Let’s be frank, 2024 was a pretty heavy year. One look at the news has been enough to send even the most positive optimist into a downward spiral of doom. And, what’s the best thing to do when doom comes a-knocking? Finding a game you can get stuck into wherever you are is always a great option.
Luckily, online games have very much delivered on the goods this year. As such, we thought it was only fair to pay our dues to some of the best gaming worlds of the year.
Were all these games released in 2024? Hell no. Most of these are titles you’ve likely heard of already. Did each of these options improve or become more popular this year? Indeed, they did!
So, without further ado, let’s take our hats off to the online games that sent us over the edge in 2024 (and hopefully beyond!).
Classics are Coming Up Top
We’re sure you’ll all agree that nothing beats a classic game. If you want to lose yourself, you certainly can’t beat getting stuck into the pure escapism and harmless fun of these options.
Luckily, most of the best classic games are now available online, meaning you can slip in and out of these as easily as you get dressed in the morning. Feeling overwhelmed on your commute? Tune into a classic game. Need some light relief on your lunch break? Well, you get the point…
Just a few of the classics we’ve been loving this year include –
- Solitaire: Solitaire has been stealing hearts since as far back as 1697, and 2024 has seen online solitaire continuing to take gamer hotspots. Without the need for a flat surface or a convenient pack of cards, this modern iteration of the classic game allows you to deal your cards at the click of a button, from any location imaginable. Even better, most online versions allow you to pause and pick up so that you can enjoy escapism all day long.
- Candy Crush: Is it a stretch to call Candy Crush a classic game? Undeniably, but with 12 years under its belt, we certainly think it’s getting there. You know the drill – you move your candies to make matching pairs, and before you know it, a few hours have gone by. It’s a low-stakes game of joy, and the best part is that it never ends. You can just keep on going with Candy Crush until you’ve either forgotten about life’s strife or feel too zen to let it affect you.
Most Popular Online Shooters
From calm to…well, something entirely different – we’re also loving online shooters this year. Sometimes, you just need to let off a little steam, and flipping cards isn’t exactly a viable way to do that. Shooting indiscriminately, however, might just help you feel better.
The question is, which online shooters have been helping us let off the most steam in this impossible year? Let’s dive right in –
- Fortnite: You knew it was coming, and we weren’t about to disappoint. Fortnite isn’t exactly new gaming news, but has it continued to grow from strength to strength this year? You betcha. The so-called ‘online Battle Royale’ has been pulling out the big shots this year, particularly towards the end of the year when we’ve enjoyed treats like Fortnitemares, Reboot Rally, and the launch of five-on-five shooter, Fortnite: Ballistic. If you need any further reason to sign on and get started, let this be it!
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive: If you fancy a challenging online shootout then you still can’t do much better than CS:GO. This game is the definition of an oldy but a goody, and honestly, its popularity just seems to keep growing. According to Starleaf, just a few of its best-selling points include strategic depth, competitive integrity, and strong community involvement. 2024 has also seen popular changes, including the return of the iconic train and Basalt maps.
- Destiny 2: Did Destiny 2 look like it would still top lists in 2024 back when it launched in 2017? No siree, but credit where credit is due, it’s shown surprising integrity. Is that entirely down to 2019’s Shadowkeep reboot? We’d say so. Bungie have shown their willingness to meet player needs with this one, and 2024 has been no exception to that rule. In fact, this year has treated us to three of the biggest changes in the game’s history – weapon sun rising, fireteam power, and account-wide class-shared power across characters. This year also saw the replacement of Destiny seasons in place of three-act episodes, which take the game’s narrative in a pretty intriguing direction!
Role Playing Games
Obviously, we also had to mention RPGs on this list, with millions of us still turning to these immersive options this year. We’ll warn you now, the titles in this section are a little on the obvious side, but we’re sure you’ll agree that they’ve more than justified their place in 2024.
So, which RPGs have we been loving?
- World of Warcraft: Is WoW still at the height of its powers? Probably not, but it undeniably remains the best MMORPG on the market, so we’d be remiss not to mention it here. Players just can’t get enough of this expansive world, and the game’s updates were as good in 2024 as they ever have been. That’s largely because this year has seen WoW celebrating its 20th birthday (yes, really!), with the start of beta testing for a three-expansion series – The War Within. If you’re keen to delve into Azeroth, it’s probably time to sign on and get started.
- Final Fantasy XIV: There were roughly 30 million registered Final Fantasy XIV online players as of 2024, and those numbers are only set to grow after this year’s release of Dawntrail. This is the game’s fifth expansion pack, and features a multitude of new play potential as it takes the gameplay to the Western continent of Tural, where players can enjoy new cities, raids, and crossover questlines.
New for 2024
We know what you’re thinking – this is all well and good, but what about this year’s launches? Fear not, because there have been some pretty strong contenders on that front, too.
If you’re tempted to try a few games from the year just gone, we particularly recommend turning to –
- Helldrivers 2: February 2024 saw the launch of Helldrivers 2. Despite some initial launch niggles, this multiplayer masterpiece has stormed to the top of the year’s online game charts, and for good reason. This direct sequel to Helldivers pits four players against waves of alien bugs in a satirical style that just doesn’t get old.
- Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Most excitingly for many keen players, March 2024 marked the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, a free-to-play mobile first-person shooter that brings the perks of Warzone to a brand new audience. This is pretty much a mini-me of its predecessor and uses all of the same game controls, and players can enjoy ‘Battle Royale’ or ‘Resurgence’ games on the go. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth getting stuck in, bear in mind that the game already has a lifetime revenue of roughly $2.2 million. Players love it, and there’s a pretty high chance that you will too.
As we enter that bittersweet end-of-year period, it pays to think about the best of online gaming in 2024. But, fear not if you haven’t gotten stuck into any of these options this year. There’s plenty of time to play in 2025!
