Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2024: Best Sleeper Hit

Shiren the Wanderer The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island - Best Sleeper Hit of 2024

Winner: Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island

Writeup by Jerry Williams

Great roguelikes have an accessibility issue that the modern era rectified with roguelites, which lean heavily on level-ups, skill progression, and unlocks. Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island capably retains the series identity, introduces several quality-of-life features, and boasts an adherence to roguelike values of olde with a couple of exceptions. Not just an accessible, fanged strategy RPG, Serpentcoil Island has atmospheric music reminiscent of feudal Japan, charming enemies to bonk on the head, and a wealth of content to challenge and teach players the intricacies of the genre. For those looking to jump into this intimidating genre, Serpentcoil Island may be the best training wheels available.


Runner-Up: 1000xRESIST

Writeup by Stephanie Sybydlo

1000xRESIST was released in May 2024, but it wouldn’t be until VERY positive word-of-mouth from fans and major outlets put the game on the map that it gained traction and suggested a narrative-heavy indie game was worth the fuss (peaking by end-of-year). I have become increasingly jaded with “save the world” plots and cookie-cutter casts. Then comes 1000xRESIST, eager to say something different where the world wasn’t saved and all that remains are a handful of clones to pick up the fight. With a cast of characters I could relate to despite their victories or mistakes, 1000xRESIST is truly one of a kind: a story of how personal traumas can often ensnare those caught up in our gravity. 


Readers’ Choice: Best Sleeper Hit of 2024

Winner: Granblue Fantasy: Relink (46.9% of votes)

Runner-Up: Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island (14.7% of votes)

Jerry Williams

Jerry Williams

Jerry has been reviewing games at RPGFan since 2009. Over that period, he has grown in his understanding that games, their stories and characters, and the people we meet through them can enrich our lives and make us better people. He enjoys keeping up with budding scholarly research surrounding games and their benefits.