Daniel (@dungeondive) presents a personal countdown of the top 10 games played in 2024, regardless of their release year. It features a diverse mix of solo RPGs, indie board games, and adventure titles—many with strong narrative themes or innovative design elements. The list includes well-known titles and obscure gems alike, showcasing a preference for games that create stories through gameplay rather than through scripted narrative.
Highlights include:
- Forgotten Depths, praised for its novel mechanics and thoughtfully improved second edition.
- Flying Ostriches and Floating Castles, a whimsical solo hex crawl inspired by Joust and Tom Wham’s game design.
- Heroes of Cerilia, an RPG reminiscent of Zelda, notable for its structured campaign and accessible solo rules.
- Cyber Flesh, a visually bold indie dungeon crawler that blends pixel art and thematic weirdness.
- Stalagbite, a compact game of dwarven exploration with a roguelike feel and emergent storytelling.
- Spacers, described as a compact, streamlined alternative to Xia, offering big adventure in a small package.
- The Unseen World, a solo RPG set in Japan, evoking Persona and Fatal Frame with its paranormal investigations.
- Karalis: Into the Midnight Throne, a massive solo dungeon crawl featuring interlinked biomes and deep character customisation.
- Civitas Nihilum, a cyberpunk card game capturing the spirit of Sierra adventure games through thematic gameplay and noir storytelling.
- Dragons Down, the top pick of the year, a modern spiritual successor to Magic Realm that tells its story through player actions, not flavour text.
The video also touches on the year’s Patreon experience, including community Zoom meetups and exclusive content, and looks forward to upcoming games in 2025.