SUMMONER’S TOP GAMES OF 2024
The games that got our attention (and all our free time) in 2024.
With the year just about over, we’re taking a look back at our picks for the best games we were personally obsessed with in 2024.
MATT
Balatro – Something called Astro Bot beat Balatro for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. What a steal. Balatro is Game of the Year and maybe Game of the Millennium (Millineia?) because it makes me feel smart even though I’m very dumb. BALATRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shadow of the Erdtree – What phenomenal DLC for a generationally incredible game. Some highlights for me are stepping out into the Cerulean Coast for the first time and streaming until five in the morning as Kal and Dylan watched me get one-shotted by Promised Consort Radahn 100 times.
Marvel Rivals – It’s good.
Anger Foot – It makes my head hurt so much but it’s good.
Hades II – It’s good but I didn’t finish it.
Helldivers 2 – Played it for like 10 minutes and liked it. Why did I stop playing this?
BARRETT
Astro Bot – This won Game of the Year at The Game Awards for a reason. There’s not a single second of this game that isn’t fun, adorable, surprising, or a combination of all three.
Another Crab’s Treasure – A soulslike where you play a hermit crab trying to get back its repossessed shell. While not as challenging as most of the genre, it’s got a gripping story that’s equal parts funny, charming, and sobering, and features some unique gameplay ideas that caught me by surprise. I still think about it a lot!
Marvel Rivals – I’ve played a truly embarrassing amount of this game since it came out two weeks ago. It plays great, looks incredible, and despite being a service game, there’s a surprising amount of attention to detail around the in-game lore and character interactions. You love to see a free-to-play game with heart.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door – Dylan says I can only pick 3 but this was such a good remaster. Pitch-perfect.
MAY
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Although I technically started this last year, I’ve been playing a bunch in 2024 as well and racked up over 400 hours. I don’t normally play a ton of traditional RPGs (unless it comes with raid bosses) and have never been a fan of turn-based games, but there’s something about Baldur’s Gate 3 that just works for me: the replayability, how small decisions affect so much of the rest of the game, and of course the romance. I occasionally dive into the dopamine rush of dating sim games, and this one absolutely nails it with so much depth and variety. The fact that it’s awesome to play not just by myself, but with a friend, really sealed the deal.
Silent Hill 2 (Remake) – I'm very particular about the games I play, and when it comes to horror, I prefer watching Let’s Plays – I get scared easily, so I would never want to be the one actually in control (or not) in those situations. I hadn’t played the original Silent Hill games, so I didn’t have a lot of context initially, but the intense atmosphere and super trippy, weird elements really drew me in and kept me watching for hours.
SUMMERHOUSE– A single dev created this casual, cozy sandbox game where you use a preset list of materials (some of which you need to unlock) to build cute little places. I don’t typically like these games or play them for very long (again, very particular about what I’m into, and I can get bored easily) – but the visual style & vibe in Summer House is top notch. The dev imagined it as a way to build small houses on a prairie, but it’s wild how the community has pushed the boundaries of the game to create entire street blocks and cities from such a limited amount of materials.
World of Warcraft – I got sucked back in again…
JORDAN
World of Warcraft – Do I really need to say more?
Helldivers 2 – Bought it on a whim because I liked the intro trailer and immediately sunk 300 hours into it. The team really knew how to offer a platform to create memories. Most games lean on moments of skill expression, but nearly 8 months later and I’m still talking with my friends about the various and ridiculous ways we’ve accidentally killed one another.
Balatro – Now I’m actually looking forward to the opportunity to sit in waiting rooms?????
KAL
Balatro – A real one does not talk ill of Balatro. Fantastic game. I stink at it. I STILL PLAY IT!!!!! It’s great!
Animal Well – I’m a sucker for intuitive, figure-it-out-yourself type games — though I truly had no idea what I was getting into when I originally bought the title. I may have been swayed by Dunkey’s marketing and the promise of, “it’s like Halo 2 meets Halo 3,” but was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t. Indies, baby!
Tiny Glade – Cozycore stress-free fantasy crafting family fun for everybody? I’ll admit I didn’t put too much time into this but for the times I did, it’s a peaceful lil’ one — and I’ve constantly been referencing it creatively so that must mean something, right?
Marvel Rivals – WHERE’S MY HEALS. FUCK IT, I’LL SUPPORT. JEFF, I LOVE YOU. (It’s pretty good.)
Lethal Company – The spooky tales of… capitalism? I know this game technically came out in 2023 but I did enjoy playing this a few times this year.
LAURA
VALORANT – I’m not really a competitive gamer and a mere rube at games generally, at least compared to the rest of Summoner. But VALORANT broke my “I’m not hardcore” brain (at GAMES, I’m hardcore everywhere else) so I unabashedly fell in love. The characters, the world, and how colorful and culturally diverse it is… chef’s kiss. I love the depth of skill mastery, while still ringing true that any player can still feel like they’re doing something, regardless of how good they are. Cuz I’m bad. I’m just a huge VAL stan at this point.
RDR2 – I spent a lot of 2024 playing hits from past years– yea yea this came out six years ago but it feels brand new. The level of fidelity and care Rockstar put into everything is astounding. The intricacies of your interactions with the world, and that storyline! Also by god the HORSES! I feel like I’m inclined to not do the “bad” end of the ethics meter in most games, but the choices here feel a lot more human than gamified (it’s not a binary “paragon” vs “renegade” choice, though I do love Mass Effect too) in a way that makes you understand the complexities of a choice.
The Last of Us – Another “not 2024” game I played (read: finished after a long break) this year. Did I do it because of Pedro Pascal? Maybe, maybe not. Though… I really did love the way the show stayed true to the game, and the soft liberties it took (Episode 3 yktv). Between the heartbreak and the jump scares and the morally grey ending (though after Part I I am not a Joel fan!! Please don’t spoil I haven’t played Part II yet!!!), the story is just so damn good. I’m a spooky gamer now!
Balatro – This being on my list is called “the power of Matt’s influence.” It now appears I am a huge fan of games created by just one guy (Return of the Obra Dinn may be my #1 indie game… no it is). This is also goals for brand voice and marketing - they are just so dialed in. The world needs a perfect travel game, and this is it.
DYLAN
Helldivers 2 – An eloquent dissertation that proves friendly fire is essential to the co-op experience. Nothing like griefing your friends with the casual deployment of supermilitary-grade munitions while roleplaying the dumbest cannon fodder in the imperial core. Haven’t laughed this hard playing a shooter since the Halo days, and it’s a good reminder that one of the most compelling reasons to get a game will always be simple, stupid fun.
Supervive + Marvel Rivals – Games are how I maintain (and irreparably damage) relationships with friends & family. I keep a bunch of competitive multiplayers in the rotation – LoL, VAL, Overwatch, and Rocket League to name a few – but this year added two more regulars: Supervive + Marvel Rivals. Supervive brings mechanically intensive, deeply satisfying ARPG combat, whereas Rivals delivers wildly unbalanced, janky comic book power fantasy fulfillment – two perfect experiences. If I have a spare 15 minutes, I’m booting them up and losing two hours of my day.
Tiny Glade – Besides the immaculately cozy setting, audio, and art direction, Tiny Glade’s freeflowing approach to sculpting your environment & architecture makes it a welcome addition to the “indie games as virtual arts and crafts” category. The minimalist design philosophy supports moments of delightful discovery and allows for a uniquely playful, expressive style of construction, which has inspired a community of creators as they build everything from impossibly idyllic cottages to the towering ramparts of Helm’s Deep.
