100+ Games You Should Play for the First Time
The idea for this list was born from a Lady Arcaders question of the day in late August, 2025: "If you could erase your memory of a game to experience it all over again like it was new, which game would you pick?"
There are so many incredible games out there, and not nearly enough time to play them all - but what if there was a list? So, I asked the Lady Arcaders: "if you could pick a game someone else should play for the first time, what would it be?" The response was overwhelming.
Putting this list together has been an undertaking, but also a joy. I've learned about so many games I had never heard of before, and gained new insight into other games I was only somewhat familiar with. Heck, I even bought one of the games on this list because it had been nominated!
Thank you all for sharing your joy with me. I now place this list into the hands of the community that built it, and hope you all get to share your love of games with each other as well. I hope you reach for this list when you're looking for a new game to play!
How the List is Organized
- Games that have received two or fewer nominations have been organized alphabetically, then numerically.
- Games that have received three or more nominations have been editorialized.
- Games that exist within a major series (eg: Final Fantasy, Pokemon, etc) where more than one entry has been nominated are grouped under their series name.
Happy gaming!
Gaby "blackheartwings" A.
The Games
145. Ace Combat 7
While it may not be everyone's cup of tea it has seriously been one of the most well rounded video gaming experiences I've ever had. It’s also got a dude who looks suspiciously like hit musician Chad Kroeger from famous band Nickelback.
144. Alien: Isolation
This is BY FAR the most tense game I have ever played. The way the Alien is programmed makes for some of the scariest moments I've ever experienced in a game. Squatting under a table and watching that long tail slither past, horrifying. It truly feels like you are playing a part in a real Alien movie.
143. Amnesia: The Bunker
This is my underrated horror pick. I cannot think of another horror game that exists where you are this stuck having to use only your wits, and where nothing in the game's 'rules' will allow you relief. Everything you do is so immersive, and therefore that much more horrifying. This game also has an incredible atmosphere, and the best stalker monster mechanic of any game I've ever played, period. Finally, you don't have to have played any of the previous Amnesia games. That's the way the series works: each game is a piece of a larger puzzle, and no matter which one you start with, you'll be at the beginning. Just with a different piece in your hand to place.
142. An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs
IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND IT MADE ME CRY! I wasn't expecting it. It's a very funny game too.
141. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust
Simply one of the most beautiful stories I've ever experienced. A game about breaking free from societal expectations, a game about discovering your identity, a game about the right to choose your destiny. As a trans woman, I don't think I've ever been seen as much in a game than I was playing Anodyne 2. It is a game that looks in the face of a stagnant, unchanging world and dares to ask, what if things were different? What if things were better?
'As long as you live, Nova, that is your gift. You can always become something new.'
140. Another Crab’s Treasure
This game was made for me specifically. The sales pitch of 'A soulslike with a spongebob-squarepants aesthetic and a flutter jump' was already pushing past 10/10, but staple that to Aggro Crab being the absolute kings of moment-to-moment writing for games with a story that is an incredibly heartfelt defense of humanity while also being a SCATHING indictment of the state of the world right now. They turned 'Where is your anger? Where is your rage?' into genuinely one of the most unsettling monologues in the canon. The credits song for this game unironically makes me cry with alarming regularity. You have to grapple with hopelessness and despair as the world continues to get worse and worse despite your best efforts, and find a reason to continue to exist in defense of others even if it may be futile, and THEN you get to falcon punch a tech bro in the head so hard the ground he's standing on explodes.
139. Astlibra Revision
Very esoteric vibe: extremely small team of people supporting one author of idea, built mostly out of stock images and sounds, and a dreamlike, dissociative wander through a frankly horrifying world. Moment to moment play feels a little grindy but drastically rewarding, unlocking bundles of tools and QOL features for a curious take on action RPGs.
138. Baba Is You
Baba Is You starts by presenting you with a very simple premise: You are Baba. And in order to solve each level of this puzzle game, you'll need to move Baba onto the Flag so you can Win! After setting this expectation, the game quickly turns it on its head by presenting the game rules themselves as physical objects that can be moved, manipulated, and re-ordered.
Basic rules or assumptions about how you'll be interacting with Baba, the Flag, the concept of "Win", or any of the other objects and ideas in the game can be rewritten - and will often need to be in order to succeed. Sometimes it can feel like you're taking apart the very fabric of the game and weaving it back together in a new manner, just to solve one puzzle!
Over the course of the game, new objects and new game rules for you to learn about get added bit by bit, gradually building your vocabulary of rules interactions. No puzzle game has ever made me feel smarter or sillier than Baba Is You, and I frequently oscillate rapidly between those two states while playing a single puzzle!
137. Backpack Hero
It's a fun, quick roguelike that's different and has TONS of replayability.
136. Backyard Baseball 2001
It's kids baseball, but with baby pros from the 90s and 00s. The perfect video game to turn your brain off, or start raging at 10-year-olds. It's really what you make of it. Pablo still the goat forever!
135. Baldur's Gate 3
The awards this game has earned speak for themselves on this one. I have spent 932 hours in this game and I didn't get it until patch 7.
134. Banjo-Kazooie
I consider Banjo-Kazooie to be a near perfect platformer, and one that I think has aged incredibly gracefully. Banjo feels great to control, and it is simply fun to move around the world and collect all the fun objects. The collect-a-thon aspect feels perfect here, with each collectible serving an important use. The various levels are all smartly laid out with notes serving as breadcrumbs to lead the player around the level, ensuring that it is difficult to feel truly lost. The extra abilities you unlock along the way are all interesting additions to your moveset that change the way you think about the obstacles ahead of you. And, to top it all off, everything in the game just has that characteristic Rare charm and dry humor that just puts a smile on your face. Banjo-Kazooie remains my favorite game of all time to this day; it just feels good to play, and it's such an incredible comfort game for me.
133. The Banner Saga
Harrowing, tragic, and beautiful. Definitely play the whole trilogy.
132. BattleTech
One of the best explorations of the source IP ever made, with a great turn-based strategy engine, interesting campaign, and a career mode that offers a huge amount of replay potential. And that’s before you bring in the massive community mod support.
131. Blue Prince
Do you ever play a game enough that you start playing it in your sleep? What was originally an interesting looking indie title that was on my radar, traversing the halls of Mt. Holly in search of Room 46 quickly took over whatever free gaming time I had. The atmosphere and environmental storytelling feels reminiscent of its inspirations, like Myst. I would often find myself taking moments to appreciate details, listening to the OST, and losing myself to awe and wonder whenever I discovered a new set piece or uncovered a new puzzle thread. Now, six months after release, the concept of putting puzzle adventure gameplay behind roguelike elements has proven itself to not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who take the time to delve into the mechanics and everything else your grunkle's estate has to offer, you'll be rewarded with one of the greatest gaming experiences of the decade.
130. Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire III is the culmination of many years of learning from the JRPG genre and putting their own twist on 'traditional' game play. You play the game from an isometric viewpoint and you can turn the camera to see obstacles or paths you normally wouldn't notice from a flat viewpoint, along with some puzzles to solve in the overworld. There's also the Master System which allows you to seek out Masters throughout the world to learn new skills from, to expand your battle opportunities. With a story that traverses topics such as racism, classism and sexism in a fantasy setting, it captures people's hearts to understand the plight of the Brood and what the power of free will does to empower people even past the threat of the world falling apart.
129. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Absolutely banger classic. Literally defines the genre 'Metroidvania.' A timeless game. It has aged like a fine wine and I do not think it could fail almost anyone as a recommendation.
128. Cave Story
Incredible Metroidvania experience, stellar vibes, fantastic music, deep roots in indie game history, and the original version is freeware forever!
127. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
When a game has: a tutorial that doesn't feel like one; a story that grips you within an hour and doesn't hold your hand and explain everything about the world you're in; turn based RPG gameplay that makes you work to defend yourself; and characters and a world that actually matter. You get Clair Obscur. And everyone should experience this game.
126. Crawl
This is my favorite local multiplayer game. It’s best with 4 players. One player has the misfortune of being the hero trying to defeat an ancient demon in an evil dungeon, everyone else is a vengeful ghost able to possess monsters and traps in the dungeon to try and kill the hero. If you kill them, it's now your turn to try and progress and defeat the demon. I ended up playing this game way too much with my brother and now we're too good so it's hard to actually show it to people... but this is a call for others to delve into how deep and expressive this game gets (it's so good, I promise!)
125. Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3
Okay, stick with me here-- match-3, survival horror, comedy RPG, metroidvania. If you're still reading after that wild word soup, this is also a parody of Resident Evil...but with dinosaurs. Elevator pitch aside, as one of the most recent releases from developer Strange Scaffold, CRDM3 wears all of its inspirations on its sleeve and through it all produces an enlightening meditation on the nature of modern game development in a meta-narrative fashion that only Strange Scaffold and deliver on.
124. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk is an open-world ImmSim, and Immersive Sims are my favorite genre of game there is. You play as a mercenary in Night City, and that can look completely different to everyone who plays. You can be a sneaky vandal who takes what they want without anyone knowing they were there. You can be an unstoppable killer whose reputation is that of infamy and destruction. You can be renowned for your guns as well as your fists, and you can be terrifying to the people or terrifying to the corpos. It's your choice. But whatever you choose, you will be participating in a journey that is anticapitalist, antifascist, and filled to the brim with some of the most emotionally gut-punching moments gaming has to offer with horrors that confront existentialism, and a bleak future that already seems familiar.
123. Demon's Souls
While the Souls games in general are inspired by Fromsoft's previous RPG series, Kings Field, this is the game where Souls began. The success of Demon's Souls led to the birth of the Dark Souls series, paving the way for an entire new genre classification. Is Demon's Souls the *best*? In some ways, I still feel it is. I think it's worth seeing how such a big genre began.
122. Devil May Cry 5
The most recent truly phenomenal character action game. Incredible gameplay and soundtrack.
121. DOOM
DOOM is THE shooter. It's always been THE shooter. There are very few 3D Action Games that hold up from the early 90s, and DOOM has not only held up, but it still has an extremely active and dedicated community that continues to create for it, including adding custom weapons, Mods, WADs, and just about anything else you can imagine with it. DOOM holds up in its DOS Form and it holds up in GZDoom, the engine built specifically to play DOOM that is now one of the cornerstone engines of creating FPS games nowadays. Any praise that one can give to any FPS game, the odds are that you can give similar praise to a game from 1993, and that's wild. DOOM inspired nearly every shooter that exists, and the fact that it is still easily and readily available everywhere, and still just as good as it was back then makes it an easy suggestion.
120. Dragon Quest Builders 1 + 2
Are these Minecraft clones? Absolutely. Are they really well-done Minecraft clones with interesting stories and lots of fun stuff to craft and build? Heck yeah, they are! Two delightful games that draw on Dragon Quest lore to create fascinating Gaiden stories and are worth supporting to encourage fun, innovative game design.
119. Elebits/Eledees
The Wii's biggest underrated gem in my opinion. Elebits (called Eledees in PA) is a first person shooter game that uses the Wii's motion controls to interact with the stages. I absolutely love the physics in this game so much and the Elebits are so adorable! It's also really cheap second hand, I've seen it for under 10 USD at used games stores. (Maybe someday Konami will port it to the current gen...)
118. ENA: Dream BBQ
ENA: Dream BBQ is a 2-hour long surreal celebration of CD-ROM videogame aesthetics. It presents an odd world full to the brim with non-sequiturs and a commitment to off-kilter, intoxicating characters. It's a game adaptation of an online animated series that's presented as a recording of gameplay of a game that does not exist. And it fucking rocks.
117. Fallout 4
Fallout as a franchise is excellent no matter how deep you look into it. At a glance, it's a post-apocalyptic RPG where you can be anyone you want. When you look deeper, it's a commentary into the damage of extreme capitalism. The alternate timeline leaning into retro 40s and 50s culture, the characters and questlines, the environmental story-telling... It's just banger after banger. Most people would say: if there's a Fallout game to go for, it's New Vegas (which is true) but don't sleep on Fallout 4. You could play this game forever if you wanted to, and like the others the modding capability is also infinite. You could spend days and days ignoring the story in favor of exploring, building settlements or glitching yourself high in the sky only to fall down and die and then do it over again. It rocks.
116. Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade)
The best jumping on point for a fun tactics game with great characters and some of the best sprite and animation work ever done.
115. Full Metal Furies
The ONLY good beat-em-up, I will die on this hill. Get at least one friend and experience one of the greatest co-op games ever. Imagine if you actually had to coordinate with your friends with lots of potential to combo off of each other's combos, along with a moving story of the unyielding human spirit. ALSO LOTS OF WOMEN! PLEASE I'M TRYING EVERYTHING I CAN! THIS GAME IS SO GOOD I PROMISE!
114. Geometry Dash
It's a challenging game with a lot of really unique and artistic user content.
113. Grotto
In Grotto you are an oracle, living inside a mystical cave. Throughout the game, many people will visit and re-visit you, asking you for advice. It's your job to learn the constellations and what they mean, and then reveal them to your visitors to suggest a course of action. Good game, cool story, fun, scary. I love mountains.
112. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
A formative experience, and what I consider to be Peak Farming Sim - from the series that inspired Stardew Valley comes the cutest, sweetest experience in Mineral Town. Befriend villagers, farm, fish, and adapt to the changing seasons. There are so many secrets that can keep you playing for ages! But even if you don't, the characters and the world are so wonderful, they are definitely worth getting to know.
111. Haven
Haven is a very charming sci-fi adventure game starring a young couple, Kay and Yu, who have left behind their oppressive society to explore a new world and its secrets together. Players can choose to play Kay and Yu as any gender combination - all versions share the same story line and each are wonderfully voice acted with equal parts playful banter and romantic sweetness. The game also features a unique RPG battle system where players have to control each character simultaneously. Add in its beautiful landscapes and amazing soundtrack, and it's a stellar game all around.
(Please note: This game is rated M as it includes aspects of the intimate side of Kay and Yu's relationship.)
110. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
This game is so unique; you play it while holding the DS sideways, like a storybook. There's a bunch of interesting and fun gimmicks with the DS. The story is great, and it takes place over the course of a day, so there's a time mechanic involved too. I highly recommend it if you can find a copy.
109. Immortals Fenyx Rising
The gameplay is fun, the art style is gorgeous, the mythology puts really engaging stories behind every challenge, and the characters are unforgettable. Hot take: this is Breath of the Wild done RIGHT.
108. Inscryption
[Redacted]
107. Kabuto Park
Cute, solo-dev creature collector game! Minor deckbuilding mechanics and sumo wrestling. Plus it's a little queer. Only $5 and worth it.
106. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
It's important to me to recommend a game that actually forces you to engage with other people without having to speedrun, and KTaNE is an immaculate piece of art. The asymmetric nature of the game means it's actually multiple games in one, and I have so many fond memories of sitting around a table in undergrad with my bomb diffusal manual trying my absolute damnedest to relay instructions on how to cut wires to someone who just. Wasn't. Getting. It. It's a great, hyperbolically-high-stakes way to spend an afternoon with friends, and I think it's a beautiful community builder!
(That said, one of my dear friends once told me I "seem like the sort of person who plays KTaNE solo" and I've never emotionally recovered from that actually.)
105. La-Mulana 1&2
A twist on classic brutally difficult Japanese adventure games, La-Mulana is what I would say is the most rewarding and immersive puzzle game I have ever played. This metroidvania series truly pushes the limits of non-linear gameplay, with every individual playthrough looking unique in comparison to others, as there's no guarantee you'll find any items once they become available, and it's even possible to miss out on certain types of upgrades! You play as an Archaeologist exploring the La Mulana ruins, the origin of all life on the planet, and a place that actively does not want you exploring it. As you uncover the mysteries within, you'll find obscure items that allow you to progress through its halls, but what puzzles are held within, you'll have to discover for yourself. There is no handholding in this game, as you, the archaeologist, are responsible for discovering the path forward, and finding your way to the heart of the ruins.
104. Leaf Blower Man: This Game Blows!
Extremely silly game that can be played front to back in under 2 hours! Also, it's free!
103. Life is Strange
The story is something I enjoyed experiencing for the first time, but the thing that sells it is how the story changes based on your choices. Different paths unlock based on how you decide to have Max act.
102. Little Misfortune
Amazing and emotional story with a plot twist ending.
101. Live A Live
A beautiful game with a great remake which bridges the gap between Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger. Incredible Yoko Shimomura soundtrack.
100. Loom
Loom is a short, but charming point and click adventure classic, leading the player through colorful fantasy landscapes as they join Bobbin Threadbare in unraveling the mysteries surrounding the Great Guilds. Unlike many other point and click adventure games at the time, Loom avoids random deaths and features a unique musical spell-casting system instead of an inventory or noun-verb system. One of the most memorable aspects of the game is the fully voice acted "Talkie" version which still holds up to this day in terms of charm and quality.
99. Lucinda Green's Equestrian Challenge
Unironically, this game is fantastic and genuinely the best horse game I've played (and trust me, I've played a LOT of horse games). Fun, exciting, and just challenging enough to feel rewarding every time.
98. Manifold Garden
Even at its very surface, Manifold Garden is an artistic tour de force showcasing just how far you can push the medium of video games to create truly awe-inspiring environments. Like any fractal however, its complexity is entirely consistent no matter how much you zoom in.
97. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
GONNA TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE
96. Megaman 3
This is basically the peak classic MegaMan game for movement tech, speed, and level design and I will die on this hill. Also, it’s the first game I ever beat in a single sitting.
95. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
This game is chronologically the first game in the Metal Gear franchise. This game truly is a love letter to the action spy genre. I am forever in love with The Boss - she's one of if not my favorite female character in all of video games. This game has great gameplay and story while also having the convoluted and "just roll with it" charm that Kojima games are known for.
94. Metroid Prime
One of the greatest games ever made which still holds up for its art direction and exploration focused game play. A classic Speedgame as well with so much storied tech.
93. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
It was hard to pick which Monkey Island game to include! While some of the puzzles are very obtuse, the lack of deaths and softlocks from solving the puzzle wrong gives LucasArts an edge over other early point n’ clicks. Amazing humor and well worth a playthrough. Even though they released a special edition remake (which is quite good,) due to the nature of the game, the original isn't too bad to control.
92. Mother 3
With a well-earned reputation for being one of the finest RPGs ever made, Mother 3 continues to stand as an example of what video games should aspire to be. With an emotionally gripping narrative that's second to none, an innovative combat system with a unique focus on music and urgency, and a world so lovingly constructed that you feel for not only every character but the land itself… Mother 3 is not just the crown jewel of the GBA's library. It is the epitome of a modern masterpiece. Just remember: no crying until the end.
91. Nine Sols
I cannot stop thinking about this game. Yeah it's got good combat - but you don't have to care about that! Play in Story Mode if you need to! Half of these characters have like, ten lines and I cannot stop thinking about them. This game is good.
90. Ninja Spirit
What if a shmup company made an action platformer? It just feels so good to play, even when it's being mean. It also has an impressively high skill ceiling, and the TG port is far more accommodating than the arcade original.
89. No, I’m Not a Human
Interesting story especially if you enjoy horror games. Also has RNG aspects so it’s super replayable. It also has multiple endings to achieve!
88. Octopath Traveler II
Honestly, a must for RPG fans. Octopath II has a great story woven in with a really fun combat system. Each of the eight characters has a compelling story that feels unique. I think the sprite work is fantastic in the game, each of the areas feel alive and the soundtrack is one of my personal favorites.
87. Okami
This is the first video game I truly fell in love with based on gameplay, storytelling, and, of course, THE ART! The mythology behind the game is fascinating and every time I play it, I never want it to end.
86. Omori
The game looks like nothing special. It's a very simplistic 2D RPG. But what you end up with is the most psychologically messed up game you'll find. It is a trigger warning, but if you can handle that, you get a wonderful RPG experience, with an amazing soundtrack to boot.
85. Pentiment
This game is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish, from the art, to the world building, to the tough decisions you must make along the way. I laughed. I cried. I mourned.
84. Persona 3
A foundational entry in the genre of JRPGs that set the groundwork for the future of the series. This game does not pull any punches. How do you carry on while facing a darkness only you and a select few can see? How do the small wins get you through the major losses? What does it mean to be Human? Play this game. You won't regret it.
83. Phoenotopia: Awakening
Phoenotopia: Awakening is a peek into what indie games could have been like in an alternate universe where people thought Zelda 2 was good. It’s full of delight and charm in its art, writing, soundtrack, and its unique brand of cheerfully deep gameplay.
82. Prey (2017)
This is one of the most criminally overlooked games to ever exist. The gameplay is so smooth. The skill trees are really interesting and fun to play around with. The story is INCREDIBLE!
81. Primordia
In my humble opinion, one of the best point and click games ever made, and my favorite by a long shot. It never overstays its welcome. The worldbuilding is amazing. The art is gorgeous. The voice acting is simply incredible - the main character shares a VA with the narrator from Bastion and boy does he carry this whole thing! If you like point and clicks, a good short story with plenty of hidden lore, a dystopian post-apocalyptic setting, this game is for you.
Also I'm recommending it because it never got the recognition it deserves and I want everyone to play this absolute gem. I'm not asking, I'm begging on my knees.
80. Pseudoregalia
Pseudoregalia is the slickest 3D platformer I’ve had the pleasure of playing. The ways you can move in that game are absolutely absurd, and it’s so much fun to glide through the environment that I kinda did it for fun sometimes. I love games that reward creatively-applied effort, and Pseudoregalia’s systems encourage exactly that.
79. Rain World
Rain World is a game unlike any game I’ve played before or since. A survival game where you can’t hoard resources. A platformer where you can barely jump. It’s a game that expects players to observe their environment closely, engage actively, and experiment often, and because of all that, everyone will walk away with a unique experience. Also you get to play as a cute lil’ sluggo in a world of some of the most imaginative, gorgeously-rendered pixel art ever.
78. Rayman
One of the big platformer classics. Yeah, it's infamously hard, but the game is wonderful. The hand painted looking backgrounds are gorgeous, and the soundtrack is a love letter to music by the lovely Rémy Gazel (RIP, you wonderful man) that's single-handedly responsible for my love of jazz (don't ask me, I can't explain).
77. Red Dead Redemption 2
This game's story! I've never sobbed harder for a video game in my life! The gameplay is so fun, there's so many miscellaneous activities you can do outside of the main missions, and the way you can interact and connect with members of your gang or even just strangers around you is so meaningful. You can lose yourself for hours in the beautiful scenery and atmosphere of this game. The general themes of this story, without spoilers, hit hard and really make you think about your life choices and feel grateful for the ones close to you. It’s also a prequel, so you don't technically have to play the first Red Dead Redemption, which is also super fantastic. Every day I mourn for the fact that I'll never fall in love with Arthur Morgan or Sadie Adler and ride off into the sunset with them.
76. Revenge of the Sunfish
Revenge of the Sunfish, and its respective developer Bizarre Wound Games, need to be experienced to be believed. Absurd, horrid, strange, unique, and nonsensical, even in combination fail to describe just what this game is. I believe everyone should experience this at least once to challenge their pre-conceived notions of what video games even are as an artistic medium, if they care about such a thing. (Flashing Lights Warning!)
75. Rez
This game is such a weird concept and I love it. A strange on rails rhythm game with a weird story about an AI having an existential crisis. The soundtrack is amazing!
74. Rhythm Heaven (any game in the series)
Rhythm Heaven is a rhythm mini game collection for people who don't have rhythm. It's been lovingly crafted from its core to be forgiving, teaching and fun-first without boring longtime rhythm game fans.
Ko Takeuchi's art remains, to this day, a light and sweet core to an already lovely romp through a slowly progressing complexity of rhythm theory lessons.
73. Risk of Rain 2
It's a rougelike game with a really fun gameplay loop, an interesting story deep with lore, and awesome music.
72. Rock Band Trilogy
Rock Band
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 3
This trilogy of games - the first of which can be ported into the 3rd - are some of the most fun rhythm games you can play, especially when you are having a party and therefore a full band can play with a singer, guitar player, bass player, and drummer. No matter which Rock Band, they all have a great catalog of songs that offer plenty of difficulty settings and accessibility options for those who have trouble with complicated patterns. Besides Guitar Hero World Tour, there has never really been anything like these games before or since.
