VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Whether you call it a brainteaser, a conundrum, or – dare I say – a puzzle, the point remains the same: challenging one's mental ingenuity moreso than their finger dexterity. In this respect, the list of genre-defining titles from last year ranked among the best of the past decade. That doesn't mean 2024 was a slouch though; hell, even Mario was getting in on the puzzle action. That's often the surprise with the genre as a whole: indie titles with fresh ideas and established franchises have an equal chance of enjoying the winner's circle.
Our varied shortlist represents that to a tee. Whether it's the aforementioned Mario-themed game, the splendid pair of indie darlings, or a sequel over a decade in the making, there's no telling who makes the final cut. It's another eclectic list of disparate aesthetic & design personalities slowly moving the genre forward. Without further ado, here are the final four."
TSA writes: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a stylish monochromatic puzzle adventure that will really have you reaching for a pen and paper.
"The Erie-based (Pennsylvania, the US) indie games publisher Whitethorn Games (the publishers of “APICO”, “Princess Farmer”, and “Lake”) and Devon-based (the UK) indie games developer Balloon Studios, are today very glad and proud to announce that their charming exploration puzzle game “Botany Manor”, is now available for the PS5 and PS4 via PSN." Jonas Ekm, TGG.-
VGChartz's Evan Norris: "With the AAA gaming space become more and more risk averse, the indie scene has become increasingly valuable, if only due to its eagerness to experiment. In 2024, there were plenty of interesting experiments, so many in fact that it was difficult for the voters to narrow it down to just five. They include Animal Well, a neon-soaked Metroidvania with secrets galore; Balatro, one of those come-out-of-nowhere indie darlings that captures everyone's attention; Little Kitty, Big City, a darling adventure with rewarding exploration and quirky characters; Nine Sols, a tough-as-nails side-scrolling Sekiro-esque action-platformer; and, finally, World of Goo 2, a worthy sequel to the beloved 2008 physics-based puzzler."
