The 6 Most Universally Loved Games Released Since 2020, Ranked
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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Video games are one of the most popular mediums in the world nowadays, and because of that, there are plenty of beloved classics such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Red Dead Redemption 2 that almost everyone loves. However, as the 2020s are halfway through, fans and gamers are a lot more cynical or picky, with players having a harder time enjoying games. This may be because they also want something new and better or because the medium's popularity is at an all-time high, and it is harder to satisfy everyone. But the truth is, it is rare for a new game to be universally beloved.
Despite the common appearance of hate and overly critical views, the 2020s still have some of the best video games of all time. That is why this list will curate a list of the six most universally beloved video games since 2020 based on aspects such as gameplay, design, originality, popularity, fan opinion, narrative, visuals, critical acclaim, and overall quality. These aren't the six best video games of the 2020s, per se, but they are the six titles that the most fans can come together and enjoy with the least amount of hate and backlash surrounding them.
6 'It Takes Two' (2021)
The Game of the Year award is an award that goes to only the greatest and most innovative title of the year, so it is only natural that that honor would also go to some of the most beloved video games, such as It Takes Two. After years of fighting, a couple is on the verge of divorce, but they are unsure what to do with their child. However, that becomes the least of their worries when they are transformed into toy figures. Now they must traverse a surreal version of their own home and battle against the manifestations of their relationship issues if they want to get back to normal.
2021 was at the height of the pandemic, meaning there weren't as many popular games, but that opened the spotlight up for It Takes Two to shine, which deservedly won the Game of the Year award. This video game is a blast from start to finish that hooks the viewer with its fun style, immersive visuals, and captivating gameplay. It is an absolutely masterful multiplayer game that forces gamers to cooperate in platforming challenges and boss battles. The design perfectly weaves together the two paths to work with each other, and the new gimmicks keep the gameplay fresh and new in each section.
5 'Resident Evil 4' (2023)
Resident Evil is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, and the festivities have already kicked off with Resident Evil Requiem and a new movie directed by Zach Cregger, known for Weapons. While the new games are incredible, they have been remaking the classic versions, with the most recent one being Resident Evil 4. It brings new graphics and revamped gameplay to the classic story that follows Leon S. Kennedy's travel to Spain in order to save the president's daughter from a cult. But when he learns that the cult was taken over by a parasite, the fight to rescue Ashley Graham will be even more difficult.
Remakes are very hit or miss, meaning it is rare for them to be universally beloved, but Resident Evil 4 Remake pulls off the impossible with a near flawless adaptation that is arguably better than the original. The original game is one of the most influential action titles, using the over-the-shoulder perspective to give a whole new view to the franchise that changed the way the genre is handled. However, Resident Evil 4 became one of the best video game remakes because of how it was able to keep the heart and style of the original while adding enhanced graphics, polished controls, and a whole new feeling of horror.
4 'Hades' (2020)
Indie video games are increasing in popularity because they offer unrivaled creativity and passion from the developers with an easier price tag on the wallet. One of the best titles of the 2020s is Hades, which follows the son of the titular character, Zagreus, on an endless quest to escape Hell. After hearing a rumor that his mother is being held on Mount Olympus, he will try whatever he can to escape the fires of Hell and meet her again. Unfortunately, the entire spawn of the realm are hellbent on stopping him.
The roguelike genre is one of the most polarizing since it features repetitive combat and doesn't usually boast an impressive narrative. However, Hades solved both of these issues to create a must-play video game for fans and newcomers to the genre. Death isn't something to be afraid of in this game. Instead, it is encouraged, creating an essential and rewarding experience to the narrative that ties into the plot. On top of this, Hades has sharp writing with compelling characters that works alongside its fast-paced and fluid gameplay that fans can endlessly play and have a good time with.
Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek
Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🚀Star Wars
💍Lord of the Rings
🧙Harry Potter
👑Game of Thrones
🖖Star Trek
01
What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.
02
Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.
03
How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.
04
Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.
05
What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.
06
How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.
07
What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?
08
What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.
Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…
Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.
Star Wars
You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.
- You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
- You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
- Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
- The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.
Lord of the Rings
You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.
- Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
- You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
- Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
- Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.
Harry Potter
You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.
- The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
- You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
- Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
- That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.
Game of Thrones
You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.
- Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
- You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
- Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
- Winter always comes. You are already prepared.
Star Trek
You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.
- Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
- You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
- The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
- You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.
3 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' (2020)
Nintendo is one of the largest video game companies that has always tried new and innovative things, which sometimes results in massive hits, and that is true for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Years after the previous game, this version brings fans back to the classic formula with more things to do on the Nintendo Switch. Taking place on a deserted island, players must transform it into their ideal island getaway, building their town and bringing new residents. Gathering resources, crafting materials, and shaping the land, players can do anything they want in this game.
As mentioned, the pandemic happened during most of the early 2020s, and while it was horrible, it did give a lot of gamers the time to play video games, and one of the go-to games was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It is already one of the most nostalgic Nintendo video games even though it only came out in 2020, but it earned that status through timeless gameplay with simple, yet addictive gameplay. It was a much-needed virtual sanctuary for fans to escape with low-stakes gameplay that was fun, relaxing, and universally beloved by every fan who played it.
2 'Baldur's Gate 3' (2023)
2023 was one of the best years for video games in a long time, and this list already highlighted Resident Evil 4 Remake, but now it will bring up the unanimous Game of the Year winner, Baldur's Gate 3. Set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, players are captured by Mind Flayers and infected with their parasites that will eventually turn the player into them. Teaming up with others infected, they travel around the world to find a cure, but the brewing war between mortals and the Gods makes it even more difficult.
Dungeons & Dragons is one of the best tabletop video game experiences, and Baldur's Gate 3 brings that experience to life in video game format. This game offers unlimited agency for the player, letting them interact with the world and other characters in unique and distinct ways. From magic spells to random encounters to hundreds of solutions to the same problem, there are so many ways to tackle this game. Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best strategy video games that forces players to think outside the box. The passion put into this game is overwhelming, and fans can feel that love in every aspect of its design.
1 'Elden Ring' (2022)
FromSoftware has been legendary for a while, but their magnum opus, Elden Ring, is a 2020s masterpiece and also their newest game. Collaborating with George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, the story takes place in The Lands Between, which is ruled by Queen Marika, who shattered the titular object when learning that one of her sons had been murdered. Now that the rest of her demigod children have claimed these shards, the world is in an even worse chaos than before, but luckily players are here as the Tarnished to defeat them, take the shards, create the ring, and become the Elden Lord.
There really isn't anything that is universally beloved, but this list sought out the six games that best fit under that category. It may have some critics, but for the most part, there isn't a better and most adored video game from the 2020s than Elden Ring. This game may be difficult, but the challenging combat is rewarding and incredibly satisfying when players finally get the hang of it. Elden Ring encourages exploration and rewards gamers with lore, worldbuilding, boss battles, and collectibles, proving why it is a fun video game that so many fans love.
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