Alex Boniello's Top 10 Games of 2020

3 years 2 months ago
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In any other year besides 2020, Broadway Alex would be singing and dancing on Broadway for your amusement. You can follow him on Twitter.

Hey all! Alex Boniello here. Happy to be back to write another Game of the Year list for my favorite games outlet.

You might know me better as Broadway Alex (thanks for that, Dan). But, admittedly, it feels weird to call myself that this year.

Like many other industries, the entertainment industry has been decimated by COVID. Live theater, especially in New York City, has been brutalized on a level that I cannot possibly enumerate. Television sets have been mostly shut down. Live music, too. This has been the hardest year of my life professionally and personally. I have lost jobs to this virus. I have also lost friends. I am sure many of you can relate.

Now more than ever, games have shown up for me. Not only have they been a source of comfort during this difficult time, but they also allowed me to keep paying some bills. I started a Twitch stream in the wake of the industry wide shut down. As a result, I’ve been able to connect with my friends and the people who follow my career because of our shared love of games.

Anyway! Games! I can’t wait to share my favorite experiences and moments with you. Okay! So!

Special Mention: Jackbox

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I did this last year, but I want to once again give a special shout out to the team at Jackbox. Myself and a former Dear Evan Hansen cast member (Andrew Barth Feldman) were able to use Jackbox as a platform to raise over $120,000 for The Actors Fund, Broadway for Racial Justice, and other great organizations, all while keeping ourselves and our friends entertained during the early days of the pandemic.

There really is nothing as perfect as Jackbox for engaging with gamers and non gamers alike, and it has been a great way to laugh with my friends who I haven’t been able to see in the last nine months. If you need an easy way to connect with your friends and family from afar, I can’t recommend Jackbox more highly.

Thanks, Jackbox!

Most “Call Me In A Year Or Something” Award: Teardown

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Teardown is COOL STUFF.

The experience as it stands in early access is a little hollow for me right now, but the concept and formula is super sound. It feels incredible to smash stuff, and I’m looking forward to keeping my eye on it over the next few months to see where it ends up.

God Damnit of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077

I should probably start out by saying I'm playing on PC. I’m officially in “Act 3” of the game, and probably 30 or so hours in, and I can confirm that it has been a super long time since I’ve been so overwhelmingly conflicted on a video game. I think a lot of what is happening here is very good (they REALLY understood how to use Keanu). I can’t ignore that I keep wanting to play it.

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But whenever I feel myself getting really into it, some crazy stuff happens. Bugs all over the place. Cars randomly blowing up. Quests just… break. Random “edgy” writing that feels like it was written by angry 14-year-old boys. Remembering that employees were severely overworked. There’s nothing I can say that better writers haven’t already said about this game. But as I play, even though I’m enjoying it, I can’t help but shake my head and say “god damnit” at what this game could’ve been. And also that I... unfortunately.... think I really like playing it. Ugh. God damnit.

Anyway, now for the top 10!

10. Superliminal

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A Steam code for Superliminal was gifted to me by one of my Twitch mods. I went into it totally blind, and found myself playing through the entire three-ish hour experience on stream. Also! Some of the developers joined in on my chat, and it was a total blast to hear their intention and development ideas when I was facing certain puzzles. It was a special experience! I don’t want to give much away, but if you find yourself enjoying games like The Witness or Portal, I’d recommend giving it a whirl.

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Giant Bomb Staff

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