71. Rollerdrome
THIS ONE’S FOR THE FREAKS! Roller skating blood sport, it's sick as hell. You do back flips to reload. This should be enough to convince the people who would want to play this.
70. Sayonara Wild Hearts
Submitter simply replied with a link to an episode of Attract Mode!
69. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro's parry system truly stands out against the rest of the From Software games, in that underneath the typical 'death by a thousand cuts' combat is what is secretly a rhythm game disguised as an action rpg. Combining this unique combat with a fantastic story of betrayal and destiny, Sekiro truly stands out against the combat focused RPGs that came out in the 2010s, even when standing up against the giant From Software also put out during this time.
68. Silhouette Mirage
Fun yet difficult action platformer where the direction you face determines the 'attribute' of your attack - which will either hurt enemies or drain their mana depending if it's the same or opposite attribute. Great 2D graphics, catchy music, creative bosses, and awesome character designs.
67. Slay the Spire
The main name that's known in the roguelike deckbuilding genre. If you haven't played this before, you should!
66. Small Saga
Beyond just being a cute little indie rpg about small critters, I think Small Saga has some very important things to say. It is a game that dares to question central authority, that doesn't sit on its hands while others are suffering, and that proposes that together we can create a better future. It is also a deeply personal story, as the hero Verm learns how to process all of his rage and pain. It's a story that feels explicitly queer-coded, even beyond all of its textually queer characters. It's a story about choice, about identity, about overthrowing oppressive power structures. About blowing a fascist squirrel out of a window and gaining a skill point for it. About learning how to carry on after a traumatic event, about how our traumas shape us, about the power of community and friendship. All of that in one small package.
65. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
The chao garden is super cool, I used to spend hours in it. Plus, I think the game is a good introduction in general to Sonic and a lot of the characters. And the soundtrack is a banger.
64. Sorry We're Closed
The gameplay is similar to old school Resident Evil or Silent Hill, with fixed camera survival gaming - but almost just as much of the game plays more like a visual novel. This game is very simple and it's stuck with me in a way that's made me go insane these past few months. I cannot get this story out of my head. The game is also just overall incredibly strange in a good way. This one is truly for the freaks.
63. Spark the Electric Jester 3
Everything I want from 3D Sonic games, with an odd yet fitting continuation of the series' story. Leans all the way into the single developer's vision, wears its influences on its sleeves, hat and jacket. Later updates added all the stages from the previous game, and an "endless" combat arena similar to DMC's Bloody Palace.
62. Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
A gamified time-management tool, Spirit City lets you customize a cozy apartment along with an avatar and then "lure" in cute and colorful Spirit companions by experimenting with the game's various mood settings. Its main strength is as a productivity tool as it features work timers, to-do lists, habit trackers, and journals and allows you to "body double" with your avatar - if you need to study, they will study right along with you, all set to chill lofi beats.
61. Spyro the Dragon
The first Spyro game is like lightning in a bottle: the product of a small group of immensely talented people who briefly joined together in a confluence before drifting apart afterwards along their own paths. As one of the most tightly paced platformers of its time, Spyro remains one of the few collectathons which is an absolute breeze to 100%. Whether you're charging through each level as fast as possible or checking every nook and cranny for all the gems, Spyro is an absolute blast to play, even now. Charming, cheeky, and creative, Spyro 1 is as much a technical marvel as it is a work of art, a timeless classic that hardly feels like the first entry in a series, and it absolutely deserves all the praise it has earned.
60. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
It’s got so many weird bugs you can play with, it has a great story when you want to take it seriously, and you get to be a freakin’ Jedi.
59. StarCraft
An amazing RTS game that still plays well today. Three unique factions, and a singular story told across all three single player campaigns. Add in phenomenal multiplayer that was a staple of early e-sports. Make sure to also get the Brood War expansion which is possibly the best expansion to any video game ever.
58. Stardew Valley
A cozy comfort game. Lots of replayability. Junimos are cute! My first speedgame.
57. Strange Antiquities
I absolutely love the framing of the story of this game. It also has really cool ways to solve the puzzles in it. There's a really cute cat you can pet. It's got it all, honestly. The big thing for me though is that it's really approachable. The story is fairly short (It took me 5 hours) but its branching solutions and multiple endings makes it worth running it back.
56. Submachine: Legacy
Being purely the artistic vision of polish comic artist Mateusz Skutnik, Submachine is cohesive and interconnected in fascinating and unique ways, while looking uniquely beautiful the whole way. With every single frame hand drawn, it’s impossible not to get sucked into this essential point-and-click collection.
55. Subnautica
Incredible exploration, optional survival, and stunning scenery in an immersive world.
54. Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy is a bombastic 3D platformer that many might expect from a game in the Mario series, but I feel this entry more than any other juxtaposes that bright, exciting kind of wonder beautifully against its setting in a way that the others don't.
This game takes place in the vast expanse of space, on all sorts of planets, asteroids, and constructs. Some moments are filled with colourful, whimsical locations that are larger than life! Other moments are quiet and pensive, and the orchestral soundtrack matches all of these moods as they come and go.
I think the fact that the game portrays both of these is what makes both feel so special to me. Frequently, you can turn the camera around from looking at a very vibrant vista on a planet and be greeted with a sea of stars and other stellar objects. Every time Mario moves from one planet to another, its a gentle reminder of where you are.
And in between the action and excitement, you'll spend time in a hub world full of all those that you meet while on this journey. In between all of those individual adventures out into space, you return to rest against a backdrop of a found family in the stars. A notion that yes, space might be cold, vast, and lonely. But right here, together, it can be warm! It can even be home.
53. Super Street Fighter II Turbo
The best version of the most important fighting game in history.
52. The Talos Principle
The Talos Principle is not only a very cool puzzle game, the storyline of the game is deeply rooted in philosophy, taking you on a journey to attempt to unravel why some people gave their all to put all the knowledge of the world into this server world you're in to survive past the fall of humanity. You take up the mantle of an unknown Android, who knows nothing past what is presented to them. They know as much as you do, and the knowledge you obtain and the conversations you have with the characters in the game are all influenced by the choices you make. Combined with snippets of random ancient text, the game is full of mystery and intrigue; sucking you in to find more terminals to read documents, talk with MLA and defy what you only know as the God of the land you're in.
51. The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
The Vale is an adventure role playing game in a fantasy setting, where the player takes on the role of a blind princess. As such, the gameplay is completely audio-based. As soon as you launch the game it is fully blind accessible, with full voice acting and menu narration. There are optional visual menus for sighted players, and some optional small screensaver-like abstract visuals, but none of those are necessary.
This game is unlike any other I've ever experienced! It's descriptive, immersive, and uses spatial audio to create game environments to move through and interact with without ever needing to give you something to look at. In the same manner that a great book can take you away into your imagination, The Vale sets a vivid scene entirely within the mind's eye. Strong sound design and voice acting make navigating every environment, sword fight, and conversation come alive.
It is an incredibly fun and engaging game in its own right, but it also showcases how many different forms games can take, and also how accessible we can make these interactive experiences!
50. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher as a franchise is a wonderfully different fantasy franchise focused on magic, monsters and Polish folklore. Many have argued The Witcher 3 is one of the best video games of all time. Its environments, music, story and characters are really top tier. Even if you've never read the books (which you should, they are amazing), The Witcher 3 makes you attached to the story in a way you might not have thought was possible over 60 hours.
49. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Trails of Cold Steel is perhaps the best introduction to the Trails series, and the four games in this arc represent the best RPG worldbuilding and storytelling that I have ever experienced. Furthermore, there is an absolutely monster twist at the end of the first game that is completely unparalleled and left me absolutely shook. I did NOT see that coming.
48. Transistor
Indie darling Supergiant Games were making bangers way before Hades. Transistor is their second game - a sci-fi jaunt through a futuristic city where you play as Red, who fights with a large talking sword that may or may not also hold the consciousness of her dead lover. It's beautifully crafted with two ways to execute fights that can be a blast for both Action RPG and Tactical RPG fans alike.
47. Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (Umineko When They Cry)
In a world so currently muddied in the rhetoric of facts, logic, and reasoning, Umineko is an empathetic cure that celebrates and enshrines the murder mystery genre for years to come. There’s a very good reason why it’s considered cliché to state that 'Umineko changed your life'.
