The Edge Awards

The best games of 2020, from Trailblazer to Rising Star

A year unlike any we’ve experienced – and hopefully will ever experience again – all but demands a fresh approach to handing out awards. The idea came as we gathered together for our annual argument, this time via video conference, to thrash out a top ten. With tempers naturally a little frayed, picking out an order resulted in even more heated debate than usual. Then came a moment of exasperation followed immediately by a sudden, collective epiphany. It is a minor miracle that anything came out this year. To attempt to rank anything under such circumstances felt, well, a little uncharitable. We settled on a new way of doing things. This will – we hope – be a oneoff (though if you feel differently, do let

us know). But for 2020 we decided not to put our favourites in any order, but to celebrate them as individuals: to highlight the games that defined the year in so many different ways. The games that forged new paths; the games that redefined genres; the games that best represented our world or built the most enveloping escapes from it. There’s a strong indie focus, of course – reflecting the fact that smaller studios could still operate relatively efficiently, but also the seemingly bottomless creativity of the current scene. But we’ve left room for one or two blockbusters besides – and, of course, for a sideways look at the year in our Alternative Awards. After all, in a year this chaotic, some routines are worth sticking to.