Good Games
I’ve played more than a thousand games over the years. I like to keep track of the good games, but I always let them fade away. Every once in awhile, I start making a list of good games in an ephemeral place… then I lose that list and start a new one. So now I’m starting a list here! For every item on this list, there’s another one I’m forgetting. Feel free to email me with additions, but I’ll only add them if I’ve played the game and agree.
Some of these games have not aged well.
Updated 12/16/2008. There are currently just over 300 items in the list. Maybe I’ll build a list of bad games someday, and I’ll start with Y2K: The Game.
* = one of my favorites.
- Abuse (PC)
- Aethra’s Chronicles (PC)
- Age of Wonders (PC)
- Age of Wonders 2 (PC)
- Arcanum (PC)
- Arx Fatalis (PC)
- *Ascendancy (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360)
- Avernum (PC)
- *Baldur’s Gate 2 (PC)
- *Betrayal at Krondor (PC)
- Beyond Good and Evil (GC)
- Blackthorne (PC)
- Braid (XBLA)
- Breath of Fire (SNES)
- Breath of Fire 2 (SNES)
- Breath of Fire 3 (PS1)
- *Brigandine (PS1)
- Burnout 3 (Xbox)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Bushido Blade (PS1)
- Castle Crashers (XBLA)
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
- Chaos Gate (PC)
- *Chrono Trigger (SNES)
- *Chrono Cross (PS1)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Crusader: No Remorse (PC)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Crusader: No Regret (PC)
- City of Heroes (PC)
- *Civilization 2 (PC)
- Civilization 3 (PC)
- *Civilization 4 (PC)
- Command & Conquer (PC)
- Culdcept Saga (Xbox 360)
- *Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)
- Dark Messiah of Might & Magic (PC)
- Dawn of War (PC)
- Dead Space (PS3)
- Destroy all Humans (Xbox)
- *Deus Ex (PC)
- Devil May Cry (PS2)
- Diablo (PC)
- *Diablo 2 (PC)
- Disgaea (PS2)
- Divine Divinity (PC)
- Doom (PC)
- Dragon Quest (NES)
- Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
- ADDED 12/16/2008 - Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
- Dungeon Keeper (PC)
- Dungeon Keeper 2 (PC)
- Fable (Xbox)
- Fade to Black (PC)
- *Fallout (PC)
- *Fallout 2 (PC)
- Fallout 3 (PC)
- Fallout Tactics (PC)
- *Fantasy General (PC)
- *Final Fantasy IV (SNES)
- *Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
- Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
- Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
- Final Fantasy X (PS2)
- *Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
- Freedom Force (PC)
- Freelancer (with mods) (PC)
- *Front Mission 3 (PS1)
- *Front Mission 4 (PS2)
- Front Mission (DS)
- Galactic Civilizations 2 (PC)
- Gears of War (Xbox360)
- Grandia (DC)
- Grandia 2 (PS2)
- Grim Fandango (PC)
- Guild Wars (PC)
- *Halo (Xbox)
- Halo 2 (Xbox)
- Halo 3 (Xbox360)
- Heavenly Sword (PS3)
- *Heroes of Might and Magic (PC)
- *Heroes of Might and Magic II (PC)
- *Heroes of Might and Magic III (PC)
- *Heroes of Might and Magic V (PC)
- Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Xbox)
- Incubation (PC)
- Jagged Alliance (PC)
- *Jagged Alliance 2 (PC)
- Jets ‘n’ Guns Gold (PC)
- ADDED 12/16/2008 - Killer Instinct (SNES)
- *King’s Bounty: The Legend (PC)
- King’s Quest (PC, unknown numbers)
- Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
- Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
- Kohan 2 (PC)
- Lands of Lore (PC)
- Lands of Lore 2 (PC)
- Legacy of Kain (PC)
- Legacy of Kain: Defiance (PS2)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Legend of Mana (PS1)
- Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Xbox 360)
- Little Big Planet (PS3)
- Lunar: Silver Star Story (PS1)
- Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (PS1)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Magic Carpet (PC)
- Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
- Master of Magic (PC)
- Max Payne (PC)
- Max Payne 2 (PC)
- MDK2 (PC)
- *Mechcommander (PC)
- *Mechcommander 2 (PC)
- Mega Man 2 (NES)
- Metal Arms (Xbox)
- Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
- Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
- Metroid Prime (GC)
- *Might and Magic VI (PC)
- Might and Magic VII (PC)
- Might and Magic VIII (PC)
- Monkey Island (PC)
- Monkey Island 2 (PC)
- Nethergate (PC)
- Neverwinter Nights (PC)
- Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
- Odium (PC)
- Overlord (Xbox 360)
- Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GC)
- *Planescape Torment (PC)
- Phantasy Star Online (DC)
- Populous (PC)
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PC)
- *Privateer (PC)
- *Psychonauts (PC)
- *Puzzle Quest (XBLA)
- *Quest for Glory 3 (PC)
- *Quest for Glory 4 (PC)
- R-Type (various, unknown numbers)
- *Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
- *Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
- *Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)
- *Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
- Realms of Arkania: Star Trail (PC)
- Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva (PC)
- Resident Evil 2 (PS1)
- Resident Evil 3 (PS1)
- *Resident Evil 4 (GC)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Return to Zork (PC)
- Rock & Roll Racing (SNES)
- Rock Band (Xbox 360)
- Sam & Max Hit the Road (PC)
- Shadow Hearts 2 (PS2)
- Silent Storm (PC)
- Sim City (PC)
- Sim City 3000 (PC)
- Skies of Arcadia (DC)
- Soul Calibur (DC)
- Soul Calibur 3 (PS2)
- Soul Reaver (PS1)
- Space Empires IV (PC)
- Space Empires V (PC)
- Space Quest (PC, unknown numbers)
