20 Best Games That Shaped Gaming History

The first commercially successful arcade game that proved video games could be a mass-market phenomenon and launched the Atari era.

The definitive golden-age arcade hit that introduced the concept of high scores and reportedly caused a coin shortage in Japan.

The first true gaming mascot. It expanded the audience beyond sci-fi fans and cemented gaming as a staple of pop culture worldwide.

The title that single-handedly saved the North American console market after the 1983 crash, setting the gold standard for platformers.

The ultimate puzzle game. Its Game Boy release proved that handheld gaming was the future, driven by its addictive, universal logic.

The blueprint for modern competitive fighting games, introducing unique character archetypes and the revolutionary combo system.

Pioneered the first-person shooter genre and popularized networked multiplayer, forever changing how action games are developed and played.

Established the vocabulary for 3D movement and camera control, providing a template that almost every 3D game still follows today.

The game that popularized Japanese RPGs in the West through cinematic storytelling and high-fidelity CGI cutscenes on the PlayStation.

Introduced the Z-targeting system and context-sensitive buttons, perfecting 3D combat and exploration for generations to come.

Revolutionized life simulation by focusing on domestic reality, becoming one of the best-selling PC franchises and expanding the player demographic.

The progenitor of the modern open-world genre, offering unprecedented player freedom in a fully realized 3D urban sandbox.

Redefined the MMORPG genre, making massive online worlds accessible to millions and dominating social gaming for over a decade.

A cultural phenomenon that popularized procedural generation and voxel-based building, becoming the best-selling video game of all time.

Spawned the 'Soulslike' genre, reintroducing challenging difficulty and environmental storytelling as core pillars of modern game design.

Reshaped open-world design through systemic gameplay and chemistry-based interaction, influencing nearly every major title that followed.

Transformed gaming into a live-service social hub and pioneered the modern Battle Pass model, merging gaming with global pop culture events.

The culmination of the Soulslike formula in a massive open world, achieving unprecedented critical and commercial success for the genre.

A landmark for the RPG genre, offering deep player choice and production values that set a new standard for narrative-driven games.

The breakout hit of 2025 that redefined turn-based RPGs for the current generation, blending classical mechanics with cutting-edge visual fidelity.