#goty2020

Joss leaks!!!

She is supposed to be a surfer and a cheerleader, and have a hearing aid (which is not shown on the doll, but supposed to be in the box)

This was a long, strange year for all of us, with considerably more downs than ups. It was a year where people didn’t leave their houses that much, and video games were asked to do more than their usual share. The games on this list helped me connect with friends that I couldn’t see in person, pass a lot of time, and turn off the stress in my brain when the current events became too much to handle. These games would be good any year they released, but this year they mean even more.

MY TOP FIVE GAMES OF 2020

#5. COFFEE TALK

Coffee Talk is a chill, pixel-art, visual novel style narrative game with barista mechanics. It's a Shadowrun-esque world with elves, orcs, succubi, and other fantasy creatures living in a dreary Seattle, where everyone takes refuge from the rain at an all night cafe. The writing is fun, the storylines are simple yet engaging, and the whole thing oozes charm.

At 5-8 hours and no lose-states, it's a great chill game to complete over an afternoon or two.

#4. DESTINY 2: BEYOND LIGHT

Beyond Light is the first big expansion that Bungie has developed and released since breaking away from publisher Activision and committing to chart their own future with the franchise. Is it good? Well, the ice powers are rad, I'm still obsessed with the lore, and I love making the numbers go higher. Destiny still has a lot to learn about how to keep their fanbase engaged year-round with their seasonal content, but every season and every expansion they get closer to realizing that goal. Plus, wow, the game looks and runs great at 4k/60fps on the new consoles.

There's never been a better time to jump into Destiny. It's free to start on every platform, all the expansions are currently free on Xbox Game Pass, and I can recommend you all the weird websites to read about the cool lore.

#3. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

I'm not the biggest Final Fantasy VII fan. I act like I am, in public I joke about chocobo races and materia management, but in private I whisper in hushed tones about how I never made it past disc one. Because of this, I didn't have expectations of any kind for Final Fantasy VII Remake, I just knew that its very existence was interesting enough that I needed to play it. In the end, I walked away enamored with the game—obsessed with its mechanics, its characters, and its boldness to even exist.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is the culmination of every Final Fantasy game since the original VII, but specifically it feels like a massaging of the mechanics and storytelling techniques seen in 13 and 15. The action feels new and fresh, and the character models are so clean and detailed that they feel next gen despite now being last gen. That said, in many ways it's the parts of the game that feel old that are so refreshing. In the same way that Resident Evil 4 felt like it was a bunch of games stuck together (but in a good way), Final Fantasy VII remake has huge mechanics and set-pieces it invests heavily in and then just as quickly pushes aside for the next adventure. This creates a momentum in the game that is unmatched in modern AAA, and not every section sticks the landing, and most of the sidequests don't work well, but the variety is great spectacle.

The game does take a while to get going, and I was probably five hours in before the combat clicked and got fun. The game reeks of a project with a long production time—like I said, the character models look great, but then suddenly a door will look like it's from a PS2 game for some reason. And yeah, the sidequests are hit and miss. But the thing is, it's amazing that this game even exists. It's a remake, made by the same people who made the original game. It's artists looking at the art of their past and improving on it, expanding on it, creating something closer to their original vision with the new technology that twenty years brings. At the same time, its very narrative interrogates what it is to do that, what it is to revisit that old work, and what it's like to be an artist held hostage by rabid fans.

Oh, and somehow I haven't mentioned that this game is only part 1—that despite clocking in at 90 hours, it only makes it through the Midgar section of the original Final Fantasy VII. Guess what, that means that at some time in the (maybe far) future, we're going to get a follow-up to this. I can't wait.

Also, if you like Aerith more than Tifa, something wrong with you.

#2. ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS

2020 was a year when we all had to lock ourselves up and not see anyone else, just to stay safe and keep the ones we love alive. Animal Crossing New Horizons hit at the start of quarantine, and that turned a game that traditionally is about checking in for twenty minutes every day into a game that people were playing all day every day, just to get the social buzz of talking to a town of digital animals. In a way, this worked in its favor: everyone I know was playing and talking about it. Friends who didn't have a Nintendo Switch were buying one just to see what everyone was talking about.

But being at the center of cultural discourse while also being asked to fill all of the social needs we were missing in 2020 is a lot to carry. Animal Crossing has never been a game built for all day play sessions, and New Horizons succeeds there better than its predecessors, but ultimately playing it that way burns out a fire quickly that is mean to crackle gently for several years. I put 90 or so hours into Animal Crossing New Horizons, and I loved my time with it. It's the best Animal Crossing game they've made, it made my 2020 much better than it would've been without it, but at the same time, unless there's a substantial, game changing expansion, I'm probably mostly done with Animal Crossing until the next entry. And maybe that's okay, maybe the strongest signal of what an amazing game it is is that I'm now mourning not wanting to play it anymore.

#1. HADES

Hades is a beautiful isometric roguelike action game with perfect controls and an incredibly engaging story inspired by Greek mythology. Although it originally released in December 2018 in early access, its complete release (and Switch port) hit in 2020, and that's when I really fell for the game. They clearly used the feedback garnered during the early access period to perfect the systems and power-ups, creating a game that feels fresh no matter how many times you've died in its dungeon hallways.

