Another One in the Books
Last December, in my first piece for The Punished Backlog, I took a look back at 2023 by talking about all the games I had played over the course of the year and ranking them in order of how much fun I had with each one. I also mentioned that I spent a lot of time playing Raise a Baby, as my daughter had just been born in July. As I reflect on 2024 and the titles I had a chance to dig into, I’m definitely noticing a trend in the types of games I was able to explore.
There are no 100-hour adventures here like Hollow Knight or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom from last year’s list. It turns out Raise a Baby’s sequel Raise a Toddler ratchets up the difficulty in just about every way. Spending time with my tiny human—who can now walk and (sort of) talk—takes priority and I’m beyond blessed to have such a special person in my life. I know not everyone is able or wants to have a child, but for those who are considering it: I highly recommend it! I love her very much.
But let’s be honest, she’s absolutely not doing me any favors when it comes to the backlog! I’ve got games to play, baby; maybe you could change your own diaper next time? Hyrule isn’t going to save itself, am I right?!
Even with a cute baby in my arms most of the time, I managed to get through a decent slate of games this year, which I’ve ranked here in order of fun factor from worst to best.
12. Bread and Fred
I had the opportunity to demo Bread & Fred at PAX East 2024 and was very excited when I was able to review the game for The Punished Backlog a few months later. What was a neat full-circle moment for me quickly turned into a nightmare, as I could barely make it halfway through the adventure without needing to turn on the somewhat game-breaking assist options.
It turns out that Bread & Fred is built to kick your butt, and I can confirm my backside has more than a few bruises from the falls I endured while trying to help my penguin pals climb up a slippery and windy mountain. I wouldn’t say I had a bad time with Bread & Fred and I certainly came away impressed with the detail and polish in the game. That said, because of the challenge, it isn’t a game I plan to go back to and I would also have a hard time recommending it to all but the most skilled platforming aficionados out there.
Apologies to my friends, Bread and Fred, but someone had to come in last.
11. Tangle Tower
I really wanted to like Tangle Tower more than I did. While I was on the hunt for a point-and-click mystery to sink my teeth into, this seemed like the perfect one at first glance. There are highlights to be sure, particularly in the presentation, where a diverse cast of voice actors and beautifully illustrated backgrounds truly do shine. Unfortunately, the gameplay itself didn’t do much for me, and by the end, I wasn’t sad to see the credits roll.
Originally released back in 2019, this adventure is part of the Detective Grimoire series where you play as the titular sleuth as he attempts to solve the murder of Freya Fellow, a young girl who is among the many colorful characters all living at Tangle Tower. The mystery itself is quite layered and I’d be lying if I said I saw all the twists and turns coming. For those interested in a more laid-back, narrative gaming experience, there’s a fun story here and plenty of surprises to be found, but I found the dialogue-heavy approach of Tangle Tower to be particularly disengaging.
The majority of the gameplay amounts to blowing through pages of text as you listen to each character explain their own circumstances related to the crime. The options are limited, but the dialogue is not and the fact that the game is fully voice-acted goes from a positive to a negative in short order. I wouldn’t say I solved anything here so much as I watched the story unfold in front of me. If that’s your vibe, the overall package is certainly inviting, just be aware there’s not a lot of “doing.”
10. Limbo
One of my 2024 gaming resolutions was to try out some shorter games I had been putting off for a while. Sometimes, I feel like a three- to five-hour game isn’t worth the investment, but I know I’ve been missing out on some classics like Limbo and Inside for a long time. I’m pleased to say I finally gave them both a shot this year, though they might not have been quite the mind-blowing masterpieces I had hoped for.
I’ll start with Limbo, which I found to be the weaker of the two. As a straight puzzle platformer with very few frills, I enjoyed the atmosphere and challenge of the four-hour journey, but didn’t come away dying to shout from the rooftops about my experience. Perhaps this was an issue of expectation, as I’d been hearing about the disturbing narrative and haunting visuals for more than a decade. Ultimately, though, at this point in my gaming life, I’ve played plenty of games that sit comfortably in this genre and I didn’t find it as groundbreaking as it might have been back in 2010.
As with the first two games on the list, I wouldn’t describe anything here in a negative light; I just don’t see myself going out of my way to recommend any of these games either.
(Also, not for nothing, but the creepy spider creature that’s in all of the promotional materials for this game is only in like 5% of it.)
9. The Big Con
Another one of my PAX East finds, The Big Con immediately drew me in with its Doug-esque ’90s cartoon visuals. When I saw it from afar on the convention floor, I thought I was stumbling upon a future release. But it turned out that not only had it been out for a few years, but our very own Amanda Tien had even reviewed it back in 2021.
I had a ton of fun with The Big Con over its first several hours, as it was a style and gameplay loop I hadn’t really experienced before. The main character, Ali, finds herself in a pinch when her mother’s video store is essentially being held as collateral for a loan by some unsavory characters. To help out and drum up some cash, Ali goes on a cross country pickpocketing spree with a con artist she barely knows named Ted. The opening levels are a lot of fun as you explore the colorful world, con unsuspecting civilians out of money, and collect Furby-inspired “Burblo” toys to sell to the highest bidder.
After a while though, as Amanda mentions in her review, things get a bit repetitive and the story takes some turns that are somewhat strange. There’s some great stuff here, but don’t go in expecting to be blown away.
8. Inside
Now back to our “short king” video games. I found Inside, which was made by the same studio that did Limbo, to be much more interesting than its predecessor. Though I would describe its gameplay style in a similar puzzle platformer fashion, everything here is leveled up quite a bit.
The visuals have a distinct polish to them and are more engrossing due to the 2.5D rendering. The mood and setting are dystopian—as opposed to Limbo’s mix of fantasy and horror—which kept me more engaged and curious about what was coming next. I also found the puzzles to be more interesting and thought-provoking, instead of largely trial-and-error type challenges like in Limbo.
Inside’s story will definitely stick with me, and that’s the main differentiator between these two games. Both of them are worth a play, especially since I only paid $4 for the pair, but they do both feel slightly dated enough to keep me from gushing over their merits.
7. Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery
Early this year, I picked up Frog Detective on a whim, and I’m very glad I did. I was able to review this silly game for the site and I came away with the recommendation that if you’re going to dig into the Frog Detective series, the best way to do so is by picking up the full collection and playing them all in order.
The three chapters are only an hour or two each, meaning there’s not a ton to unpack or explore if you treat them as standalone games. The best part for me, though, was seeing how they built upon one another, including running gags or callbacks that paid off jokes from previous installments. The small team behind the game clearly has a great sense of humor and an affinity for cute animals, as the characters you meet along the way are all goofy and quirky in their own unique way. It’s a lot of fun to talk to everyone you come in contact with, and while I wouldn’t say the mysteries are particularly hard-hitting or tough to solve, the third act went off the rails in a way I didn’t expect, but absolutely loved.
If you’re in the market for a cozy, charming, and not-too-serious detective game, add this to your list!
6. The Plucky Squire
The Plucky Squire was one of my most anticipated games of 2024, so when I had the chance to review it for the site, I jumped at the opportunity! Billed as a Zelda-inspired, dimension-hopping action-adventure, I had very high hopes for this debut title from developer All Possible Futures. While I wouldn’t say it quite lived up to everything I wanted it to be, I had a lot of fun exploring its whimsical world, and news of a much-needed patch that streamlines some of the dialogue might mean the best is yet to come for this game.
What initially drew my attention to The Plucky Squire was its promise of being able to jump between the pages of your own storybook and the “real world” whenever you like, completely shifting perspective from 2D to 3D in the process. In practice, the limitations on this ability dampened the excitement it brought, but the idea at the core of The Plucky Squire is still an outstanding one. Your journey to defeat the villainous wizard Humgrump takes The Plucky Squire (government name, Jot) across a colorful world filled with equally colorful characters and has the player hacking and slashing through enemies the whole way through.
My only real complaint (besides some significant performance issues) was a lack of freedom. While I thought you might be able to hop between worlds at will, the game limits you to very specific times and places that you can explore. The linear design still leads to a unique and exciting adventure; I just hope we might see a more fully open world in a potential sequel!
5. Thank Goodness You’re Here
I won’t be able to top Amanda’s article crowning Thank Goodness You’re Here as her game of the year, but that won’t stop me from singing its praises all the same. Personally, I would describe this bizarre adventure as a cross between Untitled Goose Game and Rick and Morty (complete with an inter-dimensional cable style introductory sequence), so that should hopefully tell you pretty quickly you’re in for a treat.
Amanda covered the details beautifully, but to reiterate, you’re a tiny yellow fellow in a fictional English village tasked with, well, tasks. Each one is even more out of the box than the next. It’s a game best left as a surprise, in part because it doesn’t take more than a few hours to get through the whole thing.
I could’ve used more to do, which is hardly a fair complaint when a game is this good. Yet unlike Untitled Goose Game where you have a growing checklist of goals, Thank Goodness You’re Here plays out in a relatively linear manner, with each completed task leading directly into the next. It isn’t my GOTY (sorry, Amanda), but if you’re as twisted as we apparently are, you’ll no doubt have a blast with TGYH.
4. Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered
Another game I had the pleasure of reviewing this year, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is an absolute gem and a shining example of how to deliver a spectacular point-and-click adventure. As someone who enjoys that style of games quite a bit, I’ve had the Sam & Max franchise on my radar for a while. Though I was nervous to start at the end of the titular duo’s story, particularly with the remaster coming out this past summer, the opportunity presented itself to check out what many seem to think is their quintessential quest.
Though I’ve yet to backtrack in their catalog, I’d find it hard to believe that this isn’t the best the duo has to offer. Full of their signature off-color humor and antics, The Devil’s Playhouse spans five episodes that see our heroes tied up in a number of tricky situations ranging from battling a giant alien skunk/gorilla to attempting to steal the Devil’s Toybox from an underground tomb and much, much more.
While some of the jokes didn’t always land with me the way they might have back when the game first released in 2010, I’d recommend The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered to anyone looking to relive some of that point-and-click magic from the past.
3. Balatro
Oh, what can I say about Balatro? We already know it’s Allison’s game of the year and rightfully so (she’s a notorious defender of the game around The Punished Backlog’s Discord). As for me, it takes the top spot when it comes to 2024 releases, but is narrowly edged out by a couple of outstanding 2023 titles I’ve been utterly obsessed with this year (how’s that for a tease?!).
The beauty of Balatro is in the absolutely sublime juxtaposition of its simplicity and depth. Tell a non-gamer to check out this awesome roguelike deck-builder with tarot cards and joker multipliers and you might get a blank stare. But tell your dad he could be into this cool new poker game and he might be up all night texting you screenshots of his high scores (and by “might” I mean “will”).
Seeing such a small indie title take off the way Balatro did this year is one of the joys of gaming. From conversations with family to friends to co-workers and beyond, there isn’t anyone I know who gave it a shot and didn’t come away both endlessly impressed and hopelessly addicted. It’s an outstanding achievement in development and creativity, but most importantly it’s an equally impressive achievement in fun.
2. Dredge
I’m not even done with Dredge yet, but I already know we’re in uncharted waters (heyyyooo) with how good it is. For a game that consists almost entirely of navigating menus and playing fishing mini-games, there’s so much to do here I can’t help but be hooked (amirite?). It’s absolutely packed to the gills (okay, I’ll stop) with areas to explore, intriguing characters to meet, and secrets to discover.
I didn’t know if Dredge would be for me at first, given the majority of your time is spent looking through your inventory, selling fish, or talking to NPCs (I don’t always connect with games where you aren’t actually controlling a central character). There’s menus and mini-games galore here, yet when the game kicks off with you cutting a deal with the mayor of a town you washed up in, I could feel the sinister undercurrent (last one, I promise) draw me in immediately. Something is always lurking out there in Dredge, and though you aren’t walking around the world map as a human being, you become one with your boat and feel just as invested in it as you would any other character.
I also appreciate that its resource management, life-sim style and relatively slow pace make it a great backseat game to enjoy too. Whether I’m the captain or my wife is taking a turn at the helm, we’re both always fully invested in what’s happening. I can’t wait to get through the rest of Dredge, and I plan to before the year is over!
1. Chants of Sennaar
I’m not sure how to do Chants of Sennaar justice, because on the surface it might not sound so spectacular. Though it is essentially just a point-and-click puzzle game, Chants completely blew me away with its art, sound, story, pacing, mystery, creativity, and design.
You awaken in a chamber completely alone, with nothing to guide you and no indication of who you are or what your purpose is. As you begin to explore, your unnamed character discovers glyphs of unknown meaning scattered throughout the world. The first puzzle you stumble upon is an elegant tutorial that gently guides you on how to discern the meaning of the unfamiliar symbols in this brand-new universe. Soon you meet another person who speaks to you, seemingly providing direction, but also in a language you don’t understand. Only by closely studying their movements and guessing their intentions can you begin to unlock the true meaning of their words.
Where some games falter in striking the balance between giving the player too much direction versus too little, Chants thrives. I always felt like I earned everything I learned, and exploration was not only rewarding but fully necessary to being successful. Despite there being limited areas to explore at any given time, in masterful point-and-click fashion, the game doesn’t let on to the exact order or combination of tasks you need to complete to advance. In fact, many of the best secrets are teased ahead of time but not fully revealed until much later. This means that even though you may only be able to go in one direction, you’re always keeping an eye out for places to return to or items you can use later on.
Just as you learn everything you can about the people who surround you, the game nudges you to new areas, complete with their own unique cultures and languages. The story that unfolds is one of struggle and hate between groups who do not realize the things they have in common, only the traits that set them apart and divide them. The heavy theme creates a somber feeling throughout, but the weight of your impact is felt even more strongly because of this melancholy tone.
