Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2004
Why it still holds upBuilding a party is still a puzzle of its own, with abilities that can be shared and combined.
Games that still hold up today
Timeless games worth playing today
Games
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2004
Why it still holds upBuilding a party is still a puzzle of its own, with abilities that can be shared and combined.
Punch-Out!! 2009
Why it still holds upEvery fight is still a pattern you learn, against boxers with readable tells.
Grindstone 2019
Why it still holds upEvery move is a plan for the next ten, since combos need ten kills in a row, and it works as a puzzle today.
Velocity 2X 2014
Why it still holds upEach level still has two ways to move, with a ship that teleports and ground sections between flights.
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.
428: Shibuya Scramble 2008
Why it still holds upEach choice is still a clue for another character's chapter, across stories that run in the same timeframe.
Splatoon 2 2017
Why it still holds upEvery match is still about covering ground and not only about defeating opponents, as Turf War scores ink rather than defeats.
Test Drive 1987
Why it still holds upA single road with traffic and police to dodge, and a choice of supercars to try, still gives each run its own line to drive today.
Opus Magnum 2017
Why it still holds upSolutions are ranked on three measures and you can go back and improve a machine that already works, which is a reason to return to it today.
Ignition 1997
Why it still holds upShort races with odd vehicles and open shortcuts are still easy to pick up today.
StarTropics 1990
Why it still holds upEach chapter ends on a solved local trouble, which still keeps the quest easy to follow.
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.
Pokémon Ruby Version 2002
Why it still holds upEven now, choosing among a move, an item and a switch gives every turn a small decision.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II 1997
Why it still holds upChoosing which kind of power to grow still gives each run a shape of its own.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves 2006
Why it still holds upEach tiny challenge is still a physical one, since you hold the controller in odd positions.
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.
Transport Fever 2016
Why it still holds upRunning a transport network through 150 years of vehicles is a long project that is still open today.
Micro Machines V3 1997
Why it still holds upRacing toys around a house, with up to eight friends at a time, still makes it a game for a crowd.
Tzar: The Burden of the Crown 2000
Why it still holds upA kingdom built from crops and cows is still a place to start commanding 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.
Spelunky Classic 2008
Why it still holds upCaves that change every run still have to be read as they come 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.
Flashback: The Quest for Identity 1992
Why it still holds upEven now, a hero with human limits and a shield for health makes every drop and jump a measured risk.
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.
Mario Kart 7 2011
Why it still holds upGliding and underwater parts make the choice of kart parts matter on every track, which gives you reason to keep racing today.
F.E.A.R. 2005
Why it still holds upYou still choose a loadout rather than just a gun, since the heavier weapons trade weight for power.
Syberia 2002
Why it still holds upChoosing which place or person to try first still gives each chapter an order of your own.
Prince of Persia 1989
Why it still holds upA fixed clock that keeps running through your deaths, and traps that kill at once, still reward careful, repeated attempts today.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 2001
Why it still holds upThe revert links ramp tricks to manuals, so a single combo can run across a whole run, and that still gives score chasing its depth today.
Sid Meier's Colonization 1994
Why it still holds upColonists you can train into specialists, and prices in Europe that keep moving, still turn every colony into a small economy to tune on the road to independence.
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.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 2005
Why it still holds upWhat you fire is still a choice in every fight, since the ammunition is made of living creatures.
Amid Evil 2019
Why it still holds upEnemies that resist weapons differently still make what to fire at each one a choice today.
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor 1999
Why it still holds upToday, classes that cap each skill make the party you choose shape what it can become.
Resogun 2013
Why it still holds upRescues that sit beside the shooting still add a choice about risk to every level today.
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.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky 2009
Why it still holds upYour first run is still your own, since a personality test decides which Pokémon you become.
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade 2009
Why it still holds upThe journey still has a look of its own, drawn by hand and inspired by Japanese art.
Space Rangers 2002
Why it still holds upA galaxy that keeps running its own wars and trade, and more than one way to finish, leave the shape of your career to 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.
Dark Cloud 2 2002
Also known as Dark Chronicle
Why it still holds upWith weapons doing the growing, every fight still feeds the gear you carry.