Games Announced At The Game Awards You Can Play Right Now

The 2020 Game Awards aired live on the night of Dec. 10, awarding honors to game devs and voice actors for their hard work in 2020. The Last of Us 2 took home the coveted Game of the Year award, and Among Us (to no one's surprise) was awarded Best Multiplayer and Best Mobile game. There were even appearances by big name celebrities, including director Christopher Nolan and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who performed one of his hits which was featured in the emotional ending of The Last of Us 2. Even though the winners accepted their awards via Zoom, the excitement was no less palpable.

Perhaps even more exciting were the many games announced throughout the live show, including trailers for upcoming, long-awaited sequels like Dragon Age 4, and big surprises such as the addition of Final Fantasy favorite, Sephiroth, to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Many of the games revealed, unfortunately, will not be released until 2021-22, but there are a few gems that players can get their hands on while they wait.

For those who are looking to check out the newest games announced at the Game Awards, here are the ones you can play right now.

An "emotional, dream-like journey," Shady Part of Me comes from French indie studio Focus Home Interactive. The game is about a young girl and her shadow traveling through a dark dream world, and players can control them both to overcome various dangers. They do so by moving objects and switches, and, according to the game's website, they even have the ability to control time.

The trailer for Shady Part of Me revealed a very artistic animation style, with shades of blue, black, and gray for the color scheme. The worlds are mysterious and wondrous, like something dreamed up by Lewis Carrol, or maybe Tim Burton. There is also a nod to the famous Ecsher stairs artwork, adding to the dream-like quality of the setting. Game of Thrones fans might recognize the voice of the narrator to be Hannah Murray, who played Gilly in the popular fantasy TV series. 

For fans of puzzle games, and of dark, surreal environments, Shady Part of Me is available to play right now on Steam, PC, XBox One, PS4, and Switch.

Scavengers invites gamers to survive in a frozen wasteland in this sandbox PvE and PvP from Midwinter Entertainment. As seen in the trailer, the story takes place in a futuristic world where the earth was struck by an asteroid, causing it to freeze and leaving behind a nasty virus. Players join squads and take their instructions from an AI called Mother, going on missions to retrieve data and taking out anything else that gets in their way.

This strategic survival multiplayer forces players to use the icy environment to their advantage by using shelters, tracking, and special abilities. On top of battling rival squads, there are other dangers to contend with, including fighting off mutated monsters and gathering resources to stay warm and stave off hunger. Scavengers' website also says that the game is an "evolving experience," and will be adding more characters, maps, modes, and objectives over time. 

Although Scavengers hasn't quite launched yet, the game is now taking sign-ups for a Closed Beta on Steam. For those who are interested in receiving an invite, the sign-up is running until Dec. 21.

Last year's Game Awards was a thrill for fans of the Muppets when the show featured scientist Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, the latter also making an appearance in the Untitled Goose Game. Unfortunately, the clip was just a bit, and not a playable add-on. However, the Game Awards made up for it this year with the announcement that Overcooked: All You Can Eat – the multiplayer foodie game – now features everyone's favorite celebrity chef, the Swedish Chef.

The cooking simulator puts new meaning to the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen," as up to 4 players work together to prepare meals in a chaotic environment, earning as many points as possible within a strict time limit. These are not your ordinary kitchens, however, as Overcooked strives to make each level a challenge, even forcing your chefs into an icy environment where they have to cross over drifting glaciers to get to their prep stations.

Now with the Swedish Chef added to the roster, you can bet that Overcooked: All You Can Eat has even more shenanigans in store. The game is now available on Xbox S, Xbox X, and Playstation 5.

Fortnite saw huge success in its Season 4 release, Nexus War, which featured Marvel heroes like Thor, Iron Man, and She-Hulk, and culminated in a live event with the heroes battling the world-eating titan, Galactus. Now Fortnite has brought a new IP on the scene, making the announcement of Master Chief's arrival via a teaser trailer at the Game Awards. 

Available now in the Fortnite shop, Master Chief is the main protagonist of the popular Halo franchise, which has been a fan favorite since its first release in 2001. Master Chief has appeared in nearly every game of the series, and is also slated to star in the upcoming Halo Infinite for Xbox. The announcement trailer also featured guest characters from Red vs. Blue, a comedic computer animated web series from indie studio Rooster Teeth which parodies aspects of Halo and other shooters. A map of Halo's Blood Gulch is also now available on Fortnite, where players can battle it out in a game of Capture the Flag.

Gamers looking to purchase the Master Chief bundle can do so for 2600 V-bucks, while the Master Chief skin is also available separately for 1500 V-bucks.