It's unfortunate americans only know toreama for dragon ball and dragon quest, meanwhile my early childhood was dr. slump truly under appreciated series in the west.
I think it depends on how into manga they were. I read Cowa! growing up not even realizing he had any work besides Dragon Ball when I first picked up Cowa!
@@acebreaker7 imagine if your favourite show you give for granted everyone knows you suddenly discover no one actually knew or ever appreciated it. Also the last statement sounded a little jerkish. What the hell is "patronizing" have to do with just be aware of a show's existence?
Also, i cant believe you played Athenian Rhapsody as well! I only played the demo all the way through but man thats such an underrated gem for sure. Its such a good time and felt genuinely at times like its own thing and man its just a great feeling game overall. Im happy somebody else took notice of that because that game for sure flew under alot of peoples radar
I don't think Sand Land or Penny's Big Breakaway are HIDDEN gems. They both got a fairly sizable amount of notice when released. Maybe not AAA push levels, but they certainly were known about.
If you liked Berserk Boy's flow as a Mega Man-Like, definitely play Gravity Circuit. Not only is the gameplay in my opinion way better on the flow, but the soundtrack is just banger after banger after banger after BANGER. Definitely an underrated game from last year that I have gone back to just for the sick vibes it gave off.
I standby this HARD. Gravity Circuit was such a blast, that grapple mechanic is probably the coolest tool I've ever had the pleasure of playing with in any of the megaman likes. Not to mention the collectathon style setup was a ton of fun
AntDude already gushed over Gravity Circuit in an earlier hidden gems episode. He literally ended it on "Play Gravity Circuit." Absolute gem of a game and the first one I've ever sprung for a huge collector's edition/import on (that unfortunately keeps getting delayed, but that has nothing to do with Domesticated Ant Games)
Oh hey it's Athenian Rhapsody I first heard of this game through the fan made MOTHER Direct by NOKOGODO back in July and I just want to give a shoutout to how funny the trailer was in that Direct (48:12 is the timestamp for that Direct's trailer in case people want to watch it)
It was a shockingly good game! I am utterly flummoxed by how much I was invested in it (especially as someone who very much disliked Undertale). I guess it helps that the game succeeds at being its own thing and had a lot of great ideas within its combat system.
Oh I played a bit of You Are Peter Shorts! It's good stuff with neat ideas and modes that bring us back to the time where singleplayer games had multiplayer modes to battle your friends. That said tho, the controls aren't great. I've missed jumps on many occasions and the fighting is awkward despite the mechanics added. If there's a game I can recommend to the fans of Kirby's Adventure on the NES, it's Fruggo's Adventure, a short game on Steam where you platform as a lil frog that came out in 2024. I'd say it's worth your time
Everyone's been playing Belatro but I found Yohane the Parhelion NAMAZU in the Mirage to be really fun. The real hidden gem was Chrono Ark though. Probably the best roguelike deckbuilder I've ever played which got a full release back in May.
If you like arcade racers in the style of the old Wipeout games and F-Zero GX, and you liked the level aesthetics and soundtrack of Neon White, give Phantom Spark a try. It has a time trial-based system where you can race ghost data from other drivers around the world at your level so it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly improving.
I haven't sunk my teeth into the game yet, but I enjoyed the demo and they managed to get it running pretty well on Switch, which is a big deal for basically any 3D game not from Nintendo these days
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is unironically one of my favorite games of the year so far. Its hilarious yet earnest emulation of the CD-i Zelda games' style is only made even better with references to the likes of Hotel Mario, I.M. Meen and various classic TH-cam Poops on top of the game actually being pretty fun in its own right. Sure, it can reference those CD-i games maybe too much to a fault where it can get a little fetch-quest heavy for some but personally, I still had a blast with it. And the game only got better recently with the devs revealing cheat codes for the game and the PC version getting a hilarious mod that changes all the bizarre cutscenes to classic-style YTPs thus amping the goofiness from 10 to 11.
Gotta give it to new star GP personally, I went into it expecting a simple arcade racer. And then preceeded to play it for 40+ hours....still going btw.
I’ve been loving Sand Land! My progress has been slow overall - I tend to go a week or two between main quests because the gameplay definitely can get repetitive - but I adore the world, the characters, and especially seeing the town of Spino evolve over time. I’m also trying to get into Athenian Rhapsody because it seems hilarious, but the gameplay is tough for me to enjoy. Planning to work through that once I knock some entries off my backlog.
You showed it in the beginning sizzle reel, but Schim is a good time. It's a puzzle game where you play as a frog-like creature that can only exist in shadows, and you have to hop from shadow to shadow to reach your goal
I like that his opening pitcher is "watch this video if you are tired of AAA gaming just being all the same these days", then proceeds to talk about Sand Land which, while being a neat adaption of an obscure Toriyama manga from 20+ years ago, is still just a standard openworld ARPG with mindless NPCs to talk to. Heck he even admits upfront that the game is repetitive as hell.
