Last verified: April 2026. Platform availability reflects current storefronts and remaster status.
Some games define their genre. Others transcend it. This bucket list collects the must play games across every major genre: the titles that set standards, introduced mechanics other games copied for decades, or told stories that stayed with players long after the credits rolled. Whether you have been gaming for 20 years or just bought your first console, these are the games worth experiencing.
Shooters: the must play games that defined FPS
Half-Life 2 (2004, PC/Xbox/PS) rewrote the rules for first-person storytelling. Valve‘s physics engine, scripted sequences without cutscenes, and the gravity gun influenced every shooter that followed. It remains playable and impressive over 20 years later.
Doom (1993, multi-platform) created the FPS genre as a mass-market category. id Software‘s combination of speed, level design, and metal-influenced audio established the template. The 2016 reboot by the same studio proved the formula still works at modern speeds.
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001, Xbox/PC) made console shooters viable. Bungie‘s two-weapon limit, regenerating shields, and vehicle combat became industry standards. The Master Chief Collection on PC and Xbox keeps the campaign accessible.
RPGs: stories, choices, and character growth
Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023, PC/PS5/Xbox) won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023. Larian Studios built an 80 to 100 hour campaign where player choice genuinely changes the story, companions, and ending. It is the current standard for narrative RPGs.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015, PC/PS/Xbox/Switch) set the bar for open-world RPG storytelling. CD Projekt Red proved that side quests could match main quest writing quality. The Blood and Wine expansion alone is the length of most full games.
Chrono Trigger (1995, SNES/PC/DS/mobile) from Square combined time travel, multiple endings, and a combat system that eliminated random encounters. It topped reader polls for greatest RPG for decades and still holds up mechanically and narratively.
Platformers: precision, imagination, and flow
Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii/Switch) turned 3D platforming into a zero-gravity playground. Nintendo‘s level design introduces and discards mechanics at a pace that keeps every star fresh. The orchestral soundtrack is one of the best in the series.
Celeste (2018, PC/PS/Xbox/Switch) is a precision platformer about climbing a mountain while struggling with anxiety and self-doubt. The difficulty is real, but the game communicates its themes through mechanics: falling and trying again is the experience, not a failure state.
Survival horror: tension over action
Resident Evil 4 (2005, multi-platform; 2023 remake on PC/PS/Xbox) shifted the franchise from fixed cameras to over-the-shoulder shooting and redefined third-person action games in the process. Capcom‘s pacing balances dread with empowerment. The 2023 remake modernizes controls without losing the original’s structure.
Silent Hill 2 (2001, PS2; 2024 remake on PS5/PC) uses fog, sound design, and psychological ambiguity to create horror that lingers. The story of James Sunderland searching for his dead wife in a decaying town is one of gaming’s most studied narratives.
Racing and sports: competition at every speed
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017, Switch) is the definitive arcade racer. 96 tracks (with the Booster Course Pass), balanced item mechanics, and local and online multiplayer make it the most accessible competitive racing game available. Mario Kart World on Switch 2 continues the legacy.
Forza Horizon 5 (2021, PC/Xbox) combines open-world driving with a staggering car list and a Mexican landscape that feels alive. Playground Games nailed the balance between simulation and accessibility. Available on Game Pass.
Wii Sports (2006, Wii) brought gaming to non-gamers. Bowling, tennis, and boxing with motion controls became a cultural phenomenon that sold over 82 million copies. It proved games could be social entertainment for any age.
Strategy, puzzle, and fighting games
Civilization VI (2016, PC/PS/Xbox/Switch) condenses 6,000 years of human history into a turn-based strategy game with the infamous “just one more turn” loop. Firaxis refined the 4X formula over six entries, and this one has the most accessible entry point.
XCOM 2 (2016, PC/PS/Xbox) puts you in command of a guerrilla resistance against alien occupation. Turn-based tactical combat where every decision has permanent consequences: soldiers who die stay dead, and failed missions make the campaign harder.
Portal 2 (2011, PC/PS/Xbox) is a first-person puzzle game built around the portal gun, a tool that creates linked doorways on any flat surface. Valve‘s writing is sharp and funny, the puzzles are brilliantly designed, and the co-op campaign adds a second layer. Playable in three to six hours.
Tetris Effect: Connected (2018/2020, PC/PS/Xbox/Switch) takes the most recognizable puzzle game in history and wraps it in synchronized music and particle effects. The core Tetris gameplay is timeless; the presentation makes it transcendent.
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (1999, arcade/multi-platform) introduced the parry system, which let players counter any attack with frame-perfect timing. The Daigo Full Parry at EVO 2004 remains the most famous moment in fighting game history. The game’s sprite animation and mechanical depth reward practice decades later.
Adventure, sandbox, and open-world games
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017, Switch/Wii U) redefined open-world design by removing map markers and quest logs. Nintendo built a physics system where every object interacts logically, and players discover solutions through experimentation rather than checklists.
Shadow of the Colossus (2005, PS2; 2018 remake on PS4) contains no regular enemies, no towns, and almost no dialogue. You ride across an empty landscape to fight 16 colossi, and the game asks you to consider whether killing them is justified. Its restraint is what makes it powerful.
Minecraft (2011, multi-platform) is the best-selling game of all time with over 300 million copies sold. Mojang‘s sandbox has no set goals, no story, and no endpoint, which is precisely why it works. Players build, explore, survive, and create on their own terms.
Terraria (2011, multi-platform) is a 2D sandbox that combines crafting, combat, exploration, and boss fights across hundreds of hours of content. Developer Re-Logic has released over a decade of free updates, making it one of the highest-value games in any library.
Frequently asked questions
How were these games chosen?
Each game either defined or perfected its genre, received broad critical acclaim, and remains accessible to play in 2026 through current platforms, remasters, or backward compatibility. The list draws from consensus across major outlets and community rankings.
Can I play all of these on one platform?
PC covers the most titles on this list (about 22 of 25). A PC plus a Nintendo Switch covers nearly all of them. Several games are available through Game Pass or PlayStation Plus catalogs.
What if I only have time for five games?
Baldur’s Gate 3, Breath of the Wild, Portal 2, Resident Evil 4 (2023 remake), and Minecraft cover the broadest range of what gaming does well: narrative, exploration, puzzles, horror, and creative freedom.
Are older games on this list still fun to play?
Yes. Chrono Trigger, Doom, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike all hold up mechanically. Visual expectations vary, but the gameplay in each of these games is as tight now as it was at release. Remasters and ports keep most of them accessible on modern hardware.