Best Video Games of 2020

While 2020 was a waste fire for most of the world, the video game industry was thriving. Production was hampered by people working from home, but sales were coming close, and the games were as good as ever. For anyone looking to grab attention over the holiday season, here’s a summary of this year’s top titles.

Hades: A roguelike adventure set in the Greek underworld, Hades combines Diablo’s hack-and-slash gameplay with the feel of “just one more attempt” at Spelunky or The Binding of Isaac. Every time you die, you have to start all over again – but it always feels like you’re accomplishing something, and the story will keep you connected no matter how long you play.

Final Fantasy Remake VII: This PlayStation 4 replay of the 1997 Final Fantasy VII progressive dystopian gameplay is not just a modern take on a classic. It’s a statement of what it means to reproduce a piece of art.

Call of the Sea: It’s 1934. You’re Nora Everhart, on a trip to an island off Tahiti in search of your missing husband, Harry. What you’re looking for is a mix of Myst’s adventure game and the work of HP Lovecraft’s awesome fiction writer – complex puzzles and a great story.

Demon Souls: Set in a ruined world full of death and decay, the big PlayStation 5 ban, a remake of the 2009 title of the same name, is not for the faint of heart. Like other games from developer love FromSoftware Inc., this is one of the most challenging experiences you can have sitting in front of a TV set. But if you are persistent, it can also be one of the most satisfying.

Valhalla Assassin’s Creed: Every new game in Ubisoft Entertainment USA ‘s Assassin’ s Creed series just gets better. This time, we’re off to the 9th century for a Viking unrest through Norway and England, full of loot, treasure and fascinating mysteries.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout: Fortnite meets Mario Party. You play as one of sixty jelly-like creatures competing for supremacy in a series of complex mini-games. The results are fun, chaotic and addictive.

Paper Mario: King of Origami: Tha Nintendo Co. traditionally used their Paper Mario series to experiment with a weird and wacky game. The King of Origami is very special, with a strange battle system based on ring and conversation that never stopped me from laughing.

Bugsnax: These checkers are part of bacteria and partial flavors. There is Fryder, a spider made of French fries; Pineantula, pine tarantula; Spuddy, baked potato chips, and so on. Your job in this game is to take pictures of them, track their movements, find out how to catch them, and enjoy a whimsical story with incredibly deep stars of characters. Bugsnax is especially good for playing with children.

Ori and the Will of the Wis: One of the most beautiful games this year, this 2D platformer is engaging and enjoyable. You play as a defender named Ori in a world full of spritely reminiscent creatures of European folklore. There’s a lightness in Ori’s movement that never gets old – it’s a double-jump explosion, tuning and zip around these beautiful landscapes.

Jackbox Party Package 7: There were no group dinners or cocktail parties this year, but at least there was Jackbox. Instead of going out and threatening to spread, or catching a disease, my wife and I spent most of the weekends in 2020 on Facetime with friends, laughing through games like Quiplash, a fun joke game and one of the Jackbox stands. Here’s hoping we can do it again in person soon.

This article first ran in Bloomberg’s daily technology newsletter. Register here.