Plus we've got some more gems to come this year (hopefully). Astro Bot The Plucky Squire Bits & Bops Rift of the Necrodancer Super Mario Party Jamboree Mario & Luigi: Brothership Plus, there's been another game already out that you could've mentioned. Promenade. It's like a 2D Mario Odyssey with a charming Adventure Time-esque artstyle and a ton of imagination in its puzzles and locations and how you use objects in the environment.
Are people still trying to meme Astro Bot into being a thing? It just looks like a Sony-branded IP slurry with a bloated version of the PS5 pack in game attached to it.
@@voidstrudel Not memeing, it genuinely looks to be a GREAT time as a return to cutesy mascot platformers. And Astro's Playroom was already a really enjoyable tech demo loveletter to all things Playstation, so, yeah.
8:46 oh...oh let me tell you. I played Another Code Recollection 2 times in a row back to back. I played the original trace memory 4 years ago and loved it so much. The fact that they brought one of my favorite games of all time and remastered both that and the sequel still makes me so happy. Its one of those games that really really brought me back and it inspired me just like cings (the developers) other games did. It made me buy a DSiXL and play their original ds games again. But the recollection is also just such a wonderful world, with wonderful characters, its still the best of 2024 so far for me. Im still surprised you played this game because i felt like i was the only one that was excited to play this game again because it means so much to me. And now theres a possibility that nintendo may actually remake the Hotel dusk and Last Window games as well if its possible. But im so happy you love these games as much as i do, theyre seriously one of a kind games.
Biggest hidden gem so far imo is Tevi. Super high quality Metroidvania with bullet hell inspired bosses. Well over 20 hours of content, TONS of customization. Same team as Rabi-Ribi, with much less problematic character designs
I just played "Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden," and was really surprised by how big of a game it is. I did a "good ending" playthrough (there are two main endings and three other lesser endings) and it was 122 hours with a ton of fully voiced and motion captured side quests that contribute to which ending you get and each of those quests can end in two completely different outcomes that you'd gave to play through twice to see.
I have played and beaten Another Code recollection, I was actually excited for it to come out cause I missed them when they originally came out. Also Minishoot is great, it was made by the same guys who did swords and souls, a very popular flash game. I've been following them for a while.
I already knew about every game in this video, surprisingly enough. I only own Penny's Big Breakaway and Berserk Boy, but I guess I've been really paying attention to indie stuff lately. I haven't truly played through any hidden gems released this year (unless you want to count Shadows Over Loathing, but that launched on Steam back in November 2022 and digitally on Switch in April 2023 - it took nearly a year for the physical to release), but I do want to shoutout two Next Fest demos I played that I've seen no one really talk about. The first is CATO. Releasing in September, it's a game all about the "cat/buttered toast paradox" gag, but it gets a lot of mileage out of the idea - the cat and toast float around when stuck to each other, but they can be separated and controlled on their own (the former has traditional controls but can't jump, while the latter is moved by using the shoulder buttons to fling it around), and they push it into really satisfying puzzle-platformer territory. The second is Dubio, which might not release this year - it's also a puzzle platformer, but it's one with a minimalist presentation focused around momentum, and the vibes are great with some neat visual flourishes and lovely audio. Both demos are still up on Steam, so I'd recommend giving them a whirl if you're interested.
My biggest hidden gem will ALWAYS be "the kings bird" As of this review it only has 321 reviews on steam which is insane for how well the game plays. Its a 2d momentum flying platformer. You just zoom through stages and when you rack up enough speed you can glide and fly
You’re the only person talking about Athenian Rhapsody which is such a shame. It’s so unique and interesting. Other below the radar games are Master Key (a 2D Zelda-like w/ some good exploration), Paper Trail (a dynamic puzzle game with fresh ideas), Slave Zero X (a bloody 2D spectacle fighter w/ big 90s anime vibes), Raw Metal (a stealth action game w/ good ass combat), Conscript (a PSX style horror game set in WWI trenches), Fallen Aces (an immersive sim w/ pulpy noire stylings), Selaco (a Doom WAD w/ Fear all over it), and Helskate (a skateboarding game w/ Tony Hawk’s controls bundled with Hades rogue lite progression).
I loved the first Valfaris because it was a heavy metal run and gun with Cuphead-hard epic boss fights that take up the whole screen. I look forward this week to its sequel, which has switched genres to a side scrolling shoot-em-up with epic boss fights.
two games you should keep an eye on are Supraworld and broken reality 2000. Both are exploration heavy adventure games with upgrades and tones of secrets to find.
Penny has no drop shadow when youre too high off the ground and that makes depth perception a huge problem. Also i think the penguin mechanic deliberately existing to ruin your flow is exactly the kind of complaint people would have about the worst sonic games stage gimmicks, let alone the sidequests in Penny where you get one chance to do them or you have to die and retry it. Its just badly paced and the flow sucks honestly. I still got 100% in it but im never going back to it unlike Mania which ive replayed like 10 times.
