Underrated 2024 Games With Shockingly Positive Reviews You Probably Missed Completely

As I gradually lost interest in popular games due to their tendency to follow trends, in recent years I've become increasingly interested in titles that prioritize their own vision over market demands.

While this often results in niche products that don't achieve the recognition they deserve, it also translates into memorable experiences that, for reasons quite different from the norm, remain vividly etched in my mind.

Yes, I won't lie, most (if not all) of them tend to be indie games, but I think this makes sense given that independent video games allow themselves the most creative freedom and face the greatest challenge in standing out in the crowded sea that is the video game industry.

Therefore, if you're like me and feeling even a little discouraged by the typical recommendations where all the titles are more or less the same, I invite you to discover these eight underrated 2024 games with shockingly positive reviews that you probably completely missed.

8 Saviorless

The First Cuban Indie is Amazing

Among the commitments I've made to myself recently is to play more Latin American video games, which has led me to discover some truly special works like Saviorless, the first Cuban game in history, and an exceptional one.

With its beautiful hand-drawn art and captivating mythology, presenting one of the most bizarre yet enchanting universes and art styles I can recall in recent memory, it's a game whose three hours leave you anything but indifferent, given what it is and where it comes from.

I believe it's impossible to separate a video game from the material conditions that allowed its creation, and Saviorless is a historical milestone for Cuban art that also offers plenty of great platforming, quirky but entertaining combat, striking puzzles, and cinematics that will leave you speechless.

It's a truly unique creation, and despite not being GRIS or Inside, it follows in their footsteps with a distinct character that makes it quite valuable. It's simple but different, with something to say from people with a lot to say, and that rests on its polished audiovisual proposal, making it highly recommended.

7 ROBOBEAT

ULTRAKILL Meets BPMs

As an ULTRAKILL fan who's lost count of the days waiting for it to finally leave early access, ROBOBEAT's existence has been a blessing I sometimes feel I don't fully appreciate.

The way it combines the speed and precision of its gunplay with rhythm mechanics within a roguelike structure is not only insane but also incredibly satisfying, fascinating you through the sheer fun of shooting or the joy of hitting your favorite songs' BPMs.

I never thought sliding at dozens of kilometers per hour while trying to match Bad Bunny's rhythms in an FPS could be so exciting, but here I am a year later, unable to put the game down, let alone forget how addictive it is.

Although I do believe that, strictly speaking, it has a somewhat low content density, the distinctiveness of its weapons, its mechanical combinations, and its audiovisual style are enough for me to hold ROBOBEAT in such high regard that I think it will always be undervalued, no matter how much people start to love it as I do.

6 KILL KNIGHT

Eternal Enjoyment

I'd be lying if I said I was a die-hard arcade fan because, despite being from the '90s, I didn't really grow up with them. However, there's something about KILL KNIGHT that not only attracts me, but captivates me for hours, like a magician performing a classic pendulum hypnosis trick.

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a simple guy, and I love games that bring to life the fantasy of wiping out entire armies with spectacular visual effects, but the way this title hooks you and doesn't let go is something I've probably only experienced a couple of times in my life.

To be honest, I'm surprised the game isn't more relevant, especially since it uses an art direction I feel perfectly allows the player to endure long periods of play, including designs and environments that truly make you feel like you're descending into hell.

Even knowing top-down shooters aren't the most popular genre in the world, KILL KNIGHT is the unsung gem whose lack of popularity I find hardest to understand on this list. If its inclusion in this article helps more people discover it, I'm happy, because it's always good to have a game to dedicate those precious few free minutes of adulthood to while you unwind from the woes of your daily routine.

5 Neva

Beauty in Grief

After experiencing a life-changing adventure like GRIS, expectations for Nomada Studio's new game were incredibly high, though I'd say they managed to satisfy every glimmer of hype with the magnificent Neva.

While I don't think it has the same emotional impact as its spiritual predecessor (which is why I don't think it surpasses it), it's a step forward in every way that characterized the studio's first work: platforming, environments, animations, audiovisual effects, soundtrack…

Overall, Neva is a moving artpiece where every frame is a new painting worthy of praise, making you spam the screenshot button because your only desire while playing is to forever treasure one of the most impressive and captivating visual designs ever seen.

Furthermore, the combat is good, the puzzles are fine too, and the story is once again a strong point in which, although I didn't connect too much because I don't have my own pets, it does demonstrate the undeniable ability of its developers to create moving storylines that can relate to everyone, and that deserves endless glory.

4 Another Crab's Treasure

An Eco-Friendly Soulslike

Another Crab's Treasure is a product I've mentioned quite regularly on all my lists in the year since its release, and for an excellent reason: I write a lot about action games, and this one in particular is quite good, with incredibly unusual charisma and personality.

Not only is it an extremely competent Soulslike, with incredible and challenging bosses and highly customizable gameplay, but it's also a magnificent environmental critique of ocean pollution, reflecting on humanity's relationship with the environment and our impact on it.

What I find most captivating about this striking creation is how strange it is to see an ARPG critiquing capitalism in the context of its increasingly irreparable damage to our ecosystems, injecting a great deal of humor and satire despite being a game based on exploration with very satisfying backtracking, combat with extremely precise parries and powers, and platforming that greatly enhances the gameplay sequences.

Another Crab's Treasure does a lot with what it has, and it's astounding in every way. Even if you're expecting a good Soulslike, a title with personality, a game that will make you laugh, or even a remarkable music album attached to an interactive experience starring a hermit crab, believe me, it's impossible to leave disappointed.

3 Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

A Delight for Puzzle Fans

Those of us who are fans of Sayonara Wild Hearts know perfectly well how talented Simogo is, but after 2024, we can't just talk about them as the creators of one of the last couple of years' best rhythm games but also one of the best puzzle games.

In this sense, I'd say Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is among those video games that remind you why you love this genre so much. I'm a big fan of inventive titles that can surprise you with freshness, especially because it's so rare to feel truly new these days, though this particular game does it as if it weren't even difficult.

Despite being so underrated, calling it one of the most relevant puzzle games of the decade not only doesn't seem far-fetched to me but rather obvious, given its ability to create equally intriguing mechanical and narrative enigmas, along with an atmosphere that the word “immersive” doesn't even begin to describe, which is more than enough to guarantee the highest praise I can think of.

It's demanding, mysterious, strange, layered, and practically terrifying, but it's glorious precisely because of these qualities. I don't know if it's inaccessible to the mainstream public, but you shouldn't miss the chance to play Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, not even on your deathbed.

2 Arco

Mesoamerican Fantasy

If I were to tell you that a pixel-art Mesoamerican fantasy RPG that straddles the line between turn-based and real-time combat is on my list of must-play indie games for 2024, I'm sure you'd consider me a visionary, and I can confirm you'd be absolutely right.

While every fiber of my being perfectly understands why Arco isn't more popular than it is, as its approach to role-playing is among the most unusual I've ever seen within and outside the genre, I can't stop thinking about how incredible the interactive medium would be if everyone could materialize their cultural heritage in this way.

Within a story that resonates with its sensitivity, numerous characters and decisions that impact their destinies, and human dialogue that draws you in, the game combines a powerful narrative with a unique gameplay and audiovisual style to create a special experience in so many ways, truly one of a kind.

Although it might not seem so at first glance, Arco is an ambitious experience, and it manages to reach for the sun without burning its wings, at least not too much. Its anti-colonialism is bold, its gameplay innovative, its art powerful, and its freshness undeniable, so I can't think of a better way to reaffirm your belief that video games are art than with this marvel.

1 Mullet MadJack

An FPS Without Comparison

Unfortunately, for many years, I felt the FPS genre, one of my favorites, had stagnated like no other in the video game industry, with increasingly generic experiences that did nothing but endlessly repeat the same tropes and mechanics, until indie games like Mullet MadJack came along and completely rekindled my love for it.

I don't know if I can explain the ecstasy I felt during absolutely every second of the game, whose ability to draw you into a trance of violence, neon, and critiques of hyper-consumption within popular culture seems worthy of study by the best professionals, because it's simply beyond comprehension.

Mullet MadJack barely falls short of being considered a must-play by Metacritic, but it could easily have earned that distinction because when a game with such a symphony of gameplay, themes, art design, soundtrack, and critique of the anchoring of contemporary life's meaning to material consumption without substance appears, you can't help but recognize it as it deserves.

If you're just looking for a first-person shooter, you'll find an excellent example, but if you want to engage with the game as it demands, you'll discover an intriguing exploration of how gamers interact with modern video games, the streaming subculture, and the numerous gaming and social phenomena that arise from a voracious logic that prioritizes commercial success above all else.

And the best part is it all unfolds in just three hours. The game doesn't need to be longer than necessary to communicate its powerful message or to mercilessly ensnare you in its addictive and visceral gameplay, which is truly commendable.

Mullet MadJack delivers the dopamine rush it so often criticizes, but once you turn off the screen and let your brain chemistry normalize, you'll experience a memorable reflection I doubt you'll ever forget.