It’s approaching the end of another gaming year, and publications are gearing up to name their top games from the last 12 months. Within the world of indie gaming, one such publication is Patch Magazine, and this month they revealed their winners.
This month, the results of the Patch of Approval Awards 2024 are center stage, andFields of Mistriahas snapped up two awards, whileThank Goodness You’re Here!takes home the gold in their category. Of course there are other categories, nominees, and winners as well, so here’s all of them.
Game of the Year goes to Fields of Mistria
Look, it’s no secret that I loveFields of Mistriaand have far too many hours sunk into the adorable farming sim already, with more to come later this month with the arrival of the first major patch on November 18, so I’m incredibly happy to see that Patch Magazine readers agree with my opinion of it.
Nominees:
I have to admit, I had a hard time voting betweenThank Goodness You’re Here!andFields of Mistriafor the award, but my heart won out and I’m glad thatFields of Mistriais getting the recognition it deserves.
Nominees and winners in the Patch Seal of Approval Awards 2024
Here’s a brief run-down of the qualifiers for each category, the nominees, and who took home the win in each category.
Mini-Made
Winner:Balatro
The Mini-Made category is for games that are created by small teams. More specifically, they’re the ones that are created and brought to the indie gaming field by teams of less than five people.
Community Champion
Winner:Slay the Princess
Voting for the Community Champion award was exclusively available to members of the Patch Magazine Discord server, and they’re the games that have “truly captured the heart of the community”.
Yogscast x Patch Game of the Year
Winner:Animal Well
Not to be confused with the reader-voted Game of the Year award which went to Fields of Mistria, the Yogscast x Patch Game of the Year nominees were chosen by the Yogscast crew, with the Patch editorial team then picking their favorite from the nominations.
Campus Creations
Winner:I’ll Be Brave, Tomorrow
All of the games nominated for the Campus Creations were designed and developed by students at a college or university. The winner was made in conjunction with Great Ormond Street Hospital and will have you ugly crying at least once.
Tranquil Title
Winner:Fields of Mistria
The Tranquil Title Award celebrates the cozy side of gaming, where I am very much entrenched and seem to spend most of my time. The nominees are all special in their own way, and all are worth playing if you’re at a loose end.
Boundary Breaker
Winner:Thank Goodness You’re Here!
This category celebrates games that find new and unique ways to deliver a story, or that introduce new mechanics that aren’t commonly seen in gaming.
Multiplayer Mode
Winner:Lethal Company
This one’s pretty self-explanatory and celebrates games that let you play with others in engaging ways. There have been a lot of amazing multiplayer games this year, but these are the ones that stood out.
Heart Racer
Let’s be honest, there are a lot of incredibly chilling horror games out there and it can be hard to sift through them to find the best of the bunch. Patch has done the legwork for us, bringing the best of the best together as nominees for the Heart Racer Award.
The Journey Continues
Winner:Hades II
Whether through DLCs or direct continuation of a previously unfinished story, this category celebrates the continued progress of much loved indie titles.
Musical Moment
Winner:Sea of Stars
While all games have their own unique soundtracks, some games have music that sticks with us long after we’ve finished playing. This category celebrates the music in indie games.
Anticipated Gem
Winner:Tiny Book Shop
While the rest of the categories celebrate games that have been released and done well, this one looks forward to games that have yet to be released.