I loved Penny and I actually come back to play some levels every week or so, it's just so fun. While I agree with your criticism, I don't think you should do the side quests when replaying, they are a pace breaker and the game is just more enjoyable without them. The penguins thing I don't agree with, they don't slow you down very much as long as you den't get swarmed by more than one or two of them, which shouldn't be a problem as long as you know what you're doing. Finally, the shadow not appearing is really jarring, but it really doesn't affect much of the gameplay as most level design doesn't involve precise platforming, I noticed the most when trying to land on the top of the goal, elsewhere, every platform was wide enough for me to land safely without having to adjust my position
Yeah, I only played the demo, but I also very much got the impression that the whole game was fundamentally at odds with itself. Seeminfly flow- and combo-focused, but then it also has so many elements that break that flow. It just didn't feel good to play.
The funniest game of the year might be Thank Goodness You're Here! It is, to put it simply, aggressively British, but so ridiculous and hilarious. Definitely a recommendation.
I hope Keylocker: Turn Based Cyberpunk Action is on your radar! Moonana's second developed venture, with the first being Virgo vs the Zodiac. Quirky setting, good humor, stylish pixel art and animations, AMAZING music, and challenging time-based input RPG battles. Give it a try, 100%.
Wow you're the first larger TH-camr I've seen to cover You Are Peter Shorts! I enjoyed the game, though the jumping and overall movement was floatier and jankier than I would have liked. Ondydev has released some better games in the past: Tres Bashers and Binky's Trash Service. Both are pretty cheap, too! Would highly recommend those :)
Tsukihime piece of blue glass moon vn i know it is a visual novel and all which make it niche in all but it is so good and probably going to be my game of the year and im not done with it yet and i have 90 hours into it (im a slow reader)
Nice to see new fans of Tsukihime come out of that remake! I remember playing the original uncensored somewhere around late 00s/early 2010s. As the Nasuverse goes, though, I’ve always preferred the Fate/Stay Night VN, which I’m told got remastered this year - or at least one was announced - since you like Tsukihime, I recommend giving it a shot at some point!
@@AdamGlory that's next or witch of the holy night haven't decided and fate stay night I'd already out and everything from the reviews are good based on perceptions except no sex scenes which is ok for me since it is not my cup of tea. The probably next thing nasuverse related for me will definitely be garden of sinners though. Tried watching it a while back while playing tsukihime and decided to hold off til finish tsukihime because I didn't want to get confused and mix the stories together.
I've really enjoying Mullet Mudjack. If you're familiar with indie shooters it plays like a more polished version of Post Void, if you want an inducation of it's quality it's roguelite a genre I normally can't stand that I actually enjoy
I don't play a lot of "new" games, I tend to be pretty late to the party. But, I have been playing Fields of Mistria, and it's fantastic so far! Still in early access, but the game is meaty already. My friend recommended to me Tavern Talk, but I haven't gotten around to playing it.
I'm very upset at Steam for not recommending me Minishot Adventures, Peter Shorts and Berserk Boy on the Discovery Queue cause they seem exactly my thing, but giving me "here's EA Soccer for the 20th time despite the fact that you ignore this every time and you don't even have a soccer game in your library"
I highly recommend trying Victory Heat Rally and Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. I'm not even a racing game kinda guy, they're just great. Specially Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom.
We counting Pepper Grinder as a hidden gem? Devolver published it so maybe it's too mainstream but I don't think enough people got to it. Also Turnip Boy Robs a Bank was a bizarre sequel to Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. Also just obligatory Ace Attorney clone shout out to Murders on the Yangtze River (Though at least based on Steam ratings this isn't super obscure)
I bought another code thanks to your other review, currently working through the second game right now and loving every minute of it. I want more games like it
One game I played this year was Tales of Kenzera: ZAU and I thought it was fun to a degree. The story was really good, but the gameplay itself was a little buggy for me. Sometimes the gameplay felt a bit jank and sometimes it felt smooth, but I still recommend it. It's a fun time.
It's still so weird to me that they made a Sand Land game in 2024. Don't get me wrong, I love the original comic but why make a game more than two decades after the series ended. If it was a massively popular series that stayed in the publics conscious I could somewhat understand them making a game despite all the time that passed but while the series was well received back when it came out it didn't have a lasting impact like Akira Toriyamas other works like Dragon Ball and Dr.Slump.
