Game of the year predictions for 2024

A new study has predicted that Astro Bot will be the winner of this year’s Game of the Year award.  

Experts at the gaming site Clash.gg analyzed data from Metacritic to determine the shortlisted games with the highest critic and user ratings. This data then determined the final ranking.  

The Game Award for Game of the Year is a highly anticipated event in which video games are judged for both their creative and technical success. Recent recipients of the award include Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, and It Takes Two.  

Game of the year predictions for 2024

According to the study, Astro Bot is the most likely game to win this year’s award. The PlayStation 5 game was met with critical acclaim upon its release in September. The research found that Astro Bot is the shortlisted game with the highest score on Metacritic, receiving a score of 94 out of 100. The game was also praised by fans, achieving a Metacritic user score of 9.3 out of 10.  

According to Sony, the game has sold over 1.5 million units as of November 3. At the time of writing, Astro Bot is the highest-rated new game of 2024, making it the strongest contender for this year’s Game of the Year award.  

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the second-most likely game to win Game of the Year in 2024. The popular role-playing game was released in October and received an impressive critics’ score of 94 out of 100 on Metacritic. Fans also praised the game for its refreshing creativity, awarding it a user score of 9 out of 10 on Metacritic.  

On the day of its worldwide release, Metaphor: ReFantazio sold over one million units, becoming the fastest-selling game to date for Atlus, which makes it a likely recipient of this year’s award.  

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is in third place, receiving a Metacritic score of 92 out of 100. Released back in February of this year, the role-playing game is the highly anticipated sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake. Critics praised the game for its creative reimagining of the original story.  

However, the game did face some criticism for its pacing issues and inclusion of unnecessary plot points. While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth remains a strong contender for 2024’s Game of the Year Award, the game ultimately failed to meet Square Enix’s sales expectations, with the company choosing not to share any sales data at the time of writing.  

The study found that Animal Well is the fourth-most likely contender to receive 2024’s Game of the Year award. The Metroidvania game invites players to explore a dense labyrinth surrounded by animals and unravel its secrets. Animal Well was embraced by critics upon its release, receiving a Metacritic score of 91 out of 100.  

The game was praised for its expansive plot and unique puzzle-solving features. Animal Well was also met with praise for its memorable art style and for having an extremely small file size in comparison to other games released in 2024. As well as being shortlisted for Game of the Year, Animal Well is also nominated for Best Indie Game and PC Game of the Year.

The games most likely to win Game of the Year in 2024:

Satisfactory is in fifth place, receiving a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100. In September, the factory simulation game was fully released after being available in early access since 2019. Upon its 2024 release, Satisfactory has been praised by fans for its addictive nature and creative freedom, achieving a Metacritic user score of 9 out of 10.  

Balatro is named the sixth-most likely recipient of this year’s Game of the Year award. Released back in February, the Guardian compared the game to an addictive mashup of poker and solitaire. Balatro has been praised for its fast-paced gameplay and its detailed puzzle-solving nature, receiving a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100. Charlie Brooker, the creator of the TV series Black Mirror, described the game as the “most addictive thing ever created”. Other fans echoed Brooker’s sentiment, with Balatro receiving a user score of 8.4 out of 10 on Metacritic.  

Within six months of its release, Balatro has sold over two million units, making it a strong contender for 2024’s Game of the Year award. The game has also been nominated for other awards including Best Indie Game, Best Audio Design, and PC Game of the Year.  

Tekken 8 is in seventh place, with a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100. The game’s final version was released in January of this year and is the eighth official installment in the popular Tekken series. Fans praised the game for its impressive visuals and nostalgic feel, awarding Tekken 8 a user score of 7.6 on Metacritic.  

However, the game faced criticism for its lack of offline modes and overall originality, failing to live up to the reputation of other fighting franchises like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Despite this criticism, Tekken 8 sold over two million copies in its first month after launch, making it a popular candidate for 2024’s Game of the Year.  

Silent Hill 2 is the eighth-most likely game to be crowned 2024’s Game of the Year, receiving a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100. Released in October, the survival horror game is a remake of the 2001 version of Silent Hill 2. The game reportedly sold more than one million copies within three days of its initial release, making Silent Hill 2 a strong contender for Game of the Year.  

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is in ninth place, with a Metacritic score of 83 out of 100. Released in October, Black Ops 6 is the 21st installment of the popular Call of Duty series. The first-person shooter game was praised for its mission design and multiplayer aspect, receiving a user rating of 7.1 on Metacritic.  

However, the game was widely panned for its cramped map design, repetitive dialogue, and a frustrating respawn system. Despite this, Black Ops 6 achieved the largest launch weekend in the franchise’s history, making the game a possible contender for Game of the Year.  

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is named the tenth-most likely contender for Game of the Year, receiving a Metacritic score of 83 out of 100. The role-playing game is the fourth major installment in the Dragon Age franchise. Despite receiving generally favorable reviews from critics, Veilguard faced criticism from players for its pacing and writing, resulting in a low user score of 3.8 on Metacritic. While it’s speculated that sales for the game are going well, Veilguard’s low user rating places the game further down the ranking.  

Other contenders for Game of the Year include Helldivers 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. Released in February, Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter game which received a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100. Upon release, the game’s large influx of players resulted in widespread server and login issues. Despite this, 12 million units of the game had been sold by May, making Helldivers 2 PlayStation’s fastest-selling video game of all time. However, during the summer, the game’s PC player base saw a significant drop, making Helldivers 2 a less-likely candidate for Game of the Year.  

Released in August, Black Myth: Wukong received a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100. The role-playing game was widely praised for its design and originality. However, Wukong did face criticism for its disjointed plot and complicated gameplay. Despite this criticism, it was announced in October that the game has sold over 20 million units worldwide, making Wukong one of the fastest-selling games of all time and a possible contender for Game of the Year.  

Gabriele Asaro, Head of SEO and research at Clash.gg, commented:  

“For gaming fans, Game of the Year is one of the most anticipated events of the year. It is a highly prestigious award that values originality and creativity in the world of gaming. It also attracts a celebrity audience, with actor Timothée Chalamet presenting the award to Baldur’s Gate 3 last year.  

“2024 has been a fantastic year for the gaming industry and for original releases, as seen via widely praised games such as Metaphor: ReFantazio and Animal Well.  

“With this year’s Game Awards approaching on December 12, it will be exciting to see which celebrated game seizes the Game of the Year award.”