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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

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.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.