This was a great list of games you’ve played and I just put two of them on my steam wishlist which is the minishoot adventure and Berserk Boy, Sand land, Another Code, and Penny are the games I have played except Penny and they were pretty fun. If you want another good gem there’s this game called Thank Goodness You’re Here it’s a British comedy platformer and it’s pretty funny and good even though it’s a bit short but don’t let the length keep you from playing it, It’s really good 👍
Hey, I know some good games that you should play local Roku you really got to play it Presse Persia, 2008 And mondealy that’s a underrated Tearaway unfolded And liomilo and jusant and hauntll
And Id and goodbye world arranger Bo path of the teal lotus And sicker business and bomb blaster and Vividlope that one looks like a Sega Dreamcast game
Valley peaks that’s a great game Sunset Hills omega, 6 do you know the guy who made the character art for star fox zero tango make artwork for the characters
I think I spend too much time on searching for games than actually playing them. I've seen all of the mentioned games except Kitsune Tales (which I will check out) I'll mention Batboy as a hidden gem, its another straightforward megaman inspired game, although it actually came out last year. Edit: AntDude already played it, huh.
And gimmick 2 and euphoria 1 and 2 saga inside a bag of milk de bob 1 and 2 natsu mon 20 century boy for the creators of my summer vacation series, an attack of the Friday. Monster on 3DS.
mark my words, penny's big breakaway is going to be considered an all-time classic someday genuinely one of the greatest 3d platformers I've ever played
Kitsune Tails was such a disapppontment imo. I suppose its an ok platformer if youre into them in general but it felt confused, like it wanted to be another game but they had already decided to go for mario 3, so neither of the characters flow well in the levels. Story is fine, if a bit intrusive, and i dig some of the powerups, but man did the levels and gameplay just leave me with a sour taste.
![[TH] 2024 PMGC League | Survival Stage วันที่ 1 | PUBG MOBILE Global Championship](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FVFT-PFwU80/mqdefault.jpg)
Can't believe someone talked about Another Code Recollection and it was AntDude. Such a hidden gem.
People should also look at Nine Sols, Bakeru, Akimobot and Nikoderiko: The Magical World.
Loved nine sols! I'm going to check out the others you mentioned!
It's unfortunate americans only know toreama for dragon ball and dragon quest, meanwhile my early childhood was dr. slump truly under appreciated series in the west.
I think it depends on how into manga they were. I read Cowa! growing up not even realizing he had any work besides Dragon Ball when I first picked up Cowa!
I was going to reply the same. Wondering how much Ant is aware of Arale's existence beside her cameos...
whats so unfortunate about that? sounds rather patronizing
Not American but since you said "in the west" I'll say that Dr Slump was pretty famous in Italy, thanks to the anime airing on TV
@@acebreaker7 imagine if your favourite show you give for granted everyone knows you suddenly discover no one actually knew or ever appreciated it.
Also the last statement sounded a little jerkish. What the hell is "patronizing" have to do with just be aware of a show's existence?
Minishoot Adventures was excellent.
Don’t know if it’s underrated, but Nine Sols is probably going to be my GOTY (tied with Balatro)
PENNY'S BIG BREAKAWAY MENTIONED🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
I have that on steam too but I haven’t played it yet but I will eventually
Continues to blow my mind that that game never blew up, it's amazing
@@mindy1609 I’ll play it sometime soon when I don’t have so much backlog
I got the platinum trophy for the game on PS5
Shiren the Wanderer 6 is a hidden gems this year
Also, i cant believe you played Athenian Rhapsody as well! I only played the demo all the way through but man thats such an underrated gem for sure. Its such a good time and felt genuinely at times like its own thing and man its just a great feeling game overall. Im happy somebody else took notice of that because that game for sure flew under alot of peoples radar
I don't think Sand Land or Penny's Big Breakaway are HIDDEN gems. They both got a fairly sizable amount of notice when released. Maybe not AAA push levels, but they certainly were known about.
If you liked Berserk Boy's flow as a Mega Man-Like, definitely play Gravity Circuit. Not only is the gameplay in my opinion way better on the flow, but the soundtrack is just banger after banger after banger after BANGER. Definitely an underrated game from last year that I have gone back to just for the sick vibes it gave off.
I standby this HARD. Gravity Circuit was such a blast, that grapple mechanic is probably the coolest tool I've ever had the pleasure of playing with in any of the megaman likes. Not to mention the collectathon style setup was a ton of fun
@@SlippyBoyOfficial 1000%. That grappling hook has such a great feel to it.
AntDude already gushed over Gravity Circuit in an earlier hidden gems episode. He literally ended it on "Play Gravity Circuit." Absolute gem of a game and the first one I've ever sprung for a huge collector's edition/import on (that unfortunately keeps getting delayed, but that has nothing to do with Domesticated Ant Games)
@@PikaPhantomVG I was more just pointing it out for viewers who haven't seen that video or may have forgotten the endorsement lmao
I just wish the difficulty spike between normal and hard wasn’t as high. Some of the boss battles made me genuinely crash out
Oh hey it's Athenian Rhapsody
I first heard of this game through the fan made MOTHER Direct by NOKOGODO back in July and I just want to give a shoutout to how funny the trailer was in that Direct (48:12 is the timestamp for that Direct's trailer in case people want to watch it)
It was a shockingly good game! I am utterly flummoxed by how much I was invested in it (especially as someone who very much disliked Undertale). I guess it helps that the game succeeds at being its own thing and had a lot of great ideas within its combat system.
