Pacific Drive is probably my favorite so far, but Caves of Qud is having its full release on Dec. 5th, and will be my pick of the year. I really enjoyed Animal Well, and Rogue Waters. I still need to check out Dread Delusion.
Is gathering 50 old games in one spot really an achievement though? I swear, that was like a bargain bin thing not that long ago. I dont get the big deal.
@@stephengrigg5988 They are not old games, though, they are new games that have a retro aesthetic to them. Many of the games have brilliant, innovative gameplay to them. Obviously not all of them - you will like some games more than others but calling it a "bargain bin thing" doesn't do the game justice one bit and seems very narrow minded to me. If you don't like retro style games - fair enough, it's not for you. But many people who do and played UFO 50 absolutely adore it.
I hope Pacific Drive gets recalled come the reward seasons. I found it deeply original and had quite a lot of fun with it, even if the fluff overload in the journal still makes me very annoyed and confused.
Agreed, Drova is easily my GOTY. Much better than Skald, for instance. I guess Mort still hasn't gotten around to playing it, or maybe he just doesn't enjoy the Gothic style gameplay.
I LOVED Dread Delusion, but like you I thought the combat was just... boring. I know they made a hard mode later, but I wonder if that actually makes it more interesting. But like you said, the world was super cool and interesting, so that definitely kept me going.
Thanks for the video. Regarding Skald, Cthulhu has been used so much that he's lost his fear factor. He's just a Xenomorph now: known too well to be scary. Eldritch horrors though... those can be anything. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm.
I completed the Thaumaturge last month and enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks for covering it! Probably wouldn't have considered it otherwise, due to the card combat--which was quite well done in the Thaumaturge.
Honestly Dread Delusion is a game I got on a whim because it looked interesting, and ended up playing it every night which I rarely do with Single Player games nowadays. I loved the world, the lore, the NPC'S and art style. I loved the fact that it was only a single save file because it made choices mean far more meaningful than a lot of choice based games where everyone either save+loads the "best" choice. The choices were actually good choices, not like a lot of games where one choice is obviously bad, and one is good, but more of a grey with some choices. "Did I make the right choice," "what will change," how will it affect me" and so on. I really really really hope they make a new game in the same universe like Dread Delusion and not a DLC, but will take either tbh. Can't wait for a second playthrough next year at some point to get the rest of the achievements. Between Dread Delusion and Afterimage (which came out last year but played this year) I am still unsure which game I would have for my Indie game of the year that I played.
I played like 2h of Witchfire and put it down. Not because I didn't like it, but because it's too good to play early access, I'll wait for the full release.
The Thaumaturge might be my indie of 2024, enjoyed it way more than I thought I would and almost sad I didnt pick it up on release to better support it.
I'd say Dread Delusion is the best game I played this year so far, although I agree that combat and difficulty (I played on Hard) are somewhat lacking. But the world, atmosphere, exploring and characters are top-notch. It's just such a delicacy of gaming that happens very rare. Also, I smiled at "new releases starting to wind down", because I have a lot of games in my Steam wishlist that are either releasing in November or have more nebulous "2024" release date. So for me personally new releases keep coming, although I basically only buy some indie games on release nowadays.
I actually really like the art style of Skald, and it's almost more of a strength than a weakness. The pixel graphics fit well with that great part of old games where your imagination has to fill in the blanks, though I do agree about some things being difficult to parse
I constantly go back to your top TRPG and top CRPG lists you did some time ago. I feel you could add one of those lists for the end of this year IF there's enough of a difference to warrant it. Maybe top 2024 CRPGs? In any case, just leaving a comment for all that UA-cam Jazz. May you wander in wisdom Mort.
Chant of Sennaar blew me away, I picked it up because I was in between playthroughs of two massive games and I wanted something simple. The art style, the whole language puzzle system, a story that kept my attention as I deciphered it…. I highly recommend if you want a shorter game
Just a quick aside; there are actually _several_ homes/HQ/Bases of Operation you can purchase and upgrade in DD. Also if you haven't played it, rectify this immediately.
Hey Mortum, absolutely love the videos and think its great to see you covering smaller titles. If you're looking for something to play I highly highly recommend Enderal, the Skyrim full conversion mod. Having played games for 20 years I am near completely jaded, but Enderal just blew me away. Would love to hear you cover it. Regardless, looking forward to whatever you put out next!
