It takes too long to grow beyond its predecessor, but once it does Knights in Tight Spaces is an engaging and tactical roguelike deckbuilder.

Two Point Museum is the coolest, cosiest, and most evolved iteration of the formula to date, even if its more obtuse aspects prevented me from becoming a pro curator.

Best in class monster combat makes up for a wilderness that's a touch too streamlined.

There's been better narrative games, but none so achingly familiar as Lost Record's quartet of young punks.

A welcome refresh of a hack-and-slash mainstay that mostly impresses, despite a few glaring pacing problems.

Flawed and overfamiliar, but still as joyously OTT and hilarious as ever.

Great characters, challenging resource management, and impeccable road trip vibes.

Bigger than it first appears, Avowed is an engrossing and gorgeous action-RPG set in one of the most engaging fantasy worlds going, though it lacks the complex systems of its most beloved contemporaries.

A great detective game gets a lavish remake and an improved expansion in one essential package.

Graphics from the '80s with RPG gameplay from the late '90s and writing like nothing else: Skald was 2024's biggest pleasant surprise.

Toothless writing, old-fashioned open world design, and ropey port work undermine what should be a thrilling cinematic adventure.

Still a compelling sprint through human history, Civilization 7 sheds a little too much weight to match its excellent predecessors.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a big, bold, unutterably weird thing, and it's a new RPG classic.

Citizen Sleeper 2's broader scope stretches its mechanics thin, even while its story flourishes.

While the name may be slightly misleading, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a fantastic way to experience one of the best action games ever made.

Eternal Strands is an unforgettable combination of intense action, inventive improvisation and an engaging story.

It's old fashioned, but I find it quite compelling that it's a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. Sniper Elite has felt like the heir apparent to the stealth genre for a while now, and Resistance further solidifies that, a generous helping of sneaky action that's only slightly less impressive because it's retreading the same path Sniper Elite 5 already took in 2022.

Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap retains the frenzied fun of its predecessors despite a mixed bag of format changes.

Synduality has some smart ideas, but the end result is a misguided, hollow franken-game.

Being so devoted to Final Fantasy 7 means that there’s a lot of love to be found in Rebirth. And as a fan of that original game, it was so easy, for a while at least, to be swept up in the dazzling sights of Gaia, in the vibrant amusement park of games and sidequests at my fingertips, to hop on this rollercoaster journey with many of my all-time favorite characters and give myself to the joy of being able to spend more time with them. But all the charm and pageantry in the world can only distract me for so long before I realize: nothing has happened this whole vacation. The ship hasn’t even left the dock.

Both blissful and demanding, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is one of the most beautiful skiing games on PC.

My favorite horror game of 2024, and one of the year's best narratives, period.

A masterful metroidvania that builds on Sekiro-style combat and tells a great sci-fi story too. Unmissable.

Halls of Torment's specific aesthetic couldn't be more attuned to my sensibilities as a child of the ARPGs of the late '90s and early 2000s. Give me two honking great orbs representing my health and mana and a protagonist who has no articulating joints in his legs and I'm a happy man, and HoT makes me very happy indeed with its lo-fi heroics and diffuse, stygian levels. If I could play this thing on a beige CRT while Rob Zombie screamed in my ears I wouldn't know it wasn't 1999. Actually, wait, I can do that. If anyone needs me, tell them I'm busy for the next… foreseeable future.

A gleefully anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits, TGYH is the funniest game I've played.

Flexible, fun, and ferocious too, this roguelike has more than enough dungeon diving for everyone.

A pachinko-roguelike that properly rewards strategic play. Terrific.

Marvel Rivals is a well-made hero shooter that is easy to enjoy, and while it's managed to distinguish itself from Overwatch 2 in terms of heroes, it's fallen into the same pitfalls.