The Brutality of Rural Life Award goes to Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. Midway through the game, the little baby character finds a pack of ducks that you keep in a pen and release each morning. They waddle adorably to your rice paddy and eat all the weeds. Late in the season, you’re given an option to keep them, at which point the eat some of your rice crop, or you can turn them into dinner. Coldest of all, the game doesn’t penalize you for murdering your happy ducks – the baby finds new ones each season, and the vicious cycle begins again.
The Revengeance Award for the Most Satisfying Parry of the Year goes to Nioh 2. The Brute burst counter animation temporarily turns you into a demon to backhand bitch slap enemies out of their incoming attack. It’s not the most effective counter in the game, but it’s definitely hilarious.
The Best Intermediate Difficulty of 2020 goes to Crimzon Clover: World Explosion. The new Arrange mode fits perfectly between Novice difficulty, which is too easy, and Arcade difficulty, which is way too hard. It’s not often you get an addon to a game that adds an intermediate difficulty level. (This game also reinforced how much I like playing shmups casually on a couch – it’s too bad there are so few premier shoot 'em ups on Switch.)