I don’t know about you all, but I struggle to remember everything I play in a year. I don’t necessarily mean that I’ll forget ever playing a game, but rather the “when” of it all kind of gets fuzzy. And, yeah, some games really are just that forgettable. Also, of those that are memorable, picking a true #1 is always kind of difficult since many games just cannot be compared. Anyway, I did manage to pick my favorite game of the year, so here we go!

My favorite game of 2024 is…

Black Myth: Wukong!

Out of all the games I played in 2024, Black Myth: Wukong was, in the end, the one that wowed me the most and left the most lasting impression. It was stunning to look at, had fantastic music, (mostly) awesome boss fights and boss designs, had a truly intriguing story told in an unexpected way, and, yeah, the combat was ON. POINT. It wasn’t perfect, but my goodness was it ever close!

The funny thing is that this wasn’t even on my gaming radar until only a couple weeks before release. See, I’d never heard of the developer before, and all other soulslike games I’d played before wound up falling short of the real deal. Nevertheless, a friend of mine convinced me to buy it, and now I genuinely cannot wait to see what Game Science puts out next. This was their first time making anything like this and on such a scale, and they absolutely nailed it! Wow!

I suppose what really sets Black Myth: Wukong apart from its competition is the sheer amount of polish and passion that was very obviously put into it. Aside from its unusual chapter-ending animated movies, there’s really nothing here that we haven’t seen before. Aggressive bosses, impressive graphics, expansive but not truly open environments, responsive controls…it’s all been done before, but hardly ever to this level.

The combat especially was extremely polished, offering a familiar experience that was still different enough to avoid being called a clone. Oh! Also, having the ability to respec everything about The Chosen One and his gear, at practically any time, for free, was fantastic! I hate being locked into a singular build in these sorts of games, and one finally came along that allows me the freedom to fully explore all my options in combat! WE NEED MORE OF THIS!

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Runner-Up: Animal Well

I had to mention this one too. I had too. Where Black Myth: Wukong was an explosive combat experience, Animal Well was a quiet and contemplative one. This was a game that effortlessly immersed me in its mysterious world, with nothing there to come between.

Minimal music, zero explanations or tutorializing, no combat, no obvious story, no distractions whatsoever. It was just me, alone with my thoughts, exploring this mysterious place as I relied solely on my own ability to think and problem solve my way through its many environmental puzzles. Very, very rarely these days can you truly call a game something wholly new an unique, yet that’s exactly how I feel about Animal Well.

I’d never had an experience like it before, and I likely never will again. Wukong takes the top spot for the extremely strong impression it leaves, but Animal Well comes darn close from the complete other end of the spectrum. Truly, I cannot recommend either of these games enough!

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What were your top games of 2024? What earned them the top spots? Let us know below and stay tuned for our most anticipated games for 2025! And with that, happy New Year, all!

Image from the Animal Well Steam page