PixelByte Gamings Top 10 Games of 2024

While taking stock of 2024 for this article I realized 2024 has been an outstanding year for games. Coming off the high of the previous year I think there was an expectation to see a slight dip in releases and breakout games, but I really could not be happier that that is not the case. So many great games, fun experiences, and enjoyable narratives have all been released this year making a summation of the 10 games that stuck with me the most has been very hard, but here we are. This will be the first (and hopefully not last) top ten list for Pixel Byte Gaming, so without further ado, let’s jump into it with Pixelbyte gaming’s list of the top 10 games of 2024.

#10 – Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Developer: MachineGames Publisher: Bethesda Softworks, Microsoft Game Studios

Release Date: Dec 9th

Platforms: Xbox Series, PC (PlayStation in 2025)

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle was one of those games I walked into expecting to at best enjoy. I have never been that big of an Indiana Jones fan, so the expectation of getting something greater out of it wasn’t anticipated. Beyond that, as much as I love MachineGames, the choice of making the title first-person felt off-putting. The developer that is best known for making great First-Person games delivered a great First-Person title, color me freaking shocked.

But they really did here. Indy’s newest outing is as on as the character has been in years, since the 90’s. A great mystery abounds in the character as he charts a course for adventure from the Vatican to the Himalayas and more. The game isn’t fully linear either, allowing players to revel in the locals and truly step into the shoes of Indiana Jones as he gets lost unraveling an ancient mystery or beating the Nazis to a legendary relic. This is the game the legendary archaeologist deserves.

#9 – Closer The Distance

Developer: Osmotic Studios Publisher: Skybound Games

release Date: August 2nd

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PC

Closer The Distance is a game you experience more than you play, but the experience is at its core heartfelt and poignant. Players take the role of Angela, who has tragically died moments before the game has even started, making the player a passive onlooker to those they have left behind. As the small town of Yesterby begins to move past this life-changing moment, Angela attempts to guide the citizens past their pain, one person at a time.

Drawing heavily from titles like The Sims, each character has wants and desires to affect, with each person feeling the impact of choices Angela helps them make. Of all the titles on this list, this game is one of the hardest to play. It genuinely made me cry at points. It is also one of the most worthwhile experiences of 2024.

#8 – Shogun Showdown

Developer: Roboatino Publisher: Gamera Games, Goblinz Studio, Entalto Games S.L.

Released Date: May 10th

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PC

This was a great year for rogue-likes all around, with games like Balatro getting the genre some much-deserved attention. That MIGHT have made this game of the year list if Shogun Showdown hadn’t consumed much of the summer and fall for me. There is an addictive loop here that begs you to go around ‘one more time’ until you look up and realize hours of your life have slipped away here.

There are some familiar enemy names here, such as Nobunaga, but this isn’t set in a familiar version of Japan. You play as characters on a quest to kill the evil shogun through tile-based combat where you strategically move and select abilities to avoid damage and release a devastating combo chain on your enemies. The best part is unlocking abilities for your next run which feels valuable and diverse, causing strategy building to be one of the most enjoyable elements here.

#7 – Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Developer: Don’t Nod Publisher: Pullup Entertainment

Release Date: February 12th

Platforms: PlayStation 5. Xbox Series, PC

Don’t Nod has always been one of the best examples of a studio that can make up for any flaw their games might have with unadulterated originality you can’t find anywhere else and that ability is on full display in Banshers: Ghosts of New Eden. Set among the Puritan colonies of America you take control of two titular Banishers, lovers torn apart by death.

Early on the game gives you a choice that regardless of what you say, your actions can betray or support your choice, making up the brunt of the hard decisions that will follow in this action game. The narrative grips you and doesn’t let go while the gameplay, while rough around the edges keeps you engaged in fighting the wayward souls of these colonies on your quest to break your oath in the name of love or uphold it no matter how much it hurts.

#6 – Frostpunk 2

Developer: 11 bit Studios Publisher: 11 Bit Studios

Release Date: September 20th

Platforms: PC

Let me start by making clear, that the inclusion of Frostpunk 2 here does not mean I am good at it. Far from it, more often than not everybody in my city freezes to death before year 1 ends. That doesn’t detract from just how good Frostpunk 2 is as a city builder and strategy game, filling a void you don’t even know is there until you’re playing it and it just clicks. On a frozen earth, can you lead your people to survive an endless winter, or will it end you?

