What I played in 2020

I know this year was horrible in many aspects, but it was an amazing year for gaming. I look at the list I have and it reminds me not only about the time I have spent playing but also the strange circumstances of how I came about having those games. For the first time since 2017, I had a serious problem picking the top 5, because I enjoyed so many. And most of all, I actually wrote my first game this year. Nothing beats this feeling.

From the last year’s queue, I finally got to finish the Banner Saga, both the second and the first parts. I got GRIS as well, played from start to end in two days and then spent the rest of the year listening to its beautiful soundtrack. Spotify told me recently that this was what I listened the most in 2020. Two LEGO games came around, but they were nothing like the Lord of the Rings one from last year. Disappointments, to put it mildly.

Talking about disappointments, I finished Legend of Zelda: BotW. That game was such a waste of time. Yes, I know what I said last year, but looking back, this experience thought me that I value storytelling in games above all else. And in the end, Legend of Zelda didn’t tell an interesting story and in my opinion, the ending didn’t deserve the 150 hours I invested.

Keeping up with the times, at work we turned to virtual team building, so we played Golf with your Friends and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. Around June, I got the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, that includes titles I have been wanting to play for quite some time, like A Short Hike and Kids. Some months later I was wondering if I shouldn’t sell my Switch and get a PlayStation. A colleague of mine proposed a swap and I got a PlayStation 4 for a couple of months. During that time I played Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima and Journey. Finally, I decided that I don’t want a PlayStation and my Switch is the best. It is. A friend of mine gave me Hades as a birthday gift right after I got the Switch back and the rest is history.

The genres I picked this year are very strange. I have never seen such a lack of puzzles in the pie.

The action-adventures and adventures take the lead! This is mainly because of Zelda, the LEGO games and all the exploration-focused titles I will tell you more about in the top 5. The mouthful tactical role-playing genre has its own piece of the pie because of the two Banner Saga parts. I think I miss puzzles and platformers.

During the Australian winter, I realized I have a lot of free time that I need to use for something different than watching Netflix and having negative thoughts. I guess my dedication was strong because I spent 100 days straight learning a new programming language, how to draw pixel art and overall developing a snake-like game I later published on itch.io. Have a look, it takes around 15 min to finish!

I might write a separate post about the whole process because I did learn some things here and there I would love to share with you. I also created a Twitter account for this purpose.

No more delay now. Here are my top 5 games I played this year that I would really recommend:

1. GRIS

This beautiful game almost lost the first place to Hades, but I decided against it. I loved the art, the soundtrack and how the puzzles added to the story/idea. I can recall two games where the main heroine finds her voice during her journey that she shares with us: Aquaria and Transistor. Both absolute favourites. And now this is the third one.

2. Hades

I love Greek mythology and I love Supergiant games. It feels like I have been waiting for this game forever! The music, the dialogue, the combat, there is nothing I can find faults in. I heard this somewhere and I will use it here, it definitely helps that everyone in the game is smoking hot.

3. Eastshade

I didn’t want to leave Eastshade when the game was over. I wanted to stay in that place, where I can drink tea, paint and make friends. At some point in the game, I solved a detective mystery. I also got high, twice (or three times if I count the mushrooms). Loved that game.

4. A Short Hike

Very similar to the previous entry in this list, A Short Hike gives you an adventure on an island where you meet the neighbours and have a great day. And in the process you find yourself. Putting aside games that take months to finish, I really appreciate what a 3-hour game can give you. There was so much positivity in this story, I need more of that, we all do.

5. Journey

I know I am very late with this one, but I need to honour it. This was the first game I opened when I got my hands on the PlayStation and it was very unique. The multiplayer in this game was also very surprising. A story told with no words, I am all for it.

Thank you for coming this far! Here is the whole list, for completeness (the games I finished are in bold):

1. Legend of Zelda by Nintendo, released on 3 March 2017
2. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham by Traveller’s Tales, released on 11 November 2014
3. Banner Saga 2 by Stoic Studio, released on 19 April 2016
4. Banner Saga 3 by Stoic Studio, released on 26 July 2018
5. GRIS by Nomada Studio, released on 13 December 2018
6. When the Past was Around by Mojiken Studio, released on 4 November 2019
7. She Remembered Caterpillars by jumpsuit entertainment, released on 17 January 2017
8. Northgard by Shiro Games, released on 22 February 2017
9. Eastshade by Eastshade Studios, released on 13 February 2019
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens LEGO by Traveller’s Tales, released on 28 June 2016
11. KIDS by Mario von Rickenbach and Michael Frei, released on 28 May 2019
12. Journey by Thatgamecompany, released on 13 March 2012
13. Horizon Zero Dawn by Guerrilla Games, released on 28 February 2017
14. Ghost of Tsushima by Sucker Punch Productions, released on 17 July 2020
15. Celeste by Matt Makes Games, released on 25 January 2018
16. Mable and the Wood by Triplevision Games, released on 24 Aug 2019
17. A Short Hike by Adamgryu, released on 5 April 2019
18. Golf with your Friends by Team17, released on 29 January 2016
19. Hidden Folks by Adriaan de Jongh, released on 15 February 2017
20. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes by Steel Crate Games, released on 16 July 2015
21. Rakuen by Laura Shigihara, released on 10 May 2017
22. Overland by Finji, released on 20 Sep 2019
23. Hades by Supergiant Games, released on 18 Sep 2020

This year was atypical, to say the least. There really was a lot of free time suddenly and I spent some of it playing games (instead of reading books). No regrets really.

Looking at my wishlist, I am really excited to play Baba is You, Superliminal, Outer Wilds and INMOST next year. I might also backtrack some other titles I have mentioned before but never came around to try (really looking at you RiME).

I wish you a happy new year, everyone, full of happy new experiences!