The 100 best games of all time: spots 33 to 2
Digitec Galaxus assembled a panel of 47 experts and got them to choose the 100 best games of all time. Here are the rankings from 33 to 2.
This is where the stakes start to get even higher. In light of some controversial rankings, we’ve increased security in our building as a precaution. Who would’ve thought that Concord would end up in third place… just kidding. WAIT, THAT WAS A JOKE! COME BACK! This list, like the previous ones, is certain to spark some heated discussions. A few of the frontrunners took us by surprise.
Are these objectively the best games of all time?
No, because there’s no such thing. These are games that mean a great deal to some people and whose cultural significance continues to resonate to this day. It’s not a definitive list; it’s ONE list.
Taste is a matter of personal preference, so we look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.
33. Death Stranding (2019)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
I haven’t counted, but I doubt that any reveal trailer has ever elicited so many collective «WTF?» reactions as the first teaser for Death Stranding unveiled at E3 in 2016. It showed Norman Reedus, naked, on a beach, holding an infant in his arms and with tears in his eyes. The completed game takes this sense of confusion to the next logical step, which isn’t a criticism. Death Stranding is a courier simulator which takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting and truly comes into its own where other games fall short – in the long, silent journeys through an empty world. What Kojima has crafted here defies any meaningful categorisation. Is that good or bad? Yes.
Source: Kojima Productions
Genre: strand type game (Kojima’s words, not ours)
Platforms: PS4
Trivia: For film director Guillermo del Toro’s appearance as the character Deadman, Kojima used a 3D scan of him but combined his performance with the voice and facial expressions of actor Jesse Corti. Del Toro himself declined the motion capture training because he said he was too busy with The Shape of Water.
32. Disco Elysium (2019)
Written by: Natasha Sebben, teaching assistant at Zurich University of the Arts
I’m happy to be a middle-aged alcoholic addicted to amphetamines. I like to talk to dead bodies and beat up kids. Honest. Well. Not really. I’m too afraid of the consequences. And that’s exactly why Disco Elysium marks a milestone in role-playing games. Disco showed the industry how to do storytelling, proving that players want more than just eye-catching or action-packed escapism.
Source: ZA/UM
Genre: role-playing game
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Trivia: A locked bunker door makes us think we can open it. But we can’t. And our inability to do so feels incredibly hollow. You simply have to experience it for yourself.
31. Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe) (2014)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Sometimes the obvious choice is the best one. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ranks ahead of its predecessors, and rightly so. Nintendo perfected a formula it had been following since 1992, and with this instalment, it reached a level of maturity that threatened to bring the studio itself down. Anti-gravity tracks, a DLC pack that effectively doubles the game’s content and item balancing that, after decades of fine-tuning, finally satisfies both pros and casual players sitting on the same couch – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is fun racing at its absolute best. The sequel, Mario Kart World, didn’t even make it onto this list. Perfection can sometimes end up being a dead end.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: fun racer
Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Trivia: With over 60 million units sold, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch, outselling every mainline Mario title, every Zelda game and every Pokémon release on the console.
30. Counter-Strike 1.6 (2000)
Written by: Simon Balissat, editorial team leader at Digitec Galaxus
Starting out as a Half-Life mod, this title sees terrorists facing off against counter-terrorism units and remains one of the most-played multiplayer games to this day. Maps like Dust 2 have become etched in the collective memory of male millennials. Even today, it’s practically obligatory to play at least one round of CS at LAN parties.
Source: Valve
Genre: tactical shooter
Platforms: Windows
Trivia: In Japan, there was an arcade adaptation of Counter-Strike featuring manga characters and original maps, developed by Namco – including a web manga series in Flash.
29. The Last of Us Part II (2020)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Community manager at Naughty Dog in 2020 has gotta be near the top of the list of crappy jobs. The plot twist in the first third of The Last of Us Part II took gamers around the world completely by surprise. This led to lively discussions in all forums and comments fields. And by «lively discussions», I mean the usual online mix of death threats and hate-filled rants over a narrative choice that many fans saw as nothing less than a betrayal.
Amid all the tearful YouTube essays, gamers almost failed to notice that this horror drama was the highlight of this console generation. The Last of Us Part II pushed the PS4 to its technical limits, refined the gameplay where it was needed and delivered an emotional punch that still resonates today.
