There were two major console launches--the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X--as well as big titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the Final Fantasy VII remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 (we said big, not good!). Slate staffers recently convened to discuss what they played to pass the time in lockdown, what games surprised and disappointed them, and how many hours they honestly spent in Animal Crossing. Karen Han: I don't think it's out of line for me to say that this was the biggest year for games in recent memory, not just because of new console launches but because I feel like, thanks to the pandemic, we had a lot more time on our hands to be playing games. Is that fair to say, at least for this group? Daniel Schroeder: I think you're spot on. Before this year I never had chunks of time big enough to descend into and obsess over a new game like I like to. This year I was able to sort of keep up!

You may already be aware that Spelunky 2 is one of the best games of the year. You may also be aware that it is very, very difficult. One wrong step or a misplaced whip swing can easily send you back to the very beginning. Part of what makes the Spelunky games so challenging is their randomness: levels are generated on the fly with some preset rules, but the overall layouts can vary dramatically. Playtesting every possible level by hand would take centuries.