Similar to the first game in the series, everything you do is punctuated by choices with no clear good option. Sacrifice some to save others, and ignore the plights of the hungry cause there is not enough food. You will not feel like a good person by the end of your time playing this game, but hey, you might just be alive to regret your choices.

#5 – ASTRO Bot

Developer: Team ASOBI Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: September 6th

Platforms: PlayStation 5

ASTRO Bot is at its core a phenomenal platforming game and a well-created homage to the games that built our childhoods. Beyond that though, it never forgets to feel like something new and unique, and that might be its biggest accomplishment. With levels ranging from fun and goofy, to controller smashing hard (looking at you great master challenge) there is something here for everybody to enjoy. The fact it fills a void Sony has had for a while is a nice bonus.

For long-time PlayStation gamers though, there is more here to love. There are tons of character references going back to the PS One, with some levels pulling from those eras as well. Make no mistake though, ASTRO Bot is at its heart, really really fun. It also gets some of the best-use out of the Dualsense controller.

#4 – Rise of The Ronin

Developer: Team Ninja Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: March 22nd

Platforms: PlayStation 5

Team Ninja took many of the elements that had made many of their games, like the Nioh series so fun in the past and brought that to an open-world setting with what I thought was a great effect. While there are some stumbles in that translation, what we end up with is a challenging action RPG that adeptly transports players to the Bakumatsu rebellion to fight alongside some of the legendary samurai of the era.

With fast-paced combat that is easy to pick up but quickly pushes players yet can destroy you if you’re not careful, Rise of the Ronin encapsulates the best of Chanbara films and is a great new addition to the library of any Samurai cinema fan. As an open-world game, it also respects your time with so many tools that make traversal and exploration fun and swift. As swift as a samurai blade through the densest of bamboo.

#3 – Ys X: Nordics

Developer: Nihon Falcom Publisher: NIS America

Release Date: October 25th

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC

Since 1987, Ys has continued to be a showcase of the best qualities in Japanese action RPGs, and Ys X: Nordics is no exception. Drastically overhauling several of the core combat mechanics, the game sees series protagonist Adol teaming up with a pirate princess named Karja as he sets sail, quite literally, on an adventure across a sprawling archipelago.

Set early in the timeline of the series, with a plethora of quality-of-life improvements, Nordics makes a fantastic entry point for new players while feeling fresh and new for long-running fans of the series. The game also boasts vastly improved visuals and animations over the last entry, a showcase that the series is evolving past the niche status it once held and towards a main stage it seriously deserves.

#2 – Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Developer: RGG Studios Publisher: Sega

Release Date: January 25th

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC

Ichiban’s trip to Hawaii in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth also stands as a high point in a series filled to the brim with high points, even when feeling like itself at every step along the way. An improved turn-based combat system, a massive amount of side quests, two large cities to explore, and addictive mini-games make this the best Like a Dragon, and a perfect introduction to the series if you have been looking for a way into the yakuza underworld.

While the story follows the previous entry in the series, Ichiban Kusaga travels to Hawaii in search of the mother he never met. Along the way, he bumps into the original series protagonist, and the two team up in one of the most emotionally charged narratives in the series. The story itself can take you around 50 hours, though let’s be honest, you will get stuck on the Dondoko island for at least an additional 30… And collecting the creepiest pokemon parodies for another 20. This is an all-consuming force, but that god it is never dull for a second of that.

#1 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Developer: Creative Business Unit 1, Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix

Release Date: February 29th

Platforms: PlayStation 5 (PC in 2025)

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is arguably the closest to perfect that Square Enix has gotten since they were perfect. With a massive open world to explore and stuffed to the brim with mini-games and side quests, you will never want your time here to come to an end. The best part is almost everything, especially side quests, helps to flush out and make a world that was already wonderful come to life in new and exciting ways.

While the story does follow a familiar core to what fans of the 1997 game expect, there are still some differences that don’t make the game feel like a retread, the biggest of these in the inclusion of crisis core elements, as well as the more prominent role of Zack. When the game hits the emotional character-building moments of the original though, it couldn’t help but remind me why Final Fantasy was a series I fell in love with. There is room for improvement here of course, but so much of this should dictate how Square Enix approaches world-building and character development moving forward.

And there we have it, the top 10 games of the year for Pixel Byte Gaming. 2025 promises to be an exciting year as well with titles like Fable, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 just to name a few. Huh, what’s that? I’m missing one? Oh right of course, the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI is also slated for next year so that should make some people happy. Pixel Byte gaming cannot wait to bring you the latest in news, reviews, and industry insight as well as from us to you, Happy New Year and happy gaming!

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