Having great multiplayer is about pitting people against each other or having them team up to create memories. Either co-op or on a war torn battlefield trying to help your team win. Multiplayer games have transcended time themselves and is the one single genre that has never change or faded. Whether it’s a core component of the game or the sole focus. There’s

Split Fiction

Hazelight has done it again. They created more magic with Split Fiction. A co-op dream with nothing but fun and genius gameplay ideas that keep you hooked all the way until the end just this time without an annoying talking book. The game is more serious and feels better to play in every aspect. You will be laughing and shouting with your co-op partner all the way through. This is the type of magic that is only possible in the video game sector.

Runner-Ups

Arc Raiders

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Peak

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Battlefield 6

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Mario Kart World

This wasn’t the best year for shooters. We seem to be stuck with AAA shooters that have yearly releases and the occasional good indie shooter that ends up just being a Doom clone. The third person shooter has been pretty much forgotten at this point. The days of Ghost Recon and one-hit-wonders like Dark Sector, Vanquish, and Binary Domain seem to be in the distant past.

Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom isn’t just a yearly release like many other shooters. The Dark Ages tried new ideas and pushed the series into new territory. It wasn’t afraid to be different. The same core fast-paced gameplay is present that players have loved since 2016. With less of an emphasis on multiplayer (let’s face it, multiplayer just isn’t Doom’s bag). The new timeline gave us a fresh perspective on The Slayer’s killing abilities and the new shield and other weapons are fantastic to use. Doom retains what we love about shooters. It’s less about how nice your stock or carry handle texture looks and more about pure fun and carnage.

Runner-Ups

Battlefield 6

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Arc Raiders

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Metal Eden

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Borderlands 4

The strategy series has been slowing dying along with the fighting genre. There just aren’t many games in this space like there were 10 or even 20 years ago. The PC was dominated by fantastic strategy games and turn-based strategy was popular on consoles. While this genre isn’t quite dead yet, there were still some great games that showed you could sit in front of a screen for hours at time and plan your attacks. While most strategy games have never been known for deep stories there is one thing you usually want out of this genre: Great world-building.

Europa Universalis V

For what would seem to be to most a game that feels like a fancy Excel spreadsheet is pure ecstasy for others. Europa has always been in the upper echelon of strategy games. While not focusing on being pretty the fifth game in the long-running series has great menu designs and focuses on things that matter in this genre. You want to be able to manage everything at a glance and know exactly where to go without being buried in sub-menus. The constant tug-of-war of RTS games is present here and that “one more turn” feeling never goes away. Europa V is the essence of great strategy games boiled down and served on a tray.

Runner-Ups

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles

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Two Point Museum

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition

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Cataclismo

Adventure games have made a comeback over the last few years and have evolved past the frustrating and obtuse point-and-click games of the past. While those still have their appeal the genre has evolved into more gameplay innovations and ideas for the genre. Rich stories, great characters, fun gameplay loops, and puzzles that test your knowledge. This year was one of the best in both quality and design. We saw some truly great titles this year and it’s just so wonderful to see a once dead genre come back to life.

Dispatch

Dispatch may seem like a generic super hero strategy game at first glance. But this is a nuanced and fun adventure title that breaks free of the constraints of licensed superheroes. This allows true creation and innovation to flow freely from the developers and it shows here. With a fantastic story, fun gameplay, and so many interesting characters there’s not much here that you can’t like. If you love super heroes this is a must play this year. Don’t let the lack of a license deter you.

Runner-Ups

The Seance of Blake Manor

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Luto

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Blue Prince

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s.p.l.i.t.

Astro Bot

Awarded
Game of the Year
Best PlayStation Exclusive
Best Graphics, Technical
Best Platformer

Nominated
Best Single-Player Game
Best Sound Design
Best Graphics, Artistic

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Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Awarded
Best Single-Player Game
Most Exciting Return
Best Sound Design
Best Voice Acting
Best Atmosphere
Best Reissue

Nominated
Best Graphics, Technical
Best Graphics, Artistic
Best Story
Best PlayStation Exclusive
Best Original Music
Game of the Year

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Metaphor: ReFantazio

Awarded
Best RPG
Best Multi-Platform
Best New Game

Nominated
Best Single-Player
Best Graphics, Artistic
Best Story
Best Voice-Acting
Best New Character
Game of the Year

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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Awarded
Best Story

Nominated
Best Graphics, Technical
Best Sound Design
Best Atmosphere
Best Voice Acting
Best Adventure
Game of the Year

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Stellar Blade

Awarded
Best New Character
Best Action

Nominated
Best Original Music
Game of the Year

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Balatro

Awarded
Best Indie Game
Best Rogue-Like

Nominated
Best New Game
Game of the Year

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Star Wars: Outlaws

Awarded
Most Disappointing Game

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Awarded
Best Nintendo Exclusive

Nominated
Game of the Year

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Neva

Awarded
Best Adventure Game
Best Original Music
Best Graphics, Artistic

Nominated
Best New Game
Best Indie Game
Game of the Year

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Unicorn Overlord

Awarded
Best Strategy Game

Nominated
Best New Game
Game of the Year

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Tekken 8

Awarded
Best Fighter

Nominated
Best New Character
Game of the Year

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Helldivers II

Awarded
Best Multiplayer Game

Nominated
Best PlayStation Exclusive
Best Shooter
Game of the Year

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

Awarded
Best Shooter

Nominated
Best Graphics, Artistic
Best Atmosphere
Best Multi-Platform Game
Best Voice Acting
Best Sound Design
Most Exciting Return
Best Multiplayer Game
Game of the Year

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Princess Peach: Showtime!