Mine are definitely: - Balatro (duh...) - Animal Well (exceptionnally good metroid brainia) - Pacific Drive (sci-fi mystery version of Subnautica, and that's very high praise coming from me) - The Holy Gosh Darn (reminiscent of Lucas Arts era adventure game with a very cool dialogue system) - Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (very clever and weird exploration investigation game) - 1000xresist (brilliant story driven walking sim in a dystopian world where humanity is forced to live underground following an alien invation)
If you are a fan of indie games and you don't mind retro style graphics (which judging by the inclusion of Animal Well doesn't seem to be the case) you might want to check out UFO 50, too. I think you could REALLY like that title.
Wonderful stuff, Dread Delusion is one of my absolute favourites. Of course I am compelled to ask - Codex Lost is out soon, are you hoping to review it?
I've had a blast with Brotato this year. Really fun take on the genre popularized by Vampire Survivors. Much more entertaining than other clones I've played.
Scarmonde was a real treasure i picked up this year, charming Final Fantasy like. Tactical breach wizards was also a suprise hit for me the defenestration based combat was a fun twist.
People make comparisons based on how something looks because it is the most obvious trait something has. Happens all the times with players in sports too
If you'd played Drova, it'd be there, 100%. Unless you don't enjoy exploration that is actually that... exploration rather than mini-map and marker navigating. Plus quests that don't solve themselves.
Best Indie (and maybe game) for me is Tactical Breach Wizards. It's just pure joy, all parts of it are tightly tuned. And it's got funny writing without being overly quippy and milenial.
I know you talked only about full released games this year, but I'd like to suggest you The Rogue Prince of Persia. It's still in early access (for 6 months now) and it's incredible. Maybe it can be on 2025's list when It'll be fully released 😉
Some of the better indies released this year imho: Bloomtown, Drova, Nine Sols, Wantless, Songs of Conquest, Last Epoch, Ravenswatch, Sons of the Forest, V Rising, Beyond Galaxyland, Crypt Custodian, Kill Knight.
No "Our Adventurer Guild"? i found out about this game through your channel (but it wasn't a 100% review, just a "checking in", i think), and it was probably the best release i've played this year, and one of the best TRPGs in general. you definitely should play and review it
Dread Delusion is on my short list. I like that the combat is simple. Just chill and explore it sounds like. I also have played a lot of Morrowind and really don't get the comparison.
I really want to enjoy Skald, but I have a really hard time seeing what's going on on the screen. The high-contrast sprites are really difficult for me to look at for long periods of time. I wish the devs would release some sort of option to tone it down somewhat.
I have mixed feelings about Skald. Overall, I think it’s very good, especially as it reminded me of the classic CRPG’s of my youth, like Ultima 3 to 5 and the Gold Box series by SSI. Unfortunately, it is let down by its story and downbeat ending, although your mileage may vary on that one. Personally, I did not like that there was a single ending, which (in my view) invalidated everything that your character did throughout the game. It also felt that, at a certain point, the story was “on the rails”, with very little agency on the part of the player. Another disappointing aspect was how most of the spells weren’t really relevant, outside of the ones that inflicted stun or direct damage. And because characters could learn only a limited number of spells, you were better off bypassing many of them. Moreover, the spell point pool (Attunement) was limited, so there was a steep opportunity cost to casting spells outside the ones mentioned (e.g. for the Attunement cost, most buffs and debuffs weren’t as useful as just damaging or stunning the enemy). In the end, the game had good ideas and fun combat, held back from greatness by some balance issues and narrative choices. Outside of trying different character builds (a number of which are already represented by party members), there really isn’t much replay value either.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Another Crab's Treasure was a total delight, all of the easter eggs were a treat for a souls-like lover. "The Sands Between"... hehe
‘Shoalslike’ is such a cute twist on the term. shoutout to pacific drive! great vid as always mort 👍🏼
Pacific Drive is probably my favorite so far, but Caves of Qud is having its full release on Dec. 5th, and will be my pick of the year. I really enjoyed Animal Well, and Rogue Waters. I still need to check out Dread Delusion.
I think UFO 50 is a phenomenal indie game and even my personal game of the year. What an outstanding achievement it is!
Didn't try It, sounds great!
Ufo 50 is godly. Easily the best value in gaming.
Is gathering 50 old games in one spot really an achievement though? I swear, that was like a bargain bin thing not that long ago. I dont get the big deal.
Can i ask what have you enjoyed about this game?
@@stephengrigg5988 They are not old games, though, they are new games that have a retro aesthetic to them. Many of the games have brilliant, innovative gameplay to them.
Obviously not all of them - you will like some games more than others but calling it a "bargain bin thing" doesn't do the game justice one bit and seems very narrow minded to me.