- *Space Rangers 2 (PC)
- ADDED 12/7/2008 - Spirit Engine II (PC)
- Splinter Cell (Xbox)
- SSX 3 (Xbox)
- Star Ocean 2 (PS1)
- Star Wars: Dark Forces (PC)
- Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (PC)
- *Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
- *Star Wars: Rebellion (PC… yeah, I know)
- *Star Wars: Tie Fighter (PC)
- *Star Wars: X-Wing (PC)
- Star Wars: X-Wing vs Tie Fighter (PC)
- ADDED 12/16/2008 - StarCraft (PC)
- *Startopia (PC)
- Suikoden (PS1)
- Suikoden 2 (PS1)
- Suikoden 3 (PS2)
- *Super Mario Kart (SNES)
- Super Mario World (SNES)
- Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo (SNES)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Syndicate (PC)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Syndicate Wars (PS1)
- *System Shock 2 (PC)
- Tactics Ogre (PS1)
- Tales of Symphonia (GC)
- ADDED 12/12/2008 - Team Fortress 2 (PC)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Tecmo Bowl (NES)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Tecmo Super Bowl (NES)
- The Elder Scrolls: Arena (PC)
- *The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (PC)
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC)
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC)
- The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)
- *The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GC)
- The Longest Journey (PC)
- Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (PC)
- The Lost Vikings (SNSE)
- The Lost Vikings II (PC)
- ADDED 12/7/2008 - The Mark of Kri (PS2)
- ADDED 12/12/2008 - The Settlers (PC)
- Theme Hospital (PC)
- Thief (PC)
- Total Annihilation (PC)
- *Ultima Underworld: Stygian Abyss (PC)
- *Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds (PC)
- *Vagrant Story (PS1)
- ADDED 12/16/2008 - Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
- *Valkyrie Profile (PS1)
- Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption (PC)
- Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (PC)
- Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (PC)
- *Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (PC)
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (PC)
- Warlords II
- Warlords III: Reign of Heroes (PC)
- Way of the Samurai (PS2)
- Wild Arms (PS1)
- World of Warcraft (PC)
- Worms 2 (PC)
- Worms World Party (PC)
- *X-Com: UFO Defense (PC)
- X-Com: Terror from the Deep (PC)
- ADDED 12/16/2008 - X-Men vs. Street Fighter (I’m not sure if it was this or Children of the Atom)
- *Xenogears (PS1)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
- ADDED 11/13/2008 - Zone of the Enders (PS2)
Runners Up / Honorable Mention: These don’t necessarily belong in the above list, but I wanted to mention them… some of them were severely flawed (like Dungeon Lords), some of them I thought were overrated, some were just average… but I had fun with all of them.
- 7th Saga (SNES)
- Alpha Centauri (PC)
- Anachronox (PC)
- Anarchy Online (PC)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Brave Fencer Musashi (PS1)
- Breath of Fire IV (PS1)
- Breath of Fire 5: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
- Crimson Sea (Xbox)
- Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)
- Dragon Quest VII (PS1)
- Dynasty Warriors 2 (PS2)
- Dynasty Warriors 3 (PS2)
- Dynasty Warriors 5 (PS2)
- Dungeon Lords (PC)
- Dungeon Siege (PC)
- Dungeon Siege II (PC)
- Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul (PC)
- Final Fantasy (NES)
- Final Fantasy VIII (PS2)
- G.I. Joe (NES)
- G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (NES)
- Giants: Citizen Kabuto (PC)
- Gothic 2 (PC)
- Gothic 3 (PC)
- Gradius III (SNES)
- Ground Control (PC)
- ADDED 12/7/2008 - Heavenly Sword (PS3)
- Jade Empire (Xbox)
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox 360)
- Mr. Robot (PC)
- Nox (PC)
- Resident Evil (PS1)
- Revenant (PC)
- Rogue Galaxy (PS2)
- Sacred (PC)
- Sacrifice (PC)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Shadow Madness (PS1)
- Silverfall (PC)
- Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
- Soul Reaver 2 (PS2)
- Space Empires V (PC)
- Spaceforce: Rogue Universe (PC)
- Spore (PC)
- StarPeace (PC)
- Star Wars: Empire at War (PC)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords (Xbox)
- Star Wolves (PC)
- Sudeki (Xbox)
- Summoner (PC)
- Summoner 2 (PS2)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
- Wizards & Warriors (PC)
- UFO: Aftermath (PC)
- UFO: Aftershock (PC)
- UFO: Afterlight (PC)
- UFO: Extraterrestrials (PC)
- Ultima IX: Ascension (PC)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Vandal Hearts (PS1)
- ADDED 11/28/2008 - Vanguard Bandits (PS1)
- Warlords Battlecry (PC)
- Warlords Battlecry 2 (PC)
- Wild Arms 3 (PS2)
- X-Men Legends (PS2)
- Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PS2)
- Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose (PS2)
Unknown: I haven’t played these enough to say yet, but I think they may make the list.
- Atlantica (PC)
- Bionic Commando Rearmed (XBLA)
- Conan (PS3, runner up)
- Crackdown (Xbox 360)
- Disgaea 3 (PS3)
- Eternal Sonata (Xbox 360)
- Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard (DS)
- Folklore (PS3)
- Kameo (Xbox 360)
- Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
- Sacred 2 (PC)
- Schizoid (XBLA)
- Shred Nebula (XBLA)
- Super Stardust HD (PSN)
- The Last Guy (PSN)
- Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
- Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates (PC)
… yes, I play lots of games.
Adding web games soon!