Like the air after a downpour, Last Time I Saw You‘s refreshing narrative and glistening visuals made up for some of its technical weakness. It was hard to put down. I needed to weather each chapter’s storm, made both by monsters and men, to learn the fate of the village I’d grown so fond of.

Dungeons of Hinterberg‘s resolution is less compelling to me than the rest of its question-inspiring, eye-capturing experience. However, the hours spent pondering over a vista, uncovering tucked away loot, roaming the beautiful world, and discovering more about each character more than makes up for that.

The game’s ending is as strong as its beginning. Rightfully for so haunting a game, the conclusion leaves me pensive but better for the experience. I didn’t expect Decarnation to launch itself into my favorite games of the year and might easily have overlooked it. Don’t make that mistake.

It’s easy to finish Venba in one sitting, but the game’s complicated narrative, it’s exploration of family relationships, identity, and hardship, will linger in my mind for so much longer than it took me to play through it.

Fans of the game or players looking for a new emotional experience should pick up Before Your Eyes on PSVR2 if they have the recently released platform. It’s difficult to urge anyone to go out and get the headset just for one game, but it is absolutely a must-buy for current owners looking to add to their VR collection.

The Star Named EOS‘ moments of exasperation paled in comparison to its radiant artwork. Its puzzles, when it dawned on me what I needed to do, had me glowing with a sense of achievement. Narratively, the game plays strikingly with mystery and expectation. Perhaps the best summary of the experience comes from the game itself. “When you gaze at the stars, the stars also gaze at you.”

Fishbowl‘s complicated pool of grief and authentic, stumbling healing craft a deeply personal experience. So, when I was asked to make a choice about Alo’s future in the end, I was irreparably invested. Consequently, I finished the game feeling a little healed from my own tribulations alongside Alo.

A game about chatting and making the occasional latte, Coffee Talk Episode 2 is an experience designed for a niche audience. It serves up a lightly pensive vibe and relaxing tunes to anyone intrigued by its premise and the ending tantalizes players to relive the story and uncover previously missed details. Like the hot beverages in its title, the game is heartening but not hearty enough to stick with me long after finishing it.

Rough patches aside, Discounty tells an impactful tale by lulling players into a false sense of security with its cheery trappings, then hitting them with reality. Engaging systems and character arcs culminate in nuanced self-reflection and an honest look at our society’s underpinnings.

Little Kitty, Big City, for all its adorable looks and antics, is not just fluff. Its various and interlocking reward systems, playful and genuine characters’ problems, and endlessly explorable concrete jungle gym make it a worthwhile game.

Golden Idol Mysteries: The Spider of Lanka is a worthy follow-up to one of last year’s greatest games. Its setting was fraught with reflective commentary, its cases offered more unparalleled sleuthing, and its narrative gave more context to the original game. I wish I had more riddles to solve but I’m holding out hope fans can look forward to more Golden Idol Mystery titles in the future.

With more polish, Another Crab’s Treasure might have been an all-time indie gem. Its sometimes tedious physics and less-balanced early bosses don’t overshadow the game’s beautiful world, creative levels, sincere cast, and thoughtful themes, but do pollute the otherwise sparkling water.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is good, dumb fun held up by intelligent design choices. Don’t be afraid to pick this game up if you haven’t played the first because it does a good job of getting players up to speed. It’s also my favorite of the two so far.

It’s disappointing how often Tails of Iron 2 leads me to wander the darkened valleys of over-demanding combat and back-track-demanding save points. However, the view from the mountain summits – the game’s secret-filled levels, propelling narrative, and magical visuals – cast sunlight on even my hardest experiences.

Neva: Prologue‘s scale — with creativity and evocativeness on one side and restrictions and murkiness on the other — balances out to a solid experience.

I’m happy to have been introduced to new pieces of southeast Asian cuisine, but the biggest point against Dosa Divas is that it doesn’t come bundled with anything to snack on while you play. Who knows, maybe they’re saving that for the collector’s edition.

The narrative isn’t heavy-handed and lends itself to interpretation, but — not spoiling anything — the conclusion is satisfying, even if it’s not explicit. It’s a busy time for players trying to figure out their “best of” lists, so I hope no one misses out on Melatonin.

Some storylines are bittersweet triumphs, some are tragic ends, and others are just life moving forward. Every finale gets its own couple-paragraph epilogue in the narrative web, allowing me to see how the original game’s characters came to be. And while all are satisfying conclusions, it’s hard to resist starting over. The untrod paths reach out and beg me to uncover the details I missed.

If you plan to pick up Tchia‘s tale, I urge you to take it slow. Let yourself wander through every beautifully-crafted island. Make friends with the inhabitants, taking part in culturally rich musical experiences. Dive for pearls in the glittering waves. And take full advantage of the protagonist’s brilliant power to inhabit other creatures. These make up for the game’s more lacking mainline quest and less polished design elements.

The final message isn’t complicated. It’s important to take time to enjoy life and prioritize the people in it. But the metaphorical adventure in the mind is skillfully juxtaposed against reality, making for a melodic experience. Figment 2: Creed Valley‘s short story is wrapped in imagination. So, while some players may tune out over the dialogue or simplistic combat, the game has a lot to offer for those looking for an easy and artful journey.

Dordogne‘s narrative doesn’t dive too deeply into darker topics, but hints of hard themes abound. The game’s final message boils down to: Take time to look around and be mindful of life. The sentiment permeates every moment of the short experience. It makes for a lovely, contemplative adventure players shouldn’t miss.

As with many remarkable games, interpreting Until Then‘s ending will lie with every individual player. I sat with it a while — swirling the bitterness and sweetness around in my mouth. Its mystery, finally revealed, is so human I toyed with the idea of feeling unsatisfied with its mundaneness. Ultimately, I landed on admiring how unfortunately relatable life after the end of the world felt.

Between a plot that stretches the realities of time, space, and comprehension, and gameplay designed to keep you laser-focused on the task at hand, it’s difficult to reckon with the passage of real-world hours while playing Love Eternal. So, I was startled to find I rolled credits in a bit over five hours. It will take me so much longer to fully ponder its provocative themes, tantalizing insinuations, and gratifying sense of accomplishment.

Dead Take‘s consuming conclusion overshadowed any problems I had with the design, however. The developers gave me a brilliant reason to see the world through a radically new lens. My fresh perspective transformed my luxurious surroundings into a house of horrors, growing darker with every step. The performances, disturbing and spectacular, ensured I’d walk away replaying them in my head.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical‘s most distinctive aspect, namely the singing, is my least favorite part of the experience. However, the game is music to my ears when it comes to molding contemporary forms around ancient gods and absolutely hits all the right notes with its murder mystery.

I’ve settled on one word for Everdeep Aurora: dense. It’s tightly packed with gameplay and objectives. The compact corridor containing all of its points of interest ensures I’m always engaging with something. I have to unpack the emotions held close to the vest for the characters and tease out deep questions regarding humanity’s darkest instincts. It can also feel impenetrable, with a story that requires a lot of heavy lifting from players. It takes effort to dig through, and there’s gold to find.

Mail Time is a joy, even with the odd issue sprinkled in. It’s well-paced and, though short, a suitable length to properly dole out its inviting content. The ending wraps everything up in a way that allows me to see my effect on the world and communicate a thoughtful message. It’s not earth-shattering but reflects the game’s refreshing earnestness.

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers is another must-play for 2024 — which is unfortunate. Mostly because once you pick it up, it’s hard to stop playing long enough to get through those other must-play titles.