Nominated
Best Nintendo Exclusive

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Super Mario Party Jamboree

Nominated
Best Nintendo Exclusive

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Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Nominated
Best Nintendo Exclusive
Best Reissue

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Another Code: Recollection

Nominated
Best Nintendo Exclusive

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Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Nominated
Game of the Year
Best PlayStation Exclusive
Best Reissue
Best Single Player Game
Best RPG
Best Original Music

---

Rise of the Ronin

Nominated
Best PlayStation Exclusive
Best Action Adventure Game

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Persona 3: Reload

Nominated
Best Reissue

---

Broken Sword – Shadows of the Templar: Reforged

Nominated
Best Reissue
Best Adventure Game

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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Nominated
Best Strategy Game

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Frostpunk 2

Nominated
Best Strategy Game

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Shogun Showdown

Nominated
Best Strategy Game

---

Age of Mythology: Retold

Nominated
Best Strategy Game

---

Blazing Strike

Nominated
Best Fighter

---

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection – Arcade Classics

Nominated
Best Fighter

---

WWE 2K24

Nominated
Best Fighter

---

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

Nominated
Best Fighter

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Indika

Nominated
Best Adventure Game
Best New Character
Best Atmosphere
Best Story
Best Indie Game

---

Riven (2024)

Nominated
Best Adventure Game

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Timemelters

Nominated
Best Multiplayer Game

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Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Nominated
Best Multiplayer Game

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Granblue Fantasy: Relink

Nominated
Best Action-Adventure Game

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Black Myth: Wukong

Nominated
Game of the Year
Best Action Adventure Game
Best New Character
Best Graphics, Technical

---

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Nominated
Game of the Year
Best Single Player Game
Best RPG
Most Exciting Return
Best Graphics, Technical
Best Voice Acting
Best Story
Best Multi-Platform Game

---

Animal Well

Nominated
Best Platformer
Best Indie Game

---

Nine Sols

Nominated
Best Platformer

---

Anomaly Agent

Nominated
Best Platformer

---

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell

Nominated
Best Platformer

---

Dragon’s Dogma II

Nominated
Most Exciting Return
Best RPG
Best Multi-Platform Game

---

Beyond Galaxyland

Nominated
Best RPG

---

Mullet Mad Jack

Nominated
Best Rogue-Like
Best Shooter

---

Halls of Torment

Nominated
Best Rogue-Like

---

BlazBlue: Entropy Effect

Nominated
Best Rogue-Like

---

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island

Nominated
Best Rogue-Like

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Nominated
Best Platformer

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl

Nominated
Best Shooter
Best Multi-Platform Game
Most Exciting Return
Best Atmosphere

---

Skull and Bones

Nominated
Most Disappointing Game

---

Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown

Nominated
Most Disappointing Game

---

South Park: Snow Day!

Nominated
Most Disappointing Game

---

UFO 50

Nominated
Best Indie Game

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Well here we are. This is the hardest category to pick and there are so many factors at play. Do I award the game with the best gameplay, the best story, the best graphics, or only pick a combination of one or two. I actually decide based on value and fun and any game that was brave enough to innovate or revolutionize the genre as a whole.

Astro Bot

How can the cutesy platformer win you ask? Well, by innovating and pushing a platform to do things it pushed back on for so long. For a while, Sony dominated the 3D platformer genre with the likes of Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, and Jak & Daxter. Astro Bot shows the suits at Sony that people care about their long lost properties and we need to bring them back. The game’s clear inspiration to Super Mario Galaxy is also not lost on Team Asobi. The games use of textures, fantastic physics and interia, and perfect level design create a game that I rarely ever get to experience anymore. A game that makes me not want to put the controller down, lose those couple of hours of sleep before or after work, and spend my entire weekends in front of my TV. Team Asobi did it and it’s something I haven’t experienced in well over a decade.

Runner-Ups

Silent Hill 2 (2024)

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Metaphor: ReFantazio

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Black Myth: Wukong

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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

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Helldivers II

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Tekken 8

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Stellar Blade

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

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Atmosphere in a game doesn’t always need to be scary, but often it is. Some of the worst game to be in are horror titles, but bright and colorful RPGs can suck you into their world with fantastic architecture and lore. There are many ways a game’s atmosphere can be alluring or dreadful, but the combining efforts of sound design, music, and art make a difference.

Silent Hill 2 (2024)

You could easily say that this one was a no-brainer, but not so fast. Bloober Team has made quite a few horror titles and only a couple had an engaging atmosphere. Silent Hill already has one of the most oppressing and horrifying atmospheres out there and with this being the most recent and up to date game in the series we get next-gen flair to pull us in even more. Some may say this is something they have dreaded all along. Some may adore this. Silent Hill 2’s fog combined with the claustrophobic nature of the buildings and familiarity to everyday life puts us in a position in the game that feels all to close to home.

Runner-Ups

Indika

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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl