This week, we share our top five game picks for 2024, emphasizing the unexpected abundance of quality titles early in the year. The games span various handheld devices, including the Rog Ally, Legion Go, and Steam Deck OLED.
The first featured game is PalWorld, a survival crafting experience reminiscent of Pokemon with guns. We'd like to note its versatility across platforms and highlight performance improvements, mods, and the game's success in breaking records on Steam.
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is the second game, catching us by surprise due to its similarity to Vampire Survivors. Priced at around $10, the top-down auto-shooter offers enjoyable gameplay, leveling up mechanics, and a compelling story, making it a recommended choice for fans of the genre.
Banisher Ghost of New Eden claims the third spot, impressing us as our favorite single-player game of 2024 so far. Praised for its excellent combat elements, storytelling, voice acting, and graphics, the game performs well on handhelds, particularly the Steam Deck.
Last Epoch, the fourth game, initially flew under the our radar but gained attention upon its 1.0 release. Positioned as a top-down RPG with similarities to Diablo, it offers a balanced level of complexity and accessibility, making it enjoyable for a broad audience.
The final recommendation is Hell Divers 2, which we admit took time to grow on us but eventually became addictive. Despite initial server issues, the game now runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and other handhelds, providing an engaging experience for players.