It’s been a long ass time! Have a top 10 list for your patience! I played a ton of cool games in 2024, enough to make a top 10 and then some. To celebrate me actually keeping up with games for once, I decided to take the dopest ones I played and rank ‘em, as one does. This is for fun, and the rankings don’t matter. Nevertheless, check out some cool games I played in the last 12 months:

HM: Mouthwashing

Okay, so I didn’t play this one, but I watched it, and it's really good. Some of the most striking horror can be found in something (or someone) relatable or realistic rather than in the cosmic unknown. Mouthwashing just so happens to feature both. Another memorable addition to the indie horror genre, Mouthwashing's memorable setting and characters, along with its truly gut-churning narrative, will have me thinking about it for a long time. Maybe I'll even play it one day!

HM: Buying a bootleg PSP on Marketplace

Downloading PSP and PS1 games from ROM sites felt like baby's first emulation, and I loved it. Now I get why PC players love it so much. The PSP is a hidden treasure trove of racing games. From revisiting old favorites like Burnout Legends to discovering missed classics like Midnight Club LA Remix, reigniting my love for the PSP has been a bright spot in 2024.

HM: Early Access Bangers (Hades II, Rogue Prince of Persia, Fallen Aces)

Since giving my PC a long overdue upgrade, I’ve been checking out some of its unique features, like being able to play cool ass games that aren’t out yet thanks to Steam Early Access. Fallen Aces is an FPS/Immersive Sim with a great mix of 2D and 3D art, Rogue Prince of Persia is a stylish Roguelike with great movement and a banger soundtrack, and I have almost zero doubt that the full release of Hades II will be something truly spectacular.

10. Kill Knight

A shoot em up with a bit of depth, Kill Knight is a chaotic good time. Different weapons and special moves added enough variety to keep me coming back for a bit. I wish I was able to play more, but the later levels proved too much for the Switch port to handle without stuttering. And in a game where you can die instantly, that's no good! Maybe I'll be able to return and tackle the rest on the more powerful Switch 2 when that releases, but for now, Steam is probably a better platform if you're looking to pick this one up!

9. Pepper Grinder

Pepper Grinder is a game with no fat. It's just a solid-as-hell platformer with a fun central mechanic in the titular Grinder. It sticks around just long enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome, and provides some clever variety that keeps things surprising. It also has a charming story and art style to complete the package.

8. Still Wakes the Deep

Still Wakes the Deep treads on some familiar territory with its monster design, but it executes on it more than well enough to establish its own identity. Teamed with the scares is a strong narrative, with its unique and incredibly Scottish oil rig setting and cast of characters. It was so compelling that it carried me through the entire came in one sitting, and I found myself satisfied with the experience narratively and mechanically.

*Setting your spooky horror game in the middle of a foggy sea adds a unique sense of loneliness that I felt in Still Wakes the Deep.*

7. Balatro

I really don't like card games or deck builders that much, and roguelikes aren't high on my list of favorite genres either. But I do really like Balatro. I didn't play it until December but I immediately got it once I did. Specifically, I played it during the Game Awards as a bit of catching up on homework, and by the end I really couldn't remember much about the show, because I was too busy playing Balatro. That's the power of “number go up make brain feel good.”

6. Nine Sols

Nine Sols isn't *quite* as tight as Sekiro to control, but it gets damn close, and that's a high compliment. I didn't beat Nine Sols, but even conquering the early main bosses had me punching the air in triumph when I finally achieved victory. Building a broken character to beat bosses can be satisfying in and of itself, but nothing will ever quite match the feeling of overcoming a boss that is a pure skill test, and Nine Sols manages to capture that feeling with its inventive and very tricky boss encounters.

5. Parking Garage Rally Circuit

Half Sega Rally, Half Crash Team Racing, all radical. I bought Parking Garage Rally Circuit for less than $10, got gold on all 8 tracks with all 3 cars in one night, almost got a blister on my throttle finger, and had an absolute blast. Its throwback art style is charming as hell, and it has a soundtrack full of Ska jams that go harder than they have any right to.

*Not pictured: Ska Bangers playing in the background*

4. Astro Bot

Unbridled joy in a video game. The only worthwhile use of the PS5 processing power is smacking massive piles of gems around. Astro Bot nearly reaches Mario Galaxy status with its inventive and beautiful level design and its unique mechanics that all manage to feel special and satisfying.

3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

I'll admit my expectations for this game were not high. I didnt expect much from a non-shooting game made by the studio behind Wolfenstein: a game where you're constantly shooting guns in both hands. But turns out smacking Nazis over the head with guitars and broom handles is pretty entertaining as well. Great Circle is also, arguably, the third best Indy story ever. The mystery, locations, companion, and villain are all good, and Troy Baker's Indy is *surprisingly* good.

*Punching Nazis in the face should be a core feature of every video game. Mario should punch more Nazis.*

2. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia took me all year to beat, and it became progressively better the whole way. It has combat with incredible animated counters and finishers, platforming that made me feel like a genius, level design that left my jaw on the floor, a surprisingly compelling story and cast, and more triumphant air-punching bosses. It should be considered genuine corporate negligence for Ubisoft to have dissolved the team responsible for this masterpiece; they should have been allowed to make something even better next time. But Lost Crown will always be a shining achievement.

1. Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 is my favorite multiplayer game since Left 4 Dead 2. I rarely get excited about multiplayer games; even more rarely do I play them solo or with randoms. But I have spells where I will play Helldivers 2 every day for hours. No game makes me feel like I'm in an action movie quite like Helldivers 2, surviving (or not) against impossible odds with my teammates. It is unfortunate that a portion of this game’s audience doesn’t understand the fascist satire element, because not only is it well-woven into the fabric of the game, it’s also hilarious. Sometimes it’s just fun to play as the fodder for a galactic empire. It was a toss-up between this and Prince of Persia for #1, but ultimately I decided on Helldivers 2 because it has continually offered incredible moments that rival scripted sequences in most high-budget games. That feeling of barely scraping by is compelling, and if Arrowhead Studios continues to add even wilder enemies and arsenal equipment to the game, it will likely keep me coming back for years.

Top 10 Cool Games I Played in 2024