‘It changed my idea of what games can be’ – the 31 games readers couldn’t put down in 2024
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From the grisly Space Marine 2 to the glorious Metaphor: ReFantazio, it’s time for Pushing Buttons subscribers to share their games of the year. Happy Christmas, Pushing Buttons readers! My sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s read the newsletter this year, and to all our new subscribers. Writing this newsletter and reading your correspondence remains my favourite part of my job. It means a lot that so many of you have written in to say that you look forward to Pushing Buttons landing in your inbox every week.
![[Keza MacDonald]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/07/26/Keza_MacDonald.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Thank you also to the Guardian’s brilliant newsletter team, who have worked hard all year to get these missives to you on time even when I’ve submitted them horribly late. (I’m sorry, team. Relatedly: if games publishers could stop dropping huge news right around my deadline in 2025, that would be amazing.).
![[‘Like injecting happiness intravenously’ … Astro Bot.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e2b75b943f438acee93bd1011117453c1b06595a/120_0_3600_2160/master/3600.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
To cap the year off, we’ve got a bumper issue of readers’ favourite games of 2024. You can read my list here, and our critics’ list of games you may have missed here. I am once again impressed by your broad and interesting tastes. And so, it’s over to you.
![[Scenes from the game UFO 50.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/37067b4d2efc1dbc978799ffe56afa5872036fca/28_0_1879_1128/master/1879.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Sorry to be predictable, but my favourite game of this year was Astro Bot, no question. I took a break from it during an intense period of work, and coming back to it was like injecting happiness intravenously. – Kenny Park. . As a parent of a near two-year-old, my time for gaming seems to have evaporated. Fortunately, around the release time of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 I got a rare weekend off, locked myself away with two close friends and completed the co-op campaign and most of the co-op extra missions. While the game may not be particularly groundbreaking, the spectacle of the swarms of enemies, the big set piece monsters (or allies) and the sheer excitement of seeing a treasured universe brought to the screen made for a very memorable weekend. – Dan Chalaye.
![[‘Outstanding’ … Hades II.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/452440df7e4205ee449ac636518b9f892e8fc0a8/80_0_2400_1440/master/2400.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
