I had a great time playing video games in 2024 — and I hope you did too. Let's talk about it.
This past year was challenging for some, including myself, but the silver lining is that 2024 produced a bunch of excellent games to play. The RPG genre, in particular, saw a modern renaissance, with an overwhelming number of releases from studios big and small.
Of course, there were plenty of other games, ranging from big-budget productions to ones created by a single developer.
However, unlike most years, there isn't a single standout on this list that I consider to be better than all the rest. Why introduce competition when it's not needed? That's why this list is unranked. You should play all of these games if you can.
Here are the best games of 2024, in no particular order.
Again, fair warning: There are a lot of RPGs on this list, but at least they're all really good.
In a year that was comically bursting at the seams with RPGs to play, Metaphor: ReFantazio has a real case as the best one.
At the very least, it’s the most striking and unique of the big ones, thanks to a dazzling art style full of funky fantasy designs and a soundtrack overflowing with operatic rapping.
It also has a neat hybrid real-time/turn-based combat system and a compelling calendar-based gameplay structure that keeps things moving forward at all times. Metaphor’s main story may be overly simplistic at times with its "fiction can change the world" message, but strong character work and worldbuilding in the margins help this game become one of the very best of 2024.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the only game of 2024 — and probably of all time up to this point — that made me emotional during a karaoke cutscene.
Sure, it’s a great turn-based RPG with a fun, real-world setting, a party full of unemployed 40-somethings, and fully fleshed-out Animal Crossing- and Pokemon-inspired side games. But Infinite Wealth’s real strength lies in its ability to bring you in touch with the inner lives of its characters.
It opens strong, with protagonist Ichiban Kasuga going on the (heartbreaking) first date of his adult life, and continues with longtime series hero Kazuma Kiryu suffering from a terminal illness. All along the way, you’ll meet a bunch of quirky freaks with shockingly relatable problems. One of the most touching moments in the entire game involves a bunch of guys who wear diapers and act like adult babies. If any of that sounds good to you, go play Infinite Wealth with haste.
If you had asked me just a few hours after finishing Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, I would have confidently called it the best game of 2024.
However, with some time to reflect, my enthusiasm has cooled due to its admittedly bloated length and a story that shines most when it’s not focused on the new elements added to it. But for dozens of hours, Rebirth is an incredibly fun and visually stunning JRPG, featuring some of the best combat of the year, a beloved cast of characters who each get their moment to shine, and one of the most diverse and impressive soundtracks in recent memory.
I still can’t believe there’s an original song about a dog that was written just for one optional side quest.
Although it’s a big-budget, full-priced game published by industry giant Capcom, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is arguably the most "for true sickos" title on this entire list.
I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. This quirky open-world action RPG makes even the simple act of walking from one town to the next feel treacherous, no matter how powered-up your character might be. Sometimes, you’ll be strolling through the countryside, and a dragon and a giant ogre will start fighting you (and each other) all at once.
Fast travel is limited by items. Entire optional quests and storylines can be easily missed. There’s an in-game disease that can eradicate entire villages while you aren’t playing — and it’s not easy to spot ahead of time. These things sound punishing and unfair, but thanks to brilliant game design and balancing, it’s all nearly flawlessly tuned to be more funny than aggravating.
Astro Bot is, if nothing else, one of the best PlayStation commercials ever.
That may sound more derisive than intended, but it’s a factual analysis of Astro Bot: an incredibly tight, clever, and wonderfully designed 3D platformer that’s also a firehose of PlayStation nostalgia that doesn’t always hit right. Sometimes, you see references to Vib-Ribbon and Jumping Flash and smile, while other times, you see Detroit: Become Human and Fall Guys and feel a little weird about it because those are very recent games that don't have decades of fondness built around them. In the case of Detroit, it's not even a good game.
Astro Bot is such an incredible experience to play, watch, and listen to — especially in a genre that’s underrepresented these days — that I’m willing to overlook the fact that the nostalgia-driven elements don’t always land as intended.
Balatro has the unique distinction of being the only game on this list that I’ve gone out of my way to avoid for most of this year because I like doing other things with my life on occasion.
