It wasn't long ago that video games were viewed by many as being a niche form of entertainment. In recent years their appeal has become much more widespread, but with this came several attempts at gatekeeping against casual and indie games. For a long time, casual games were viewed as too simple to be "real" video games, and indie games were never able to get more wide-spread appeal. However, there's been a significant shift in gaming this year that has shown that video games are truly for everyone, no matter the genre or size.

2020's Game Awards cover several unique categories and games, though the one that showcases this shift in how gaming is viewed the most would have to be the "Game of the Year" category. Not only does the category include a wide range of genres, but it also includes both casual and indie games. Hades, the rouge-like hit developed by  Supergiant Games, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons sit as nominations alongside games like DOOM Eternal and The Last of Us Part II. 

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The "Game of the Year" category really showcases just how diverse the medium has become in 2020. For comparison, 2019's "Game of the Year" nominations were all standard action games like Death Stranding and the Resident Evil 2 remake. The most diverse game nominated last year was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Going from a category dominated by narrative-focused action games to nominations that have a little something from multiple major genres is a huge sign of how these once-niche genres are being viewed.

As for indie games, the "Best Indie" category really shines a light on just how big indie games have gotten. Being reminded that smash hits like Hades and Fall Guys are indie titles really reflects on the quality that independent publishers can produce. Hades being nominated for "Game of the Year" is even further evidence of how this genre of game development has evolved.

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To many, video games are more than just entertainment. They're a format that allows for levels of creative expression and storytelling that not many other mediums allow. For a long time, there have been many barriers that have kept people from understanding the appeal of the medium. Making the case that "casual" games shouldn't be considered in the same sentence as more traditional games only limits the kinds of people who can enjoy the medium.

In truth, many fans making these arguments were probably introduced to gaming through a casual medium. Games like Tetris, Animal Crossing and Minecraft were how many modern gamers fell in love with video games. Creating an appealing casual game is just as challenging as creating a narrative experience like Ghost of Tsushima. Instead of drawing players in with complex mechanics and lore-building, casual games need to craft gameplay that is simple enough to learn whilst still having enough complexity to master.

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A perfect example of this is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The basic idea of the game, decorating an island to attract more villagers to befriend, is incredibly inviting. Once a player gets into the game and starts to learn some of the deeper mechanics at play, they're able to master the game's customization and take it to another level to make their island paradise feel like their own.

When considering how video games have become much more universal in their appeal, look no further than the "Innovation in Accessibility" award, with games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and the 90's-themed Grounded nominated for the award. The category was added this year and should be a huge deal to the gaming world. Highlighting developers who go the extra mile to create accessibility options and features that allow a wider range of people to enjoy their games is incredibly important, as it promotes this kind of extra care across game development as a whole.

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There's already government regulation in the U.S. that mandates video games support accessibility options, but this regulation only actually applies to in-game communication. Providing things like color-blind options, support for accessibility controllers, text-to-speech for text-only games should be the standard, even if the field of accessibility in video games is a fairly new one. The Game Awards highlighting titles that focus on accessibility shows that developers are starting to realize the importance of the issue, with more hopefully following the example and allow video games to continue to become more accessible.

The Game Awards serve as a snapshot of the culture of gaming at the time. 2020's nominations showcase a shift away from triple-a dominance and the growth of video games as entertainment. Games may have earned their respect as entertainment already, but it hasn't really been until this year that they've achieved more wide-spread appeal. It doesn't matter if the game's casual or indie. Video games are for everyone.

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