Here are the games I’ve beaten or played along with an actionbutton.net-style thought attached to each.

First off, the game I made with my friends: I know you’re having fun but I’m still working is the best desktop simulator of the year.

These next few are my favorite games I played this year.

  • Death Stranding is the game that made me write things about games.
  • Chrono Trigger is the RPG we need and don’t deserve.
  • Titanfall 2 is a jet-pack shotgun to the face.
  • A Short Hike is the best part of Zelda.
  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake is the first time I’ve played Final Fantasy 7, but not the last time I’ll play Final Fantasy 7.
  • Outer Wilds is a planetary puzzle box a planetary puzzle box a planetary puzzle box.

These are the rest of the games I played this year. Some I completed and some I only played a little of.

  • Slay the Spire is making the numbers go up, in your mind.
  • Animal Crossing is the only way I see friends this year.
  • Finishing DOOM 2016 in 2020 is what it takes to finish a game.
  • Deep Rock Galactic is the bad parts of No Man’s Sky reimagined as a good game.
  • Monster Hunter World is smashing Pokémon with a hammer.
  • Ring Fit Adventure is not the workout I was looking for.
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is min-maxing on four wheels.
  • Mario 3 on Switch while rewinding mistakes is an artisanal TAS.
  • Earthbound is vibing.
  • Diablo 3 on Switch is making numbers go up, directly.
  • Final Fantasy 7 is child’s play.
  • Spiderman: The City that Never Sleeps in 2020 is still a swinging good time if you don’t mind being a cop in 2020.
  • Another World is doing so much more with so much less than games today.
  • Overcooked 2 is a slam dunk into hot oil.
  • Vermintide 2 is not a game you can play in one sitting.
  • Cyberpunk 2077 is a game I’m not going to play until at least 2021.
  • Lithium City is a neon amuse bouche.
  • Invisible, Inc. would have been a perfect addition to my on-campus-between-classes-laptop games.