Sometimes a game is so good, as these best early access games of 2024 go to show, it becomes a must-play before it's even finished. Want us to let you in on what those are? Then let us take your hand, and lead you down the partially-finished path to the answer. Early access is a risk for both you and the developer – for you, because you don't know the extent of the bugs and glitches you might encounter; for the developer, because a poor reception for this initial version might permanently sour your taste for the finished product. Yet some risks, as we shall see, are worth taking.
Some fantastic games started off in early access, with Minecraft (technically), Subnautica, Kerbal Space Program, and Baldur's Gate 3 being some famous examples. When done right, it's the perfect way for developers to expand, polish, and refine their games by building on player feedback. These are the games that have done the best job of releasing an early access version in 2024 that is immediately enjoyable, while promising to blossom into something even bigger and better. Naturally, as they're not done yet, they didn't fit our conditions for the full best games of 2024 list. Yet, the following five titles are worth championing now, as they're already bulging with hours and hours of fun – and we're glad that we didn't have to wait any longer to start playing them.
