Welcome To Press Play Gaming's Mega Indie Extravaganza Game Of The Year Coverage For 2024
2024. It's been a year. It's ended in a way many of us, particularly those who value the future, progress and equality for all, had hoped it wouldn't. Yet here we are - in a world we must continue to fight the hard fight for justice and peace; a world where terrifying forces want to crush good, decent people for heinous reasons; in a world we need to live in.
I'm a strong believer that media matters. Our internal world is shaped by what we experience; if all we experience is a rabbit hole of hateful conspiracy theories, then that's what we become. Likewise, when an unassuming game pierces our perceptions with an empathetic, nuanced and thoughtful position, it has the power to change hearts and minds. More on that later.
My point is, sometimes it seems frivolous to waste away hours in an imaginary world in the comfort of our own home, shutting out the horrors of the world that others and often ourselves are facing outside those four walls. This is true, but it also doesn't help to spend all of your brain space spiraling about what you alone can not affect directly. The world is too large and complex for a single person to change everything. Even the worst people that fundamentally alter the course of human history don't do so alone.
I believe the best way to have the most positive impact is to be good everywhere you can. Arguing with grifters online until you're blue in the face gets you nowhere, but showing people there's a better way to be - being nice and kind, and that life can and should be full of joy and love - is what can change hearts. Negativity is winning, but it doesn't have to. Affecting only the few people around you in positive ways can and does have a ripple effect out into the universe for the better.
This is why over the next 10 days or so, I want to celebrate the incredible work that thousands upon thousands of people have produced and released in the last 12 months. Here, you will find zero hyper-focus tested products from mega corporations; this Game Of The Year Extravaganza is dedicated to the solo developers and the small teams building something meaningful, thoughtful, and/or just all around fun. From the slick animations and action from veteran creators right down to the rough gem put together from a first time dev on an old laptop in their bedroom, we want to celebrate them all.
Amongst a crumbling AAA industry with hard flops, tens of thousands of people having their lives irreversibly altered by layoffs, consolidation and monopolization running rampant and journalism being utterly hollowed out, it's hard to feel positive about the future of the game industry. However, the indie space is what will always give me hope.
The incredible breadth of talent and passion of people who have such strong drives to create is breathtaking. The fact that a game from one person can come out of nowhere and be a huge hit is amazing. The way profit doesn't have to be the sole motive for this form of entertainment helps shape experiences that hit in a way nothing else stuck under the all encompassing thumb of capitalism can.
2024 has seen a staggering amount of high quality games release into the world for us to play and enjoy. This year at PPG, we're celebrating:
675 games
Across 59 categories
Over 10 entire days of coverage.
And that's only games that I personally would play if I had the time! There are hundreds upon hundreds more in genres I don't feel qualified to speak to that are also well worth your precious time.
Each category highlights a slate of excellent experiences you can have, finished up by the overall winner of that category. Some of the categories are straightforward genre staples such as "Best 2D Platformer"; some are collections of games that fit into a specific grouping, such as "Best Free Games"; others are for fun, such as "Best Game Where You Play As A Cat". Did I make up the categories on the fly? Yes. Did I do so to give out more "winner" awards to more games, because in reality I want to shine a light on as many of these rad games as possible? Also yes!
Many games listed do fit into multiple categories, however no game is mentioned in more than one category. There are simply so many games that I want to give every single one a chance to shine equally.
After all 59 categories are done, there will be a final, more in depth Game of the Year award. I hope you like it.
In 12 hours, Press Play Gaming’s Game of the Year coverage will begin. We will be posting a fresh Game of the Year article every 4 hours for 10 days straight, leading up to Press Play Gaming's Ultimate Game of the Year. Here's the breakdown of how that plays out.
Day 4 - The Day Of Roleplaying
The Best Retro RPGs
The Best Isometric CRPGs
The Best Turn Based RPGs
The Best Top Down RPGs
Undertalers & RPG Makers
The Best Creature Collectors
Day 5 - The Day Of Systems
Craft. Build. Survive.
Dungeon Diving
The Best Immersive Sims
Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?
Sent To The Farm(ing Sim) Up State
Idle Time
Day 6 - The Day Of Strategy
Strategy. Sometimes Grand.
Workflow Automation
Middle Management
The Best Tower Defense Games
The Best Real Time Strategy Games
City Building
Day 7 - The Day Of Relaxation
Cozy Construction
Cozy And Chill
Time For Some Relaxploration
The Walking Simulator Reclamation Project
Look At This Photograph. Every Time I Do It Makes Me
It Was A Tale As Old As Time
Day 8 - The Day Of Emotion
The Best Visual Novel / Dating Sim / Text Adventure
Yesterday Is History. Tomorrow Is A Mystery.
Tickling The Funny Bone
Hitting in the Feels
It's A Vibe
Creeping Horror and Existential Dread
Day 9 - The Day Of Topics
What's Your Favourite Thing About Space? Mine is Space.
Political Intrigue (The Good Kind)
Separating Church And State
Feline Misadventures
Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Rum
It's About Time (And Loops)
Day 10 - The Day Of Wrapping It Up
The Kids Are Alright
Freeplay
Antholo-Geeze This Is A Great Collection Of Anthologies
Be Nice To Each Other
The Best DLC
Press Play Gaming's Game Of The Year Is ?????????
As the articles drop, I will update this list with links to the pages, so if you want to keep up you can subscribe to Press Play Gaming via RSS, follow me on Bluesky or bookmark this page to return to over the coming days.
If you've made it this far into this piece, thank you, and also this is just the beginning. The next 10 days are going to be absolutely packed. Get your wallets and wishlists ready, because I guarantee there's going to be at least a dozen games you have never even heard of and will want to try immediately.
As always, I hope you enjoy this years awards, have a wonderful time over the coming weeks, get some time to yourself and find joy in the small things.
On with the awards!