EVERY Game I Played In 2024 – Ranked

Like how I tried to watch as many movies as I could in 2023, I made it my mission to play and rank as many new videogames as possible in 2024 (i.e. I’d never played them before).

There ended up being 52 new games in total – averaging one a week – and they varied wildly in quality. Some of the games I got for free via Epic Games, so I’ll make a note of that accordingly as I feel it may have influenced my opinion of the game itself.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Haven’t Yet Finished

These are the games that I started in 2024 and intend to finish, but I haven’t gotten round to it yet.

Animal Well

I’ve been watching videogamedunkey’s videos for a while now, so I was just as surprised as anyone when he announced a new game coming out.

I’ve only just bought it and played a tiny bit of it, but I can see myself enjoying this metroidvania / platformer / puzzler.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Maybe by the end of 2025 “Baldur’s Gate 3” will have become my favourite game of all time, but for now it’s way too early to tell.

All of the numerous features and gameplay choices are overwhelming so I don’t play it much, but I know that once I get hooked I won’t want to play anything else.

Cryptmaster

Like all other games in this section, I’ve sunk a few hours into “Cryptmaster” but I haven’t been properly hooked yet.

Time will tell if this spooky typing game ends up being my kind of game.

Hades II

When Hades II – a sequel to one of my favourite games ever – came out, I was there on day one. I’ve sunk a good few hours into it, but in the end I stopped and played other things.

It’s not that I don’t like it (in fact I love it almost as much as the original) – it’s just that I can tell it’s not quite finished yet, so I’ll return when more of the creases are ironed out.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

(Free on Epic)

I have vague memories of the original Lego Star Wars games, but I had no intentions of getting “The Skywalker Saga” … but hey, a free game is a free game.

I don’t immediately love it after a couple of hours of playtime, but if nothing else it’s fun to relive the films in a new and goofy way.

Gave Up

Maybe one day I’ll return to these games, but for now they didn’t connect with me and I hardly made a dent.

52 – Saint’s Row

(Free on Epic)

I vaguely recall playing Saint’s Row 4 and enjoying it, so when I saw the reboot “Saint’s Row” was free on Epic Games I got my hopes up. I shouldn’t have bothered.

It’s a generic open world experience that did nothing to hook me.

51 – Deus Ex – Mankind Divided

(Free on Epic)

Another generic game I played for free, this time of the first person shooter variety.

“Deus Ex – Mankind Divided” didn’t do enough to distinguish itself from other shooters I’ve played.

50 – Human Resource Machine

(Free on Epic)

A cutesy game about coding. Unfortunately, I don’t like coding.

49 – STEINS;GATE

“STEINS;GATE” is one of those legendary visual novels that any fan of the genre has to play. That doesn’t mean I liked it.

I appreciated some of the zany ideas within the writing, but after a few hours the plot was still plodding along at a snail’s pace so I gave up – and before you say “You should keep playing, it gets good after X hours!” I’ve seen where the story goes and I’m glad I dipped when I did.

48 – Jurassic World Evolution 2

My biggest waste of money on a game this year was “Jurassic World Evolution 2”, which I dropped after about an hour of gameplay.

It’s similar to the original, a game I really liked, but it doesn’t have some of the features I liked about that first game. In other words, it’s a sequel that didn’t need to exist.

47 – A Plague Tale: Requiem

“A Plague Tale: Innocence” was one of my biggest surprises of the year (more on that later), so I didn’t hesitate to get the sequel.

For whatever reason “Requiem” didn’t do it for me. I’m sure the story gets better as it goes on, but I think I came to the realisation the gameplay wasn’t that exciting to begin with.

46 – The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This one hurt the most in 2024.

“Skyrim” is one of my favourite games ever, so I bit the bullet and got the predecessor “Oblivion”. I’m sorry, but it’s too outdated for me. I lost all my gear on a random side quest and never returned.

45 – Ghostrunner 2

Again, “Ghostrunner 2” is another sequel to a game I quite liked. And once again it didn’t hit as hard.

Maybe I was in the wrong mindset but I had no motivation to beat the increasingly taxing levels.

44 – Astroneer

I blame Floydson for making me buy “Astroneer”.

His 100% video looked like a lot of fun, but I could tell from the moment I booted it up that it wasn’t for me. These YouTubers know how to get you!

43 – FEZ

A classic, so I’m told, but I couldn’t get into “FEZ”.

It’s a neat idea on paper, but the execution is a mess. That map screen / fast-travel system is one of the most unintuitive I’ve seen in any game.

42 – Final Fantasy XV

“Final Fantasy XV” was definitely my favourite of the unfinished games this year, mostly because it wasn’t my choice to stop playing.

It kept crashing, and even after upgrading my pc it still kept crashing. That being said I’m in no rush to return – it was quite tedious in places, and I hear it only gets more boring as the story progresses.

Got Tedious

Some of these games I finished, others I made a sizeable dent and called it a day. The common thread is that they were all a bit boring.

41 – Doors – Paradox

(Free on Epic)

I like escape rooms / puzzle games, and “Doors – Paradox” has the unique appeal of you trying to escape into the door to beat the level.

Gameplay reminded me of “The Room” games, if anyone played those, but it lacked the atmosphere of that series.

40 – Patch Quest

A roguelite, bullet hell, pokemon-esque monster-tamer that sees you explore a patchwork world? It seemed too good to be true.

I gave “Patch Quest” a fair go but in the end it got repetitive.

39 – Maid of Sker

(Free on Epic)

For the first couple of hours of “Maid of Sker”, I was in. The atmosphere was suitably creepy, and the gimmick of trying to stay quiet made for some really tense moments.

The story lost me as it went on, however, and the gameplay got same-y.

38 – Alone In The Dark (2024)

I love the modern Resident Evil titles (especially the remakes), so if nothing else I hoped “Alone In The Dark” would scratch that itch.

It wasn’t as bad as some reviews made it out, but it wasn’t good either. Both characters having near-identical campaigns really annoyed me.

37 – Ghostwire Tokyo

(Free on Epic)

“Ghostwire Tokyo” should’ve been a slam-dunk. I got it for free, which is always a plus, and initially the world and gameplay really hooked me.

Sadly it was a case of diminishing returns, as I found little of interest in the open world and repetitive combat.

36 – Slay The Princess

“Slay The Princess” is one of the best-rated games to come out in recent times. I think my opinion is going to annoy a lot of people …

It’s a slow-paced visual novel with no clear goals, so the player is expected to meander around trivial choices in the hopes they get an interesting ending out of the thousands on offer. I admire the creativity – just not the execution.

35 – Alan Wake

As “Alan Wake 2” was on my wishlist, I decided to first play the original to experience a piece of gaming history.

In terms of story and presentation, “Alan Wake” is exceptional. In terms of gameplay, I’d have more fun watching paint dry.

Good Fun

These games didn’t wow me, but I had a good time with them.

34 – Kena: Bridge Of Spirits

(Free on Epic)

Would I have played “Kena: Bridge Of Spirits” if it wasn’t free? Probably not, but I had a decent time with it.

Some of the combat and puzzles could be frustrating, but the overall package was charming.

33 – The Callisto Protocol

(Free on Epic)

I’d heard a lot of bad things about “The Callisto Protocol”, so when it was free for a time I still hesitated to get it.

It’s nowhere near as bad as people say. That being said, it’s not a new high for the survival horror genre either.

32 – Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

A short detective game about a duck solving the mystery of a missing salami sandwich. Weird, but fun.

31 – Lil’ Guardsman

“Lil’ Guardsman” is basically just “Paper’s Please” in a more accessible format.

The writing and characters were really endearing, and the guarding minigames were pretty entertaining.

30 – Supermarket Simulator

I can’t claim to have finished “Supermarket Simulator” as I can’t be bothered to max out my store, but either way it’s an addicting experience.

The gameplay loop got a bit repetitive after a few hours (which is why I stopped) but the game’s quirky directive was nonetheless appealing.

29 – Gnosia

Basically just “Among Us” but singleplayer.

Like with “Supermarket Simulator” I didn’t end up completing “Gnosia”, but the many rounds of social deduction I played were still fun.

28 – Escape Academy

(Free on Epic)

I love an escape room in real life, and “Escape Academy” is the only game I’ve played that more or less captures that experience.

Some levels were better than others, as is to be expected, so I wish there was more base-game content on offer.

27 – Sonic Frontiers

I can’t believe it took this long to put Sonic in an open world game.

“Sonic Frontiers” is far from perfect, but zooming around as the famous blue hedgehog was always going to be a thrill.

