Presenting The BFS Community’s 2024 Faves

What else are you going to do on the last day of the year? As you get ready to ring in the new calendar year, enjoy this look back at the best of 2024. This month I asked our members to share what they’ve enjoyed most this year – those books, TV shows, films, games, music and more that have made their mark on individual souls. And it didn’t need to be current releases, either! Many of us are still discovering classics and older works and learning what all the fuss was about.

How many of these have you enjoyed? Anything we’ve missed? Give your own thoughts by leaving a comment at the end of this article, or jump back into Discord to get involved. Are you a member but not yet in the BFS Discord server? Contact us to request your invite.

My own, for the record, will be patchy and my ADHD brain will no doubt forget a tonne of things, but here goes:

Books: I’m not even going to embarrass myself by trying to remember what I’ve read this year. I know it was one part beta reading for friends, one part reviewing, and many parts staring at screens or pages without the energy to read and understand. Hence all my brain-rotting TV and film recommendations below.

TV: Fallout; Colin From Accounts; Shrinking; 3 Body Problem; From; One Day; Nobody Wants This; Interview With The Vampire; Rivals. I also binge-watched all four seasons of Legacies in a few weeks while totally burned out and unable to focus on anything but teen supernatural drama.

Film: Civil War (the Alex Garland one – my journo blood was singing); A Quiet Place: Day One; Late Night with the Devil; Conclave; Deadpool vs Wolverine; Heretic; Lisa Frankenstein; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (OK, it’s not great, but I love anything in this universe!); Monkey Man; I Saw the TV Glow; The Fall Guy; Twisters (hey, it was FUN!); Speak No Evil (I bloody love creepy James McAvoy). I haven’t yet seen a lot of the big ‘uns from the horror world (looking at you: The Substance), but maybe they’ll make next year’s list.

Music: Spotify Wrapped reminded me I loved the new albums by Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon, because I’m hip and with-it. Best gigs for me: Vampire Weekend at Brixton Academy, The National at Crystal Palace Park, Bloc Party’s 20th anniversary of Silent Alarm show at Crystal Palace, Editors at Brixton Academy. I sadly did not get to do The Eras tour mainly because I couldn’t be bothered with the ticket rigmarole/cost.

Podcasts: The only spoken audio I can focus on continues to remain Uncanny and its various incarnations.

-Lauren McMenemy, BFS Marketing

What we’ve been reading/watching/playing this year

Comments are presented as they were in Discord. Where an individual contributor came back with more, those comments have been summarised as one.

• Books: Legends & Lattes, My Kind of Trouble, Third Loch From the Sun
• TV: I watched most of 12 Monkeys (the TV series) but nothing new new. I rewatched last year’s Doctor Who Anniversary Specials back-to-back and they were even more fun than the first time. Wide Blue Yonder is just creeeepy.
• Films: Watched anniversary showings of Galaxy Quest and The Search for Spock at the cinema. Deadpool & Wolverine was tremendous fun.

-Helen Thwaite

I’m terrible for always getting to things a couple of years after everyone else so the only three published-in-2024 books I’ve read are ones that particularly caught my eye in the member news channel here on discord or from chats at FantasyCon: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan, A Crow Named Torment by Silas A. Bischoff, and Going Fourth by G.J. Dunn. Would recommend all three!

However, my favourite 2024 book is almost certainly going to be Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson because I am obsessed with the Stormlight Archive.

I don’t think I’ve actually watched a movie that came out in 2024 and my favourite TV release of the year was Arcane’s final season. The latest Vox Machina animated series is also good, though I’ve yet to fully catch up.

And favourite media that I experienced for the first time this year but was released earlier than that: SpyxFamily (both the anime and manga), Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee, Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

-Laurence J.R. Nix

I can’t pick a favourite, never can, and I don’t promise any of these came out this year but here are some things that I enjoyed this year:

Books: Like Laurence I am still looking forward to Wind and Truth (Brandon Sanderson), but I have already enjoyed The Book of Doors (Gareth Brown), The Archive Undying (Emma Mieko Candon), The Book Eaters (Sunyi Dean), The Pattern of the World (J.T. Greathouse), A Botanical Daughter (Noah Medlock), and The Fragile Threads of Power (V.E. Schwab).

Plus I re-read this year: The Emperor’s Soul (Sanderson), and The Night Circus and The Starless Sea (Erin Morgenstern).

