13 best video games of 2024 – our favorites on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PC

2023 was one of the strongest years for gaming in recent memory, so 2024 had a high bar to meet. Luckily for us, over the past 12 months, we’ve seen another slew of remarkable titles released across systems. From the PS5 to Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch to Steam Deck (or one of the best gaming PCs), wherever you opt to play your games, there’s been an extraordinary amount of choice.
With so many high-quality releases across genres and platforms, picking out the best games of 2024 is no easy task. However, the Tom’s Guide staff got together, and after some intense discussion, we’ve put together a definitive list of our favorite games released this year. These picks cover PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and PC, and if you missed any of them, now is the perfect time to catch up before the first batch of new games launch in early 2025.
Best action game
Stellar Blade
(Image credit: Shift Up/Sony)
Platform: PS5
Stellar Blade is one of the finest hack-n-slash adventure games I’ve played in years thanks to its engaging combat mechanics, phenomenal graphics and gripping narrative. It’s not reinventing the wheel in any area, but the craftsmanship on display marks it as a true “AAA” experience. There are a handful of endings to see and a slew of different costumes to unlock, which enhance replayability. Also, if you have a PS5 Pro, you can experience the game at full 4K resolution and higher than 60 frames per second. Stellar Blade is a well-rounded and enjoyable action game that every PS5 (and PS5 Pro) owner should check out. — Tony Polanco
Runners-up: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Black Myth: Wukong
Best RPG
(Image credit: Atlus)
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Atlus has managed to pull off quite the feat with Metaphor Re: Fantazio . Not only did the studio build an entirely new world with interesting characters in a gaming landscape increasingly filled with remasters and remakes but it also took the best parts of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series and incorporated them into this 80-hour-long role-playing epic. The result is a mix of both game’s battle systems with Persona’s relationship-building and time management set in a medieval yet futuristic world. Metaphor’s stylized graphics and menus give the game a real visual flair and it runs well on consoles and even older PCs. The game also tackled more adult themes and subjects while managing to bring politics and other big ideas into its story. — Anthony Spadafora
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Runners-up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Dragon’s Dogma 2
Best racing/sports game
(Image credit: Future)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S
EA came into the season with a ton of expectations on its shoulders, perhaps too high, but more than delivered with the release of the first college football game in over a decade. College Football 25 finally brings back NCAA football to consoles. EA could have just rereleased NCAA 14 with a graphics overhaul, but it’s clear that the developers at EA Orlando took the time and were considerate about what makes a great football game.
Yes, there are flaws, but the fluid action on the field and the deep systems off the gridiron make for one of the best pigskin games in years. The inclusion of different broadcasters depending on the quality of a game is an awesome new feature. And Dynasty could be its own game with a deep recruiting system and new coaching archetypes that feel like a small RPG in the middle of a football sim. With other franchises steadily tromping through iterative releases, having an old franchise return with a total renovation feels fresh and exciting in the often stale world of sports games. Who needs Madden NFL 25? — Scott Younker
Runners-up: Top Spin 2K25, NHL 25
Best fighting game
Tekken 8
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tekken 8 is the latest and potentially greatest installment in the long-running fighting game franchise. Featuring a more aggression-focused playstyle than Tekken 7, this is a fighter for folks who want highly explosive matches that can potentially end in seconds. On top of that, it delivers another over-the-top but sincere story that pushes the overall narrative forward in interesting directions. There are a slew of offline modes for single-player-minded folks and buttery-smooth online if you want to face off against others—giving this game a ton of replay value. Thanks to its precise fighting mechanics, stunning graphics and variety of gameplay modes, Tekken 8 is undeniably the best fighting game of 2024. — Tony Polanco
Runners-up: Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes, Rivals of Aether II
Best shooter game
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
(Image credit: Activision)
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Serise X/S
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 follows a tried and true formula. It’s divided into three parts — multiplayer, zombies and campaign and each mode is as good as the franchise has offered in years (plus, there’s Warzone, which is essentially its own game at this point). But at the end of the day, what makes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 the best shooter is how it feels to play. Call of Duty has always offered a masterclass in gunplay and movement feel. This entry takes it to another level with the introduction of the omni-movement system, giving it a clear leg up over every other shooter to hit the market in 2024. — Dave LeClair
Runners-up: Helldivers 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Best family game
Astro Bot
(Image credit: Sony)
Platforms: PS5
The PS5 launched with a killer tech-demo platformer set within the core components of Sony’s colossal new console (Astro’s Playroom). Four years on, Team Asobi finally gifted PlayStation’s newest mascot a full-size adventure and crafted one of the most fun games on the system in the process.
It’s a platformer that controls really well playful power-ups, and inventive level design, and stands as a celebration of almost every major PlayStation franchise while also packing in plenty of personality, too. Joyous, inventive, and brilliant fun, Astro Bot is a wonderful platforming adventure that’s perfectly suited for all ages. You’ll have one hell of an adventure no matter if you’re a seasoned platformer and can race through its worlds, or Astro Bot is the first time you’ve ever picked up a controller. — Martin Shore
Runners-up: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Mario Party Jamboree
Best VR game
Batman: Arkham Shadow
(Image credit: Camouflaj / Oculus Studios)
Platforms: Meta Quest 3/3S
Batman: Arkham Shadow fulfilled a childhood dream of mine (and many other nerds): Becoming the Dark Knight. I found 2024 an overall pretty disappointing year for VR gaming. Sony ignored the PSVR 2 like it was the PS Vita and rumors of a Half-Life Alyx sequel amounted to nothing but over on Meta Quest 3 developer Camouflaji delivered a superhero experience that was a much-needed reminder of just how special playing in VR can be.
Arkham Shadows isn’t a stripped-down take on the popular Arkham franchise either. It’s as full-featured as its precursors. That means you alternate between puzzle-solving (assisted by the infamous Detective Vision), stealth segments and beating the snot out of street-level thugs with your bat-glove-clad fists. Also packing a new Batman story incorporating an original villain and some old favorites, this Quest 3 exclusive truly lets you become the Bat. — Rory Mellon
Runners-up: Metro Awakening, Arizona Sunshine Remake
Best horror game
Still Wakes the Deep
(Image credit: The Chinese Room)
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
When the Still Wakes the Deep trailer debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, it immediately caught my attention. I wasn’t expecting much going into it, but anything in the horror genre tends to grab me. To my surprise, this game completely exceeded my expectations. I was so hooked that I finished the game in one sitting.
Still Wakes the Deep delivers everything you would want from a horror game: pure terror, gore, and stunning voice acting that amplifies the experience tenfold. Combine that with a setting that triggers fears like vertigo, drowning, and claustrophobia, and you’re in for a truly nerve-wracking experience. I’d describe Still Wakes the Deep as