Tyler DeFazio's Top 10 Games of 2024
This year's one-word summation? Surprising.
This year was a transformative year for me. My wife and I had our first woman cub… offspring? Child. We had a kiddo. And after witnessing the miracle of birth, I was also shown the unceremonious death of my selfish gaming habits. Don’t get me wrong; I fought it—yet hooking up a PS5 peasant console to the living room television or buying multiple copies of the same game just to hellsweep Nina Williams for the thousandth time and bathe in the silent rage of my dear co-host could not stave off the fact that my multi-hour gaming sessions have been put on indefinite hold.
I don’t say this as a bitter grump, but rather, I want to give some context to my choices this year. The premium was given to pick-up-and-play games, which are easy to pause, controller-friendly, and graphically light. Needless to say, my Steam Deck and I got close. Really close. I even paired it with a new friend from 8BitDo. (No, this isn’t sponsored—I just like to call out good products when I use them.)
But I digress…
You should play each one of the following titles. The “having a baby” part is optional. The games are fantastic either way.
10. Lil Guardsman
I’m not typically into point-and-click adventures, but the art style, writing, and goofy premise hooked me, and I’m so glad it did. This game goes places and should be talked about more.
9. Minishoot’ Adventures
I know I should be talking about Minishoot here (it’s awesome; play it), but do you think Nintendo is furious that other developers are basically eating their lunch this year? There’s a better Mario (keep reading this list) and a better Pokémon (Palworld), and now this lovely gem just scratches that top-down Zelda itch.
8. Tactical Breach Wizards
I’m starting to get a little self-conscious about how much I’m hyping up the writing in this game. I think it’s very good, but I’m sure your teacups may vary (that’s the expression now). Either way, the tactical gameplay is also stellar and constantly rewarding… so focus on that if you don’t like reading. But also, like, keep reading.
7. Cat Quest III
This seriously isn’t a meme. Sure, the cat puns can get grating, but on the paws-itive side, the combat is tight, the playstyle is highly customizable, and the series’ story is getting interesting. I SWEAR THIS ISN’T A MEME!
6. Unicorn Overlord
Man, what a great Switch game. I’m not sure that getting a headache from the sheer number of customizable strategies can ever be a good thing, but I’ll count it as a positive in this case. The lack of information or “builds” online (at least at release) makes it all the better.
5. Shogun Showdown
Depending on the day, I could see this climbing to the fourth spot on this list. The movement strategy is clever, and when your attacks chain off (correctly), boy, does it feel good. While not as popular as the next guy, more people should check this out. The full review can be found here.
4. Balatro
Made by one dude? One?! To think that a card game could take the community by storm like this is wild. The grandaddy king of “one more run,” Balatro is just that good.
3. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
I don’t know what it was about this iteration of Dragon Age that first grabbed me (that’s actually a lie; it was drive-kicking dudes off cliffs), but I cannot believe how criminally underrated this game is. It’s the entire package: a good story, believable, well-acted characters, gorgeous environments, and an extremely customizable playstyle. I could go on—actually, I do; you can find it here.
2. Astro Bot
Look, I really don’t like using the P-word. However, this game nails everything it sets out to do—often eclipsing the titles it was inspired by—and keeps its crown as the definitive DualSense showcase. Dang it, Astro Bot is just perfect. Full praise can be found here.
1. Tekken 8
Every year, at least one game lingers in my thoughts long after I’ve set (or thrown) the controller down. Tekken 8 captivated me; sparring with my newb-turned-pro co-host, chasing my one-trick cousin in ranked matches, or spending countless hours researching fight sticks (a.k.a. my fancy paperweights), I was utterly hooked, as evidenced by the sheer number of podcast hours we spent discussing this addiction.
Honorable Mentions
I’ll be honest; I just ran out of steam to finish some of these. Although I liked them all quite a bit, as I explained above, it was challenging to carve out time and get into the right headspace. Regardless,
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – If this game were not in Early Access, it would be in my top ten. Expect me to gush about it sometime next year. Bonus points for being able to play this with one hand.
Neva – You can take a screenshot at any point, and it suddenly becomes a piece of art. It's beautiful and deliberate. As a reward for actually completing the game, the story made me cry.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – The first title to be let down by my truncated post-baby gaming time. From everything I played, I really liked it—especially Queen’s Blood.
Metaphor: ReFantazio – Another lengthy game that clashed with my new lifestyle. Surprisingly, I enjoyed what I played despite not being a Persona fan.
Star Wars Outlaws – I was shocked by how deeply this game immersed me. It radiated Star Wars in a way I hadn't experienced since Galaxies. Also, Sabacc is dope.
I Am Your Beast – While it doesn’t quite reach the highs that Neon White left me, I enjoyed the loop enough.
Dishonorable Mentions
I really struggled with whether I should end this whole post on a negative note. But the babe is asleep, and Daddy (sorry) is three beers in, typing in the dark as the ghost of Dick Clark looks on. It’s not all bad news, though—for one, it’s going to be a whole new year of gaming surprises and B. I replaced the links for these next two games with ones you should actually play.
Dragons Dogma 2 – I’m still fairly certain this was a prank. I’ll give a slow clap for it and maybe a low whistle, but I refuse to believe that people actually liked playing this.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – While I think this year’s Game Awards put a giant spotlight on Nintendo’s 2024 offerings, I feel compelled to remind everyone again that Echoes of Wisdom is a bad game. Also… Alarmo?
Well, crap.
I literally couldn’t bring myself to end a post with “Alarmo,” but now I’m spiraling, talking about it anyway.
OH! I also got really into handheld emulators. And Kindle Unlimited smut.
Okay, Happy New Year!