Some of my fav games from 2024
Balatro and more!
Happy New Year everyone! It’s that lovely time of year where we all must collectively shake off the two-week malaise that comes with the winter holiday season and get back to our lovely careers which have been waiting so patiently for us to return. Hooray!
To cheer you up, I’ve written a few sentences about some of my favorite games from last year. I tried to pick some titles that didn’t receive much attention, plus Balatro. Not all of these titles were released in 2024, but they were all new to me.
Arctic Eggs
Cook eggs for various characters on an Antarctic facility by using your mouse to tilt and flip a frying pan. A little bit Bladerunner with some PlayStation nostalgia mixed in for good measure. The game’s sense of humor hits just right throughout, while still allowing some profound bits of writing to shine through. The whole thing comes together in a transcendent package. Superb.
Balatro
Solitaire mixed with poker. Possibly my favorite game I’ve played this year. Even if you do not play video games, I implore you to play this game (you can buy and play it on your phone!). Much has been written about the game already1, but it truly punches far above its weight.
I Am Your Beast
John Wick simulator. Play as a retired super lethal military agent fighting through waves of soldiers trying to bring you back to service for one last mission. Really good, with bite-sized missions where players are graded on their time and skill taken to complete them. I’d love to see more games like this.
Echo Point Nova
Titanfall 2 if there were no titans, just enhanced super soldiers running circles around clueless and hapless grunts. Just zip around on a hoverboard and a grappling hook, happily blasting away at waves of nameless goons. The perfect game to play while talking with a friend on Discord.
OTXO
Blast away at enemies in a mysterious never-ending mansion. The gameplay takes clear inspiration from Hotline Miami, but feels like a spinoff rather than a spiritual successor. With a health bar, slow-mo, and a huge arsenal of firearms at your disposal, it’s a very compelling HLM-like roguelike. It’s pronounced oh-cho, btw.
The Citadel
Probably the weirdest game on this list, which is impressive, because Arctic Eggs is on here. A Doom-like shooter where your enemies are all various cybernetically enhanced anime women. The game is odd, and a bit janky at points, but it just works. Equal parts boomer shooter and tactical shooter (a wild combination), it also allows players to fine tune the settings to turn the dial toward whichever genre they prefer. Some seem to be put off by the art style and direction (fair), but it comes off very Ghost in the Shell to me. Had a great time with this one.
Trepang2
Play as an escaped super soldier experiment that knows nothing except how to shoot lots of bullets. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, and plays kind of like a F.E.A.R. spiritual successor with the writing of a Resident Evil game.
Sprawl
A cyberpunk boomer shooter where you play as ... an escaped super soldier. I’m noticing a trend in the games I gravitate to. The art style in Sprawl is quite striking, and feels like how I remember games looking on the PlayStation 2. Great vibes.
Diesel Knights
Titanfall 2 ... with steampunk mechs. This one’s just a demo, where you run around a training area much like Titanfall 2’s gauntlet. The game looks great so far, and I hope the devs are able to see the whole thing through.
I’ve thought of Frank Lantz’s Playing Balatro piece almost daily since reading it back in March. Also, while not specifically about Balatro, I’ve revisited this piece several times.