Playing video games is a beautiful hobby with its fair share of moments, and 2024 had a lot of them. Be it fan-favorite characters surviving, an indie game becoming a sensation, or banding together to push back invaders, 2024 provided some of the best games out there!
Naturally, you’d expect a website like ours to do a Game of the Year list. However, after a serious discussion with the editor (read – threatening him at gunpoint), we decided to do something else. So, here are ten of our favorite moments from 2024, which made gaming a fun hobby on PC, consoles, and everywhere else!
1. A card game became one of the hottest video games of 2024
When Balatro dropped for PC and consoles, no one expected the game to be a big productivity hurdle. After all, we’ve got so many roguelike card games over the years, but nothing has captured everyone’s hearts and minds like Balatro.
And when the game dropped for mobile phones, it was a sight to behold. People took pictures of playing in concerts, at their vacation beach house, and between office meetings. Without a doubt, this silly card game with a lot of jokers became a video gaming sensation in 2024.
Therefore, it isn’t surprising that Balatro would go on to win tons of accolades, garner everyone’s attention and appreciation, and prove that gaming is all about fun and enjoyment.
2. Ben Starr starred in games and advertisements
If we are conversing about video game moments from 2024, I think I have to include the beautiful human being Ben Starr. From starring in Final Fantasy 16 as Clive to his random X meme-posting, this person hasn’t lost a single edge.
Ben Starr has become a beloved gaming sensation who isn’t shy of sharing dad jokes and jokes that I genuinely don’t understand but look at with awe. With 2025 rolling in, I cannot wait to play games voiced by this person. And yes, he does a brilliant Jimbo impression.
3. Kazuma Kiryu from Like a Dragon still has it in him even in 2024
Before Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth dropped, everyone had two reactions – excitement and concern. Sega ensured everyone knew this was the final game of the long-time series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. And why, you ask? Well, he got cancer and only a few months to live.
And right after you finished the game, surprise, surprise! Kazuma Kiryu is not dead and probably appears as a side character in the next Yakuza/Like a Dragon game. Hopefully, we see him sitting in Sunshine Orphanage beside his grandson Haruto when the next game launches.
Some might point out this as an excuse to add Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth to this list. As a long-standing fan of the series, Kiryu’s surviving death was nothing short of a defining video game moment for me in 2024 and possibly most people.
4. Co-op games were the talk of the town
2024 saw many co-op video games taking center stage for fun experiences, with some becoming a pop-culture phenomenon. Players band together to push back enemies in Helldivers; scientists having difficulty surviving in Abiotic Factors, etc., were some of the defining moments of early 2024.
While other games have taken over the limelight from these games themselves, we cannot deny that the first half of 2024 in video games was fun, thanks to co-op games.
5. It was a glorious time for Warhammer 40K fans
When discussing great 2024 video game moments, I think dismissing Saber Interactive’s Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 (our glorious review) from this list isn’t a choice. Oozing out of a lot of Ultra Marine goodness, Space Marine 2 squeezed together everything that made gaming fun in the Xbox 360 era into a title for 2024.
You got a solid campaign with charismatic Ultra Marine Titus and his cohorts, a brilliant co-op experience, and a fun online PvP experience. Warhammer 40K, Space Marine 2, somehow managed to cement itself as one of the greatest games of 2024 and a great Warhammer 40K adaptation.
6. Monkey!
Ah, yes, Black Myth Wukong (our review). This game caused strides across the gaming landscape in 2024 in many forms. For some, it was a solid boss-rush action-adventure game featuring a beloved mythological creature. For others, it was an emotion for those who’ve grown up watching or reading Journey to the West.
In many ways, Black Myth Wukong presented a solid gaming experience that stuck in most people’s minds. It showed everyone that East Asia will slowly become one of the next hubs for great games in the coming years.
7. A solid Game Awards to close the year
Last year’s Game Awards received a lot of flak for the stage time, cut-off speeches for winners, and more ads than actual awards. However, Geoff Keighley took those criticisms this year and provided one of the best Game Awards in the last couple of years.
Winners spoke their hearts out, stage times weren’t cut, and announcements weren’t disappointing. We got fewer ads, and Geoff Keighley finally acknowledged the industry problems in some sense! It was truly a video game moment of 2024 if you ask me.
8. Capcom didn’t forget about the Oni Gauntlet and Ametarasu
For years, fans of Onimusha and Okami have been asking Capcom for anything related to these franchises. And just when everyone thought that the Japanese developer would once again announce a Resident Evil remake or Monster Hunter game, the unthinkable happened.
Not only did Onimusha make a comeback in the form of a brand-new upcoming title named Onimusha: The Way of the Sword, but the Okami sequel became a reality and almost made Geoff Keighley tear up. Two games, which many thought wouldn’t be a thing in the new Capcom, are finally coming out soon!
9. SEGA finally does something with Virtua Fighter
For years, many haven’t heard about Virtua Fighter in any shape or form. Virtua Fighter has stayed dormant outside of the PS4 port launched a few years ago and the upcoming PC launch of VF5 REVO. However, Sega finally decided to bring back the game that defined them!
While we don’t have any release date or approximate timeline for the new Virtua Fighter, we do know that Sega is passionate about the new game. Not only that, the old Virtua Fighter developers at Sega are working alongside the RGG Studios to deliver the grandest 3D fighting game experience.
10. PC players finally played Bloodborne, in a way
Ending this list wasn’t a choice I wanted, but if I had to select a moment from 2024 that defined video games for me, I would easily put the fact that we can play Bloodborne on PC! Well, unofficially. With the development of ShadPS4 improving every other day, the PS4 emulation has improved.
As it gets better, PC players have slowly started flocking Yahrnam in doves to live the night of the hunt for the first time. There’s a lot of work left on the emulator, but as of writing this, PC players can enjoy the entire Bloodborne, granted they have a good system.
