The best video games of 2024 – the top 20 of the year from Balatro to Metaphor-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

Which was your favourite? (Xbox Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment/Atlus/Metro)

Metro GameCentral compiles a list of the 20 best video games of the year, pitting Astro Bot against Final Fantasy and Indiana Jones.

Most years there’s usually two or three games that are clearly ahead of the pack when it comes to awards and end of the year rankings, such as Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023. But despite the quality of games in 2024 being at a similar level there’s never really been a front runner for Game of the Year this time though, even if Astro Bot managed to make it seem relatively clear cut at The Game Awards in December.

As usual, our policy is not to include remakes, remasters, expansions, or yearly sequels in our Top 20, in order to focus on brand new games. So that means no Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree and no Silent Hill 2, even though both were excellent. While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is technically a remake, we extend to it the same exception that we did its predecessor, as both games are radically different game experiences from the original.

If there’s something missing from this list it probably means we didn’t like it all that much, which includes otherwise well received games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. If you disagree with our choices then by all means let us know via the comments or the usual email address.

GameCentral Top 20 – 2024

The Zelda where you play as Zelda (Nintendo)

20. The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom

Nintendo Switch

Princess Zelda has been playable occasionally over the years, but most of the time only in spin-offs like Super Smash Bros. or Hyrule Warriors. This time though she got the limelight (mostly) to herself, with an entirely original adventure that looks like the Link’s Awakening remake, and is by the same developer, but introduces a new mechanic where Zelda can clone objects and creatures to use for herself. This allows her to do everything from creating a bridge out of well-made beds to leading a small army of monsters into battle. It’s not as refined as an entirely Nintendo-made entry would be, and doesn’t quite make full use of its impressive ideas, but it’s still a wonderfully imaginative and enjoyable romp all the same.

19. 1000xResist

Nintendo Switch and PC

There’s been a lot of great indie games this year but it’s always a special pleasure to play something from a new studio and find they’ve knocked it out the park on their first try. 1000xResist is essentially a visual novel, with only a few perfunctory action and puzzle elements, and that means it lives or dies on the quality of its story and characters. Luckily for it there’s almost none better this year, with a fascinatingly strange sci-fi exploration of everything from authoritarianism and radicalisation to the struggles of being a Chinese immigrant in Canada. Somehow that all works in context, while being a great sci-fi adventure in the style of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

Lorelei And The Laser Eyes – puzzles within puzzles (Annapurna Interactive)

18. Lorelei And The Laser Eyes

PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC

If 1000xResist has the best story of any indie game this year, then this has the best puzzles. A deeply strange game, from the creators of Year Walk and Sayonara Wild Hearts, you start the game with no idea who you are or why you’re parked outside a mysterious, almost empty hotel, filled with very strange people and lots and lots of logic and number puzzles. The answer to what’s going on is the game’s greatest mystery but along the way you’ll be treated to some of the most stylish brainteasing the gaming world has seen in a long time.

17. Shiren The Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon Of Serpentcoil Island

Nintendo Switch and PC

Roguelikes are everywhere nowadays; the idea of losing everything and having to start from scratch having become surprisingly popular in recent years (although usually via more forgiving roguelites). When someone talks about an old school roguelike they’re talking about a game like this. It does still have some roguelite elements, so you don’t literally start from nothing every time, but it still uses grid-based movement and combat, where enemies only move when you do. That’s just as things were in 1980 and yet somehow Shiren The Wanderer’s charm and variety wins out in what is great proof that good gameplay is always timeless.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth – fun in the sun (Sega)

16. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC

After the turn-based soft reboot of 2020’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Infinite Wealth has expanded on its foundations and become one of the best entries in the series so far. Beyond its excellent role-playing mechanics, it also has arguably the strongest line-up of mini-games, with subversive, hilarious twists on Animal Crossing and Pokémon, which could have been standalone experiences all on their own. The sheer amount of stuff crammed into it might come at the expense of the narrative in spots, but even a weak Yakuza story is far sharper and wittier than most games ever manage.

15. Unicorn Overlord

PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5

Apart from anything, this has easily the best name of any game this year, although the explanation for it is slightly more mundane than you might imagine. Nothing else about the game is though, in what is a homage to the dormant Ogre Battle series of strategy games, where you oversee an increasingly large army of characters and troops. You can move them around the overworld map, while carefully setting their items, abilities, and formations so they can take place in 2D battles with gigantic, screen-sized sprites. You don’t control the battles themselves – it’s all about the preparation – but the game is still completely compelling from beginning to end.

Stellar Blade – does it matter what she’s wearing? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

14. Stellar Blade

PlayStation 5 (PC in 2025)

Sony may not have had many first party games out in 2024 but they were very good at picking third party exclusives to publish themselves. South Korean developer Shift Up is all but unknown in the West, especially when it comes to console games, but this is a supremely convincing step into the limelight and one of the best character action games outside of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. With great graphics, tons of variety, and, most importantly, highly enjoyable combat, it’s an impressively well-honed action adventure – even if the design of its female main character is a bit embarrassing.

13. Super Mario Party Jamboree

Nintendo Switch

Not the most obvious game to place on the list but we’ve always considered the Mario Party series to be amongst the very best local multiplayer games, and this is arguably the best entry yet, with more mini-games than ever, more modes (including one that’s a nod to Pilotwings), and more boards and characters. A virtual board game is something only Nintendo has ever managed to get to work properly but it’s so simple and accessible the series is always the first we suggest if playing with casual gamers, as it can accommodate anyone of any age or skill level in the same match and everyone can still have fun.

Batman: Arkham Shadow – VR game of the year (Oculus Studios)

12. Batman: Arkham Shadow

Meta Quest 3

We didn’t expect to be shocked by the quality of a VR game again for a while, now that the technology seems to have plateaued, but Arkham Shadow is the real deal. The use of motion controls is top tier and the feeling of actually being Batman, as you hold you arms out to glide and sling batarangs at bad guys is absolutely perfect. Even the combat is great, as you make tactical decisions about who to take down first and smack enemies behind you by having them run into your fist. But not only is it the ultimate Batman simulator it’s also a genuinely great action adventure that adapts almost every element of the Arkham games into VR, including the predator stealth sections.

11. Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC

Baldur’s Gate 3 is not an easy act to follow-up. The game is going to dominate discussion of the role-player genre for years to come, especially anything with a Tolkien-esque fantasy setting, but it’s a credit to Dragon Age that it survives the comparison very easily. It’s a very different game, with excellent real-time combat and some stunning visuals (including the best hair in gaming). The script is sometimes a bit too quippy for its own good but it’s a generally well written and acted game that marks a welcome return to the genre for developer BioWare.

Tekken 8 – recipient of a happy birthday (Bandai Namco)

10. Tekken 8

Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC

Tekken celebrated its 30th anniversary in December but it’d already provided its own birthday present with one of the first major releases of the year: the best entry in the series in the modern era. Most fighting game franchises tend to be long-lived, but they also tend to be inward looking and inflexible, but Tekken 8 is very accessible for new players, with a great story campaign, excellent graphics and a full suite of both online and offline players. The lack of new characters at launch was the only real issue and one the still hasn’t been fixed by the DLC but, well, there’s always Tekken 9…

9. Astro Bot

PlayStation 5

It’s hard to tell whether 3D platformers went out of fashion because people weren’t buying them or developers thought it was impossible to compete with Nintendo. Astro Bot proves that’s not true though, with a wonderfully playable and inventive game experience that also doubles as a 30th anniversary celebration for PlayStation – even if the way it handles all the character cameos is a little odd. The game lacks the mechanical complexity of the best Super Mario titles, and too much is needlessly copied from Nintendo, especially in terms of enemies, but it’s no less entertaining for that.

Caves Of Qud – the in-game graphics aren’t quite this good (Kitfox Games)

8. Caves Of Qud

PC

One of the last releases of the year but given it’s been in early access for 15 years we guess the indie developer responsible for this epic scale roguelike just couldn’t bear waiting for another calendar year to pass by. Caves Of Qud is actually more of a sandbox style role-player than anything else – think Baldur’s Gate 3 but with 8-bit style graphics and a setting somewhere between Dune and Horizon Zero Dawn. No matter what it looks like, the complexity of its simulation and the depth of its role-playing elements are second to none, with some wonderful dialogue and randomisation elements that must’ve been a nightmare for such a small indie team to develop.

7. Balatro

Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android

It’s impossible to describe Balatro (a jester in ancient Rome) without it sounding unutterably dull but with over 3.5 million copies sold it’s clear many have pushed past that to enjoy its peculiar mix of poker, deck-building, and the joys of unlocking roguelite extras. Despite using poker as the basis of its gameplay there’s no gambling involved, as you instead try and beat the blind for each round using luck, skull, and rule-changing extra cards. It sounds dull but many have called it the best game of the year and we completely understand where they’re coming from.

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle – very Indy, not very indie (Bethesda)

6. Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Xbox Series X/S and PC

Saying The Great Circle is more entertaining, and better written, than the last two Indiana Jones films isn’t the compliment it should be but it’s true, with a big budget action adventure that’s hugely entertaining whether you like any of the movies or not. The emphasis is on exploration, stealth, and storytelling, which doesn’t always lead to the sort of large scale action the franchise usually thrives on, but it still manages to recreate the look and feel of the films better than almost any other movie licensed game.

5. UFO 50

PC

An absolutely insane achievement by indie publisher Mossmouth, and six developers, who have created 50 completely separate full length video games, ranging from a fully-featured Metroidvania to a role-playing game, survival horror, and several other games that are far stranger and more difficult to classify. At less than 50p per game the value for money is off the chart and it’s only a shame the game hasn’t caught on more than it has, but hopefully there’s a console version coming next year that can fix that.

Metaphor: ReFantazio – it’s been a good year for JRPGs (Atlus)

4. Metaphor: ReFantazio

PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC

As great as Persona developer Studio Zero is at making role-playing games they do have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to the opening hours. The Persona games can be a very slow start and for the first few hours new franchise Metaphor: ReFantazio just seems like a rather unengaging clone. Relatively soon after though it reveals itself to be not just an enjoyable role-player but one with well-drawn characters and a lot to say about democracy and politics, without ever being too didactic or relying on real world allegory. Also, it has the best boss battles of any game this year.

3. Frostpunk 2

PC (Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in 2025)

Like Metaphor: ReFantazio, there’s also a strong political angle to Frostpunk 2, although in an even more abstract sense, as you try to ensure humanity survives a new ice age. As in the original, that involves a lot of difficult decisions, where something, or someone, always has to be sacrificed. In the sequel, where society is at least a little more stable than before, that opens up a whole new world of fascinations and city building machinations. Although it has some gameplay similarities with cosy games this is anything but, with a tense and disturbing exploration of what doing things for the greater good really means.

Animal Well – it’s actually weirder than it looks (Bigmode)

2. Animal Well

Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC

The Metroidvania has become one of the great cliches of indie gaming, with dozens upon dozens released every year. That only makes Animal Well all the more impressive, as it feels so distinct and memorable. Although trying to pin it down to a specific genre does it a disservice, with its more complex puzzles and its surreal, retro style visuals. With secrets hiding in almost every corner of every screen, and a welter of imaginative power-ups, this is a perfect mix of the familiar and the completely unique.

1. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

PlayStation 5 (PC on January 23)

Although it only seems to have been a middling financial success, the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy is proving to be a triumph. While Final Fantasy 16 is a joyless slog, this manages to recreate the weirdness and invention of PlayStation 1 era role-players perfectly, with an infectious sense of whimsy working perfectly with the more realistically written characters and stunning graphics. Some may feel the open world elements feature too much bloat but the refusal to go grimdark and serious is absolutely to the game’s benefit and creates a perfect marriage of old and new. We can only hope future Final Fantasy games look to it for inspiration as well.

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