I think I played upwards of 6 2020 games in this, my year of gaming reincarnation (thanks to a new Switch and a sickass PC graphics card – thanks again, those who know, know why). Since I had a TON of catching up to do on both platforms (Mario Odyssey, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Smash Ultimate, Jedi Fallen Order, DOOM, Civ VI, etc.), a lot of time got gobbled up by older titles, but somehow, a handful of newbies made it through, and several of those dominated my hours-played charts in the most wonderful way. Without further adieu, I present “Armando Penblade actually played games this year and liked 'em”:
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
What else can I really say? This game more than anything got my partner and I through the pandemic, right from the very start as she was slowly tempted into the game by the cutesy vibes and awesome home designer aesthetics on through an adorable New Year’s Eve celebration while we were drinking and partying last night. Our lil animal pals – Phoebe, Buck, Audie, Zucker, Gladys, Quillson, Sylvana, Rex, Francine, and Gonzo – plus the island staff like Tom, the Nooklings, Isabelle, Blathers, Wilbur, Sable, and Mable have been there with us through it all, and I’m honestly pretty proud of the island we’ve built together.
With nearly 1,000 collective hours between the two of us in-game, not even to mention the dozens or hundreds more spent watching videos, reading wikis, and hand-drawing island makeover maps with crayons, it’s been our most consistent and relaxing way to spend time together during the shittiest year ever. Big shoutouts to the awesome gang in the ACNH thread here on Qt3, too! They’ve been an awesome resource of advice, trades, stargazing opportunities, and delightful stories all the way through. -
Hades (Switch)
Coming seemingly out of nowhere (I never remember to look at what’s happening in the Epic store app, so the full early access release of this game was a total unknown for me), this amazing roguelike battler stole my heart and my thumb-health despite the fact that I hate twitch-based action games with a passion. Thanks to the awesome inclusion of a gradually ramping difficulty reducing God Mode, I was able to plow through dozens of hours of incredible storytelling, music, voice acting, and art while occasionally feeling like a total badass. Add in an awesome take on Greek mythology, which I’m a huge geek over, and this would have been No. 1 in any year that didn’t have ACNH in it, hah. -
Kentucky Route Zero (“TV Edition” - Switch)
Only just starting to get into this after waiting years for my PC purchase to turn into a proper full game, but playing it up on the TV in the dark with my gf beside me reading along is a hell of an evocative, moody experience. Having both grown up in the rural settings the game conjures (her family’s actually from rural KY, and we’ve both spent a TON of time in the Bowling Green area) and having an appreciation for moody, thought-provoking, gorgeous titles, this is super up our collective alley, even if it is a lot of text, hah. Can’t wait to see where these winding roads and mysterious portents take us! -
Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition (Switch/PC – new on PC)
Unfair, because has been a top-ranking game for me previously on the initial PC release, but finally getting to dig into the Definitive Edition (mostly via my Switch, but my PC copy got upgraded, too, and that came out in 2020) has been a huge treat. So great to see this world and its characters again, especially in a new portable form-factor. This might be a bullshit pick on my part since I’m mostly playing a version from previous years, but IMO, DQ11 is worth cheating a little. Just the most lovely, stripped down, pure JRPG experience. A true bedtime game of relaxing comfort. -
Jackbox Games Party Pack 7 (PC)
Man, the YDKJ team just keep fuckin’ knocking it out of the park with these awesome multiplayer grab bags, and 2020’s entry is no different. In an era of Zoom-based social engagement, games I can easily screencast to friends and play remotely are a true blessing, as it gives me a much stronger feeling of connection than “normal” MP games that lack cameras, hah. The new version of the basic-but-excellent answer-a-question Quiplash is gorgeous and hilarious as always, and the crudely drawn mascot fighting arena game is genuinely a delight. While we mostly played 3, 4, and 6 this year (7 only came out in late October), this one’s gonna be in the rotation for years to come for sure.
Honorable Mention: as I was coming down from my bad Slay the Spire addiction this spring, Monster Train briefly captured my attention for a frenzied three day streak of play, after which I never touched it again. If folks feel like I should drop my DQ11 pick, this would theoretically move up to #5, hah.