Games That Stuck With Me In 2024
Every year,there are more amazing games than we can possibly fit into our annual Advent Calendar. These honorable mentions deserve recognition, which is why we have our Selection Boxes for 2024. My Selection Box picks are three games that didn’t make the Advent Calendar cut. While not necessarily “best of the year” contenders, these games each resonated with me deeply and defined my gaming experience in unique ways.
To The Core
I’ve found myself using the term “incremental games” quite a bit lately, and it’s been met with blank stares from some game journalists. It’s a fairly new term, an attempt to rebrand the often-misunderstood “idle game” genre. While “idle games” might imply pure passivity, most require some degree of player interaction, and “incremental games” seeks to better communicate that dynamic.
“To The Core” exemplifies this perfectly. Each descent to a planet’s core challenges you to skillfully navigate yoru craft, maximizing your chances of success.
Decisions about mineral pursuit, upgrades, and planetary targets add depth, while the ever-present possibility of failure provides a tangible measure of progress. It’s a light touch, but the experience evokes a nostalgic feel reminiscent of early 2000s PopCap games, perhaps if they’d ventured into the RPG genre.
The screen explodes with vibrant pixel art as you transform into a devastating force, unleashing missiles, lasers, and grenades like a futuristic vampire hunter. Is “To The Core” mindless fun? Perhaps. Personally, I’d argue that the dopamine rush of loot boxes and gambling mechanics found in some games are the true video game junk food. This game, along with other incremental titles like “The Gnorp Apologue”, feels more like the Huel of gaming.They fulfill your daily gaming quota with efficiency, but they don’t offer much nourishment for the soul.
Victory Heat Rally
Retro Racers That Grab My Attention
I’m always on the lookout for new retro racers, hoping to find one that truly captures the spirit of classic arcade games. Unfortunately, many fall short, struggling to create a truly engaging and satisfying driving experience. It’s harder than it looks to nail those handling mechanics!
