Best in Geek Media 2024 

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

It's the end of the year, and naturally we're looking at things introspectively, taking stock of the year. Things are terrible in many ways we'd rather not look at—the disastrous presidential election which may well spell certain doom for our country, for one. World events. Genocide. War. The state legislature.

But at least we have our preferred opiate of the masses to look back on fondly: our favorite geeky pain-killers. It's been a good year for that, at least. Here are some of the best things to come out of this year. If you've missed them, I hope you seek them out and give them a try. May they be a balm on your soul during these absurdly trying times.

Star Wars: Outlaws: My favorite video game this year has easily been Star Wars: Outlaws. Cast as a ne'er-do-well in the underworld in the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, you have a blaster, your wits and an adorable pet that will help pick pockets of hapless Imperials. You vie for favor among the major factions of the underworld, pull heists, and try not to get killed. I'm not usually a fan of open world games, but this game was intuitive and utterly gorgeous. I've completed it, but still keep going back for more just to luxuriate in the Star Wars universe and all the extra DLC. Ignore the online hate and give it a shot.

Arcs: Conflict and Collapse in the Reach: I mentioned this one in a recent gaming column, but I'm still playing this board game obsessively. It combines trick-taking, wargame strategy, area control and other deep layers of strategy into one deliciously complex game. Get your hands on it and find three friends to play with. You're not going to regret sitting around the table. It's easy enough to learn in under an hour, but complex enough that the problems of the world will melt away while you're playing.

Dungeons and Dragons – Player's Handbook and Dungeon Masters Handbook 5E (2024): The minds behind the most popular roleplaying game of all time released an update to the Fifth Edition of the game, streamlining some aspects and offering new guidance to dungeon masters to make the game more inclusive and easier to play. More than that, it offers tools to make the game more fun. There's nothing like getting a great game together, and these new books facilitate that beautifully. Pick them up and make the leap quickly. Do it now before Elon Musk threatens to buy them and ruin them again. He's spiteful, foolish and brainless enough that he just might do it.

Batman Resurrection by John Jackson Miller: One of my favorite books this year was the direct sequel to Tim Burton's Batman (1989) that I didn't know I wanted. Written by John Jackson Miller, this book brings us the immediate aftermath of the Joker's attack on Gotham City, capturing the spirit of the movie and answering all of the questions that I didn't quite realize I needed answered. This book is dynamite, and makes me want to watch the two best Batman movies ever made all over again. It'll do the same to you. Promise.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: George Miller is a mad genius, and his Mad Max movies have only improved with age over the years. Furiosa is a prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the role originated by Charlize Theron, and leads directly into Fury Road. It's a wondrous magic trick of a film that left me with a smile on my face. Chris Hemsworth's performance is a mold-breaking triumph. To my mind, it's by far and away the best genre film to have hit theaters this year and it's not even close; it keeps giving more and more depth with every viewing.

Star Wars: The Acolyte: Though it caught the most flak this year for a number of reasons—chief among them that YouTube grifters needed a new target to latch onto and the culture war told them women and people of color were bad. It's a stunningly well-wrought mystery show that peels back layer after layer. Deliberately written, every episode deepens the mystery and adds layers of complexity, plus some of the best moments meant for fans I've seen in Star Wars without pandering. It also had some of the most dynamic fight scenes ever seen in a galaxy far, far away. It was utterly stupendous, and still deserves a continuation to the story.

There was so much more to come out in 2024 I'd love to shout out, but that's what I have room for. You'll have to be content with this list of the best of the best to mollify your existential dread. For what it's worth, I hope it works.