Source: Naughty Dog
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: PS4
Trivia: The distinctive clicking and scratching sounds made by the female clickers are provided by voice actress Misty Lee, who’s a comedian and stage magician by profession.
28. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Written by: Domagoj Belancic, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Twilight Princess has earned a special place in the hearts of Nintendo fans. After the childlike, colourful cel-shading adventure that was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Nintendo returned to a darker style. The announcement at E3 2004 is one of this legendary show’s best ever moments. Watch the video when you’re feeling down. Pure hype. Twilight Princess is a masterclass in the classic Zelda formula – brilliant dungeons, tricky puzzles and exciting features, such as Link’s transformation into a wolf. The Wii version also introduces motion controls for Link’s sword and bow for the first time – rudimentary by today’s standards, but magical back then.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: Wii, GameCube
Trivia: Link is left-handed. For the Wii version, the entire game was mirrored so that Link wields his sword with his right hand – just like most players hold the Wii Remote.
27. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
MGS 3 is peak sneak Snake (really fun to say – give it a try). On the surface, it appears to be a stealth game, but Kojima and his team surprise players by throwing in numerous survival mechanics, a sophisticated camouflage system and the smartest AI of the early 2000s. As if that weren’t enough, there are also the craziest boss enemies – a guy who commands bees, a walking Ouija board and an elderly sniper who dies of old age if you make him wait long enough (or if you put the console’s clock forwards).
Source: Konami
Genre: stealth-adventure
Platforms: PS2
Trivia: The credits list Suzetta Miñet as the voice of EVA – a pseudonym. Konami didn’t reveal the secret until 2024. The actor behind EVA is Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Does that make Hideo Kojima a Disney princess? It sure does.
26. Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Written by: Kevin Hofer, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
In 1996, Resident Evil provided the blueprint for survival horror. Two years later, Capcom perfected this genre with the sequel. To me, Resident Evil 2 is still the best game in the series. The neo-Gothic-style Raccoon City police station takes the horror of the mansion from the first game to a whole new level. The fact that I was able to explore a small part of the city overrun by zombies right at the start was a completely new experience for me back in 1998. And the game also features the first appearance of series favourite Leon S. Kennedy. On top of that, there are loads of unlockables, like B-scenarios, where I experience the story in parallel from the other character’s perspective, or the Tofu scenario, where I fight off the zombies as the eponymous block of tofu.
Source: Capcom
Genre: survival horror
Platforms: PS1
Trivia: If you examine Albert Wesker’s desk 50 times, you’ll receive a roll of analogue film. If you develop it, an image of a scantily clad Rebecca Chambers from Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil will appear.
25. Super Mario 64 (1996)
Written by: Domagoj Belancic, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Magical. That’s how I’d sum up my first experience with Super Mario 64. This Nintendo 64 launch title revolutionised the video game landscape and brought 3D gaming to the mainstream. Mario moves not only left and right, but also forwards and backwards? And he runs, sneaks, jumps and flies through the levels? Unbelievable. With its intuitive analogue stick controls, Nintendo paved the way for modern 3D controls. It’s also amazing how well the game’s aged – Super Mario 64 is the very definition of a timeless classic.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: platformer
Platforms: Nintendo 64
Trivia: Did you know there’s such a thing as blindfolded speedruns? Super Mario 64 is one of the most popular games in this category. The best speedrunner is a guy called Bubzia. He completed the classic course blindfolded in 10 minutes and 32 seconds, finishing with one star. It took him 11 hours and 22 minutes to complete a 120-star run.
24. Outer Wilds (2019)
Written by: Alice Ruppert, games marketing consultant for The Mane Quest
Outer Wilds is one of those games where it’s best to be as oblivious as possible and just dive right in. Knowledge is progress, and if you know the solution, you can finish the whole game in 20 minutes. Outer Wilds is a singular masterpiece, offering one «aha moment» after another in a series of captivating, magical experiences. Accompanied by a stunning soundtrack and set in a cosy, rustic sci-fi world where spaceships are made of wood and astronauts play the banjo around their campfires. And yes, controlling the spaceship is a bit fiddly at first, but you just have to stick with it. You’ll get used to it, and it’ll be worth it.
Source: Mobius Digital
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Trivia: All Hearthians (characters from the home planet) are named after minerals and rocks.
