2023 was one of the strongest years for gaming in recent memory, so 2024 had a high bar to meet. Luckily for us, over the past 12 months, we’ve seen another slew of remarkable titles released across systems. From the PS5 to Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch to Steam Deck (or one of the best gaming PCs), wherever you opt to play your games, there’s been an extraordinary amount of choice.
With so many high-quality releases across genres and platforms, picking out the best games of 2024 is no easy task. However, the Tom’s Guide staff got together, and after some intense discussion, we’ve put together a definitive list of our favorite games released this year. These picks cover PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and PC, and if you missed any of them, now is the perfect time to catch up before the first batch of new games launch in early 2025.
Best action game
Stellar Blade
Platform: PS5
Stellar Blade is one of the finest hack-n-slash adventure games I’ve played in years thanks to its engaging combat mechanics, phenomenal graphics and gripping narrative. It’s not reinventing the wheel in any area, but the craftsmanship on display marks it as a true “AAA” experience. There are a handful of endings to see and a slew of different costumes to unlock, which enhance replayability. Also, if you have a PS5 Pro, you can experience the game at full 4K resolution and higher than 60 frames per second. Stellar Blade is a well-rounded and enjoyable action game that every PS5 (and PS5 Pro) owner should check out. — Tony Polanco
Runners-up: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Black Myth: Wukong
Best RPG
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Atlus has managed to pull off quite the feat with Metaphor Re: Fantazio. Not only did the studio build an entirely new world with interesting characters in a gaming landscape increasingly filled with remasters and remakes but it also took the best parts of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series and incorporated them into this 80-hour-long role-playing epic. The result is a mix of both game’s battle systems with Persona’s relationship-building and time management set in a medieval yet futuristic world. Metaphor’s stylized graphics and menus give the game a real visual flair and it runs well on consoles and even older PCs. The game also tackled more adult themes and subjects while managing to bring politics and other big ideas into its story. — Anthony Spadafora
Runners-up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Dragon’s Dogma 2
Best racing/sports game
EA Sports College Football 25
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S
EA came into the season with a ton of expectations on its shoulders, perhaps too high, but more than delivered with the release of the first college football game in over a decade. College Football 25 finally brings back NCAA football to consoles. EA could have just rereleased NCAA 14 with a graphics overhaul, but it’s clear that the developers at EA Orlando took the time and were considerate about what makes a great football game.
Yes, there are flaws, but the fluid action on the field and the deep systems off the gridiron make for one of the best pigskin games in years. The inclusion of different broadcasters depending on the quality of a game is an awesome new feature. And Dynasty could be its own game with a deep recruiting system and new coaching archetypes that feel like a small RPG in the middle of a football sim. With other franchises steadily tromping through iterative releases, having an old franchise return with a total renovation feels fresh and exciting in the often stale world of sports games. Who needs Madden NFL 25? — Scott Younker
Runners-up: Top Spin 2K25, NHL 25
Best fighting game
Tekken 8
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tekken 8 is the latest and potentially greatest installment in the long-running fighting game franchise. Featuring a more aggression-focused playstyle than Tekken 7, this is a fighter for folks who want highly explosive matches that can potentially end in seconds. On top of that, it delivers another over-the-top but sincere story that pushes the overall narrative forward in interesting directions. There are a slew of offline modes for single-player-minded folks and buttery-smooth online if you want to face off against others—giving this game a ton of replay value. Thanks to its precise fighting mechanics, stunning graphics and variety of gameplay modes, Tekken 8 is undeniably the best fighting game of 2024. — Tony Polanco
Runners-up: Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes, Rivals of Aether II
Best shooter game
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Serise X/S
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 follows a tried and true formula. It’s divided into three parts — multiplayer, zombies and campaign and each mode is as good as the franchise has offered in years (plus, there’s Warzone, which is essentially its own game at this point). But at the end of the day, what makes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 the best shooter is how it feels to play. Call of Duty has always offered a masterclass in gunplay and movement feel. This entry takes it to another level with the introduction of the omni-movement system, giving it a clear leg up over every other shooter to hit the market in 2024. — Dave LeClair
Runners-up: Helldivers 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Best family game
Astro Bot
Platforms: PS5
The PS5 launched with a killer tech-demo platformer set within the core components of Sony’s colossal new console (Astro’s Playroom). Four years on, Team Asobi finally gifted PlayStation's newest mascot a full-size adventure and crafted one of the most fun games on the system in the process.
It's a platformer that controls really well playful power-ups, and inventive level design, and stands as a celebration of almost every major PlayStation franchise while also packing in plenty of personality, too. Joyous, inventive, and brilliant fun, Astro Bot is a wonderful platforming adventure that’s perfectly suited for all ages. You’ll have one hell of an adventure no matter if you're a seasoned platformer and can race through its worlds, or Astro Bot is the first time you've ever picked up a controller. — Martin Shore
Runners-up: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Mario Party Jamboree
Best VR game
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Platforms: Meta Quest 3/3S
Batman: Arkham Shadow fulfilled a childhood dream of mine (and many other nerds): Becoming the Dark Knight. I found 2024 an overall pretty disappointing year for VR gaming. Sony ignored the PSVR 2 like it was the PS Vita and rumors of a Half-Life Alyx sequel amounted to nothing but over on Meta Quest 3 developer Camouflaji delivered a superhero experience that was a much-needed reminder of just how special playing in VR can be.
Arkham Shadows isn’t a stripped-down take on the popular Arkham franchise either. It’s as full-featured as its precursors. That means you alternate between puzzle-solving (assisted by the infamous Detective Vision), stealth segments and beating the snot out of street-level thugs with your bat-glove-clad fists. Also packing a new Batman story incorporating an original villain and some old favorites, this Quest 3 exclusive truly lets you become the Bat. — Rory Mellon
Runners-up: Metro Awakening, Arizona Sunshine Remake
Best horror game
Still Wakes the Deep
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
When the Still Wakes the Deep trailer debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, it immediately caught my attention. I wasn’t expecting much going into it, but anything in the horror genre tends to grab me. To my surprise, this game completely exceeded my expectations. I was so hooked that I finished the game in one sitting.
Still Wakes the Deep delivers everything you would want from a horror game: pure terror, gore, and stunning voice acting that amplifies the experience tenfold. Combine that with a setting that triggers fears like vertigo, drowning, and claustrophobia, and you’re in for a truly nerve-wracking experience. I’d describe Still Wakes the Deep as "The Thing" meets Dead Space, set against the haunting backdrop of a crumbling oil rig in the North Sea during the 1970s. As an electrician trapped on the platform, you must navigate its collapse while fighting to protect your crew from an otherworldly horror. — Alix Blackburn
Runners-up: Silent Hill 2, Crow Country
Best narrative
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Any RPG that’s going to ask you to spend tens of hours exploring its vast world and chatting to its many denizens needs to have a good story to keep you locked, desperate to see what’s going to come next, and, in my opinion, Metaphor: ReFantazio had that from the off.
Swapping the Persona series’ real-world setting for that of the United Kingdom of Euchronia’s steampunk/science-fantasy environments, Metaphor wraps players up in an idealist quest for justice and equality. Euchronia’s a densely crafted world, full of lore to learn and fascinating characters to get to know (including some truly top-tier party members). The stakes are set high early on, and things only escalate as you continue. It’s a satisfying, well-written fantasy tale, and makes for an adventure worth taking. — Martin Shore
Runners-up: Silent Hill 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Best multiplayer game
Helldivers 2
Platforms: PC, PS5
Helldivers 2 is the logical choice for this award for the simple reason that it generates memorable moments at a clip that almost no other multiplayer games in 2024 could rival. I can still recall the situation in my very first online session with the third-person shooter when a teammate tried to takedown an oversized bug with a rocket launcher, totally missed and accidentally blew up a companion instead. And the memory still makes me laugh too.
That single scenario encapsulates the brilliance of Helldivers 2. I could fill a whole article recounting my epic failures and triumphant victories. But one area of Helldivers 2 that often goes unappreciated is the game’s community. In an often toxic gaming space, the players of Helldivers 2 are reliable allies always willing to squad up with strangers and help a new player learn the ropes, and that keeps me playing even when my friend list is offline. — Rory Mellon
Runners-up: Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Marvel Rivals
Best independent game
Balatro
Platforms: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
I was a latecomer to the Balatro party. While friends and colleagues raved about it in the spring, I didn’t declare “deal me in” until the mobile port was released in September. I couldn’t ignore the overwhelming hype any longer, so I brushed up on my poker knowledge and after just a single round, I was absolutely hooked on this roguelike deck-builder that takes poker fundamentals and twists the rules to create something familiar but fresh.
I love Balatro so much that the other week when I was playing on a busy train (the train was so packed that I was forced to stand), I was genuinely annoyed when we reached my destination because I didn’t want to stop playing. This charming little indie is the definition of a “one more round” experience, and its simple but vibrant art style adds to the package. And I can’t forget the excellent music or the phenomenal feedback on mobile devices. — Rory Mellon
Runners-up: Palworld, Thank Goodness You’re Here
Best graphics
Black Myth: Wukong
Platforms: PC, PS5
There was a ton of hype in the lead-up to the launch of Black Myth: Wukong, which proved entirely accurate as the game delivers an astounding experience built out with some of the most beautiful graphics in gaming this year. Developer GameScience did well in bringing one of China’s most legendary tales to life in a refreshing way utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to great effect. The game drops players into the boots of an anthropomorphic ape, ancestor to the legendary Sun Wukong, now on a quest to restore the surrounding landscape to a more peaceful setting.
Whether you’re a fan of Chinese mythology and the story of the Monkey King or you’re a Souls veteran itching for some newness while waiting for Elden Ring: Nightreign, Black Myth: Wukong scratches that itch tenfold. Wukong’s story is far more digestible and easier to follow, unlike Elden Ring or Dark Souls, plus it’s made all the better with tantalizing displays of grandeur in its various cutscenes punctuated with stunning animations following each new chapter. — Ryan Epps
Runners-up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Silent Hill 2
Game of the year 2024
Astro Bot
Platforms: PS5
Every so often a game comes around that not only tugs on your heartstrings but leaves an everlasting impression on you, to the point where it’s hard not to think about that game on a daily basis. That would have to be this year’s Astro Bot, Sony’s answer to a Super Mario Bros-esque platformer led by the talented Team Asobi. It aptly launched on the 30th Anniversary of PlayStation, pulling fans through a wonderful world that’s a love letter to PlayStation’s long history.
Team Asobi crafted a masterpiece, which hopefully is just the start of an exciting new legacy for the micro-sized mascot. Astro Bot takes you on a thrill ride featuring iconic characters from across the PlayStation universe, from Nathan Drak to Kratos, and even Bloodborne’s Lady Maria!
Filled with enjoyable puzzles, intriguing navigation across familiar worlds, and incredible characters from PlayStation’s storied experiences, Astro Bot is the PS5 feel-good game fans have longed for and it aptly sits at the top of this year’s impressive lineup. — Ryan Epps
Runners-up: Metaphor: Re Fantazio, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
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