Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 2016
Why it still holds upStages that hold more each time you return with a new form still give a reason to replay them today.
2010s games that still hold up
Games
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 2016
Why it still holds upStages that hold more each time you return with a new form still give a reason to replay them today.
Threes! 2014
Why it still holds upGames of a few minutes with previewable swipes suit a short break today.
Gears 5 2019
Why it still holds upWith every mode built for playing together, it is still a game for company today.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright 2015
Why it still holds upChoosing how much a loss costs lets a player find a difficulty that suits them, and that is still a good idea.
Whispers of a Machine 2019
Why it still holds upThe game can be finished in two to three hours, with little challenge, and it is still worth a second run today to see what another trait would have changed.
Puppeteer 2013
Why it still holds upHeads with abilities of their own, and scissors that cut through the scenery, still keep each curtain varied today.
Xenoblade Chronicles X 2015
Why it still holds upA planet this big has plenty to find, and a player has to explore it to see it all, which still draws players today.
Dreamfall Chapters 2014
Why it still holds upA story that spans two worlds is still worth following to its end today.
Hyper Light Drifter 2016
Why it still holds upA world told without words still asks you to piece it together as you go.
Fieldrunners 2 2012
Why it still holds upA choice of six weapons before each level gives you a plan to test.
Dirt Rally 2015
Why it still holds upCareful driving is still rewarded here today, on surfaces that change under the wheels and stages learned by listening.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe 2014
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still worth swallowing, since copy abilities change how Kirby moves.
Hitman 2016
Why it still holds upBig levels with room for improvised kills are what keep it replayable today.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 2013
Why it still holds upClimbing onto a giant monster to hit its weak spot still makes every big fight feel like scaling a mountain.
Yakuza 5 2012
Why it still holds upEach of the five characters has their own side activities, which still spread the game out.
Salt and Sanctuary 2016
Why it still holds upWith so many ways to build a character, a second run can feel new now.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2010
Why it still holds upAlternating healing and attack magic mid fight still makes every combat a balance you choose.
Kid Icarus: Uprising 2012
Why it still holds upEvery mission is still a wager you place yourself, by betting your own hearts to set the difficulty.
Yakuza Kiwami 2016
Why it still holds upSide stories that take up most of the play still make the neighborhood feel worth walking.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 2012
Why it still holds upA vehicle that keeps changing in mid race still gives every lap three kinds of driving today.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse 2014
Why it still holds upEach new item still opens up parts of the map you could not reach before.
DJ Hero 2 2010
Why it still holds upThe samples are tailored to each track, and scratching is graded on how musical and unique it is.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst 2013
Why it still holds upBoss fights that play out as events give the story set pieces.
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma 2016
Why it still holds upThe fragments are still a mystery whose order you choose, about people who have lost theirs.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice 2016
Why it still holds upCatching a witness in a contradiction is still the heart of each trial today.
Blaster Master Zero II 2019
Why it still holds upSwitching between tank and on foot levels still keeps each planet from repeating itself.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West 2010
Why it still holds upA road trip across a ruined world has a pull that is still strong for anyone who likes a journey with company.
Evoland 2 2015
Why it still holds upJumping through time to change styles is the idea at its heart, today as when it launched.
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech 2019
Why it still holds upBuilding a deck of your own cards makes each fight a small puzzle.
Gravity Rush 2012
Why it still holds upFlipping gravity to cross an open city is the hook, and it is still worth trying.
Cities: Skylines 2015
Why it still holds upToday it remains open ended, since a city can grow in whatever direction the player chooses.
Brigador 2016
Why it still holds upThe city is still a town you are paid to flatten.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together 2010
Why it still holds upA branching war story that can be rewound still gives reasons to go back today.
Quern: Undying Thoughts 2016
Why it still holds upA puzzle island with no enemies still leaves time to wander and think.
Hob 2017
Why it still holds upExploration and combat grow together with every power you unlock, and that steady widening still gives the world its pull.
Endless Space 2 2017
Why it still holds upWith every faction playing by its own rules, each new campaign is still a different game.
The Dark Eye: Memoria 2013
Why it still holds upThe two tales still run across 450 years, with a princess and a young man taking turns.
Thimbleweed Park 2017
Why it still holds upFive characters to switch between keep the puzzles asking who should do what, and they still do.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker 2010
Why it still holds upToday it is an easy game to dip into for a mission or two between other things.
Shin Megami Tensei IV 2013
Why it still holds upPlayers who plan carefully are still rewarded by turn-based tactics built around exploiting weaknesses.
Blasphemous 2019
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still a pattern to learn and a parry to time.
Manifold Garden 2019
Why it still holds upIts space is the reason to play it now: with gravity you choose and buildings that repeat forever, getting from one place to another is the puzzle.
Sky Force Anniversary 2014
Why it still holds upThe cycle of upgrading and trying again is still the core of the game.
Voez 2016
Why it still holds upA line that moves with the song keeps each chart from becoming a fixed row of lanes, so every song still feels like its own.
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire 2014
Why it still holds upA region reworked with modern features is still a pleasant trip to take.
Ghost of a Tale 2018
Why it still holds upToday, because hiding is both your defense and where you save, each stretch of the map is a plan from one hiding spot to the next.
Total War: Three Kingdoms 2019
Why it still holds upSince the generals decide which units you have, who you bring still matters as much as your orders.
West of Loathing 2017
Why it still holds upToday the choices still make it worth a second run: your class and what you say open different paths, so a new character sees different scenes.