With such strong competition, how is it possible to narrow down a list of the best action-adventure games of 2024 to just five? We've parried all-comers to narrow this list down and come up with just that. It's been a great year for the genre, with the cute and charming cheerily jogging alongside the tense and disturbing – which you'll see reflected in our selection. So good are these, that most also appear in our best games of 2024 list too. Whether you fancy bouncing around in colorful environments or facing off against twisted creatures, there's something for everyone here. There's a good variety of formats represented, too, meaning you can see for yourself just how good they are no matter where you play.
Some of the greatest games only became greater with the best expansions of 2024, while the best early access games of 2024 showed us that the best is, possibly, still to come. The below however is a list of games that are complete, self-contained, and full of surprises. Games that prove "action" doesn't have to mean "simple", and "adventure" doesn't have to mean "long tedious story crammed full of cliches and neon-signposted twists". Equally, our list is proof that a family-friendly action-adventure has just as much value as one with a dark and distinctly mature style.
