News

LocalThunk’s Balatro, developed by Playstack, was deemed a royal flush as it was crowned Game of the Year at the 25th Game Developers Choice Awards. Handed out on Wednesday at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Balatro also snagged wins for Best Design, Best Debut and the Innovation Award.

Other winners included Astro Bot, which won Best Audio and Best Technology. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth garnered a win for the Audience Award while the Best Narrative went to Metaphor: ReFantazio. Black Myth: Wukong and Astro Bot came into the ceremony with a leading seven nominations apiece. Baldur’s Gate 3 dominated last year’s Gdc Awards, taking three awards, including Game of the Year.

This year’s Game Developers Choice Awards honored indie developer Lucas Pope known for cult hit puzzle games Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, with the Pioneer Award.

Another honoree also included Remedy Entertainment’s creative director Sam Lake,...

While there have been some hallmark Aaa titles in 2024, it really has been a far better year for indie games with the likes of the award-winning Balatro and the critically acclaimed 1000xRESIST releasing this year. It can be hard to remember just how good the selection of indies is in 2024, especially because of just how many there are.

Breaking down which ones are worth playing can be tough, especially as they fall into so many different categories. Whether it's the best cozy indie games of 2024 or the complex philosophical, narrative-focused ones, narrowing down the selection to add to a backlog will be a tricky endeavor. Luckily, while they are all absolutely worth playing, it's not hard to say which are the very best of the bunch and are worth checking out first.

Dungeons Of Hinterberg (Microbird Games) A Persona-Like Adventure

Dungeons of Hinterberg took the indie scene by storm when...

PlayStation Plus' absolutely stacked library of games only continues to grow and become even more impressive. Whether it is sprawling open-world adventures or more low-key indie experiences, there is something for everyone on the platform. Of course, picking a game to play can be difficult, especially when confronted with so many choices. Fortunately, while pretty much everything on PlayStation Plus is worth playing at some point, there are some games that are just better than others.

When it comes to indie games, PlayStation Plus has a plethora of incredible options to choose from. Its selection includes some of the best RPGs on PlayStation Plus, a selection of phenomenal Metroidvanias, and award-winning gems that many may have missed. Narrowing down exactly what to get stuck into can be challenging, but luckily, there are clear winners when it comes to the very best indie games on Ps Plus.

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits...

It’s often said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Based on the breathtaking creativity of the games we’ve played so far this year, we acknowledge game developers as the historians they are, because every title on this list represents a moment where the past has been celebrated as a foundation upon which something new has been built.

Indeed, a sense of history informs the culmination of a storyline 10 years in the making, as well as the beginning of a new saga informed by the sense and muscle memory of a past platforming classic. History, too, is at the heart of the many ways in which one remake purposefully set out to pick and choose which aspects of the original to deepen. Above all, without history there would be no nostalgia, and it’s been a pleasure to watch studios bait that hook with...

For some, the best games of 2024 only solidify the narrative that this has been a bad year for gaming. Well…there’s certainly something to that. I doubt that 2024 will go down as an all-time great year for gaming, and a series of events that have negatively impacted the present and future of the video game industry may lead to 2024 eventually being viewed as a generally dark time for gaming.

A funny thing happens during years like this, though. While many of our eyes have been focused on a series of disappointing releases and abhorrent business decisions, an incredible collection of largely smaller games has come along and shown us that there is a light beyond the darkness that is worth following until it is bright enough to be recognized as the sunrise of a new era. They are not necessarily the biggest names, but these are the best games...

There’s a bit of popular wisdom about games made using a retro aesthetic that says they ought to look, sound, and play like your nostalgic memory of them, rather than being actual recreations. Animal Well, from developer Billy Basso, looks, sounds, and plays in a way that, had it existed 30 years ago, might have made you think your cartridge was haunted. Though the small, round, bouncy player character resembles Kirby, the swirling oil-slick backgrounds and unidentifiable, inhuman echoing that surrounds this protagonist drench the game in a supernatural unease. It’s all so cold, dank, and unsettled that, aside from making for a particularly evocative setting, it’s hard not to imagine the hidden secrets that lie just out of view.

With its sprawling map and side-on perspective, Animal Well initially appears to be a Metroidvania, but this is mostly a feint. The game isn’t situated comfortably in the lineage of,...

Animal Well will be added to PlayStation Plus on May 9, offering a unique, atmospheric Metroidvania experience. The game is created by solo developer Billy Basso and is published by Bigmode, bringing attention from a popular YouTuber. Other upcoming Ps Plus additions include Dave the Diver and Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

PlayStation Plus subscribers have a lot to look forward to in the near future, and May 9 is one date that marks a particularly exciting addition to the service. PlayStation Plus offers both a rotating library of monthly games and, on its Extra and Premium tiers, a less transient catalog of titles both classic and new. Accessing any PlayStation Plus perks requires a subscription, but that also throws online access for multiplayer services and more into the mix.

As revealed on the official PlayStation Blog, Animal Well will be added to PlayStation Plus for Extra and Premium subscribers on May 9, the...