After rounding up all the best games of 2024 we're struck by how solid a year it's been for games, even if it's one where some of the biggest franchises haven't been kicking around. If anything, that's given us ample opportunity to try something new. While we're almost finished with the year, though, there's still plenty of new games for 2024 that could show up on the list shortly.
Within this list you'll find some of our favorites from this year that have stuck with us. Mostly, that means we gave them a review score of 4 stars or above (and you can find our criteria for that by taking a look at how we score on 12DOVE). In short, they're some of the best games you could possibly play at this very moment, that will make 2024 a great one to look back on. We've also included some unscored games, many from our Indie Spotlight initiative, that have broken through as well. It's safe to say that when it comes to Game Of The Year discussions, many of these will be in the mix.
Not sure why something isn't included? You can browse our recommendations more fully by checking out our full list of game reviews. But if you're looking for something specific, we also make sure to curate lists of those as well, such as the best single-player games, best FPS games, best BioWare games, and more! But for now, let's take a look at the rundown of the best games of 2024 so far!
5 Stars
Tekken 8
Developer: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Release date: January 26, 2024
The competition for the fighting game throne has never been fiercer. Capcom and WB Games went all out last year, as you can learn in our Street Fighter 6 review and Mortal Kombat 1 review, but developer Bandai Namco isn't one to shy away from a good fight. Tekken 8 is yet further proof that we're in a new Golden Age for the fighting game genre, an absolutely stunning 3D brawler that matches an awesome roster with true technical precision. It's fast, it's frenetic, and it's a bloody excellent time that takes full advantage of the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Learn more in our full Tekken 8 review, where the game earned itself a coveted 5 stars out of 5 rating.
Astro Bot
Developer: Team Asobi
Platform(s): PS5
Release date: September 6, 2024
It'd be easy to think Astro Bot was just a self-congratulatory game full of references to PlayStation's past. After all, with the likes of Parappa The Rapper and Nathan Drake in the mix it certainly is. But underpinning it all is some of the best platforming we've had the pleasure to play around with in years. Astro's movement is precise, yet there's still plenty of room for expression with little hovers and spins, combined with constant added variety through each level's unique power-ups. It helps that in this collectathon you're collecting pieces of iconic PlayStation history, but it's far from the only reason to play.
Learn more in our Astro Bot review, where the game scored 5 stars out of 5.
4.5 Stars
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Developer: Square Enix
Platform(s): PS5
Release date: February 29, 2024
Following Final Fantasy 7 Remake was never going to be an easy task. In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, developer Square Enix was tasked with delivering the second part of a planned trilogy, and with navigating some of the most iconic sections of the original 1997 release. The studio succeeds because of its keen understanding of when to leverage our nostalgia for the past – building out fan-favorite locations and moments – and when to veer off in entirely new directions, keeping fans of all experience guessing where it might go next. Combine all that with what is undoubtedly the best combat system to reach the Final Fantasy in years, a delicate balance between the strategy of old and the action of new, and Rebirth easily stands tall as a true triumph.
Learn more in our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Sons of the Forest
Developer: Endnight Games
Platform(s): PC
Release date: February 23, 2024
After a year spent weaving its way through Steam Early Access, Sons of the Forest has emerged as one of the best survival games in recent memory – no easy feat, given that the market is currently saturated with competition through the likes of Enshrouded, Palworld, and Nightingale. Still, Sons of the Forest sets itself apart by leaning heavily into survival horror themes, as you and your buddies attempt to survive an island overrun with cannibals. Whether you're crafting shelters in dense forests or delving into dark caves for resources, or poking around every corner for more clues on the wider mystery, Sons of the Forest is an exemplary experience that doesn't disappoint.
Learn more in our Sons of the Forest review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Ultros
Developer: Hadoque
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4
Release date: February 13, 2024
Ultros is a trippy metroidvania which tasks you with descending into the depths of a cosmic uterus. A weird premise that is backed up by absolutely phenomenal play. Typically, games that occupy this genre will see you become gradually stronger in an effort to access new areas of a sprawling map – powers earned through defeating bosses and uncovering hidden locations. In Ultros, progression is gated by your willingness to explore, yes, but your connection to the world itself too; gardening is a central theme, with blooming flowers poking new holes in the environment, while carefully dispatching enemies will allow you to harvest richer resources. Ultros is a psychedelic experience with a thoughtful, refreshing perspective.