46. Umurangi Generation
Umurangi Generation sees you photographing an underground movement to overthrow the authoritarian government with a WILD soundtrack and incredibly grung-y fully committed art direction. It's an incredibly chilled out, perfectly short, narrative driven, passionate photography simulator.
45. VA-11 Hall-A
It's an extremely approachable visual novel - it's silly but still interesting, has good world-building and characters, AND it has lesbians!
44. vivid/stasis
Fantastic little 4k rhythm game mixed with a very esoteric puzzle-mystery VN - there's lots to discover about the protagonist's past. Great ace representation in a main character, trans representation in the protagonist. Songlist is ALL bangers.
43. VVVVVV
This is my favorite game of all time. I love it so much. It's retro styled, the music is amazing. It's challenging, but so satisfying when you're able to solve the room's puzzles!
42. Wandersong
A fantastic adventure game. Loosely a platformer with whimsical, colorful environments, cute character art, fantastic dialogue and characters (every single NPC feels unique and special), but most importantly wonderful music which pulses throughout the entire world - it's the main gameplay mechanic! It has its quirks and getting a hold on the movement can take a bit but it is SO worth it for the story - I cried several times during the final sequence. Can't spoil why, though!! The main cast of characters are a really good trio on their own and develop so well over the course of the story - they have a special place in my heart.
41. Warframe
Free to play games are often very predatory and don't have much going for them besides grinding. While Warframe has no shortage of grind, it also has no shortage of meaningful storylines, an all-star soundtrack, and one of the most unique aesthetics. There's always something to do, there's many memorable moments and banger tracks and the game only keeps getting better as time goes on. And unlike most free to play games, nothing is inaccessible to people unwilling to spend money. Premium currency exists, and it's tradable between players. The only things locked behind premium currency are skips for timegating stuff and cosmetics.
40. West of Loathing
It's the funniest game I have ever played, and even though it's been 8 years I still think about multiple bits and jokes from this game weekly.
39. What Remains of Edith Finch
This game contains some of the best storytelling through the medium of a video game that's ever been released. Unfortunately, the lead developer has since been revealed to be a major asshole, but the game is so good it's one of the few pieces of media where I'm willing to separate the art from the artist. If you need to remember why video games are art, play this game.
38. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Who doesn't want to make America Nazi Free Again? Neverminding that the story of BJ Blazkowicz and the resistance - who are dealing with a lot of real stuff besides that - really draws you in. The game speaks a lot to loss and grief, to resisting despite everything being against you, to finding hope despite Everything. It has a great story and it sure does tell it to you, and it's a game that has become increasingly important, given the world we currently live in.
37. Xenoblade Chronicles (Series)
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
It's the first game in the Xenoblade series (which is my favorite game series) and is a nice intro to the series. Definitive Edition is more accessible than the original Wii and even New 3DS versions, and offers multiple gameplay and quality of life improvements like streamlining menus and adding new UI to make things easier. It even has a whole new free story campaign that takes place after the main game to help flesh out one of the characters who didn't get a lot of development originally, and helps the game connect more to Xenoblade 2 and 3.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade 2 is my favorite game of all time and changes and improves on a lot of things from Xenoblade 1. It has one of the best stories in gaming with a lot of great writing and character moments, and while the combat system is really complex it can be extremely satisfying to pull off when done well. There's also the Torna the Golden Country DLC, which adds a whole new story expansion and helps flesh out the game world and the story even more!
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Xenoblade 3 is the third and final game in the main Xenoblade trilogy. It combines a lot of elements from both Xenoblade 1 and Xenoblade 2 when it comes to gameplay with world exploration, combat, the HUD and menus, and the characters and story. The game is the full culmination of the Xenoblade series up to this point, and also has the Future Redeemed DLC which is another story expansion that adds to the game world and fleshes out a lot of things.
36. Yakuza: Dead Souls
It's a pretty good zombie shooter, if you can get past the very awkward controls it has. It is also an entry within the Like A Dragon/Yakuza series that requires no real knowledge of any prior games to play and enjoy.
35. Yars Rising
It's a fun WayForward-developed metroidvania with a charming story and absolutely banger music, and a lot of Atari deep cuts.
34. Zero Escape: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
999 is a mystery/suspense Visual Novel/Puzzle game that plays with timelines, narrator perspective and physical properties of the console it released on.
Zero Escape: 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors begins with the main character, Junpei, waking up in a bedroom under the decks of a sinking ship, with the number 5 on his wrist and no memory of how he got there. Upon finishing the escape room puzzle, the player meets up with the other 8 people who share the same fate: waking up in sunken rooms with wristbands numbered 1-9.
It gives way to "the game" - where the group of 9 must find the door numbered "9" and open it. To open a door, the group of 9 must scan their numbers together to add up to a total where the final digit matches the number on the door. This efficiently creates an ensemble piece where different characters are forced to split up and combine together in interesting and devastating ways.
999 is a game that does not pull any punches; In its endings, the paths to those endings, and the scenarios it puts its characters through. There are, as with any mystery/suspense visual novels, incredibly well planted and interesting twists and turns that make you feel like you've just rediscovered quantum physics.
33. 1000xResist
It’s a really good game! Probably the best story I've ever experienced from any media.
32. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
A heart-shattering story that is peak Vanillaware: sometimes funny, sometimes dark and poignant, sometimes brash and irreverent. It's a combination visual novel and strategy RPG, but don't be discouraged as the strategy elements are very easy to skip through if you are not a fan of that kind of gameplay. It has trans and queer characters who are depicted as complex people and not as punchlines—although it's certainly not perfect in its representation by any means, it is worthwhile to see how the Japanese game market is moving towards inclusion. Be prepared to cry HARD.
31. Atelier (Series)
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
My favorite game of the Atelier series, Escha & Logy is honestly a really great entry point in the series in general. The gameplay loop of fighting monsters, using the mats to make items and equipment, then using them to fight stronger monsters is a basic trope in general, but the Atelier series bases its existence on that loop and this game is super satisfying. It also comes with a top notch sound track and art by Hidari (of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia fame) making it such a pretty game for a PS3 AA game.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg
The remake of the 1997 RPG that is considered to be a progenitor in the realm of item crafting in video games. Cute graphics and a simple story of a girl trying to stay enrolled in alchemy school.
30. Chrono Trigger
"Chrono Trigger is Square-Enix's legendary time travel RPG, featuring a story that spans millions of years. With a memorable cast of unique heroes and villains alike, innovative RPG battles, some of the best music and pixel art in video games... I love it so much. I took my screen name from one of the characters."
"An amazing example of the turn-based JRPG. Great characters that I actually wanted to do all the personal quests for, multiple endings, and of course great story, sprites, and music. While there are others I was tempted to recommend, Chrono Trigger just beats them out by a hair in my book."
29. Citizen Sleeper
"Excellent narrative RGP and beautiful art. One of the few text-based RPGs I've ever fully played, let alone loved this much."
"A very compelling narrative game using systems to invoke the feeling of a TTRPG. You sold your freedom to pay off a debt, and years later were finally able to escape your 'employer' and you have to survive in a lawless space station on the edge of civilization. The biggest draw is the compelling characters and their story lines, with decisions that can drastically affect things. If you've had an itch to try out more TTRPGs but just don't have the time or group to commit to one, this is one of the best experiences you can get."
28. Control
"Control has one of the coolest stories of any video game I've ever played. The flow of the game feels so good as well. Yeeting giant chunks of concrete in combat is extremely satisfying and the other powers are just as fun."
"Very good action/shooting game with a great story to go with it, even with its weird difficulty spikes at times."
27. Disco Elysium
"One of the most involved storytelling games I've ever played. The RPG elements are wonderfully implemented and it is now fully voice acted as well!"
"The best book I’ve ever played."
26. Final Fantasy (Series)
Final Fantasy XIV
"I know, you've seen the joke. Critically acclaimed, free, etc. You get the point. But genuinely, one of the best MMOs to ever do it and perhaps the only MMO with a story this incredibly impactful. The amount of times I've cried over the years playing FF14 is almost embarrassing. The characters, the writing and the acting are on another level. And Emet-Selch stands as one of the best written villains to ever grace a video game. You'd never expect that from an MMO, not in a million years."
"Final Fantasy XIV is an incredibly slow burn of a game but once it gets to its Act 3 it brings everything together, even the infamously slow 'A Realm Reborn'. It sets an incredibly high bar for videogame stories writ large, not just MMOs - and brings the fact that it's an MMO directly into the fabric of the narrative"
Final Fantasy Legend II (SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu)
A standout Gameboy-era RPG, Final Fantasy Legend II takes its colorful cast across multiple worlds as they search for the legendary 77 MAGI and dethrone the corrupt Gods in their path. The game play features some early innovations such as its unique class system of humans, espers/mutants, robots, and monsters, each with their own strengths and skills. And while the English translation shows its age, it is worth for absolutely meme-worthy moments such as smuggling of illicit... bananas!
Final Fantasy V
FFV is one of the staples of the start of the FF series. There is classic JRPG game play, but an Active Time Battle system along with the Job system gives endless combinations to play the game with your own tastes and is more engaging than just turn-based combat. There's also a woman who disguises herself as a man and is a pirate captain, and she's badass, 'cause she doesn't take anyone's shit.
Final Fantasy VI
JRPG's are a staple genre at this point in gaming history, and if anyone has to play just one JRPG to understand their appeal, it should be Final Fantasy VI. It's old enough to give a feel for the retro elements of JRPG's that made them so compelling yet accessible when they started to gain worldwide mass appeal, but yet still has deeper characters and story than most modern games of its playtime. Modern games have just never done it like FFVI.
Final Fantasy X
A personal life changer, with unmatched aesthetics, soundtrack, and heartfelt story.
25. Gone Home
"Gone Home is an example of fantastic environmental storytelling. You play as 21-year-old Katie in 1995 returning from a trip overseas to the house that her family just moved into. By exploring the house, she can piece together what has been happening with her family in her absence. It's a very emotional piece that will have you laughing and crying."
"If you go into the game with no info about it, you'll never predict where it's going. It's a walking sim about a girl coming home from a long trip abroad. It makes me cry every time I play it."
24. Gris
"To put it simply, this beautifully crafted platformer is one of, if not the best depictions of grief in a visual medium. Whenever someone asks me if video games are art, I point them towards Gris. This game sits in a small pantheon of games that made me cry and if it doesn't make you upon first playing through, play it again."
"Gris is an incredible touching story driven platformer told entirely through gameplay."
23. Hollow Knight
"Incredible indie 2D metroidvania that inspired and directly influenced many games. It also has grubs that are super cute! Yippee, and meemawmaw!"
"I have almost 2000 hours in this game between casual play, randomizers, and speedrunning, and I don't regret a single one. It single-handedly revitalized the metroidvania genre for the modern day, and is one of the most gorgeous worlds to ever be realized in a video game. The OST rules, the bosses rule, I really cannot say enough good things about this game. It makes getting hopelessly lost into one of the most fun experiences and I say this as a complete hater of not knowing what to do in video games. It's single-handedly the reason I am in any semblance of a speedrunning community. YOU CAN RELEASE A TRAGIC LESBIAN AND A FANFIC LESBIAN INTO THE WILDERNESS AND HOPE THEY FIND EACH OTHER!"
22. Katamari Damacy
"A surreal action/puzzle game about rolling a very sticky ball called a katamari around, sticking small things to it so it grows in size, so you can roll up even bigger things, so you can roll up enough things to make them into stars, moons, planets, and other celestial bodies! It sounds strange! It is strange! But it's also really fun!
Each level in Katamari Damacy tasks the player to roll up enough objects within a time limit to make a ball large enough, sometimes with other restrictions like only picking up certain kinds of objects. The game's soundtrack is full of high energy music to keep you rolling, and the game world is full of low-poly people, objects, and creatures to encounter and subsequently roll up!
It is hard for me to put into words why rolling around a ball of things stuck to each other is so engrossing, but the energy is just so joyous! Every time you roll something (or someone!) up, there are silly little sound effects that play! This game is full of whimsy, and we need more games with whimsy!"
"Katamari Damacy is the Most game. A shining star of pure, absurd joy that's sure to delight anyone in need of a little whimsy. The controls are simple, but intentionally unconventional, forcing you to throw out all preconceived notions about what you know about video games. Katamari Damacy forces you to engage with it differently, more directly, and that's a big part of why it's so memorable. It's like a playground full of equipment you've never seen before, and while it's obvious how it's supposed to be used, the activities which follow are no less magical for it."
21. Kingdom Hearts
"The first and in some ways still the best Kingdom Hearts game. Can be played with little knowledge outside of the most basic pop culture knowledge of Disney and an appreciation for Anime storytelling. Remains the most interesting as a game in terms of exploration and level design."
"I can talk for a long time about the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise, but even ignoring the games that would come after, I think that Kingdom Hearts creates a world unlike any other. Its unique blend of Disney cartoons and Final Fantasy melodrama create an intriguing mix that has captivated so many people for decades now. It is a game that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve, that declares that the connections that we make with others are our greatest strength, and in a world that's increasingly more and more cynical, I find it beautiful and refreshing that Kingdom Hearts always chooses to be goofy, to be silly, to be sincere."
20. The Legend of Zelda (Series)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Three reasons:
1) The game is, in and of itself, excellent. There's a lot to do in the game, and while there is some required faffing about towards the end, you mostly get to choose how much you do. The OST is great, with many incredible hits. The bosses are wonderfully imaginative. While the combat can be a little simple, there is so much to enjoy about the gameplay and the feeling of getting lost in the world is very real.
2) The story hits amazing themes. Everyone talks about Majora's Mask as being a game about loss, and a deeply touching one at that, and that is indeed true. There is also an excellent discussion about how Ocarina of Time is about the melancholy of growing up, and that is also true. The Wind Waker, for what it's worth, has had the most enduring message to me though. The game is entirely about letting go and moving on. More than anything, the story emphasizes the problems with holding on to the past and trying to relive the glory days of now bygone eras, a message that feels more important now than ever. This compounds with some extremely powerful characters. Several characters have meaningful arcs, and the game thrives in the little moments. This also has Ganondorf at his most terrifying, being proactive and more than capably handling everything that the good guys throw at him.
3) The game was rushed out the door, and the scars show. It is known where there was cut content, and you can use this to actively see what cut content looks like.
Some highlights:
i) The Tower of the Gods is pretty clearly two partially complete different dungeons stapled together.
ii) Ice Ring Isle and Fire Mountain Isle are flagged as "important" on the map, and contain inventory items. However, there isn't anything there beyond the quick quest to get the items on them.
iii) Similarly, Great Fish Isle is flagged as important on the map, but has nothing. It's also tied to a quest that gets you an inventory item and one of the stones of the goddesses.
iv) Forsaken Fortress two has multiple bosses and an inventory item despite not really having much other content.
Having played The Wind Waker, I can now spot similar scars in other games, and it has made me have a better critical eye when playing other games.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
This realistically could have been any Zelda, but I think the tone, items, and bosses in Twilight Princess push it over the edge. It leaning on a more grimdark world makes you feel extra heroic when you rise above it, and even if you've never played a Zelda game before, the bosses and dungeons are ABSURDLY well designed for 2005. The water temple is a cinematic masterpiece (which you NEVER get to say about a water dungeon!) The final set of bosses, including a FOUR PART GANONDORF FIGHT, INCLUDING HORSE COMBAT AND A SWORD DUEL TO THE DEATH, remain among my favorite bosses in video games full stop, and that's 20 years later (Oh. Oh no.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A sometimes divisive game with the Zelda community, you really can't deny Breath of the Wild was a step in a wildly different direction... no pun intended. It's definitely one of those games where if you love it, you really love it and it's worth giving it a try just to find out.
19. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
"One of my favourite puzzle/detective games ever. And it has a wonderful aesthetic, in my opinion."
"The perfect puzzle game, even if you're not sure if you like puzzles I suggest this. It does a great job of leading you into a grand mystery that every puzzle tells you just a bit more about, along with many guides available online if you'd just like to experience the story."
