Friday Fun: CityLab Picks the Best Games of 2020

In the year of stay-at-home orders, people turned to old and new games to stay sane and stay connected.

1 minute read

January 1, 2021, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Pandemic Board Game

Padaguan / Pandemic board game

Unsurprisingly, the gaming industry is emerging as one of the few winners of 2020, with millions of people sheltering in their homes and skipping gatherings with friends. From digital wonderlands to old-school board games, the year saw a massive spike in the popularity of at-home entertainment. CityLab's Marie Patino put together a list of the most interesting and engaging games of the year.

Whether you want to explore tropical islands, grow a surreal garden, or even stave off a global pandemic(in the eponymously named Pandemic, originally released in 2008), you can find a game that will help you forget reality—or laugh at it. One game definitely created in and for 2020: Karen: An Outrage Simulator, which lets you berate cashiers and ask for the manager while refusing to wear your mask. Of special interest to transportation nerds: Mini Metro, a subway simulator that lets players lay down tracks and build subway networks to accommodate increasing ridership.

In a year filled with grief, there are games for that too. CityLab recommends Spiritfarer, in which the player helps stray spirits accomplish their last wish, and GRIS, a visually stunning journey of resilience through trauma. For many people who couldn't mourn in traditional ways because of COVID-19 restrictions, creating virtual memorials in games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons can have surprisingly powerful healing effects.

Saturday, December 19, 2020 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Mid-rise brick buildings with retail and restaurants on ground floor on sunny day in Soho, Manhattan, New York City.

In Dense NYC, What Does ‘Human Scale’ Mean?

Advocates reject the NIMBY label, arguing that they seek a more sustainable, incremental pace of growth modeled on mid-rise neighborhoods.

15 minutes ago - Next City

Nevada State Senate building.

Nevada Legislature Unanimously Passes Regional Rail Bill

If signed by the governor, the bill will create a task force aimed at developing a regional passenger rail system.

May 28 - KRNV News 4

Blue sidewalk curb cut painted with white accessibility symbol.

How Infrastructure Shapes Public Trust

A city engineer argues that planners must go beyond code compliance to ensure public infrastructure is truly accessible to all users.

May 28 - Governing