Learn more in our Ultros review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Animal Well
Developer: Shared Memory
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X
Release date: May 9, 2024
Yes, this is another pixel art Metroidvania, but quickly you'll realize this strange and harsh world filled with unsettlingly realistic depictions of animals (which contrast your cute critter self) is anything but "another one of those". With constant strange distortions, you can't help but feel like you're playing something you shouldn't. This is added to when the already devious puzzles you're solving give way to a second layer or cryptic meta brainteasers, even the intended route making it feel as if you're battling the very game itself. Often, it's up to you to discover ways to play the game that feel like you're cheating, each new item you unlock, like a frisbee you can hop on top of to cross big gaps, a new way to mess with the world and probe its treasure trove of hidden secrets. It's easily a new genre favorite, and one of the best Metroidvania games going.
Learn more in our Animal Well review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Developer: Simogo
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
Release date: May 16, 2024
With a striking visual style that makes strong use of stark colors and contrasts, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is easy to get lost in, itself becoming a sort of a puzzle box in which you are trapped. The actual space is a strange, surreal dimension that's laid out like a mansion. Littered with puzzles, they all manage to connect together to feel like one giant puzzle space, where some of the ideas from one set of brainteasers will flow seamlessly into another. That also means you feel like you can't overlook anything, unsure where the next clue may come from. This is one best played with a notebook to hand, and ideally a deep armchair in which you can truly ponder.
Learn more in our Lorelei and the Laser Eyes review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developer: Studio Zero
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X, PC
Release date: October 11, 2024
This epic RPG comes from some of the veterans behind the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like an awful lot like those games, combining the former's Press Turn battle system with the latter's bond events in which growing closer to allies powers you up. Yet somehow, it manages to feel extremely fresh on top of that. Not just because of its intriguing fantasy world, but also in how it plays. With a road trip premise, you grow your Archetypes as you progress, job classes that allow you to mix-and-match almost any skill. Mini-dungeons pepper the bigger ones, meaning there's always something to discover along the way, and the excellent story will leave you eager to find out what happens next.
Learn more in our Metaphor: ReFantazio review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Developer: BioWare
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X, PC
Release date: October 31, 2024
A decade after Dragon Age: Inquisition, fans were anxious if this long-awaited sequel, following on from a massive cliffhanger, could really live up to the promise. Thankfully, Dragon Age: The Veilguard does just that, while at the same time evolving in a way that avoids feeling like simply a sequel to a fan favorite. Each entry in the Dragon Age series is known for changing how they play quite significantly, while continuing to tell stories in the dark fantasy world of Thedas. Starring Rook, a new customized character, you forge new bonds with characters both fresh and returning, and take part in some whip-sharp combat as you blow through some gorgeous settings.
Learn more in our Dragon Age: The Veilguard review, where the game scored 4.5 stars out of 5.
4 Stars
Helldivers 2
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
Platform(s): PS5, PC
Release date: February 8, 2024
Helldivers 2 does away with the first game's top-down co-op chaos to zoom in closer to the action, allowing you to get down and dirty as you blast through alien forces on your way to peace across breathtaking worlds. Insect hordes in the Starship Troopers fashion form the exoskeleton backbone of the initial experience, but they're not the only threat, and a mix of mission objectives both mandatory and optional keep each dive with your pals fresh. With plenty of massive weapons, and a slapstick approach to getting bashed around, Helldivers 2 will knock you between grunts of frustration and laughing out loud with ease – the ideal cadence for some rip-roaring co-op action. A living game with plenty of updates, there's always lots new to experience.
Learn more in our Helldivers 2 review, where the game scored 4 stars out of 5.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Release date: January 26, 2024
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is going to consume a hell of a lot of your life. It's another sprawling JRPG from developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, one which generously trots the globe as new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and Yakuza royalty Kazuma Kiryu go off in search of friends, family, and the answers to some of life's most challenging questions. I made that sound pretty dark, didn't I? Well, you can also call a combination of crustaceans into battle to help you defeat a giant shark, or stick street thugs into the backseat of an out-of-control taxi cab to deal them maximum damage. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has a lot of heart and humor, and an undeniably out of control combat system.
Learn more in our Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth review, where the game scored 4 stars out of 5.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Release date: January 18, 2024
It's been a little over a decade since Ubisoft paid the Prince of Persia franchise any real attention, and the publisher delivered one of the strongest installments in the series to date this year. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a sprawling metroidvania which follows Sargon, a new hero protagonist, in his attempt to rescue the prince from a bunch of shadowy time bandits. With plenty of shortcuts to pursue and secret rooms to uncover the interconnected map is a thing of beauty, but it's the challenging platforming puzzles and demanding combat encounters that really steal the show.
Learn more in our Prince of Persia The Lost Crown review, where the game earned 4 stars out of 5.
WWE 2K24
Developer: Visual Concepts
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Release date: March 5, 2024
Historically, the WWE games have always struggled to reflect the fun and fandom so inherent to the franchise itself. That all changed with WWE 2K24, with developer Visual Concepts delivering what is undoubtedly the best wrestling game in years. That's on the strength of its core rhythms of play, where a brilliant, bombastic, and bruising brawler is able to let you live out your fantasy of stepping into the ring with some of the biggest names in the business. WWE 2K24 is also positioned as a celebration of 40 Years of WrestleMania, so if you've been out of the loop for a while there's still plenty to draw you in.
Learn more in our WWE 2K24 review, where the game scored 4 stars out of 5.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X, PC
Release date: October 25, 2024
Playing out like a direct follow-up to last year's Call Of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, this year's Call Of Duty comes out all guns blazing to prove that the series still has the chops to keep its action fresh. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set during the Gulf War in the 90s, but this is more of a backdrop to a world of hidden conspiracies. The campaign features plenty of Call Of Duty action like you'd expect, but with some less linear design, and sections that veer off into true psychological horror territory. To top it off, the fast-paced multiplayer features well-judged tweaks, ending up a better middleground between speed and strategy than the messier Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from last year. Also, Zombies is simply superb.
Learn more in our Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 review, where the game scored 4 stars out of 5.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Developer: Acquire
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Release date: November 7, 2024
Mario and Luigi return to the cartoony RPG series that kicked off on the Game Boy Advance. But now, the power of Nintendo Switch allows them to jump into proper 3D exploration for the first time as they explore the world of Concordia on a quest to reunite its scattered islands. In action the timing-based turn-based battles and sibling combos are much as you'd expect, but the style makes it all feel fresh – really capturing the cartoon key art that featured on the older games' boxes. Its story about unity and friendship might not blow you away, but it's still charming. As an RPG, it might not be for every fan of the jump-happy plumbers, but it's easily one of the best in the genre on the platform, and one of the best Mario games out there. We're hooked on the brothers!
Learn more in our Mario & Luigi: Brothership review, where the game scored 4 stars out of 5.
Unscored
1000xResist
Developer: Sunset Visitor
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
Release date: May 9, 2024
Blood dripping from your knife, your own body lies in front of you. That's because you've assassinated the Allmother, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease brought to humanity by the Occupants, and you are one of many Sisters, clones, that have become the remaining society on the planet. From there, the story dials back, introducing you as Watcher, a special role among the handful of admins who oversee the Orchard who can journey through the Allmother's memories. What follows has you moving through these memories as explorable spaces, switching between moments of time with the press of a button as you take your Sisters along for the ride, learning more about the speculative sci-fi situation you're in and those you're in it with. From there, the story only becomes twistier and turnier, ultimately leaving you questioning what you can really trust.
Learn more in our 1000xResist spotlight, where we called it "one of gaming's best-written, and best-paced narratives"
Thank Goodness You're Here
Developer: Coal Supper
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Release date: August 1, 2024
Rocking up to Barnsworth, a fictional town in the North of England, as a nondescript salesman, you've got some time to kill while you wait. As it turns out, everyone needs a helping hand as you wander the town, as you stumble upon increasingly absurd situations that combine surrealism and lewd humor of the sort you'd expect from Monty Python or Reeves and Mortimer. Actual gameplay is minimal, as you mostly just walk around and slap things to uncover jokes, with the odd bit of interaction to drive home the silliness of the assistance you're giving the residents, from popping cigarettes in fishes' mouths to taking another dive down a sooty chimney.
Learn more in our Thank Goodness You're Here spotlight, where we called it "the funniest game [we've] played in years"
Mouthwashing
Developer: Wrong Organ
Platform(s): PC
Release date: September 26, 2024
When your cargo ship crashes into an asteroid, you and the crew of the Tulpar are left with dwindling supplies as you come face to face with your mortality in a bad situation. What there's plenty of, however, is the strange, alcoholic mouthwash you were hauling, and painkillers for your horrifically injured captain who remains bandaged and writhing the whole time. It's an ample excuse to send you on a disorientating journey (with fantastic low-poly visuals to match) to come face to face with your own fears, topped off with a nonlinear narrative that leaves you just as confused. So unmoored do you become, that you can only really trust in yourself and how you feel about the game taking place in front of you. It's disturbing, upsetting, and will make you think for a long while after credits on the relatively short experience roll.
Learn more in our Mouthwashing spotlight, where we called it "bleak, deep, and effortlessly stylish"
This list will update every month with our pick of the best games of 2024. While you wait, take a look at what you can expect to see in our upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, and upcoming Switch games lists.