• TV: I think I only watched the new version of Interview With the Vampire and The Mayfair Witches. Plus Grand Design‘s 25th year.
• Other: I started listening to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast this year, and have found that to be very good, as is Within the Wires by one of the same creators.

-Vecna | Richard Hussey

Books: Did I read the Spear Cut through water by Simon Jimenez this year? I’m not sure, but even if I did not, it deserves all the awards it won. What an amazing book. I definitely read The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and enjoyed it a lot, even if the fake-Italian names sometimes triggered me. The simil-Venice setting was quite great, though.

Another shout goes to Us Against You by that terrible genius of Fredrick Backman. Man, I don’t know why I fall for it every time, but I do. Backman will make me believe something awful will happen… and it always does, but NEVER the one awful thing that he had told us about. Damn.

TV: I watched The Rings of Power Season 2, and you know what? It gets a bad rep. Much improved than season 1. And I have heard that HAWT Sauron was very popular. Ain’t that right @Aleda Hinx ? Arcane Season 2 is a standout, of course, while I must say Marvel/Star Wars were quite meh. I mean, I did enjoy Deadpool And wolverine, sure, but… Agatha was good, but not ground breaking and so was the Acolyte.

Movies: Dune part 2. Denis Villeneuve is a damn genius. I love everything he has done and he continues this trend. The Arrival, Bladerunner 2049 and now Dune. DAMN! Amazing.

Games: I must confess I can’t remember a lot of good games I have played recently. Final Fantasy XVI is good. And it has some truly spectacular fights. But reading the list of game of the year Awards nomination, I feel not much but Meh. Elden Ring is an amazing game, don’t get me wrong, but that released in 2022. This year saw the DLC, which I have not yet played. Black Myth Wu-kong was ok. And Metaphor re:Fantazio is a fantasy game from my favorite rpg makers, Atlus, so it must be good, but I have not yet played it, so I can’t say. (Also it should win the prize for weirdest title of the year, though)

-Derek Drake

Unusually for me, I’ve read several books that came out this year. The Book of elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, and Polostan by Neal Stephenson were both brilliant. I haven’t read Alan Moore’s The Great when yet, but I anticipate enjoying it enormously. I haven’t seen any new SFFH movies or TV this year, and I don’t think I’ve played a new game since BG3!

[later]

I’m coming back to this armed with my long list of everything I’ve read this year (much of which is very old!) The best genre fiction (for me) was:

• William Morris – The Well at the world’s end (1896)
• Suzette Haden Elgin – Native tongue (1984)
• Ursula K. Le Guin – The Word for world is forest (1972)
• Michael Moorcock – The Cornelius quartet (1968-1977)
• N.K. Jemisin – The Hundred thousand kingdoms (2010)
• Alex Cochran – The Pollutant speaks (2023)
• Gene Wolfe – The Fifth head of Cerberus (1972)
• Adolfo Bioy Casares – The Invention of Morel (1940)
• Tasha Suri – The Jasmine throne (2021)
• Alex Pheby – Mordew (2020)
• N.K. Jemisin – The Broken kingdoms (2010)
• Keanu Reeves and China Miéville – The Book of elsewhere (2024)
• Ursula K. Le Guin – The Wind’s twelve quarters and The Compass rose (1975, 1982)
• Neal Stephenson – Polostan (2024) [possibly a cheat, as it’s historical fiction, but it’s Neal Stephenson, and some element is likely to turn out to be SF by the end of the series!]
• Alan Moore – Voice of the fire (1996)

I replayed Cyberpunk 2077 this year, which is a very good game now it’s fixed, especially with the expansion. And I haven’t watched any SFFH TV or movies this year at all!

-Oliver Arditi

I write book reviews for a science fiction magazine, and I’ve been really quite spoilt this year in that all three of the books I got to review have to go right to the top of my favourites list. They’re Lucy Holland’s Song of the Huntress, Gorse by Sam K Horton, and We Are All Ghosts in the Forest by Lorraine Wilson. They’re all very different from one another as well, which made it particularly interesting.

-Veronika Groke

Movies: Man And Witch – an incredible family fantasy film, fits right in with Princess Bride, Labyrinth, etc. It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s got queer rep that makes me sob happy tears every time I watch it. I finally feel seen in this genre that I adore and it is everything.

