In 2020, gaming is the most popular activity at home. Typically, titles such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and Doom Eternal drive the gaming interest. However, unlike in previous years, they and their colleagues are not the driving force behind these conversations in 2020. With the closure of sporting events and live cinemas, many people who did not usually consider themselves to be gamers are turning to the media for convenience and entertainment. And the games they play were not necessarily action-packed AAA games.
Animal Crossing New Horizons was one of the best-selling games of the year, released in March. It sold 26 million copies, making it the second best-selling Switch game of all time, leaving franchises like Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is one of the best-selling games on the system, regardless of time frame, and makes it into the top 30 just nine months after release.
The timing must be perfect for an adorable island-building game as it turns out that much of the US was quarantine. People need a way to spend time, and in the Animal Crossing series, there is always a lot going on in a slow and candy colorful world. Critics took the new series as a touching blanket in these troubled times.
New Horizons has always sold well, even without a pandemic. But this new feature makes it more visible and makes it easier for Animal Crossing fans to spread the word.
Another game that has caught the attention of celebrities this year was – Among Us 2018. The 2018 game appeared in the summer for different reasons, at least because of its similarity to another popular title, The Fall Boys. But it is free for mobile, and at $ 5 (or less) for the PC version. It’s easy to play and set up with strangers or friends.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is also one of those games where the players don’t care about winning, although in this case, the game is hard to beat. Players will face 59 other opponents in a series of often ridiculous and highly unpredictable physical challenges. Many die-hard players find the game’s mobile control disgusting, but many are lost in the frenzy. The ability to quickly return to the game after a defeat makes defeat less tragic. And observer mode makes it an additional game in which it is interesting to observe what is happening.
Fortnite and Minecraft were wonderful places to meet in the past. But in 2020, the online platform Roblox is a place where kids can create their own space and play games. The biggest benefit is that the download is free, which means any child with a device can connect to it. And parents allow it because it’s not as violent as Fortnite and encourages creativity in your child.
It does not mean that mainstream or hardcore games will disappear or even disappear. For example, the biggest story this month was the buggy launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Many people decide to try the game for the first time, while many others use it to connect with people. Of course, some may return to their usual hobbies when everything reopens. But some of them, their gaming habits have become important, and they tend to last for months or even years. No matter where we all spend our time, in 2020, these guys were more than relaxed and gamers.