Opinion Your favourite games of all time

[LEANIJA]

Every community/forum should have a thread were everyone lists their all-time favourites!

I wanted to compile a handy list of my favourite games of all time (so far) for a while now, so I figured I'd do that, and invite you all to join in.
I'll link Steam or GOG store pages where available, otherwise there'll be a link to MobyGames. This is gonna be a list as it stands right now. I figured not to simply fuse series together, but list individual games (also because not all games within a franchise are good, and most often I've not played them all). It's also chronological, and probably not complete, because you can bet I forgot something when I wrote all this down. Anyway, let's start!

I was born in 1984, so the first few games are older than me; my grandfather had them on his Philips Videopac console (known as Magnavox Odyssey in North America), and we played there as kids, and a few games stuck with me. Later, we got our own DOS PC (a IBM PS/1), and my older brothers "sourced" some games (from friends or whatever, I assume) most of which I've played for years to come and still enjoy playing today.

One of my brothers also had a GameBoy with a few games on it, noteably Tetris, which I played a lot - and later on PC versions, of course.
Not all these games I played when they came out, because we never had beefy PCs (until I bought myself one, basically), so we were always late to the party in the 90s.
You'll notice the absence of a lot of classics: either I didn't play them because I never owned a console (until I bought a used PS3 a few years ago to play a few of those PlayStationexclusives I was interested in) or I wasn't interested in the genre (I have a very selective taste in games). Not all of those I even finished, but rest assured, I spent a lot of time with each of these games, and I like them all - a lot.
There is a large focus on games from the past 10-15 years or so, when I bought way more games thanks to earning money and therefore could play more of them. Before that I couldn't afford to buy games, so I just played what I could get from my brothers or friends. I remember saving up for and buying SimCity 2000 in the late 90s was quite daunting... anyway, here's my list:

[TABLE=noborder]
[TR]
[TH]Game name[/TH][TH]Year[/TH][TH]Platform[/TH][TH]Developer[/TH][TH]Link to Steam/GOG/MobyGames - plus some notes[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Showdown in 2100 AD​

[/TD]
[TD]

1979​

[/TD]
[TD]

Philips Videopac​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ed Averett​

[/TD]
[TD]

Showdown in 2100 A.D. for Odyssey 2 (1979) - MobyGames

In an authentic acre of the old west, two gunslingers (human or android) duel for their lives. Each one has six bullets in his gun, and trees are placed all around.Each player has to hit his opponent ten times in order to win. At each hit, both players get their guns reloaded. They can also...

www.mobygames.com

a simple two player shoot-out game with a wild west theme, lots of fun.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Attack of the Timelord (AKA Terrahawks)​

[/TD]
[TD]

1982​

[/TD]
[TD]

Philips Videopac​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ed & Linda Averett​

[/TD]
[TD]

Attack of the Timelord! for Odyssey 2 (1982) - MobyGames

The player has just attracted the attention of Spyrus the Deathless, the Timelord of Chaos, and his only defense is his Time Machine's laser cannon. The Timelord will now send his fleet of Time Ships to destroy the player.In this space shooter the player controls the Time Machine horizontally...

www.mobygames.com

visibly inspired by Space Invaders, you fend off waves of UFOs with a moveable turret on the ground​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

K.C.'s Krazy Chase!​

[/TD]
[TD]

1982​

[/TD]
[TD]

Philips Videopac​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ed Averett​

[/TD]
[TD]

K.C.'s Krazy Chase! for Odyssey 2 (1982) - MobyGames

In this sequel to K.C. Munchkin!, our hero confronts the dreaded tree-eating Dratapillars of Venus!The player controls K.C. in a top-down maze. K.C. must defeat Dratapillar, a multicolored centipede, by eating each of its round segments from the rear, avoiding to touch its head. K.C. must also...

www.mobygames.com

Pac-Man inspired simple game. Same map over and over that just gets faster each time you beat it, with the goal of reaching a high score (that the console didnt save between sessions. good times).
These games can be played online here: ARCHIVE.ORG Console Library: Magnavox Odyssey 2 : Free Software : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Prince of Persia​

[/TD]
[TD]

1989​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Jordan Mechner​

[/TD]
[TD]

Prince of Persia for Amiga (1990) - MobyGames

While the Sultan of Persia is fighting a war in a foreign country, his Grand Vizier Jaffar orchestrates a coup d'état. His way to the throne lies through the Sultan's lovely daughter. Jaffar kidnaps her and threatens to kill her if she refuses to marry him. Meanwhile, the man the Princess loves...

www.mobygames.com

a classic platformer, I still love the original game with its exquiste levels, setting and just look & feel. Superb!​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

SimCity​

[/TD]
[TD]

1989​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Maxis​

[/TD]
[TD]

SimCity for Acorn 32-bit (1993) - MobyGames

SimCity sets you as the mayor of a new municipality, with the responsibility of building and maintaining a place where citizens can move to and work and be happy. The first task is to place essentials such as housing, transport links, schools, factories and shops. There are 50 types of these...

www.mobygames.com

a classic city builder. Building cities in SC is still fun to this day. SC2000 and later 3000 were better, but the simplicity of the first is something beautiful in it's own right. I loved just building cities and watch them grow.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Tetris​

[/TD]
[TD]

1989​

[/TD]
[TD]

GameBoy​

[/TD]
[TD]

Alexey Pajitnov​

[/TD]
[TD]

Tetris for Game Boy (1989) - MobyGames

This version of Tetris is one of many conversions of the famous block-stacking game, and was included with the Game Boy upon its release in several territories. The goal is to place pieces made up of four tiles in a ten-by-twenty well, organizing them into complete rows, which then disappear. As...

www.mobygames.com

it's Tetris, what else is there to say? It's awesome, it's simple and effective.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Ski or die​

[/TD]
[TD]

1990​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Electronic Arts​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ski or Die for Amiga (1990) - MobyGames

Ski or Die is a winter-themed extreme sports game in which the player can competes in 5 different events:Downhill Blitz: Downhill skiing event in which the player can make large jumps over chasms and perform stunts in the moguls section Innertube Trash: Two players descend a mountain in...

www.mobygames.com

a sequel to "Skate or die" (which I never played) with several winter-themed minigames, like halfpipe snowboarding, downhill skiing, snowball, acrobatic ski jumping... lots of fun (except the minigames that required two keyboards for function properly)​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Secret of Monkey Island​

[/TD]
[TD]

1990​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Lucasfilm Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

classic LucasArts adventure. I always preferred the sequel, but this is also very good! Great characters, humor, setting, storytelling, soundtrack.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Commander Keen: Secret of the Oracle​

[/TD]
[TD]

1991​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

still a very good platformer. the other episodes I actually never played much.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion​

[/TD]
[TD]

1991​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

Dangerous Dave Pack on GOG.com

www.gog.com

side scrolling platformer/shooter in the titular haunted mansion, full of deadly enemies, you have only a shotgun to dispatch them. Creepy theme, very hard, especially for a kid ... it has no save system whatsoever. I'm not sure I ever beat it all in one go (there are cheats to skip ahead levels, so I went ahead and used that as a "save system" later on)​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Lemmings​

[/TD]
[TD]

1991​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Lemmings for DOS (1991) - MobyGames

Your task is to rescue the Lemmings across 120 levels of fast-paced puzzling. These creatures simply walk blindly through the world in the hope of reaching safety at the end of the level - unfortunately these levels include steep drops, gaps in the ground, barriers and rivers amongst other...

www.mobygames.com

it's Lemmings. It's awesome. It can be tough though. I wish Sony would release the originals on Steam/GOG.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Games: Winter Challenge​

[/TD]
[TD]

1991​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ballistic​

[/TD]
[TD]

Summer & Winter: Olympic Challenge

SUMMER CHALLENGE Summer Challenge pits you against international athletes in eight graph

www.gog.com

an unofficial winter olympics game with ski jumping,alpine skiing, cross country, luge and more. there was also a summer games, which I played ages later.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis​

[/TD]
[TD]

1992​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Lucasfilm Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

a point & click adventure game that should've been the fourth Indiana Jones film, it was so good.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Monkey Island 2: LeChucks Revenge​

[/TD]
[TD]

1992​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Lucasfilm Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

the best Monkey Island game, and thats already among the best adventure games series. A game that does puzzling, challenge, atmosphere and humor absolutely right. I really liked that this one does away with the insult fighting: yup, I never liked those, but they kept bringing that back for the sequels.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Wolfenstein 3D​

[/TD]
[TD]

1992​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

a game to be played in secrecy, not only because it was violent, but also because it had swastikas all over it, and back then people didn't quite understand video games to be an art form and not simply toys. Anyway, the FPS was born here, and it still has charm today.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Day of the Tentacle​

[/TD]
[TD]

1993​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

LucasArts​

[/TD]
[TD]

probably the best adventure game I know. the time-travel puzzles are mind-bending, and overall its just a super fun game. another rare instance of a game that gets humor right.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Doom​