Books:

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White – a sapphic retelling of Lucy’s story from Dracula… And beyond! Gothic, queer, delightful!

Millionaires Day by Kit Power – a novella centred around that day in December 2021 when everyone in the UK woke up with £1m under their bed. And how quickly the hope turned to chaos and despair.

Company of the Wolf by David Wragg – the insults! The humour! The tension!!!! Fantasy goes kinda wild west. Sassy women. Love it!!! Bring on book 3!

Runes of Fall by AK Faulkner – so queer, so much trauma! Disaster mages, spicy content, will someone just let them have a nice day already!! No? More trauma? Cool.

-Katie Bruce

I’ve read a few more short story collections this year than previous years. Dave Jeffery’s Mood Swings and Steve Toase’s Dirt Upon My Skin were both released on the same day, and are fantastic. I loved Kev Harrison’s adventure horror, Shadow of the Hidden, a book that simultaneous made me frightened of an ancient curse, and incredibly hungry. Dan Howarth’s Last Night of Freedom is also superb. It does for the Stag Dos in the Lake District what Deliverance does for a pleasant weekend canoeing in Georgia. Another shout for Millionaire’s Day here too.

-Benjamin Langley

I have had a lot of good reading this year. Premee Mohammed’s The Siege of Burning Grass was outstanding, and I really enjoyed Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E Cooney and Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow. Also another excellent entry in Juliet E McKenna’s Green Man series, which are always excellent fun.

-Ben Moxon

Books:

The City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky was my highlight of the year. Took me back to the era of New Weird with it’s strange city on the edge of revolution.

Some Desperate Glory By Emily Tesh deserved all of the awards it got. A very timely book given events of the last year, and a desperate call for empathy.

Overemotional by David Fenne was the best surprise I read this year, it had incredibly well realized characters and was great portrayal of people in those chaotic years.

I also read Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer for the first time. Aside from it’s delirious setting, it also did a great job of inverting the traditional narrative of Sci-Fi Thrillers.

TV and Film:

Bit of a banner year for animation wasn’t it? Delicious in Dungeon was fantastic, and X-Men 97 was everything a fan of those characters would want.

Also a late entry in the anime category is the Punk tale of Teenagers fighting aliens and ghosts, DanDaDan. It’s got all of the trashy energy of a 90s anime, so should be approached with a bit of caution (seriously check out some content warnings before you watch it), but if you want to see something balance action, horror, sci-fi, romantic comedy and tragedy with some of the best animation to come out of Japan in years, I’d recommend it.

Also Agatha All Along proved that you can still get some good content out of franchises when they try something new.

-Matthew Palmer

The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri was probably my read of the year. Also really enjoyed Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan, Charlie Says by Neil Williamson, A Shadow Over Haven by David Green, Jeckyll and Hyde: Consulting Detectives by Tim Major, Mother Sea and The Last to Drown by Lorraine Wilson, Trollgrave by Alex S Bradshaw, Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaicovsky and The Skin and The Pact by J E Hannaford.

-Shona Kinsella

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I won’t stop talking about how good Blood Over Bright Haven is. I read it twice this year!

-Tru Skies

Books: House of Open Wounds (Adrian Tchaikovsky), The Last Hour Between Worlds (Melissa Caruso), In the Shadow of the Ship (Aliette de Bodard), The Cruel Gods trilogy (Trudie Skies), What Feasts At Night (T Kingfisher), and an honourable mention for the Khaavren Romances (Steven Brust [technically as Paarfi of Roundwood]), which I did a very enjoyable reread of.

Games: Baldur’s Gate 3, Slay The Princess

Films: Dune Part 2, The Wild Robot

TV: Agatha All Along

-Finn McLellan

Books: The House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky; The City of Last Chances, by Adrian Tchaikovsky; World Running Down, by Al Hess; Faebound, by Saara Al-Arifi; Gogmagog by Jeff Noon & Steve Beard; Dragon Rider, by Taren Matharu; Alien Clay, by Adrian Tchaikovsky; Bluebird, by Ciel Perlot; The Fireborne Blade, by Charlotte Bond; The Ninth Life, by Stark Holborn; The Cautious Travellers Guide to the Wasteland, by Sarah Brooks; Strange Beasts, by Susan Morris; When The Night Falls, by Glenn Rolfe; Key Lime Sky, by Al Hess; Ludluda, by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard.

