Let’s start with the biggest games and buzz worthy ones.

In no ranked order just games that were interesting and popular at the event you might want to check out yourself.

1. LUCID
This 2D action platformer was the undisputed talk of the show floor. It brilliantly stitches together the DNA of Celeste, Metroid, Castlevania, and Mega Man X. What sets it apart is its “thoughtful” flow—dashing, jumping, and slashing all combo into each other seamlessly. Add in stunning background depth and a killer soundtrack, and you have a masterpiece in the making.

2. Heading Out
A love letter to classic American road movies, this narrative driving game puts you in the driver’s seat as the “Interstate Jackalope,” a driver running from the law and their own fears. It’s a stylish, black-and-white roguelite racer where your choices shape the story, the world, and your branching path across the country.

3. Dragon is Dead
Imagine blending the platforming of Castlevania with the loot and progression of Diablo. This brutal roguelike action game lets you keep your gear and runes after death, meaning every run pushes you closer to defeating the ultimate evil. The combat is incredibly crunchy, and the deep lore makes the grind highly addictive.

4. Ra Ra Boom
A phenomenal update to classic arcade beat-’em-ups like Turtles in Time. You play as a squad of ninja cheerleaders from space defending Earth from robots. The major innovation here is a dynamic lane system that makes screen-positioning and targeting a breeze, paired with unique ranged attacks and tech-tree upgrades for every character.

5. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
Don’t let the goofy name fool you—this top-down adventure is a brilliant homage to GBA-era Zelda titles. Your primary weapon and traversal tool is a yoyo, which you can bounce off walls to solve puzzles, whip at enemies, or even ride across water. It’s colorful, clever, and packed with customizable stat badges.

6. Slime Heroes
A co-op action-adventure with surprisingly deep combat. You play as a slime trying to save a corrupted magical forest. The standout feature is the magic system: you collect skill gems that can be combined to create completely custom spells. Want to turn a tornado into a lightning-infused projectile? You can. It’s fast, fluid, and wonderfully experimental.

7. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
Taking the mobile zombie franchise to PC, this polished 1980s side-scroller is a tense survival experience. Managing your shelter and scavenging for supplies is a high-stakes gamble. Sneaking past hordes and deciding whether to risk your survivors to save others creates a devastatingly effective gameplay loop where one mistake can cost you everything.

8. Deathbound
A fresh take on the crowded Souls-like genre. Instead of a lone warrior, you control a party of four distinct characters (like a rogue, tank, and heat-generating mage) and swap between them on the fly. They share a health pool, and their relationships provide unique buffs and debuffs. Building up synergy for massive “Morphstrike” combos is a game-changer.

9. Heartworm
A pure hit of PS1-era survival horror nostalgia. Channeling the energy of Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Fatal Frame, you play as Sam, a grieving woman exploring a supernatural house with a camera. The fixed camera angles, unsettling audio, and low-poly aesthetic create a palpable sense of dread.

10. Lunar Lander Beyond
Atari is breathing new life into a classic. This reimagining takes the old-school precision mechanics of the original Lunar Lander and expands it into a fully fleshed-out, gorgeous sci-fi experience with deep narrative elements and modernized piloting controls.

11. Pioneers of Pagonia
For those looking to relax, this city builder offers immense depth with a warm, inviting vibe. The simulation is incredibly granular—you can zoom in to watch a single log get chopped, transported, and built into a guard tower in real-time. It’s the perfect game for managing supply chains, building alliances, and enjoying a rainy Sunday with friends.

12. Disco Samurai
Cyberpunk aesthetics meet rhythm-game combat. This is an action game where you must attack, parry, and dodge strictly to the beat of a pulsing synthwave and rock soundtrack. You can kick enemies into the environment or blast them with a gun, all while navigating a unique meta-narrative.

13. Kriegsfront Tactics
If you miss the golden days of Front Mission, this is for you. Set in an alternate 1970s Southeast Asia, this tactical RPG puts you in command of customizable mechs behind enemy lines. Positioning, facing direction, and fog of war are hyper-critical here, demanding intense strategy wrapped in a gritty, low-poly art style.

14. Dustborn
A story-heavy road trip adventure where you lead a crew of super-powered misfits masquerading as a punk rock band across a divided, alternate-history America. From using super-strength to manipulating minds with weaponized words, it’s a highly interactive narrative experience that drew massive crowds on the show floor.

15. Phantom Fury
The boomer-shooter renaissance continues. Starring Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison from Ion Fury, this highly interactive FPS feels like a love letter to Duke Nukem 3D and early 2000s shooters. With a cybernetic arm that punches lightning and incredibly satisfying gunplay, it’s a non-stop adrenaline rush.

16. Enter the Chronosphere
A psychedelic roguelite tactics game where time only moves when you take an action. This mechanic lets you play as fast or as meticulously as you want. With wildly unique characters (including a bear with a Power Glove), branching abilities, and a thumping synth soundtrack, every run feels like a completely new, chaotic puzzle.

Community aspects is where it shines.

While I had friends, developers, managers I know throughout the years there I love checking out new communities and there is plenty. For me just going around to engage is its own adventure. try it and find cool people to vibe with about games.

The Omegathon: Detail the multi-day tournament that randomly selects attendees to compete in various games, culminating in the wildly entertaining final round (which wrapped up this year with an epic Minesweeper and 3D Pinball showdown).

Cosplay Culture: Dedicate a paragraph to the incredible craftsmanship on display. The BCEC lobbies were packed with everything from massive space marines to obscure indie game protagonists, proving the dedication of the fanbase.

The Tabletop Freeplay Area: Mention how the tabletop library is a crucial part of the PAX experience, offering a massive space for attendees to unplug, borrow a board game, and make new friends.

Developer Interactions: Emphasize how amazing it is to actually talk face-to-face with the people making the games. The PAX Rising showcase allowed gamers to give direct feedback to passionate indie devs.

The PAX Rising Showcase: This curated section of the show floor is always a must-visit, and 2024 was no exception. It serves as a concentrated breeding ground for innovation, putting a massive spotlight on games that might otherwise fly under the radar. It’s the easiest way to find the “next big thing” before the rest of the world catches on.

Fearless Genre-Bending: Without the pressure of massive corporate shareholder expectations, indie devs are taking massive creative risks—and they are paying off. We saw incredible mashups this year that shouldn’t work on paper but feel incredible in practice. Whether it’s the time-bending tactical chaos of Enter the Chronosphere or the rhythm-meets-cyberpunk-brawler energy of Disco Samurai, the indie circuit is where genres go to evolve.

The Dev-to-Player Connection: There is an irreplaceable magic in playing a demo and turning around to give your immediate, raw feedback directly to the person who coded it. The indie booths at PAX East foster a collaborative environment where developers genuinely listen to players. You aren’t just a consumer playing a vertical slice; you’re an active participant in the game’s final polish.

The Blurring of “Indie” and “AAA”: The sheer level of polish on the indie floor this year was staggering. Games like LUCID and Heartworm prove that you don’t need a team of five hundred people to create breathtaking art direction, airtight controls, and deeply atmospheric worlds. The gap in quality between major studios and passionate small teams is rapidly disappearing.

Pax east must go on for gaming industry vibes…

I know personally its fun as a fan and a media but for new people to the scene this can be the place where you introduce someone to gaming culture. That’s why i love it. I might be bias to boston since my son and daughter were born here and I currently live here but as far as events I did love E3 and others a ton yet there is nothing like a wholesome indie game style vibe with some big hitters also coming in hot. This is just some random thoughts but hope you check in on Pax east and let me know how it went. Your local gamer out.