One other cease on the “closing out the 12 months” tour right here at TAGN, an annual custom the place I have a look at what I mentioned I would play for the previous 12 months, what I really performed in that 12 months, and a few prognostication as to what the brand new 12 months may convey for my play time. What did 2024 convey and what may 2025 have in retailer? [Also, classic TAGN headline gaffe, now fixed. You can see in the URL that I copied last year’s headline as a placeholder then forgot to update it!]
A have a look at 2024
With one other 12 months of knowledge collected it’s time to reply the musical questions, what did I play in 2024, because of ManicTime, which tracks utilization on my PC.
Listed here are the highest ten video games I performed in 2024, primarily based on time spent taking part in, and when throughout 2024 I performed them.
The 2024 High Ten Break Down
I admire individuals like Belghast who go all in on the chart and listing each title they performed… however I by no means click on on these charts to take a look at the small print. Sorry. And the stats right here point out that just about no one ever clicks on pictures to view them intimately right here, so I attempt to make my charts seen with the 650 pixel width that’s the present max picture measurement set for the positioning.
(In reality, the commonest pictures individuals click on on are issues just like the Stars Attain splash display screen I put on the prime of posts about particular video games, little doubt considering that clicking there’ll take them to the sport’s web page. I don’t know. The one exception appears to be maps, the highest one being that Sunken Temple annotated map I’ve in an previous put up, which was probably the most clicked-on picture for the positioning in 2024. Maps embrace sport roadmaps. Individuals will click on on these.)
As one may count on, I performed EVE On-line all year long. Typically I performed extra, typically I performed much less, however I acquired my fleet participation credit score and on a kill mail with my major character each single month. New Eden is an ongoing area opera, and I keep tuned in ready for the subsequent twist.
WoW Basic, which wrapped up Wrath of the Lich King then launched into Cataclysm is subsequent on the listing. That sort of light as Cata acquired lengthy within the tooth fairly rapidly.
The 12 months kicked off with a seek for one thing like Valheim… which led us to play Valheim once more, kicking off our third run on the sport as a gaggle. We got here up quick as a gaggle on the Mistlands, which had been, frankly talking, a ache within the ass, although I pressed on with mods and such to a minimum of get into the Ashlands earlier than calling it. Iron Gate desires a sport that performs extra hardcore than I take care of now.
However, on ending that, we cut up off and did a while with Conan Exiles, which was good, after which Potshot and I experimented with No Man’s Sky to see how multiplayer it had turn out to be. It’s sort of odd in that regard.
Then the 12 months completed off with our Valheim-like quest touchdown on Enshrouded which, in simply two months of play landed in my fourth slot total.
Beneath No Man’s Sky we get into some facet titles. I logged into EverQuest loads, however to not play actually. It was only a time to return and have a look at the sights on the planet 25 years after launch. I additionally performed the Overseer mini-game till that wore out, however I doubt anybody would say that I “performed” EQ in 2024. I simply sort of hung round, so I made the coloring a partial fill for that point as a result of 11 months is an extended stretch for the period of time clocked.
Stars Attain can also be a bit doubtful on the “play” entrance, as it’s in pre-alpha testing, so I did some play checks for a stretch. That is additionally partial colour fill as a result of total time spent being most likely a lot lower than it might have been had the sport been as much as play full time.
Then Balatro was my solitaire fixation for a bit, reviving itself in a while the iPad. I coloured in December to cowl the iPad transition, although the time counted is just for PC. I’m wondering if the “revised but once more for iOS 18 Sport Heart” provides me any knowledge I may use. Do I actually wish to log my Pokemon Go time? Sure I do!
And, lastly, rounding out the highest ten is Fight Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin, a 2001 title that has been saved alive over at GoG.com. It additionally acquired a partial fill in its bar as a result of I play it fairly sporadically, a sport or two a month, however haven’t gone all Civilization “another flip” with it or something.
Past the highest ten, my total video games performed as tracked by ManicTime had been:
- EVE On-line – 30.63%
- WoW Basic – 23.29%
- Valheim – 17.27%
- Enshrouded – 7.48%
- Conan Exiles – 5.31%
- No Man’s Sky – 4.31%
- EverQuest – 3.42%
- Stars Attain – 1.97%
- Balatro – 1.95%
- CM:BB – 1.11%
- ESO – 0.58%
- Tarisland – 0.34%
- Guild Wars 2 – 0.34%
- World of Warcraft – 0.33%
- CM:RT – 0.30%
- Wreckfest – 0.18%
- Deadly Firm – 0.13%
- The Entrance – 0.13%
- Area Engineers – 0.12%
- Pantheon – 0.12%
- Palia – 0.11%
- As soon as Human – 0.10%
- Forza Horizon 4 – 0.09%
- Glaxicus – 0.09%
- EverQuest II – 0.08%
- Astro Colony – 0.06%
- Starstruck Vagabond – 0.05%
- Rust – 0.05%
- Sons of the Forest – 0.04%
- Hearthstone – 0.02%
ManicTime tracked a bit over one thousand hours of play, so you are able to do the fast math in your head to see how a lot precise time I spent with every. ManicTime additionally disagrees with my Steam play time for quite a few titles as a result of it tracks solely the time a selected executable has focus and is lively in your display screen whereas Steam simply cares about how lengthy the executable was working, in focus or not. Nonetheless, it strains up fairly nicely. I spent a half an hour on Starstruck Vagabond and the identical attempting to get Rust to even run, so about proper.
Thirty titles is sort of loads for me in a single 12 months, although a lot of that was the seek for a Valheim-like title within the new 12 months, which noticed me attempting out titles like Astro Colony, Rust, Sons of the Forest, The Entrance, Deadly Firm, and Area Engineers to see what may match.
There have been additionally a few different MMOs on the listing, Elder Scrolls On-line, Guild Wars 2, Tarisland, and retail WoW had been all issues I took a shot at taking part in, even when on-line for a little bit bit. Of the titles I guessed firstly of the 12 months that I would play, the next got here to move:
- WoW Basic – Season of Discovery
- Cataclysm Basic
- EVE On-line
- Valheim, or one thing like Valheim
- Tarisland
- EverQuest (For particular definitions of “play”)
- Forza Horizon 4/5
The one title from the chances that didn’t make the reduce was:
Potshot and I by no means fairly acquired again to that. It’s a title that we needed to play co-op, nevertheless it does require some time and effort to maintain up and one individual holds the save and the remainder of the group wasn’t there for it so… no extra.
So that’s the story of my sport play in 2024.
Now to look ahead into 2025 and take a stab at what I would play, damaged down into the standard classes I’ve adopted for such posts.
Doubtless Candidates:
- Mists of Pandaria Basic
- EVE On-line
- Enshrouded
- Balatro
Why ought to 2025 be any completely different that 2024? EVE On-line is a lock for certain, and it appears doubtless that the group will keep on into Pandaria even when Cataclysm feels about achieved for us. In the meantime, we’re at the moment taking part in Enshrouded, so there you go.
Balatro most likely gained’t rack up any hours on my PC, however it will likely be there on my iPad for certain.
Sturdy Potentialities:
- Path of Exile 2
- Civilization VII
- No matter replaces Enshrouded within the Valheim area of interest
If PoE2 leaves early entry and goes free to play, it’s just about a lock. We’ll see if that occurs. I would even go there if they simply resolve it has a $30 field value, however solely as soon as it settles down and removes the early entry flag.
One other Civ title appears a possible enterprise as nicely… although until it’s actually strong on day one I’ll most likely await a number of months to let it settle right into a secure state.
Lastly, I’m not saying we’re achieved with Enshrouded, however there are different choices developing this 12 months like Dune: Awakening.
Appears attainable:
- No Man’s Sky
- Palia
- Fight Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin
- Guild Wars 2
- Stars Attain
- Another previous title
A chunk of me desires to get in and end a sport of No Man’s Sky. I additionally wish to return and discover Palia and perhaps discover the appropriate hook to maintain me engaged with Guild Wars 2… the latter largely as a result of I’d prefer to check out their housing, however must get to degree cap to make that worthwhile.
I may even most likely proceed to assist play take a look at Stars Attain, although that will likely be extra doubtless after they get into some area faring experiences.
Issues I’ll wish to play, however most likely gained’t:
- World of Warcraft (retail)
- Forza Horizon 4/5
- World of Tanks / Battle Thunder
- Challenge: Gorgon
- Most of my Steam library
It simply appears to work out that manner. I’ve a restricted period of time and a hierarchy or titles I’m within the temper to play.
I’ll say that WoW retail has labored its manner up from the “unfavorable curiosity” class of final 12 months to me having some want to play. That is largely primarily based on the entire housing factor and WoW Basic moving into much less attention-grabbing territory and the truth that there may be at all times some want to return. That mentioned, it doesn’t appear doubtless till perhaps late within the 12 months.
Destructive Curiosity:
- EverQuest II
- EverQuest
- Minecraft
- LOTRO
- Valheim
Not unhealthy video games… actually, superb video games… so good I’ve spent loads of time with all of them. However that can also be the listing of titles I’ve worn out or have grown so removed from {that a} return… an actual return… feels unlikely. It may occur, however I’m actually not feeling it proper now within the new 12 months.
So that’s my forecast for the 12 months, such that it’s. I don’t even faux to know what I’ll be taking part in in six months. We’re 4 days in and I’ve already performed one thing not explicitly on the listing. Practically 20 years of running a blog has taught me that apparently EVE On-line is the one fixed in my gaming universe.
Previous entries within the collection:
- 2023 – Mixed abstract and predictions into one put up
- 2022 – Mixed abstract and predictions into one put up
- 2021 – Mixed abstract and predictions into one put up
- 2020 – Mixed abstract and predictions into one put up
- 2019 – I performed some issues that I predicted I’d, however not many
- 2018 – Technically, mission completed; actuality, not a lot.
- 2017 – I performed nothing from the listing, although arguably solely two had been playable
- 2016 – I performed none from the listing, however most didn’t ship
- 2015 – actually nothing I listed went stay
- 2014 – I performed Warlords of Draenor, which was a gimme actually
- 2012 – Really tried many of the objects on the listing
- 2011 – Tried 3 out of 5 finally, however then The Company was on the listing
- 2007 LOTRO (shipped!)
- 2007 Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising (Didn’t ship)
