not to waste too much time on my cell phone).
So here’s a list of the games I played in 2024 and what I felt about them! Full reviews can be found by clicking the game name.
Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Mörk Borg
An easy-to-learn dungeon crawler set in a dying world. It’s gruesome, gritty, and easy to die. It’s definitely one of my favorite systems!
The Witch Is Dead
A fun one-shot game that can be played in the moment without prep, so long as you don’t mind improvisation. It’s a great game to test group dynamics and allows for some really silly roleplay.
Mobile Games
An easy-to-learn dungeon-crawling card game. It was still in development when I was playing it and so I got to enjoy it through a few updates. I should really play it again sometime and see what’s new! Fun for killing a little time on your phone.
Video Games
Disco Elysium
This is one of the best games I’ve played in recent years and one that I’ll happily declare a modern classic. From the incredible voice acting to the fun plot with multiple roads to the end, they really brought the world and characters to life. While there were a few things I would have fine-tuned, overall this game is worth many replays! (PS4)
Gardener’s Path
Cute graphics and nice atmosphere are the main selling points of this puzzle game. It would have benefited from more story though, as the scenes at the beginning and ending felt like too little to really be needed at all. (Switch)
Metroid Dread
I watched my partner play this very disappointing game and opted not to play it myself. (Switch)
Salt & Sanctuary
I had to write this one up because I want to have a collection of reviews of my all-time favorite games alongside the ones I’m currently playing. Salt & Sanctuary is one of my favorite modern games because it combines Soulsborne difficulty with a Metroidvania world, making it just the best thing. Sadly, its sequel did not hold up. (PS4)
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
A really fun kid’s game with couch co-op. The ending definitely threw me for a loop, but I’ve since been told that Kirby games generally tend to end with some great cosmic insanity, so it seems I should play some more games in this series just for the weird experiences. Decent for kid-friendly couch co-op too! (Switch)
Snufkin: Melody of Muuminvalley
This is the only new-from-2024 game I got this year, but it was worth it. If you love The Muumins, this is a do-not-miss game. You’ll get to see many of your favorite characters in a beautifully-crafted world, with lovely music. This was definitely a highlight from 2024! (Switch)
Cobalt Core
This game impressed me deeply for its fun tactical card-based system and great story and characters. Oh, the music was nice as well. Highly recommended! (Switch)
Minute of Islands
While this one was a bit hard to follow visually, as a very artwork-heavy platformer, the story about mental health actually really got me in the end. Recommended for depressed people who need to feel solidarity, as well as people who could use a fresh perspective on depression. (Switch)
Hollow Knight
Like Salt & Sanctuary, this is a modern personal favorite that I had to write up. This is one of those games that I bought on the Switch (I already have it on PS4) just to give myself an excuse to play it again. I do not recommend the Switch for this game, incidentally, just because it’s so big and the Switch has more problems with lag than other systems. (PS4, Switch)
Donut County
This game had such a weird concept that I had to give it a try (since it only cost a euro or two). I did get a childish amount of joy playing a hole in the ground swallowing things up, even if the story was pretty ridiculous on the whole. (Switch)
The First Tree
A game about grief that really missed it’s mark for me, unfortunately. (Switch)
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings & the Lost Ocean
I played this originally back on the Gamecube when it came out, and it left a long-lasting mark on me, so when I found it on the Switch, I had to play it again. While there are things that inherently annoy me about JRPGs, this game actually really held up to my memory of it from when it came out in the early 2000s and I had a blast replaying it. Another hearty recommendation! (Switch)
West of Loathing
An extremely silly game about stick figures in the wild wild west. If you’re looking for something entertaining that you can play in a few hours, or dedicate more time to if you want to solve some wilder puzzles, this is a solid goofy game to chill out with. (Switch)
Cult of the Lamb
While riddled with minor annoyances that plagued the overall gameplay, and a really bad final boss fight, Cult of the Lamb was otherwise a really fun resource management/rogue-lite dungeon crawler combo. Bonus points for fun couch co-op! (Switch)
Though I found the narrator’s accent to be a bit too childish and thus grating, on the whole I thought this game had fun puzzles and a story that was surprisingly deep for the game. (Switch)
While there are always things that I don’t like about modern iterations of classic games, this one manages to nod to enough classic gaming ideas while creatively implementing new ideas and quirks that the good far outweighs the annoyances. (Switch)
