Game of the Year Editor's Choice, 2024

God, it only feels like twelve months since the last time I wrote one of these lists. Wait… was it? Well, well, well, doesn't time move chronologically?

There's already some talk about 2024 being the 'middle' year for gaming, but I don't think that's true. It's more that 2023 was so head and shoulders above recent years that any comparison is almost unfair. I don't see any games ranking higher than my number five on this year's list compared to last year, so I understand the impulse to decry 2024 as a disappointment; I love these games though. They are still good and worth highlighting. I've played 58 games in the last 12 months, and these are the ones that stand out above the rest.

10 The region of Mystria

Rhys is surprised by the farmer at Mistria's farm.

The regions of Egypt It's been criticized for its relentless approach to cosiness that leaves it without a drop of friction, but that's exactly why I love it. Not all sports need teeth.

Mistria is a fascinating escape. On the advice of fellow TheGamerer Jade King, I've made it my Steam Deck go-to, and I've spent a few evenings listening to vinyls and playing Fields of Mistria while fairy lights and expensive candles are lit. They are among my favorite nights this year.

9 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Revenge

Reviewing an entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series was one of those 'wow, if only little Ryan knew he could do this' moments that make this career worthwhile.

To make things better, SMT5: Revenge A truly fantastic game with a super amount of complexity and difficulty that manages to stand leagues ahead of the switch-barrier original.

8 Crimson Diamond

Hiding behind a tapestry to listen to a conversation in The Crimson Diamond.

Despite being introduced to point-and-click adventure games, it took me until 2024 to finally tackle a text parser adventure. Crimson Diamond is a terrific throwback that manages to capture a certain era of gaming so well that I'm still amazed to this day by how much of an impact it had on me.

There's something incredibly limited about the control scheme yet it's simple; Forced to navigate a mystery with raw logic, discarding dialogue trees and throwing objects at walls so they don't stick, Crimson Diamond sticks with me as a true joy in puzzle and adventure design.

7 Reload Personality 3

Junpei, Aigis, Yukari, and Akihiko all out attack screen in Persona 3 Reload.

What can I say here that hasn't been said a thousand times since the original game's launch in the mid-2000s? A compelling, emotional story that deals with death and grief so vividly and consistently is incredibly compelling to me, and I loved it. ReloadAn approach to remastering a classic.

6 Ace Attorney Research Collection

Manfred von Karma trying to intimidate Gregory Edgeworth from Ace Attorney Investigations 2.

No objection here, I hope. Miles Edgeworth One of my favorite video game characters, and having his story finally available in the West was a huge moment for me. It was another one of those 'hey, little Ryan, look at this' deals.

5 Unicorn overload

The party receiving the attack debuff on the Unicorn Overlord.

I love a strategic RPG that goes all in on depth and complexity, and Unicorn Overlord It is located in the niche.

I really loved this game – from stomping on weak fodder with overpowered units to breaking out spreadsheets to create super-tuned formations to take on the toughest challenges. A delight from start to finish.

4 Astro Bot

Posing with all the bots at the Astro Bot crash site.

I'm not incredibly big on platforms, but I know what I like. Astro Bot? i like My nostalgia wasn't tickled, and I have no love for Astro Bot as a mascot, but the creative and satisfying level design combined with tight, fun controls made it a wonderful timesink that I finished a little too soon.

3 The Rise of the Golden Idol

I really like _____ puzzle games that take a _____ approach to telling _____, and I found that Rise of _____ _____Who _____ is so much fun to expertly tell, hold, and piece together.

Jokes aside, this is the game from the list that I can tell anyone unfortunate enough to sit near me at a party for at least seven minutes, regardless of that person's tastes or inclinations.

the story	the game	worship	hatred	novel
Boring	exciting	get up	golden	Idol

2 Eiyuden Chronicle: A Hundred Heroes

A castle in the sky held by chains in the Eiyuden Chronicle.

Straddling the border between 'classic throwback' and 'modern marvel', Eiyuden Chronicle: A Hundred Heroes Hit exactly the right spot for me. It strikes the ideal balance of open-ended exploration versus tight storytelling, mechanical complexity versus difficulty, and minigame density with minigame satisfaction.

In many ways, Eiyuden Chronicle, for me, was everything that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should have been.

Honorable Mentions – Games I still love

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Isles of Sea and Sky, Amber Isle, Phoenix Springs

1 Dragon's Dogma 2

A promo shot of Dragon's Dogms 2 with the game title and 'Ryan Thompson-Bamsey' overlaid, with the GOTY symbol on the left.

playing Dragon's Dogma 2 And working on its coverage was one of my professional highlights this year. It's a remarkable game that scratches the same needy itches as the likes of Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy 16, and unraveling its mysteries piece by piece was incredibly satisfying.

There are some games on this list that gave me high fives and some I'll definitely be playing more of in the years to come, and many games on this list have changed positions over the past few months, but Dragon's Dogma 2 is just one. It's been at the top of my list since the moment the credits rolled.

Real credits, not fake credits.