RPS Selection Box: Graham’s 2024 Bonus Game

My selection box selected three games that I didn’t vote for in the advent calendar. Two of them didn’t show up this year, which is an easy disqualification, but the reality is, I don’t think any of them truly deserve a spot in one of these hallowed rooms either.
However, these three games all defined my year in some way, and I feel emotionally attached to each one of them. Let me explain why.
Go to the core
Last year I mentioned “incremental gaming” to a number of gaming journalists, and most had never heard the term before. As far as I can tell, this is the latest understandable attempt to rebrand certain “idle games” to better convey that most games under that label do require at least some interaction with the player.
“To The Core” is a great example. Each time you sortie a planet’s surface, you’re faced with the challenge of drilling toward its center, but if you want to maximize your chances of success, you can and must pilot your ship. Decisions need to be made about what minerals to pursue, which upgrades to buy, which planets to visit next – and failure, no matter how small, exists as a stick against which to measure your progress. Although the touch is light, it feels like an RPG created by PopCap in the 00s. It’s an undeniable anthem of joy as your screen fills up with the spectacle of exploding pixel art and you become a wave of computer-quivering death, automatically firing missiles, orbital lasers, and grenades like an intergalactic vampire survivor.
Is this junk food? Personally, I think the dopamine rush from loot boxes and gambling mechanics is video game fast food. With The Core and its incremental counterparts (Gnorp Apologue, as another example), I feel more like the Huel of video games. Technically, they contain your doctor-recommended daily amount of video games and are delivered for maximum convenience, but they won’t nourish your soul.
victory heat rally
I often try out new retro racers, each trying to emulate one era or another of racing games’ past. Most failed to hold my interest for more than a few minutes, because even following in the footsteps of others, creating an interesting, satisfying handling model is harder than you think.
Victory Heat Rally is able to do this thanks to its simple drift implementation. Hold down the button while turning and you’ll lean into the drift; do this long enough and you’ll fill up a meter, giving you a speed boost as you exit the corner. Maybe there are some tricks to this strategy that I can’t use, but I like it because I don’t need that trick. I can drift and accelerate through every corner and it feels great every time.
This makes this year’s VHR the equivalent of Horizon Chase Turbo for me, as I’m constantly firing it up for quick ten-minute races on the Steam Deck. I’ve seen a lot of praise for Parking Lot Rally this year, but Victory Heat’s increased speed and vibrant sprite work are more my style. That said, the dialogue was horrific and I’d give anything to completely eliminate the pre-game banter.
autumn guy
I can’t deny that this is “the year of the fall guy.” This inflatable, knockout-style multiplayer game feels like it’s past its prime, despite launching on mobile devices and receiving updates aimed at making it more newcomer-friendly.
But who cares? I play Fall Beans with my son, who has been completely addicted to the game for almost two years. It occupies a place in our lives similar to Jenga or Table Tennis, both of which have no substantial live service updates this year. No, Fall Guys keeps us coming back because it’s fun, competitive, kid-friendly, and has less violence, pay-to-win, or other predatory monetization than many similar games.
Fall Guys has become a fixture in my life in a way I never expected. I can’t say it deserves to be on the Advent calendar, but it deserves some recognition for all the joy it brings me.