I always find the phrase “this year was great for games” a little redundant, because realistically, every year is a good year for games, provided you’re looking in the right places. That being said, on the scale of ‘good’ to ‘amazing’, 2023 was definitely closer to the latter. This year has an awful lot to live up to, and while it’s impossible for there not to at least be some good games, we can hopefully guess correctly on the ones that look good in a trailer. Hence, this list!

Disclaimer here before we start: a lot of these games have as yet unconfirmed release dates, so I have no doubt that some of these will not release within the year. A lot of those will be indie games not beholden to the same corporate deadlines as big studio games – which is good! – but I still want to include them on this list because otherwise it’ll be mostly big budget releases and that’s depressing so that’s that.

Anyway, here’s a not-very-quick list of all the games I’m looking forward to playing but not to the point where I felt compelled to write a paragraph about them. Not to say anything bad about them; most of these will probably be great! In order of release, we have:

• The Night Is Grey (Jan 5)
• The Cub (Jan 19)
• Another Code: Recollection (Jan 19)
• Granblue Fantasy Relink (Feb 1)
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (Feb 13)
• Open Roads (Feb 22)
• Chasing the Unseen (Mar 7)
• Alone in the Dark (Mar 20)
• INDIKA (Q1 2024)
• Loco Motive (Q1 2024)
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Apr 23)
• Tales of Kenzera: ZAU (Apr 23)

• Demonschool (Q2 2024)
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (Sept 9)
• Dead Static Drive (Q3 2024)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Fall 2024)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Late 2024)
• Hyper Light Breaker (2024)
• Keepsake County (2024)
• Little Nightmares III (2024)
• Roman Sands RE:Build (2024)
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (2024)
• NAIAD (TBA)
• We Kill Monsters (TBA)

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Alright, with that done, here’s the 14 games I’m most looking forward to playing in 2024! Assuming they release in 2024. Please release in 2024 so I don’t look like a dumba

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Avowed

2024

It’s no secret that Obsidian are among the best when it comes to developing amazing RPGs, so Avowed making this list is barely a surprise. I loved Fallout New Vegas, really liked The Outer Worlds and I’m fond of what little I played of Pillars of Eternity, so naturally I’ll be showing up for this one. Also, from what I’ve understood (and I’m sure my friends will correct me on this if I’m wrong), Avowed takes place within the Pillars universe, albeit in a completely separate storyline to those games, which gives me a handy excuse to finally fucking play those games properly. So I guess this section is written in anticipation of both Avowed and Pillars!

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

TBA

There were two games in 2022 that surpassed Elden Ring in my eyes, despite how self-evidently incredible it is. The first was Tunic (which you should play if you haven’t already), and the other – my game of the year, so to speak – was Citizen Sleeper. This game that I hadn’t ever heard of that popped up on Xbox PC Game Pass and happened to have a cool poster would have sailed right by me for months. And yet, I took a chance on it, and it blew my mind. It’s a game that hooked me for two days straight with an unbelievably addictive gameplay loop, a wonderful sense of place afforded by said gameplay’s focus on reinforcing your struggle as a dying android, and some of the most beautifully written prose I’ve ever read in a video game. A sequel to that? Yeah, I’m a little interested.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

March 22nd 2024

I’ve only played a wee bit of the original Dragon’s Dogma, but I loved what I tried. In a world where blockbuster games are so scared you’ll lose interest that they handhold you through every small thing, the opening of that game essentially dropping you in a situation and expecting you to figure it all out yourself is kind of amazing. It’s a pure RPG experience, and it rocks, so hopefully the sequel can recapture some of that magic with the additional modern Capcom sheen.

Earthblade

2024

Don’t worry. If you haven’t heard of this one, my opening words will explain everything: A new game from the developers of Celeste-. And that’s all you need to know. I’m hyped for Extremely OK Games to make another Extremely Great Game!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

February 29th 2024

FF7 Remake was my entry point to the Final Fantasy franchise, which may have been a mistake because I’m pretty sure that was the peak and the rest of the games will only disappoint me. The modern FF7 games have everything I look for in a JRPG: fun and thoughtful combat, lovable protagonists, and a core message about how capitalism is a death cult that will destroy the world if left unchecked. Beyond that, everything in Remake is afforded a level of care and insularity that you rarely see in these blockbuster titles. I don’t know what the fuck to expect by the end of Rebirth, but at the very least, I’m confident I’m gonna have a very good time getting there.

Hades II

2024

This is another one that speaks for itself. If you’ve played Hades, you get it. If you haven’t played Hades, PLAY HADES RIGHT NOW. Hades 2 looks to be more of a thing I was obsessed with for months, so it’s safe to say this one’s gonna hit, even if it’s just in early access this year.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

TBA

This is the year! It has to be! IT MUST!!!

My Work Is Not Yet Done

TBA

I absolutely love the look of this one. It seems just the right amount of foreboding vibes alongside an absolutely gorgeous and unique visual style. No idea if this is going to release in 2024, but I sure hope so!

Neva

2024

I didn’t go as crazy for Gris as some, but I still liked that game quite a lot, so I’m showing up for whatever those guys cook up. The animation is, as expected, gorgeous, but I’m curious what this team’s version of an action game will be. Plus, animal companion! It’s impossible to resist!!

Nivalis

2024

Cloudpunk, by Ion Lands, was a sleeper hit that didn’t get nearly enough appreciation. 2020 was a pretty stacked year for games, and yet this beautiful neon-noir meditation on autonomy and personhood managed to stand out, despite everything. Nivalis is a continuation of the world built up in the dev’s first game, moving away from delivery driving gameplay in favour of a life sim structure, where you manage restaurants and nightclubs in a city that will do anything and everything to keep you down. Nivalis looks astonishingly pretty and provides further texture to an already fascinating city, so I can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store this time.

Old Skies

TBA

I’m not usually one for point-and-click games personally. Their design feels too obtuse for my little brain, likely a product of the time they were popularised but not one I especially gel with. That being said, the 2018 game Unavowed became a notable exception by possessing a depth to its writing, a fascinating world to explore, and an enthralling mystery at its core. Developer Wadjet Eye Games is upping the scale with Old Skies, a time travelling adventure game where you escort different clients throughout history and help them with their problems. It looks to be just as exciting as their last game, and the visual overhaul is gorgeous to behold. I’m excited to stop 9/11 from happening or whatever!

Persona 3 Reload

February 2nd 2024

Persona 3 is a game that’s only really improved with time for me. It broke my heart and crushed my spirit, but it also filled me with this wonderful yearning to live in spite of insurmountable odds. It’s a really special story told beautifully, so seeing it remade with the quality of life improvements and gorgeous aesthetic of modern Persona games will be a treat. If nothing else, I’m there for the novelty.

Rise of the Ronin

March 22nd 2024

I absolutely loved Nioh 2 and I really enjoyed Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, so getting excited for this game was inevitable. Team Ninja make unbelievably fun action games, and I’m so psyched to see their take on a true open world game.

Unicorn Overlord

March 8th 2024

Vanillaware, the developers behind the insane masterpiece 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, are the creators of this strategy game. It’s not the genre I’d typically go for, but I’m confident they’ll make something interesting at the very least. Also, banger name for a video game, no notes on that!

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And there we go! Here’s to the games on this list – I believe in you! And shout out to all the unannounced games and obscure indie games that are destined to shake the year to its core. This year will probably be a bit shit as usual, but at the very least, video games will always be cool and amazing, and that’s at least a small reassurance. Thanks for reading ❤