“Blistering combat is decisively ATME's big selling point, as few action roguelite contemporaries tout such exhilarating fights with such buttery smooth controls. Looks and sounds great too, though.”

“Surprising no one, Hades II is already a sterling sequel that builds upon the world, cast, and mechanics of its predecessor in fresh—yet comfortably familiar—ways. Shaping up to be a masterpiece.”

“One of the year's finest action roguelites sees the affable Turnip Boy goin' full heist mode with a cleverly designed, hilarious, and cute gungeon crawler. Wonderful tunes and pixel art too.”

“Excellent humor, boundless style, exceptional voice acting, and intriguing mechanics make for one of the coolest, freshest games of the year. It's a typing dungeon crawler after all!”

“Despite its appearances, Hoversteppers is much closer in terms of gameplay to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games than Jet Set Radio, and it's a welcome THPS spiritual successor in a world bereft of 'em.”

“Every year, Devcats drop another banger entry into their A ___ Full of Cats series, and the outstandingly robust ATFoC is no less cute, charming, or clever than its predecessors.”

“LK,BC channels decades of cute cat pics into one indelibly delightful ball of an open world collect-a-thon. To say that it is effortlessly endearing would be tautological, but it still bears praise.”

“Lovely and lively, this marvelous first-person puzzler nurtures an enthralling mix of accessible yet cerebral puzzles and Gone Home-y storytelling. Gorgeous visuals, music, and level design.”

“Proudly crude in every sense of the word, this adaptation of the zany tabletop title offers a breadth and depth in both its gameplay and set of features. But it's the hilarious voice acting that's #1.”

“Hook this exhilarating, Akira × Duke Nukem × [post void] FPS straight into your veins for a brilliant time. Let's call it early: this is doubtlessly the #1 FPS of the year. It goes so hard and fast!”

“Hotline Miami 3 ain't happenin', hon, but its legacy lives on in Anger Foot—albeit now in first-person and bathed in Free Lives' offbeat personality. Few games are as exhilarating AF as AF is.”

“Juicy roguelite action with groovy, energetic tunes and ample bullet time. Its simple, clean, hand-drawn aesthetic allows for a surprisingly readable mayhem to its bullethellish extremes.”

“Hauntii is not your typical twinstick, thanks to its emphasis on possession and artful handcraftedness. Few games this year can contest its beauty, or its sense of awe and wonder, with such tightness.”

“One of the most unique and gorgeous deckbuilders so far, offering a fresh and intuitive battle system as well as a monster-catching flair. Plus, the music and creature designs totally own.”

“Offering a more involved experience than your usual garlic-like, Frontline Survivors is a thematically consistent garlic-like with twinstick controls and batshit builds. It's clever and very fun.”

“Do you want moar QUICKERFLAK, but you get a fuck-off huge sword and with an even more breakneck pace? Then QF2 will provide all of the badass combat and spartan design QF is known for.”

“Jetpacking is always going to be a joy in video games, and Jett Rider capitalizes on that fact—while heaping on top some great tunes and humor too. One of JanduSoft's finest releases yet.”

“For those who seek a great new Metroidvania that hews heavily towards the first half of the term, Rebel Transmute is a must in 2024. Tight and robust as hell.”

“Roguelite deckbuilding that's a biiiiit of a different beast from Slay the Spire and the like, but still with incredibly tight mechanics, superb gamefeel, and bugfuck powerful runs.”

“If you were yearning for a Hades-esque retelling of Greek mythology but with even better queer and neurodivergent representation in a spectacularly written text RPG, then FoA here is the ticket.”

“Psychedelia and Metroidvanias are IN in 2024, and this banger with spectacular art by El Huervo (of Hotline Miami fame) synthesizes these two crazes with style, refinement, and more style.”

“Lovers of short, cute investigative adventure titles will find plenty to enjoy with DD:TSS. It's clever, it's fun, it's adorable, and it doesn't outstay its welcome. Does what it says on the tin.”

“Despite completely sucking at it, I cannot dispute that Slidemagi is a robust, kickass tactical RPG with an inventive control scheme and design around it, as well as a cute claymation aesthetic.”

“Sometimes, you just desire a laid-back idle game to while away minutes between other matters. And RR absolutely provides, with the cute distinction of existing at the bottom of your desktop.”

“Delightfully providing a wonderful finale to this cult favorite series of Metroidvanias, Moonlit Farewell is lovingly crafted and a complete joy to play. Tight design with impeccable pixel art.”