GamingPretzel - 2024 Roundup Edition

[PretzelAngel]

Welcome to the 2024 Finale Edition of GamingPretzel!

Gamers, I may have dropped off the face of the earth (2024 had HANDS, who knew), but the gaming did not stop! In fact, I'm dropping my Steam wrapped (barring my name of course ^-^) and listing 12 (get it? holidays?) of my personal top games of 2024! Yes, these are all games that came out this year.

I am !!NOT!! sponsored, but if any of these games wanted to pay me...(this is a joke)​

Little Kitty, Big City

• I don't know how you can hate this game unless you're just a hater. It's so cute, and you can be a menace & a thief. Two of my favorite things to be! (For legal reasons, this is a joke.) Honestly, I couldn't think of a better way to start this list. The cat is the best, the chameleon is my favorite character, and if I don't get the chance to drop a cellphone on a really mad shopkeeper from way too high up, I may explode.

Marvel Rivals (final release)

• Again, my PC almost killed me when I tried to run this game, but just know this laptop is extremely old and I'm impressed it runs any games anymore. I updated the driver, though! So that's! ...I don't know computers that well. I know coding. And I know this game is wildly addicting to watch. I would like to play it, please. It's also free! Common Marvel win.

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

• What am I, a robot? This game is gorgeous, and I am a huge sucker for a story. There's a reason it's so highly praised. This franchise doesn't miss (anymore). I don't own a Switch, but everyone around me does, so I got to absorb this game while watching my friend get absolutely dunked on by a dragon. A beautifully rendered, absolutely massive dragon. It's awesome.

Black Myth: Wukong

• Little known Pretzel fact: I am an enormous literature nerd. Maybe this isn't surprising! But an entire game based off of Journey to the West was not on my 2024 bingo card at all. Nor was I expecting it to be good? Like, the gameplay sucked me in for 3 whole hours and I forgot to finish my pasta kind of good. (I reheated the pasta.) Anyway, go look up Journey to the West (it is a monster of a book, you've been warned), it's an absolute meme.

The YouTube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions does a really good job of summarizing it in a funny way if anyone wants to not actually read the book but is still curious! Best part is, the series is 12 videos in and still going!

Palia

• How did I manage to get into so many betas this year? I don't know, but this one was so well put together I forgot it was a beta the entire time until it came out months later and I did a double take. Farming sims just rule everything, I suppose. Plus, this one is 3D! That automatically makes it so much more immersive than every other farming sim I've played (but not by much, hi Stardew).

Content Warning

• I had to Google if this was actually released this year, that's how long I've had it. I didn't get it for free, somehow, but I bought it for a few articles and I do not regret it. (it's very scary solo, I do not recommend if your horror tolerance is exclusive to Poppy Playtime, DDLC, and FNAF. Yes this is a callout of myself.) I have to replay this crosshatch art style horror game ASAP.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (remake)

• I loved this remake so much, even though I was not old enough to play the original game (imagine a 2 year old trying to beat Bowser). It's so beautifully made, and watching the original gameplay made me appreciate it so much more! Usually, I'm not a huge Mario fan unless you attach 'Kart' or 'Party' to the end of it, but this game really made me rethink that. I like collecting friends, that's all!

FNAF: Into the Pit

• I mentioned it once already, I really don't know what you expected of me. An 8-bit FNAF game? Whoever said Scott Cawthon could only do one perspective of game was incorrect. And despite all the leaks (there were so many, what do you MEAN Japanese consoles got it 24 hours early on accident), I think the game turned out beautifully!

Fairy Tail: Dungeons

• Is it a hot take to like this game? I like the anime, I like the game! It's a dungeon crawler, too, which I don't usually go for. Maybe it's the characters? Since those are great, which is also a hot take I think. It's definitely worth playing, and I got it when it was really cheap, too. This is what happens when you leave Steam open and refresh it a bunch (that is actually what I did).

Super Mario Party: Jamboree

• What did I say? Party! I haven't played this one either, but Mario Party can only add so much before you don't know how to play the game anymore. They haven't done that yet, and it's still fun! I want to play this so bad, especially since I don't own a console anymore. Is it possible to have Nintendo Switch withdrawal when I've never held a Switch for longer than an hour?

Just Dance 2025

• If you can't enjoy these games anymore, I don't know what to tell you. Music is the way to my heart, even if it's pop music (mostly) and a random Green Day song. Not that I'm complaining, Basket Case is a great song, but I was not expecting it to be in the lineup at all. 2025, the year of one of my favorite Blackpink songs, a Green Day song, and one of my top Sabrina Carpenter favorites. Wild mix.

Webfishing

• Okay, this one is cute. You caught me. I like watching it, not sure how much I'd actually play it since it isn't my style of game, but man is it adorable. Cats are the best. That's my first controversial opinion of 2025, gamers. Not going to be the last!

Oh, here's the Steam Wrapped, as promised. Yes, it is ALL Stardew Valley. It didn't win the Steam Awards and I am salty about it!
Pretz's Steam Wrapped!
That's it for this month! If you want me to include any of your favorite games in the Valentine's edition, comment them! Please keep all hate/unrelated comments out of the thread, this is for the gamers.
XO, Pretzel​

 

[Dooble]

I'll personally shout out 10 games that came out in 2024 that I think people should play (not my top 10 of 2024 cause idek if I played 10 games from this year oops)

#10 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
I don't need to tell you FF7 is good, you know that so for being the middle chapter and expanding it so much, it definitely is worth your time especially now it's on steam (can't wait for part 3 to release in 2028)

#9 - Antonblast
A game about being red and seeing red, it's just smashing shit up and is a great follow up to an atari breakout style game of all things (Antonball Deluxe) Worth a play or a watch.

#8 - UFO 50
50 Games for the price of 1! It's one of those "X games in one" package except the joke is all of the games are actually fully fledged NES style games which is kind of insane and THEN you learn its by the guys who made SPELUNKY and this game is just really really cool and I am sure at least one of the 50 will be the one for you.

#7 - Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
It's monkey ball, you roll around and now you can slingshot yourself. If you're not sure you can always start with Banana Mania but if you like it oh you will like it so much

#6 - Penny's Big Breakaway
A game by the people who made sonic mania and now its 3d and you can do cool yoyo tricks, I don't think I need to say anything else but I hope you atleast look into it.

#5 - Sonic X Shadow Generations
2 Stories and 2 vastly different tones. I already really like the original generations but this is just generations but more and cooler and I really hope they keep this level of quality for the next game even if it'll probably be closer to frontiers which is cool but I'm glad this exists.

#4 - Mario and Luigi Brothership
A series everyone thought died in a bankruptcy in 2019, only to shock everyone and come back and become One Piece, sure I guess!

#3 - Astro Bot
Hah fuck you sony for setting this up to fail while you put everything into your new live service fps that bombed, this game is everything playstation and more. I just wish many of the cameos would actually get new games one day but ah well it's cool they're here

#2 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake
I'm gonna be real I kinda liked color splash and origami king but this, oh this is what was needed. The new music and visuals are insane and I am SO glad we got this after the also amazing legend of the seven stars remake, absolutely play this it is one of my favorite games of all time in possibly my favorite series of all time, but it's not number 1? Well..

#1 - Doctor Robotnik's Ring Racers
This is the best kart racer I have ever played, period. A game with development going back as far as 2009. This game will not be everyones cup of tea, and that's ok! It is a VERY difficult and complicated game but if you put in the work to understand how it works you will be treated to a masterpiece with so much love poured into it at every angle and so much content that it will kind of make your head spin. Play this game and see what's so special about it, it is free LOL.

oh and here's my steam wrapped