Topic: Share Your Personal GOTY 2024

@GirlVersusGame I'm a fan of simulators, and have played the Farming Simulator games for years, have probably near 2000 hours in Snowrunner, and have played a variety of others. I'll have a closer look at the ones you mentioned!

@PorkChopExpress Oh yeah, I didn't notice that until you mentioned it.

Good shout out to Still Wakes the Deep! I've also played it and it was a great walking sim/horror experience. Probably my favourite walking sim game due to the great pacing and variety of things you could do in the game despite it being a walking sim.

My favourite of 2024 would be Dragon's Dogma 2. Runners up include Balatro, Astro Bot, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Metaphor ReFantazio. I also enjoyed Broken Sword: Reforged, Sonic X Shadow Generations and UFO 50 but not quite enough to make the top 5. It was a solid year for gaming.

@PorkChopExpress I remember the day The Witcher 3 released, the same day as one of the Farming Simulators. I bought both then went to Farm Sim first, my friends were disgusted lol

Mods kind of ruined the last one because you can get money so much faster and not have to really grind. It does have some of the best mod stores though, but it's one of those games that a lot of people might overlook because it sounds boring. It sounds like all you do is plant crops then watch them grow. I didn't even use crops in my last playthrough I just kept building telecommunication towers and charged Vodafone or whoever to use the space.

Mudrunner was another game that got overlooked, no one understood why I'd be on there so much, then Snowrunner released and it made more sense. It had more funding and did a better job of showcasing what the game was about. They probably had some of the best season passes too. I skipped Expeditions but that next IP with the road rebuilding/town rebuilding looks really good. One of my favorite things about nextgen is that more PC simulator games are making the jump, Satisfactory should be coming in 2025 too. Ship Breaker was another good game I played this year, it tasks you with carefully tearing down space ships. As you progress you unlock all kinds of hazards that challenge you to think outside the box. Talking about these games makes me want to play them all again. Especially Ship Breaker, it's easy to get through stacks of audiobooks and things when a game has no real story or dialogue.

@GirlVersusGame Haha, that's so funny! As much as I love FS, I'm not sure I would pick it over Witcher 3. It's probably a top 5 all timer for me, but I wouldn't have known that when I bought it.

Yeah, it can be hard to resist the temptation of game breaking mods! I prefer ones that expand or alter the experience. If I get millions immediately, it makes the game a bit redundant and I like the balance of a financial edge. I haven't tried the rice farming in the new game. I often find myself going down the path of grass growing and animal husbandry along with designing my own farm.

I'd argue the physics of mud sticking to the tyres, frame flex, and better weight physics gave Mudrunner a simulation edge over Snowrunner, but the latter is so much more user friendly. I've platinumed it on PS4, PS5, and am now slowly doing a hard mode playthrough of all regions including DLC. Looking forward to the new Canadian region in January.

Skipping Expeditions was probably right. It's not bad at all, but I didn't realise how much I enjoyed the grind and logistical aspect of transportation. And when all there is left is scouting and doing little missions over the same regions, it took away a lot of the appeal and added very little. The next IP you're talking about is Roadcraft! I get truly excited for very little these days, but that looks fantastic, doesn't it? Definitely high hopes for it! I watch A Tribe Called Cars on YouTube a bit from his Snowrunner content, and it looks like he'll be continuing with Roadcraft, too.

I hadn't heard of Satisfactory, but thankyou for bringing it to my attention. Definitely one for me to keep an eye on. Speaking of PC, I wish the big Truck Simulator games would make the jump as the console wannabes are all a bit naff, though there's a couple that look interesting to me such as Truck and Logistics Simulator and Alaskan Road Truckers. I'm a sucker for anything with big machinery.

Hardspace Shipbreaker is such a unique game. Bit of a steep learning curve and the 360° movement takes some getting used to, but I agree that's the addition of a piecemeal story and the unique setting really sets it apart. It deserves to be played by more people. A gateway drug to the world of simulators! Car Mechanic Simulator is another I've put dozens of hours into. I also enjoyed the miniseries of Praetorian and Jynx on YouTube while I was playing it.