23. Tetris (1989)
Written by: Lisa Bach, game designer and co-founder of obleak games
In the late 1980s, Tetris spread from Moscow, the heart of the Soviet Union, to the international gaming market, and has been a regular fixture there ever since. Game designer Alexey Pajitnov chose the perfect pieces on his first go. Every subsequent attempt to change the game failed. In the end, it’s always the original that sticks in your mind. Clearing a quarter of the board in one move by manoeuvring one of the straight blocks into the perfect gap is a sense of satisfaction that transcends generations. Tetris is and always will be the best game of all time in my heart.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: puzzle
Platforms: Game Boy
Trivia: The blocks are a selection from tile-laying game Pentomino.
22. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Where would the gaming industry be today without this title? No matter what you believe, there’s no reasonable scenario in which the medium would be better off without the plumber. With this platformer, Nintendo managed to create the ultimate blueprint for just about everything that makes video games great – level design, gameplay, progression, reward structure and more. In 1985, Super Mario Bros. not only saved a console, but also the entire video game industry in the wake of the 1983 crash. Without this title, the term «video game» might today be nothing more than a nostalgically romanticised chapter in the history of technology, somewhere between Betamax and the LaserDisc player.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: platformer
Platforms: NES
Trivia: Mario’s job as a plumber was originally purely practical. Pipes, as a gameplay element, needed a plausible protagonist to interact with them. Career planning looks different.
21. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Written by: Kevin Hofer, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t come out of nowhere in 2025, but very few people expected it to be such a huge hit – a near-sweep at The Game Awards and the most game of the year awards ever. I was one of the many fans who raved about the game, going so far as to put it at number two on my personal list of the best games of all time. It gets (almost) everything right. Especially the storytelling, which by far surpasses everything I’ve ever experienced in other video games.
Source: Sandfall Interactive
Genre: FRPG
Platforms: Windows, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Trivia: The character Monoco learns his special attacks by collecting the bones of his enemies. That’s a nod to the real Monoco, a dog and happiness manager at Sandfall Interactive, who likes to chew on shoes.
20. NieR: Automata (2017)
Written by: Franziska Behner-Thang, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
«Everything that lives is designed to end.» Action RPG NieR: Automata opens with this line, foreshadowing its tragic course right from the very first seconds. Amid Platinum Games’ action-packed hack-and-slash gameplay and the title’s stunning environments, one question takes centre stage – «Why keep going when everything seems pointless?» NieR: Automata doesn’t provide a clear answer. Instead, it guides you to experience the story from new perspectives after the credits roll – until you’re faced with the decision to sacrifice everything as a player, in rejection of nihilism.
Source: Square Enix
Genre: action RPG
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Trivia: If you trigger the self-destruct sequence with 2B as the protagonist, most of her clothes will be destroyed. The only way to restore her skirt is to restart the game.
19. Cyberpunk 2077 (2019)
Written by: Sascha Böhme, editor-in-chief of The (G)Net
Have you ever loved a game so much that you get really sad when it’s over? This feeling has a name – post-game depression. I’m not kidding! And that’s exactly how I felt when, after more than 200 hours, the credits for Cyberpunk 2077 began to roll across the screen. Since then, I’ve played through the game – including the fantastic Phantom Liberty DLC – several times. Why? Because Night City keeps revealing new stories, details and moments even on my umpteenth visit. When it comes to gameplay, storytelling and visuals, Cyberpunk 2077 is a masterpiece in my eyes. It’s titles like these that remind me why I love video games so much.
Source: CD Projekt Red
Genre: action RPG, open world
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
Trivia: You can find three seashells in V’s bathroom. These are a nod to the film Demolition Man.
18. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Cinematic games were around even before Metal Gear Solid. So were titles with hard-hitting stories and stealth gameplay. What Hideo Kojima distilled from these on the original PlayStation was nonetheless a quantum leap – a spy thriller that took its medium so uncompromisingly seriously that it made the competition look like a game of Uno by comparison. Solid Snake sneaks through Shadow Moses Island, smokes too much, talks on the phone even more and, in between, engages in conversations about genetics, nuclear weapons and the nature of the U.S. military – chats that last longer than some boss fights. By the way, Psycho Mantis reads your memory card directory because, back in 1998, the only reasonable answer to «how do we make telepathy playable» was apparently to break the fourth wall.
Source: Konami
Genre: stealth-action
Platforms: PS1
Trivia: There are four different ways for Snake to escape from prison.
17. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)
Written by: Debora Pape, editor at Digitec Galaxus
Pick up bushes, mow the lawn with a sword, smash clay jugs and beat up chickens. These are Link’s main activities when he isn’t busy saving the seven(!) young women on whom the fate of the world depends. This game’s only the third in the series, but it’s the first one that doesn’t make your eyes hurt, and also features an awesome soundtrack.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: SNES
Trivia: The Master Sword made its debut in this game.
16. BioShock (2007)
Written by: Michael Schürmann, managing director of Ten Forward GmbH
For me, BioShock didn’t start out as a game, but rather as an immersion into another world. The first glimpse of Rapture was overwhelming – an underwater city, both beautiful and unreal, as if someone had forcibly turned a dream into reality. Beneath the water lay not a traditional game world, but a shattered utopia bursting at the seams with megalomania, Art Deco beauty and moral abysses. BioShock blended action, horror and storytelling so elegantly that you weren’t just playing the game, you were constantly asking yourself «who am I actually obeying here?»
Source: 2K Games
Genre: first-person shooter
Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360
Trivia: In an early version, the Little Sisters weren’t girls, but slimy creatures that harvested ADAM. It wasn’t until later that they became the now-iconic kids, making the moral choice in the game much more uncomfortable.
15. Half-Life (1998)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
The era of first-person shooters is divided into two halves – before Half-Life and after Half-Life. Although System Shock had already proven four years earlier that shooters could indeed be clever, the debut release from then-unknown studio Valve marked a turning point for the genre. Actually, scratch that! A turning point in gaming? Gordon Freeman’s dreadful first day on the job was the most important catalyst for narrative action games, the big bang of e-sports and the first building block for the largest online game store.
Source: Valve
Genre: first-person shooter
Platforms: Windows
Trivia: There’s a completed Dreamcast version of Half-Life, but its publisher Sierra scrapped the game just a few weeks before its release.
14. Baldur’s Gate III (2023)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
If you’re a regular on this platform, you may have come across my love letter to Baldur’s Gate III at some point. There isn’t much more to add. Larian’s magnum opus is a rare case where a game not only puts its rivals in the genre to shame, but the entire video game landscape as well. Such a perfect blend of timing, courage and technical brilliance – one that rewards stealth, diplomacy, tactics and brute force in equal measure and sets virtually no limits on its players’ creativity. It’s a masterpiece that defines the medium, and I’ve cut off all contact with every member of the panel who didn’t include the game in their list.
Source: Larian Studios
Genre: RPG
Platforms: Windows, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Trivia: In Baldur’s Gate (the city), there’s a merchant who complains about his ruined cabbage. This is a reference to the running gag from The Last Airbender.
13. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Written by: Nicolas Akladios, Swiss Gamers Network
Every decade has its own legendary game that leaves a lasting impact on an entire generation of players. Although the Final Fantasy series had been around since 1987, it wasn’t until the seventh instalment that the saga reached a wide audience. A moving story, complex characters, a finely crafted, cohesive universe and a dynamic game system draw players into one hell of an adventure. And that’s not all – there are cutscenes with visuals that were ahead of their time.
Source: Square Enix
Genre: JRPG
Platforms: PS1
Trivia: The game was originally planned for a Nintendo console, but ended up being developed for Sony’s new PS. The CD format simply offered more memory, which is what made the famous 40 minutes of cutscenes possible in the first place.
12. Pokémon Green/Red/Blue/Yellow (1996)
Written by: Domagoj Belancic, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
With the first Pokémon games for the Game Boy, Game Freak set the wheels in motion for a mass phenomenon that still has millions of fans ensnared in its grip even 30 years later. How does the game work? It’s simple yet brilliant. Pokémon taps into the collecting instinct that’s deeply ingrained in us humans. «Gotta catch ‘em all» wasn’t a meaningless marketing slogan – it was a call to action. Catching, training and using Pokémon in battles – a perfect gameplay loop that’ll get you hooked.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: JRPG
Platforms: Game Boy
Trivia: The MissingNo. glitch sparked countless fan theories and rumours in the ’90s. This is a graphical anomaly that causes a Pokémon to appear as a catchable Pokémon after a sequence of specific inputs. Nintendo warned against activating the glitch because it can corrupt save files.
