‘It changed my idea of what games can be’ – the 31 games readers couldn’t put down in 2024

Happy Christmas, Pushing Buttons readers! My sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s read the newsletter this year, and to all our new subscribers. Writing this newsletter and reading your correspondence remains my favourite part of my job. It means a lot that so many of you have written in to say that you look forward to Pushing Buttons landing in your inbox every week.

Thank you also to the Guardian’s brilliant newsletter team, who have worked hard all year to get these missives to you on time even when I’ve submitted them horribly late. (I’m sorry, team. Relatedly: if games publishers could stop dropping huge news right around my deadline in 2025, that would be amazing.)

To cap the year off, we’ve got a bumper issue of readers’ favourite games of 2024. You can read my list here, and our critics’ list of games you may have missed here. I am once again impressed by your broad and interesting tastes. And so, it’s over to you.

Your favourite games of 2024

Sorry to be predictable, but my favourite game of this year was Astro Bot, no question. I took a break from it during an intense period of work, and coming back to it was like injecting happiness intravenously. – Kenny Park

. As a parent of a near two-year-old, my time for gaming seems to have evaporated. Fortunately, around the release time of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 I got a rare weekend off, locked myself away with two close friends and completed the co-op campaign and most of the co-op extra missions. While the game may not be particularly groundbreaking, the spectacle of the swarms of enemies, the big set piece monsters (or allies) and the sheer excitement of seeing a treasured universe brought to the screen made for a very memorable weekend. – Dan Chalaye

My favourite games are games that my partner and I can play through together – not as a co-op but by making the decisions together, weighing up options, talking through clues or puzzles together … So my game of the year was Pentiment, which came out on the Switch this year (though I realise it’s been out on other platforms for a while). One of the things I love most in life is when someone’s passion for their interests really shines through, and Pentiment is the embodiment of that. The love for what might be considered a niche nerd obsession (medieval manuscripts, anyone?) is front and centre in this, and it is impossible not to be inspired by that. – Marie Winkler

I don’t think I’ve ever played anything like Thank Goodness You’re Here!. It’s like playing a comic strip from the 90s; it’s utterly, unashamedly weird, very Yorkshire, and most importantly it’s actually funny. It’s amazing how much can be achieved when your only means of interacting with the world is slapping it. – Andrew Robeson

Metaphor: ReFantazio is for my money the peak of the Persona-like genre. It’s been removed from the usual contemporary high-school setting, which seems risky at first, but gives the story tremendous scope to tackle subject matter that would feel trite if it wasn’t surrounded by the fantasy trappings and high-stakes plot. But Studio Zero also managed to keep the low-key, personal arcs of the party members intact (and relevant!), which is a tremendous balancing act. – Paul Cosgrove

We’ve been spoiled with original indie games this year, so it’s fitting that UFO 50, a game about spoiling you with original indie games, was my 2024 favourite. It’s not quite in the spirit of the question to pick a compilation of 50 games, so I’ll single out Pilot Quest as the best of the set. Its compelling use of idle mechanics excuses me to check out other UFO 50 games as I wait for my resources to tick up in the background, while still being a fun game in its own right. – Jak Marshall

Hands down, Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was my favourite game of the year. I hadn’t played a game to the end since … Tomb Raider, I guess? So much fun, easy to dip in and out, lots of different ways to accomplish your goals, but not overwhelming. Maybe a bit easy in the first half, but I loved the second part of it. The puzzles and storylines were very satisfying. – Steffanie Yeakle

Tactical Breach Wizards is easily the standout game of the year. It was so funny, so deep and I cared so much about the characters as well. And I love a game that makes me want to finish all the bonus objectives (which I did for every level) and makes that feel achievable rather than a whole different endeavour. The work they put into it clearly paid off and I couldn’t recommend this enough! – David Edwards

As an avid pinball and video pinball player, I seek out every game project that tackles the silver ball in one way or another. Not every year sees a game that stands out in that area, but 2024 saw the release of Pinball Spire, an amazing little pinball action-puzzler where you flip your way up the eponymous spire. There are also powers, like slo-mo or casting yourself as a fireball. – Robert Glashüttner

For me it has to be Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. It changed my idea of what games can be. It just kept surprising me and never got into a rut of repeated tasks of a similar nature. The storyline was innovative, visually always engaging, sometimes quite frightening and intellectually stimulating. That it ended so ambiguously was an additional delight. – Bob Williams

I wasn’t sure if the team behind Hades II could pull off another game as good as the original. They couldn’t – this is better! Greater balanced gameplay, more variety and the soundtrack went up another level. Outstanding. – Matt Froggatt

One of my top games of 2024 is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It still has its annoyances and visual glitches, but you learn to laugh them off when you’re properly immersed. – Kennedie Hodkinson-Gibbs

I think Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is one of those DLCs that qualifies as nearly its own game. The verticality of the map makes it fascinating to explore. Two of the bosses have left me laughing with delight as they pummelled me into the ground. I’m still wrapping that one up because I’ve been playing it with my sibling as a co-op experience, but it certainly has been a highlight of my year. – Rayna B.

