Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Age, Astro Bot and an indie wave lead the top AP video games of 2024

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WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been a tough year in the world of video games, which has suffered from some high-profile flops (sorry, Suicide Squad and Star Wars fans) and a relentless string of developer layoffs. Fortunately, independent designers have stepped up to fill the gaps. As the year ended, a handful of AAA studios rallied with ambitious, big-budget adventures.

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The 10 best games of 2024 recall a brighter era when anything seemed possible in our virtual worlds. We hope the industry learns from its success.

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1. Metaphor: Rephantasia

In a politically taxing year, Studio Zero in Japan accomplished what seemed impossible: transforming the process of reforming a corrupt world into something resembling hope. The corruption that has engulfed Euchronia in the quasi-medieval era is quite literal, embodied by grotesque shapeshifters known (inaccurately) as “humans.” The battle to restore sanity blends exciting battles with unusually thoughtful meditations on justice, all with the visuals you’ve come to expect from the creators of the Persona series.

2. Animal well

The past few years have seen a boom in so-called “metrofanias” – huge 2D mazes that mix arcade games with challenging puzzles. Solo designer Billy Basso’s Animal Well is the pinnacle, offering a vast underground network whose inhabitants range from mice to flamingos. Each challenge you solve unlocks a variety of new challenges, and it’s easy to get lost for hours in the hallucinatory and bizarre world.

3. Lorelei and laser eyes

In this Swedish drama Simigo, a young woman is invited to explore a hotel whose owner, an avant-garde film director, appears to have been abandoned. Each room contains a puzzle, and the deeper you solve it, the more you fall under its spell. It’s as if you’re trapped in a David Lynch movie, constantly questioning the boundaries between dreams and reality.

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4. Dragon Age: Veil

BioWare, the studio behind iconic role-playing games like Mass Effect and the original Baldur’s Gate, finally returns to its strengths with this fantasy epic. It has all the hallmarks of the genre, with a diverse cast of fighters, wizards and rogues who unite against the evil that threatens the world. The combat is fun, the stories are unpredictable, and the characters are endearingly crazy.

5. Astro Bot

The most favorite character of the year has to be the adorable protagonist of this adventure from Sony’s Team Asobi. The plucky little robot is on a planet-hopping mission to rescue dozens of fellow robots, with each station offering a new variety of running, jumping and punching challenges. It’s the kind of game we’re used to seeing more of on PlayStation, and it’s just as fun.

6. Hinterberg Dungeons

Luisa is a burned-out corporate drone who needs a break. So why not head to the Alps and get rid of fighting some monsters? Compared to Metaphor and Dragon Age, the dungeons designed by Austrian company Microbird Games are more focused, since you can only cast a handful of magic spells per expedition. But the puzzles are clever, and this quaint tourist town has other interesting mysteries worth investigating.

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7. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

More dungeons as Nintendo returns to Hyrule. Finally, you’ll play as Princess Zelda, who wields a scepter that allows her to replicate the tools she needs to overcome obstacles — or summon creatures to fight her enemies. Echoes combines the top-down action of the original 1987 Zelda recipe with the improvisation of last year’s “Tears of the Kingdom,” and should please fans of both.

8. Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle

Bethesda Softworks presents a rare action adventure, where the protagonist spends more time quietly discovering the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids and the Vatican City than mindlessly shooting enemies. Veteran voice actor Troy Baker does a fine job as Harrison Ford, with the dialogue sparkling and the graphics amazingly detailed. It’s one of the biggest surprises of 2024 – and don’t worry, you’ll be able to punch Nazis.

9. Palatro

This indie smash from solo developer LocalThunk sounds simple: a solitaire version of poker in which you score points by accumulating good hands. However, add some pranks – for example, a “greedy joker” who makes diamonds more valuable – and it gets complicated. The higher your score, the more jokers become available. It’s a classic “one hand only” hook; Don’t download Balatro if you expect to accomplish anything else today.

10. UFO 50

A team of independent developers led by Spelunky designer Derek Yu has brought together this tribute to ’80s games. It’s insanely ambitious, with 50 full games ranging in every genre imaginable, from shooters to strategy to racing to role-playing. There’s even a pong variant. It’s a feast for anyone who remembers the dawn of video games — or was too young to be there.

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