2020 has been a crazy year make no mistake but despite all the chaos that’s been going on in the world, there’s been no shortage of great games. Unfortunately I haven’t had the pleasure of playing all of them but those I have played has rarely disappointed. There are many that have received high praise that won’t be on this list, not because they don’t deserve it but simply because I haven’t played them and I think it wouldn’t be fair to have an opinion on something I’ve no experience with. So with that here is my favourite games of 2020.

6: DREAMS

To call Dreams a game would be unfair, creation tool would be more appropriate but that still doesn’t do Dreams justice. Media Molecule’s little box of wonders allows you create games, art, music, and animations the only barrier being your own imagination. Its still hard to believe something like this is possible on a console. There is a bit of learning curve but thanks to the many in game easy to follow tutorials, you’ll be creating in no time. You can then upload your creation ( or dream ) for others to enjoy. There is vast library of dreams lovingly created by the massive dreams community, many of which are truly impressive. Dreams is a great way to experience game development, without having to know anything about coding. Create or play its up to you, one thing for sure you definitely don’t want to overlook Dreams.

5: SPIRITFARER

Spiritfarer truly is a beautiful game, and I don’t just mean the gorgeous hand drawn graphics, everything about this game is beautiful. It takes a morbid subject like death and turns into something that’s heartwarming, yet still melancholic. Its hard describe what genre Spiritfarer is as it’s a mixture of many genres, from micro managing to platforming and exploration to farming sim but fit together snuggly. As already stated the animation is beautiful and the music is pure joy to your ears. If you can play Spiritfarer without being moved emotionally, then you have no soul.

4: PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING

Paper Mario has had a bit of identity crisis ever since Super Paper Mario was released on wii way back in 2007, with Nintendo trying to reinvent the series with every entry since. Something that’s split fans of the series, some wanting innovation while others wanting to return to the roots of the beloved first two games. Origami king is a return to the glory days with its witty dialogue and its interconnected world. Partner characters are back (sort of) and the battle system has a crowd of toads watching you much like thousand year door, though I’m not huge fan of the ring system, a pity really because every else is great. The music is fantastic ranging from catchy mario style themes to beautiful orchestrated pieces and the world is bright and colorful with so much to explore and a wealth of collectibles. It would of been higher on the list if not for the tedious ring system but Origami king is still worth your time.

3: GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Its often expected that for a game to be great it has to do something innovative, but I believe a game can do whats been done before and still be great. Thats what Suker punch has done with Ghost Of Tsushima, it has an epic soundtrack, a beautiful world, flowing combat and a really impressive photo mode whats not to love. It really makes you feel like your in an old samurai film with its cinematic duels or when you ride through the pampas grass, even more so with its “kurosawa” mode. The minimalistic hud help you truly appreciate the beautiful landscape. Ghost Of Tsushima is definitely worth a play, if you haven’t do so right now.

2: ANIMAL CROSSING NEW HORIZONS

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 9 months you’ve probably heard about the phenomenon that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It single handedly move switchs by the thousands, even people who has no interest in gaming bought a switch just so they can play it. Releasing when most of the world was on lockdown contributed to its success sure but you can’t deny the fact that this game filled to brim with Nintendo charm. There’s something cozy about sitting in bed on a Sunday morning buying turnips or doing a little late night fishing, it gives you a feeling only a Nintendo game can give you. While not my favourite in the series ( that mantle belongs to New Leaf) New Horizons really is something special.

1: FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

The rest of my list I went back and forth on where they sit on the list, but I never had any doubts about what my number one is. FF7 Remake might not have the impact the original had but it still is an amazing game. The original was not like anything at the time and for many it was their first jrpg, the remake however has brought midgar to life. Everything looks exactly how it should look from the smog chocked streets of sector 7 to the colorful stalls of wall market, the whole city feels alive. The soundtrack is epic from start to finish, all of which has been entirely orchestrated, the second you hear the famous battle theme in the opening chapter you know your ears are in for a treat. The combat just flows naturally, a battle system that many thought wouldn’t work is one of the best things about the game. The fact that this is only the first 4-6 hours of the original that has been made into a 40 hour game is incredible, midgar is the most linear section of the original, I can’t wait to see the next installments when the world is truly open. I can geek out for hours about how much I love this game but I’m simply gonna say that if you haven’t played this yet, stop wasting time and pick this one up.