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METROJust as Christmas is much less enjoyable for the person who has to organize all the gifts and prepare dinner, the game time of year is quite intimidating for the people who have to make the short lists. Every November, I count down all the acclaimed games of the year that I have yet to play, the underground recommendations I have yet to follow, and the games I loved in February but forgot about. I feel a growing panic. And when all the year-end lists come out, I inevitably discover that I’ve missed something anyway.
The Game Awards have just announced the nominations for this year’s ceremony, which will take place on December 12 in Los Angeles. (Disclosure: The Guardian is one of 130 voting outlets for the awards, but my knowledge and involvement with them is limited to sending Geoff Keighley our ballots each year, usually a day or two late. Sorry, Geoff) . There are few surprises in the nominations, but I’m glad that one of the two most nominated games is Astro Bot, with seven nominations, a game that can’t get enough praise as far as I’m concerned. (The other is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, nominated for six awards, which our reviewer called a miracle of fan service; alas, I remain immune to Final Fantasy’s charms despite many attempts over the years to break in. in it).
The other game of the year nominees are Balatro, the ridiculously compulsive card game that took over my life in January; Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the expansion to 2022’s action RPG masterpiece; Metaphor: ReFantazio, the tremendously elegant RPG from Atlus that I wrote about a few weeks ago; and Black Myth: Wukong, a huge success this summer, despite the significant controversy surrounding its development and release.
This is a close competition, but my money is on Shadow of the Erdtree for the grand prize, because that game is especially beloved by critics, although I’d be delighted if Astro Bot won. The dark horse is Balatro. Everyone I know has lost a week or two in that game, but its charm disappeared the moment I won it. However, there is a public vote that is worth 10% of the weighting, which significantly push Black Myth: Wukong, given its huge fan base in China.
On the other hand, I was happy to see Neva, the game about a warrior and her wolf that made me cry, nominated for best art direction, best independent game, and the confusing impact games category. This last list is supposed to be “for a thought-provoking game with a prosocial meaning or message,” but it seems to have become a catch-all category for “games that involve emotions.” I’ve played most of the games nominated in that category already) I don’t know what unites them and b) I couldn’t tell you what “prosocial” means in this context.
Indika is a darkly fascinating horror game about a 19th century nun who attacks the Russian Orthodox Church; Hellblade II, like its predecessor, portrays its main character’s struggles with psychosis; Tales of Kenzera: Zau is about grief and is inspired by its creator’s African heritage; Closer the Distance is also about pain; I guess Neva could be interpreted as environmentalist and has a bit of loss too. However, I can’t determine what message Life Is Strange: Double Exposure has in this regard.
Otherwise, welcome surprises are few and far between. The spooky exploratory puzzle game Animal Well appears in the best indie game, as does Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, an unpredictable mystery set in an abandoned hotel, and UFO 50, the absurdly generous compilation of ’80s-style games from Mossmouth. Pacific Drive, the spooky weird fiction road trip where you constantly repair and reinforce an old car that’s falling apart, also made the list of best debut games. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown deserves its recognition as best action game, although I was very disappointed that Dragon’s Dogma II only made it to best role-playing game.
AND, of course, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is nominated for the best mobile game award. I’ve been playing a couple of hours every day since it came out (and still you don’t have a shiny Articuno).
Video Games Chronicle has compiled a easy to analyze list of all categories and nominations. But if the Game Awards seem too commercial for you, a new awards show will debut this year. The independent game awards will celebrate the “creativity, innovation and passion” of smaller-scale game developers, and the nominees have just been announced. Cuts chosen from the best game category: Mouthwashing, a horror game that follows the doomed crew of a space freighter in their final days together; Arranger, an innovative puzzle role-playing game; and the action game Nine Sols, a sort of cross between Hollow Knight and Sekiro, which I’ve been meaning to try all year.
Tell us your favorites…
Before I get back to my own intimidating lists, as always, I’ll mention Pushing Buttons readers’ favorite games of 2024 in the late December newsletter. Start sending them with a few sentences about what they meant to you and look for results within weeks.
what to play
I am still fascinated by He The rise of the golden idolA gruesome and strange detective story that is sort of a mix of logic puzzles, fill-in-the-blank clues, and a hidden object game. Each case is presented in tableau form, an animated painting in a style I can’t quite put my finger on but that reminds me of some sort of twisted version of Grant Wood’s painting: American Gothic..
Characters are frozen in a loop for a few seconds right at the moment of a crime, or immediately after, and you must figure out who everyone is, why they are there, and what the hell happened. It all feeds into a larger narrative about corruption, deceit, and a cursed object. This game often makes me feel very stupid (I don’t have a big brain for names and details) but I’ve followed it anyway, because it’s very unusual and challenges me in a way that few other games have.
Available in: Smartphones (with Netflix subscription), PCs, consoles
Estimated playing time: 12 hours
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what to read
to celebrate world of warcraftOn the anniversary, Blizzard re-released Warcraft and Warcraft II with updated graphics. Unfortunately, everyone hates them. valves Half life 2 the anniversary update was much better; the venerable game simply broke the multi-year simultaneous player record in steam.
TO minecraft theme park is scheduled to open in the UK in 2026 or 2027. I’m already breaking out in a cold sweat imagining the crowds at half-term.
Another video game event bites the dust: WASDa much-loved indie-focused showcase for PC gaming, no longer exists.
A useful explanation of RobloxUpcoming “improved” parental controls.
What to click
Question block
I’ll answer a new question next week, but for now I have a few reader recommendations in response to the last blocks of questions. First, some additional suggestions for Jonny’s wife, who is looking for a game like Civilization VI but not as relaxed:
“I have small children and Null Earth It really meets my ‘greatly reduced god game’ requirements. Plus, it’s completely kid-friendly, of any age, really. It’s not an exact replacement for Civ, but it has pretty much the same vibe.” –Charlie
“I would recommend Polytopia. It can be played like a fast-running Civ, but otherwise it’s basically like classic Civ. However, it eliminates the difficulty and is quite calm. Other advantages: technology stops before weapons and various civilizations have their own technology trees. One group ends up with dragons. Others are a group of insectoid aliens that I have yet to properly master. The most important thing is that it is a fairly immediate game. I loved it as a huge Civ II fan who wants to love Civ VI but doesn’t have the time for it. But I can always spare a few minutes for a Polytopia battle.” -Craig
And a couple for reader Lewis, who was looking for good puzzle games to play games on your phone without being affected by horrible ads:
“Solomon’s Cemetery and Solomon’s Keep They are brilliant! Favorites of mine and my friends. The first is the better of the two, but if you’re not a fan of infinite modes, the second might be more suitable for you.” – Timothy
If you have a question for the ask block, or anything else to say about the newsletter, hit reply or email us at pushbuttons@theguardian.com.