@@jettythesunfishAlso athenian rhapsody had a better genocide route than undertale.
@@sontho6995 This is actually true!👏
Penny is so iconic. I didn’t realize it came out this year. I felt like it always was.
Oh I played a bit of You Are Peter Shorts! It's good stuff with neat ideas and modes that bring us back to the time where singleplayer games had multiplayer modes to battle your friends. That said tho, the controls aren't great. I've missed jumps on many occasions and the fighting is awkward despite the mechanics added.
If there's a game I can recommend to the fans of Kirby's Adventure on the NES, it's Fruggo's Adventure, a short game on Steam where you platform as a lil frog that came out in 2024. I'd say it's worth your time
Peter Shorts fits right in with Smiling Friends.
Everyone's been playing Belatro but I found Yohane the Parhelion NAMAZU in the Mirage to be really fun. The real hidden gem was Chrono Ark though. Probably the best roguelike deckbuilder I've ever played which got a full release back in May.
If you like arcade racers in the style of the old Wipeout games and F-Zero GX, and you liked the level aesthetics and soundtrack of Neon White, give Phantom Spark a try. It has a time trial-based system where you can race ghost data from other drivers around the world at your level so it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly improving.
I haven't sunk my teeth into the game yet, but I enjoyed the demo and they managed to get it running pretty well on Switch, which is a big deal for basically any 3D game not from Nintendo these days
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is unironically one of my favorite games of the year so far. Its hilarious yet earnest emulation of the CD-i Zelda games' style is only made even better with references to the likes of Hotel Mario, I.M. Meen and various classic TH-cam Poops on top of the game actually being pretty fun in its own right. Sure, it can reference those CD-i games maybe too much to a fault where it can get a little fetch-quest heavy for some but personally, I still had a blast with it.
And the game only got better recently with the devs revealing cheat codes for the game and the PC version getting a hilarious mod that changes all the bizarre cutscenes to classic-style YTPs thus amping the goofiness from 10 to 11.
I've played a bit of Athenian Rhapsody (the app is free on mobile), but man, it is so good! I need to get back to it asap.
Gotta give it to new star GP personally, I went into it expecting a simple arcade racer.
And then preceeded to play it for 40+ hours....still going btw.
Freedom Planet 2 may not be a new release this year, but it did came out for the Switch this year.
I think more people should check it out.
I’ve been loving Sand Land! My progress has been slow overall - I tend to go a week or two between main quests because the gameplay definitely can get repetitive - but I adore the world, the characters, and especially seeing the town of Spino evolve over time.
I’m also trying to get into Athenian Rhapsody because it seems hilarious, but the gameplay is tough for me to enjoy. Planning to work through that once I knock some entries off my backlog.
I've really enjoyed Radirgy 2. It's a Japan-only weird shmup, also the music is really good! A real hidden gem for sure
Spread the gospel of Another Code Antdude!
So far my top 3 is
Balatro, Nine Sols and Another Crabs Treasure.
So many more i love but thats my top 3.
You showed it in the beginning sizzle reel, but Schim is a good time. It's a puzzle game where you play as a frog-like creature that can only exist in shadows, and you have to hop from shadow to shadow to reach your goal
I like that his opening pitcher is "watch this video if you are tired of AAA gaming just being all the same these days", then proceeds to talk about Sand Land which, while being a neat adaption of an obscure Toriyama manga from 20+ years ago, is still just a standard openworld ARPG with mindless NPCs to talk to. Heck he even admits upfront that the game is repetitive as hell.
I got bored during the demo 🤣
Plus we've got some more gems to come this year (hopefully).
Astro Bot
The Plucky Squire
Bits & Bops
Rift of the Necrodancer
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Plus, there's been another game already out that you could've mentioned. Promenade. It's like a 2D Mario Odyssey with a charming Adventure Time-esque artstyle and a ton of imagination in its puzzles and locations and how you use objects in the environment.
Are people still trying to meme Astro Bot into being a thing? It just looks like a Sony-branded IP slurry with a bloated version of the PS5 pack in game attached to it.
@@voidstrudel Not memeing, it genuinely looks to be a GREAT time as a return to cutesy mascot platformers.
And Astro's Playroom was already a really enjoyable tech demo loveletter to all things Playstation, so, yeah.
@@voidstrudel I wish I could downvote a comment more than once
@@voidstrudel Just play the damn game and form a real opinion please. It's damn near GOTY for me after a few hours
@@SolBuster Sure, if you send me the cash. I'm not dropping 70€ on something that looks like soulless slop to me.