[/TD]
[TD]

1993​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

I only played the original Doom in the late 90s, and I played Doom II first, so the first one did not have that effect it had on so many people... but it is nevertheless a great game, still today.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Sam and Max hit the Road​

[/TD]
[TD]

1993​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

LucasArts​

[/TD]
[TD]

Another classic LucasArts adventure, also with great humor, great locales, funny characters, lots of absurdity. The later Telltale Sam and Max games were also not too bad.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

SimCity 2000​

[/TD]
[TD]

1993​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Maxis​

[/TD]
[TD]

SimCity™ 2000 Special Edition on GOG.com

www.gog.com

SimCity, just more of it, prettier, better. I spent sooo many hours with this. A triumph of game development. I wish GOG would have the vastly superior Windows 95 version instead of the DOS version.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Doom II​

[/TD]
[TD]

1994​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

Improves on Doom in so many ways... I prefer this one -- but then again, I played it first...​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Duke Nukem 3D​

[/TD]
[TD]

1996​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

3D Realms​

[/TD]
[TD]

Classic shooter that pioneered interactivity, had great level design, memorable weapons, distinct enemies, cool music, and just overally was a good time. I played through this a couple of times. It's still great! Which is showcased by about a million remasters and ports, including the 20th Anniversary World Tour that featured a whole new episode (but wasnt as good as the Megaton edition that was removed from sale)​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Super Mario 64​

[/TD]
[TD]

1996​

[/TD]
[TD]

N64​

[/TD]
[TD]

Nintendo EAD​

[/TD]
[TD]

Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64 (1996) - MobyGames

Mario is invited to Peach's castle, but when he arrives Peach is nowhere to be seen. He soon learns from Toad that Bowser has once again kidnapped her. The Koopa King has also put a spell on her castle, imprisoning her subjects. So it is up to Mario to break the spell and rescue Peach.Super...

www.mobygames.com

I played this on a N64 at the waiting room of a dentists office when it came out... and then years later on PC via emulator, where I actually finished it. Still held up. Great platformer.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto​

[/TD]
[TD]

1997​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Steam Community :: Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto - Drive dozens of varied vehicles around three of America's toughest cities. Only the best will be able to tame the fastest cars. Only the smartest will know all the short-cuts and the whereabouts of the hottest wheels. Only the toughest will be able to take on the world and...

steamcommunity.com

the first GTA was such a revelation and heralded so much of the hallmarks of the series already... open world that could be traversed by foot or vehicle, open mission structure, freedom to do whatever... it was great.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Ignition (AKA Bleifuss FUN)​

[/TD]
[TD]

1997​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Unique Development Studios​

[/TD]
[TD]

A fun little racer, nothing special probably, just has a place in my heart for some reason. Quite enjoyable to play.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Curse of Monkey Island​

[/TD]
[TD]

1997​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

LucasArts​

[/TD]
[TD]

Even without series creator Ron Gilbert, LucasArts crafted a worthy Monkey Island... this time. The next one wasnt that great.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto 2​

[/TD]
[TD]

1999​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Steam Community :: Grand Theft Auto 2

Grand Theft Auto 2 - Grand Theft Auto is back. The cars are faster. The streets are busier. The bad guys are nastier. The police are angrier. And now, the FBI and the Army are getting involved... Seven ruthless gangs are involved in a ruthless power struggle and it is up to you to make a name...

steamcommunity.com

Improved on GTA in pretty much all ways, I played this one a LOT.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

RollerCoaster Tycoon​

[/TD]
[TD]

1999​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Chris Sawyer​

[/TD]
[TD]

I also played this one a LOT. I don't enjoy (city) builders with too many intricate systems... I like simplicity, and RCT was rather simple and relaxing. Failing was hard, and the focus was to just build a nice park! Great game, still today.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

SimCity 3000​

[/TD]
[TD]

1999​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Maxis​

[/TD]
[TD]

SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited on GOG.com

www.gog.com

This was the last SimCity, I feel, that nailed what I like about them, the aforementioned simplicity whilst still having a degree of depth. SC4 was too complex already for my taste, but plenty people loved it. And SC2013 wasn't good.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Soldier of Fortune​

[/TD]
[TD]

2000​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Raven Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

Soldier of Fortune: Platinum Edition on GOG.com

www.gog.com

A great FPS, where you could shoot specific body parts, something not seen before (if I remember correctly). But more importantly, just a blast to play. It was a bit of a prototype of later "modern military shooters", but this is still quite simple with it's storytelling.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]American McGee's Alice[/TD][TD]2000[/TD][TD]PC[/TD][TD]Rogue Entertainment[/TD][TD]

American McGee's Alice for Macintosh (2001) - MobyGames

Shortly after Alice returned from the miraculous trip through the Looking-Glass, her house was burnt down, and her parents died in the fire. Alice was the only survivor of the terrible accident. After repeated attempts at suicide, she gets locked up inside a mental institution and is slowly...

www.mobygames.com

Quite unique - at the time - puzzle action plaformer, with a dark twisted wonderland and a more mature Alice on a rampage. Lots of fun![/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2[/TD][TD]2000[/TD][TD]PC[/TD][TD]Ritual Entertainment[/TD][TD]

Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2 for Linux (2001) - MobyGames

Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 is a third-person Action/Adventure, based on the Heavy Metal franchise (the comic books, movie, cartoon, etc.).The story takes place some years after the most recent movie, and basically involves big bad aliens threatening the planet of Eden, the home of Julie (aka...

www.mobygames.com

Beautiful (at the time) action game set on a exotic planet, with many otherwordly enemies to dispatch, with the help of a large and diverse weapons arsenal. Unfortunately this game is still in copyright limbo after Ritual got bought up by MumboJumbo in 2007 -- shame.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto III​

[/TD]
[TD]

2001​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

the first 3D GTA was revolutionary and paved the way for open world games... and it was really good back then. Although playing it now is something I wouldn't necessarily recommend.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Return to Castle Wolfenstein​

[/TD]
[TD]

2001​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Grey Matter Interactive​

[/TD]
[TD]

a worthy sequel and update to the Wolfenstein formula, a great shooter.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto Vice City​

[/TD]
[TD]

2002​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

improved on GTA III in all ways, really good. Liked the Miami setting. They probably started overdoing film references here already.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Beyond Good & Evil​

[/TD]
[TD]

2003​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ubisoft Montpellier​

[/TD]
[TD]

ah... Beyond Good & Evil. such a unique game, undersold unfortunately, and I fear B&GE2 is gonna be Ubified...​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas​

[/TD]
[TD]

2004​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

the pinnacle of the early GTAs, and easily one of my favourite games within this favourite game list. So much to do in this game, and this one is actually still fun to play (except following the damn train)​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

World of Warcraft​

[/TD]
[TD]

2004​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Blizzard​

[/TD]
[TD]

World of Warcraft

Join thousands of mighty heroes in Azeroth, a world of magic and limitless adventure.

worldofwarcraft.com

a behemoth of a MMORPG that I played extensively (more than any other game ever). I even raided with a guild in 2007 and 2008. since then I play it more casually, usually when Addons release. New areas are always a joy to explore, and its still fun. And: you can play it mostly alone. An MMO that can be played solo: my type of MMO.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Portal​

[/TD]
[TD]

2007​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Valve​

[/TD]
[TD]

It's Portal. It's simply an amazing first person puzzle game, no wonder it spawned a whole slew of games inspired by it.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Dragon Age: Origins​

[/TD]
[TD]

2009​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

BioWare​

[/TD]
[TD]

Great RPG, cool story, locales and likable characters. I liked the other ones too, but there's just something about the original.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Trine​

[/TD]
[TD]

2009​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Frozenbyte​

[/TD]
[TD]

Such a great puzzle platformer, where you switch between three characters (thief, warrior, mage) to overcome obstacles. Beautiful scenery, beautiful music, gorgeous altogether.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Amnesia: The Dark Descent​

[/TD]
[TD]

2010​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Frictional Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

Bloody good horror game. Play at night with headphones.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Alice: Madness Returns​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

SpicyHorse​

[/TD]
[TD]

Sequel to American McGee's Alice, and better on many counts, but it has some parts that seem needlessly long. Still,enjoyable, beautiful game. Also: quadruple jump. Looking forward to Alice: Asylum, currently in early development​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Bastion​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Supergiant​

[/TD]
[TD]

Fun gameplay,cool narration gimmick, interesting premise of rebuilding that could Bastion, and awesome music. Kind of a shame that the other Supergiant games were never as good - to me.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Eidos Montréal​

[/TD]
[TD]

Amazing immersive sim that I've played through many many times. It's still so great. It has this amazing near-future cyberpunk vibe, and it makes stealth, hacking and ghosting through levels so satisfying.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Portal 2​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Valve​

[/TD]
[TD]

It's Portal, but longer. Which is a good thing in my opinion.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Saints Row: The Third​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Volition​

