Despite all the sales and accolades, Black Myth: Wukong isnt as high as youd think (Game Science)You may think you know the most popular games of the year, but Googles own analytics tell a completely different story.While tonights The Game Awards is poised to celebrate the last 12 months of gaming (when its not hyping up whats to come in 2025 and beyond), Googles own annual wrap-up paints a very different picture of the 2024 the games industry has had.Google shared its breakdown of its most searched topics of 2024 on Thursday and its games section omits many of the biggest releases of the year.Game of the Year nominees like Elden Rings Shadow Of The Erdtree and indie darling Balatro are nowhere to be seen, with the top 10 list dominated by something else entirely.What was the highest-searching video game on Google in 2024?Believe it or not, Googles most searched game of the year is, of all things, the Connections game you can play on The New York Times website.Its not the only win for The New York Times either, with fellow puzzle game Strands coming in at eighth place. Maybe that shouldve been nominated for Game Of The Year? It did come out this past March.Admittedly, Connections and Strands are not only free but offer a new bite-sized puzzle every day, making them ideal for literally anyone looking for a quick distraction. Guess Wordles no longer the king (The New York Times)What are the most searched for video games on Google in 2024?When it comes to traditional video games, only four made it into Googles top 10; the first being Palworld in the number two spot. Were surprised to see it that high since interest in it seemed to wane considerably, following its January release.Then again, there was an awful lot of buzz surrounding its launch because of its Pokmon with guns concept. So even though its not that popular on Steam anymore (and probably not on consoles, if we had the stats) it was big enough earlier in the year to make the list.After that is Helldivers 2 in fifth place, which was also a massive live service hit at launch, that has somewhat faded from the public eye in recent months.Its then followed by two Chinese-developed titles: gacha game Wuthering Waves and action role-player Black Myth: Wukong in sixth and seventh place, the latter being the only Game of the Year nominee on the list.Google's most searched video games of 2024ConnectionsPalworldInfinite CraftSprunkiHelldivers 2Wuthering WavesBlack Myth: WukongStrandsBrawl StarsPokRogueThere is one mobile exclusive game in the top 10, and its 2018s Brawl Stars, a free-to-play multiplayer shooter from Finnish studio Supercell, the same company behind the seemingly immortal Clash Of Clans.More TrendingThe rest of the list is filled up by other free browser games: Infinite Craft (where players combine different elements to create new ones), Sprunki (some kind of rhythm game weve never even heard of), and PokRogue, a fan-made roguelike version of Pokmon that, strangely, Nintendo hasnt threatened with legal action.Were not sure what to take away from this list (or if theres anything to take away) but there is something amusing in seeing companies like Sony and Microsoft pump millions of dollars into cutting edge tech and live service games only to be outdone by simple puzzle games with zero monetisation.Although the presence of games like Helldivers 2 and Wuthering Waves may continue to incentivise some companies obsession with live service titles, it does at last seem as if the likes of Sony and Warner Bros. are finally beginning to lose interest. Wuthering Waves not a single one of miHoYos gacha role-players cracked into the top 10, but one of their chief rivals did (Kuro Games)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Heres where to find your PlayStation 2024 Wrap-UpGameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy