Jeff Grubb’s 10 best games in 2020

Unlike many of you, I suddenly didn’t have much free time for games in 2020. I already worked at home and my children are still small and need my attention. So I kept a rule that I established last year that I wouldn’t put too much time into any game that I couldn’t pause. In reality, this rule is more like I don’t have time for games that I can’t play on the Switch or using the Steam Link app on my phone. Despite these restrictions, I still have a lot of games to put on my list. Here’s what I finished.

10. Streets of Rage 4

I love playing Streets of Rage 2 again. My wife and I end up doing it once a year. The coolest thing I can say about Streets of Rage 4, which I reviewed, is that I intend to go back and play it as often in the future.

9. Microsoft Flight Simulator

I took Animal Crossing: New Horizons out of my top 10 for that, but that’s for sure. I love Animal Crossing, but it takes up space alongside Fall Guys and other intrinsically social games that are more about my relationship with other people. And I don’t want to think about putting these games on a list – they’re not even competing in my brain. Flight Simulator is a technical marvel that seems to be opening up the genre to more people than ever, with its great difficulty in dimensioning. This is also one of the rare games that I turned into an event when catching the stick.

8. Paper Mario: The Origami King

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems nailed many of the crucial aspects of Paper Mario: The Origami King. It’s funny with tons of great characters, and it has variety in both mechanics and environments. Its only shortcoming is its battle system, which is boring at best. Fortunately, you can avoid many battles, and that leaves you with only the good things.

7. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

As I wrote in my review, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the Platonic ideal for games. Skateboarding and video games are kindred spirits. All those years later, games haven’t gotten much better than that.

6. Pikmin 3: Deluxe

Pikmin 3: Deluxe is still mostly Pikmin 3 from 2013, but this is also the best Pikmin game yet. He edits the Wii U game into something that can be played effortlessly on the Switch. And that means you can enjoy the satisfying cycle of working with your small crewmates to gather fruit and expand your Pikmin army.

5. Astro’s game room

Here’s everything I have to say about Astro’s Playroom:

Back in my bullshit pic.twitter.com/l80WuVHmcN

– Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) December 19, 2020

4. Ori and the will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps has one of the best locomotion in a 2D game of all time. Combine that with fun exploration, exciting boss fights, moving characters and the best music, and it’s easy to see why GamesBeat is the game of the year. It is also one of my favorites and a game I am already looking forward to returning to.

3. Hades

Sometimes a studio does everything to create what looks like a miracle. It happened with Supergiant Games and Hades. This masterpiece plays and looks better than almost any other game. It makes Greek mythology better than any other game, and that’s something, considering how many games go into that original material. And if he just did those things, it would be enough. But then Supergiant went ahead and solved the Roguelite barrier by building a linear narrative that progresses even when you have to start over.

In five years, get ready to play many independent games and big budget studios that cite Hades as a key influence.

2. Difficult space: Ship dismantler

Games where you build things get a lot of attention and credit. Minecraft is infinitely popular, and Roblox is likely to have one of the biggest IPOs of 2021. But we must not forget that games are really great at enabling us to destroy things as well. And Hardspace: Shipbreaker does it better than almost anything else. It is very gratifying to use a laser gun to slowly dismantle the discarded space shuttles. But it’s also exciting when you forget to depressurize the cabin and explode into space before the ship becomes nuclear. That was one of my favorite moments of the year.

I said “oops” pic.twitter.com/LRvEHXdjDW

– Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) June 20, 2020

1. SnowRunner

I could spend dozens of hours on SnowRunner trying to move a truck 15 meters. That’s what I think is a good time. And the game encourages my bizarre behavior. Fighting for every inch seems like real progress. So, I understand that for many people, a game about being stuck in mud or snow seems disconcerting or tedious. But the reality is that it is a game about taking responsibility for your choices. If I leave a truck stuck in the mud, SnowRunner makes me want to do whatever it takes to get it moving again, so as not to lose the progress I’ve already made.

Saber Interactive developer has also improved SnowRunner as a game over MudRunner. This comes in the form of building shortcuts and bridges that provide a tangible reward for completing missions.

There will be nothing more satisfying in a video game this year than getting that truck out of the mud. pic.twitter.com/p7yyP6cVdS

– Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) April 28, 2020

But I’m really here for the physics and the deformation of the terrain. The realistic terrain behavior makes each problem appear analog and tactile. You will not suddenly find your wheels on the good ground – you really have to pull your platforms by every inch of the land. So, when you finally arrive at your destination, you have achieved this achievement by overcoming your own shortcomings. What an incredible game.