What I learned from playing games in 2024?

Not necessarily new ones...

The end is nigh! For this year, that is.

It's time for some summarization.

At first, I thought it was at least a week too early, but then I realized that starting Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain this week, I will most probably not finish it this year.

So, I will start my 2024 conclusions with my procrastination excuses games I researched this year.

This year, I finished over 44 games. How is this possible? Well, earlier this year, I sold my New Nintendo 2DS XL with all the games I had and invested in a Steam Deck OLED. This skyrocketed the ratio of games finished. Not only do I have a whole lot of games (thanks, Epic!), but I also have a lot of short games. Not to mention the SD handheld nature, which is a Godsend (thanks, Valve!).

When playing games, I'm jumping from Switch to Steam Deck and Steam Deck to Switch.

Out of those 40 + games I deemed 16 worthy of the time I put in them.

I'll skip talking about most of them. Three were solid metroidvanias (Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown). Six of them were games I liked mostly for the story or sensory reasons (I might mention them, but I might not).

Here are the Top 7 Worthy Games That Can Tell You Something About Good Game Design (they told me, might as well tell you!). Starting from the least worthy to the most worthy (subjective ranking).

7. Hotline Miami

This oldie-goodie is a simple top-down with a tactical approach and a color palette that will make you color-blind if you like it too much. Relatively short levels, and not the easiest difficulty level give you a great game loop: easy to fail, easy to restart. Very addicting game!

6. Kirby's Dreamland

This game has a reputation for being designed for filthy casuals. Well, it was easy at the beginning, but the final boss did get me a lot of times. This game is easy to get into and fairly easy to get good at. It gives you a limited skill set and a playground long enough to learn how to use them.

5. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

This is a 2D game (or so it looks). And it can achieve a lot, by being just a side-scroller adventure game or a tactical game. Very reassuring for solo game devs, even if this particular game had more people developing it. The artistic layer is fabulous, showing that sometimes you could achieve more without going mindlessly 3D (looking at you, Mars: War Logs).

4. Cryptark

The first game I finished was on the Steam Deck. It takes almost the entire game to teach you the rules and to give you one mission for freedom and thinking. It makes the game very satisfying, too bad it's for a very short time.

3. Aztez

One of the last I finished this year, and one of the best. This fusion of 4X and beat'em up fighter was supposed to take 4 hours to finish. I think I spent close to 40 hours. Again - a short game loop provides a satisfying learning curve and replayability. Not to mention all those secrets (+ a not-very-secret secret ending).

2. Haven Park

It's funny to find this game so high, but I think it shows a rising interest in my gaming habits: games that base their game loop on simple life routines. I found this first in Sahuna: Of Rice And Ruin, and in the demo for Harvestella, and in a way in this game you are a curator in a resort of sorts. What I started liking in games like these is that they may give you stories and quests, but they also give you stuff to do in your character's daily life. It might be addicting, but I also found it relaxing!

1. Dungeons of Dreadrock

This puzzle adventure game with gorgeous pixel art graphics is like playing Crypt of the Necrodancer (minus the rhythm) or other Roguelikes, but it is not a procedurally created game. But it's a delightful game. So much that I would love to clone it someday 😊

What games are your top this year?