If you don't like retro style games - fair enough, it's not for you. But many people who do and played UFO 50 absolutely adore it.
glad i am old enough that the art style for skald did not scare me off. Fantastic game
It’s what attracted me to it originally 😂
I'd strongly recommend playing Nine Sols.
Definitely on my top 5 list this year.
Cant wait for console release
I hope Pacific Drive gets recalled come the reward seasons. I found it deeply original and had quite a lot of fun with it, even if the fluff overload in the journal still makes me very annoyed and confused.
I tried Drova Forsaken Kin and thats definitely mine indie game of this year. Shame to not see it in this list.
Agreed, Drova is easily my GOTY. Much better than Skald, for instance. I guess Mort still hasn't gotten around to playing it, or maybe he just doesn't enjoy the Gothic style gameplay.
@@Zkdub4 He said he'd be reviewing it later on in another video.
Agreed, it might even be my straight up GOTY. Its incredible.
Did they have to choose a name so closely resembling Foreskin?
Drova is definitely my indie GOTY. It feels like an instant classic
Skald was insanely good for it's price and idea. I would've loved to have other games like this one. Which are not afraid to be the game they are.
I just dont get the need for all-caps dialogue when they used regular lower-case in the rest of the UI. Kills readability
The first island in Skald was great, but after that the game devolved into a strictly linear experience and abandoned all pretence at being a CRPG.
This and cuddling my dog are what's getting me through this terrible morning. Thank you, Mort.
I LOVED Dread Delusion, but like you I thought the combat was just... boring. I know they made a hard mode later, but I wonder if that actually makes it more interesting. But like you said, the world was super cool and interesting, so that definitely kept me going.
Thanks for the video. Regarding Skald, Cthulhu has been used so much that he's lost his fear factor. He's just a Xenomorph now: known too well to be scary. Eldritch horrors though... those can be anything. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm.
I played Dredge this year and it's definitely one of my favorites!
I completed the Thaumaturge last month and enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks for covering it!
Probably wouldn't have considered it otherwise, due to the card combat--which was quite well done in the Thaumaturge.
Honestly Dread Delusion is a game I got on a whim because it looked interesting, and ended up playing it every night which I rarely do with Single Player games nowadays. I loved the world, the lore, the NPC'S and art style. I loved the fact that it was only a single save file because it made choices mean far more meaningful than a lot of choice based games where everyone either save+loads the "best" choice. The choices were actually good choices, not like a lot of games where one choice is obviously bad, and one is good, but more of a grey with some choices. "Did I make the right choice," "what will change," how will it affect me" and so on.
I really really really hope they make a new game in the same universe like Dread Delusion and not a DLC, but will take either tbh. Can't wait for a second playthrough next year at some point to get the rest of the achievements.
Between Dread Delusion and Afterimage (which came out last year but played this year) I am still unsure which game I would have for my Indie game of the year that I played.
For me, hands down I've had the most fun with Witchfire and Quasimorph, this year. Check them out!
I played like 2h of Witchfire and put it down. Not because I didn't like it, but because it's too good to play early access, I'll wait for the full release.
I’ve been very interested in Quasimorph. Have you played it on steam deck and if so would you consider it a game worth playing on a handheld?
@@VinylMorpheusI play it on the Deck and it works great. Controls well, readability is good, very fun overall.
@@obatzda sweet! Thank you!
Another Crab's Treasure is a great way to introduce kids or younger people to the Soulslike / Actions RPG subgenre!
The Thaumaturge might be my indie of 2024, enjoyed it way more than I thought I would and almost sad I didnt pick it up on release to better support it.
I'd say Dread Delusion is the best game I played this year so far, although I agree that combat and difficulty (I played on Hard) are somewhat lacking. But the world, atmosphere, exploring and characters are top-notch. It's just such a delicacy of gaming that happens very rare.
Also, I smiled at "new releases starting to wind down", because I have a lot of games in my Steam wishlist that are either releasing in November or have more nebulous "2024" release date. So for me personally new releases keep coming, although I basically only buy some indie games on release nowadays.
Best feeling ever. Any coming to consoles?
I actually really like the art style of Skald, and it's almost more of a strength than a weakness. The pixel graphics fit well with that great part of old games where your imagination has to fill in the blanks, though I do agree about some things being difficult to parse
I constantly go back to your top TRPG and top CRPG lists you did some time ago. I feel you could add one of those lists for the end of this year IF there's enough of a difference to warrant it. Maybe top 2024 CRPGs? In any case, just leaving a comment for all that UA-cam Jazz. May you wander in wisdom Mort.
