Top 5 Games You Shouldn’t Overlook In 2024

As the calendar turns to 2024, it’s hard not to think this year in gaming is destined to live in the shadow of 2023. With so many incredible video games released last year, the release schedule this year looks a little…sparse, if we’re being charitable. Ah, but in between the inevitable AAA studio releases like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and other games with shorter, non-colonated* titles like Tekken 8, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Skull and Bones, Dragon’s Dogma II, and uh…Rugrats Adventures in Gameland(?) there will still be games that may go overlooked by the general gaming populace. And we here at FilmIronic won’t stand for it, I tells ya! So once again, it falls to me to sift through the rest of the year’s release schedule and come up with a list of the best games you should keep an eye out for. In case you’re new around here, these games will all be new games, not remakes, remasters, or reimaginings, so no Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered, or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – not that those games are likely to go overlooked anyway. Oh, and if you really are new here, be sure to check out our lists from previous years – there are some games that still haven’t released even now!

*I made up the word “colonated” to mean having a colon. It’s the two dots…look, I just noticed that there were a bunch of big games with super wordy titles that all had a colon smack dab in the middle and other games with relatively short titles without the need for a colon, so I invented a new word. Shakespeare did that, you know.

Anyway, on with the list, but first some…

Honorable mentions

Games I’ve written about before

Nine Sols (PC, Switch, PlayStation), Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (PlayStation, Xbox, PC), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Xbox, PC), Little Nightmares III (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC)

Okay, so I technically haven’t written about Little Nightmares III before, but I did write about Little Nightmares II and basically everything I said about that game applies here – namely, it looks spooky, atmospheric, and overall like more of the same from Supermassive Games. As for the other three games, what more is there to say? I wrote about them in the past and they still look good, so go read what I had to say back when I was a less sleep-deprived, subtly better-looking version of myself.

Games that don’t appear on lists like this anymore

Pony Island 2: Panda Circus (PC), Tales of the Shire (PlayStation, PC, Xbox), The Wolf Among Us 2 (PlayStation, PC, Xbox), Penny’s Big Breakaway (PlayStation, Switch, PC, Xbox)

My thinking and writing about overlooked games has evolved over time, and I’d like to think in the many, many iterations of this article that I’ve written, I’ve learned some things about what constitutes an overlooked game. So Pony Island 2, which was just announced at The Game Awards? Almost certainly not out this year, so I’m not putting it on the list, no matter how much I love the original from Inscryption and The Hex developer Daniel Mullins Games. Lord of the Rings-based Tales of the Shire is supposed to be released this year, but there just isn’t enough to go on to justify including it – I’m not getting my hopes up too high based on a 43-second trailer that doesn’t even show gameplay, especially after the unmitigated disaster that was Gollum. The Wolf Among Us 2 may not be a game a lot of people are looking forward to or even one that a lot of people will play due to its choose-your-own-adventure-style gameplay (like the original, you won’t be surprised to learn this game is from the relaunched Telltale Games, with one of its spiritual successors, AdHoc Studio, at the helm this time around), but it’s being published by Warner Bros. Interactive, so it’s too mainstream to count as “overlooked” in the same way the other games on this list most likely will be. Penny’s Big Breakaway might not have a huge studio backing it, but Evening Star Studio was responsible for the incredibly well-received Sonic Mania, so there will be plenty of interest in their first solo project. All four of these games are still worthy of attention, of course, which is why I’m talking about them here, but I’m putting my foot down about including their ilk in one of these lists. Well, unless I relax my standards at some point in the future. Who can tell what future me might do? Certainly not present-day me.

Été (PC)

I took French in high school (note: “été” means “summer” which is something I remembered and didn’t have to translate, trust me), and I appreciate a good art-inspired game, so of course this game looks great to me. Much like last year’s Dordogne, a game that I strongly considered and yet managed to leave out of both my “games not to overlook” and “most overlooked games” lists, Été promises a beautiful watercolor aesthetic and immaculately chill vibes. Developer Impossible (presumably not the meat alternative company but you can never tell how these brands might diversify their portfolios these days) calls it a “painting & adventure game” so we’ll see how those two elements play together in the finished game. From the previews we’ve seen so far, it seems like the player will be tasked with finding certain objects or elements of their surroundings to serve as inspiration for their paintings. There also looks to be a dialogue system when getting to know your neighbors, to whom you are attempting to sell your works, and this will presumably play into the story of the young painter spending a summer abroad in Montréal to experience the wonders it has in store. No word yet if the game includes any recognizable Montréal landmarks like Notre-Dame Basilica, Olympic Stadium, or Tim Horton’s.

