Top 5 Games I Played in 2024

It’s hard to believe, but 2024 is almost at an end. And you know what that means! It’s time for me to look back at the games I played this year (regardless of when they came out) and pick out the top 5 I enjoyed the most.

As always, I only count games I finished in 2024, which means I can’t count Metaphor: ReFantazio no matter how much I’m enjoying it. Maybe next year? We’ll see. For now, let’s focus on games I finished this year!

Honorable Mentions

I’d like to give two honorable mentions this year, first to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Fantastic game, and it’s an excellent shorter entry in the Yakuza series, but it just wasn’t enough to make my top 5. My other honorable mention goes to Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. Although it didn’t get onto this list, I enjoyed it and really hope the series continues.

So, which are my top 5 games this year?

5. Jack Jeanne

Jack Jeanne got an honorable mention last year, and after finishing it this February, it remains one of my favorites.

It is a lengthy game and the definition of a slow burn, an otome game that took me 74 hours to finish (and I usually get through visual novels on the faster end of things) despite not seeing 100% of the optional content.

It’s a game so long and slow-paced that I took breaks for whole other games in between routes to avoid burning out. It’s certainly not for everyone. And yet… sometimes I still miss it.

There was so much content, such wonderful dynamics between the characters, and of course, the epic musical performances, all of which made it something truly special.

You can read my review for my full thoughts on Jack Jeanne, but suffice it to say that even though I played most of it last year, I had to include it on this list. It was a wonderful experience, and I’m eagerly awaiting news on the sequel.

4. Alan Wake II

Despite my criticisms of how Alan Wake II left me with even more questions despite making us wait so many years to get this much (which I discussed in my review), I did enjoy it quite a bit – enough for me to realize it’s one of my favorite games I played this year. The atmosphere, the survival horror gameplay, the little humorous moments… it really was great.

And reading theories about certain characters afterwards was entertaining enough to make me even more intrigued about where the series is going next.

It was a great game for October and a great game overall. Here’s hoping we’ll be talking about Alan Wake III eventually.

3. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (official translation)

This is a magical moment.

Last year, the game I ranked third on my list was Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (fan translation). I then said, “Maybe this time next year, we’ll be eagerly anticipating an Ace Attorney Investigations collection.” I never imagined it would actually already be out.

Am I cheating by putting the same game among my top 5 two years in a row? Maybe. But I played Investigations 2 again through the collection and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s an excellent game, and the official translation is wonderful.

Okay, let’s see if we can do it two years in a row! Ahem! Maybe this time next year, we’ll be eagerly anticipating The Great Ace Attorney Investigations!

(Don’t look at me like that. It’s possible!)

2. Lost Judgment

Even with Gaiden only getting an honorable mention and me not finishing Infinite Wealth in time for it to even qualify for the list, RGG Studio can’t help but make it into my top 5 anyway. This was the year I finally played Lost Judgment, and I loved it.

Although I have some criticisms of the story, it’s still so much fun and has so much good stuff that I’d recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Its story DLC is also great.

The humor, the side content, and yes, some aspects of the story all come together to make Lost Judgment one of the best games I played this year. Not the best, however. That honor goes to…

1. Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter

It took me long enough to finally resume progressing through the Trails series, but now that I’ve played Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter, I can’t praise it enough.

As you’ll see in my full review, it’s an excellent sequel that builds upon everything from the first game while also delivering so many more exciting moments.

Add in some fun gameplay additions, tons upon tons of NPC dialogue, and a few other neat aspects, and it really stood out.

Taking me around 90 hours to beat, it made up a significant chunk of my 2024 gaming, but it was worth it. I’m already gearing up to start the next game in the series. Will Trails make my list again next year? We’ll see, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it did.

Conclusion

I didn’t play as many games in 2024 as I usually do, but I did play quite a few excellent ones. Jack Jeanne, Alan Wake II, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Lost Judgment, and Trails in the Sky SC ended up being my top 5, but what about you? What are the best games you played this year?