The 10 Best Video Games of 2024, Ranked

This year has come and gone by in the blink of an eye, and with it, a huge slate of video games has arrived on our doorsteps. It’s tempting to define a year by one single game. Sure, 2024 was the year we all anticipated Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the year that Astro Bot surprised us all — and took home the big prize at the Game Awards. But the game industry is massive, and the tastes of gamers are more varied and particular than ever. No one game can define it.

This is what we found when the Inverse Gaming team members all submitted our lists of the top games of the year. The gaming industry might be going through some difficulties — with layoffs and consolidations and battles over AI — but when we look back at the many, many great games that came out this year, we can confidently say that the artists are winning. Of course, this glut of greatness is overwhelming to anyone who doesn’t game for a living. As such, we compiled our Top 10 lists, found the overlap, fought for those that we felt must be included, and came up with 10 games that we think made the biggest impact.

This is that list, full of real tearjerkers, games with whimsy and jokes, and time-worn stories reimagined. If you make your way through this list, no matter what kind of gamer you are, we’re sure there’s something for you. These are, after all, the best of the best in a year full of greatness.

10. Unicorn Overlord

From Atlus (the publisher of Persona) and developer Vanillaware, Unicorn Overlord is a deeply strategic game that’s light on story but still so satisfying to play through. It’s for that reason that I’d still recommend Unicorn Overlord to strategy fans. Each battle truly tested my ability to come up with a remarkable strategy for my units, ordering them to move cleverly against the enemy across the battlefield. I’d have to adapt to new foes and outwit them, which was a thrilling way to spend my evenings. — Robin Bea

9. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of the surprising sleeper hits of the year, combining tower defense with hack-and-slash action. It’s also one of the prettiest games, featuring bold watercolor and classical Japanese art. It reminds me of those weird PS2 experiments that people came to love. While it starts off slow, it offers an entertaining variety of gameplay, balanced between strategy and action. You must order your villagers while fighting your own battles, and the two systems combine in dynamic ways. — Hayes Madsen

8. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

After spending years in the background, Princess Zelda finally gets her time to shine in Echoes of Wisdom. The game proves that even after almost 40 years, there are still plenty of ways to surprise players. Echoes flips the usual damsel-in-distress formula on its head and gives Zelda a chance to save Link, who’s stuck in a crystal, though her true objective is to rescue the entire world. Similar to many other entries on this list, Echoes is an open-world game, giving you plenty of places to explore, which can in turn benefit you in fights and puzzles. The experience is not without its flaws, as Zelda’s sword skills are limited by special conditions that have to be met, and that doesn’t entirely feel fair when Link can usually swing his sword any old direction and launch a whole slate of powers. Still, 2024 is an exciting year where Zelda and Princess Peach are headlining their own games, and I’m hoping it’s not the last we’ve seen of this trend. — Robin Bea

7. Dragon’s Dogma 2

If you’re looking for a weird, fun game; you liked Baldur’s Gate 3; and you need more — well, then look no further than Dragon’s Dogma 2. A role-playing game that is at times wildly funny, and more than not focused on open-world exploration, Dragon’s Dogma 2 gives you few instructions and drops you into a strange world for you to figure things out on your own. That makes for a ton of bite-sized sessions where wacky and unexpected NPCs can rudely interrupt your shenanigans and plenty of fun conversations with real-life friends about what befell you this time around. — Shannon Liao

6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

As another entry in the sprawling series, Black Ops 6 at first gives the impression it’ll be just another bombastic campaign full of Michael Bay-like explosions. But Black Ops 6 contains a surprising amount of new ideas, presenting new ways to play, and tons of captivating missions to keep you on your toes. At times, you’ll feel like you’re pulling off a heist or grand assassination, and you just never know how the game will improvise next. While the story is immediately forgettable, the slick combat and wild formats are more than enough to impress and land this game on our best-of list. The multiplayer is also easy to jump into and the movement feels clean. After so many years away from Call of Duty, I’m glad to return. — Trone Dowd

5. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The much anticipated Indiana Jones and the Great Circle proved itself to critics who have long watched the legendary hero grace the silver screen. Developer Machine Games manages to translate Indy’s high-jinks successfully into video game form, lodging a fantastic new chapter into the famed traveler’s lengthy adventures. Part puzzle adventure, part action and stealth, The Great Circle keeps things varied and exciting, so that you really do feel like you’re living in an Indy film. The game somehow manages to be authentic to what came before while still providing a completely new experience that recalls some of the retro talent from Machine Games’ previous work. — Trone Dowd

4. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

One of 2022’s best games is back again for Round 2, with an expansion that will give players a run for their money. After dozens of hours of grinding and hustling, and experimenting with various builds, I was able to triumph, but Shadow of the Erdtree does raise questions around accessibility again. (And this is coming from someone who has played and beaten every FromSoftware title.) Aesthetically, the game is gorgeous and full of unique regions, but the combat is brutal and punishing, as you might expect. If you’re up for the challenge, the expansion builds on the core game and enriches nearly every aspect. Take small breaks, drink plenty of water, and buckle up for an astounding beatdown. — Hayes Madsen

3. Metaphor: ReFantazio

Metaphor is an unassuming RPG from the creators of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei that starts off slow with the character you’re playing assumed to be nobody. But over the 80- to 100-hour runtime, you’ll work your way up, earning renown and respect in fantastical lands on your path to become king. You’ll cultivate friendships just like you grow seeds for experience points, all while unraveling the secrets of your mysterious and unique magical powers.

For lore lovers, Metaphor is a happy spiritual successor to Persona and, just like that series, is packed with emotional gut punches and existential revelations that continuously surprise and delight far into its final hours. But as for why it’s not ranked No. 1 — read on to find out how our top pick managed to unseat the rest. — Shannon Liao

2. Astro Bot

One word to describe Astro Bot, the Game Awards’ pick for Game of the Year, would be “surprise.” Developer Team Asobi has managed to capture the joy of video games, how they can fill you with glee and likewise bring you to tears. It’s an imaginative and creative platformer that breathes new life into a genre long-dominated by Mario. For that reason, it was able to beat out crowd favorites like Black Myth: Wukong and others at this year’s industry awards ceremony. Astro Bot feels like the complete, compact package and a celebration of the games that have come before, making it one of the few to rival Super Smash Bros. It’s for that reason that we gave Astro Bot a 10 out of 10 here at Inverse. — Hayes Madsen

1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

This year’s crown jewel is without a doubt Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Join Cloud, Sephiroth, Tifa, and Aerith on a well-trodden story that has been completely remade for the PlayStation 5. With a manageable runtime of around 40 hours, Rebirth strikes the balance of respecting your time while also giving you plenty of side activities if you do happen to want to do more. Rebirth feels like a world you can really live in, while many other games on this list simply wrap at the finale or offer a reprise that’s too repetitive. It’s a nearly impossible game to achieve a Platinum trophy on, but that just gives it an air of elusiveness when most of the rest of it is quite accessible for players of any skill level. — Shannon Liao