Most of the year I was looking for a mindless escape in video games, so FIFA was my go-to most of the time, although there were some gems in between.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
This is my game of the year. I actually liked the first Mafia when it came out, so the feeling of nostalgia was strong. And developers made actually a great game even for the 2020. I played this game twice in a row to get Platinum, which as I think back, becomes somewhat of a tradition — to get Platinum for one game a year (last year it was Spider-man).
I would recommend playing Mafia: Definitive Edition, even if you didn’t play the game before. It is good.
Mini Motorways
When Apple Arcade first came out this was the main game I played on my iPad. Sitting on a couch with Apple Pencil in hand it is just perfect. You can try to strategise your way through the game, or you can almost mindlessly connect the roads, it is totally up to you.
Grindstone
Another one from the Apple Arcade, this one I played mostly on my iPhone. If it wasn’t on the service it would have been one of those pay-to-play games, but here it’s great. Beautiful, fun and sometimes very challenging, but without constant nagging to buy coins.
Assemble With Care
The last game I enjoyed from the Apple Arcade. From the developers of Monument Valley, it is more of a visual story than a game. It is fun, delightful and relaxing. Looks great on a bigger screen of 12.9” iPad Pro.
The Witcher 3
This one didn’t come out this year, obviously, but when it did I didn’t have a PlayStation, so here we are.
I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it is too long. For the first half, I would go through every possible side-quest and wanted to finish everything, until I got a known bug when I couldn’t finish one mission because I went some place before the mission was available. After that, I just went through the story.
Also, it was fun to play it in original language, especially because I’m trying not to forget Polish.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This is an honourable mention because I actually don’t like the game in the end, but it helped me during some hard times and was perfect for that. The Game doesn’t have much of a story, sure there is a main line, but mostly you wander around trying to find out what to do next. I realised that I need a story, even in the open-world game. But when I had a nervous breakdown, I would take my Nintendo Switch to the balcony and play The Legend of Zelda and my mind would relax, for which I’m thankful.