The Duck played a whole bunch of games this year, partly thanks to some really good sales, allowing me to download a good deal of digital games for sometimes as low as $5 or even $2!  Now that’s one heck of a deal!  Since I didn’t exactly buy that many games that were actually released this year, though, I’m going to be listing the top games that I played in 2020…period, with the one rule being that these games must be ones that I never played before.

Games Released in 2020

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Taking up the majority of my time this year is none other than the newest Animal Crossing game, New Horizons.  I’ve spent countless hours with this game, perfecting my house and my island.  It’s been a blast, though I think my time with this game is starting to wane.  But hey, I had a good run.
• Inmost: While this game was not initially released in 2020, it was released on the Switch in 2020, so it kind of counts.  Inmost is a really atmospheric game that tells an interesting story through symbolism and some rather beautiful pixel graphics.
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time: The newest Crash Bandicoot game was an absolute joy to play…as long as you don’t try for 106%.  Because that doesn’t seem like much fun at all.  I got to 82%.  It’s good enough.

Other Great Games I Played This Year

• MediEvil (PS4): Earlier this year, I played the MediEvil remake on the PS4 and had a mighty fun time of it.  I even unlocked the original PS1 version, though I’m not sure when, or if, I’ll get around to checking that out.
• Hollow Knight: This Metroidvania-style game was absolutely amazing!  I can’t recommend it enough!
• GRIS: This one’s very different from other games on this list, in that it tells an emotional story exploring the five stages of grief.  Make sure you have some tissues handy….
• Cuphead: Cuphead was a pretty cool game to play, what with that amazing 1930’s art style.  It could be incredibly difficult, though.  Yowch!
• Child of Light: This is a great RPG for anyone short on time.  It’s also just a great RPG in general, with a fun and unique combat style and charming characters.
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair: I’m pleased to say I enjoyed this game more than the first Yooka-Laylee.  The switch to side-scrolling platforming was a good idea, making for a much more fun experience.
• Among the Sleep: This is a pretty interesting horror game where you play as a two-year old looking for his missing mother.  The game is creepy without relying on gore or jumpscares.
• Abzu: This game was a short, but relaxing experience where you swim about the ocean and other aquatic locations, encountering a plethora of sea creatures along the way.

Lede image is an official promotional screenshot from the Hollow Knight Steam page.