This year saw indie games receiving more and greater attention from the mainstream than arguably ever before. Our not-so-little corner of the industry was placed on global stages for all to see. It’s fortunate, then, that we got as many solid options as we did! Everything on our nominations list is worthy of note, but there can only be one! Or two, in most cases. Except for one particular award. You’ll see when you get there.

Programming note: We consider all games we played in 2024 for our awards, regardless of release date.

Kyle – MACHI KORO With Everyone – I’m a simple man in regards to board games.  I’m not for super intricate rules with long run times: sometimes I just want a quick romp and fun ways to financially obliterate my friends.  My love for Machi Koro has not been hidden in the past and the fact that it’s now doable to fire up Machi Koro online and play with anyone is immediately going to take over quick rounds of competition.  There are some things I hope they introduce in the future, but every game I’ve played has just reminded me how much I love this IP, and a readily available virtual version is just what I needed.

Demetri – Straftat – The modern boomer shooter revival has been a bit of a mixed bag, but one area where it’s been especially deficient is multiplayer. Straftat singlehandedly solves this with over 100 maps, several dozen weapons, and exactly one other opponent to slide-hop around. Most importantly, this might be the most I’ve ever laughed in an FPS. Racing through a maze of bulletproof doors that constantly squeak when you open or shut them, zipping through a teleporter to smash your friend over the head with a mace named The Oklahoma, and brawling on a never-ending Mario 64 slide had us frequently laughing so hard that we had to wait to start the next round so we could get air back in our lungs.

Kyle – Parking Garage Rally Circuit – I’ll need to get some checkered pants to match the checkered flags I’ve been grabbing while drifting through garages and etching my name on leaderboards.  The colorful, high-intensity instrumentals complimented by some trumpet-blasting Ska and vocals provided by Eric Daino and The Holophonics sets the mood perfectly to sprint through multiple laps.  Demetri and I will yell, “I’M NOT DOOOONE TIL’ I GET MY VICTORY LAP AROUND THE WORLD” at each other more than we probably should.

Demetri – Felvidek – Marcel Gidote’s Holy Crab provided the entire 12 track OST for Felvidek and they killed every single one while demonstrating a bonkers amount of versatility. From a wistful and melancholy adventuring score, to a surf-infused shredfest in combat, to some of the most intense atmospheric pieces you’ll ever hear in a video game. You’ll never know what you’re going to hear next but you’re guaranteed to always be grooving. I haven’t removed this from my game music rotation since I first heard it, and I’m not sure I ever will. God damn, Krčma goes so hard.

Demetri – Mouthwashing – Kyle was so affected by Mouthwashing that he sent it to me just so we’d be able to discuss it, and I am so…glad? That doesn’t feel like the right word to use anywhere near this game. It’s a brilliantly constructed work that makes excellent use of the medium, immersing you in the lives of its doomed crew in their ever-dwindling moments, gradually revealing the depths of their desperation and depravity minute by minute. Rare is the game with such a firm and masterful grasp of the knife it twists in your gut.

Kyle – Mouthwashing – It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game that said so much in such a small time window.  Not a word wasted, not a moment lost.  A game so deep that it demands a 2nd or 3rd playthrough to fully embrace it and you’re not disappointed to go another round.  The final act had my mouth agape and silent for most of it, and I can’t think of any other games that did this to me this year.  Masterful work.

Demetri – Path of Achra – I don’t even remember how I discovered Path of Achra and I don’t think I’ll ever truly escape its gameplay loop. The level of creativity it permits approaches that of Rift Wizard, but far more approachable without losing the wild results that make it so moreish. Even now it haunts my dreams, as I occasionally wake up, turn to my partner, and say something completely deranged like “what if you ran a martial goblin so you can eat all of your equipment to punch better”. And she understands, because she loves this one too.

Kyle – Balatro – I’m not entirely surprised that I ended up enjoying this game and putting almost 100 hours into it (it’s also on my phone, which is a terrible idea for my 9-5), but I’m surprised at how much this game exploded in the gaming community.  A simple premise of 5 card poker sent to cosmos with limitless opportunities via rule-changing Joker cards that scratches the itch of every roguelike player while being quick enough to run whenever but addictive enough to spend a whole night running sets.  I haven’t even gotten to the challenge portion of the game but I honestly don’t need to: just playing the different difficulties and mix and matching Jokers is such a magically fun experience that I’ll be good to do that until my cards start to fray.

Kyle – Ravenswatch – This one really hurt.  We spent a good bit of time playing the Early Access builds and really enjoyed the foundations of the product, but every update seemed to be 1-step forward, 2-steps back.  The sponge-ification of enemies to increase the Time-To-Kill to crunch your time limit on each stage, the stage setups never left that Alpha-stage dullness that is forgiven in Early Access, and the absolute lack of Boss diversity buried any good will the game had with its gameplay and design decisions.

Demetri – King of Tokyo: Duel – For a game to be truly disappointing there needs to be a threshold of expectations that it fails to meet. I certainly played worse games than KoT:D this year, but I never experienced a greater waste of design pedigree, established mechanics, or raw potential. This game plays like a contractual obligation and is exactly as fun.

Demetri – Neopets Battledome TCG – I have exactly zero nostalgic attachment to Neopets. Competitive card games, TCGs or otherwise, are an immensely competitive space that demand incredible design chops. This pack-cracker based on a 25 year old property, against all odds, manages to be the best of its kind that I’ve had the pleasure of sleeving up in years. It has taken root at our kitchen table and refuses to leave, constantly tempting us to tinker and go another round. It’s a better pet-fighter than Pokemon, better fighting game than Flesh and Blood, and better use of your time than Magic. More coverage for this one coming soon, stay tuned.

Demetri – UFO 50 – The phrase “greater than the sum of its parts” is rarely used for a game with parts this good, but it’s impossible to deny UFO 50‘s strength as a complete package. The meta layers as you explore the history of its fictional development studio, the thrill of dusting off discs for an unfamiliar console, watching the technology and design philosophies shift over time, all combine into a truly singular work unlike anything else I’ve ever played. Plus the games themselves are excellent! Mossmouth simply does not miss.

Kyle – Mouthwashing – This was an absolute no-brainer for me.  Never has 3 hours of gameplay done so much emotional damage to me and made me want to share these emotions with everyone who would listen to me.  The graphical aesthetic pulls you in to a crunchy, lofi space drama but you have no fucking idea what is in store for you.  The Tarantino-style timeline cuts lure you into epiphanies and jaw-dropping scenes that last long, long after the credits roll.  The soundtrack is spacey and gorgeous, the characters ooze personality at all ranges, and the writing is top-notch.  Pay full price for this.  Buy it for your friend.  Indulge at how awesome and fucking horrible characters are and can be.  Do whatever you gotta do, but take an afternoon and get on the bandwagon.  It’s worth every swig.

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2024 was a milestone in several regards, both for the industry and for our site itself. Our fifth year saw us welcoming 27,000 visitors across 36,500 reads, all without a single dime going to marketing. We are truly humbled and grateful for the continued attention we’ve been given, and look forward to writing just as much if not more next year. Thank you for reading!

May 2025 be a year of great games made by well-paid devs who never get laid off!