Dishonored 2012
Why it still holds upLevels with several ways in, and a world that reacts to how you played them, are the reason to play it today.
Classic 2010s games that still hold up
Games
Dishonored 2012
Why it still holds upLevels with several ways in, and a world that reacts to how you played them, are the reason to play it today.
Batman: Arkham Knight 2015
Why it still holds upCombat of counters and takedowns, in a city crossed by gliding and grappling, is still the draw today.
Sid Meier's Civilization V 2010
Why it still holds upOne unit per tile keeps war a matter of terrain and positioning, which is reason enough to play it today.
The Talos Principle 2014
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reward finding alternate uses for a small set of tools, with several solutions to many, are the reason to play it now.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 2017
Why it still holds upLayered combat across large worlds packed with hidden items and side quests still makes it worth playing today.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D 2015
Why it still holds upA small town run on a schedule you learn and replay is the reason to play it today.
Yakuza 0 2015
Why it still holds upIt is worth playing now for a dense, hand built city where serious crime drama sits beside absurd comic side stories, in a prequel that needs no earlier game.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 2011
Why it still holds upChoices with delayed consequences, and build choices that change how you fight, are the reasons to play it today.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain 2015
Why it still holds upWhat it still offers is a big sandbox where you choose how each infiltration goes, and where the base, the soldiers and the weapons you research feed into the next mission.
Alien: Isolation 2014
Why it still holds upA creature driven by systems rather than scripts still turns every room into a risk today.
Shovel Knight 2014
Why it still holds upEasy to learn platforming with modern ideas of risk and reward, on an 8 bit look, is still why it is worth playing today.
Cuphead 2017
Why it still holds upBoss fights built on learning patterns, in that style, are still the reason to play it today.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception 2011
Why it still holds upIts set pieces blend climbing, shooting and escape in single sequences rather than separate modes, and that is why it is still worth playing now.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony 2017
Why it still holds upIf you play it now, it is for the investigate then argue structure, with the trial as the core system.
Dishonored 2 2016
Why it still holds upLevels with many routes let a stealth run, a lethal run and a power mixing run all work, which keeps it worth replaying today.
The Cat Lady 2012
Why it still holds upA tense, atmospheric adventure whose dialogue choices change what you see later is the reason to play it now.
Europa Universalis IV 2013
Why it still holds upInterlinked systems and a reactive AI make the same nation play out differently every time, and that is the reason to play it now.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution 2011
Why it still holds upIt still rewards a visit for levels with several routes and fine environmental detail, and for its mix of stealth, combat and conversation.
Tales from the Borderlands 2014
Why it still holds upWriting and voice acting that balance comedy against drama in varied scenarios are the reason to play it now.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth 2014
Why it still holds upItem combinations that differ every run, from a large library to unlock, keep giving it new runs today.
Bayonetta 2 2014
Why it still holds upFast combat built on dodging and combos, with varied set pieces and challenge portals, is the reason to play it now.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard 2017
Why it still holds upPlay it now for the anxiety that builds in one confined location with limited vision.
Lisa: The Painful 2014
Why it still holds upResources and party members are scarce and can be lost, so the systems push the same way as the story, and that is the reason to play it now.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 2019
Why it still holds upThe way its story is told is the reason to play it now: you choose whose chapter comes next and put the mystery together as you go.
Borderlands 2 2012
Why it still holds upA huge range of guns and builds, shared by friends in co op, still gives it reasons to replay today.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice 2017
Why it still holds upPlay it now for sound that places voices around you and visuals that distort to convey the character's state.
Far Cry 3 2012
Why it still holds upFive core systems, sneaking, shooting, driving, exploring and hunting, all feed the same leveling system, so the same encounter plays out differently depending on stealth, firepower and wildlife, and that is the reason to play it now.
South Park: The Stick of Truth 2014
Why it still holds upIt is built as a playable episode of the show, with the town explored as a real map and every fight framed as the kids' fantasy game, and that is the reason to play it now.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2019
Why it still holds upA school calendar that shapes who fights for you, and how, still gives its tactical battles weight today.
The Stanley Parable 2013
Why it still holds upA narrator who reacts to whatever you try makes experimenting the whole game, and that is why it is worth playing today.
Halo: Reach 2010
Why it still holds upA campaign of large battles, with modes to build and survive in after it, still gives you ways to keep playing today.
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag 2013
Why it still holds upThe open sea gives a loop distinct from the city based games, which makes it worth sailing today.
What Remains of Edith Finch 2017
Why it still holds upEach short story uses a different way of playing, so no two scenarios feel alike even now.
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 2012
Why it still holds upRevisiting choices so that information from one route opens another still drives the game now.
The Wolf Among Us 2013
Why it still holds upIt is a detective story built on conversation choices rather than reflexes, and that is why it is worth playing now.
Slay the Spire 2019
Why it still holds upShort runs where every choice of card or route changes the deck, and visible enemy intent turns every turn into a puzzle, keep it replayable today.
Mount & Blade: Warband 2010
Why it still holds upWith no set objective, you can still decide whether to be a mercenary, a vassal or a ruler.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch 2011
Why it still holds upA long adventure built around collecting and training familiars still stands up today.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2012
Why it still holds upA slow daily rhythm tied to the real calendar, with the town itself as the thing you build, still sets its pace.
Super Mario 3D World 2013
Why it still holds upShort, varied levels with a steady difficulty ramp, and characters whose abilities matter, still make it worth playing today.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective 2010
Why it still holds upEach puzzle is still one chain of small object changes inside a fixed room, with a mystery plot pulling it along.
Shadow of the Colossus 2018
Why it still holds upAn empty world with a single task each time, where every colossus is its own climbing puzzle, keeps it worth playing now.
Fire Emblem Awakening 2012
Why it still holds upGrid tactics in which unit relationships change combat results, with permadeath as an option, are why it still plays well.
Control 2019
Why it still holds upEach of its shifting, brutalist rooms leads to a fight, and powers on cooldowns beside a weapon that changes form still keep those fights moving today.
Monster Hunter: World 2018
Why it still holds upA hunt is a loop of tracking, fighting and crafting in living ecosystems, and that loop still carries the game today.
Titanfall 2 2016
Why it still holds upLevels with several routes, and a Titan you swap into at the push of a button, still give five hours plenty of variety today.
CrossCode 2018
Why it still holds upFights and puzzles built from the same launch still give its dungeons two kinds of challenge today.
RimWorld 2018
Why it still holds upA story that comes from moment to moment play, with events matched to how the colony is doing, still means no two colonies play out the same today.