Everyone I know who likes Balatro comes off as a cautionary tale, especially since it became available on phones.
The point is, as soon as you start playing this poker-based roguelike from a one-person development studio, you may not want to play anything else for a while. Be careful, folks.
If there’s any game from 2024 that stands above the rest in terms of ambition, it’s probably UFO 50.
The result of a collaborative effort between several indie game developers, UFO 50 is a collection of 50 original games from a fictional company spanning several real eras of game design. Obtuse adventure games, classic-style RPGs, beat-'em-ups, tower defense games, and others are all represented here with endearing, era-specific accuracy.
If you’ve ever liked a video game that came out in the '80s or '90s, UFO 50 might be your jam.
I have a group of friends I like to play multiplayer games with. Anything where we can team up is right up our alley. My favorites are the ones that don't require much tactical communication, so we can chat about whatever while playing. 2024 provided two nearly perfect examples of that, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II was one of them.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II comes from a fictional universe/board game I don’t care about at all, and that’s fine. It’s an incredible co-op experience for three players where you can use a chainsaw sword to mow through giant bugs. Every player is a 10-foot-tall monstrosity in power armor, and the only way for enemies to stand a chance against you is to swarm you by the dozen. It kicks ass.
Helldivers 2 is also a co-op game about satirically fascist soldiers shooting bugs — but with an entirely different feel. Your character is weaker and more expendable here, and dying is often more funny than maddening. Managing supplies and finishing optional side objectives are also bigger deals in Helldivers II. But both of these games hold the same special spot in my heart as something I could play with friends while being able to have real conversations with them.
Blurb written by Mashable's Chance Townsend
Silent Hill 2’s remake is a harrowing masterpiece of atmosphere and storytelling that strikes the perfect balance between reverence for its roots and modern sensibilities. Bloober Team has managed to take the haunting essence of the PS2 classic and reforge it into an experience that feels both nostalgic and groundbreaking.
From the moment you step into the fog world of Silent Hill, you’re plunged into a world of psychological dread where every shadow whispers untold horrors. The game’s sound design is a revelation, using eerie silences and dissonant crescendos to keep players on edge, while Akira Yamaoka’s haunting score wraps around the narrative like a suffocating mist.
James Sunderland’s journey through his fractured psyche is conveyed with visceral combat, chilling environmental storytelling, and unforgettable character encounters. Plus, it helps that the stunning visuals breathe new life into Silent Hill’s grotesque beauty, making it a sensory feast.
Despite some minor technical hiccups, Silent Hill 2's gripping narrative, terrifying atmosphere, and polished mechanics make it a shining example of how remakes should be done. It’s an experience that lingers long after the credits roll, earning its place as one of our best games of 2024.
I did not think I would ever become hopelessly absorbed by a spin-off to a Japanese phone game, but 2024 was full of surprises.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a strangely named but undeniably excellent action RPG with a huge cast of a few dozen playable characters, each with their own elemental strengths and totally unique combat mechanics. Mastering a character in Relink is like a simpler version of mastering a character in a fighting game. The only difference is that you take them into co-op battles against giant monsters instead of using them to compete with strangers.
It doesn’t hurt that Relink’s fantasy sky pirate setting regularly produces gorgeous vistas, including the best-looking clouds I’ve ever seen in a video game. The music’s great, too. You should play this game.
EA Sports College Football 25 has problems. The simulation is weird; it doesn’t have every feature that every player wants, like in-depth offseason player development or deep-in-the-weeds roster management features. I don’t really care, though, because this game’s release was a genuine event in a way that sports game launches rarely are.
The first official college football video game in a decade was also the first to have real player names and faces. It also has a stunning amount of lovingly and accurately rendered pregame rituals, obscure campus landmarks, and everything else that college football fans could possibly want. The part where you play football is fun, too, but as a celebration of its subject matter, CFB 25 is premium-grade stuff.
Want more of the best of 2024? Join Mashable as we look back at all the internet slang, TikTok songs, movies, memes, dating trends, hyped-up hardware, scientific discoveries, social media apps, and more that have delighted and amazed us this year.
