10. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
Right now, nostalgia is big business, but replicating past joy rarely offers the same excitement as the original. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the sequel to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Against all odds, this remake retains the spirit of these early-aughts skateboarding games while bringing them up to date for modern systems and audiences. Playing these games reawakens long-forgotten muscle memory, a desire for high scores, and getting on a skateboard—not to mention providing consolation throughout a trying year.
PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions are all available.
9. Guys Who Fall
When you mix Mario Party’s minigame craze with Fortnite’s battle royale, lose-or-be-out pressure? That’s what it’s all about, guys. Its deliciously simple multiplayer mayhem was a nice break during our epidemic summer. The fact that players frequently need to work together to achieve individual triumph reveals a deeper message than its cartoonish stylings suggest. Furthermore, like Animal Crossing, it is a refreshing repudiation of the notion that games must be difficult to be enjoyable—they only need to be delightful.
PlayStation and PC versions are both available.
8. Microsoft Flight Simulator
For almost 40 years, Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series has been the ultimate virtual piloting experience, encouraging many gamers to pursue real-world flight training while giving countless others a taste of the skies. The latest installment in the series upholds the series’ proud legacy, blending true-to-life flying physics, breathtaking graphics, and the most lifelike representation of planet Earth ever seen in a video game to create a must-play experience. Challenge yourself to some of the world’s most difficult commercial jet takeoffs or landings, or putt-putt over your hometown in a slow-moving Cub while admiring the scenery—the option is yours.
A PC version is available, and an Xbox version is in the works.
7. Call of Duty: Warzone
Warzone is a free add-on for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2019, and it’s a Fortnite-style battle royale shooter with just enough unique ideas to feel fresh. Most Fortnite clones have failed miserably, but Warzone’s systems, methods, and progressions kept us occupied for dozens of hours as we adapted to spending more time at home during the lockdown. Infinity Ward, the game’s developer, has continued to enhance the experience with new seasons, maps, and ways to play this tough, addictive game.
PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions are all available.
6. Ori and the Wisps of Will
The much-awaited sequel to Moon Studios’ Ori and the Blind Forest does precisely what a sequel should: it builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor to create a more sophisticated, colorful, and expansive universe. Ori and a slew of other charming creatures adopt and raise a young owl in the game’s intro. When Ori and the young bird are separated, tragedy happens. In a heartbreaking reunification mission, the player traverses a stunningly portrayed environment and solves many devilish small riddles. Because of the game’s massive size compared to its predecessor, some nuances get lost in the shuffle, such as the player’s ability to miss key talents. On the other hand, the problems necessitate ingenuity, and the setting inspires wonder.
Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC are all supported.
5. Animal Crossing:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest installment in Nintendo’s long-running life simulator franchise, and it’s the unofficial game of springtime pandemic lockdowns. This time, you’re put on an island, where you (along with a few other anthropomorphic animals) must build a settlement and repay your debt to the cheeseparing capitalist raccoon-dog who brought you there. When you’re done constructing goods for your home, you may join New Horizons’ large community of players who party, play the turnip-powered “stalk market,” and even host talk shows on their custom-built virtual islands.
The Nintendo Switch version is available.
4. We Are Among Us
In Among Us, a form of digital Clue in which you’re entrusted with “sussing” out the impostor aboard your spacecraft, deception is the game’s word. Some players, known as “Crewmates,” are assigned to minigame-style ship repairs, while the “Impostor” sets out to disrupt and murder the Crewmates stealthily. Do you have any suspicions about someone? Call a meeting to think who might be an Impostor, then vote to cast them into space’s freezing vacuum—but be careful, for you might be mistaken. The game’s infantile, hand-drawn aesthetic and PG-rated violence harkens back to early web games. Its rise in popularity among younger gamers has prompted high-profile individuals such as US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to use it to meet people where they are. Among Us was published in 2018, but it’s easy to see why it’s become so popular this year. It’s half social deduction, part mob rule.
Available for iOS, Android, and PC.
3. Part 2 of The Last of Us
The Last of Us Part II is a post-apocalyptic game with many enormous swings that will surprise, annoy, and even enrage many players—but they’re risky risks. The sequel follows Ellie, now grown up and immune to the virus that has turned much of humanity into zombies. She grapples with the ramifications of her father figure Joel’s ethically questionable decision in the previous game. Ellie is frequently alone, which is a shame because Naughty Dog has a history of using banter to develop relationships in The Last of Us and the Uncharted series. But Ellie’s loneliness serves a larger narrative: as she loses touch with humanity and becomes consumed with a vengeance, her foes become more human. The player is confronted with painful moral dilemmas as his sympathies are divided. The conclusion will stay with you for months, if not years.
The PS3 version is available.
2. Miles Morales, Spider-Man
You might picture a nerdy white guy named Peter Parker when you think of Spider-Man. In New York, however, there’s a second web-slinger, and this time he’s seizing the mic and taking center stage. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a follow-up to the 2018 smash blockbuster Spider-Man, placing you in the shoes of the titular Black-Puerto Rican kid as he travels from Brooklyn to Harlem and protects the city while his mentor is on vacation. Morales navigates the agony of a growing friendship, his relationship with his mother, and his new mandate to keep Harlem (and the rest of the city) safe from evildoers as he zips from building to building and fights criminals in a wintery New York.
The PS3 version is available.
1. Hade
Rogue-like games, which emphasize difficulty, replayability, and multiple deaths, have been popular for the previous decade, but Hades represents the sub-pinnacle. Genre’s Players take on the role of Hades’ son Zagreus as he seeks to escape the Greek underworld, facing notable heroes and getting support from the entire Pantheon in this stunning run-based game. The visual is fantastic, the fighting is varied and fun, and the brilliant progression mechanics. In a game designed to be played repeatedly, Hades reinvents how a story may evolve.
Nintendo Switch, macOS, and PC versions are all available.
