This year sucked. We mostly stayed at home, not knowing what the hell was going on. If there was any year in which games were seen as mandatory pieces of entertainment just so we could ignore the chaos ensuing outside of our homes, this year was 2020. Thankfully, this was also a year in which we were graced with a gigantic amount of great games to enjoy.

It’s time to narrow the twenty games that made us smile the most during this ugly year. Before we begin, let me remind you all of our ground rules.

 

• No Switch ports of games released years prior were considered eligible.
• No remasters were allowed either. Full-fledged remakes are still good to go.
• We reviewed Disco Elysium earlier this year, but that was a 2019 release. That game isn’t eligible, but you should still play it.
• Persona 5 Royal got a 10 from us, but that game is an improved version of a previously released title. Still not eligible.

 

There were tons of great games that didn’t make the cut in our list, but we still want to mention them in some way. These are our honorable mentions for 2020: Wasteland 3, Get-A-Grip Chip, Neversong, Nioh 2, Maneater, Iron Man VR, Desperados III, Streets of Rage 4, Journey to the Savage Planet, Art of Rally, Astro’s Playroom, The Pedestrian, Dreams, Crusader Kings III, Othercide, Röki, The Procession to Calvary, Demon’s Souls, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

 

Without further ado. Let’s talk about WayTooManyGames’ Top 20 Best Games of 2020:

 

20 – Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake took one of the most beloved entries in the Final Fantasy franchise and completely rebuilt it from the ground up. In a risky move from Square Enix, not only was this version expanded in even more depth, but certain storylines have been fully altered. In what could have easily become an insulting disaster, has instead left many fans preferring this version over the original.- Heidi Hawes

 

19 – F1 2020

Codemasters’ F1 franchise is still the only sports franchise in which each single new iteration manages to vastly outdo its predecessor. Thanks to its brand new, ultra-addictive MyTeam mode, this is even better than the real sport. I have no idea how Codemasters will up with ante with F1 2021, but I don’t doubt at all they will. – Leo Faria

 

18 – Carrion

Carrion is a fantastic twist on the horror genre where you play as the monster that breaks out and murders everyone. The intense and visceral gore teams up nicely with the puzzle solving Metroidvania world design. Despite some issues with the general movement at times, you’ll be hooked with this one from the start. – Jordan Hawes

 

17 – Pixel Ripped 1995

I’m not a nostalgia guy, but ARVORE totally makes me a nostalgia guy. It isn’t just the gameplay, it is the entirety of the game that takes you back to 1995, and 1989 before that. That was my house, my parents, my room, my friends, and my games. – Todd Eggleston

 

16 – Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Despite suffering from a rocky launch, Fall Guys is still one of the most unique and entertaining multiplayer experiences in years. It’s a game that is as fun to watch as it is to play. – Leo Faria.

 

15 – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

Activision did not mess up with this amazing remake of the first two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. The franchise’s staple “easy to learn, downright impossible to master” gameplay is still here, proving that this twenty year old series of games can still deliver in 2020 and beyond. Plus, that freaking brilliant soundtrack… – Leo Faria

 

14 – DIRT 5

In my humble opinion, the best title from the PlayStation 5’s launch window wasn’t Demon’s Souls or Astro’s Playroom. Codemasters’ DIRT 5 showed me what the next generation of consoles can truly deliver. One of the most gorgeous games I have ever seen, running at the juiciest of framerates, all while taking advantage of the DualSense’s capabilities like no other title so far. – Leo Faria

 

13 – The Last of Us Part II

It might not be the best game we’ve played this year and it did suffer from some pacing and plot issues, but I cannot undermine how impressive The Last of Us Part II is in a technical, gameplay and, at points, storytelling standpoint. Not to mention the fact it still looks better than literally every single next-gen game so far, all while running on 2013 hardware. – Leo Faria

 

12 – Bloodroots

Bloodroots is to 2020 what My Friend Pedro was to 2019. If you were to take Samurai Jack, The Revenant, Hotline Miami, and just a pinch of John Wick, and mashed them together in a beautifully horrific orgy of violence and hatred, Bloodroots would be their beautiful, bearded, revenge-fueled baby. – Todd Eggleston

 

11 – Star Wars: Squadrons

I legit thought EA was going to screw up with Star Wars: Squadrons. The premise was too good to be true. A budget-priced Star Wars dog fighting simulator with no microtransactions, plus VR support? And yet, they managed to deliver. Squadrons isn’t just one of the best Star Wars games of all time, it’s one of the best VR showcases so far. – Leo Faria

 

10 – Evergate

Evergate is beyond beautiful and emotional. A heartwarming and compelling story told through memories of the dead. The puzzles and platforming, as well as the small cutscenes are all accompanied by the BEST soundtrack of the year. So good in fact, I went out of my way to buy it. Twice. – Aaron Price

 

9 – One Step From Eden

Remember the Mega Man Battle Network games? Take those, make them 10x harder, and turn them into a roguelike. Not just any roguelike; one that is insanely fast paced and required quick, on your feet thinking at all times. Make the perfect build and don’t blow it. I still play One Step From Eden regularly, just to remind myself that 1. It’s amazing and 2. I’m bad at video games. – Aaron Price

 

8 – Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx is the pinnacle of immersive and storytelling VR. If you have been waiting for HL3 like the rest of us, this is a must play. A game worth investing a VR headset on. While there are some odd design choices with the VR interactivity, this is easily one of the best experiences in the medium so far. – Jordan Hawes

 

7 – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Nintendo has done it again. After a complete and amazing remake of Link’s Awakening, it was time to give the original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games the same treatment. Complete with a beautiful new coat of paint and all. Not only does this completely exceed the incredible original games in terms of visuals and quality of life improvements, but there is more content post-game than there is in the story. It’s neverending! – Aaron Price

 

6 – Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima was my most anticipated title of 2020. Thankfully, it not only lived up to the hype, but blew me away in just about every way possible. From the compelling story, strong vocal performances, fun combat, organic methods of navigating the land, and the insanely beautiful graphics, Ghost of Tsushima has created one of the most rich open world adventure games I’ve ever experienced. – Heidi Hawes

 

5 – Hades

Indie darling Supergiant Games has once again delivered on a fantastic game with a striking art style, an intriguing narrative, and addicting gameplay. Hades adds new layers of depth the roguelike genre, making it appealing to everyone, not just diehard fans of roguelikes. – Heidi Hawes

 

4 – Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Crash 4 is a fantastic challenge, with lots of variety to make completionists like myself very, very happy. Wrath of Cortex? Never heard of it. – Baylen Marston

 

3 – Ghostrunner

Ghostrunner takes the one-hit-kill gameplay of Katana Zero and Hotline Miami to the next level, with a super fast-paced action platformer loop with an addictive flow and incredible level design that I could not put down. All of this is elevated by an epic synthwave soundtrack that puts you right in the middle of its stunning cyberpunk world.  – Kyle Nicol

 

2 – Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Back when Ori and the Will of the Wisps was first announced I thought there is no way it could top the original release. Yet somehow it did. The story is just as emotional as Blind Forest, taking the universe into unexpected directions. Plus the core combat saw a welcome overhaul that gave the sequel the push to really make it stand out.  – Kyle Nicol

 

1 – DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal trounces its predecessor in every single conceivable way, something I never thought it would be possible. DOOM 2016 was already one of the best and craziest first-person shooters of all time, yet DOOM Eternal makes that game look like Super 3D Noah’s Ark in comparison. – Leo Faria