You'll die a lot—I died a lot—but unlike other games in the roguelike genre, death doesn't mean starting over. Death ties directly into the story, so even as you're dying, the story is progressing, you're learning more and more by talking to the gods and deities that make up the cast, and all of their dialogue and story continues to evolve. So even if you're not making progress in the dungeons, you are making progress in your knowledge of the story and your relationships with the characters, and that means it never gets frustrating. It's an expertly crafted tale, a real lesson in game narrative, and although there are lots of threads to follow at your own pace, each one ends up tying into the greater themes of family disfunction and forgiveness.

I can beat a run of Hades in 30-45 minutes, but somehow I've played the game for over 70 hours and I keep going back for more. It's grabbed me like no other game in its genre has, and again, that's due to its tight controls, engrossing story, and extreme "okay, just one more run" design. I recommend Hades to everyone, it's my Game of the Year 2020, and really high in my short list for my favorite games ever.

So those are my Top 5 of 2020, but 2020 is more complex and insidious than just a Top 5, so below are all the games that didn’t quit fit there. Game I played a lot of, but have reservations about:

Call of Duty: Warzone

Warzone was and still is the main game my friends and I have squaded up for during quarantine. It's free, it's got cross-play across xbox/ps/pc, and it works enough like Call of Duty and enough like Fortnite that anyone can jump in and play. It really does feel like a great evolution of the battle royale, keeping some of the intense, almost horror-movie feel of PUBG, but bringing in the smooth gunplay and first-person movement that Call of Duty has honed over so many annual releases. It even added new elements that helped keep it fresh when I first started playing, like the one-on-one death battles in the purgatory gulag or the risk/reward of the bounty system.

That said, despite all the fun I've had with it in 2020 and the thanks I give it for allowing me to be social with my boys, I still feel gross every time I play it. It feels like war in a way that Fortnite doesn't for me. It's increasingly hard for me to separate the fun I'm having in the game from the horrors of war that its accurately modeling and then twisting into a thing that's fun. This all mixes in a way that gets my adrenaline going so that if I play after 10pm, I usually can't get to sleep until after 3am.

I'll continue to jump in every now and then to hang out with friends and have a laugh, but I'll also enjoy when our group has moved onto the next game, which hopefully is just as fun, but doesn't make me feel as much like I have PTSD from a forgotten war.

Games that came out this year that I wasn’t able to play but think I'll enjoy:

Wide Ocean Big Jacket

Paradise Killer

Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 and 2

Star Wars Squadrons

The Last of Us Part II

Umurangi Generation

Half Life Alyx

Spider-Man Miles Morales

Demon Souls (2020)

Game I played in 2020 and loved that didn't come out in 2020:

A Short Hike

Games I played a lot of in 2020 even though they didn't come out this year:

Overwatch - I still put in some solo queueing this year, mostly Mystery Heroes and Quickplay. It remains an amazing game, but I’m finding that a lot of the tricks Overwatch had when it launched that stopped me from being frustrated just aren’t doing the job anymore. I look forward to how this improves with Overwatch 2.

Fortnite - Fortnite was definitely my most played game in 2019. In 2020, I still put a lot of time into it, and it still kept me interested, but by splitting my time between two battle royale games (this and Warzone), I think I might be running out of steam for the genre in general. I’ll continue to pop in and play a bit every season, but I’m trying not to be as obsessed with the challenges and battle pass as I have in the past.

Forza Horizon 4 - Forza Horizon 4 is still great! The patch to make it 4k and 60fps on the new Xbox Series X makes it even better! 2020 was the year that I realized I could put on a podcast in the background and just drive around pretty landscapes raking in fake money and fake fans, and my stress level is better for it.

Mortal Kombat 11 - I still booted this game up regularly in 2020 and played a few towers with my main Skarlet. I’m very interested to try out the expansion and see the new story stuff they added, but I just haven’t been able to justify it at its current price. I’m also trying to accept that buying dlc characters for fighting games is a very silly thing for me to do, because I always just choose one character and never try anyone else.

Burnout Paradise Remastered - Burnout Paradise is still the best open world driving game ever made. The remastered version has a couple of quirks, like how it gives you all the overpowered dlc cars right away, but it’s still a great experience and a great way to chill out and wreck some cars.

Final Fantasy 13 - After loving Final Fantasy VII Remake and wanting more, I decided to replay all of Final Fantasy 13. If you have a newer Xbox, they’ve bumped the resolution up to 4k and it looks great. With the different expectations of 2020, I found I really enjoyed the story and world of the game in a way that I didn’t originally. I also think the linearity that was critiqued so harshly at release was a really calming way to spend some time this year, just walking down long hallways and fighting pretty monsters with my emo dreamgirl Lightning.

No Man's Sky - If you’re seeing a pattern here, the games I played in 2020 were games that I could wile the hours away with and chill—and No Man’s Sky has never been better for that. This year I finished the huge 30 hour additional story stuff they added after release, and really enjoyed my time with it. Currently, since I have the new Xbox and not the new Playstation where my save file is, I’m considering starting over from scratch again so I can play in 4k 60fps. The great thing about No Man’s Sky is that making progress is fun, but starting over can be fun too, because there are always new worlds to explore.

American Truck Simulator - This year I picked up the Washington and Oregon expansions for American Truck Simulator and repeatedly recreated the drive from Los Angeles to Olympia, a drive I do every year but wasn’t able to this year due to the pandemic. It’s really an incredible feat how much of the joy of long drives the game recreates. I’m trying to earn enough money to buy a new garage, but we’ll see, I’m always getting tickets for running red lights.

Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn - 2020 was the year I got way into Final Fantasy again, and part of that was subscribing off and on to Final Fantasy 14. I played very casually, only grouped up in dungeons when I had to, and still haven’t made it out of the base game and to the expansions, but I enjoyed my time and will probably resubscribe at some point in 2021 as I continue to chip away at it.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Hey, AC Odyssey is great, and this year I finished the main story and most of the dlc so I could “be ready” for the new Assassin’s Creed. This is still a game I recommend to everyone, it’s so huge but so approachable.

Games I enjoyed but need to play more of:

Cyberpunk 2077 - I put like 30 hours into this game on release week. I enjoyed most of my time with it, but also every mission was plagued with bugs and it generally feels like a game from eight years ago, and not in a good way. Still, it scratches that Skyrim itch, so I’m going to wait for a couple more patches and then dive back in.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - I picked up the new Xbox in November and this was the single next-gen game I bought at launch. I’m very happy with the choice, I’m about 50 hours in, and it feels like the perfect mix of old school and new school Assassin’s Creed mechanics. It’s also very very weird, and that keeps the monotony of some of those mechanics interesting.

Ghost of Tsushima - Speaking of Assassin’s Creed, this is a beautiful game that is made to feel like one of those earlier Assassin’s Creed games, but in picturesque feudal Japan. I enjoyed my time with it, but it’s not doing anything groundbreaking, and it wasn’t long until I moved onto other things. I expect I will go back to it eventually, especially when I pick up a PS5.

Doom Eternal - Wow, I loved 2016's Doom, and this follow-up is all of that cranked to 11, and somehow it turns out that's not that great. I plan to go back and finish this, and maybe I'll get into it, but it's hard to say at this point. All the stuff I loved before is still there, but the levels seem too long and the combat is now too complicated. That flow feeling of being in the zone is maybe stronger, but it's so much harder to get there now that I'd maybe rather just go back to the simplicity of the last game.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - I just got this game a week ago, but I loved the original, and this one is already scratching that same itch. On top of that, it uses all of the characters, lore, and aesthetics of Breath of the Wild to really cook up the perfect comfort-food gaming.

Spiritfarer - This is a beautiful, comfy little indie game about gardening, cooking, and sailing as you help your animal friends into the next stage of the afterlife. I didn’t put much time into this, but I want to get back to it.

Ooblets - Another great, comfy indie game about gardening, making friends with the things you garden, and then entering them in dance battles. Ooblets is still in early access, but I really enjoyed what I played of it, and need to spend more time with it.

Genshin Impact - What if Breath of the Wild had party-based combat and was a gacha game? I liked what I played of this, but got out before spending any real money.

Spelunky 2 - I barely touched Spelunky 2, need to play more or admit that I’m just not good at video games.

Crusader Kings III - I only did the tutorial of Crusader Kings III, but it’s so interesting, I’ve gotta put more time in.

Kentucky Route Zero - I am sure that when I finish Kentucky Route Zero, it will be one of my favorite game experiences of all time. Maybe because of that, I can’t ever bring myself to actually play it. I’ve only played through the first chapter, but I should really find time to keep going.

Microsoft Flight Simulator - My computer can barely handle this, but I still loaded it up to take off from my hometown’s airport and try and fly over my mom’s house. I think this is one I’ll put more time into when I build a new PC or it comes to the Xbox.

As game devs, it’s easy to say we love games. But there are some games that go beyond love; some games we lean on during hard times. Today we want to shout-out the games that got our studio through 2020: Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Monster Prom. You brought us together when we couldn’t be more distanced being at home with our families!

What games have been there for you? Join us in the comments celebrating the games that helped you through 2020!

While we were looking forward to New Horizons since it came out, none of us could’ve imagined how much fun we would have playing it together. Long nights spent on call with each other as we designed our islands, fostered new friendships, and, of course, hit each other relentlessly with nets! This game was by far our favorite this year, with us collectively clocking over 1000 hours in the game (over half of that done by Ashley 😆)! Who knew a deserted little island in a traditionally solo game could make us feel so connected?

As long time Story of Seasons fans, it was really only a matter of time before we picked up Stardew Valley. The final push to invest in our copies was the addition of multi-player mode! We instantly fell in love with it! The process of building up and designing a self-sustaining farm together is reflective of our own goals as a game design studio, so it was incredibly satisfying to play! 🤗😊