10 Best Video Games Of 2024 You're NOT Playing

The best puzzle game since 2016's The Witness or the Talos Principle titles, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is the latest masterpiece from Swedish devs, Simogo - the geniuses that brought us Year Walk in 2013, and the absolutely delightful Sayonara Wild Hearts in 2019.

Here, the less you know the better, going in. The titular Lorelei is called to a mysterious mansion, where initial collectibles describe something of a game that's about to be played, with Lorelei in a key role.

Gameplay is essentially 90s survival horror, with select camera angles, an impetus on knowing exactly which keys, items and puzzle boxes interact with each other, and a want to take in a story, one text entry, overheard conversation or environmental clue at a time, with a killer retro aesthetic and many nods to the fact you're playing a video game.

Like Sam Barlow's excellent Her Story in 2015, you're massively encouraged to have a pen and paper handy; really taking a beat to figure out certain puzzles, make sketches for reference, and slot the entire game together over time.

Lorelei & the Laser Eyes doesn't pull any punches, but happening upon a solution that triggers a cascade of forward progression is unlike anything else this year.