My favourite game of the year was Animal Well. Not because the game design itself was all that special, but because it’s the first I’ve played in a long time with genuinely unique, interesting graphics, and they really make the creepy, lonely vibe work. Pixelated art is a limited medium but they’ve really shown how much you can do with colour, shading and animation while remaining legible. I hope art directors and indie devs are paying attention. – Ian Wilkes

My standout favourite is Satisfactory. I love the sarcastic AI reminiscent of GLaDOS (still different enough that it doesn’t feel like a rip-off to me) – the way the machines and belts all snap together is a dream, and the mix of setting up production and exploring while your machines do their thing is balanced really well, in my opinion. – Max Pogonowski

Another Crab’s Treasure is definitely my favourite game of 2024. You’re a cute little hermit crab who has his shell stolen. It’s full of interesting locations, great characters and good jokes. What are you waiting for? – Josh Howard

Helldivers II. I have always be reluctant to either play online games and/or play games that include shooting people. Of course HD2 has a very military style, but fighting bugs or machines makes a difference to me. I remember, when I was new to the game, someone shared his jump pack with me. A small but still gentle gesture, which I now (as a more experienced veteran) like to pass on to the next newbies. – Falk von Hollen

Planet Crafter is a perfectly paced game: you collect resources which allow you to build ever-more advanced structures to terraform the planet. Gradually, your work has an effect and before you know it you have reached the first milestone and there’s blue sky. I cheered aloud when it started to rain! I am eagerly anticipating my first insects. I have a way to go before my planet is fully green. – Kirsten Wheeler

I love Factorio dearly and have spent far too much time on it. The premise is simple: your spaceship has crashed and you need to build a replacement to escape. There are resources aplenty, endless space … oh, and the native population would like a word with you. Try it, but not if you have any deadlines looming or anything to do tomorrow. – Glenn McDougall

The Rise of the Golden Idol. Very much like its predecessor The Case of the Golden Idol and Return of the Obra Dinn, there is something so immensely satisfying about poring over a series of tableaux and trying to glean what was happening in each instance in order to progress. A simple scene being able to hold my attention whilst keeping the dreaded mobile phone doomscrolling at bay has a lot going for it. – Curtis Ebanks

Timberborn on PC. Fantastic city builder (with beavers!) that has great simulation of water dynamics and has devoured hours of my time this year. Still in early access but has no right to be as it’s so fully featured. – Andy

I picked up Nine Sols on the Nintendo Switch after seeing comparisons with Hollow Knight and I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s definitely brutal at times, but it has a great story and the boss fights are all really fun (and give you great satisfaction once you’ve beaten them after dying 30 times). I love the hand-drawn design, too. A game that’s definitely scratched the itch I have while waiting for Silksong! – Bhavna Patel

My favourite release this year has got to be Caves of Qud (though admittedly I’m not sure if this strictly counts as a 2024 game as it’s been in early access for 15 years!). It’s a science-fantasy roguelike seemingly inspired by all sorts of post-apocalyptic sci-fi, from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to The Book of the New Sun. It is fantastically bonkers and endlessly fascinating. It does have a steep and fairly punishing learning curve, but recent updates have introduced a tutorial, an updated user interface and non-permadeath modes, so it’s much more beginner-friendly than it ever has been before. – Wil Evans

Can I cheat slightly and choose two? Crow Country and Fear the Spotlight are fantastic throwbacks to 90s survival horror and pull off the balancing act of giving players a serious fix of PS1-era nostalgia with modern playability. Fear the Spotlight is a particular delight, a playful horror ride laced with loving detail and real heart and emotional intelligence. Cannot recommend it enough and would urge folk to play the alternative timeline as well for the full experience and impact! – Patrick Lowe

My vote goes to Pepper Grinder: wonderfully tactile gameplay and graphics synergy; scratches the “where is Drill Dozer on Switch Online itch; and has an option to slow the gameplay down meaning that I can still enjoy it. – Gassi

Fields of Mistria, for providing some much-needed cosiness and relaxation. Although it’s been a rough year for the industry, the games that have been released are a testament to the hard work of the people who made them. It saddens me that many of those who made some of my favourite experiences of 2024 will now be out of work or facing an uncertain future. Here’s hoping that changes in 2025. – Amy Colclough

Dead Drop: A Carol Reed Mystery. Carol is an English private detective (who nevertheless speaks with a slight Swedish accent) who lives in a small town in Sweden and solves murders, missing person cases and other mysteries. A new game is released every 1 January: you click through photographs to move around the scenes, and use your mouse pointer to search for clues and objects in the photos. The atmosphere created by the beautiful photography and music, along with the rather dry humour, is quite special, a bit like an odd European film. – Piero Serra

My favourite game of 2024 has to be Faaast Penguin. It’s a daft Japanese multiplayer kart-racer featuring adorable penguins who you can dress up in silly outfits. What’s not to love? – Chris Martin

I have to nominate Little Kitty, Big City for my favourite game of ‘24. This year we lost our lovely black cat, Neko, so being able to see him wander around on an adventure was a lovely experience for my sons and I. It is an almost perfect little game, with enough to keep you engaged but not too much to find you’re doing pointless infinite fetch quests. Plus, each front paw had a dedicated swipe button. What’s not to love? – Tom Fogden

Slice & Dice, a kind of dice-builder roguelike where you take a party of different classes to battle weird monsters in different campaigns and modes. It’s like a retro Final Fantasy game except with a far more sophisticated battle system – the scale and complexity of the fights becomes apparent very quickly, while still remaining really accessible and, importantly, fun! – Steven Harvie

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That’s it for 2024; hopefully you’ve found a plethora of appealing suggestions here for what to play in the dead zone between Christmas and New Year. Until 2025!

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