My Favorite Video Games of 2020

Spending time in worlds that make sense

I spent a lot of time in 2020 playing video games, I just didn’t play a lot of different games. At times I played for pure escapism, and others to find a safe place to process the real world.

Favorite Games Released in 2020

Hades — Nintendo Switch

I was never interested in a game like Hades. Rougelikes and roguelites require a level of skill and dexterity that I’ve never possessed or been able to “git gud” at. When I first saw the trailer above during a Nintendo Indie World Showcase, I was both intrigued and disappointed. The game’s story and art looked right up my alley but the moment-to-moment gameplay was not for me. Then people started playing it. And they started recommending it. Still I resisted; I learned that the hype train can lead me astray. I’d buy a games only to play it for an hour or two. I’ve learned to “follow the fun” when it comes to my gaming habits. But…then there was a sale (as there so often is). I gave the game another look and learned there was a god mode that made the play less demanding and allowed you to experience the story.

I gave it a whirl.

Hades is a damn good game. The story and progression have their hooks in me and the gameplay is more fun than I expected…after a minor learning curve. Failure is not just an option but expected. As for how well I’m doing in the game, I never escaped hell in 2020, but I’m confident I will in 2021. (Makes sense really.)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nintendo Switch

Nintendo fan confession: New Horizons is my first Animal Crossing game. I have memories of my sister playing Animal Crossing when we were younger on GameCube, but the games have never appealed to me.
Man, I am glad I gifted this game to myself at the very beginning of the lockdown in NYC.
I’ve spent countless hours in this game(I know the switch tracks playtime, but last time I looked I was embarrassed so I’m not looking — I’ve decided it’s an unknowable). Each day in the game I was making progress, crafting goods, creating my own island’s lore. There is a sense of freedom to New Horizons that I hadn’t felt in a game since Breath of the Wild. I was having my own experience with the game while others were having theirs. We’d talk about it and visit one another’s islands, seeing where our curiosities, interests, and experiences differed. The regular updates that have added new critters, events, and content have kept me coming back to the game even after I’d “completed” my island. During a period in my life where everything outside my apartment seemed dangerous, I found safety and serenity on my island, Motunui.

The Last of Us Part II — PlayStation 4

I played a post-apocalyptic game during a near apocalypse; It was surreal. I’m bad at combat games so I tried to play as stealthy as possible (I’m not great at stealth either).

Most encounters wound up with a dog spotting my movements, attacking my character, and me allowing the dog to kill my character. There is a mechanic in the game where you can fight off the dogs and kill them, but I couldn’t do it. That’s not the story I saw for the character. Thing is, The Last of Us Part II was intent on driving home the point that we can’t actually control the actions of others. The narratives we create and roles we cast others in are just the stories we tell ourselves–they are as dangerous as any virus, any weapon, or anyone.

What this game does, by making you accept the decisions and actions you may disagree with, is nothing short of astounding. Art and entertainment are not overlapping circles and the vast majority of video games (especially AAA games) fall squarely in the realm of entertainment. There are undoubtedly artists at work, but the end result is more entertainment than art. I’m hopeful that The Last of Part II is an inflection point in the gaming industry where we see AAA developers telling the more dramatic and challenging stories indie devs have been exploring.

Non-2020 Games I Kept Playing in 2020

Steamworld Dig 2 — Nintendo Swi

There is rhythm to this game that gets stuck in my head. The exploration of the world is in sync with the way my mind works: I know the overall path to completion, but I love getting lost on side quests.

Stardew Valley

I played Stardew Valley a TON in 2019 and if it weren’t for Animal Crossing, I expect I’d still be checking in on Far Away Far. There is a large updated on its way to the Switch version 1.5 that may pull me back in too!

Here is what I had to say about Stardew last year:

I love games that demonstrate progress and growth. Stardew has that in every aspect of the game. It also has an undeniable charm to it that makes it so sweet, so relaxing, and such a nice place to visit from time to time.

Splatoon 2

I’ve jumped back into Splatoon 2 pretty regularly throughout the year. I’ve written about the game before, and all of that still holds true. These days, I’ve started exploring the weapon types I’d been avoiding like chargers. I’m still terrible at using them, but I’m slowly approaching a respectable skill level.

Additionally, Nintendo added more Splatfests in 2020 that kept me coming back, and there is another one planned for 1/15/21. I bought Splatoon 2 three years ago and have been playing it since.

Here is what I wrote about the game back in 2017:

Splatoon 2…has a different take on the conventional shooter. The main mode doesn’t ask you to kill (or splat) enemies as the main objective. It’s a Turf War where you use your non lethal ink squirters (basically paintball guns) to cover the map in your team’s color. I’ve put just over 100 hours into this game and I’m just now trying the other modes it has to offer. And boy are they fun too.

More from 2020

It wasn’t all just movies! I wrote about the movies I saw, the TV shows I watched, and some of my discoveries throughout the year including podcasts, restaurants, and YouTube.

Hopefully I’ve highlighted something that’ll make your 2021 better than 2020.