Chants of Sennaar is a beautiful game from top to bottom and easily the best that I had the pleasure to play this year. It is one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about and likely has a place in my all-time favorites.
Games I Played But Haven’t Had Time To Finish
Death’s Door
Loyal readers of mine (there’s gotta be one, right?), might remember that Death’s Door also appeared on my year-end list of games from 2023. At that point, I had briefly dabbled in it, but quickly got stuck on the first boss and put it down. Now, 12 months later, I’m still not done, but at least I’m closer!
The leader in the clubhouse for the number of times my wife has said “You’re still playing that game?!,” Death’s Door is a tricky one to rate. There is a lot to like here and for the most part, I do. For some reason though, it isn’t quite resonating with me as much as I think it could. The world is a bit too linear, the collectibles are mostly pointless and the upgrade system doesn’t seem to have much impact. I find the compelling story and challenging combat to be solid strengths, but there’s something about the game that hasn’t been able to scratch my itch.
After beating the final boss, I realized there’s enough in the post-game to be its own standalone affair. I may never reach the true ending, but it certainly won’t be for lack of trying!
Princess Peach: Showtime
Like many gamers, I was excited to see Princess Peach headline her very own story for the first time in nearly 20 years. I made sure to pick up a copy on release day and give it a shot right away to see what was in store. As with nearly all Nintendo games, the theme, and presentation are top-notch as you find yourself at the Sparkle Theater when all of a sudden the brand new villains Grape and the Sour Bunch take over and corrupt each of the wide-ranging stage plays.
I really loved the way each level introduced a new persona for Peach, from Cowgirl to Ninja or even Figure Skater. The different abilities and ways each version of the Princess interacted with the world led to some great moments, but unfortunately I found the overall package to be a bit inconsistent. The overly linear levels and lack of meaningful challenge meant that despite the numerous costume changes, the gameplay started to feel stale pretty quickly. I could see myself going back to it someday, but I ended up trading in my copy for something else before I ever reached the end.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
I haven’t quite made up my mind about how I feel about the latest Zelda adventure yet. It was easily the game I was most excited for in 2024, in no small part because it is the FIRST time gamers have seen Zelda herself take center stage. The promise of unlimited freedom and flexibility seemed too good to be true and yet it mostly delivered on that idea. Unfortunately, the echo system is a bit clunky, and while casting monsters to do your fighting for you was like a stripped-down Pokémon game at first, some of the key elements of Echoes of Wisdom started to grow old for me more quickly than I anticipated. I still have a long way to go and I don’t want to give up yet, but I’m hoping that taking a break and coming back with fresh eyes will give me a new perspective and appreciation for it.
Neosprint
I’ve seen very little written about Neosprint this year, but this new release from Atari was one of my favorite games I had the chance to try at PAX East. This isometric racing game, the latest in a long-running series, is super easy to pick up and play and offers a snappy alternative to more complicated simulation-style titles. There’s a campaign, a track builder mode, and a wide variety of courses to choose from while playing solo or with friends. I haven’t spent a ton of time with Neosprint over the course of the year, but getting in a few quick races is a great palette cleanser between meatier titles.
MLB The Show 24
My favorite piece I’ve written for The Punished Backlog so far has to be my article on the best baseball video games. I’d been passionately beating the drum for Mario Superstar Baseball for years among friends, but to put my thoughts out there for everyone to see was a rewarding, if ridiculous endeavor.
It is with great humility, then, that I stand here to write about my new favorite baseball game (on the Switch at least), MLB The Show 24. This game rocks, plain and simple. There’s so much to do and so many options available to players that I finally felt like I could craft an experience I’ve wanted for so long. I can’t even count how many different input methods you can choose for pitching or hitting, but I have to applaud Sony’s San Diego Studio for allowing almost everything here to be up to the player’s preferences. I still have some minor gripes around same-y feeling players and a lack of engagement while fielding or running the bases, but there’s no doubt this baseball experience is top-notch and the best on the market right now.
What’s Next?
Maybe someday I’ll actually finish Death’s Door, but until then I’m excited to see what else Dredge has under the surface. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Super Mario RPG have been sitting on my shelf for quite some time and I just picked up Metroid Prime Remastered at the recommendation of others from the site. Not to mention that Echoes of Wisdom, which I had been extremely excited for coming into 2024, is still kicking around the backlog.
Needless to say, I should have plenty to write about this time next December and that’s not even counting 2025 releases. Wish me luck, and happy New Year!
