This year had a lot of up’s and downs, but what are some games that totally went under the radar but are amazing? So here is the team talking about their hidden gems that came out this year.
Team Talk is back for the end of the year and maybe even to stick around this time!
Dex Fragg – Founder
This year was filled with games, so many I had to actually look up some because there are just too many to count. So this is team talk? so my pick? PERSONA 5 ROYAL…. no I’m kidding…. am I? this won’t be a team talk unless I talk about persona 5, but I actually still haven’t played royal sadly, many games, little time.
My actual pick this year is Immortals Fenyx Rising, of course, it’s a big AAA Ubisoft game but it really felt like I’ve not heard that much about it. with only a few hours in it feels like an amazing game with so much potential. It’s basically assassin’s Creed that went over the top with the Mystical stuff. I really recommend this game for anyone that liked that stuff in assassin’s creed.
Dino_Roar – Guide Writer
With 2020 almost behind us it’s time to take a look back over the 700+ games I’ve played and search out the one that seems to have truly been missed by most people.
I’m delving straight into the deep with this one and shouting out a charming little top pick that seems to have gone unnoticed by most people. Beyond Blue is something to behold; developed by E-Line Media, it is a game that I put off playing for quite a while, but boy was I silly to do so!
Capturing an “experience that reflects the awesome wonder and unbounded mystery of our planet’s beating blue heart”; you go deep into the ocean to explore the many wonders that live in harmony below the sea.
This game is not just a beautiful experience, you might just learn something too.
EssTee – Guide Writer
2020 was a great gaming year right! I don’t even have to think about my answer here… What has been my ultimate favourite indie horror hidden gem of the year that released in February 2020, is Infliction: Extended Cut by Caustic Reality. A psychological horror done to perfection! I play a lot of horror games, and infliction has honestly earned itself a place actually in my ALL TIME top 5 favourite indie horror games. If you haven’t played it, and many haven’t, then I implore you do! You won’t be disappointed. The storyline may be a familiar concept, but it’s execution just excelled it far above the rest, and I gleamed and grinned with utter joy at every single one of the huge amount of nods of respect to all the beloved classic horror movie greats.
(Am I allowed to do honourable mentions? I’m gonna anyway 😛 An honourable mention goes to the brilliant black and white -Tim Burton-esque with Limbo vibes- horror puzzle game DARQ which released on PS4 in Dec 2020, and lastly I’d love to give an honourable mention to the sweetest and gorgeously crafted indie puzzle platformer A Tale Of Paper released in Oct 2020 which for me truly shone through as another real hidden gem too).
Oniwalker – Guide Writer and Reviewer
Hidden Gems. It’s a term we all love using when we talk about games, TV shows, or movies that we feel, no one ever talked about. Though with how much of everything releases nowadays, it’s easy for there to be a ton of these. But I wanna tell you about my 2020 Hidden Gem, which is Bug Fables.
This game released this year, and it was such a welcome surprise. You play as a group of bugs, who want to become the greatest explorers ever! Little do they know, they end up wrapped in a plot of world destruction, where they are the heroes! This game plays like old school Paper Mario, and that’s what I loved about it. It was fun and challenging and so witty. Seeing the world from a bug’s perspective was so great! Sure you may be in a wind-swept desert, but guess what? That desert is actually just a sandbox. It’s these little qualities that made the game even better than I ever imagined!
If there’s one game I can recommend from this year, it’s Bug Fables. I hope you do, as it was a fantastic and silly time.
New-Stirum – Guide Writer
This year, like every year, there were a lot of releases from famous software houses that topped every leaderboard of the best games ever developed. However, I haven’t played a lot of new AAA games recently but I’ve played tons of indies that was really easy to find a hidden gem between them all.
My beloved one and hidden gem for sure was Inertial Drift, an innovative racing game where you have to drift your way to success. This must-try was really fun even though I’m not into racing games but the twin-stick mechanic made it awesome and very different from all the other driving simulators. Also, indies are mostly famous for their easiness and shortness, but that’s not the case. In fact, there’s a lot of replayability and it can become really challenging as well.
