Surprises, Disappointments, and the Games That Defined the Year
December 27th, 2024 Podcast Recap
As 2024 draws to a close, the team at Good Playing With You gathered for a lively year-end podcast to reflect on the year’s most surprising moments, gaming disappointments, and standout titles. To commemorate a spectacular year, we present the Good Playing With You 2024 Video Game Awards!
The First Annual Good Playing With You Awards
The highlight of this episode was the inaugural Good Playing With You Awards, featuring unique categories you won’t see at The Game Awards. Here are some of the standout winners:
Best Game to Force Your Friends to Try:
🏆 Super Mario Party Jamboree
Despite its lackluster name, this game brought the chaos (and fun) back to party games. Dan’s enthusiasm—and a live-streamed session—made it the ultimate pick.Best Glitchy/Broken Game:
🏆 PalWorld
Between pathing issues, stuck characters, and legal drama (thanks, Nintendo), PolWorld was both a disaster and a must-play in its broken glory.Most Overhyped Game:
🏆 Indiana Jones and the Secret Circle
A divisive pick that sparked debate among the hosts, this game’s blend of slow stealth and uninspired gameplay fell flat for the boys, despite a few defenders online and with critics.Controller Chucker Award:
🏆 Ark: Survival Ascended
Dan’s recounting of his Ark misadventures—complete with murderous birds and endless deaths—had everyone laughing and nodding in agreement - and turned Maulding’s vote to Dan’s side, much to his chagrin.Most Surprisingly Good Game:
🏆 Stalker 2, Wildfrost, and Welcome to Paradise (three-way tie!)
Whether you were slaying mutants in Stalker 2, building decks in Wildfrost, or riding zombies into battle in Welcome to Paradise, these games delivered unexpected delights.
The Year’s Wildest Conspiracy Theories
The gaming world didn’t disappoint with its unhinged theories this year. From the bizarre GTA VI moon phase trailer predictions to Sweet Baby Inc.’s alleged “woke agenda,” the hosts broke down the craziest moments. Lord’s self-made theory that Indiana Jones would pull a Last of Us 2-style protagonist switcheroo might have been the most entertaining of all!
The Biggest Surprises and Disappointments
Surprises:
Fallout’s TV adaptation stunned everyone by actually being good, earning its place as a fan-favorite show of the year.
The shock success of Marvel Rivals overshadowed Concorde’s catastrophic failure, which saw the game pulled from shelves just two weeks post-launch.
Disappointments:
Dragon's Dogma 2 and Dragon Age: The Veil Guard both let down RPG fans with repetitive gameplay and underwhelming storytelling.
Suicide Squad’s uninspired combat loop (shooting enemies in the legs, anyone?) left Dan calling it “a turkey and a turd.”
Best Games of 2024
The trio capped off the episode by celebrating their favorite titles of the year:
Matt Maulding: Black Ops 6 and Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake for delivering tight gameplay and beautiful visuals.
Matt Lord: Stalker 2 and Stellarblade scratched his looting and Soulsborne itches.
Dan Whitehill: Outlast Trials, Seven Days to Die, and Dave the Diver offered wildly different but equally satisfying gaming experiences.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The team teased next week’s episode, which will dive into the games and trends they’re most excited for in 2025.
Stay Connected
If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast platforms. Share the podcast with friends, and let us know your favorite gaming moments of 2024 in the comments or on social media!
Here’s to a great year in gaming and even more adventures in 2025. See you next year!
What did you think of the awards and picks? Did your favorite games make the list? Let us know in the comments!