-Rosemarie Cawkwell

Fiction: Vonda N. McIntyre’s Little Sisters and Other Stories (new anthology from GoldSF), and I re-read McIntyre’s Fireflood and Other Stories. Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower. Also enjoying the Expanse novels (up to book 7).

Non-fiction but relevant to SFF: Subhadra Das, Uncivilised; Peter Pomerantsev, How to Win an Information War; Judith Butler, Who’s Afraid of Gender?.

TV series: True Detective Night Country (defo got some weird vibes to it); and I finally caught up with & loved Farscape.

-SJ Groenewegen

Best book I read in 2024: The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett. Best TV: Dead Boy Detectives and Arcane.

Best film: Borderlands. Best game: Still has to be World of Warcraft because the latest expansion came out (The War Within).

-Fi Phillips

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Best read of my year – The Siege of Burning Glass by Premee Mohamed a pacifist resistance leader sent on a mission by the govt he opposes to fight a war. It’s a Le Guin level piece of writing I very rarely don’t think about months after reading it.

-Runalongwomble

Favourite books for me:

• A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlocke
• The Phoenix Keeper by SA McLean
• The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

For TV I really liked My Lady Jane, I wish we were getting more.

For films A Quiet Place: Day One moved me.

-Melody Bowles

I’ve read a whole heap of excellent books this year, but trying to whittle them to a manageable few the absolute tops have been:

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

Ash by Mary Gentle

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

The World We Make by NK Jemisin

The Blackwater Saga by Michael McDowell

The Mystery of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallet

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

All of Dandadan

The Service by Frankie Miren

and all the Dungeon Crawler Carl

Movies I guess Dune 2 impressed me most, and I’m still enjoying The Boys and Gen V for TV. Also loved Fallout, the first two seasons of Brassic and The Bear.

-Phil Williams

Dipping into late 2023 for this list in places, but what can ya do?

Fiction: Freakslaw by Jane Flett (2024) and The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow (2023).

Non-fiction: Fire Weather by John Vaillant (2023). Though Nuclear War by Annie Jacobson, which I’m reading now, is very, very good.

Graphic novel: Batman: The Imposter by Mattson Tomlin and Andrea Sorretino (2023) was sublime in every way.

TV: Day of the Jackal and Silo Season 2.

Games: I don’t play console games, but in board games, Paleo is rocking our kitchen table right now.

Short story: What I Know About the Visitor From Two Nights Ago by Emma Mary Currans. (BFS Horizons 17). Deserves awards – nothing more you can say about it.

-Stephen Frame

Favourite books this year (not necessarily from this year but read this year):

• Babel – RFKuang
• Gods of the Wyrdwood -RJ Barker
• Legends & Lattes – Travis Baldree
• Doomsday Book – Connie Willis

Series: Agatha All Along, Arcane 2, Fallout

Game: Baldur’s Gate 3

-Cheryl Sonnier

Game: Baldur’s Gate 3 / FFVII: Rebirth

I’ve not read any books from this year!

-Willow Woods

Ooh, I have precisely one thing I want to shout out. It’s my favourite thing across all media this year, namely, the indie video game 1000xRESIST. An absolute triumph of storytelling design, and one of the most innovative and engaging narratives I’ve enjoyed in video games in some time. It may not seem like it when you first start playing, but it really is a wonder.

-Eóin Dooley

My favourites of this year have been:

• Perdido Street Station / The Scar / Iron Council by China Mieville
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King
• The Silmarilion by J.R.R. Tolkien (yes… I only read it for the first time this year)
• The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet / A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (hopefully I can read the other two in the series by the end of the year!)

-Zoe Rogers

Fave new reads this year:

• The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, Tor.
• Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis, Hodderscape (21 Mar. 2024)
• Someone You Can Build A Nest In, by John Wiswell, Apr 2024, Quercus Publishing
• Daughter of Calamity (2024) Rosalie M. Lin, Tor

-Steven French

Favourite book this year without doubt, Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah. Also Mistress of Lies by KM Enright.

-Anna Stephens

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Mistress is on my list, too. The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean. Not sure if So Let Them Burn by Kamila Cole is this year or last year, it has a 2024 copyright but I got it right at the end of the December. I’m still reading Wingspan of Treason by L. N. Bayen but it’s already shot to my faves list.

-Althea Lyons

I already did a graphic for my favourite books of the year so far – I say that because I reckon I’ve got potentially three more to add to this list before the year is out!

Fave TV, well Arcane Season 2 was insanely spectacular, but the award for best show goes to… Shogun!

-Mel Reynard

As I do every year, my list is on the Aqueduct Press blog, here.

-Cheryl Morgan

Games is Dungeons and Dragons! I’ve played twice now and already have two sets of dice!

I’ve only watched two films at the cinema this year and both in the last fortnight: Wicked and Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim was my fave. I’ve never watched an anime style at the cinema before – I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected!

Books: The End (Black Shuck books) by Kayleigh Dobson who I met at FantasyCon – great short story collection!

Rings of Power for tv – it drew me innnnn!

[later]

Oh, wait I have another one (two). Graphic novels! Hard Bargain by Steven S. DeKnight was awesome! Also Beneath by the same author and Michael Gaydos. If I really had to choose, it would be Hard Bargain. I have a whole new appreciation of graphic novels now!

-Sarah Elliott

It’s cool that this blog came along, because for the first time in my life I’ve actually kept track of the media I’ve consumed and made something of a tier list out of it. This is an excuse to do a write-up that I wanted to do anyway for my personal project, so please don’t feel obliged to present this in its entirety if it’s not feasible – it’s just a bit of fun and hopefully someone will see something that resonates with them or find something they want to check out for themselves.

Books:

1. It’s a tie for first!
   
   A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
   Abercrombie provided a blazing return to reading the written word for me (after being burnt out for years by back-to-back English degrees!) with a scintillating first novel in his latest trilogy, which bodes auspiciously well for these books to be his best yet. I really must get to the other two!
   
   Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
   Zevin’s novel was a very different change of pace, but no less profound and with emotionally devastating plot twists of its own. A truly remarkable, BoJack Horseman-esque tale of a turbulent friendship between two young video game developers amidst the highs and lows of working in a creative industry.

3. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

Another one to file under BoJack Horseman-esque. A heartbreaking memoir about childhood abuse, trauma, the price of fame, and being forced to chase someone else’s dream. McCurdy weaves laugh-out-loud funny sentences and bittersweet moments amidst the heavy content, and my experience was really enhanced by listening to her audiobook narration.

4. Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

By far the most emotionally intelligent crime thriller novel I’ve ever read, which bears a strange internal dissonance as it’s also one of the most violent books I read this year. The action is riveting and it handles racism, homophobia, and character reformation with great sensitivity.

5. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

A hilarious yet hyperviolent romp through a post-apocalyptic death game dungeon, armed only with a talking magical cat and a disturbing, foul-mouthed AI. A furious genre mash-up that became more absorbing with each chapter, helped by a great audiobook performance by Jeff Hays. His voices are sensational – Princess Donut is wonderfully brought to life!

TV shows:

1. Succession

A gripping retelling of King Lear as a family drama with clear inspiration from certain news media family dynasties. Shakespearean in its tragedy and scope, yet wildly funny, all four seasons of this show made my summer glorious. Brian Cox and Matthew Macfayden are especially brilliant.

2. Shogun

An excellent work of historical fiction, portraying the power of translation and providing a great example of cultural exchange. Its political intrigue rivals Game of Thrones at its finest, and its narrative based on Japanese history is enthralling, with a fantastic cast.

3. Fallout

My wife and I watched Fallout when it dropped in April and we’re still quoting it. (‘Nope, the form says Goosey!’) I’ve never played any of the video games it’s based on, but this adaptation makes me want to, which says it all. Thrilling and wickedly funny, with sharp social commentary.

4. Race Across the World

Series 4 of the BBC’s most competitive travel show may be its best yet. Asia provides such a rich, diverse and beautiful setting for a competition full of endearing, funny, and quirky contestants on the journey of a lifetime. The interactions when competitors run into each other mid-race are sensational!

5. Arcane

Season two didn’t hit the same dizzying heights as the first season, but the visuals were absolutely breath-taking from a studio that clearly put everything into the show and had a blast with it. Arcane confirms that animated shows deserve to have a seat at the prestige TV table.

Films:

1. The Wild Robot

I hadn’t been too impressed by the trailers for this film, so I was completely taken by surprise when it blew me away. It’s a beautifully animated meeting between machine and nature, exploring parenthood, purpose, and the passing of seasons. It’s brilliant, funny, and powerful. Bring tissues.

