In a year like 2024, it is easy for smaller games to get lost amid the deluge of AAA games and their marketing dollars. When seemingly every month there was a game from a studio with several hundred people and $100+ million dollar budget, the small team labors of love have to fight even harder for attention. And fight they did. While many gamers want hundred-hour experiences, some (myself included) thrive off games with more focus and less scale. This category is a celebration of the passion of the small artists painting on a big canvas. The teams whose dedication and work ethics drove innovation, art direction, and sound to make unforgettable experiences. With that said, here are the winners of Lords of Gaming’s 2024 Golden Lance Award for Small Team Game of the Year.
Winner – Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
When it comes to the Small Team Game of the Year one game really sticks out. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes does what we want all spiritual successors to do, that is play of what made its predecessor iconic while adding a bit of its own flavor. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes did that. We got well over 100 unique characters to recruit each with their own unique personality. We also got the 2D sprites in 3D world art style with beautiful colors. Some of these characters even played off characters from the Suikoden series. The mini-games were all entertaining. There was a new style of war battle system and an updated turn-based combat system. The team from startup/Kickstarter to completion put their heart and soul into this. Even after Yoshitaka Murayama passed away after finishing his duties the team crossed the finish line. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes truly epitomized what a game of the year should be, so no doubt in my mind it is the Small Team Game of the Year!
Runner Up – The Plucky Squire
The Plucky Squire is a game that takes place in one room and one book. But with each turn of the page, the player is thrown something new and unexpected. The reason why The Plucky Squire gets my vote for Small Team Game of the Year is that it is a gorgeous game that has a very unique art style while being innovative by truly bringing a storybook to life. The game is varied and constantly plays with perspective which kept me on my toes during the 10 or so hours I spent in the game. There are also plenty of mini-games that are dispersed throughout the run time which are very fun to go back to previous chapters.