This is def year of the Crab. ACT is probably GOTY, but Crab God and Crab Champions are also so much fun. Make gaming great again, with Crabs.
Chant of Sennaar blew me away, I picked it up because I was in between playthroughs of two massive games and I wanted something simple. The art style, the whole language puzzle system, a story that kept my attention as I deciphered it….
I highly recommend if you want a shorter game
Just a quick aside; there are actually _several_ homes/HQ/Bases of Operation you can purchase and upgrade in DD. Also if you haven't played it, rectify this immediately.
Yeah but all of the ones besides your island home in hallowshire are lame and don't have any cool things in them
Pacific Drive, Bloomtown, and Beyond Galaxyland get my votes this year
Hey Mortum, absolutely love the videos and think its great to see you covering smaller titles.
If you're looking for something to play I highly highly recommend Enderal, the Skyrim full conversion mod.
Having played games for 20 years I am near completely jaded, but Enderal just blew me away. Would love to hear you cover it. Regardless, looking forward to whatever you put out next!
Mine are definitely:
- Balatro (duh...)
- Animal Well (exceptionnally good metroid brainia)
- Pacific Drive (sci-fi mystery version of Subnautica, and that's very high praise coming from me)
- The Holy Gosh Darn (reminiscent of Lucas Arts era adventure game with a very cool dialogue system)
- Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (very clever and weird exploration investigation game)
- 1000xresist (brilliant story driven walking sim in a dystopian world where humanity is forced to live underground following an alien invation)
If you are a fan of indie games and you don't mind retro style graphics (which judging by the inclusion of Animal Well doesn't seem to be the case) you might want to check out UFO 50, too.
I think you could REALLY like that title.
I played an insane amount of Balatro until I bought Slice and Dice. SnD took over my life for a few months and made me move on from Balatro.
I might pirate animal well because dunkey sure isn't getting a red cent from me that guy is shit
Abiotic Factor is one of the best games I played this year and should go 1.0 before the year ends or shortly after.
I really needed to hear Mort's voice today
Skald was SO good, def recommend
Skald and Dread Delusion are my favourites! Nice video as always. I hope you try Lunacid or Gloomwood
I really enjoyed Dread Delusion. Yes, it is extremely easy and simple. But if feel nostalgic, the ambiance, look and exploration is quite fun.
Wonderful stuff, Dread Delusion is one of my absolute favourites. Of course I am compelled to ask - Codex Lost is out soon, are you hoping to review it?
Pacific Drive is so neat, but I find it so stressful to play. Skald looks super great!
I've had a blast with Brotato this year. Really fun take on the genre popularized by Vampire Survivors. Much more entertaining than other clones I've played.
All these games I have price alerts on, good to see we still have similar tastes.
Skald was amazing. One if the best RPG experiences I've had this year.
Indies are the future. It's most of my library nowadays if I'm honest, and it's good for the wallet too!
@@ns7495 Not like AAA means much nowadays anyway
Love these kinda videos!
Dread Delusion sounds amazing. Purchasing now.
Scarmonde was a real treasure i picked up this year, charming Final Fantasy like.
Tactical breach wizards was also a suprise hit for me the defenestration based combat was a fun twist.
yay indie roundup 🙌
People make comparisons based on how something looks because it is the most obvious trait something has. Happens all the times with players in sports too
Watching a shoutout for a game set in Warsaw actually from Warsaw sure is a treat 😅
A good year for indies. I hope this continues next year.
Mort, it's the beginning of November. Why "end of the year top" already 😭😭😭😭
Indy games are mostly what I buy thesedays.
Distractions are important in difficult times
Agreed. Dread Delusion isn’t remotely like Morrowind. Ardenfall is much closer gameplay-wise. Still a cool game though.
The only way it's like morrowind is when you get high agility and run around at insane speeds
Great list of indie games.
Balatro + Drova + UFO 50, what a year.
Indies (and AAs to some extent) are definitely the future of gaming at this point with the way the AAA is going right now.
Buying another crab's treasure when it goes on sale. Looks so fun.
Drova deserves more love
I’m still hoping a few more of these might end up on game pass. Great list.
If you'd played Drova, it'd be there, 100%.
Unless you don't enjoy exploration that is actually that... exploration rather than mini-map and marker navigating. Plus quests that don't solve themselves.
Skald was amazing. It’s in my goty short list with metaphor and like a dragon 8.
Best Indie (and maybe game) for me is Tactical Breach Wizards. It's just pure joy, all parts of it are tightly tuned. And it's got funny writing without being overly quippy and milenial.
