The 10 best video games of 2020

The digital escapism of video games has taken on a whole new meaning in 2020. With nowhere to go due to the coronavirus pandemic and with too much free time, it’s been games that have allowed us to escape to new worlds entirely or stay connected with friends over some light digital warfare or jelly bean game shows.

This prompted a lockdown boom for the industry, which was already bracing for the release of “next-gen” consoles — Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X — and the excitement that would follow.

But for all the excitement of winnings and hardware, it was also a year that produced games that were not only varied and imaginative, but also tapped into the vastly different ways we like to play. From fun card games to Viking brawls to escapes to our own idyllic island, here are our 10 best games of 2020.

10. Monster Train

Roguelike deck builders are more of an acquired taste – but if endlessly repeatable card battles tickle your taste buds, then Monster Train is the equivalent of the finest filet mignon. Taking the accessibility of Slay the Spire as its starting point, the creators of Shiny Shoe added layer upon layer of tactical complexity to create a hell of an addictive classic that’s easy to learn but nearly impossible to put down.

9. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Many of the games that have defined 2020 have been about the social connection severed by the pandemic. Fall Guys’ raucous It’s A Knockout-style game show, with 60 players jostling like jelly beans in a selection of barmy gauntlets, gunge runs and platforming challenges, was just the kind of thrilling, family-friendly escapism we wanted needed.