We’re halfway through 2024, and you know what that means? It’s time to look back at 2024 so far and talk about our favorite games of the year.
In 2024, we’re entering the twilight years of the Switch, so first-party offerings have been a bit quieter in the first six months. But there’s still plenty to keep us busy on the hybrid console.
We asked the NL team and our amazing contributors to share some of their favorite games from 2024. From princesses to unicorns to cards to weird dudes, you can find your next favorite game here. Or you can nod along with us along the way (or, we assume, shake your head in disgust). disagreement).
Either way, you’ll be able to share your thoughts below by voting in our poll, but why not see what we think made the cut for now?
Ollie Reynolds, editor
After skipping a lot of Nintendo exclusives this year, I’ve been spending a lot of time on what you might describe as “smaller” games. My favorite of the bunch is Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter StoryIt’s a great glimpse into the mind of one of the UK’s most prolific game creators. Digital Eclipse has taken what worked for Atari 50 and built upon it in the most wonderful way.
I love Balatroof course, and I suspect it will be a serious contender by the end of the year, but then Animal well also cropped up and gave it a real run for its money. It took me a little while to click, but this is a cracking game. Finally I had to scream Cut version by developer AlisaStill my biggest surprise of the year. It’s a perfect return to classic survival horror and a great stopgap until Capcom finally releases the OG Resident devil trilogy on Switch. Anytime…
Jim Norman, editor
For a “quiet year,” the first six months of 2024 have been well-fed. I’m trying my best not to mention Balatro, but thankfully it’s been a few weeks of my life well spent. And Prince of Persia: The lost crown is one of the best Metroidvanias I’ve seen in a long time.
I also want to say a little thank you Pepper mill. I really hope this little platformer survives the onslaught of Zelda and Mario releases over the next six months because it has truly brought the biggest smiles to my face this year.
Alana Hagues, deputy editor
I admit to spending more time on other consoles this year, but my trusty Switch never left my side. Balatro has been holding on to me for over a month with some addictive card games and Animal Well is just pure magic – 2024 is the year I fall in love with puzzles, secrets and community play.
I must mention Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: I stand by my claim that this is the best Mario RPG, and the Switch version is the definitive way to play it. But my favorite new game, aside from Animal Well, is Lord of the Unicorns. Boring plot aside, I couldn’t put it down the entire time I was reviewing it. Beautiful, rewarding, fun — Vanillaware has done it again.
Gavin Lane, editor
As usual, I spent the first half of 2024 catching up on matches I missed in previous years, so it’s been great Pikmin 4 And The awakening of connection is, they had their time. I’ll agree with Ollie on his Balatro and Llamasoft picks, but without repeating the others too much, Cave of Dreams And Magical both are very interesting. Whether they’ll be enough to be in my Top 5 or 10 for the year in December is another question, but at the halfway mark, it’s worth mentioning both. And Pocket Card PlayerOf course.
I still have a lot to catch up on (looking at you Animal Well and Pentiment) before we get to the big Z and other contenders that have yet to emerge this year. But based on what I’ve played so far, this has been a high-quality year for me with no clear GOTY contenders at this stage. Looking forward to what the second half brings.
Kate Gray, contributor
My games of the year so far are partly games I wasn’t expecting, and partly games I fully expected. The first game is Botany manor — it’s gorgeous, it’s smart, and it’s a nice length (at least for me). The second one is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwas already one of my favorite games of all time, and the remake only solidified that.
I strongly suspect that Ace Attorney Investigation Collection will be on the list before the end of 2024!
Gonçalo Lopes, contributor
My current game of the year comes out at the dawn of 2024. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic Metroidvania with fantastic combat and challenging gameplay, filled with memorable boss fights and a stellar soundtrack. I admit I was put off by the final boss fight, but I was very pleased with the announcement of the upcoming story DLC.
My second choice right now is Vanillaware’s medieval fantasy strategy RPG Unicorn Overlord. I’m always looking forward to getting anything new from this unique developer, but I didn’t expect to spend 66 hours on a single-player campaign with 100% completion. I really hope the rumored sequel comes true. Six months have passed, six more months to go…
That’s what we think, but what about you? Pick your favorite game of the year so far in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments. And if you want to reiterate all the games we awarded 8/10 or higher, you can find that on the Reviews tab.