26 – A Plague Tale: Innocence

(Free on Epic)

Coming in at the halfway point on my ranking is the best free game I played this year – “A Plague Tale: Innocence”.

Like with “Requiem” I found the gameplay to be lacking, but the story and the initial thrill of evading the rats made for a worthwhile experience.

25 – Portal Revolution

After replaying “Portal 2” this year I felt the itch for more portaling action, and luckily I stumbled upon “Portal Revolution”.

It’s an exceptional fan project, and while it’s nowhere close to surpassing the original it still deserves lots of acclaim.

24 – Assassin’s Creed Mirage

I’m going to play every Assassin’s Creed game no matter their quality, but I was pleasantly surprised by “Mirage”.

It’s a return to roots of sort for the franchise, focusing on stealth and being an assassin (a strange compliment, but it makes sense if you’re a fan of this franchise). The story and writing, however, didn’t impress me.

23 – Nodebuster

Is “Nodebuster” an award-worthy game? Not at all, but it was the most addicting thing I played in 2024.

This is a case of short but sweet – although the last 10% of the game is too grindy for my liking and it ends abruptly.

Great Game

Now we’re getting to the good stuff – the games that hooked me and provided a fantastic experience.

22 – Hogwarts Legacy

If you go into “Hogwarts Legacy” expecting a ground-breaking open world experience, you’ll be disappointed. But if, like me, you wanted to delve into the world of Harry Potter in a detail and scale never rendered before, you’re bound to have a good time.

Some of the quests and combat got stale after a while, and the main story didn’t blow me away, but I was always in awe whenever I turned a new corner or learned a new magical spell.

21 – The Rise of the Golden Idol

“The Rise of the Golden Idol” was one of my most anticipated games of 2024, and for the most part it delivered.

It lacked some of the mystical aura of the original, and I would’ve liked to focus more on the idol itself, but the modern day puzzles made for a worthy sequel.

20 – Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

I have vague memories of playing older Ratchet & Clank games a lifetime ago, so I went into “Rift Apart” as a relatively fresh player.

I was expecting a childish beat-’em-up, so I was pleasantly surprised by the semi-open world romp and touching story of friendship and family.

19 – Staffer Case: A Supernatural Mystery Adventure

I’m always on the look-out for Ace Attorney-adjacent games, and one that caught my eye was “Staffer Case”.

What it lacks in intense gameplay it more than makes up for in logic and story – the latter half of the game in particular had some of the most gut-wrenching and mind-blowing twists in recent memory.

I also played “Staffer Reborn”, a short spin-off game that’s similar but still quite different to the original. It’s alright. If nothing else, it’s an extra hour of enjoyment if you liked the first game.

18 – Arkham Origins

I’ve played the other Arkham games, but for some reason I held off on “Arkham Origins” (probably because I heard it was the black sheep of the franchise). I have no idea why it took me so long to play it!

It definitely stumbles in a few places, but I had just as much fun with this one as the other Arkham games.

17 – Outer Worlds

I love “Skyrim”, and yet the “Fallout” series by the same developers never did it for me. “Outer Worlds” was made by the same team that did one of the Fallout games, so I didn’t have high hopes going into it.

It’s no exaggeration to say this is the closest I’ve come to re-experiencing “Skyrim”. I was a bit fatigued by the end, but the funny writing and freeing open world were highly entertaining.

16 – Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Shu Takumi made the original Ace Attorney trilogy as well as the Great Ace Attorney duology, so when I heard he directed “Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective” too I was all in.

The gameplay could be unintuitive and repetitive, but the story once again proved Takumi to be one of the best game writers of his generation.

15 – Hi-Fi Rush

I couldn’t get into “Hi-Fi Rush” at first. I played some of the first level, got frustrated by the rhythm-based combat, then left it in my library for over a year.

When I returned to it in 2024 I vowed to learn the rhythms, and I immediately began enjoying myself. The combat, visual style, characters and story were all really well done.

14 – Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane

“Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane” is just Ace Attorney with magic in a fantasy world. It’s as awesome as it sounds.

It started slow, but I think once the writers and developers found their footing they managed to integrate the magic into the story and courtroom segments in a really clever way. I hope a sequel comes sooner rather than later!

13 – Days Gone

Like “Hi-Fi Rush”, “Days Gone” was another game that I fell in love with on my second attempt.

