Who needs other people, eh? Sure they’re good for companionship, love and affection – and I suppose for a more effective Helldivers squad – but really, why not replace all that with a good old single player game? One that you can play on your own, whenever you like, and which won’t rely on anything other than your investment in it. OK, maybe I’m being flippant, but single player remains the bedrock of gaming, and after a number of years in the live service wilderness, they’re firmly at the forefront once more. 2024 has been a brilliant year for solo experiences, but one ran, bounced and boinged just that little bit harder than everyone else.
To call Astro Bot a love letter to gaming is to diminish its own creativity. Still, it is a missive filled with warmth and joy, not just for the PlayStation family and its beloved characters, but to the bountiful platforming abandon that’s normally a portly plumber’s remit. Just like Nintendo’s finest, Astro Bot is a repeated shot of delight that you will continue to down until you can’t possibly take any more, before finding room for just a little more.
Astro and his pals’ PS5-shaped spaceship is wrecked by some no-good aliens, leaving them strewn and stranded throughout the universe. Fortunately, our plucky hero sets out to rescue them within moments, leading to hour upon hour of platforming perfection.
Where Astro’s Playroom was a proof of concept to show off the PS5’s different abilities, Astro Bot takes that creativity and turns the dial way up, delivering you to tropical locales, sandy deserts and freezing tundras, where you fend off all manner of cute but deadly foes while encountering a new gameplay mechanic around every turn. It’s perky, cute and practically perfect in every way, and while you can share in its joy with other players, this is a classic singleplayer affair, making it a deserving winner of this year’s award.
Metaphor: ReFantazio – Runner-up
Atlus is renowned for the likes of Persona. When fourteen of the creative minds behind Persona left P-Studio to set up Studio Zero, it was obvious that whatever they made would be liquid gold. The first game they released is Metaphor ReFantazio.
While Studio Zero is tasked with developing original IP and content unrelated to Persona, it’s fair to call their work Persona-like. Not only are there systems and mechanics that carry over, from the progression of time to the friendship simulator, and even the basics of combat, but there are some tremendous Easter Eggs that even the least eagle-eyed fans will spot.
Gameplay boils down to two things: a dungeon-crawling turn-based action RPG and a time management sim. The interplay between the two is very well built, offering huge flexibility in how you play the game. If you’re looking for a game you can easily sink 150 hours into, without getting bored of gameplay, you won’t go far wrong with Metaphor!
– Nic B
Balatro – Runner-up
Solitaire is basically the single player card game, and Balatro takes a healthy dose of influence from Solitaire in with its blend of Poker hands and an overarching roguelike structure. There’s no story here (outside of a slightly snarky Joker card commenting on your failure), just a pure, unadulterated tumble down a rabbit hole of Poker hands, modifiers and ever-growing scores to overcome.
– Stefan L
Honourable Mentions (in alphabetical order)
Which single player games and adventures have really spoken to you over the past twelve months?
