Siliconera’s Switch Game of the Year 2020

It was a record year for the Nintendo Switch, and the quality of the games lineup certainly kept up with that trend. What game is the best of the bunch, though? What is the Siliconera Switch Game of the Year 2020?

…Yeah, okay, you might have seen this one coming.

These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. For more of the year’s award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2020 archive.

Winner: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

If there’s a game that has defined 2020, you could make a good case that it’s New Horizons. It hit right as much of the world learned to stay inside, giving many a good distraction. It helps that it’s more fully-featured and customizable than any game had ever been in the series! These added elements let you more easily play for more than a few minutes a day, terraforming your island and decking out every available surface. And hey: the seasonal updates haven’t hurt.

Hades

Hades was a gem on PC, but its run-based nature and active controls make it a welcome addition to the Switch library. Stellar writing! Visuals that look great small and scale well to the low-powered hardware! Tons and tons of heart! Hades does everything it can to be easy to play, and really delivers once you do.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

There’s something about Omega Force’s collaborations with large publishers like Nintendo and Square Enix that make it step up its game. Is it development time and resources? Is it consultation and support from bigger teams? Whatever it is, Age of Calamity sets a new bar for Musou polish and accessibility. Exploring the world of Breath of the Wild, one so many players wanted to see again, doesn’t hurt either.

What’s your Switch Game of the Year 2020? Share your thoughts (and check out recommendations from our staff and community) on our forums.