2020 has been quite the year, but in the world of gaming, apart from some delays, it really just moved along like normal. Well, as normal as it can be in the midst of a global pandemic, with that said, there were countless amazing games across the various platforms and even some good movies to enjoy.

This is it, the big one, the Game of the Year. Collectively, we have likely played hundreds of games, some of them were for reviews, others for fun, so narrowing down a list of games from hundreds to just a few and then picking a winner, well it wasn’t easy, but we did it. Let’s keep going, starting with the Bronze winner.

There is little doubt that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the game that got many people through the first few months of the pandemic and for good reason, it was a simple and welcoming game.

More than that though, it provided a sense of purpose for so many, from tending to fruit, collecting animals or fossils for the museum or playing the turnip market, each day with the game felt like there were new opportunities to enjoy. Beyond all that though, it gave people a chance to meet up with friends, enjoy just hanging out and living an island life, but if you want to dive further in, you could really make everything your own.

Animal Crossing might not be a series that is known for super complex parts, but given that it works in real time, there is always a sense that things need to be done at a set time. New Horizons keeps that momentum, but also allows for you to stop and just enjoy it, which has been a very welcome element this year.

Hades has made a few appearances on our Game of the Year lists already, tying for first in the Best game on Switch and first for both Indie game of the year and Game we kept returning to and now it has claimed Silver for the overall.

I don’t think I need to say much more about the game now, it has provided countless hours of fun, with runs that can last as little as 20 minutes, or go for almost an hour, there is just no way to know and that is delightful. It makes wonderful use of its Greek mythology setting, to not only have some interesting and flawed characters to interact with.

The game added the ability recently to transfer PC saves to Switch, meaning those who spent 12 months playing it there, can now take the game on the go, which is a nice touch.

The game that we voted the best of 2020 is The Last of Us Part II and while it won, it was a very close call, but given that the game was highly anticipated, it made sense it would secure the win.

From the top down, it offered a deep story, complex characters and some amazing gameplay. While not a perfect game, it expanded upon the various themes that the first game began and even if you didn’t enjoy a character or story, there was enough variety to things to keep things interesting over the length of the game. Naughty Dog managed to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time, an accomplishment rarely achieved by most developers

There is no telling if the series will continue, given how they wrapped up the game and while it is possible the world will continue to be explored, Ellie’s time in the spotlight is likely done and it was one heck of a ride while it lasted.

So there you go, the three games that made the biggest impact on us in 2020. While the year was horrible in oh so many ways, games provided us with escapes, be it to tropical island filled with animals or a virus covered world.. ok maybe that last one wasn’t as big of a change.

Regardless, all the games we awarded, the movies and hardware, all helped to alleviate some of the worst parts of the year. It didn’t matter if you only played games solo, or with friends online, there was a game for all this year and they were all winners in the end, as they managed to provide some welcome relief.