[/TD]
[TD]

Saints Row finally came to its own here, when it threw away the shackles of being a "GTA clone" and the at times disturbing seriousness of SR2. It became just what it needed to be, a completely over the top action romp. Loved pretty much everything about it.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Terraria​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Re-Logic​

[/TD]
[TD]

Thanks to TotalBiscuit, I played this game a lot. It was a lot of fun to dig, collect, build and craft and seek adventure. How Re-Logic kept updating this game for ages deserves applause.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim​

[/TD]
[TD]

2011​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Bethesda​

[/TD]
[TD]

Superb open world RPG. Some call it dumbed down or streamlined, but I can do without overburdening complexity. There is still SO much to do within this world. I played Skyrim quite a lot, and check in on my character every now and then still.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Dishonoured​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Arkane Studios​

[/TD]
[TD]

Amazing immersive sim with a very distinct style. Very unique quasi Victorian setting, intrieguing characters, a bit mediocre story, but simply great gameplay and levels. Combat is very satisfying, and so is sneaking. Great game.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

38 Studios, Big Huge Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

Came out while Skyrim was still king and suffered for it, but it was a really good open world RPG.
It also suffered somewhat from some MMO-like sidequests, but its main story and the faction questlines were very good, the world was interesting, it looks amazing, and the combat is just super satisfying.
THQNordic owns the IP now, I'm curious if we will see a sequel in a few years.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Legend of Grimrock​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Almost Human​

[/TD]
[TD]

Gridbased dungeon crawler, very oldschool. Lots of puzzles, careful treading in the dark where many dangers lie...this game oozes atmosphere.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Super Hexagon​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC, Android​

[/TD]
[TD]

Terry Cavanagh​

[/TD]
[TD]

A perfect arcarde game! Extremely simple and infinitely replayable.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Walking Dead: Season 1​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Telltale​

[/TD]
[TD]

A very good point and click adventure with - at least here - a good illusion of choice. Like the characters and world building. Didn't like the sequels much.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

They Bleed Pixels​

[/TD]
[TD]

2012​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Spooky Squid​

[/TD]
[TD]

Super hard platformer with a Cthulhu inspired theme, slick controls, awesome music... and an easy mode I did make it quite far in the normal mode, but at some point it became too frustrating and I applaud the devs for including the choice of an easy mode for people will less skill. Especially in platformers: I love em, but at some point they all seem to go mega-hardcore and just too much for me. And I'm not into video gaming to get frustrated.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Grand Theft Auto V​

[/TD]
[TD]

2013​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Rockstar North (DMA Design)​

[/TD]
[TD]

A great game and awesome, beautiful world with a really mediocre story and really unlikable characters. It's weird. But still very very good. Curious what they will do with GTA6...​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Gunpoint​

[/TD]
[TD]

2013​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Suspicious Developments​

[/TD]
[TD]

Cool stealth game about manipulating electic circuits to open doors, switch off lights and camera etc. Great, funny writing frames the missions. Not long, but worth playing. Also: great jazzy soundtrack.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Saints Row IV​

[/TD]
[TD]

2013​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Volition​

[/TD]
[TD]

Just pushes Saints Row absurdity even further, this time with superpowers. Game of the Century ​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Trine 2​

[/TD]
[TD]

2013​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Frozenbyte​

[/TD]
[TD]

Like Trine, but more. Not a bad thing, mind you. Not all sequels have to innovate on all fronts. Trine 3 did that: they went fully 3D, and an awkward camera movement (alongside gatekeeping: you had to complete sidequests to further the main story) made that one less enjoyable. Looking forward to Trine 4, releasing this October, which will return to the sidescrolling platfromer formula that made the series so lovable.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Last of Us​

[/TD]
[TD]

2013​

[/TD]
[TD]

PS3​

[/TD]
[TD]

Naughty Dog​

[/TD]
[TD]

Really well realised action adventure. Relatable main characters, good setting, good writing. It really lived up to the hype, even if I wasnt so impressed at first. Was worth playing. Not sure if it was worth getting a PS3 for it, though. I played some other PS-exclusives on it, and Bayonetta was great as well, (but that came out on PC later anyway), but the other ones didn't grab me. I also hate being forced to use a controller, and I am certain that TLOU would play way better with mouse and keyboard.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Wolfenstein: The New Order​

[/TD]
[TD]

2014​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

MachineGames​

[/TD]
[TD]

A worthy modern take on the Wolfenstein formula. Too bad MachineGames made lesser sequels afterwards​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Life is Strange​

[/TD]
[TD]

2015​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Dontnod​

[/TD]
[TD]

Started out a bit cringey, but became a really good adventure really soon. I hear lashman likes Life is Strange 2.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain​

[/TD]
[TD]

2015​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Kojima Productions​

[/TD]
[TD]

Very good stealth action, cool soundtrack, great setting and missions, bonkers story, but everything is just very well made and highly enjoyable.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Rise of the Tomb Raider​

[/TD]
[TD]

2015​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Crystal Dynamics​

[/TD]
[TD]

In my opinion the best TR game so far.. I like more of them, including TR Underworld and TR2013, but this is my favourite. I remember playing TR III back in the day and wanting to like it more than I did, because something was always off, but with "Rise", they got it right.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt​

[/TD]
[TD]

2015​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

CD Projekt RED​

[/TD]
[TD]

A beautifully realised, massive, amazing RPG to get absolutely lost in. I still havent finished Blood and Wine, actually. Put a lot of hours in the rest, however. I wish for a sequel featuring Ciri as the main protagnonist.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Assassin's Creed Syndicate​

[/TD]
[TD]

2015​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ubisoft Quebec​

[/TD]
[TD]

My favourite AC game. I like them in general, but their stories and characters are often forgettable (the settings are the star). Syndicate with Evie Frye, however, are more likable than the generic AC dudes, and London is great to explore and take over from rival gangs.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided​

[/TD]
[TD]

2016​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Eidos Montréal​

[/TD]
[TD]

More Deus Ex Human Revolution, refined, expanded, improved. Prague makes a really cool hub city. It might be small, but its chock-full of stuff anyway. I wish developers would more often set games in European cities instead of New York, LA or Chicago for the millionth time.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Dishonoured 2​

[/TD]
[TD]

2016​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Arkane Studios​

[/TD]
[TD]

More Dishonored, and better of course. A sequel done right.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Doom 2016​

[/TD]
[TD]

2016​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

id Software​

[/TD]
[TD]

It's DOOM. The classic game was reinvented superbly here.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice​

[/TD]
[TD]

2017​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ninja Theory​

[/TD]
[TD]

Oh man, this game... playing as Senua, a Celtic warrior battlng Norse hell-creatures and, more importantly, her own psychosis.... it can be quite taxing, and its so amazingly well done, especially with headphones, where the voices in Senuas head become so prominent... I tried it in VR once, and that was quite impressive as well.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

NieR:Automata​

[/TD]
[TD]

2017​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Platinum Games​

[/TD]
[TD]

I dont know how to describe this game accurately, but you should probably play it. A triumph of storytelling innovation.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard​

[/TD]
[TD]

2017​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Capcom​

[/TD]
[TD]

After Amnesia, many horror games went down the same route: you were thrown into the darkness without weapons or other help... it became a genre trope that got old fast. RE7 struck a balance between being able to fight back and feeling like prey anyway. Good game! RE2 remake also turned out fantastic!​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Dead Cells​

[/TD]
[TD]

2018​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Motion Twin​

[/TD]
[TD]

I don't like rogue-like games, but this one is just superb. It is so fun to play through these (procedually-generated) levels, even if its many many times. Still, I would not mind a handcrafted set of levels to play through, with a save system, etc. They just would have to make a whole new game mode for that.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Gris​

[/TD]
[TD]

2018​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Nomada​

[/TD]
[TD]

Not heavy on the gameplay, this one - light platforming and puzzling -, but amazingly presented with gorgeous art and music, sucks you into the gameworld completely. It's also short, so anyone could complete it in an evening, which I find is a good length for a game like this. It doesn't overstay its welcome!​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Hitman: World of Assassination​

[/TD]
[TD]

2016
2018
2021​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

io Interactive​

[/TD]
[TD]

Ah, what a wonderful game. So many maps (when including the previous games' content it becomes a really really large game), with so many great missions to do, so many extra contracts, and so many ways to fulfill said missions/contracts... Great game. And thankfully they're not done yet.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

A Plague Tale: Innocence​

[/TD]
[TD]

2019​

[/TD]
[TD]

PC​

[/TD]
[TD]

Asobo​

[/TD]
[TD]

A game about two siblings during the outbreak of the plague in the 1349, as they sneak past deadly rats, the Inquisition looking for them, and simply trying to survive. Light puzzling, simple but robust stealth in an otherwise very story- and character-based game that breathes atmosphere. It's gorgeous, it's music is beautiful as well, and it has just drawn me in in such a way that I played it twice in a row. It's linear and not very long, but it's just so good.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

So, there you have it, my favourite games of all time so far... what are yours?

 

[texhnolyze]

Wait, how do you make a table in a forum post?

Fake edit: Oh shit, it's been there all along, isn't it? Lol.

True edit: Here's my favorite games:

• Chrono Cross
• Dragon Age Origins
• Divinity: Original Sin 2
• Fallout 2
• Fallout New Vegas
• Final Fantasy IX
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Mass Effect 2
• The Witcher 3
• Suikoden 2

I can't really explain why I love these games into words. What matters is that they really have a special place in my heart.

 

[LEANIJA]

Wait, how do you make a table in a forum post?

Fake edit: Oh shit, it's been there all along, isn't it? Lol.

But in my case, I simply copied over the table I already had done in LibreOffice

 

[Wok]

This is a great list, but you are missing some PC games by very talented devs (Derek Yu, Jonathan Blow, Edmund McMillen, Matt Thorson, Terry Cavanagh, Michel Ancel, Eric Chahi). Any game which has their name on it is usually one of my favourite games of all time. I would add Crash Bandicoot too.

 

[Flips]

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
• The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone

This is a great list, but you are missing some PC games by very talented devs (Derek Yu, Jonathan Blow, Edmund McMillen, Matt Thorson, Terry Cavanagh, Michel Ancel, Eric Chahi). Any game which has their name on it is usually one of my favourite games of all time. I would add Crash Bandicoot too.

Should I be concerned that I don't know any of these names?

 

[Wok]

Should I be concerned that I don't know any of these names?

 

[Routa]

I'll do a little writeup when I have some time. Nice idea

 

[Trisolarian]

Quick, off the top of my head gut stuff.

-Fallout New Vegas
-Trackmania, all of them
-Rocket League
-DOOM
-Left 4 Dead 2
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
-The Binding of Isaac Rebirth-Afterbirth-All DLC.
(x number until 50)

 

[sauce]

The true enduring favorite that's lasted all these years for me is Baten Kaitos. That and the Zelda series, but what I consider my favorite out of those is always in flux. I also have a soft spot for Tales of Legendia but it's a pretty flawed game.

Should I be concerned that I don't know any of these names?

If you don't know their names, you probably at least know their games. Derek Yu's is Spelunky, Johnathan Blowhard is Braid and The Witness, Edmund McMillen is Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac, Terry Cavanagh is VVVVVV and Super Hexagon. The other 3 I recognize but don't remember their games lol. Looking it up Matt Thorson is Celeste, Michel Ancel is Rayman, and Eric Chahi is Another World.

 

[LEANIJA]

This is a great list, but you are missing some PC games by very talented devs (Derek Yu, Jonathan Blow, Edmund McMillen, Matt Thorson, Terry Cavanagh, Michel Ancel, Eric Chahi). Any game which has their name on it is usually one of my favourite games of all time. I would add Crash Bandicoot too.

Oh, of course, I didn't set out to do a comprehensive best of list that would be for everyone, this is just my personal list, hence omissions that would feature elsewhere, and some inclusions that surely wouldn't be make most lists.

That said, I do have Ancel (Beyond Good and Evil -- Rayman Legends is something I could also include, yeah) and Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon) in there.

For the others: I wasn't a fan of Spelunky (Yu) or Braid (Blow), I liked The Witness (Blow), but it's not a favourite, same for Super Meat Boy (McMillen).
I didn't play Celeste (I had this on my wishlist for a while, but ultimately decided not to get it), Towerfall (both Thorson), Crash Bandicoot, or From Dust (Chahi). Another World (also Chahi) also wasn't my bag.
So, it's just stuff that I couldn't include because either it wasn't my taste, in my favourites or even on my radar BUT -- that's just me! That's why I wanna see other people's lists of favourite games!

 

[Flips]

If you don't know their names, you probably at least know their games. Derek Yu's is Spelunky, Johnathan Blowhard is Braid and The Witness, Edmund McMillen is Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac, Terry Cavanagh is VVVVVV and Super Hexagon. The other 3 I recognize but don't remember their games lol. Looking it up Matt Thorson is Celeste, Michel Ancel is Rayman, and Eric Chahi is Another World.

Thanks. I've heard of the games but haven't played a single one of them

 

[Wok]

Derek Yu is behind Spelunky, but also Aquaria. Both are near the very top of my favorite PC games. Soon Spelunky 2.
As others mentioned, Jonathan Blow is behind Braid and The Witness.
Edmund McMillen was for Super Meat Boy and the Isaac games, but also The End is Nigh (free on EGS this week, also in the Humble Trove). Soon Bum-bo.
Matt Thorson for Celeste (and its impressive Pico-8 prototype called "Celeste Classic"), and Towerfall (which is amazing with friends).
Terry Cavanagh for VVVVVV, Super Hexagon, and more recently Dicey Dungeons.
Michel Ancel for all of the Rayman games, and Beyong Good and Evil.
Eric Chahi for Heart of Darkness and Another World. I have yet to play From Dust.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I'd need to go and sit and properly think about this first but definitely my number 1 is Deus Ex

 

[Rosenkrantz]

I'm a boring person, so my list is pretty standard:

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Deus Ex
Planescape
Baldur's Gate II
Thief
HL/HL2
Broken Sword 1-3/LucasArts/The Longest Journey
Dead Space/Amnesia/SOMA/Alien: Isolation
Persona 4/FF VIII (yes, I prefer VIII to VII, deal with it).

 

[MJunioR]

In no particular order outside of GTA SA that's my absolute favorite:

GTA SA
Sleeping Dogs
Sims 3
Yakuza 0
Witcher 3
Saints Row 2
Age of Empires II
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2
CSGO

 

[Digoman]

Oooohh.. I'm going to have to think if we are talking such a big list, but a good top 5 to start would be:

• Wing Commander 2 (1991)
  • "Space-sim" with great presentation and narrative... all the things I like.
• Star Control 2 (1992)
  • Amazing world, great writing and simple but very fun battles.
• Half-life (1998)
  • Don't really need to say a lot about this one.
• Thief 2 (2000)
  • Probably the greatest stealth game ever. The sound design on this was insane for the time.
• The Witcher 3 including the DLCs (2015)
  • I really liked the previous games but got completely sucked in by this one. Started a new game as soon as I finished (didn't even had a new games plus yet) just so I wouldn't have to leave it.

Overall, I think my all time favorite still is Star Control 2, but maybe in a couple of years I'm going to say it's the Witcher 3.

Now, for some other entries that I found with a quick search. I'm probably missing a lot.

• Prince Of Persia (1989)
• Another World (1991)
• Populous 2 (1991)
• King's Quest VI (1992)
  • I have a fondness for most Sierra games and KQ5 was particularity impressive in VGA, but this one is still probably one of the best.
• Indiana Jones: Fate of Atlantis (1992 )
  • I did very much enjoy the LucasArts adventures, but this one was simply... special. And yes, the "true" sequel to the films.
• Syndicate (1993)
• Star Wars: X-Wing (1993)
  • Didn't have the "story" of Wing Commander, but played a lot better.
• Under a Killing Moon (1994)
  • Cheesy FMV as hell and not even the best Tex Murphy game, but it had a charm to it that I latched onto.
• The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (1995)
  • One of the best FMV games ever.
• Duke Nukem 3D (1996)
  • It was just so much fun both playing the single player and on LANs.
• Quake (1996)
  • Not the single player game... but with Quakeworld online... so many CTFs matches.
• Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997)
  • Star Wars FPS with FMV cutscenes.
• Fallout 2 (1998)
• System Shock 2 (1999)
• Homeworld (1999)
  • The ambience... the music.... the mothership....
• Diablo 2 (2000)
• Deus Ex (2000)
• GTA: Vice City (2002)
  • No.. not the best GTA, but I still remember driving around with that soundtrack.
• Day of Defeat (2003) and Day of Defeat Source (2005)
  • It was the game that I played a lot with friends on a LAN house.
• Half-life 2 (2004)
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004)
  • The first one was also a favorite, but Kreia puts this one on top.
• Mass Effect
  • 1) Bioware RPG, 2) Space theme, 3) Leap in presentation style. 4) Goodbye my money.
• Dragon Age Origins: 2009
  • It didn't have all the "flare" of Mass Effect, and intially appears to be standard fantasy RPG, but tactical gameplay, amazing companions and great writing make stand out as also one of my favorite games ever. A great marriage between old and new style RPGs for the time.

Ooof.. that's enough for now. Need to think about this last decade (Bioshock and so on).

 

[OSatan]

Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Rez
MGS 1-5
Warframe
Path of Exiles

 

[kio]

My top 2 are easy to mention because of how far ahead of everything ever released both games are:

• #1 - Planescape: Torment
• #2 - Deus Ex

After that, and off the top of my head, they are in no particular order:

• Dark Souls
• Hollow Knight
• Furi
• Max Payne 2
• Transistor
• Divinity: Original Sin 2
• The Settlers 2
• Super Metroid
• Commandos 2

 

[sk2k]

On C64.
.Below the Root
.Steel Thunder
.Turrican / Turrican II
.Last Ninja 2
.Elite
.X-Out
....and a lot of others i forgot.

On Amiga.
.Ambermoon
.Gods
.Lionheart
.Lemmings

On PC.
.Gunship 2000
.The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
.Ultima Undworld / Ultima Underworld II
.Schleichfahrt (also known as Archimedean Dynasty)
.Half Life
.MDK
.Outcast
.Deus Ex
.Deus Ex: Human Revolution
.Witcher 3

My REAL TOP games. Nothing beats them.
.Gothic / Gothic 2
.Doom / Doom II
.Thief Gold / Thief II
.System Shock / System Shock 2

There are a lot of mods and levels out for Doom/Doom2 and you can also play a lot of fan missions for the Thief games.

Also Minecraft. Playing it with mods is a lot of fun.

 

[NarohDethan]

Super Mario 64
Yakuza 0
Metal Gear Solid 3
Tomb Raider 2013
Tropico 4
PUBG
Megaman X
Mortal Kombat 3 despite being a piece of shit
Okami
Tales of Symphonia
Zelda WindWaker
Zelda Majora’s Mask
Battlefield 3
No More Heroes

 

[Ge0force]

C&C series (especially Generals)
Battle for middle Earth 2
Unreal Tournament 2003
F. E. A. R (only the first one)
Zelda: Link's Awakening
Metroid 2
Mortal Kombat 2
Invisible Inc
R6 Siege
Grim Dawn
Unreal
Dishonored 1 + 2
Battlefield BC2
Gabriel Knight 3
TW: Warhammer 1 + 2
Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis
Donkey Kong County: Tropical Freeze

And much, much more!

 

[Ascheroth]

Hm, I don't really think about it that much, but I guess the first 3 would be "top of the top" favorites since they immediately come to mind whenever this question is ask, but there are a lot of other games I really like as well.


Trails in the Sky the 3rd


The House in Fata Morgana


Deadly Premonition

---

The Last Remnant

Ys Origin


Gothic 2


Nier: Automata


Undertale


Dark Souls

 

[BlueOdin]

Miserable with long writeups but here’s a list in no particular order

• Tetris DS
• Mark of the Ninja
• Max Payne 3
• The Witcher 3
• Divinity: Original Sin 2
• Fallout New Vegas
• Dragon Quest XI/Dragon Quest VI
• Half-Life 2
• Persona 4
• Portal (2)
• Chrono Trigger
• Pokemon Silver
• Return of the Obra Dinn
• Suikoden 2
• Assassin's Creed 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Earthbound
• Yakuza 0
• Sekiro
• Cuphead
• Dark Souls

And probably some other stuff that I can't remember just now.

Skews a bit more recentish because I didn't really play that much more besides Pokemon and Guild Wars until 2010ish. But I am trying to catch up on a few things.

 

[lashman]

Wait, how do you make a table in a forum post?

Fake edit: Oh shit, it's been there all along, isn't it? Lol.

yes ... yes, it has

 

[Samson]

I love lists. In no particular order other than the first game being my favorite, here's fifteen favorites:

Game name	Notes	Music
Tetris (Effect/The Grandmaster/99/Puyo Puyo/etc)	It's a cliche, but I don't care. Tetris is like the equivalent of a really classic story, like Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast can be (and has been) reworked as a period piece, a drama, a romcom, genderbent, satire, horror, musical, location swapped out of Europe, whatever. And similarly, Tetris is so malleable that it has been reworked into a dozen different formats that could all claim to be favorites on anyone's list. Tetris Effect with its pulsating VR-visual spectacle, Puyo Puyo Tetris for party-game fun, The Grandmaster for the most hardcore experience, NES for the classic feel, 99 for absolute Battle Royale-esque chaos, and so many others.
Dust: An Elysian Tail	I kind of hate that I love a game that's essentially "Furry: The Video Game," but Dust is just really good. It's probably my favorite action-RPG/brawler game other than Muramasa. And while I love Muramasa's setting a lot more, Dust feels far, far less repetitive to me, and is boatloads of fun to play. The story and some quiet musings on war and redemption are actually pretty well done, and once you get past the kind of goofy looking cover, there's some great meat inside.
The Witness	It's the greatest puzzle game ever created, and Jon Blow is a genius. I know some (maybe most) people find him pretentious, and the idea of something like sticking a clip of James Burke's BBC show Connections into an in-game theater to be absurd. But I eat that stuff up. The puzzles are intuitive and the way they're explained is even more intuitive, the world and philosophy and lore are attractive to interact with, and it's a very wholesome, reflective way to spend some time.
The Witcher 3 (GOTY Edition)	TW3 got some praise that was probably over the top after it came out, but now that we're a few years post-release, I feel like we've almost swung from over-appreciation into under-appreciation with all the anti-circlejerk memes you get about Geraldo these days. Regardless of how you feel about CDPR fanboys, it's still probably the best and most cohesive WRPG to ever be made. The music is great, the character arcs and story make sense, and the expansions are excellent. Blood and Wine in particular might actually be better than the base game, and ends the series in the most perfect way possible. Also, B&W is great, because any RPG that includes a housing system is dope.
Ace Combat 04	AC04 was one of the first games I played on the PS2, which probably gave me some really unreasonable expectations for the rest of the system's life. It's got a pretty minimal story, but what's there works really well at showcasing the world. The overall "rookie to ace" storyline shouldn't work as well as it does, but there's actually a really acute sense of accomplishment and journey by the time you get to the final missions. Also the OST is dope, and Mobius 1 is the greatest callsign ever.
Velocity 2X	I'm not hugely into arcadey style game really, but 2X really hit the mark for me. It's a hard, finger-burning experience trying to ace every stage, but it never feels unfair. That's one thing that keeps me from loving a lot of arcadey games, not feeling like I really have perfect control over what's happening. But 2X always feels like you're in the pilot's seat, and I never felt as though I had been ripped off by a level. Practice, practice and more practice pays off.
Minecraft	Minecraft gets a lot of hate for the largely insufferable community that has built up around the game. The horrible streamers, content creators, MineCon, and all that other stuff. Oh, and having a gigantic asshole in Notch be the creator and visionary of the original game probably doesn't help. But at its heart, it's kind of like the imagination and dreams of LEGO made bigger, better and even more interactive. It's given a generation of kids (and adults) a chance to dream up crazy things and make them with their friends. I don't have any particularly special memories of Minecraft, but I like that. I know I spent many years towards the end of high school and beginning of college just roaming one of my favorite seed worlds making weird buildings and relaxing.
Final Fantasy XIV	Final Fantasy is a storied franchise, and I've played almost game in the franchise. I've talked a lot about the game elsewhere, but really FFXIV is everything great about the franchise, inspired by a number of games, stuck together and distilled to its greatest parts. There's no better MMO on the market.
Persona 4 Golden	There's a lot about P4G to criticize (especially certain characters ), but I still think it's one of the best JRPGs ever made. It tackles some subjects that other JRPGs wouldn't even bother with, it's set in the coziest little Japanese towns ever, it's got one of the most memorable casts and as with many of these games, it's got an A+ OST.
Hitman	Hitman is a puzzle game masquerading as an assassination game. Hitman 2016 got some flak (probably deserved) for its episodic format, and the very time-limited way that its Elusive Targets work. But for all the trouble those things added, I loved both, and thought they added to the atmosphere of the game. Having an episodic release schedule encouraged you to re-run missions over and over instead of just rolling through the game in a few sittings; and the idea of waiting for Elusive Targets and only getting one shot at them was like an IRL hitman situation. Perhaps the execution on both was off, but the idea and effort behind the game was top-notch.
Civilization 4	Maybe it's just rose-tinted nostalgia, but I'm fairly certain Civ 4 was the high-point of the franchise, and 5 and 6 (and presumably 7) did nothing to get even close to its highs. It has two great expansions, and the total conversion of Colonization was excellent. I've been playing this stupid game for almost 14 years, and its still as fun as it was back then. Also, 14 years is a stupid long time to play one strategy game continually, considering how many I move through year to year (Endless Space, Civ 6, Stellaris, etc).
Dishonored 1/2	Another game, like Hitman, where you have a puzzle game masquerading as a game about assassinations. Some people think Dishonored is an ugly game, but I think it has one of the most unique, distinctive and fun (weird word to use, I know) visual styles of all games from the PS360 generation. I can't really decide which of the two games I prefer. I think the original is probably the tighter experience, but the sequel feels even more open-ended in terms of finding your way out of situations. It's hard to go wrong with either option really.
Yakuza 0	I love that SEGA has a series where they took mafia movies, and turned them into a crazy video game franchise. Y0 is the best introduction you could ask for to that crazy series. One of the craziest parts is that the game is packed with stupid minigames, and almost all of them are hugely enjoyable. Who would have thought that the best part of a yakuza game would be running a real estate company or a nightclub...but they might actually be.
Stardew Valley	Stardew Valley on the one hand shamelessly ripped off Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and every other farming-life-sim that came before it. On the other hand, it created a game that's way better than every single franchise it was inspired by.
Uncharted 2	I love that Uncharted took a serious turn with UC4, but UC2 will always hold a special place in my heart as the last genuinely pulpy high-point of the series. 3 sucks, 1 aged poorly, and 4 is very much Nu-Naughty Dog. Not that I dislike where Naughty Dog has gone these days, but I doubt we'll ever get a game as goofy as UC2 from them ever again.

There's a host of games that I might stick on a "favorite" list had I ever finished them, like Soulsborne, KOTOR, D:OS2, MM: Legends, blah blah blah.

 

[lashman]

I love lists. In no particular order other than the first game being my favorite, here's fifteen favorites:

ooooh, that's a damn good list right there!

 

[gabbo]

In no particular order:

Game	Note
The Operative: No One Lives Forever	To think Cate Archer was never originally to be. Thankfully Jace Hall and Co came to their senses and created not only an excellent shooter, but one that had something to say about the position of women in society as told through the eyes of a female spy in the swinging 60s. I have a very fine monkey for you.
Half Life Episode 2	The sequel added stunning physics to the Half life formula, but Episode one was something of a let down. The second and [so far] last Half Life entry took what was great about the first and the second and molded them together into a tightly wound package of shooting. Still only equal by the original. Both the best and worst of episodic gaming
Age of Empires Age of Kings	This game literally dominated 2 years of my life. From grade 7 to grade 9, this was the game that my friends and I played - even on our shitty dial up. All RTS are measured against this
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl	Take those FPS games up above, give them a sense of hopelessness and and dread unrivaled by any I'd ever played. And then set me free in a world that really doesn't care about me and let me find my way - and hate pistols for a long time. Nothing will ever take away the fear and awe this game provided
Yoshi's Woolly World	Perfect platforming with the cuteness turned up past 11. There is nothing I don't like about this game. Even my wife enjoys playing it with me, a rarity among the games I own
Unreal Tournament '99	While I will always love the original Unreal - that opening level is terrifying - the Morpheus demo level will forever be the greatest multiplayer I have come into contact with.
The Void\Tension	All that dread and sadness packed into stalker? Put it into a tactical survival resource management sim about the loss of colour in purgatory. Ice Pick Lodge is the best studio going.
Top Gun	My dad and I would duke it on in the skies on our C64. This was basically my first gaming experience at like 4 years old and it will resonate with me forever, even if the game was an ugly black and pink and blue mess by today's standards.
TMNT: Turtles in Time	My brothers and I didn't always get along when we gamed or game together, but this game, this game. Was likely rented and spent more time on for the SNES than games we actually owned for the system. Soundtrack + great brawler action + brothers in coop. Bury my SNES as wounded knee
HNL '96	My player owned the record for most goals, checks, fights, and penalty minutes in each season on my way to three straight Red Wings cups. Wrap around's were unstoppable, and number 40 will gladly fight you if you feel otherwise

Quake 1 Episode 1	We had the shareware of this installed on our 486/and then on our AMD K6 - it is likely the reason I don't type properly to this day, as I learned wasd before I learned homerow/how to type

 

[LEANIJA]

thanks to you all for participating, its especially nice to read anecdotes why these games are your favourites. =)

 

[Arsene]

Well I didn’t know we were writing our reasoning out so I deleted my old post and imma try again. This time with FEELING!

My favorite games are an odd grabbag of different titles from different genres, some might seem like games nobody would have in their all time favorites but it is what it is. The games on this list are in no particular order, they’re games that have impacted me, They’re the ones I think about constantly, and they’re the ones that remind me why I love this medium so much. I might add more later but this is what I have.

Game	Reason
Persona 4 Golden	I think this is probably my favorite game of all time and the actual gameplay is the worst part. I connected with the characters so much that Kanji’s whole story arc, though controversial, Played a big part in me exploring my sexuality. I love these characters and I love the story. I cry everytime I play it and I rewatch the anime adaption pretty much once a year.
Catherine	I love puzzle games and platformers so Catherine’s gameplay is essentially my aesthetic. Ive been playing it every now and then since it came out on PS3 but I actually 100%’d it last month on PC. Probably my proudest gaming achievement. I love the gameplay and thats pretty much it lol
Undertale	My sisters girlfriend knew Toby Fox and brought up the game shortly before release, I never heard of it before launch so it came out of absolutely nowhere and blew me away on all fronts. I love everything about this game and I have a stupid smile on my face everytime I play it again. This game rocks and I think about it multiple times a week.
Minecraft	Have over 3000 hours in it. Its my most played game of all time and its just a great relaxing game with so much to do. I also used to make embarassing machinina’s in it and my friends make sure to remind me of it everytime they see me playing.
Final Fantasy XIV	Pretty much my go to game when im depressed. I love the community and I love just hanging out on it. Its the only MMO ive ever been able to really get into and I always keep coming back for more. A very special game to me.
ROBLOX	I know this is an odd choice and it probably makes me look like im 10. I dont play it anymore, but I played it back in 2007. I met my current best friends there and I honestly don’t know if I would even be still alive today if it wasn’t for this meme of a game. Its important to me and ill always be thankful for that shitty comic sans ridden ad for it I saw on Newgrounds all those years ago.
Mirrors Edge	This is the first game ive ever attempted to speedrun. I spent over 300 hours getting the platinum trophy on PS3 and I knew all the glitches and skips by the time I did.
Portal 2	Same reason as Catherine I guess. Love the gameplay. (The story too). Bought the game on PS3 at launch and got a free Steam copy (thanks valve!) with it. My friend on PC and I (on PS3) would stay up to 3am trying to 100% it (and we did!) I regularly go back and do custom maps, some times coop ones too. Always fun to see what stupidly hard puzzles the community continues to create.
Overwatch	Pure husbando material, games also pretty fun some times I guess. Its my #1 go to game when im bored late at night. I think its my #2 most played game behind Minecraft at this point. Wish the lore wasnt full of contradictions though. But I’m really looking forward to the PvE spinoff/sequel at Blizzcon!

 

[C-Dub]

I have always had a few key favourites that have rotated in and out of my Best Game Evarh honour since I played them, such as Deus Ex, Shenmue II, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Half-Life 2, but ever since I played Persona 4 that's pretty much been my favourite.

Here's my top 10 at any rate:

1) Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden	A a game that takes place in a year in Japanese countryside town Inaba actually feels like a whole year passes. As the new guy in town, you form a new band of friends who investigate mysterious murders where people are thrown into a TV world full of shadows and the realities of their true selves. Persona 4 has some quality RPG mechanics, excellent writing and justifies its length. It's a game that's both a sum of its parts, but those parts are also amazing on their own. Truly a masterpiece.
2) Deus Ex	I'd never played anything quite like this before, despite their being games out that did have the immersion sim goodness in them. But I was blown away by the ability to tackle problems from different angles and how that tied into building up your JC Denton. Add in the cyberpunk aesthetic and I was smitten straight away.
3) Metal Gear Solid 2	Pretty much the pinnacle of isometric camera stealth, MGS2 was choc full of new ideas, had a good sense of humour and was incredibly prescient about the impact that online communities have had on our society. Probably Kojima's finest game.
4) Half-Life 2	At the time the graphics on this were incredible, and the physics-based gunplay and puzzles felt like something from the future. Half-Life 2 was a rollercoaster of well-polished ideas and mechanics that came together into something incredible. It was definitely worth the wait.
5) Shenmue II	Open world games are overrated. They're lifeless worlds where you move around on the map, doing random shit, before travelling to a new locale. Rinse and repeat. Okay, so maybe I'm oversimplifying there, but what I liked about Shenmue II's open world was that instead of focussing on the macro level, such as the size of the world and the number of shallow activities you can do, Shenmue II focussed on the micro. Buildings can be explored, everyone on the street can be spoken to, drawers opened, pots examined, shops perused. It was ambitious, and lived up to its ambition, and I loved every second of it.
6) Super Mario 64	This game, for me (and for many more) is the first experience of a 3D game they've ever played. And when Nintendo decided to explore 3D, they knocked it out of the park.
7) Civilization IV	I've played other Civ games more than 4, but 4 is always the one I've loved the most. Beyond the Sword felt like the most perfect a Civ game could be, and the tinkering and rolling back of features that Firaxis has done since have not yielded positive ends. If only we had Civ IV with a hexagonal grid.
8) Resident Evil 2 (REmake)	I never played the original RE2, but the remake was horrifying. Legit scary. It had the amazing gunplay of Resident Evil 4, but ratcheted up the fear by a factor of 4000.
9) Resident Evil 4	This was my first Resident Evil, so you can imagine how lucky I am to have played such an incredible game back in the day. Solid gunplay, exquisite design (to the point where the game gives you just enough ammo to stress you out, but not enough that it's unfair), and incredible visuals for the little GameCube. A true classic.
10) Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward	Mindfuck galore. Also, Zero Escape got me hyped for escape rooms in real life. This is probably my favourite visual novel/adventure game, and I do love those kinds of game. I found the puzzles engrossing, the characters and their factual ramblings interesting, and the twisty winding path of the plot enchanted me until the credits rolled. You owe it to yourself to go in completely blind with this one and just let it sweep you up in its ridiculousness.

 

[Stevey]

My favourite games of all time are:

Sonic 2, loved this on the Mega Drive back in the day. Vastly improved on Sonic 1 in every way.
Half Life 2: Played this near release Christmas 2004, absolutely fell in love with the story and gameplay, still my favourite FPS to this day.
RE3: Nemesis, this just felt so much better than 2 back on the Playstation, Nemesis felt genuinely scary at the time.
Dark Souls, best world design, mechanics and lore of any ARPG I'ver played.

 

[Álvaro de Campos]

After searching deep within my soul, pouring my heart out on pages and pages of candlelit manuscript, spending long sleepless nights staring at a mold spot on my ceiling contemplating the deep mysteries of the universe, chucking the previous manuscript and writing anew, and then basically copying nordschatten's template (removing the year because games are timeless, and developer because I'm lazy) I have finally condensed into being my personal list of 5 games that outshine all others (in my heart, at this very moment, which is liable to change by the time I wake up tomorrow).

In no particular - almost alphabetical - order:
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]Game_Title[/TH]
[TH]Platform[/TH]
[TH]Links & Notes[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Arx Fatalis[/TD]
[TD]PC[/TD]
[TD]

Arx Fatalis for Windows (2002) - MobyGames

Arx was a once a prosperous place. However, after one night the sun of the world of Exosta never rose again, and the blistering cold forced their inhabitants into the dwarf mines. There, a new city was built, and humans, trolls, goblins, dwarves, and other races lived along peacefully, until...

www.mobygames.com

Arx Fatalis is an old but ambitious game, made by a small indie studio named Arkane, they attempted to follow Looking Glass' giant footprints in creating an immersive simulator set in an underground dungeon, much like Ultima Underworld.
Interestingly, there has never been a better time to play this game, because of the Arx Libertatis open source engine port which adds support for modern operating systems, larger resolutions, fixes bugs and makes gesture recognition for casting spells actually work, among other stuff.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dark Spire, The[/TD]
[TD]Nintendo DS[/TD]
[TD]

The Dark Spire for Nintendo DS (2008) - MobyGames

In this throwback to the early days of CRPGs you must explore the Dark Spire dungeon with a party of up to four characters.Party creation is basic by most modern standards. Four races, three alignments, four classes along with five different stat points are all there are to decide what your...

www.mobygames.com

Probably the most hardcore game on my list. It's essentially Wizardry, but better, funnier, and easier to get into. Players only have to manage a party of 4 characters and the calculations seem to be closer to Dungeons & Dragons. Has some great post-game content. It also has a retro mode with wire-frame graphics and MIDI music, which actually runs 5fps faster, so definitely play it that way if you can stomach it.
Soundtrack samples: Main Theme, 4th Floor, Mid-boss[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]N2O: Nitrous Oxide[/TD]
[TD]PlayStation (then PS3, PSP, Vita, and Windows)[/TD]
[TD]

N2O Nitrous Oxide for PlayStation (1998) - MobyGames

N2O Nitrous Oxide's gameplay is in many ways similar to the arcade classic Tempest. The game involves flying a ship down a tunnel. You can move left and right along the tunnel's walls, and fire into the tunnel. You have a standard blaster, and can pick up a range of special weapons along the...

www.mobygames.com

Tube Shooters are a very niche subgenre of an already very niche genre (shmups). So N2O takes the award for most obscure game.
This one has the entirety of The Crystal Method's Vegas album as its soundtrack (you can even stick the game disc in a CD player to listen to it). The psychedelic theme is so incredibly well realized that I'm still in awe 20 years later; shooting all sorts of bug aliens as you pick up E pills coins and mushrooms down interstellar tubes hoping you kill enough bowling scorpions or crush tiny spiders so you can farm the bonus levels containing coin-filled eggs and indestructible drills.
Graphically the textures haven't aged super well, but the eclectic lights and colors never cease to activate that primal part of my monkey brain into surrender. Plus it all goes by so fast you probably won't notice it.
Funnily enough this game almost didn't make the list, but while thinking of whether the next game on the list should make the cut it suddenly came to me, and I ended up replacing a completely different game instead, but that's fate.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]La-Mulana[/TD]
[TD]Windows (later remade for PC, Wii, Vita and now Nintendo Switch)[/TD]
[TD]

La-Mulana for Linux (2016) - MobyGames

La-Mulana is a remake of the original La-Mulana released in 2005. It is an explorable platformer / metroidvania, or, as described by the authors "Archaeological Ruin Exploration Action Game" with hardcore difficulty of platforming action and puzzles. The vast world of the original game was...

www.mobygames.com

The game that gave me headaches, in multiple ways. Wasn't even sure which version to link on this list, the original 2005 version or the remake? One has more "soul" while the other is an overall more streamlined and pleasant experience, even if easier puzzle-wise. The fact that it made it onto my top 5 above the other contenders surely means something.
Anyways, it's basically a metroidvania with really stupidly hard puzzles, good music, excellent level design, and great theme (originally a meta-theme too, as it was made to resemble an MSX era game, even the main character carried around an MSX computer with him).[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]VOEZ[/TD]
[TD]iOS/Android/Nintendo Switch[/TD]
[TD]

Voez for Android (2016) - MobyGames

www.mobygames.com

It's a touch rhythm game, you tap the screen as the notes come streaming down. Simple enough, but the charts are incredibly well made and the tactile feel of playing a song is as though you're actually, well, playing a song. Words can't do it enough justice so just try it out, it's basically free.
Nintendo Switch version is probably the superior one, as it's a one-time purchase, although I personally play it on my iPad (playing on a phone is not advisable, screen too small).[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

I also have a list of Runner-ups that is longer than my actual list:

Runner-up List

• Immersive Sims:
  • Both Ultima Underworlds, both Thiefs, System Shock 2, Prey 2017 - They're all amazing, but each lacking in a certain aspect that allows Arx Fatalis to (personally) stand above them as a whole.
• Dungeon Crawlers:
  • Wizardry 7 - I'm not a huge fan of Bradley, but I can't deny that despite abandoning a lot of what I think made Wizardry great, the world is wonderfully designed and the game is mechanically very interesting.
  • Elminage Gothic - The neo-Wizardry, essentially taking the core of the early Wizardry games and turning everything up to 11, made by Starfish SD who were actually former Wizardry devs on the Japanese spin-offs: the Gaiden and Empire series.
  • Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land - Despite bearing the Wizardry name, this game abandons a lot of the series' tropes. You create a single character and are then joined by NPC party members who are actual characters. Plus you see enemies roaming around and can avoid them. That said, the dungeon design is fantastic and the combat despite being torturously slow does have slightly more depth.
• Shmups
  • Ikaruga - The game that was originally in the place of N2O, I replaced it when considering what games might possibly beat La-Mulana, due to them being the same genre. Everyone and their mother knows of Ikaruga and that it's good, although some vehemently disagree on the grounds that it's actually a puzzle game and the scoring system makes the routing too strict.
  • Crimzon Clover - Fun but too simple unless one is going for score.
  • Battle Garegga - The opposite of the above, very complex even when only going for survival. Mechanically it is very interesting however.
  • TWINKLE STAR SPRITES - More of a fun party game than anything, great mechanics but lacks depth.
  • Danmaku Amanojaku ~ Impossible Spell Card - Honestly... I prefer this game to Ikaruga, mechanically speaking. However being a doujin game it lacks a lot in polish and overall production values, making Ikaruga the better overall package. Plus, the fact that it's even more of a puzzle game makes me wonder if it's even considered a shmup by diehard standards.
• Metroidvania
  • Cave Story - Incredibly cute story & graphics, has multiple endings too, it's great in every aspect (most especially music) except puzzles, which are just really bad fetch quests, making it unable to challenge the winner.
  • Castlevania - A lot of them are excellent, but they place too much emphasis on combat for my liking, also the ability to grind levels is a double edged sword that I can't ignore.
  • Tomba! - It's not actually considered a metroidvania, but it has plenty of elements of one, such as non-linearity, backtracking, having to obtain items before being able to go through certain obstacles, etc. Cute style and graphics, interesting quests/puzzles here and there, solid platforming. I honestly don't know how this didn't win.
• Rhythm Games
  • EZ2ON - It's dead.
  • DJ Max Trilogy - Good, a generic Beatmania clone, music selection is very Korean-leaning.
  • Thumper - It's great, all the levels sound and play very samey however, despite the build up in difficulty.
  • Sound Voltex - Probably would've won if I had actually ever touched an SDVX machine.
• Other
  • Sekiro - It's my game of the year, and by far my favorite of all the (colloquially known as) Souls games. That said, it came out too recently so it needs more time to cool off before I can objectively subjectively judge it.
  • Monster Hunter: World - Same as above, plus Iceborne is coming out soon on PC and will supplant it and I'm not particularly interested in cursing my list with a short lifetime.
  • God Hand - I very very much respect this game mechanically, but the production values are a little lacking and the game didn't age particularly well. A remaster/remake would almost certainly catapult it into the list.
  • Tetris & One Finger Death Punch 2 - These are what I would call the "perfect games". Games that despite being simple manage to nail down those simple mechanics so incredibly well that they have no faults. They're good, but that same simplicity is perhaps their downfall when it comes to getting a top 5 spot.
  • Dota Underlords - I actually consider this to be a "perfect game", but it's not listed with the above two because it's actually complex and the reasoning for it not being on the list is that it's still technically in beta and very much in heavy development, with recent patches changing the game immensely and the planned upcoming updates likely to change the game even more. That flux is actually one of the game's strengths, as it is never stale, but also why I can't in good conscience put it on the list as the game might be completely different a mere week from now.

 

[ISee]

Monkey Island 2 [PC - DOS 1991]
Day of the Tentacle [PC -DOS 1993]

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (1991) - MobyGames

Guybrush Threepwood, the mighty pirate who can hold his breath for ten minutes, could have lived quietly and happily with his sweetheart Elaine, the governor of Melee Island. But the restless pirate spirit won't let Guybrush in peace. Things don't go...

www.mobygames.com

Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle for DOS (1993) - MobyGames

Purple Tentacle, one of the crazy Dr. Fred's creations, drinks contaminated water from Dr. Fred's Sludge-o-matic. He mutates into an insane genius and grows arms, and now he's plotting to take over the world. In an effort to stop him, Dr. Fred sends three friends, Bernard, Hoagie and Laverne...

www.mobygames.com

Monkey 2 and Day of the Tentacle are the Pinnacle of Point and Click Adventures. Humor, writing and atmosphere are on another level. Luckily both of them are available in a remastered form. Go buy them now!


Tie - Fighter [PC - DOS 1994]

Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) - MobyGames

You are a member of the Imperial Navy, eager to fight the Rebel Alliance and other scum to strengthen the rule of Darth Vader and the Emperor. The follow up to X-Wing is a space combat simulation set in the Star Wars universe. There are 7 campaigns,...

www.mobygames.com

From today's perspective: It's difficult, unforgiving, rage-quiet endorsing and I played through it multiple times in my lifetime.
You are an Imperial Pilot and witness the fight against the rebel alliance. you'll encounter treason from your own ranks, you'll spy for the empire himself and you'll learn to master to pilot Star Wars Spacecraft. It's not a simulation, but it is more complex than anything else Star Wars related.
This game had a fantastic feel to it, you were part of the Star Wars Universe and not just a bystander replaying the events as one of the heroes. The atmosphere and fantasy still holds up.

Flying Tie-Fighters, bombarding mon calamari cruisers, taking secret orders from Darth Vader and the Emperor himself (secret story line!) to uncover traitors in your own ranks. I still dream of a proper remaster.

Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries [PC - DOS 1996]

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (1996) - MobyGames

The stand-alone follow-up to Mechwarrior 2, Mercenaries puts you in command of a small company of 'mechs whose only loyalty is to money. As there is a brutal war between 2 tribes underway, your goal is to cash in by doing tough jobs for both sides. Buy...

www.mobygames.com

A cold and unforgiving, medieval space society where knights pilot giant robots. You are managing your own mercenary company, leading them into battle and taking side with one of two factions. Or maybe you are playing both of them against each other?
Complex Missions, a complex damage system, economy, and keyboard layout. What else do you want?

Jagged Alliance 2 [PC - DOS 1999]

Jagged Alliance 2 for Linux (2000) - MobyGames

The political situation in the democratic monarchy of Arulco has gone from bad to worse. The country has been taken over through a coup d'état by Queen Deidranna Reitman, the wife of Enrico Chivaldori - rightful heir and son of late King Andreas Chivaldori. Enrico was reportedly killed in an...

www.mobygames.com

Turn based strategy with deep RPG elements. You are managing mercanaries who are trying to retake a fictional island after a coup. Retaking territories is only part of your mission, holding on to it and building trust with the local militia is just as important and hard.
What makes this game great is how the world is portrait. Your soldiers are more than just raw numbers, they have a personality to them. Loosing one is a great loose on many levels. The strategy elements are very deep, but also unforgiving. The game has the famous "just one more turn" mentality.

Vampire: The Masquarade - Bloodlines [PC- Windows 2004]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (2004) - MobyGames

One morning, a seemingly ordinary inhabitant of modern-day Los Angeles wakes up and discovers that he (or she) is dead. Well, not exactly dead, but turned into a vampire - "sired", as the vampires themselves call it. Before the protagonist is able to...

www.mobygames.com

Enough has been said about this game, by more articulate people (so everybody else).
The atmosphere, world-building and decision making ability stood out for me and the story telling still holds up to this very day. It's a classic, for many people for good reasons. Maybe my number two, after Tie-Fighter



There are so many more games I could tell you about: Doom, Ultima 7, Wing Commander 2, Privateer, Syndicate, KOTOR, C&C 1, Warcraft 2&3, Indiana Jones 4, and even a couple modern games are on my award list like Persona 5, Tlou, Witcher 3, Xcom 2: War of the chosen, Doom 2015, Divinity OS 2

Don't ask me to chose between them. They are all good, for very different reasons.

Top GunMy dad and I would duke it on in the skies on our C64. This was basically my first gaming experience at like 4 years old and it will resonate with me forever, even if the game was an ugly black and pink and blue mess by today's standards.

I remember playing this one with my brother for hours...
I always had to use the bad joystick

 

[C-Dub]

Monkey Island 2 almost made it to my list, as did Sam & Max: Hit the Road.

I was definitely a Lucasarts kid growing up - didn't really pay any attention to the Sierra games until I was a lot older. If I were to do an honourable mentions list, or heck a top 50, I'd have dozens of classic adventures in there.

 

[Bonfires Down]

I was thinking of creating a thread like this but I'll post my list here then. I actually played games through the 90s but I feel like modern games are generally superior, and there is a larger focus on story which I appreciate.

1. SOMA - Simply the best story I've experienced in a game and I have no issue putting it on par with my favorite movies. And the atmosphere is simply incredible. There are a few problems - audio logs are not as engaging as live interactions and some of the enemies are mostly just irritating. But those couldn't bring such an amazing game down.
2. XCOM 2 - Most satisfying and engaging gameplay of any game and while Enemy Unknown is nearly as good, there no point in playing it when 2 exists. The only significant issue I have is that the game is a bit too easy during the end of the campaign.
3. Darkest Dungeon - Wait, I'm supposed to hate this game for wiping out my party that I spent a dozen hours leveling up. Yes, I did, but I was also hopelessly addicted to beating that fucker. The large amount of classes and skills make sure that there is enough variety to continue on even after you've been beaten to a pulp.
4. The Division - Maybe the best atmosphere of any game and it's almost meditative running along those New York streets. And the gameplay is more solid and satisfying than you might think at first.
5. Diablo II - I will admit that I'm not as much into loot games as I used to be, but I think D2 deserves a spot here considering how much it consumed me back in the day.
6. Yoshi's Island - Hey, I don't play kiddie games. How did this end up here? Really though, Yoshi's Island is just pure fun and such a charming game.
7. Dead Space - I love sci-fi and I love horror. You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of those (well, there is one).
8. Battlefield 4 - Systematic chaos. The vehicles and add so much variety to the FPS formula.
9. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Way superior to the original in my eyes.
10. The Walking Dead - It has some weak parts but I will never forget that scene.

11-20:
Bioshock Infinite
Magic the Gathering Arena + other MTG games
Symphony of the Night
The Evil Within
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl
Knights in the Nightmare
Prison Architect
Final Fantasy Tactics A2
World War Z
Heart of Darkness

 

[ISee]

a larger focus on story which I appreciate.

FF 7, Grim Fandango, Fallout 1+2, FF 6, Chrono Trigger, StarCraft 1+2, Planescape Torment, Wing Commander 2 (yes that one counts!)
and many, many more.

 

[Bonfires Down]

FF 7, Grim Fandango, Fallout 1+2, FF 6, Chrono Trigger, StarCraft 1+2, Planescape Torment, Wing Commander 2 (yes that one counts!)
and many, many more.

I did have FF6 and FF7 in my top 20 but they were thrown out because I don't think I can handle random encounters anymore.