Botany Manor (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC)

Lest you think that I’m only interested in artsy French/Canadian exploration games, Balloon Studios’ Botany Manor is an artsy British exploration game. So yeah, totally different, see? It looks like this game will revolve around the player figuring out how to grow different plants while exploring a mansion in the English countryside. Growing plants will function like a puzzle in which the player will have to find and interpret clues to figure out what kind of environment is needed for each to thrive. It also seems like the background of your character, a retired botanist named Arabella, will unfold the more you learn and explore, though whether it’s just musings from her career or there’s a more sinister subplot involving poison, espionage, and nuclear secrets, who can say? I mean, I can say whatever I want at this point because it’s not due to be released until later this year, but I suspect the latter scenario is pretty unlikely. Most likely the game will focus on cozy vibes, a chill atmosphere, and some puzzles that require lateral thinking to push the player to fill out their virtual greenhouse, but you never know if there might be bodies buried just under the topsoil. (Probably not. But maybe? Almost certainly no. But…)

Forgotlings (PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, PC)

Forgotton Anne (not a typo) was a solid 2018 2D platformer that introduced us to the world where forgotten objects go when lost, a liminal space appropriately known as the Forgotten Lands. But this is a list about 2024 games, not 2018 games, so let’s talk about the sort of sequel-esque Forgotlings, which was the name given to the misplaced objects that came to life in the original. This time around, the player will be put in control of Fig, a modeling doll with its face in its stomach for some reason. Everything that made Forgotton Anne recommendable is still here – the Studio Ghibli-ish visual style, the cast of quirky sentient objects, the focus on 2D traversal. But Forgotlings looks to spice things up by introducing Metroidvania elements, a living ship to transport you around the game map, stealth and turn-based combat options, and a story focused on the danger these misplaced objects face as a dark threat looms over the Forgotten Lands. If you’ve ever wanted to see the misfit toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer reimagined in a hand-drawn anime style, that’s an oddly specific thing to want, but this is the game for you. And hey, with this game having the dreaded release date of “to be announced” you probably have time to go back and play the original, which is fairly short but worth your time too. Consider that a retroactive game not to overlook for 2018, back before I started writing these lists.

Now to the top 5!

5. Open Roads (PlayStation, Switch, PC, Xbox)

Narrative-heavy indie adventure games have been on a good run lately, and developer Open Road Team (an offshoot of the Fullbright Company) figures to continue that trend with its lovingly hand-drawn road trip adventure, the aptly named Open Roads. The narrative centers on mother-daughter duo Opal (voiced by Keri Russell) and Tess Devine (voiced by Kaitlyn Dever, who has just been announced to play Abby in season two of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation in a bit of video game-related serendipity). These two characters must overcome their tense relationship to work together as they seek to uncover familial secrets that may have been better left buried and solve mysteries that may have been better left unsolved. As gorgeous as the sun-soaked visuals look, there is an intriguing darkness lingering around the edges of this game that really sends the imagination racing. Given that many of the developers who worked on this game also worked on Gone Home, another mysterious and somewhat ominous exploration game, it would not surprise me if the revelations end up having more to do with relationships between the family members rather than anything overtly scary. But hey, maybe they threw in an Eldritch abomination or two just to spice things up. Maybe Tess had a great-uncle who was a zombie werewolf. Maybe Opal spends the whole road trip picking up drifters to sacrifice to Ītzpāpalōtl, the skeletal Aztek goddess of the stars. (Wow, I’m really out here baselessly speculating about sinister subplots in otherwise cozy-looking video games. 2024 is already wild, y’all.) Anyway, we won’t know for sure what sorts of mysteries will unfold until the game releases on February 22nd.

4. Dustborn (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)

Oh hey, another indie road trip adventure game, how original! Okay, okay, Dustborn is wildly different than Open Roads despite the basic genre similarities. In this case, developer Red Thread Games (previously known for The Longest Journey saga) envisions a dystopian world in which the United States has become divided, technology runs rampant, and guns are everywhere. Oh, but it’s set in an alternate timeline, in case you thought that description just sounds like everyday modern American life. You play as Pax, an operative for the resistance recruiting others to join the cause under the guise of a touring punk band (even though punk is famously apolitical, of course) as they seek to deliver a mysterious MacGuffin that will presumably help to undermine the oppressive Justice faction. One of the tools in Pax’s arsenal is the ability to create words imbued with power, whether to aid in combat or to manipulate a conversation in your favor. This linguistic fighting system contributes to the game’s comic book art style as words like “BLOCK” appear in large onscreen text each time the “shout” mechanic is deployed. The other characters you recruit along the way are a diverse bunch, which should allow for the exploration of some interesting dynamics between the members of the crew, and the themes of authoritarianism and oppression figure to be relevant to our experiences of life in real-world 2024. Overall, Dustborn looks like an action-packed adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously or shy away from using cartoony visual elements in its portrayal of complex social issues. If that sounds like something you’d be into, keep an eye out for a firm release date as it is currently listed as “coming soon” on Steam.

