Another year is over, and I’m still in that reflective mindset in which I look back and consider what I’ve accomplished (or not) in 2024, and what I hope to experience in the new year. As has become tradition, the following is a list (not exhaustive) of my favorite apps, board games, books, TV shows, and video games from the last year, including many that I would recommend to others.

You can help support my author newsletter and blog by purchasing one of the books mentioned on this list. I’ll receive a small commission on anything you buy from my bookshelf or the below links. The rest of the links will take you to the page to download, watch, or buy the listed media.

Apps

  • DnDBeyond Mobile App. As a player in two 5e campaigns, I use the DnDBeyond app to look up spells and magic items that don’t fit on my physical character sheet, and because I build my characters there, I have a backup in case I lose my printouts. It isn’t perfect, but it does what I want it to do, with minimal downtime in 2024 compared to past years.
  • Mochi. While taking French classes this year, I wanted a no-frills flashcard app with cards I could input myself, and Mochi was much more lightweight than the other flashcard app offerings (and free of ads). I paid for the version that would sync between my desktop and phone so I could practice on the go, but it’s offline by default, which is a plus for some folks.
  • Notion. After bouncing between Evernote, OneNote, Todoist, and Wunderlist (RIP), I finally found a digital notebook/task list that worked for me in the PARA Method template for Notion. Once I got the hang of creating databases and related fields, I also built for myself a games log to keep track of what I played in 2024, and a media log to compile all the book/show/movie recommendations that come my way. And the way I use Notion, I haven’t needed to upgrade to a paid plan, which is great.

Board Games

  • boop. Somehow this simple game, which feels a little like a cross between tick-tack-toe and checkers, really won me over, and it’s been great to play at the bar while chatting, or even with younger kids. I’m a fan of Smirk & Dagger games generally, but this might be one of my favorites of theirs. It’s also incredibly cute and very tactile.
  • Daybreak. Also known as eMission in Europe, I think this ended up being my board game of the year, since it excels at mechanics (easy to learn, no downtime, excellent engine-building), and the emergent narrative was strong . It’s very timely, and provides a lot of food for thought regarding the climate crisis we’re currently facing.
  • Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945. I was really impressed at how the designer managed to make a game both cooperative and competitive, in that the two players are assuming the roles of the Western Allies or the Soviets and are both trying to beat the Axis powers, but they also control the Reich’s forces facing the other player. As a fan of Paths of Glory and other GMT games, learning this game didn’t take much time and, despite looking intimidating, is much easier to play than games like Twilight Imperium*.

Books

  • A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay. This novel is a study in love in its myriad forms: chivalric love, fraternal love, a mother’s love, a widow’s love, forbidden love, unrequited love… Love for one’s parents, love for one’s liege, love for one’s county, love for those we lose too soon. It explores apathy, loyalty, grief, obsession, infatuation, temptation, and those brief but fateful moments that will change the course of one’s life. I’m not sure that I can recommend this enough to readers of romantic fantasy. It’s got troubadours and tragedy, knights and ladies, assassins and magic, war and intrigue, as well as themes of “history rhymes” and second chances. This was my book of the year.
  • Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier. I still remember playing StarCraft for the first time back in 2003, and I’ve been a fan of Blizzard games ever since, even if my feelings about the company itself are mixed. I loved hearing the behind-the-scenes of how some of my favorite games and worlds came to be, and as someone who tangentially works in video games (by doing licensing approvals), it’s very insightful to hear the leadership and development challenges Blizzard faced, as well as Activision’s influence on the company.
  • The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life by Tiago Forte. 2024 was the year I finally got organized, digitally, thanks in large part to the basic principles in this book. I feel like I was able to make more headway on my personal projects, as well as keep up with my adult responsibilities better. The author has a freely available blog post that breaks down the basic principles of the system, but I found the book to be helpful in providing more examples and explanations.

Movies/TV

  • All Creatures Great and Small Season 1. (PBS) After working my way through Downton Abbey and Poldark, I’m always on the lookout for period pieces with a romance you can really root for. This one comes with cute animals.
  • Into the Unknown: Making Disney Frozen 2. (Disney+) A case study/masterclass of the brain trusts described in Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace. As someone who’s worked on large creative projects touched by multiple departments, I could relate to many of the challenges faced by the studio in getting the movie to work, narratively, and on deadline.
  • Shogun. (Hulu) I don’t think anyone expected this show to be this good. If you miss Game of Thrones, especially the political intrigue, Shogun will scratch that itch nicely. If you want to play or run any of the Legend of the Five Rings* RPGs, I think this show is perhaps the best representation of courtly drama you can ask for. I also recommend the companion podcast if you are looking for a deeper dive.
  • True Detective: Night Country. (HBO Max) Come for the cosmic horror, stay for the exploration of women’s and Native American issues. Of the folks I’ve talked to about this show, women seem to have appreciated the show more than men, but I think it will appeal to fans of Arkham Horror* and Lovecraftian storytelling. (You do not need to have seen previous seasons of True Detective to enjoy this one.)

Video Games

  • Against the Storm. (PC) I really enjoyed Banished and Northgard, which I think are the closest comps for this game, but Banished got boring after a certain point, and Northgard became too difficult (for me). Against the Storm rises above both games with its intriguing worldbuilding, meta-progression/campaign play, and a bunch of quality of life and mechanical adjustments to the genre formula that make it much more fun, with greater replayability. This was my video game of the year.
  • Stardew Valley. (PC/Steam Deck) Not a new game by any stretch, but this was the year I finally played it, on my Steam Deck. Stardew Valley was the perfect speed for me while I was recovering from an unexpected surgery in April, and it was a massive improvement over the Harvest Moon games I played as a kid. There’s a reason people can sink hundreds of hours into this title.

What were some of your media highlights from this year? If you’re curious about what made the list last year, check out my media favorites of 2023.

*Disclosure: I work for the company that publishes these settings, but my opinions are my own, and I am not speaking in an official capacity in this personal post.

Featured image by NegiPho on Unsplash

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