2. Inside Out 2

This really might be Pixar’s strongest franchise right now: it has so much depth, so much humour, and it’s only limited by our understanding of psychology and biology. I went into this film wondering if it was a necessary sequel and found myself wholly convinced by it.

3. Deadpool and Wolverine

A great farewell letter to the Fox Marvel film era, and a much-needed comedy about the multiversal mayhem we’ve seen in recent years. There isn’t as much substance to the script compared to previous Deadpool movies, but it’s still very entertaining.

4. Your Name

I knew that this anime movie was highly acclaimed, but I had no idea what it would be about. When I thought I’d figured it out, the movie pulled the carpet out from under my feet. It’s emotional, it’s fascinating, and it’s exquisitely animated.

5. The French Dispatch

I’ve grown increasingly fond of Wes Anderson movies and the town of Ennui-sur-Blasé didn’t disappoint. At times, I worried that its high culture style would become overbearing, but the magazine article-themed narrative structure kept this delightfully off-the-wall film fresh.

Games:

1. Pillars of Eternity

This was my first introduction to the CRPG (Computer/Classic Roleplaying Game) genre and it was an absolute banger. Eora is a brilliant fantasy setting, with rich lore and history, and the dark tones of its story kept me coming back for more. I played this because I couldn’t afford Baldur’s Gate 3 and I have no regrets – it will stay with me forever.

2. Age of Wonders: Planetfall

I was too young to fully appreciate the games that preceded Age of Wonders 3, and after being charmed and enraged by that riveting strategy game, several years passed before I finally got to play its sci-fi themed cousin. Its addictive ‘one more turn’ gameplay was worth the wait.

3. SUPERVIVE

I’d never found myself drawn to battle royale games before, but this isometric mash-up between the battle royale and MOBA genres drew me in. I’m still trying to get to grips with it, but it has all the fun of MOBA-style teamfights without the pains of managing your lane. Best enjoyed with friends, lest ye be subjected to the whims and tempers of strangers on your team.

4. Surviving the Aftermath

I sank a surprising number of hours into this game. I used to love city-builders when I was younger, and this one has a post-apocalyptic survival twist. The gameplay felt Sisyphean at times, and unfolded rather slowly, but it gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you get to the next step.

5. Moving Out

From the developers of Overcooked comes the most overzealous game about helping people move house. Jump through the window, throw the sofa through the hole where the window used to be, slap the spooky ghost out of your way and get in the truck to beat the clock. It’s hilarious and maddening in equal measure – great fun for couch co-op.

-Andrew King

I’ve just posted my top ten of the year on my blog. It’s an occasional thing I do.

-S Naomi Scott

Books: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty; A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers; Doctor Who: The Dalek Factor, by Simon Clarke (an oldie but very creepy); The Future of Geography, by Tim Marshall (non-fiction but brilliant); Damascus Station, by David McCloskey.

Graphic Novels: Once and Future by Kieron Gillen et al.

TV: For All Mankind (only just started watching this year and got through 3-and-a-bit seasons already); Day of the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne is amazing!!); Race Across the World; Hunted (both the UK and Australian versions); Doctor Who (I actually like this season, despite its slow start!); Fallout (possible THE best video game adaptation because it rises above its source material); Taskmaster (not new, I know, but I’ve watched a tonne of it for the first time this year); Colin From Accounts; Kaos (please reverse the decision, Netflix!!!); 3 Body Problem.

Film: A Quiet Place: Day One; The Marvels (better than was billed; it’s unfairly maligned IMHO); Dune: Part 2, obvs; Conclave; Deadpool vs Wolverine; Heretic (I love this phase of Hugh Grant).

Games: I’m hardly one for jumping on new releases here. I got Far Cry 6 for Christmas last week and am very much enjoying it. Have also been playing a lot of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Music: The Last Dinner Party; Chappell Roan. Loved seeing The National (aka the sad dads) in Crystal Palace Park this summer.

Podcasts: Into The TARDIS, a Big Finish podcast – every week they put out a new episode of previously-released stories, introduced by Colin Baker. It’s a great way to taste test their output. And I always enjoy Pop Culture Happy Hour. I’ve also taken to The Rest is Classified to satisfy my spy itch.

-Chris Hawton

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!