It’s slow-paced, sure, but the story and the abundance of zombies made for a thrilling experience front to back.

12 – Dave The Diver

One of the chillest, most relaxing yet engaging games I’ve ever played.

“Dave The Diver” was a game that never got stale – every hour or so you’d be introduced to some new gameplay gimmick or challenge to keep things fresh right up until the credits.

Glued To The Screen

These games had me in a chokehold in 2024. Whether I was at my job or going about my daily chores, I couldn’t stop thinking about them and was desperate to get back.

11 – Dredge

“Dredge” is a simple game on paper. You steer a ship around a gloomy ocean and catch a haul of fish … so why was it so damn compelling?

The atmosphere and subtle story really wowed me, and the fishing / upgrading / exploration loop kept me coming back again and again.

10 – Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

I’ve never played a horror visual novel before, and I don’t plan on playing one again. The genre has already peaked with “Paranormasight”.

It has an excellent story and central gameplay gimmick, so if it wasn’t for the extremely slow pace this could’ve been an all-timer.

9 – Chants of Sennaar

A puzzle game where you have to translate a series of increasingly complex alien languages? Sign me up.

The mysterious world and clever translation puzzles made “Chants of Sennaar” a highlight of 2024. Shame those stealth sections almost ruined it.

8 – Murders On The Yangtze River

The best of the Ace Attorney-inspired games I played in 2024, there were points in “Murders On The Yangtze River” where I thought it even eclipsed the Ace Attorney series.

The first couple of cases were good but not great, but the third case through to the finale had some of the best visual novel storytelling I’ve experienced.

7 – The Talos Principle 2

I liked the first “Talos Principle”. It was a philosophical puzzle game with some truly mind-bending ideas, but the ending was a piece of doggy doo-doo so I never return to it.

“The Talos Principle 2”, on the other hand, improves upon the original in every conceivable way. It’s more open, has more ideas, focuses on character and worldbuilding, and the ending didn’t make me want to shoot myself.

6 – Alan Wake 2

The first “Alan Wake” is ranked 35 on this list, so needless to say I liked the sequel a tad more.

The story and gameplay are far more in-depth this time around, and Sam Lake’s writing and directorial quirks are on full display (that musical section was an undoubted highlight of my year in gaming).

5 – Jedi: Survivor

“Jedi: Survivor” seemed to come and go when it released. Maybe people have Star Wars fatigue, or maybe fans felt it didn’t compare to the first game, but I personally loved it.

It’s bigger and bolder than “Fallen Order”, with a magnificent open world full of hidden alcoves and activities.

4 – Persona 3 Reload

It took me a hot minute to get into “Persona 3 Reload”. The story wastes no time at all getting started, granted, but it was too similar to previous Persona experiences for my liking.

Something changed after a few hours of playtime – the story, characters and day-to-day activities sucked me into an inescapable loop, and by the end of my 40-something hour playthrough I wanted to keep going for 40 more.

3 – Ghost of Tsushima

I knew “Ghost of Tsushima” would be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to skyrocket up my list of favourite games.

The story was far more in-depth than I thought possible, and the combat and open world took my breath away. It dragged in some places, and the world could sometimes be too big for its own good, but otherwise this a perfect open world game.

An All-Time Favourite

These two games now rank comfortably among my favourites of all time.

2 – Elden Ring + Shadow Of The Erdtree

I’m cheating a little for this entry – whilst “Shadow Of The Erdtree” indeed released this year, I’ve already played “Elden Ring”. For the sake of the new DLC I replayed the base game and fell in love deeper than I had before.

Base game aside, this is one of the most awe-inspiring DLCs I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. It could be sadistic at times, but the attention to detail with the dungeon layouts and worldbuilding continuously blew me away.

1 – Cyberpunk 2077

I played “Cuberpunk 2077” close to launch and I remember being extremely disappointed. How could the developers of “The Witcher 3”, my favourite game, make such a dreary, glitchy, unbalanced videogame?

I came back after the 2.0 update, and now “Cyberpunk 2077” is everything I hoped it would be. It has possibly my favourite open world in any game ever, the story and writing is peak yet again, and the sheer abundance of quests and side activities and memorable characters is breath-taking.

Recently I began my 2nd playthrough, now with the “Phantom Liberty” DLC. Time will tell if this climbs up my personal game ranking even further!

Aaaaand that’s my list. You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: