Guess would be ravnica, set in the Rubblebelt.

The Curious Archives YouTube channel is a unique gem. Everything from alien biology to fantasy world building. It's speculative fiction, it doesn't pretend it's real, but if you've ever wondered what it would be like if everything was just a little bit different, they are wonderfully written. 11/?

If you like tabletop RPGs, you absolutely have to checkout Quinns Quest. Only a single season of it on YouTube, but more are coming. It examines some amazing RPG systems, and looks at the why of RPGs just as much as the how. Each episode is a work of art on its own. 10/?

Karl Jobst makes amazing videos about speed running video games. They are always interesting and well researched. Great job putting a spotlight on an awesome community. 9/?

I watch a lot of YouTube, lots of it just on phone/second monitor in the background as I'm working on other things. So rapid fire here are some great channels I've enjoyed watching this year (and often previously years) 8/?

Arcane was amazing. Yes it felt a bit rushed, but I think the ending was great and don't agree with people who think the last two episodes were terrible. I think it did a wonderful job wrapping up stories, and visually it was just incredible. So worth the wait and extend to see what comes next. 7/?

The Boys in the Boat was also quite enjoyable. I know it came out last year, but I watched it this year. The book is one of my wife's favorites, so I'll have to get to it next year. But the movie was really good. 6/?

Dune pt 2 was obviously amazing. I don't bother watching movies in theaters too often, but seeing it in the theater was definitely a different experience. Not as good as pt 1, but still amazing. I think the changes made for a better MOVIE even if they aren't as true to the book. 5/?

Also shout out to local libraries. I checked out a ton of books, used the maker space to make buttons and 3D print stuff, took my kids to activities, and even won some books in the summer reading activities. Libraries deserve WAY more praise than they get, and everyone should support theirs! 4/?

I don't read a lot of manga, but Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama is amazing. Fantastic premise on how magic works and how it impacts society. Also the art is amazing, and does really creative things with the limitations of the medium. Its not done yet, but the first 13 volumes were great! 3/?

Next up was James Islington's Licanius Trilogy. Very fun epic fantasy like the Wheel of Time, but only 3 books. Some characters were a little hard to follow, but most were great and good world building. No spoilers, but an actual good use of time travel in fantasy. Worth reading for sure! 2/?

2024 had a LOT of reading for me. I started the year (well Dec '23) reading all of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I'll say it, Dresden is at times a terrible person, but it's pretty clearly presented as NOT ok. The world building however is amazing and the books really start taking off. 1/?

IMO games shouldn't be eligible until full release, and POE 2 is early access, and not 3 days early access, but beta early access.

Or early access should be its own category.

It feels like recency bias plays a huge role. So by next year, people won't remember (as much) something that is 'old' compared to something that came out in July for example.