As if the last several years hadn't been busy enough, 2024 has now almost run its course with one of the more jam-packed video game release schedules in recent memory. The year started strong with the remaster of The Last of Us Part 2 and then quickly followed up with two of the year's most acclaimed games – Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. But January was also the month that brought us the criminally underrated Prince of Persia reboot in The Lost Crown, a Metroidvania so good that it begs the question of why more AAA developers don't dabble in the space.
The prolific release schedule in January would only give way to a seemingly endless cadence of releases, making it virtually impossible to keep up with (much less play) every quality game released in 2024. As is traditionally the case, there are several lesser-known highlights from the 2024 release calendar that may have, for one reason or another, missed their target audience, waiting to be unearthed like buried treasure. Presented in alphabetical order, these games are all hidden gems that may have bigger waves with a less-packed year.
The 10 Best Co-Op Games of 2024
All kinds of great co-op games were released in 2024, with these 10 standing out as the absolute best the year had to offer.
1000xResist
Check out 1000xResist on OpenCritic
Sunset Visitor's 1000xResist is a captivating piece of science fiction that tackles some complex and challenging themes in its runtime, confronting issues related to the immigrant experience and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The game begins with a shocking murder and then puts players to task with unraveling the mystery behind that crime, uncovering unsettling truths along the way. Fans of adventure games, science fiction, and cerebral game narratives like those of Yoko Taro or Hideo Kojima should definitely give 1000xResist a shot, and it's likely its narrative will stick with players long after they roll credits.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- May 9, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood, Violence, Use of Drugs, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Sunset Visitor
- Publisher(s)
- Fellow Traveller
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Sci-Fi, Thriller, Visual Novel, Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 11 hours
Arco
Check out Arco on OpenCritic
After a strong showing from its Steam Next Fest demo, real-time tactics game Arco was released earlier this year and quickly made headlines for how criminally underrated it was, despite its "Overwhelmingly Positive" Steam user rating. Contrary to most games in the turn-based tactics genre, every action in Arco plays out in real-time, requiring players to consider not just their moves but the moves of their opponents as well. It's an innovative and unique approach to the genre that forces players to consider atypical strategies, and Arco only sweetens the deal by featuring an excellent narrative built around a heartbreaking tale of revenge.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- August 16, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- Panic
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Read The Best War Games's Banishers: Ghost of New Eden Review
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the second consecutive departure for renowned studio Don't Nod following last year's meditative climbing simulator, Jusant. Banishers is a game that puts Don't Nod's penchant for strong writing and character development on full display, delivering one of the more emotional narratives of any game in 2024 alongside a very solid action RPG. The closest analog for its combat is Sony Santa Monica's God of War reboot, and while that's not a 1:1 comparison, Banishers' polish and presentation stand toe-to-toe with the emotional weight of Kratos and Atreus' journey.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- February 13, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- DON'T NOD
- Publisher(s)
- Focus Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
Read The Best War Games's Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Review
Squid Shock Studios' Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus had the unfortunate luck of releasing just ahead of the closure of its publisher, with Humble Games' layoffs and restructuring occurring just 6 days after the game's launch. Thankfully, to its credit, Squid Shock has followed through on making sure the game received some critical updates and patches to ensure smooth performance on all platforms despite the closure, meaning more people can experience one of the year's best Metroidvanias. While the first thing players will notice about Bō is its Japanese mythology-inspired setting and Okami-style visuals, the game's smooth platforming and "pogo-ing" will feel right at home to fans of The Messenger's Cloudstep ability.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 72%
- Released
- July 18, 2024
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Alcohol And Tobacco Reference, Mild Language
- Publisher(s)
- Humble Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Developer
- Squid Shock Studios, Christopher Stair, Trevor Youngquist
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Metroidvania
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 10 hours
Crypt Custodian
Check out Crypt Custodian on OpenCritic
Indie developer Kyle Thompson followed up the also underrated Sheepo and Islets with one of the year's strongest Metroidvania titles, Crypt Custodian. Like Thompson's other games, Crypt Custodian is a visually distinctive and "chill" Metroidvania that incorporates a heartfelt, humorous narrative and an absolute earworm of a soundtrack thanks to his brother Eric Thompson's original score. But unlike its spiritual predecessors, Crypt Custodian places a greater emphasis on direct storytelling and combat while also switching up the perspective, earning its place in the pantheon of similar indie "Zelda-vanias" such as Death's Door or Hyper Light Drifter.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- August 27, 2024
- ESRB
- E For Everyone // Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Kyle Thompson
- Publisher(s)
- Kyle Thompson, Top Hat Studios, Inc., H2 interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 9 Hours
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Check out Dungeons of Hinterberg on OpenCritic
Speaking of Zelda, players would be hard-pressed to find a greater love letter to the "classic" era of 3D Zelda games than Microbird Games' Dungeons of Hinterberg. Part action RPG dungeon-crawler and part slice-of-life narrative adventure game, Dungeons of Hinterberg is a charming title that deftly mixes its disparate gameplay halves to be one of the year's more unique indies. Getting to know the residents of the snowy mountainside village at night after helping them solve their pesky monster problem during the day blends elements of Persona and Ocarina of Time, and it's a mix that many players won't want to be over by the time Dungeons of Hinterberg reaches its conclusion.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- July 18, 2024
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Developer(s)
- Microbird Games
- Publisher(s)
- Curve Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Developer
- Microbird Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Puzzle, Hack and Slash
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Publisher
- Curve Games
- How Long To Beat
- 15 Hours
I Am Your Beast
Check out I Am Your Beast on OpenCritic
Strange Scaffold continues to establish itself as one of the more unique and promising indie developers working today, following up surprise hits like El Paso, Elsewhere and Clickolding with this year's I Am Your Beast. A twitch-FPS that requires lightning-fast reflexes and practically begs for players to repeat levels to shave precious seconds off their time, I Am Your Beast is what would happen if one were to take Neon White and blend it with the spy thriller action and cel-shaded art style of classic first-person shooter: XIII. I Am Your Beast is fast, frenetic, and funny, and each individual "murder maze" is almost endlessly replayable.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 10, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Crude Humor, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Strange Scaffold
- Publisher(s)
- Strange Scaffold, Frosty Pop
WHERE TO PLAY
I Am Your Beast is a shortform covert revenge thriller FPS about getting hunted across the North American wilderness by the military-industrial complex — and turning the tables.