11. The Last of Us (2013)
Written by: Domagoj Belancic, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Following Uncharted 2 (2009), Naughty Dog delivered its next revolutionary milestone in gaming just a few years later with The Last of Us. While Drake’s second adventure took cinematic action sequences to the next level, The Last of Us set the bar incredibly high for emotional storytelling in video games. Right from the first few minutes of the game, your emotions are all over the place as you’re forced to watch Joel’s daughter die. The heart-wrenching story that follows – of Joel and Ellie’s journey through a post-apocalyptic America teeming with zombies infected with a parasitic fungus – is simple but masterfully told. The characters have depth, moral boundaries are blurred and the ending still sparks heated discussions to this day.
Source: Naughty Dog
Genre: action-adventure, horror
Platforms: PS3
Trivia: The Last of Us was leaked in Uncharted 3 via a newspaper article: «Scientists are still struggling to understand deadly fungus.» The Last of Us was supposed to have been announced before the release of Uncharted 3. After the game was shelved, Naughty Dog forgot to remove the Easter egg.
10. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Written by: Philipp Rüegg, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Playing as Arthur Morgan, you experience the slow demise of the Wild West as part of a gang of outlaws. The game gets off to a leisurely start. It wants you to take your time. Whether you’re catching a rare salmon in the snow-covered north, carving notches into cartridges by the campfire, or listening to the epic soundtrack, timed to the exact beat of a horse’s hooves. In return, you’ll be rewarded with an emotional story, characters you’ll remember for years to come and a gripping ending that stretches out for another 20 hours but never gets boring.
Source: Rockstar Games
Genre: open world, action
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia
Trivia: Most animals in the game run away when you approach them. Opossums play dead. But your red crosshair exposes the fakers.
9. Half-Life 2 (2004)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Guns aren’t toys? In real life, this is certainly a valid and important observation. But anyone who’s ever held a Gravity Gun in their virtual little hands will vehemently disagree. If I had to narrow Half-Life 2 down to a single component, I’d choose this iconic gun, which turns an already great first-person shooter into a physics-based amusement park. A saw blade becomes a guillotine, and a gas cylinder becomes an improvised projectile. Just as much fun whether you’re doing it for the 1st or the 106th time. Gordon Freeman’s Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator distils the shooter’s brilliant gameplay down to two simple questions – «Who are you going to shoot in the face today? And with what?»
Source: Valve
Genre: first-person shooter
Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360
Trivia: Robin Williams was a huge fan of the series and wanted to take on a voice acting role. Unfortunately this fell through due to the actor’s other commitments.
8. Elden Ring (2022)
Written by: Simon Balissat, editorial team leader at Digitec Galaxus
Lead designer Hidetaka Miyasaki’s magnum opus, Elden Ring, elevated him to the pantheon of gaming legends. Although Demon’s Souls was highly praised back in 2010, it was known only to a small, dedicated community. Twelve years later, Elden Ring brings the spirit of the Souls series to a mass audience. An open-world setting, George R.R. Martin on board and accessible gameplay mechanics made this a well-deserved smash hit.
Source: FromSoftware
Genre: RPG
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Trivia: Lady Tanith is voiced by Gemma Whelan, who plays Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Written by: Martin Abgottspon, content lead at MyTech blueNews
Somewhere in Velen, a war-torn land full of mud and despair, you stumble upon a side quest – and two hours later, you’re still sitting there because the story of these nameless villagers packs more emotional punch than other games in their entirety. That’s exactly what makes The Witcher 3 so amazing. CD Projekt Red didn’t create an open-world game crammed full of content. It built a world that breathes. Geralt isn’t a hero; he’s a pragmatist who has scars and tells bad jokes, searching for one person on a continent full of broken people. And you want to be there every step of the way.
Source: CD Projekt Red
Genre: action RPG
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Trivia: If you cast the Axii spell on cats, they’ll follow you.
6. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Written by: Rainer Etzweiler, freelancer at Digitec Galaxus
Do you own an electronic device? Yes? Then you can probably play Skyrim. Bethesda’s porting frenzy has been the subject of memes for a while now, but you can’t really blame Todd Howard and his team for it. The more people who get to enjoy this immersive masterpiece, the better. Even 15 years on, the northernmost province of Tamriel is still the best place for a thrilling adventure with seemingly endless possibilities and enough replay value to last half a gamer’s lifetime. See that mountain over there? You can climb it. And you’ll probably fall flat on your face, roll down the slope and land right at the feet of a frost giant, who’ll whack you all the way up into the stratosphere with his club. That’s the Skyrim experience – one of many.
Source: Bethesda
Genre: action RPG, open world
Platforms: all
Trivia: Skyrim was the first game from a Western developer to receive a perfect score (40/40) from Japanese gaming magazine «Famitsu».
5. Age of Empires II (1999)
Written by: Samuel Buchmann, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Picture the scene – it’s the 2000s, you’re at a LAN party, it’s 3 a.m. and you’re completely exhausted and surrounded by cold frozen pizza and lukewarm Coke. Then someone has the bright idea of starting yet another epic-length game of Age of Empires II. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you haven’t really lived. Released in 1999, this iconic real-time strategy game from Ensemble Studios had a lasting impact on the genre. Thanks to its captivating storytelling, an entire generation of gamers probably still remembers the campaign by heart and knows who Joan of Arc, Saladin and Genghis Khan were.
Source: Microsoft
Genre: real-time strategy
Platforms: Windows
Trivia: The longest recorded game of Age of Empires II lasted 98 hours, 14 minutes and 53 seconds. In the end, the two streamers – Rubenstock and Andre_2i – agreed on a draw.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Written by: Domagoj Belancic, senior editor at Digitec Galaxus
Breath of the Wild not only revolutionised The Legend of Zelda series, but also permanently transformed the open-world genre. While other game worlds only give you the illusion of freedom, Breath of the Wild delivers on the promise of its open world. Want to head straight for Ganon after the tutorial? Good luck. What’s on this mountaintop? Climb it to find out. How do you solve a puzzle? It’s up to you, there’s no such thing as a «right» answer. Think, experiment, explore. Without limits. To sum it up, Breath of the Wild is a modern classic that, with its completely open-world game structure, has earned itself a permanent place in the video game history books.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: Wii U, Switch
Trivia: Former Nintendo President Satoru Iwata passed away while Breath of the Wild was in development. Fans have discovered numerous Easter eggs that pay homage to the legendary CEO, including a character (Botrick) and a legendary location (Satori Mountain). Nintendo has never officially confirmed these references.
3. Minecraft (2009)
Written by: Nathalie Weidmann, Lead Design & Development at Metaroot
What Lego once meant to the toy market, Minecraft has come to signify for the gaming industry. As an open system, it enables rather than dictates creativity. The game offers nearly unlimited possibilities, has no set rules, and functions as a tool whose only limits are set by your own imagination. At its core, Minecraft taps into an almost archaic form of play, where you place one block on top of another and watch your own world take shape. At the same time, it shows people outside traditional gaming circles just how creative, collaborative and transformative games can be. Minecraft shapes generations and revolutionises the way we view the kind of freedom a game can offer.
Source: Microsoft
Genre: sandbox, survival
Platforms: all
Trivia: The Creeper was originally supposed to be a pig, but Notch mixed up the height and width values when programming it, accidentally creating what’s probably the most famous Minecraft creature.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Written by: Debora Pape, editor at Digitec Galaxus
«Hey, listen!» When Ocarina of Time was released, it was an absolute milestone in every respect. Never before had there been such a vast, three-dimensional world with diverse biomes to explore almost freely – and all without minimap hints or a quest log cluttered with tasks. Thanks to Z-targeting, which allows you to target enemies, battles don’t descend into chaos. Time travel isn’t just a plot twist, it’s also used as a gameplay element. Music plays an important role through melodies that can be learned. And the story – enhanced by short video clips – provides an enchanting, fairytale-like backdrop to all of this. Without Ocarina of Time, the world wouldn’t be quite as wonderful.
Source: Nintendo
Genre: action-adventure
Platforms: N64
Trivia: Using Z-targeting with the N64 controller means that only one enemy attacks at a time. The developers got the idea from a Japanese martial arts show at Toei Kyoto Studio Park.
What about first place?
You’ll have to wait until next week to find out which release has earned the title of «best game of all time». What a cliffhanger. Follow the gaming topic so you don’t miss the big reveal.
In the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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