Source: https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/gaming-news/gamescom-2024-everything-announced.htmlCosy gaming continued to branch out. With 58% of players turning to games for stress relief (
Video Games Europe, 2023), creators embraced this genre’s potential. But instead of just leaning into baking or gardening sims, they started mixing the cozy formula with stranger ingredients. Quiet moments appeared in dystopian settings. Familiar gestures, like sweeping or sorting, became gameplay anchors in otherwise chaotic worlds. The contradiction worked—and it kept people talking.
Co-op storytelling gained traction too, not just in mechanics but in emotional complexity. Reanimal and Little Nightmares III didn’t offer casual team-ups—they challenged players to navigate layered narratives together.
AI, as expected, wasn’t just a tool—it became the theme. Games tackled AI anxiety head-on, from tales of identity theft to horror experiences told from a bot’s perspective. Some leaned into satire. Others went full speculative fiction. But across the board, the trend was clear:
AI tools aren’t just powering systems; they’re becoming part of the conversation.
And finally, there was a noticeable spike in games that handed players creative control, particularly in historical or strategy-driven spaces. With 46% of players saying self-expression is a key reason they play (
Fandom, 2024), studios are taking that stat seriously. At Gamescom 2024, strategy titles let players rewrite history, not just relive it. Morality wasn’t baked into the narrative. It was put into players’ hands.
As we approach this year’s video game festival, the question isn’t just “what will get announced?” It’s “How far will developers go?” More hybrid genres, stranger mechanics, and blurred lines between player and character feel inevitable. We’re watching closely—not just for new trailers, but for signs of what 2026 might look like in game design.