Jess
- Jan 1
- 3 min read

#ICYMI 1.1.21

2020 IN REVIEW

ETHAN GACH'S TOP 10 GAMES OF 2020

Which of Ethan's favorites did you recognize? Kotaku

THE BEST TABLETOP GAMES THAT WE PLAYED IN 2020

Our favorite board games, role-playing games, and more. Polygon

THE COOLEST GADGETS OF 2020

It didn’t feel like it, what with a major pandemic and massive financial crisis, but 2020 was actually an incredible year for gadgets. Gizmodo

THE BEST APPS, GAMES, AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL OF YOUR NEW TECH IN 2020

Let's take a look at what The Verge staff recommends. The Verge

THE BEST 50 GAMES OF 2020

From big to small, we rank them all. Polygon

MIKE FAHEY'S TOP 10 GAMES OF 2020

"In the 2020 gaming judgment system, year-end lists are determined by two separate but equally important groups: the players who play the games, and the games they enjoy playing." Kotaku

THE BEST VIDEO ESSAYS OF 2020

Creators continue to push the envelope of criticism on YouTube. Polygon

10 GREAT GAMES FROM 2020 FOR YOUR NEW NINTENDO SWITCH

Which of these have you played this year? The Verge

INDUSTRY

NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY NOW SUPPORTS TAP-TO-PAY AT ALL STATIONS

The MetroCard is on its way out. The Verge

POSION SUSPECTED IN DEATH OF YOOZOO GAMES' FOUNDER LIN QI

Lin Qi, the billionaire founder of China-based League of Angels developer Yoozoo Games, died on Christmas, several days after being admitted to the hospital. Kotaku | Associated Press

APPLE SUPPLIER LENS TECHNOLOGY ACCUSED OF USING FORCED UIGHUR LABOR

The firm allegedly used thousands of forced labor workers from the Muslim region of Xinjiang. The Verge

UBISOFT PARTNERS WITH LIMBITLESS SOLUTIONS TO MAKE ASSASSIN'S CREED ODYSSEY-THEMED BIONIC ARM

Wield the power of Sparta. IGN | Twitter

ADOBE FLASH RIDES OFF INTO THE SUNSET

It’s the end of the line. The Verge

GAMES, GAMES, GAMES

HERE'S JANUARY 2021'S PLAYSTATION PLUS LINEUP

Which titles are you looking forward to? Kotaku

CALL OF DUTY WARZONE'S STORY WRAPS IN NEW UNLOCKABLE CUTSCENE

Warzone's final mission is here, and it's wrapping up the nuke plot. GameSpot

GAMING FASHION

NINTENDO IS NOW SELLING REAL LIFE ANIMAL CROSSING DODO PILOT JACKETS

Now you can fly Dodo in style. GameSpot | Twitter

NEW GAMES

50 GAMES YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR RADAR IN 2021

Sentient black holes, cannibalistic cuties, raccoon detectives, and so much more--there's an game for everyone in 2021. GameSpot

8 BEST COOPERATIVE BOARD GAMES FOR 2021

From word and deception games to exploration and role-playing games, these will keep the holidays bright and fun. C|Net

REVIEWS

"SUPER MEAT BOY FOREVER IS NOT THE SEQUEL I WAS HOPING FOR"

"In the year of Spelunky 2 and Hades, it’s a letdown to see Meat Boy return without the key aspects that made it great." Kotaku

CALICO REVIEW

The fluffy pastel-candy aesthetic and charming setting of Calico is soured by simplistic gameplay. GameSpot

"CARTO'S COZY PUZZLES ARE JUST TOUGH ENOUGH"

Have you played Carto yet? Kotaku

STREAMERS

HUGE STREAMER RUST SERVER RUINED BY DDOS ATTACK AGAINST VALKYRAE, MYTH, AND MORE

After a bunch of top streamers joined forces for a mega game of Rust on a single server, their ambitious plans were spoiled by supposed DDoS attacks, rendering the server unplayable. Dexerto

TIPS AND TRICKS

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE XBOX GAME PASS

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription is about as close to “Netflix for games” as you can get. Kotaku

HARDWARE

YOU CAN NOW RESERVE A PREORDER FOR SAMSUNG'S GALAXY S21

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup of phones will reportedly debut on January 14th. The Verge

XIAOMI'S MI 11 WON'T COME WITH CHARGER AFTER IT MOCKED APPLE FOR NOT INCLUDING A CHARGER

Xiaomi’s CEO confirmed the decision on social media site Weibo. The Verge

APPLE WATCH LEAK OFFERS RARE GLIMPSE INSIDE 'ULTRA SECURITY PROGRAM'

New images and video purporting to show an Apple Watch prototype, concealed by a security case that resembles a tiny iPod, offer a rare look behind the product-development curtain of the notoriously secretive company built by Steve Jobs. The Verge | YouTube

GOOGLE INEXPLICABLY TAKES AWAY WIDE-ANGLE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FROM PIXEL PHONES

The Google Camera 8.1 update took away the feature for one specific lens.

The Verge

SAMSUNG APPEARS TO HAVE A NEW TILE COMPETITOR ON THE WAY

Introducing the Galaxy SmartTag. The Verge

YOUTUBE NEWS

GEORGENOTFOUND HIT 5 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

Congratulations, George! YouTube | Twitter

WANTED TO GROW A YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND STRUGGLED? READ THIS THREAD

Miguel Lozada discusses on Twitter his trick to grow his views.

Twitter | Twitter | YouTube

ROBERTO BLAKE HIT 500K SUBSCRIBERS

Congratulations, Roberto! YouTube

THAT'S SOME CRAZY SHIT!

A LOST GAME BOY ADD-ON CALLED THE WORKBOY HAS BEEN FOUND AFTER 28 YEARS

Your Game Boy could have helped store your addresses, manage your finances, and more. IGN