18. Night in the Woods
"Night in the Woods is an incredible game that perfectly captures the aimlessness typical of Millennial/Gen Z early adulthood by exploring themes of mental illness, stagnation, and 'the slow death of small town America.' Despite its focus on anthropomorphic animals, it is an intensely human game which asserts that the most powerful weapon we have against the myriad horrors is the trust we place in others who endure the same. It also has crimes :)"
"You've returned home from college and everything has changed - or maybe you're finally seeing things clearly for the first time. Part adventure game, part platformer, part point-and-click, this is a beautiful narrative-driven story that centers around family, friendship, mental health, and community."
17. Psychonauts (Series)
Psychonauts
Psychonauts is a very charming and witty game where you get to explore the minds of a wacky cast of characters to help solve their mental blocks. It's a creative concept that will keep you laughing.
Psychonauts 2
I absolutely adore the first Psychonauts game, and Psychonauts 2 is everything that the first game did but better (to me). You still have Double Fine's absolutely incredible writing from some of the funniest people in the entire games industry. I always felt that Psychonauts 1 was a little...lacking in its depiction of mental illness, choosing to fall back on a lot of tired and harmful tropes. Psychonauts 2 breaks free from those tropes and instead uses its central conceit to tell a powerful story about trauma. As Raz ventures into the minds of his superiors, he helps them come to terms with a terrible event in their lives that happened long before the events of even the first game. It's not afraid to cover topics like eating disorders and alcoholism, but it does so with the gentle and patient and caring hand that such heavy topics deserve. Few games have made me cry, and Psychonauts 2 stands proudly among them.
16. Pokemon (Series)
Pokemon Colosseum
Considering my whole branding shtick, I would be remiss to not include a single Pokemon game, but considering the formulaic nature of the franchise's mainline games and the series's widespread appeal, it would feel like a disservice to suggest one of those, as most reading this list have either played one already or have at least played something that iterates on the genre formula Game Freak pioneered.
Preamble aside, if there are any I could put in my list for this, it would have to be one of the handful of games that broke from the above mentioned formula or simply dared to do something different from what was expected. Black and White, Conquest, Legends Arceus-- the list goes on, but credit must be given where credit is due; without Pokemon Colosseum, who knows where the state of pokemon spinoff would be.
Using the opportunity of a new console and developed by Genius Sonority, Colosseum was the first game of the Stadium-style spinoffs to be a full-fledged RPG in its own right, and with that it also broke from many aspects of the mainline games that made them the powerhouse they are. From double battles as the primary battle style, to shadow pokemon and snagging, to no random encounters or gym badge focused plotline, Colosseum may have been a jarring experience for me as a kid just coming off of Ruby and Sapphire… but looking back at it now in a post-Legends Arceus world, this is a not-so-hidden gem of the franchise that should be played if only for its differences from what has now become the tried and true formula of the world's most profitable franchise.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
It's the best Pokemon Roguelike in existence! The story also got me through one of the hardest times of my life and is therefore incredibly close to my heart. It deals with themes of redemption, forgiveness, and finding a place where you belong. It was also the original Pokemon Isekai game.
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
HeartGold/SoulSilver is the peak of Pokemon nostalgia for me personally and was the first Pokemon game I beat the Elite Four in. A really great remake and I just really enjoy it.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
As someone who never was into Pokemon, this game got me into Pokemon. I think it’s a great first game to introduce someone to the franchise. I really enjoy the story, post game, and DLC content which allows for hours of gameplay.
15. Portal (Series)
Portal
So much of this game has made it into pop culture at this point, that it is hard to not have the game spoilered. But that doesn't mean you should skip it. A lot of fun puzzles and great humor throughout make it such a good game to play through.
Portal 2
A classic puzzle game series with intricate puzzles, good humour, amazing atmosphere, and potatoes.
14. Resident Evil (Series)
Resident Evil 2
At the time of this game's release, this was THE Survival Horror game. Video game hardware of the time was pushed to the absolute limit to create a 3D horror experience in the format of Shinji Mikami's original masterpiece Resident Evil, but Resident Evil 2 was where the genre, as it existed in the 90s, was brought to its absolute peak. The map design, the enemy spawns, the weapons, the ways that characters interacted with the map, and the way that Claire's story interacted with Leon's, vice versa, and depending on which order you play them in, is something that even the remake failed to truly deliver on. When it came to Survival Horror in the 90s, nothing really stood up to the gameplay and level design of this game, and it therefore speaks for an entire bygone genre.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
One of the best action horror experiences out there
13. Super Monkey Ball 2
"I never actually played the first monkey ball and I never beat this one, but I spent so many hours in the party mode and playing as a kid, I just think it's really neat."
"The absolute apex of arcade-y goodness. Pure level-based platforming challenges with a frame-perfect timer that lures you into the speedrunning mindset and the best soundtrack of the era. I will FIGHT people about this. You can blink and 100 hours go by in this game, the gameplay loop is just that addicting. The creativity of the level design also had no business going this hard. Dodge a giant spinning comb while you're inside a whale; solve the labyrinth of the minotaur but you're in a space base racing to stop the bad guy, Dr. Bad-Boon, from firing a laser that will make all bananas taste like curry (I'm 90% sure this is the nominal story of the game and I'm not looking it up to check). But mostly it's that sweet, addictive gameplay loop."
12. Tetris
"This game is so fundamentally classic at this point that it’s hard to imagine it didn’t exist."
"Tetris is a staple puzzle game. Period. I could soapbox this series for days, but there's SO many variations of the series that almost anyone could find a version that they think is fun and engaging. It's engaging, it's fun, it can be competitive, or it can be relaxing. I truly think Tetris transcends all other puzzle games, forever. It's easy to pick up and hard to truly master, which I think is a very interesting way to have a game. You want a challenge? Play Tetris the Grandmaster. You want a fun relaxing puzzle game? Play Tetris Plus. You want to play Tetris with your friend who really likes Puyo Puyo instead? Puyo Puyo Tetris exists! There's so many ways to enjoy and play that it's so easy to recommend to someone."
11. The World Ends With You
"This game is criminally underrated, has a fascinating gameplay setup, a layered and intense story, and untouchable atmosphere created with a dynamic art style and endlessly enjoyable soundtrack. Those who give this game a chance tend to become die-hards. More people need to check out this game and its sequel so the company decides to make a third."
"Admittedly, this one might not hit as hard if you're not currently a depressed teenager. But if you've BEEN a depressed teenager, this story about the world's most insufferable angstlord fifteen-year-old becoming a better person will probably work well for you. The character development is stellar, and the game's soundtrack and aesthetic style are both top-notch. But possibly the best part of the experience is the mind-breaking dual-screen combat for the original DS release - once you figure out how to control both party members at once (using the buttons for the top screen and the touch screen for the bottom,) there's nothing like it. Unfortunately, this makes it... difficult to port, but the Switch rerelease does a game job of trying to recapture the chaos - try playing it with both joy-cons at once. Once you've played it, you'll want to replay it just to catch all the foreshadowing the game dropped - and the game itself rewards that impulse. One of my all-time favorites, bar none."
10. Zero Ranger
"ZeroRanger is a wonderful introduction to the world of SHMUPs, managing to provide an accessible experience without pulling punches. Also, unlike basically any other SHMUP I can think of, the story is incredible. It plays great, has a fantastic mystery under the surface, and in a genre full of goated soundtracks, it still manages to stand out. "
"Not only is ZeroRanger a very good and beginner friendly SHMUP, but a full philosophical dissection of the genre. Even for those who are otherwise uninterested in the genre, it’s an important story that utilizes the medium of video games completely in a way no other piece of media does."
9. Assassin's Creed (Series)
Assassin’s Creed
This is the first game in the Assassin's Creed series before it became what it is now. The game offers fun and interesting parkour in historical environments and really makes it feel like you're an assassin hunting targets in areas where you're not allowed to be in that are hostile towards you. It also sets up really interesting story elements with the Animus and reliving memories and hints at a past civilization in its plot.
Assassin's Creed II
This is the second game in the Assassin's Creed series and picks up right where AC1 leaves off and. This is the first game that follows Ezio, who is the most well received and well loved character in the series and changes up the setting to be Renaissance Italy. The game contributes more to the overall story of the series, and improves on things from AC1 like the parkour and combat. If you grab the Ezio Collection, you also get Ezio's sequels Brotherhood and Revelations and all the DLCs for each game included for free!
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Assassin's Creed is one of my favorite franchises and it really appeals to the history nerds in us no matter what period of history you like. Origins started the kind of new wave of modern AC games. It's really the story that makes it, just a completely devastating set of events leading to the founding of the Hidden Ones (later the Assassins). Like, I'm telling you, this shit broke me a little. It's not a long game by any means, and it leans a lot more into the action adventure gameplay loop, but I think if people play an Assassin’s Creed game now, it should be Origins.
8. Ace Attorney (Series)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (NDS)
This is my favorite visual novel series! The characters are so good, the story is great, and the entire series is amazing, especially the first trilogy (Ace Attorney Trilogy).
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
This game has such a surprisingly gripping story and has such a creative way of bringing you to the conclusion of each mystery. I laughed, I cried, my head hurt trying to figure things out sometimes, and I really fell in love with the interesting cast of characters you meet. I definitely had my suspicions on how a lawyer game could be so good, but I promise your expectations will be surpassed on this one!
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
This duology is my favorite in the entire Ace Attorney franchise. These two games take place in the 1900s and can very easily be played as a standalone collection. What I like most about TGAA is that it was given the proper amount of time to cook and develop its story. It can be argued in the previous Ace Attorney games that they have moments of feeling rushed or pacing impacting character development, but I think TGAA had the perfect momentum. Originally planned as one singular game, Shu Takumi decided to split the story across two games to properly establish the setting and its characters before kicking into gear with the main mystery of the story. I love every single character, the voice acting could not be more perfect, the music is moving and fun to listen to, there's so much I could say about this series. As one of the more recent editions of the series, it has a really nice 3D art style and loses a ton of the clunky gameplay feelings that the older entries have. It's definitely a game that takes a moment to kick into the grand finale but it is absolutely worth it.
7. Hades
"One of the best gameplay experiences I've ever had, combined with incredibly gripping characters and a unique story and dialogue mechanic."
"It may just be the perfect combination of a challenging roguelike with a compelling story and characters who make you want to keep coming back to see their interactions and reactions!"
"The Godlike Roguelike. I know the sequel just released, but respect must be given to the original. I don't know how much I can truly say that hasn't already been said either by others, the game itself, or the fact that you can point to dozens of games released the last 5 years that take cues from Hades to the point where you can argue that Hades-like may be new genre all on its own. This game made the concept of roguelikes/lites click for me with more 'Oh my god, I get it now' moments than I can count, and I know I am not alone in that. If you somehow did not play Hades during lockdown with the rest of us or in the years since, change that."
6. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
"Ghost Trick is delightfully theatrical, dunking the player in a mystery that’s engrossing and hilarious in turn. And you play as a Rube Goldberg machine in a time loop, which unfortunately is so conceptually powerful that nobody’s attempted it since."
"This game has puzzles that are so satisfying and click so well in my brain when done right. The story went in really interesting places, and when it ended, I watched the credits, let the feelings kick in, then I cried. This is another game that seems so fun on the surface that you don't expect the story to make you feel things when it's all over. It's also a perfect cozy game to play on a Steam Deck or other handheld device :)"
"This murder mystery starring a recently-deceased amnesiac ghost trying to solve his own murder and how he got there is phenomenal. Granted the abilities to go back in time four minutes before a victim's death, and to possess and manipulate objects, our protagonist Sissel engages in Rube Goldbergian shenanigans to prevent murders. The game is funny and thrilling by turns, and the characters are stylishly animated. For fans of the Ace Attorney series in particular, this is a must, but it stands alone. As a bonus, it contains one of the best dogs in all of gaming."
5. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
"Gorgeous, creative, and super unique Zelda-like game about painting the world in a way that doesn't intimidate me like a blank canvas does. Really stellar story and fascinatingly well written characters, instant 10/10 OST from Lena Raine, and an experience that may teach you something new about yourself."
"This game really resonated with me when I played it. The story is something wonderful, the puzzles are creative, the characters are really cool, it has it all honestly. If you are a creative, this is a game that will speak to you in such a way.
The game mechanics of painting are super chill as well. It's really fun especially on the switch since it uses the touch screen on handheld mode. It's super cozy with that in mind, though the story is more than just a chill time."
"drawdog good"
4. Celeste
"Incredible narrative, gameplay, soundtrack, etc."
"Celeste has been a very impactful game for me personally. Madeline's journey up the mountain really strongly resonated with me as a trans woman. The visuals are simple but beautiful, the music is wonderful, and as a speedrunner, the game has freedom of movement with simple but deep interactions that work so well both casually and competitively. The modding community is also awesome, with so many high-quality mods that are challenging, some that are the same difficulty as the base game, many with custom mechanics, graphics, music, and more. It's just my favorite game ever.
Please play Celeste. There's mods where you can play as a foxgirl or catgirl, ones that add more pride flags, and even sillier and cooler stuff too."
"Celeste's usage of climbing a mountain as a metaphor for overcoming a personal struggle might not be subtle, but it's very effective! Using 2D platforming to physically climb Mt. Celeste alongside the personal journey of self-acceptance is very powerful, and the soundtrack pairs beautifully with the narrative and the atmosphere in each level."
"I don't usually find myself playing games that are very difficult specifically for their difficulty (and Celeste has wonderful accessibility options to make the game easier) but I love that even when it is at its hardest, the game is encouraging! Little messages and texts reaffirm that the game knows it's a challenge, but when you overcome it, you'll be stronger afterwards.
And it's true! More than once while playing through it, the emotional impact of all of these themes combined had a very real, tangible impact on my life. The game has become an emotional touchstone of sorts; one that fills me with hope for myself, keeps me present, helped me learn to let go, and reminds me to live my life to its fullest."
3. Outer Wilds
"Perhaps the best exploration/puzzle games of all time. The ending hit me like a ton of bricks."
"Everyone who has played it will say the same thing. Go in blind. Finish changed."
"To explain it would ruin the game entirely, but it's one of the few video game stories that would never work in a single other medium. Genuinely one of the most unique and memorable experiences out there."
"Outer Wilds is one of those games where you can't really say anything without spoiling the experience at least a little bit. It is a game about exploring the unknown. There are puzzles, and the reward for solving them is more exploration. There is nothing more I can say that the game itself doesn't already convey in a much more satisfying way, but I hope the fact that I am recommending it with such a small preamble sufficiently conveys how rewarding it is for you to experience yourself."
2. Super Mario World
"It's one of the best pure 2D platformers ever, the best Mario game ever, and a joy to play for anyone who has never kicked the tires of the full genre."
"Mario is the platformer game and this is the father of all the Mario rom hacks that are still being created today."
"In my mind, the quintessential platformer. Great level design, nothing too tricky (except Tubular, I hate that level), but still has some fun challenging levels. And it controls well, even to this day."
"Super Mario World took the formula SMB1-3 had established, and gave it a gorgeous paint job and music score, while also adding elements to the game that have gone on to define not just the Mario brothers games, but the franchise as a whole. Characters such as Yoshi and the Koopalings have their debut in this game, and the mechanics of platforming have gone on to be hugely influential (especially regrabs having a huge effect on how other platformers handled gravity going forward). Its romhacking community also continues to give this game life, with kaizo being probably the most popular version of running this game that exists currently."
1. Pyre
"Interesting world building and aesthetics. Great music. The emotional attachment one builds with the characters in your party is astounding. Excellent narrative."
"The most underrated of Supergiant's games. A brilliant narrative experience that many bounce off of before it reveals just how in-depth and clever it is."
"You know that studio that made Hades, and how great those characters are? What if they made a game entirely focused on their characters, with an incredibly large cast as you go around a diverse land with your fellow exiles and grow very tight bonds that could last forever with your favorite blorbos as you play in a magical NBA jam."
"This is what Supergiant did before Hades, and it's an absolute gem. A sports game for people who don't like sports games, combined with a fantastic story in an interesting world. Travel with your companions, compete in a sports league where the stakes are your freedom (???), make difficult choices, and bond with characters that you know will eventually have to leave you. If Hades II is getting the best of you, take a refreshing break with the same distinctive art style and worldbuilding. Criminally underrated."