This year, I was determined to finally experience 2022’s Case of the Golden Idol, a mystery game that places you at the scene of a murder shortly after it occurs. You sift through various screens, absorbing every detail you can, gathering clues in the form of nouns and verbs, and making logic-based deductions by filling in the missing snippets in passages that frame the narrative of what transpired. There are mechanisms in play to guide you in the right direction, and while the game starts off fairly simply, by the end, I found myself being stretched to my absolute limits. The initial cases took roughly 10-25 minutes, but the final case in the game seemed to consume an entire evening. My mind was definitely overwhelmed with potential motives and suspects, and credit goes to Case of the Golden Idol for allowing me the space to be wrong about these cases until I finally uncovered the correct arrangement of terms and solved the mystery. It was one of the most intense conclusions in a game I’ve ever experienced, and I was captivated by the entire process.
I mention Case of the Golden Idol and this sense of frustration because, overwhelmingly, a number of 2024’s best games have provided me with that very same feeling. These exceptional titles, such as Animal Well, Rise of the Golden Idol, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, are reminiscent of some of the most perplexing and challenging puzzles I’ve encountered, some of which still baffle and evade me to this day. Yet, despite that persistent headache—from banging my head against a figurative wall repeatedly—I wouldn’t trade the experiences I had with them for anything.
I was incorrect many times in Rise of the Golden Idol, 2024’s follow-up to Case of the Golden Idol. I frequently mixed up names and aliases, and as the scenarios expanded in scope (and the situations increased in complexity), I overlooked several minor details in the beautifully crafted environments that were designed to provide insights and direction. I misinterpreted the events on several occasions and was taken aback more than usual by the revelations that were unveiled by the end of a chapter. Rise of the Golden Idol was consistently challenging, but it is clearly one of the easiest games I’ve played all year because whenever I pushed myself, it pushed back.
Rise of the Golden Idol’s increasingly complex cases encouraged me to think more deeply about the conclusions I was reaching. In one of these scenarios, a man in an apartment complex was trying to wash what appeared to be a bloody stain from his shirt, leading me to assume that he was at the center of a recent incident involving this group. Having taken the bait, I operated under the impression that I was correct until the game harshly rejected my conclusion and prompted me to make accurate deductions instead of being guided along by obvious breadcrumb trails. It relied on me to figure things out.
Several of my favorite games this year similarly refused to provide me with straightforward or obvious answers. I’m not entirely sure that Animal Well offers any kind of sound resolution. While there is an ending to pursue, the game also conceals so many secrets that I likely will never uncover, and that creates an exhilarating and unique connection to a title when comprehensive completion guides are available online just days after a game’s release. Animal Well is a mystery I feel I will never achieve the satisfaction of fully cracking. Instead, I get to stumble through its shadowy depths for what feels like an eternity, poking around its enigmas and objects of interest.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes may be the most mysterious of the group. Each door’s contents are locked behind yet another puzzle. Televisions are connected to game consoles that contain hidden instructions and clues within their low-poly video games. Every line of dialogue is an abstract journey. Walls are adorned with posters that conceal patterns that are keys to boxes. Written notes hold ciphers, and there are otherworldly portals that lead you to intricately designed mazes. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is the kind of rebellious game; it completely refuses to give players any handouts, choosing instead to perpetually ask them to rise to its level, a challenge it believes the player can meet in order to unlock its secrets.
I appreciate the space that these titles and others have afforded me this year, as it feels increasingly rare. Games are often criticized for including too many tutorials or guiding signs, and because of these traits, they can sometimes feel hesitant to let go of a player’s hand. During this year, there have been many discussions surrounding yellow markers in level design, which are commonly used to direct players towards objectives and may be either a blessing or a curse depending on one’s perspective. There is no clear-cut way to evaluate this design philosophy.