Fields of Mistria wins Patch Magazine’s Game of the Year

It’s approaching the end of another gaming year, and publications are gearing up to name their top games from the last 12 months. Within the world of indie gaming, one such publication is Patch Magazine, and this month they revealed their winners. 

Patch Magazine is a monthly indie gaming magazine that you can subscribe to either physically or digitally. They ship worldwide, and if you want to follow what’s going on in the indie gaming world, there aren’t many better options out there. 

This month, the results of the Patch of Approval Awards 2024 are center stage, and Fields of Mistria has snapped up two awards, while Thank Goodness You’re Here! takes home the gold in their category. Of course there are other categories, nominees, and winners as well, so here’s all of them. 

Game of the Year goes to Fields of Mistria

Look, it’s no secret that I love Fields of Mistria and have far too many hours sunk into the adorable farming sim already, with more to come later this month with the arrival of the first major patch on November 18, so I’m incredibly happy to see that Patch Magazine readers agree with my opinion of it. 

Nominees:

• Thank Goodness You’re Here!
• Mineko’s Night Market
• Nine Sols
• Fields of Mistria

I have to admit, I had a hard time voting between Thank Goodness You’re Here! and Fields of Mistria for the award, but my heart won out and I’m glad that Fields of Mistria is getting the recognition it deserves.

Nominees and winners in the Patch Seal of Approval Awards 2024

Here’s a brief run-down of the qualifiers for each category, the nominees, and who took home the win in each category.

Mini-Made

Winner: Balatro

The Mini-Made category is for games that are created by small teams. More specifically, they’re the ones that are created and brought to the indie gaming field by teams of less than five people.

Nominees:

• Animal Well
• Minami Lane
• The Garden Path
• Balatro

Community Champion

Winner: Slay the Princess

Voting for the Community Champion award was exclusively available to members of the Patch Magazine Discord server, and they’re the games that have “truly captured the heart of the community”.

Nominees:

• Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley
• Tiny Glade
• 1000xRESIST
• Slay the Princess

Yogscast x Patch Game of the Year

Winner: Animal Well

Not to be confused with the reader-voted Game of the Year award which went to Fields of Mistria, the Yogscast x Patch Game of the Year nominees were chosen by the Yogscast crew, with the Patch editorial team then picking their favorite from the nominations. 

Nominees:

• Go-Go Town
• Solium Infernum
• Dale & Dawson Stationary Supplies
• Animal Well

Campus Creations

Winner: I’ll Be Brave, Tomorrow

All of the games nominated for the Campus Creations were designed and developed by students at a college or university. The winner was made in conjunction with Great Ormond Street Hospital and will have you ugly crying at least once. 

Nominees:

• Book of Dreams
• Arm of Satan
• Morgan Metal Detective
• I’ll Be Brave, Tomorrow

Tranquil Title

Winner: Fields of Mistria

The Tranquil Title Award celebrates the cozy side of gaming, where I am very much entrenched and seem to spend most of my time. The nominees are all special in their own way, and all are worth playing if you’re at a loose end. 

Nominees:

• Summer House
• Little Kitty Big City
• Spirittea
• Fields of Mistria

Boundary Breaker

Winner: Thank Goodness You’re Here!

This category celebrates games that find new and unique ways to deliver a story, or that introduce new mechanics that aren’t commonly seen in gaming. 

Nominees:

• Paper Trail
• Balatro
• Pacific Drive
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Multiplayer Mode

Winner: Lethal Company

This one’s pretty self-explanatory and celebrates games that let you play with others in engaging ways. There have been a lot of amazing multiplayer games this year, but these are the ones that stood out.

Nominees:

• Chained Together
• Content Warning
• Palia
• Lethal Company

Heart Racer

Winner: Slay the Princess

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of incredibly chilling horror games out there and it can be hard to sift through them to find the best of the bunch. Patch has done the legwork for us, bringing the best of the best together as nominees for the Heart Racer Award.

Nominees:

• Bendy: Secrets of the Machine
• Crow Country
• Blasphemous 2
• Slay the Princess

The Journey Continues

Winner: Hades II

Whether through DLCs or direct continuation of a previously unfinished story, this category celebrates the continued progress of much loved indie titles.

Nominees:

• Cult of the Lamb
• Power Wash Simulator
• A Little to the Left
• Hades II

Musical Moment

Winner: Sea of Stars

While all games have their own unique soundtracks, some games have music that sticks with us long after we’ve finished playing. This category celebrates the music in indie games. 

Nominees: 

• Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley
• Farewell North
• Mineko’s Night Market
• Sea of Stars

Anticipated Gem

Winner: Tiny Book Shop

While the rest of the categories celebrate games that have been released and done well, this one looks forward to games that have yet to be released. 

Nominees:

• Cat Café Manager
• After Love EP
• While Waiting
• Tiny Book Shop