I just started playing Unicorn Overlord for my channel, and now I'm mad that it doesn't have the buzz I wish it did.
Another Code Recollection mentioned!!!
You sold me (not) on Sand Land.
8:46 oh...oh let me tell you. I played Another Code Recollection 2 times in a row back to back. I played the original trace memory 4 years ago and loved it so much. The fact that they brought one of my favorite games of all time and remastered both that and the sequel still makes me so happy. Its one of those games that really really brought me back and it inspired me just like cings (the developers) other games did. It made me buy a DSiXL and play their original ds games again. But the recollection is also just such a wonderful world, with wonderful characters, its still the best of 2024 so far for me. Im still surprised you played this game because i felt like i was the only one that was excited to play this game again because it means so much to me. And now theres a possibility that nintendo may actually remake the Hotel dusk and Last Window games as well if its possible. But im so happy you love these games as much as i do, theyre seriously one of a kind games.
Biggest hidden gem so far imo is Tevi. Super high quality Metroidvania with bullet hell inspired bosses. Well over 20 hours of content, TONS of customization. Same team as Rabi-Ribi, with much less problematic character designs
Another Code Recollection is my 10/10 masterpiece game of 2024!
Unsure if you’ve covered the game, but I really would like to see you cover knuckles Sandwich
I just played "Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden," and was really surprised by how big of a game it is. I did a "good ending" playthrough (there are two main endings and three other lesser endings) and it was 122 hours with a ton of fully voiced and motion captured side quests that contribute to which ending you get and each of those quests can end in two completely different outcomes that you'd gave to play through twice to see.
fun fact. Kitsune Tails was made by the devs that were hired to create Super Bernie World, the super mario bros inspired bernie campaign game.
Another Code Recollection is not a visual novel, it is a puzzle game
Ant doing God's work
Dungeons of Hinterberg is literally so fun, a great mash-up of a 3D action RPG (with some light puzzle solving) and a social sim.
One of my favorite games to come out this year is Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. It's a very fun 3D platformer that's only available on steam.
I have played and beaten Another Code recollection, I was actually excited for it to come out cause I missed them when they originally came out. Also Minishoot is great, it was made by the same guys who did swords and souls, a very popular flash game. I've been following them for a while.
I love these videos on hidden gems
I already knew about every game in this video, surprisingly enough. I only own Penny's Big Breakaway and Berserk Boy, but I guess I've been really paying attention to indie stuff lately.
I haven't truly played through any hidden gems released this year (unless you want to count Shadows Over Loathing, but that launched on Steam back in November 2022 and digitally on Switch in April 2023 - it took nearly a year for the physical to release), but I do want to shoutout two Next Fest demos I played that I've seen no one really talk about. The first is CATO. Releasing in September, it's a game all about the "cat/buttered toast paradox" gag, but it gets a lot of mileage out of the idea - the cat and toast float around when stuck to each other, but they can be separated and controlled on their own (the former has traditional controls but can't jump, while the latter is moved by using the shoulder buttons to fling it around), and they push it into really satisfying puzzle-platformer territory. The second is Dubio, which might not release this year - it's also a puzzle platformer, but it's one with a minimalist presentation focused around momentum, and the vibes are great with some neat visual flourishes and lovely audio. Both demos are still up on Steam, so I'd recommend giving them a whirl if you're interested.
My biggest hidden gem will ALWAYS be "the kings bird" As of this review it only has 321 reviews on steam which is insane for how well the game plays. Its a 2d momentum flying platformer. You just zoom through stages and when you rack up enough speed you can glide and fly
You’re the only person talking about Athenian Rhapsody which is such a shame. It’s so unique and interesting.
Other below the radar games are Master Key (a 2D Zelda-like w/ some good exploration), Paper Trail (a dynamic puzzle game with fresh ideas), Slave Zero X (a bloody 2D spectacle fighter w/ big 90s anime vibes), Raw Metal (a stealth action game w/ good ass combat), Conscript (a PSX style horror game set in WWI trenches), Fallen Aces (an immersive sim w/ pulpy noire stylings), Selaco (a Doom WAD w/ Fear all over it), and Helskate (a skateboarding game w/ Tony Hawk’s controls bundled with Hades rogue lite progression).
Wow, thanks for bringing up You are Peter Shorts, funniest stuff I've seen in years! 😅 Fantastic!
I loved the first Valfaris because it was a heavy metal run and gun with Cuphead-hard epic boss fights that take up the whole screen.
I look forward this week to its sequel, which has switched genres to a side scrolling shoot-em-up with epic boss fights.
Oh man! Minishoot' Adventures is amazing. Absolutely loved it!
two games you should keep an eye on are Supraworld and broken reality 2000. Both are exploration heavy adventure games with upgrades and tones of secrets to find.
