2024 may have come and gone in a flash, but it was quite an interesting year in the world of indie games. From 20th century Polish demon-wizards and drunken medieval knights to underworld janitors cleaning up murder sites, we saw a wide selection of heroes and anti-heroes that gave us a similarly wide selection of unique experiences. So, with the memories of these titles still fresh (or at least semi-fresh) in our minds, let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane and relive the very best gaming experiences of the previous year.
Crime Scene Cleaner (Our review)
You might be surprised, but this is my personal game of the year. Okay, so if you just went “what the...”, allow me to elaborate. Crime Scene Cleaner is not just a boring cleaning sim. Of course, cleaning plays a major role in it, and it is indeed what you’ll be doing 90% of the time, but the way it’s all presented is pure gold. Each mission is an elaborate, multi-layered puzzle box – the crime has already happened, people have died, and you’re looking at the aftermath, piecing things together. The crime thriller aspect of the game mixes beautifully with the genuinely soothing, almost therapeutic nature of the cleaning process, and the result is something very difficult to explain, but I know I loved every second of it.
The Thaumaturge (Our review)
The Thaumaturge caught me off guard. Its premise was nothing if not intriguing, of course: you play as the troubled thaumaturge Wiktor, who had lost contact with his personal salutor (a “demon” under his influence), and returns to his hometown of Warsaw to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his father’s death. This catapults him into a whirlwind of political intrigue and various life-threatening scenarios, and the game does an excellent job of marrying actual historical facts with The Thaumaturge’s own blend of the supernatural. Despite its technical problems and various other issues, I still found the game to be one of the most memorable titles of 2024, and would happily recommend it to RPG and storytelling enthusiasts looking for something markedly different.
INDIKA (Our review)
Oh boy, INDIKA. A game about a nun who has to listen to the voice of the devil as it keeps yapping in her ear. What’s more, the story takes place in the snowy landscapes of an alternate 19th century Russia, and the entire thing is presented with a uniquely hilarious tragicomic style. Oh, and there’s splashes of retro art and chiptunes, too. Yes, I know. But to quote a certain famous game designer, it just works. For the most part, anyway: my biggest gripe with this otherwise boldly brilliant game is that it should’ve been way bolder. I expected more craziness, more hijinks, more tonal whiplash. Alas, nothing is perfect, but INDIKA still remains one of the highlights of the year.
Death of the Reprobate (Our review)
Sometimes, you play a game that simply does whatever it wants without a care in the world – Death of the Reprobate is one such game. Mixing absurdist comedy with a visual style inspired by classical art, this unique take on point & click adventures stars a wealthy nobleman on a misguided quest to perform good deeds – but as you might imagine, things don’t exactly go as you might expect. Death of the Reprobate is outrageously and unapologetically funny, and every time you think it can’t get any more ridiculous, it does. This one comes highly recommended from me.
Felvidek (Our review)
You might be noticing a trend here – I enjoy games that offer something surprising and unexpected. Felvidek is no different in this regard: its visuals give the impression of a fairly standard retro-style RPG set in medieval Europe, but it ends up being so much more than that. With its moderately challenging turn-based combat, zany dialogue scenes and Monty Python-esque humor, as well as a surprisingly twisty-turny plot that ends up revolving around a supernatural threat, Felvidek was an experience like no other.
Firebat Revolution (Our review)
Firebat Revolution is the perfect nostalgic throwback: inspired by classic brick breakers (think Arkanoid), this extremely well-made game was an absolute joy to play through. It takes the evergreen basics of the genre and elevates them to new heights in all sorts of creative ways that made me excited to tackle every new level the campaign threw at me. There’s honestly never a dull moment in Firebat Revolution, and once you really get into it, the game becomes very difficult to put down.
… what about 2025?
And that’s our list – the absolute winners of 2024 in our eyes. But what about 2025? Well, there are already a few projects we’ve taken note of. Alabaster Dawn is a JRPG from the creators of the popular CrossCode, and it’s looking even more ambitious than its predecessor. I’m also very much looking forward to the sequel to Kathy Rain, as the first installment was very much enjoyable, and I’m hopelessly attracted to gorgeous pixel art – while the project has no specific release date yet, I’m hoping we’ll hear more about it soon. Blade Chimera will be Team Ladybug’s new project, and despite some issues I had with it, I did generally enjoy their previous title (Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth), so I’m willing to bet this one will be similarly fun. Civilization VII is another big release of the year, and since a number of team members here at GTOGG are huge fans of the franchise, you can probably imagine their excitement over the follow-up. To conclude, 2025 could indeed be yet another productive year in the world of video games, and I’m very much looking forward to its upcoming lineup of games – especially if it’s going to be filled with creative, unexpected and bold ideas. Because that’s the good stuff, you see.
