As with every year, I have played many games. This year, being the year that it was, I had a lot of time to play games. A disgusting amount of time. So play games I did. This is a somewhat exhaustive list of games, but I’m sure I’m forgetting something, probably something I enjoyed.

To be on this list the game needed to:

Be released in 2020
Be a game I remember playing

If I include a little *** at the end, this means that I beat the game and rolled credits or I completed its highest objective. At the end, keep an eye open for the honourable mentions, which are games that for some reason or another didn’t fit on this list, likely because they released before 2020.

The list:

Dreams - The incredibly ambitious spiritual successor to Little Big Planet. It’s a sincerely amazing title, but I never felt like I really understood the tools. Everything I made looked like... well it looked bad.

DotA Underlords - Autochess was a flash in the pan, this is the flash in the pan I enjoyed the most. It was fun and fine and I haven’t thought about it in ages. ***

Two Point Hospital - A fun game that reminds me of Roller Coaster Tycoon, except you’re caring for sick people instead of making people sick.

Murder by Numbers - This game is like Phoenix Wright mixed with picross. It’s the adventure game formula I didn’t know I wanted. Good stuff.

Call of Duty: Warzone - This game elevated the entire battle royale scene for me. I’ve logged a disgusting amount of hours with this. It’s ridiculously fun with friends and few things feel as well earned as a big win. ***

Team fight Tactics - Another Autochess game. This one is set in the LoL universe. I didn’t like it, but it honestly seems about as good as any other.

Doom 64 - For some reason this version of Doom has lingered in the back of my brain since I was a kid. It has been fun replaying it. I’m still bad at it, and I’m not convinced that old school shooters are my thing... but it was under $10 so the nostalgia won out.

Doom Eternal - I haven’t been able to completely get into the rebooted Doom games. I like this version a lot more than the previous instalment, but it still isn’t clicking with me.

Half-Life: Alyx - This isn’t HL3, but it’s so much more than what I was ever expecting. This game single handedly revived a franchise that everyone thought was dead. One of the best games of the year and it’s a pity the barrier to entry (VR) is so high because a lot of people are missing out on something amazing. ***

Bleeding Edge - An incredibly boring game that despite some interesting visual design ends up feeling like a soulless and dazzlingly dull experience. I would be shocked if the servers were still running.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered - This game is still so iconic. It’s as stupid and off the wall as it ever has been and I loved every minute of it. ***

My Friend Pedro - A game where you are an assassin or something like that, and you’re guided by a talking banana. It’s fun and hectic, but got old faster than I expected.

Final Fantasy 7 remake - A project so stupidly ambitious I’m shocked it ever got made. It was never going to be the game I wanted, and in the end it wasn’t. I really enjoyed it, but some of the design decisions left me feeling a bit cold. I’d go into more detail, but the spoilers are too much. Despite it all, I’d still recommend it to any fan of the series. ***

Gears Tactics - Gears of War always felt vaguely like it was real time X-Com. This game proves it. Honestly, it’s almost more fun than the mainline series.

Legends of Runeterra - Another CCG, but I like this one. Removed the major RNG factors of Hearthstone and implements some interesting new systems. I’m not playing it a lot, but it’s a decent game for anyone interested in the genre.

Streets of Rage 4 - What a sublime specimen this game is. Great art, music and gameplay. Old school beat em ups are back in fashion with this unexpected sequel. ***

Golf With Your Friends - It’s mini golf. With your friends. ***

Minecraft Dungeons - A family friendly Diablo game that was more fun than expected. Captures the feeling of Minecraft in a charming way. A little too easy to really sink into long term.

Clubhouse Games (NS) - A charming package of board games. They’re presented in a really lovely way and I keep going back to it. ***

The Last of Us Part 2 - This game was so ambitious in its scale and scope that I’m still surprised that Naughty Dog had the willpower to make this game. Brutal, beautiful and divisive this game will leave you feeling something. I have plenty of criticisms, but this is a must play if you have the stomach for it. ***

Pokémon Cafe Mix - I don’t understand this game at all. It’s supposed to be a puzzle game, but it’s so easy that the puzzle doesn’t really exist. Honestly, try it for yourself and marvel at the complete lack of challenge.

Superliminal - Kind of a Portal like puzzle game. I kind of liked it, but also kind of didn’t. It had some charm and some good puzzles, but at times the mechanics felt a bit loose and poorly implemented. I love the genre, but this isn’t my favourite.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete - I am a pretty big fan of the series and I like this game a fair bit. It changes the formula just enough to do something fresh while keeping the core of the game together. The slow motion bullet time gimmick doesn’t get old.

Ghost of Tsushima - Sucker Punch really had a good thing going with the Infamous series of games, so I was curious to see how they would do with such a radical departure from their most recent work. I’m happy to say they’ve done very well. The art driving this game is outstanding and the combat is no slouch either. It’s a must play for PS4/PS5 owners. ***

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - A smash viral hit. It’s a battle royale platformer. Good idea! I’ve won a few times. You play as a bean. It’s delightfully weird. ***

Hyper Scape - Another FPS battle royale. It was designed to tap into live streaming, but the problem is that it isn’t popular enough and no one streams it. Makes the whole thing kind of hard. The game is meh and will probably go away sooner than later.

A Total War Saga: Troy - I had never played one of these games. I didn’t really understand the tutorial and eventually got confused and bored and stopped playing. I should give it another go at some point, but that point isn’t now.

Factorio - A 2D mining, adventure and conveyer belt automation game. It’s fun, but I think I prefer its 3D cousin, Satisfactory.

Microsoft Flight Simulator - This is a weird one because this is not even a game. That being said, I love it and I’ve logged a ton of hours playing it. It’s a beautiful and impressive technical marvel. ***

The Last Campfire - Kind of plays like a puzzle based Journey like game. I don’t hate it, but I don’t really love it either. I think I need more time with it to see for sure. Seems okay.

Crusader Kings 3 - At some point my cousin tried to make some moves against me, so I exiled him and then made him marry an enemy’s daughter so I could strengthen the ties between our nations. This was like 3 turns in this game. It’s a wildly complicated legacy simulating, dynasty building game where sometimes the head of the church becomes a nudist. Fun stuff.

Spellbreak - Another battle royale. In this one you are kind of anime kids who do magic. It is less exciting than that sounds. It’s fun, but it’s not more fun than most. ***

World’s End Club - I have barely played this game. So far it seems very anime like. That’s really all I know.

Hades - Hades is a game that looks like a fake game on a TV show. The art is stunning, the music is divine and the combat is flawless. This is a tough as nails roguelike that has a wonderful story and some unforgettable gameplay. A must play and probably my game of the year. ***

Super Mario 3D All-Stars - It’s Mario 64(A), Mario Sunshine (B) and Mario Galaxy (A+) all in one package. It’s great. Buy this before Nintendo removes it from their store because they’re crazy.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - This is a lovely looking game where you navigate no less than 13 intertwined stories involving teenagers, time travel, WW2, the future and giant robots. The art is beautiful and the story so far has been rather compelling.

Genshin Impact - This is a game that I don’t like. It’s got a wonderful aesthetic, but it pales immensely in comparison to Breath of the Wild. I just can’t get into a game designed to constantly ding players with In-Game purchases. It’s free, so it’s worth checking out if you’re interested, but I think you can do better,

Super Mario Bros. 35 - Another battle royale. In this version you play a variation on the original Mario Bros game. It’s a good idea, but the gameplay stinks. I’m kind of surprised they released this to be honest as it doesn’t really live up to the quality of most Mario titles.

Rogue Company - A free to play third person character shooter. It is utterly charmless, despite trying to lean into their characters. That being said, the gameplay is actually pretty tight and fun. I played more of this than I expected, but I don’t see myself going back for more.

Star Wars: Squadrons - Love it or hate it, it’s a multiplayer focused X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter style game. I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. It’s pretty popular and the reviews were decent, so if you’re a Star Wars fan, it might be worth trying. In the meantime I will continue to wait on a new Rogue Squadron game.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - I can’t and/or won’t stop playing this series. AC: Odyssey marked a high point for me. I loved the combat, characters and setting of the last entry and this one I like a little less on all fronts. The game is drop dead gorgeous and if you’re a fan you won’t want to miss out on some of the bonkers lore elements dropped in this game. I’m still not finished with it, so I expect my opinion could change a little as I progress further.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Every once in a while I let Destiny back into my gaming heart. I had a nice run with it this year and I enjoyed it. I don’t have the energy or gaming group required to get back into it, but it’s a legitimately fun game that continues to impress.

Maneater - This is an action RPG where you play as a shark that wants to get revenge on the fisherman that killed your mother. That says everything you need to know.

Demon’s Souls (2020) - I have never finished a Souls game. This one is set to join their ranks. I have a love hate relationship with these games. I feel like the mechanics kind of stink, yet I always want to play them. This remake of the game that started it all is a stunning looking game and an incredible achievement for BluePoint Games.

The Pathless - A fun little adventure game where you effortlessly run and glide around the world while shooting a bow and arrow. It’s a nice little game, but I played it on iOS and the performance left a little something to be desired.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales - A sort of sequel to the excellent Spider-Man game for the PS4. It is a beautiful game and extremely fun. Sony has done a good job of selling me on a character that I can’t stand. ***

Astro’s Playroom - A cute little pack-in game for the PS5 that does a great job selling the new controller. It’s cheery as all get out and the visuals are surprisingly endearing. Every console should launch with something like this. Also, the celebration of the history of the PS family of systems is a nice touch, so many great little easter eggs.

Alba - A sweet little game where you play as a little girl who documents wild life while saving her local island from evil land developers. This game is so pure it almost hurts.

Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows - I know next to nothing about Game of Thrones, but this idle game was surprisingly fun. Really simple with lovely art. Who knew?

- Honourable Mentions -

Heroes of the Storm - I’m back in baby. No other MoBA has been able to keep my attention. This game is just so focused and fun. MoBAs are brutal, toxic cesspools and I love to bathe in this one.

Ori and the Blind Forest - I missed out on this game when it was released but played through it this year. A really fun and challenging Metroidvania.

Satisfactory - It’s in early access but I dumped about 50 hours into this game.I love building giant factories, who knew?

Forza Horizon 4 - This game is so good. I haven’t played an arcade racer this compelling in ages. I drove my car off a cliff at 250 km/h and it was great.