P.T. 2014
2010s adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
P.T. 2014
Tyranny 2016
Why it still holds upEvery choice is a question of whom to side with: the world is already conquered and the character is built from how you play, which is worth replaying now.
Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes 2011
Why it still holds upWith so little interface in the way, the puzzles are still about what to combine today.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 2017
Why it still holds upA game you can set to be as forgiving as you like still suits more than one kind of player today.
OneShot 2016
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reach into your own computer still keep the solutions surprising today.
To the Moon 2011
Why it still holds upWith no combat and no inventory, the puzzles are about what you notice in the memories, so the story keeps your attention today.
Pokémon Omega Ruby 2014
Why it still holds upA region with places you can only reach by flying still gives you a second reason to explore today.
The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures 2015
Why it still holds upEach case can still be argued from both sides, with a trial where several witnesses speak at once and a detective whose theories you correct.
The Evil Within 2 2017
Why it still holds upEven now, a town you can explore freely, with scarce ammunition, makes every trip between buildings a decision about risk.
SteamWorld Dig 2 2017
Why it still holds upDigging down for resources and coming back to spend them makes every trip a loop of risk and reward today, with a choice of how far to go each time.
Alan Wake 2010
Why it still holds upBecause your flashlight is both your aim and your weapon, every dark stretch is a choice of where to point it, and the tension survives even now.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 2011
Why it still holds upEnemy defenses you answer with the direction of your swing, and a hub revisited with new goals, still make combat and exploring feel connected today.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age 2017
Why it still holds upGambits you write yourself still make the party's behavior something you design.
Gunpoint 2013
Why it still holds upA cross section that shows every guard and circuit lets you plan a route before moving, and that planning still pays off.
Darkest Dungeon 2016
Why it still holds upEach expedition still has real stakes, because heroes who are lost are lost for good.
Gemini Rue 2011
Why it still holds upThe investigation is still a puzzle of what each character knows, across two stories you move between.
Wandersong 2018
Why it still holds upIt is easy to pick up now: you sing with a wheel of eight notes and every puzzle is a small piece of music you play.
LittleBigPlanet 2 2011
Why it still holds upA game that hands you the tools to make games still puts a maker behind every level today.
Judgment 2018
Why it still holds upThe pace is still varied, as detective sections like tailing and lock picking give the brawls a reason to stop.
AM2R: Return of Samus 2016
Why it still holds upA fan remake of a handheld game is still worth a look today.
Sleeping Dogs 2012
Why it still holds upFights and chases set in a city you can roam between missions still keep it worth playing today.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life 2016
Why it still holds upThe open world still has things to do between fights, from a hunger gauge that limits how much you can eat to arcade cabinets in the city.
Chaos on Deponia 2012
Why it still holds upPlayed now, it is still a box of puzzles: collecting, combining and plugging things in is how every problem gets solved.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey 2018
Why it still holds upChoosing what to say and which side to fight for still shapes the story, and that is a reason to replay it today.
Limbo 2010
Why it still holds upEven now, hazards that show themselves only by killing you turn each death into a lesson about the next attempt.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead 2013
Why it still holds upBecause so many survival systems depend on each other, every run still sets its own problem today.
Pokémon White Version 2010
Why it still holds upEven now, a party of six chosen from hundreds you have caught gives every team a different shape.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist 2013
Why it still holds upEach level can still be played as the kind of operative you want, between silence and aggression.
Primordia 2012
Why it still holds upBecause choices change the ending, a replay today turns up things the first run left behind.
Fez 2012
Why it still holds upEvery room is still a puzzle about perspective, with a view you can turn to realign the world.
The Night of the Rabbit 2013
Why it still holds upA coin that shows what can be clicked still keeps the search for the next clue easy to follow today.
Metroid: Samus Returns 2017
Why it still holds upCounters to time and hidden paths to uncover still make exploring the planet a matter of watching closely today.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire 2018
Why it still holds upA party that can be built and fought in many ways, at sea and on land, still makes it worth playing today.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 2011
Why it still holds upEquipment made from the monsters you hunt, and a village that grows from the same spoils, still give every hunt a use beyond itself.
Infamous 2 2011
Why it still holds upMoving through the city with the same powers you fight with ties traversal and combat together, as it still does.
Blackwood Crossing 2017
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reveal the siblings' past make each solution a piece of the story, which is how the game tells it today.
BioShock 2 2010
Why it still holds upA weapon and a power held at once still make each encounter a mix of shooting and plasmids today.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War 2014
Why it still holds upToday, a war story told through puzzles and a few short action sections gives each chapter its own mix.
The Blackwell Deception 2011
Why it still holds upAn investigation you assemble yourself, clue by clue, still draws you in today.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark 2019
Why it still holds upYou decide how forgiving the game is today, because a difficulty setting lets you choose how much a defeat costs, from nothing to permadeath.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 2013
Why it still holds upControlling both brothers at once makes every puzzle a matter of cooperation, as it still does.
Yoku's Island Express 2018
Why it still holds upGetting around the island is still fun, because a hero who cannot jump has to use flippers, bumpers and ramps, and every route is worked out with the ball.
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Pokémon White Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upA steady loop of exploring and battling, with new places that hold new Pokémon, still gives it its pull.
The Battle of Polytopia 2016
Why it still holds upA short turn limit and a single resource to spend suit a short session today, since each game is a quick set of choices about what to unlock first.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom 2018
Why it still holds upExploring is still a matter of trying each form: five forms each open a different path and dying costs nothing.