Ninja Gaiden 2004
Why it still holds upFights that punish careless play still make blocking and evading something you learn today.
Adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
Ninja Gaiden 2004
Why it still holds upFights that punish careless play still make blocking and evading something you learn today.
Deathloop 2021
Why it still holds upEvery loop teaches you something, and that is still the pull today, until you can plan the one day that gets all eight.
Tomb Raider 1996
Why it still holds upA tomb that is a puzzle to move through, not a corridor to run down, still makes exploring the point.
King's Bounty: Armored Princess 2009
Why it still holds upToday a strategy game of this kind, with islands to sail between, still has a place in a collection.
Mega Man Battle Network 2001
Why it still holds upIts fights hide inside a network, and that idea is still what gives the game an identity of its own.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2013
Why it still holds upA story that opens a long series is a good place to start now.
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation 1993
Why it still holds upA starship captain who gives orders instead of just walking around still gives the point and click a new role.
Ape Escape 2 2002
Why it still holds upEven now, the playful levels and long list of gadgets make it a cheerful game to start.
The Room 2012
Why it still holds upA quiet hour with a tactile puzzle is still what this game offers.
LocoRoco 2006
Why it still holds upEven now, merging and splitting the blob makes tilting a world feel like handling something alive.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 2004
Why it still holds upAnyone who wants a game that is mostly about its weapons will find that still true here.
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins 2000
Why it still holds upCreeping up on guards is still the point of it today.
Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe 1995
Why it still holds upPicture icons for every action still make the commands easy to learn.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox 2019
Why it still holds upToday, timing your guard and evade and switching characters keep every fight active.
Pikmin 2001
Why it still holds upWith only 30 days and a hundred Pikmin, every day is still something to plan.
Atom RPG 2018
Why it still holds upA Soviet wasteland after a nuclear war gives the journey a flavor of its own today.
The Black Mirror 2003
Why it still holds upA dark mystery with a manor to search is still a good fit for a long evening.
Twinsen's Little Big Adventure Classic 1994
Why it still holds upA world to roam at your own pace is still a good reason to start it.
Shadowgate 1987
Why it still holds upA limited supply of light still makes every room a decision about how long to stay.
Ever17: The Out of Infinity 2002
Why it still holds upA countdown beneath the sea makes every choice urgent.
LocoRoco 2 2008
Why it still holds upMoving by tilting the whole world, rather than steering a character, still gives it a feel of its own today.
Pillars of Eternity 2015
Why it still holds upReal time with pause still lets you stop a fight to plan each order.
Outcast 1999
Why it still holds upA world open in any order, where the locals remember how you behave, still leaves the choices to you today.
Disney's Aladdin 1993
Why it still holds upQuick jumps and a clear route through each stage make it an easy game to pick up now.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle 2018
Why it still holds upWith the same simple options across the roster, a new character costs little to learn, which still makes the whole mixed cast easy to try.
Ninja Warriors 1994
Why it still holds upThree androids with their own moves and a meter that clears the screen still give each stage a choice of how to fight.
Roll Away 1998
Also known as Kula World
Why it still holds upA ball that turns gravity as it rolls still makes each level a puzzle of its own today.
The Dagger of Amon Ra 1992
Why it still holds upA murder you have to solve from your own notes makes each playthrough a careful one.
Disney's The Jungle Book 1994
Why it still holds upA film-based adventure with its own mix of jumps and projectiles remains a lively choice today.
A Plague Tale: Innocence 2019
Why it still holds upEach room is a puzzle of where to stand, since light holds rats back and darkness lets them through, and the tension holds today.
Tales of the Unknown: Volume I - The Bard's Tale 1985
Why it still holds upA party led through a frozen city, built from many classes, is still a quest worth taking on today.
Astral Chain 2019
Why it still holds upThe same companion serves investigation, puzzles and combat, so the game stays one idea and not three, and that is why it still hangs together.
Dark Cloud 2000
Why it still holds upA weapon that can break for good still makes every dungeon something you plan.
I Wanna Be the Guy 2007
Why it still holds upLearning each trap makes the challenge fair.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge 2010
Why it still holds upEvery gated door is still a question of which animal to be, with transformations that open new areas.
Geneforge 2001
Why it still holds upA world with no single right side still leaves the choices to you today.
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented 2005
Also known as Project Zero III: The Tormented
Why it still holds upThe flat is still the safe place that the house is coming for.
Giants: Citizen Kabuto 2000
Why it still holds upThree races with three styles are a reason to try each in turn, and that holds today.
Sunless Skies 2019
Why it still holds upInvesting in stat points unlocks opportunity checks, and siding with a faction in a large scale war opens some ports and closes others.
Ecstatica 1994
Why it still holds upReading each scene for yourself, with nothing to lean on, still makes this cursed and oddly funny town worth exploring now.
Guacamelee! 2 2018
Why it still holds upCombat and platforming share the same moves, so exploring and fighting still feel like one thing today.
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny 2002
Why it still holds upAttacking at the exact moment an enemy lunges still makes every duel a matter of timing.
The Forgotten City 2015
Why it still holds upThe loop is still why it is worth playing now: a mystery you solve with what you carry from one day to the next.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth 2017
Why it still holds upA story told in three books is still a good fit for a patient player.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 2007
Also known as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box
Why it still holds upEvery stop still has its own brainteaser, across puzzles spread along a train journey.
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 2013
Why it still holds upThe Mexican setting still gives the adventure a style of its own.
Mega Man Xtreme 2 2001
Why it still holds upTwo heroes with their own stages and bosses still give a second run a reason to start again today.