You are secret agent Alphonse Harding. Retired for six years, you've been asked to complete ‘one last job’, one too many times. Declining your latest mission sets in motion a furious guerilla war between you and the Covert Operations Initiative (COI) that litters the forest with bodies and bullet casings.
Break your opponents. Use their own equipment against them. Duck into your tunnel network before enemy forces zero in on your location. Repeat.
Lightning-fast "he's-in-the-walls" player fantasy, complete with superhuman tree climbing and head explosions. Fully voiced story campaign with 20+ levels. Lush comic book-inspired art style.
Chase side objectives while getting the fastest times possible in replayable micro-sandboxesWield pistols, sniper rifles, bear traps, and more. Heart-slamming soundtrack from award-winning composer RJ Lake (Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, Unbeatable, El Paso, Elsewhere). Innovative "kinetic typography" cutscene system.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Read The Best War Games's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Review
Capcom surprised players this year with the completely left-field Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. The game's initial reveal caused many to stand up and take note due to the title's arresting visuals and incorporation of Japanese mythology, but Kunitsu-Gami's tower defense gameplay seemed to have turned some off expecting a third-person character action game. Missing out on Kunitsu-Gami due to thinking it's a run-of-the-mill tower defense title would be a shame, though, as Capcom found a way to strike a balance between third-person hack-and-slash action and a strategically deep tower defense game that future genre entries should take note of. Ultimately, Kunitsu-Gami's singular creative vision is on full display, and it's one of 2024's best hidden gems.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action, Strategy
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
Mullet Madjack
Check out Mullet Madjack on OpenCritic
Both roguelikes and boomer shooters are fairly prolific genres in the indie development scene, so it was only a matter of time before more developers came along and began to combine the two. One of the more noteworthy and completely off-the-wall is this year's Mullet Madjack, which is apparently what would happen when a mad scientist combines 90s anime, Hotline Miami, Ultrakill, and Johnny Mnemonic into a sense-assaulting concoction. Like the best action roguelikes, Mullet Madjack nails the power creep resulting from both power-ups within runs and meaningful meta-progression, and its visuals, music, and aesthetic are somehow reminiscent of Toonami, Quake, and Doom.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- May 15, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hammer95 Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Epopeia Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Your HEALTH is TIME
You must KILL to get more TIME
A HIGH-OCTANE-ACTION SHOOTER, 90% ARCADE FUN, 10% roguelite.
In this future, MAN and INTERNET have merged into a new being. This being needs DOPAMINE every 10 SECONDS, or else it will DIE!
ARCADE FUN! You are MULLET MAD JACK, and you must kill enemies to refill your 10 SECONDS OF LIFE!
Beat handcraft stages at random full of exciting new obstacles at each chapter!
Memorize each room and compete for better times!
Cleverly build your character every FLOOR, in a fully-fledge NARRATIVE with small roguelite elements.
Defeat the mysterious masterminds and experience the ultimate OLD SCHOOL ANIME plot!
You can play the game forever in random levels on ENDLESS MODE. A CLASSIC MODE with no TIMER if you want a traditional campaign. 50+ Power ups that change the way you can play the game.Fast Arcade feel full of dopamine rush like the old times.
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Pacific Drive
Check out Pacific Drive on OpenCritic
The survival genre is one that, understandably, turns many players away due to the often steep learning curve involved. What makes Ironwood Studios' Pacific Drive a unique game within the genre is the way that it smooths out that curve, allowing players who have little or no experience with survival games the chance to enjoy an incredibly atmospheric title with some light survival horror elements. It might seem strange to declare a game about keeping a deteriorating car functional one of the year's most stressful titles, but anyone who has barely made it from one checkpoint to the next in Pacific Drive can attest to its white-knuckle tension.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 76%
- Released
- February 22, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ironwood Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong