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The 16 games we’re most excited to play this winter

Heading into 2020 with some exciting new titles

Graphic: James Bareham/Polygon | Source images: various

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The first day of winter is technically Dec. 21, but here on the East Coast things are getting cold and we at Polygon are officially declaring it the unofficial start of winter. As the temperature drops, we’re excited about curling up under a blanket and cracking into the excellent new games this holiday season has to offer.

From reboots and sequels of beloved series to hotly anticipated new releases from video game auteurs, there’s a lot to look forward to. Below, we’re rounding up the best new games of the season as well as the upcoming games we’re looking forward to most. (Hint: This is a great place to start if you’re shopping for the gamer in your life.)

Disco Elysium (Oct. 15)

a group of people gather in a dystopian city in Disco Elysium Image: ZA/UM

Disco Elysium is the rare RPG that spends more time on character building than on combat. As 笔辞濒测驳辞苍’蝉 Disco Elysium review says, “Disco Elysium feels like playing a tabletop role-playing campaign with a DM who got into the game through 5th edition tabletop podcasts, and who doesn’t mind getting very silly with things. There’s no reliance on established lore and settings, but there is a much heavier focus on role-playing a consistent character through an interesting story.”

Available on Windows PC; coming to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020
Buy it here: Steam | GOG

Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Oct. 31)

luigi fights a boss ghost in luigi’s mansion 3 Image: Next Level Games/Nintendo

Third time’s the charm for this spooky Nintendo franchise. While the first two Luigi’s Mansion games were … fine, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a gosh darn delight. “This is our scaredy-cat hero’s best adventure yet,” our review says, “and it’s made even better by just how much he dislikes being on it.”

Available on Nintendo Switch
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | Nintendo eShop

Planet Zoo (Nov. 5)

planet zoo Frontier Developments

For those of us who spent far too many after-school hours hunched over a PC running our own private zoos in Blue Fang’s Zoo Tycoon, Planet Zoo will feel pretty familiar. The building and management sim is perfect for animal lovers who are also micromanagers, since tiny inefficiencies can spiral out of control. While the game isn’t especially great at communicating information, our reviewer “couldn’t help but love Planet Zoo for what it is: a game about trying to make the world a little better, by making sure some animals are well looked after.”

Available on Windows PC
Get it here: Steam

Death Stranding (Nov. 8)

Sam Porter Bridges in Death Stranding Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

Hideo Kojima’s latest game is just as bonkers as you’d expect from a Hideo Kojima game. There’s overwrought dialogue, hilariously on-the-nose names, and lots of bodily functions. Though the first and last 10 hours are kind of a slog, at it’s best Death Stranding is “a wholly unique open-world adventure with asynchronous cooperative multiplayer that allows me to feel like I’m part of a community, building a world from scratch.”

Available on PlayStation 4, coming to Windows PC in 2020
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store

The Sims 4 Discover University (Nov. 15)

A Sim dozes on the floor of her dorm room after a night of partying Credit: Maxis/Electronic Arts

The latest expansion pack for The Sims 4 sends sims off to college — but whether they spend that time studying or partying is up to you. The official trailer shows off plenty of quintessential college experiences, from hitting the books in the library to passing out in a dorm room. We’re excited to head back to school, even if it’s just to get in a few rounds of “juice pong.”

Available on PC and Mac, coming to Xbox One and PS4 on Dec. 17
Get it here: Origin

笔辞办é尘辞苍 Sword and Shield (Nov. 15)

Game Freak/The 笔辞办é尘辞苍 Company, Nintendo

Game Freak’s latest 笔辞办é尘辞苍 game, “open[s] up the world enough to spark wonder,” according to our review. The new U.K.-inspired Galar region brings new rivals, new evolutions, and of course, new ‘mons. There’s a lot to explore in Sword and Shield, so much so that our reviewer noted, “The surprise in Sword and Shield is that I’m still finding things that surprise me, even after putting in so many hours.”

