I couldn't decide which game was the best this year. So I didn't. There's a universe where every one of these is the game of the year.

Thanks to Cosmosis and AJ Fillari for being in this one!
Thanks to phloup_ for the cover of "I Will Protect You"
Find the written version of this video at https://MattHorton.live
Sudden Death on itch - https://dominoclub.itch.io/sudden-death

0:00 - The best game of 2024
0:16 - Mystery game
2:36 - Fishing game
5:25 - Fantasy game
9:16 - Spooky puzzle game
11:22 - The remake (w/ AJ)
11:30 - Tactics game
14:47 - Gay romance game
16:47 - Game from 2020
18:48 - Survival car game (w/ @Cosmosis )
20:11 - Card game
21:16 - Game about death
23:09 - Narrative game

We crave failure, or at least the chance of it. Why?

00:00 - You crave failure
01:39 - Citizen Sleeper’s ideas of failure
06:46 - We fear failure
09:29 - The Paradox of Failure
12:19 - The queer art of failure
14:48 - CW: Homophobia
17:22 - How Citizen Sleeper 2 uses failure
22:15 - Who gets to fail?
25:33 - The risk of making games
30:29 - Failing the contract in Citizen Sleeper 2
34:18 - Why we crave failure

Find links to everything I do online at MattHorton.live
Support the channel at ko-fi.com/matthorton and get access to the full interview with Gareth Damian Martin!

Wishlist Citizen Sleeper 2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2442460/Citizen_Sleeper_2_Starward_Vector/
Subscribe to the Jump Over the Age substack - https://jumpovertheage.substack.com/

Research sources:
The Art of Failure, Juul - https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262529952/the-art-of-failure/
The Queer Art of Failure, Halberstam - https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-queer-art-of-failure
Queer Games Studies, Ruberg and Shaw - https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517900373/queer-game-studies/
No Fun: The Queer Potential of Video Games that Annoy, Anger, Disappoint, Sadden, and Hurt, Ruberg - https://ourglasslake.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ruberg-No-Fun-QED.pdf

Music:
Signalchaser, Citizen Sleeper 2, Amos Roddy - https://youtu.be/M4BhsWWy4F0?si=D-djTl2B_-WJWk0P
Suncatchers, Citizen Sleeper 2, Amos Roddy - https://youtu.be/YL5LWm5Nk84?si=0vEwUiNKMRWV5HDI

Media sources:
Why do God of War's Characters Keep Spoiling Puzzles?, Game Maker's Toolkit - https://youtu.be/cZgjRcYGkY8?si=ynaXk8O8RP3eHzUb
In Defense of Dark Souls 2, hbomberguy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTfcMeqhig
Into the Aether's Pokémon Emerald Nuzlocke - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bYvqnTvUCg
Animal Crossing (Gamecube) with Stephen - https://youtu.be/_8e7wd6x9Ow?si=nS0VrrMR8xmnkP4P
Jesper Juul - Who cares if it's a Game? The uses and misuses of a dangerous word - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1RUiMY2MEs
The Cult of Microsoft by Ed Zitron - https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-cult-of-microsoft/
I made the worst ever 1-1 remake in Mario Maker 2 by YTSunny - https://youtu.be/eb60pnjABGg?si=ijyLAhsOxSFHGpcx
What is Super Mario Bros? by Into the Aether - https://youtu.be/ydoGs2Sflw4?si=cZPLJ3pXDw8rBOOc
Bo Ruberg: The Queer Games Avant-Garde - https://youtu.be/pc1az37mEvo?si=nUuxI9hQAmigJIE0
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Balloon Battle Gameplay - https://youtu.be/4xZ3TnVk9bQ?si=2hWRrtZfyhLhW9rs
Microsoft Closes Studios Behind Redfall, Hi-Fi Rush, And More To Prioritize 'High-Impact' Games, Kotaku - https://kotaku.com/xbox-closing-arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-1851460685
Ubisoft to Shut Down ‘XDefiant,’ Nearly 300 Employees Laid Off as San Francisco and Osaka Game Studios Close, Variety - https://variety.com/2024/gaming/news/xdefiant-canceled-ubisoft-layoffs-1236235023/
Aaron Greenberg's tweet praising how well Hi-Fi Rush did across their measurements - https://x.com/aarongreenberg/status/1649431572137779203

What this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/wGwtEtuuChM
Read more from Matt at matthorton.live
Support Flow State at ko-fi.com/matthorton

“Is Persona Gay?” by GarfieldKermit - https://youtu.be/37LacI2erq8?si=rEMKHsbLvATmSGRk
Gameplay footage provided by Faz
Read Brendon Bigley's review at Wavelengths - https://wavelengths.online/posts/persona-3-reload-a-review
"Katsura Hashino, directing Persona 5" by Archipel - https://youtu.be/jGb3BNgU7SE?si=O3V4WbM4nu7AchMu
"You should play 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim" by me! - https://youtu.be/O7EhtgGg4pc?si=_ng5V8GvgBWX_Tcw

0:00 - Persona has a problem
0:50 - Love things and critique them
2:05 - Persona 3 Reload is a masterpiece
5:27 - What is Persona 3 Reload?
7:46 - The best parts of Persona 3 Reload
15:02 - Critiquing what I love
24:45 - I want a Persona 6 without problems
28:54 - I recommend Persona 3 Reload (with caveats)

Listen to Flow State on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get podcasts