2020 has been a defining year for virtual reality. Many museums and travel agencies experimented with the technology for the first time because of Corona, Oculus launched the Quest 2 and an array of new experiences were released.

In this article, we grouped 5 of the best VR experiences that arrived this year. Of course, VR is a very broad field encompassing gaming, cinema, art, and theater, so it’s particularly difficult to come up with a balanced selection.

We strived for the best and picked 5 must-watch/play VR works.

1. Half-Life: Alyx

In 2004, Valve’s Half-Life 2 revolutionized the world of videogames thanks to its bold storytelling, physics and graphics. 16 years later, Half-Life: Alyx did the same for virtual reality.

As The Washington Post’s Gene Park put it, Half-Life: Alyx may be for VR what Citizen Kane represented for cinema.

If you have a SteamVR-compatible headset, this game is definitely a must-play.

1. All Kinds of Limbo

When the lockdown drew the curtain over theater stages across the world, many productions moved online.

Some shows were just toned-down replacements of the real deal, others were daring narrative experiments pushing the boundaries of online storytelling. In the latter group, we find the National Theatre’s All Kinds of Limbo.

Using VR technology to craft the staging, audiences step into the performance space with the musicians for an immersive musical experience to the tunes of reggae, grime, classical and calypso.

1. Great Hoax: The Moon Landing

Great Hoax: The Moon Landing is a satirical VR comedy in which players fake a moon landing for the Taiwanese government.

“I wanted to make an interactive political satire about the Taiwanese government faking our own moon landing and show the world that we can be ‘great’ too,” said director John Hsu, “you, the audience, are going to become ‘the first Taiwanese astronaut landing on the moon.’ If we cannot solve actual problems on Earth, we can always stun everyone with a spectacular show.”

Grat Hoax: The Moon Landing can still be found at festivals around the world.

1. Dreams PSVR

Media Molecule’s Dreams is a game that allows you to create other games. It was launched back in February and it quickly became a favorite of every budding game developer.

In July, Media Molecule added support for PlayStation VR bringing the game to the next level in terms of immersiveness and seamless interaction.

1. The Hangman at Home

What does the hangman think about when he goes home at night from work? The Hangman at Home is an interactive animated experience exploring themes surrounding acknowledgment and the awkward intimacy of humanness. It’s based on the poem by the iconic Carl Sandburg from Smoke & Steel (1922).

The Hangman at Home was the Grand Jury Prize winner of Best VR Immersive Work at the international Venice Film Festival 2020 and it’s one of the most compelling pieces of this year’s “serious” VR.

Credit header image: Media Molecule