Available on Nintendo Switch
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | Nintendo eShop

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Nov. 15)

The Second Sister, dressed all in black, holds a red lightsaber blade. She’s flanked by two specialist stormtroopers. Image: Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

Respawn Entertainment’s new Star Wars game takes place in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with a new story and mostly new characters. As an exploration game, it’s a refreshing change of pace from what we expect out of Star Wars games. From our review:

We’ve had so many Star Wars experiences that were first-person shooters, or action games, or role-playing games, and of course all those mobile games. But this is a new idea for how Star Wars games can be structured, and shows how much room there is in this universe to experiment with new ideas of what we want to do in the land of the Jedi and the Empire.

Available on PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store | Xbox Store | Steam

Wattam (Dec. 17)

Wattam - a whole buncha colorful poo Funomena/Annapurna Interactive

Katamari Damacy developer Keita Takahashi has been teasing Wattam for years, and we’ll finally be able to play it on Dec. 17. This game looks adorable and weird. The goal is to make friends with the many multicolored, anthropomorphic objects that populate Wattam’s strange world. And yes, that includes happy little pieces of poop.

Available on PlayStation 4, Windows PC
Pre-order here: PlayStation Store | Epic Games Store

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Jan. 17)

Goku prepares to fight CyberConnect2/Bandai Namco

Goku’s latest adventure is bringing some iconic moments from the Dragon Ball Z anime to the game series. Unlike most of the previous Dragon Ball games, Kakarot looks like it’s going to be a full action RPG, rather than strictly a fighting game.

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store | Xbox Store | Steam

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Feb. 11)

Ori rides on the back of his owl friend Moon Studios/Xbox Game Studios

The long-awaited sequel to 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest looks just as charming and ethereally beautiful as its predecessor. Developer Moon Studios has been teasing Ori and the Will of the Wisps since E3 2017, and we can’t wait to dive back into this fantasy world.

Available on Xbox One and Windows PC

Gods and Monsters (Feb. 25)

Gods & Monsters Ubisoft

Ubisoft offered a first look at its new mythology-themed game during its 2019 E3 presentation. Developed by the creators of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, it makes use of the Assassin’s Creed engine but with much more family-friendly combat. It looks like Breath of the Wild via Ancient Greece, which is certainly an intriguing proposition.

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, and Google Stadia
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store | Xbox One

Final Fantasy 7 Remake (March 3)

Cloud Strife holds out his massive sword in a screenshot from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Square Enix

After five years of waiting, we’re finally getting the Final Fantasy 7 remake that was promised back in 2015. Based on the latest gameplay trailer, the new renders look gorgeous, and fans of the original game will be happy to know that a “classic mode” will bring back the turn-based action they’re used to.

Available on PlayStation 4
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (March 20)

Nintendo

Animal Crossing for Switch is happening! The latest entry in the adorable social simulation series drops players on a remote island that they can customize to their liking. Nintendo added a crafting mechanic to New Horizons, as well as expanded character customization options.

Available on Nintendo Switch
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | Nintendo eShop

Doom Eternal (March 20)

Doom Eternal - urban assault Image: id Software/Bethesda Softworks

The sequel to Bethesda and id Software’s demon-slaying reboot appears to be just as heavy metal bonkers as the rest of the series. In addition to upgraded weapons and features, a new Invasion Mode will allow players to take over demons in someone else’s game. However, developer id Software has indicated that Invasion Mode won’t be available at launch, but will be available in a free update “soon after.”

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Google Stadia
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store | Xbox Store | Steam

System Shock remake (Q1 2020)

Nightdive Studios

The crowdfunded reboot of the 1994 classic was delayed after developer Nightdive Studios needed time to “reassess [its] path,” so it’s now looking at an early 2020 release. We don’t yet have an exact date, but we’ll be eagerly awaiting an announcement.

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Mac

Cyberpunk 2077 (April 16)

Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077 Image: CD Projekt Red

April is technically spring, but we couldn’t leave out one of the most anticipated games of 2020: Cyberpunk 2077. Based on the pen-and-paper roleplaying game Cyberpunk, the long-awaited game from CD Project Red follows a customizable main character named V. Joining V on his adventures is one of the tabletop RPG’s iconic characters, Johnny Silverhand, played by none other than Keanu Reeves.

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Google Stadia
Get it here: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Walmart | PlayStation Store | Xbox Store | Steam

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