This year I attempted to tackle a number of games in my backlog while playing some incredible new releases along the way. We also purchased a Steam Deck early in the year which absolutely influenced my decisions when choosing which game to play next. Having the ability to play PC games while travelling and then pick up where I left off on my home computer later is a fantastic feature. While not a game itself, I highly recommend the Steam Deck to anyone wanting to get into PC gaming, or just wanting a powerful handheld device for portable gaming.
Same as last year, I applied the following rating scale to each game:
Overall, the games I played this year were fairly consistent and high-quality, with no game receiving lower than a 3. Once again, here are the three games that stood out the most.
Chants of Sennaar
One of the most enjoyable and well-made puzzle games I’ve ever played. The core gameplay loop involves using context clues and hidden hints throughout each level to decipher an unknown language in order to communicate with the local NPCs and progress. Much like The Witness, Chants of Sennaar is phenomenal at giving you just enough information at the start and teaching you how to decode the puzzles while progressively increasing the difficulty as you move further into the game. The satisfaction of finally piecing together a difficult sentence and translating the next line of dialogue is unbelievably cathartic. The gameplay is also ushered along by an intriguing and mysterious plot that is strengthened by the initial communication difficulties. Even if you aren’t a puzzle game fan, I’d still recommend Chants of Sennaar–you won’t be disappointed.
Outer Wilds
*not Outer Worlds
I’m including Outer Wilds here because I’m a bit late to the party and I have many thoughts that seemingly clash with the overall reception of this game. Honestly, I thought it was just okay. I’ve heard for years how this is one of those “go into it blind” type of games, and how the ending literally changed players’ lives. By the end I was questioning if all of those people played the same game.
Paradoxically, the strongest elements of the game were also the weakest. Without too many spoilers, the game involves exploring space within a 22 minute time loop while trying to discover the lost past of the galaxy and a way to exit the time loop. The time loop is my first big issue–while the concept is fantastic and the first few loops were exciting, it very quickly went from novel to infuriating. The game presents itself as a relaxing space adventure where you are encouraged to explore, and yet because of the time limit you are inevitably rushed throughout most of the game in order to reach certain plot checkpoints.
Similar to the time loop, the puzzles themselves start off strong then become a chore. Initially I was having fun just flying around and solving whatever puzzles I happened upon, but too frequently clues seemed intentionally obtuse and some later “puzzles” just devolved into dexterity challenges. The lore is strong though, which helped me power through the final hours of the game.
Which brings me to the ending. I won’t say anything too specific, but after the credits rolled I just remember sitting there and saying out loud, “That’s it?”. I think the issue with the ending is there is too much hype online which presents unrealistic expectations. Super-fans of the game will talk about how they were in tears during the final sequence, but I just kept waiting for something to happen. I’m not sure what I missed, but the ending definitely did not “click” for me. It was fine–and I’m not sure what else I was expecting to happen by that point in the game–but I’m glad it’s over. It’s hard to recommend this game because it seems very hit-or-miss whether or not you’ll be part of the audience that strongly appreciates the experience Outer Wilds provides.
Balatro
I initially panned Balatro on release because it doesn’t look particularly interesting from screenshots and I’m generally not a huge fan of deckbuilders. I took a chance after we bought our Steam Deck as it was highly recommended as the perfect game for handheld and couch gaming.
This game absolutely deleted two months of my life.
The 4 hours I noted in the spreadsheet above were just to achieve my first win–I very quickly put another 100 hours into the game over the next few weeks. I eventually managed to step away from the game after obtaining all but the final two achievements which seem to take several hundred hours more to unlock.
Balatro is a strategy deckbuilding game that uses standard playing cards as the deck, with the small inclusion of 150 Joker cards that each apply unique effects that dramatically change the game each round. It’s easy to describe what Balatro is but it doesn’t sound particularly interesting on paper. However, the game instantly makes sense as soon as you start playing and you’ll find it very difficult to put down. At the beginning of the game you’ll struggle to clear early rounds that require only a few thousand points, but you’ll very quickly start to put together Joker combinations that raise your score from a measly 10,000 points to 2.87e22 and at that point you’ll realize it’s already midnight and you haven’t checked your phone in three days and you should probably eat food.
Balatro was one of the most popular games of the year and one I will always recommended as both casual and demanding.
2024 brought a medley of exceptional indie games and a few strong AAA titles. I have a much more clear timeline for approaching my backlog in 2025 and I’m already working on a few games that I’ve been putting off for a while. I’m excited to play some of the new titles that have been announced and see what else is released throughout the year.
Thanks for reading, happy new year!
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