7 Under-the-Radar Gaming Gems From 2024 That You Might Have Missed

There was a time when you could possibly play every top-notch game that came out within a certain year. However, that is far past, and there are currently times when hundreds of games may be released in a single time.

Among the eternal torrent of interactive entertainment, though, are games that will pay you back for your moment in spades with fun gameplay, special art, and elements that simply doesn’t work in a large studio game release.

There are far too many in that deluge, but we’ve fished out seven under-the-radar stones that we think you may enjoy from 2024. This might be the ideal time to delve into the forgotten treasures of the previous year because January is a silent quarter for new games, mainly packed with ports and remasters.

Thank Goodness You’re Around!

Systems: Switch, PlayStation 5/4, Computers, Mac

In some games, your position is—aside from being the chosen one who can keep the world—to be a companion for people you encounter. Thank Goodness You’re These is kind of like that, but it’s a 2D game with strange, wonderful art, and instead of being a great hero, you’re a strange guy in a northern English town who is just there to see the mayor.

He’s busy, though, so you might as well take in the sights. Your only way to assist the town’s residents who have all kinds of issues is to give them a good smack. This gently and lovingly makes fun of a region of England that we don’t often see highlighted in modern media, leading to some truly absurd situations and some truly silly British comedy.

Mullet Madjack

Platform: PC

In a rush-shooting game in the vein of Mullet Madjack, you must defeat enemies as quickly as you can in tight hallways to keep your heart rate high and your score rising. It has stunning visuals that call to mind’ 80s and ‘ 90s cyberpunk anime and that rash of old FMV animated games like Road Blaster and Time Gal—but it’s louder, faster, and more violent.

Pacific Drive

Platforms: PS5, PC

What if you were driving a car around the Pacific Northwest to find resources and survive instead of being set in Chernobyl and taking place largely on foot? That’s Pacific Drive.

You’re trapped in the Olympic Exclusion Zone, a place full of dangerous and wondrous anomalies, and your car is your best chance at surviving. As you solve the mystery of the Exclusion Zone, make improvements and improvements to make up for the numerous environmental risks.

Mini Mini Golf Golf

Platform: PC

Don’t mistake Mini Mini Golf Golf for a good golfing game for a compelling version of the game. Mini Mini Golf Golf instead wants to tell you a human story about memory and climate change through the form of a strange mini golf game. That’s all we’ll say, because you should really experience it for yourself.

Minishoot ‘ Adventures

Platforms: PC, Mac

The apostrophe in the title is, according to the developer, intended to convey that Minishoot’ is a contraction of” Minimalist Shooter Adventure”. Minishoot is an overhead, Zelda-inspired, spaceship-shooter adventure. That makes sense if you take one look at the trailer.

Although it appears to be a bullet-hell shooter, this game is actually a full-on role-playing RPG with an overworld and dungeons that make it look like it’s wearing its Zelda inspiration. There are secrets everywhere, upgrades to find for your ship, and dangerous bosses to fight—and it’s all conveyed through gorgeous 2D art.

Judero

Platform: PC

The art in Judero is just as stunning as that of Minishoot’, but in very different ways. In a Scottish-set action adventure game with stop-motion animated cutscenes and action figures, everyone is made of clay and has a new character. The game switches up art styles, dropping you into bright watercolors, a Sonic-style bonus stage, and more.

All those big games have stunning graphics, but that can lead to a kind of same-y feeling. Judero will completely deceive you out of that.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Platforms: PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S + One, PC

And finally, a hidden gem from a AAA publisher. Resident Evil and Monster Hunter World are both well-known franchises from Capcom, who appears to be releasing one slew of bangers after another. Among all of those, though, was this weird little game, Kunitsu-Gami.

It’s a sort of action-strategy tower-defense game. Set sometime in Japan’s distant past, a mountain is defiled by evil. Yoshiro, the priestess, can purify it, but Soh needs your protection. Using sword dancing moves, you’ll free villagers from corruption and enlist them to help you in a variety of roles like Woodsman, Sumo, Ascetic, and Healer.

Every corner of this game is informed and inspired by Japanese historical art, including Bunraku theater, Kagura dance, and woodblock printing. The team also created the costumes from real fabric and photographed the actors wearing the costumes while building the sets out of physical materials and scanning them in three dimensions. Even the confections you buy to give Yoshiro were created by professionals and scanned in at the highest resolution to ensure that they are both stunning and authentic.

Unlike basically everything else Capcom makes, Kunitsu-Gami flew way under the radar and is worth your attention.