Astro Bot is officially GamesHub’s Game of the Year 2024. While the voting process typically involves team members discussing the eventual winner at length, this year’s decision to crown Astro Bot was so unanimous, it was simply assumed from the jump.
In a year of great hardship, we needed a game like Astro Bot. And it delivered us so much in its pure joy, wholesome vibes, and brain-tickling game design. Our expectations were high based on that first, light-hearted trailer, but the game went on to completely knock us out with its brilliance.
Astro Bot is absolutely fantastic. Not only is it fantastic, it’s also such a wonderful callback to the nostalgia of late 1990s / early 2000s platforming, an era where video games were much simpler. We spoke to this impact in our review in September:
“It’s easy to lose joy as an adult. With a backdrop of awful global news, and consistently dour economic updates, staying positive is a marathon effort. You have to want to believe the world is better than it seems, and that eventually, everything will be okay. If you’re looking to inspire that belief, then Astro Bot is a good place to start. Because for all intents and purposes, this game is pure, unfettered joy.”
Read: Astro Bot review – Pure bottled joy for these dark times
“Astro Bot cribs a lot from nostalgia, but is a lovely, impactful platformer as standalone. There’s familiarity in its design – five worlds packed with individual levels, and cool collectibles to be found – but the creativity in this adventure is immense at every turn. As Astro, you’ll flit across the stars, defeating all manner of creatures, all while encountering grand, impressive sights brought to life in vivid splashes of colour and imagination.”
“It evokes the joy of childhood in its design, and keeps those bright, happy feelings alive with its constant sense of surprise and delight. It’s easy to play the game and feel your cynicism washing away, as you remember that true joy exists in the world. It’s not only found in Astro Bot, but this game is certainly a good start for those soul searching.”
Across a variety of award shows, including The Game Awards 2024, Astro Bot is rightfully being given its flowers, and we’re joining in with our own accolade. This year, Astro Bot was an incredible joy, and a real reminder of just how much happiness video games can bring.
Team Asobi made such a special adventure in Astro Bot. It certainly deserves every bit of recognition it’s received so far.
Check out the rest of GamesHub’s Best Games of the Year (GOTY) lists:
