Harold Halibut

Harold Halibut was arguably one of the best games to release in 2024 due to how unique of an experience it was. Firstly, the art style is one of its best features, mixing the virtual with real-life as each set from the game was first made outside of it, giving it that stop-motion feel. The Characters within Harold Halibut are just as likeable as the style, with each of them having a vital role to play in the story.

Of course, the thing that makes Harold Halibut stand out is its unique art style. The claymation-based aesthetic gives the game a look you don't see very often. Even more amazing when you realize they did it by actually hand-making and then scanning all their models. The fact that it extends to the wider setpieces as well adds to this aesthetic. The claymation figures interacting with an isometric space gives the world a dollhouse-like appearance that only enhances the atmosphere.

But of course aesthetics aren't everything. Harold Halibut is also a game that balances simplicity with an engaging story and characters. The basic gameplay is pretty straightforward. There's no combat or even an in-game currency. Just walking around the station and interacting with people, mixed with the occasional puzzle. But that's what makes the game work so well.

There's no complicated mechanics to learn, and players can focus on the story. Every character feels unique, and they all have their own plotlines. The story is straightforward and easy to follow, but also full of twists and turns that go in unexpected places and veer the line between comedy and drama. I'm not normally a fan of isometric games but Harold Halibut did such a good job at storytelling it had me at every second.