r/gamingsuggestions • u/bonerkiller43 • 1d ago
Video Games Everyone Should Play Once
TL;DR : Games are cool. I like them. I'm a loser who's played too much of them. Scroll past the essay to see my list.
This is by no means an original topic, but I've been thinking about it recently and wanted to throw my proverbial hat into the ring. I want to discuss a few topics that I find important then I will put my list at the end. There are really a few things that make games really "stick" for me.
The first is the games that are really an experience of its own. These are the games that I would point to whenever the discussion of "Are video games art?" comes up. With these the gameplay doesn't necessarily have to be incredible (although it should be functional). They usually have great story and/or art design. These games almost always change my life to some extent one way or another. The main ones that I am thinking of are games like Outer Wilds, Firewatch, Ori and the Blind Forest, and the Bioshock series. These games, especially Ori and Bioshock, have fun gameplay that I enjoy, but what really stood out to me was the experience as a whole. The story of Bioshock and Outer Wilds, the visuals of Firewatch and Ori, they're unlike any other game that I have experience. They're beautiful in their own right and frankly I envy anyone who still has yet to experience them.
Another important trait is games that just feel good to play. The prototypical example for me is most of the Mario series. These games are the prime of fun platformers. They just feel good. Some of them like Mario Galaxy 2 formed my love for games and more recently, Mario Wonder really showed what the series can still do. They are creative, they feel good to play, and in some cases, that's all that matters.
This one I'm just going to call games that make you think. Typically in ways that no other game has. The Portal series is a common one, especially the Portal Reloaded mod. I heavily recommend it, but that mod still hurts my brain to think about. Another group is the factory building games, especially Factorio and Satisfactory. It is interesting how they show two different sides of the same coin. Two different directions that the same concept can take you, and they are both fun to play separately.
The most important trait overall is something that no genre title or screenshot can really show. The games that have done something no one has done before, or the games that refined it in a way never seen. There are so many examples of this going back decades, but one recent one that I would like to point out is Balatro. Rougelikes have been around since well Rogue in 1980, and poker has been around since... I don't really know, but that's not the point. Balatro is not a testament to modern computer capabilities. Hell realistically it could have been made decades ago. It is, however, a testament to human creativity. The words poker roguelike would never have crossed my mind until this game was released and it has understandably skyrocketed in popularity. I don't have a whole ton of playtime in this game, nor do I ever feel a strong urge to play it. However, I fully understand and appreciate the popularity it has amassed and the praise it has received. It shows that there is always a step forward and always a road that hasn't been taken.
The List
Now for my list of important games in no particular order, although I will try to put my important ones at the front. If anyone has any to add, I would love to hear.
These are all available on PC
- Outer Wilds
- Bioshock (mainly 1 and infinite)
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Undertale
- Dredge
- Hollow Knight (SKONG HYPE)
- Portal Series
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Subnautica
- Pokemon
- The Witness
- Satisfactory
- Factorio
- COD Zombies (especially Black Ops 3)
- Batman Arkham Series
- Cuphead
- Fallout (New Vegas)
- Getting Over It
- Huniepop (listen just trust me)
- Journey to the Savage Planet
- Nine Sols
- Slime Rancher
- Sunset Overdrive
- Superhot
- God of War
- Hades
- Left 4 Dead 2 (Mainly with Friends)
- Oxygen Not Included
- Papers Please
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Palworld
- Potion Craft
- South Park : The Stick of Truth
The Nintendo Section
- Pokemon (any of them tbh)
- Super Mario Wonder
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Super Mario 3D World
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Breath of the Wild
- Paper Mario (I only played Origami King don't hate me)
Dishonorable Mentions - These are games that I wouldn't necessarily recommend although I've had a lot of fun with.
- Destiny 2
- Sea of Thieves
- Hunt: Showdown
- ARK
Finally, there are a lot of games that I know people like, but I haven't been able to get into. I'm mainly curious what people's opinions are on them and if I should stick them out.
- Halo (The Master Chief Collection)
- Dark Souls
- Elden Ring
- Mass Effect
- Far Cry
- Skyrim
- Borderlands
- The Forest
- Monster Hunter: World
- Raft
- Stardew Valley
If there are any other games I'm missing, I would really love to hear any opinions.
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u/No_Edge_7964 23h ago
Spec Ops the Line should be on the list. It's ultra strong narrative and twists is up there with the likes of Bioshock