I’m honestly surprised you didn’t talk about #BLUD in the video, seems right up your alley
Penny has no drop shadow when youre too high off the ground and that makes depth perception a huge problem. Also i think the penguin mechanic deliberately existing to ruin your flow is exactly the kind of complaint people would have about the worst sonic games stage gimmicks, let alone the sidequests in Penny where you get one chance to do them or you have to die and retry it. Its just badly paced and the flow sucks honestly. I still got 100% in it but im never going back to it unlike Mania which ive replayed like 10 times.
I loved Penny and I actually come back to play some levels every week or so, it's just so fun. While I agree with your criticism, I don't think you should do the side quests when replaying, they are a pace breaker and the game is just more enjoyable without them. The penguins thing I don't agree with, they don't slow you down very much as long as you den't get swarmed by more than one or two of them, which shouldn't be a problem as long as you know what you're doing. Finally, the shadow not appearing is really jarring, but it really doesn't affect much of the gameplay as most level design doesn't involve precise platforming, I noticed the most when trying to land on the top of the goal, elsewhere, every platform was wide enough for me to land safely without having to adjust my position
Yeah, I only played the demo, but I also very much got the impression that the whole game was fundamentally at odds with itself. Seeminfly flow- and combo-focused, but then it also has so many elements that break that flow. It just didn't feel good to play.
The funniest game of the year might be Thank Goodness You're Here! It is, to put it simply, aggressively British, but so ridiculous and hilarious. Definitely a recommendation.
You should definitely try the plucky squire when it releases in a month
Risk of rain 2 dlc releasing in 3 days 🎉
Hell yeah brother
I got terrible news
@@thismonkeyjustworks1255 what happened
@@thismonkeyjustworks1255 not perfect, but hopefully they’ll fix the bugs. Overall, the content is very good
I hope Keylocker: Turn Based Cyberpunk Action is on your radar!
Moonana's second developed venture, with the first being Virgo vs the Zodiac. Quirky setting, good humor, stylish pixel art and animations, AMAZING music, and challenging time-based input RPG battles. Give it a try, 100%.
Another Code Recollection is one of the most wholesome and therapeutic games I've ever played! A sequel would be amazing!
Same! It was the perfect "Winter" game for me. I don't know how to explain it inna better way ahah
@@Terranigma23 I played it months ago it was pretty good glad I got it
Hmm that sounds really good😮
Wow you're the first larger TH-camr I've seen to cover You Are Peter Shorts! I enjoyed the game, though the jumping and overall movement was floatier and jankier than I would have liked. Ondydev has released some better games in the past: Tres Bashers and Binky's Trash Service. Both are pretty cheap, too! Would highly recommend those :)
If you enjoyed Peter Shorts you should check out ondydev’s other games and especially Tres-Bashers
ATHENIAN RHAPSODY MENTIONED RHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Tsukihime piece of blue glass moon vn i know it is a visual novel and all which make it niche in all but it is so good and probably going to be my game of the year and im not done with it yet and i have 90 hours into it (im a slow reader)
Nice to see new fans of Tsukihime come out of that remake! I remember playing the original uncensored somewhere around late 00s/early 2010s. As the Nasuverse goes, though, I’ve always preferred the Fate/Stay Night VN, which I’m told got remastered this year - or at least one was announced - since you like Tsukihime, I recommend giving it a shot at some point!
@@AdamGlory that's next or witch of the holy night haven't decided and fate stay night I'd already out and everything from the reviews are good based on perceptions except no sex scenes which is ok for me since it is not my cup of tea. The probably next thing nasuverse related for me will definitely be garden of sinners though. Tried watching it a while back while playing tsukihime and decided to hold off til finish tsukihime because I didn't want to get confused and mix the stories together.
I recommand a lot the game "Fallen Leaf". Clearly your style of game. ;)
What's the title of the folding paper game in the intro? Of all the ones you showed i'd really like to take a look at that one
The game is called Paper Trail, and it’s available on all major platforms! =)
Penny and Bezerk Boy, great games. Totally overlooked.
pls talk about Bakeru at some point
I've really enjoying Mullet Mudjack. If you're familiar with indie shooters it plays like a more polished version of Post Void, if you want an inducation of it's quality it's roguelite a genre I normally can't stand that I actually enjoy
Minishoot Adventures looks a lot like Binding of Isaac. It's the game that started the twin stick shooter zelda thing.
Hotel Dusk should get a remake treatment as it made by the same developers behind Another Code and it's set in the same universe.
I don't play a lot of "new" games, I tend to be pretty late to the party. But, I have been playing Fields of Mistria, and it's fantastic so far! Still in early access, but the game is meaty already. My friend recommended to me Tavern Talk, but I haven't gotten around to playing it.
I'm very upset at Steam for not recommending me Minishot Adventures, Peter Shorts and Berserk Boy on the Discovery Queue cause they seem exactly my thing, but giving me "here's EA Soccer for the 20th time despite the fact that you ignore this every time and you don't even have a soccer game in your library"
That Need for Madness music in the intro is a nice touch
I highly recommend trying Victory Heat Rally and Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. I'm not even a racing game kinda guy, they're just great. Specially Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom.
Oh! Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago and Castaway.
And thank goodness you’re here and tensei that’s a cool Japanese PS five game
I'm confident in saying 2024 will be and has already been a major golden year in gaming since like 2007 2004 or 2001.
ATHENIAN RHAPSODY MENTIONED 👍🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
We counting Pepper Grinder as a hidden gem? Devolver published it so maybe it's too mainstream but I don't think enough people got to it. Also Turnip Boy Robs a Bank was a bizarre sequel to Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion.
Also just obligatory Ace Attorney clone shout out to Murders on the Yangtze River (Though at least based on Steam ratings this isn't super obscure)
I bought another code thanks to your other review, currently working through the second game right now and loving every minute of it. I want more games like it
wahoo! peter shorts!
Huh that Peter shorts looks like Mega man mixed with cloning Clyde.
One game I played this year was Tales of Kenzera: ZAU and I thought it was fun to a degree. The story was really good, but the gameplay itself was a little buggy for me. Sometimes the gameplay felt a bit jank and sometimes it felt smooth, but I still recommend it. It's a fun time.
None of these are Arzette or Megaton Musashi Wired…
Arzette was a fantastic game, definitely!
It's still so weird to me that they made a Sand Land game in 2024. Don't get me wrong, I love the original comic but why make a game more than two decades after the series ended. If it was a massively popular series that stayed in the publics conscious I could somewhat understand them making a game despite all the time that passed but while the series was well received back when it came out it didn't have a lasting impact like Akira Toriyamas other works like Dragon Ball and Dr.Slump.
Wow, that old, really? I thought it was something like the last manga Toriyama was working on before dying :O
@@julioagua yeah each of the 14 characters where released weekly in the Shonen Jump magazine in the year 2000.
It's because Bandai Namco is making a major multimedia push for the Sand Land IP
@@PikaPhantomVG I get that. I just don't understand why they chose Sandland of all IPs.
This was a great list of games you’ve played and I just put two of them on my steam wishlist which is the minishoot adventure and Berserk Boy, Sand land, Another Code, and Penny are the games I have played except Penny and they were pretty fun. If you want another good gem there’s this game called Thank Goodness You’re Here it’s a British comedy platformer and it’s pretty funny and good even though it’s a bit short but don’t let the length keep you from playing it, It’s really good 👍
Hey, I know some good games that you should play local Roku you really got to play it Presse Persia, 2008 And mondealy that’s a underrated Tearaway unfolded And liomilo and jusant and hauntll
Cataclismo is my favorite hidden gem
And Id and goodbye world arranger Bo path of the teal lotus And sicker business and bomb blaster and Vividlope that one looks like a Sega Dreamcast game
Valley peaks that’s a great game Sunset Hills omega, 6 do you know the guy who made the character art for star fox zero tango make artwork for the characters
Sand Land literally has a plotpoint from Rango
Undermine!!!! That game is the definition of underrated/hidden gem
Berserk Boy reminded me a bit of Pulseman.
Why do most of your recommendations are always on my wishlist or my library before you even talk about them?
Nine Sols for me! Amazing Souls-like that fills the Silksong void.
I felt like berserk boy was what mighty no 9 wanted to be but as a huge mega man and zero fan I just couldn't get into berserk boy sadly.
I think I spend too much time on searching for games than actually playing them. I've seen all of the mentioned games except Kitsune Tales (which I will check out)
I'll mention Batboy as a hidden gem, its another straightforward megaman inspired game, although it actually came out last year. Edit: AntDude already played it, huh.
Sand Land is probably the greatest single volume manga ever made. Highly recommend. Glad the game adaptation is decent.
And gimmick 2 and euphoria 1 and 2 saga inside a bag of milk de bob 1 and 2 natsu mon 20 century boy for the creators of my summer vacation series, an attack of the Friday. Monster on 3DS.
Shiren the Wanderer
Most gamer don't like games, unfortunately.
fallen leaf is right up your alley hoooly that game is good
I definitely recomment Disc room, Tinykin and BZZZT those games are really great
If you do a part 2 to this video, add Krimson to the list
Athenian Rhapsody mentioned! 😁
mark my words, penny's big breakaway is going to be considered an all-time classic someday
genuinely one of the greatest 3d platformers I've ever played
Mark my words: It won't.
Kitsune Tails was such a disapppontment imo. I suppose its an ok platformer if youre into them in general but it felt confused, like it wanted to be another game but they had already decided to go for mario 3, so neither of the characters flow well in the levels. Story is fine, if a bit intrusive, and i dig some of the powerups, but man did the levels and gameplay just leave me with a sour taste.