I know you talked only about full released games this year, but I'd like to suggest you The Rogue Prince of Persia. It's still in early access (for 6 months now) and it's incredible. Maybe it can be on 2025's list when It'll be fully released 😉
Some of the better indies released this year imho:
Bloomtown, Drova, Nine Sols, Wantless, Songs of Conquest, Last Epoch, Ravenswatch, Sons of the Forest, V Rising, Beyond Galaxyland, Crypt Custodian, Kill Knight.
No DROVA??!?! Whaaaa...???
I'm 40 hours in and i'm having a blast
No "Our Adventurer Guild"? i found out about this game through your channel (but it wasn't a 100% review, just a "checking in", i think), and it was probably the best release i've played this year, and one of the best TRPGs in general. you definitely should play and review it
Dread Delusion is on my short list. I like that the combat is simple. Just chill and explore it sounds like. I also have played a lot of Morrowind and really don't get the comparison.
Did you try Red Hood? Did that come out this year?
Will you be checking out Arco? I have heard it is good but would like to know your thoughts on it.
No current plans, but never say never
You reallly, really need to check out Drova.
SKALD is an amazing game.
Just wanna get another Drova Forsaken Kin mention in the comments. Great Gothic-like game.
Do you plan on making a check out of "Elin"?
No current plans
Can't say I personally agree with any of these, but I fully understand the nature of this being subjective, so awesome content none the less.
Quasimorph is one of the best indie of the year
I cant wait for thaumaturge on ps5
You really need to play Drova
Thx for the video!
@MortismalGaming
Will you ever "review" games that are not fully finished? Like Ostranauts or DeltaV?
Starsector is a game that is nearing 1.0 "soon", 0.97 atm I think, perfectly playable. Best indie game I know of.
@@9302kahe Agree, it's awesome!
@@9302kahe At this point it's basically a complete game with a main dev suffering from perfectionism.
Not unless they ever hit 1.0
crab is good, but it definitely overstayed its welcome. I stopped after defeating Tinkerton, and frankly it should have been over after Roland.
I got another's crab on sale for I think around $5-10. I haven't played it yet but it is the next game on my list
Indie UA-cam Jazz 🎶
I really want to enjoy Skald, but I have a really hard time seeing what's going on on the screen. The high-contrast sprites are really difficult for me to look at for long periods of time. I wish the devs would release some sort of option to tone it down somewhat.
There were a few fights where I had a lot of trouble actually seeing the individual characters
Garbanzo Quest?
to me was 'Hero's Adventure: Road to Passion', released at the end of last year, good game, but the translation is quite bad.
You did a quick look at Kingsvein when it released earlier this year, but how about a proper review?
No current plans, pretty busy as it is
I have mixed feelings about Skald. Overall, I think it’s very good, especially as it reminded me of the classic CRPG’s of my youth, like Ultima 3 to 5 and the Gold Box series by SSI. Unfortunately, it is let down by its story and downbeat ending, although your mileage may vary on that one. Personally, I did not like that there was a single ending, which (in my view) invalidated everything that your character did throughout the game. It also felt that, at a certain point, the story was “on the rails”, with very little agency on the part of the player.
Another disappointing aspect was how most of the spells weren’t really relevant, outside of the ones that inflicted stun or direct damage. And because characters could learn only a limited number of spells, you were better off bypassing many of them. Moreover, the spell point pool (Attunement) was limited, so there was a steep opportunity cost to casting spells outside the ones mentioned (e.g. for the Attunement cost, most buffs and debuffs weren’t as useful as just damaging or stunning the enemy).
In the end, the game had good ideas and fun combat, held back from greatness by some balance issues and narrative choices. Outside of trying different character builds (a number of which are already represented by party members), there really isn’t much replay value either.
Krab,dread delusion and thaumurge.
Look interesting I'd pass on the rest.
Do you ever check out demos?
Yeah, all the time
You need to play Arco.
Usually i play tons of indie games but if im recalling correctly, i dont know that I've played any indies this year. 🤷
Moooorrttiiissmaalllll Thanks for this Video
skald was great game, but, needs so more content expansions. as is the adventure is quite fast played through.
Have you played Balatro? Thats my GOTY indie game
"shoalslike".. r/angryupvote 😛
Tunguska the visitation !! Please check it out
yo
Gronk!
Today is a good day!
free comment has arrived.
Ever reliable
@MortismalGaming a hard job but someone's gotta do it =D
Will we be getting a Red Dead Redemption review?
Probably at some point but not soon
Sea of Stars? Try it
There is a full review of it on the channel
Yeah played and reviewed, released last year though
Drova 🎉
Im so sad