Wccftech’s Best Adventure Games of 2024 – All Kinds of Journeys

The adventure games genre is usually a bit neglected by studios compared to more mainstream genres like action, roleplaying, and shooter. However, this year saw several great releases from indie and triple-A developers alike. Without further ado, let's dive into our shortlist for the best adventure game of 2024.

Previously on Wccftech's Best Games of 2024: Shooters, RPGs, Indies, Fighting, Horror, Action, DLC/Expansion

Indika

One of the biggest surprises of the year in the genre is undoubtedly Indika, the game developed by studio Odd Meter and published by 11 bit studios. In this game, set in the early 1800s in an alternate version of Russia, players step into the role of a young nun slowly adjusting to the harsh life of a convent. That's just the tip of the iceberg of her troubles, though, as Indika also somehow speaks with the Devil himself, who leads her on a journey of self-discovery that goes beyond the convent both physically and metaphorically. The game also features unique puzzle elements and 2D pixel art mini-games, as if its peculiar rendition of Russia wasn't already enticing enough.

Following its debut on PC, Indika recently launched on consoles, too, receiving widespread acclaim from fans and critics. It can be purchased for a 25% discount right now.

Riven

Old-school gamers probably need no introduction to Riven. For everyone else, this is a remake of the cult classic second entry in the Myst series. Following the release of the full remake of Myst, Cyan Worlds has prepared the same treatment for Riven, delivering a full 3D landscape remade in gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 and expanded with new puzzles and a deeper story. Virtual Reality users can immerse themselves even more fully into this mysterious island.

As a founding member among adventure games of the puzzle subgenre, it's great to see the Riven remake doing so well. Fans are now wondering whether Myst III: Exile will be next. Meanwhile, if you've yet to check it out, Riven can now be purchased at a 30% discount.

Nobody Wants to Die

The other big surprise of 2024 came from Critical Hit Games, which released Nobody Wants to Die (published by PLAION) in the middle of July. Not exactly the best period to launch games, but this interactive story (think Quantic Dream's style) still managed to find its own niche.

The protagonist is Detective James Karra, and the story is set in a future (2329) version of New York City massively influenced by noir and cyberpunk settings. There's a serial killer on the loose who has been targeting upper class citizens. To complicate matters, Nobody Wants to Die takes a cue from the likes of Altered Carbon - here, too, the wealthy can afford to transfer their consciousness into new bodies to attain a sort of immortality. Karra also has his own tech gizmos to help him in the investigation, such as a time-manipulation augmentation that lets him review what happened at the crime scenes.

Nobody Wants to Die is currently 30% off on Steam.

Dustborn (8/10)

Norwegian developer Red Thread Games has been a staple of our Best Adventure Games series over the years, thanks to releases like Dreamfall Chapters and Draugen. Dustborn took longer to develop than the others, to be sure, but the result was quite worth the wait, according to reviewer Amy Eastland.

Overall, it was enjoyable to watch the relationships between the characters unfold. However, the prologue soured it early on for me, as it felt a bit too overexaggerated. The conversations and getting to explore new environments were some of the best parts of Dustborn, while I unfortunately found the combat system to be a little lacking in places. Still, the idea for this game is incredibly unique and one that I really enjoyed.

If you're into the concept of a road trip with friends across a dystopic USA where you play in a punk-rock band and also fight baddies with words, Dustborn is currently 60% off.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (9/10)

2024 saved the best for last, as they say. With Lara Croft and Nathan Drake missing from the gaming market, MachineGames brought back the man who inspired those characters - Indiana Jones - in style with their newly released Great Circle. The game admittedly features quite a bit of action, but it still fits more with the adventure genre, as it relies a lot more on puzzle solving, exploration, and non-lethal solutions to disagreements. Here's the final excerpt from my review:

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an excellent adventure/action game that features one of the best Indiana Jones stories, great level design that rewards exploration, and awesome ray traced visuals. This might just be the best game dedicated to Dr. Henry Walton we've ever seen.

The game is highly successful so far, having already snatched a Game of the Year award from the Gamescom community, and Disney is reportedly very much open to greenlighting new Indiana Jones adventures.

Community Poll

Select your favorite among our picks to crown the best adventure game of 2024 according to the Wccftech community!

Honorable Mentions

If our shortlist did not satisfy your gaming tastes, here's five additional adventure games you should consider, especially if you enjoy indie games:

• Thank Goodness You're Here!
• Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss
• Minds Beneath Us
• Little Kitty, Big City
• Flock

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