Yes, it's time for another pointless look back at the year, where I allow myself to waffle on about what I managed to get done and what I didn't.
When compared to the time I had available, I feel like 2024 has been my best year for the most consistent progress, without having any massively impressive progress in any one area.
Indeed, there has been double the blog activity this year compared to last, which can't be a bad sign.
Computer Games
I managed 10 completions this year, plus two much needed replays. This is pretty much the minimum amount I want to get through in a year, but ideally I'd like at least several more.
The main downside with my completion numbers is that only 4 of these new completions were PC games. As I have so many more PC games to get through compared to other platforms, I really need to do better in this area.
What I didn't realise last year was that Guardians Of The Galaxy was my 99th completed game since starting the blog. Had I noticed that, I probably would have made it my mission to complete a worthwhile game later in the year to be number 100. As it is, Treasure Island Dizzy picked up that accolade completely by accident. Oh well.
I didn't really set myself any specific targets for the year, except for FF7: Rebirth and replaying FF8, both of which I managed. The original intent was to go straight into a replay of Rebirth, but it never happened. Indeed, the PS5 spent the vast majority of the year stuffed into the loft, a place it has now returned to. Had it not been for Stellar Blade, there would have been no need for it.
Also, it's just such a big, clunky, ugly looking thing that I'm not just gonna leave it lying around if it has no purpose.
I was originally on schedule for finishing a few really big games later in the year, but my momentum was hampered by failing to get through Mad Max. Now some time has passed, I think I might actually go back to it and try again at some point, rather than let it sit on the unfinished pile.
Resident Evil 0 still sits waiting for me to play. I got my map to about 95% done just from watching vids, and now I just need to play it myself and confirm some things.
The thing is, it was so long ago I can't remember what those things were, and I just really don't fancy playing it at all. Those vids made the game look very boring and frustrating.
I did unfortunately fail in quite a big way, because another 31 new games joined the list this year. Just 7 of them were freebies from Epic Games, so a lot of spending was going on as well. Hopefully, I can have a 2025 more like 2023, and not pick up so many other games.
As I sit here, I really can't think of any specific goals that need to happen next year, except maybe that Rebirth replay at some point. Maybe I should just have a year where I really focus on Windows games and rattle off as many as I can manage.
Tabletop Games
There was quite frequent tabletop action all through the year, though wargaming took a massive back seat to board games, where it was easily the biggest board game year since the explosion we had back in 2016.
To be fair, I highly doubt that year will be topped, as we had so many games nights, frequently with 8 or more people. It was wild.
The highlights were going to a board game cafe for the first time, as well as finally getting to play a proper game of Detective. Late in the year, we even got Dune: Imperium to the table, which has been waiting for its time to shine for several years at this point. It was silly indeed, not getting around to playing it, when it was by far the highest rated game we own on BoardGameGeek.
In addition, I was able to aquire copies of two of my long term board game crushes, in Jamaica and a proper version of Whitehall Mystery at last. Good times.
Wargaming opportunities were very scarce. Yes, we played 40K-S for the first time, but that was it. No other game was played at all. I'm most disappointed that no Epic-S hit the tabletop.
Even my journey down the road of terrain making failed to see any accomplishments of note. There were just too many pot holes, of various sizes, along the way, and all my efforts went in vain.
There were a few sporadic painting efforts early in the year, but far less than I normally manage. And then, once again, the summer was an absolute bust on this front.
The big win of the year came just this week, when I finished off my Epic Evil Sunz.
It's taking me longer to paint things these days, but I think it's mostly because I'm putting in more effort. And this year, I've been glad of the progress I've made in terms of skill, if not volume.
I find myself really happy with the Callidus Assassin, and the Evil Sunz Nobz are easily the best Epic infantry I've ever done.