The developer of Crypt of the Necrodancer made the most of the rare opportunity to make an indie Legend of Zelda spin-off, turning the RPG into a challenging, hypnotic rhythm game.
Donut County is sort of a parable about selfishness and exploitive tech companies, but mostly it’s about fun puzzles where you use a remote-controlled hole in the ground to steal an entire town.
Gris is a simple platformer that’s more concerned with its gorgeous presentation and moving story about grief than it is about challenge, making it a meditative experience with a low barrier to entry.
Battles in this turn-based tactics game play out on tiny grids, but its focus on strategic positioning and countering enemy actions makes outwitting invading kaiju immensely gratifying.
If you’re up for a challenge, Celeste combines some of the most satisfying platforming ever with a heartfelt story about climbing mountains both literal and metaphorical.
Hollow Knight has been on Switch since 2018, and it’s still one of the console’s best action games, thanks to killer combat and a gorgeous world that begs to be explored.
Anodyne 2 is an endlessly surprising adventure where everything from its art style to story to gameplay is constantly in flux. It’s a deeply weird, funny, and touching love letter to the history of games.
Hades was for many people the game of 2020. It may be the best roguelike ever, both for its incredibly satisfying combat and the revolutionary way it uses repetition to tell its story of a godly family reunion.