3. Still Wakes the Deep (PlayStation, PC, Xbox)

You would think with how much attention I’ve paid to games like Silt and Dredge in recent years that I’d be done with spooky ocean-based games, but I’ll stop writing about them when developers stop making them look so good, y’know? Still Wakes the Deep comes from developers The Chinese Room, known for its moody atmospheric games like Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Dear Esther, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. Their newest game is set on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland during a terrible storm that has cut off the remaining workers from the rest of the world, and something is out there. Or maybe it’s already on board. Maybe it’s behind you right now! (Did you look? I’m not saying I really expect you to, but it would really speak to my writing abilities if you did. Like a real ego boost. But no worries if you didn’t.) The graphics on display here are truly impressive – you can feel the rust and dripping water from watching the trailer alone, which is going to be crucial to maintaining an atmosphere of dread and isolation in a first-person horror experience like this. The oil rig setting also offers two distinct atmospheres, with the interior feeling dark and claustrophobic with numerous hiding places for whatever is stalking you to jump out of and the exterior feeling frigid and slippery as if a single wrong step could send you plummeting to your doom in the icy waters below. That is, if you aren’t impaled on a broken railing on the way down or swallowed up by some unimaginable horror before you even hit the waves. Yeah, just think about that when you’re trying to sleep toni–IT’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU! (Did you look that time? Please tell me I’m good at this.)

2. Ultros (PlayStation, PC)

If you’ve read basically anything I’ve written, it’s statistically likely to be about wrestling. I write about that a lot. Oh, but if you’ve read basically anything I’ve written about video games, you probably know that I like Metroidvanias a lot. So of course Ultros, an upcoming 2D Metroidvania from development studio Hadoque, was always going to be on my radar. But let’s be real here – getting my attention isn’t the only criteria for inclusion on this list. No, there has to be something unique enough that I feel like the broader public should be made aware of it. If only there were some unique selling point for Ultros that I could think of to mention…hmm…oh! What about the fact that it’s trippy as balls? With art direction from Hotline Miami composer El Huervo, this game looks like if Hollow Knight had a baby with Dead Cells and then that baby took a whole bunch of acid. (Note: do not give acid to an actual baby. Or try to get two video games to make a baby, for that matter.) Like, did you watch that gameplay trailer up there? What even is this game? What am I even looking at here? Why are my teeth itchy, my eyes dehydrated, and my hands simultaneously numb and totally in tune with the vibrations of the universe? Oh, that last one might have been all the LSD. (Note: I’m not really on LSD, promise. Don’t do drugs, kids. At least not until your brain is fully developed.) But really, I’m pretty sure this game looks like nothing you or I have ever seen before. Even the description of the game is enough to trip you out – it’s set in a “cosmic uterus” in which “intense combat is juxtaposed with cultivating greenery and tending to plant life” to allow yourself “precious moments of contemplation and peace”? Like, far out, man! If you’re interested in turning down the volume on your mind and turning up the color saturation on the universe, you won’t have to wait too much longer as Ultros releases on February 13th.

1. The Plucky Squire (Switch, PlayStation, PC, Xbox)

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before (not sure when, but that’s probably because I’m still coming off the contact high of the previous entry) that I’m a former English teacher, so I am always a sucker for a storybook-style game, especially one with as innovative a twist as The Plucky Squire. The conceit here is that Jot, the main character of the titular fairy tale, is forcibly expelled from the book by main antagonist Humgrump (A+ storybook villain name there) and must explore the 3D world outside of its pages to find his way back into the story and save the day. If developer All Possible Futures was simply content with creating a 2D action/adventure game, the hand-drawn art style alone would make it stand out from the pack. If the game was just a 3D action platformer, it would draw favorable comparisons to the Link’s Awakening remake. But what makes this game really remarkable is the fact that it’s both at the same time…and even more. The game also looks to feature sections that blend 2D and 3D in which Jot is walking on top of the book’s pages, puzzles that require the player to fill in a word in the book in order to progress, and a Punch-Out-esque fight against…is that a honey badger? There is a sense of whimsy, wonder, charm, and humor that suffuses the entire project, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself. Well, I can wait, actually, which is good because The Plucky Squire doesn’t yet have an official release date. Ah well, I guess my desire for childlike wonderment will have to go unfulfilled a little while longer.

So those are the games I think will be worth watching out for in 2024. If you’ve made it this far, I’ll reward you with one more bonus recommendation that you won’t have to wait all year for – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, the sequel to Snoozy Kazoo’s hilarious and delightfully named Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, which released in 2021 and probably should have merited a mention on one of that year’s lists. The sequel releases on January 18th, which is like…tomorrow by the time I finally get this published. Jeez, time always gets away from me around this time of year. Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a great 2024! Game on, gamers!