Tropico 2001
Why it still holds upRuling a small island with a sense of humor is a change of pace that still works today.
Games that still hold up today
Timeless games worth playing today
Games
Tropico 2001
Why it still holds upRuling a small island with a sense of humor is a change of pace that still works today.
Crush 2007
Why it still holds upFlattening a level in your head opens a path that was not there.
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.
Championship Manager: Season 01/02 2001
Why it still holds upTaking charge of a club in any of those leagues is something a patient fan can still settle into.
Geneforge 2001
Why it still holds upA world with no single right side still leaves the choices to you today.
Gladius 2003
Why it still holds upA school with different classes to balance gives each fight a puzzle.
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.
Baba Is You 2019
Why it still holds upThe rules are the material you move, and today that one idea still carries the whole game.
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.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2008
Why it still holds upA full evening of empire building across whole star systems is still on offer.
Age of Empires: Mythologies 2008
Why it still holds upChoosing a god before each game makes each army different.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs 1993
Why it still holds upThree players side by side is still a lively sight today.
Eye of the Beholder 1991
Why it still holds upIt is a dungeon where finding the way is the game, an idea that works as well now as it ever did.
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.
Mega Man Zero 2 2003
Why it still holds upYou can still set up Zero your own way, with buttons you assign and elves that unlock your health tanks.
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.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped 2017
Why it still holds upChoosing the next level from a room of portals and racing your own times still makes every stage worth another run.
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.
Illusion of Gaia 1993
Why it still holds upExploring is still a team effort, with three characters who open different doors.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker 2014
Why it still holds upEvery ledge is still a puzzle, since the characters cannot jump.
Rage Racer 1996
Why it still holds upCars bought and upgraded race by race still give it a long climb today.
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories 2006
Why it still holds upA hub full of extra systems still gives each chapter plenty to dig into today.
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.
Europa Universalis 2000
Why it still holds upA map of 1,500 provinces over 300 years gives a long campaign.
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars 2007
Why it still holds upEvery build order balances money against speed, and the decision is as live today as ever.
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 2013
Why it still holds upThe Mexican setting still gives the adventure a style of its own.
Planet Coaster 2016
Why it still holds upWith nothing locked and no budget to watch, sandbox leaves your own plan as the only limit, and that freedom is still the main pull.
Knights of Honor 2004
Why it still holds upMarriages, spies and faith still make a kingdom feel like a family business today.
Rival Schools: United by Fate 1997
Why it still holds upA partner you call in at the right moment still makes every round a decision about when to spend vigor.
Harvest Moon 2 GBC 1999
Why it still holds upA farm won back from weeds, with a village next door, still makes a quiet game of daily chores today.
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.
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin 2008
Also known as Advance Wars: Dark Conflict
Why it still holds upA campaign that teaches its rules one at a time still makes a large set of units approachable today.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
Wild Guns 1994
Why it still holds upYou still keep moving every second, dodging in the foreground while you shoot into the background.
Maximo vs. Army of Zin 2003
Why it still holds upThe shield meter is gone, so blocking is unlimited, and the original's pay to save system was removed.
Zork: Grand Inquisitor 1997
Why it still holds upThe jokes still make it a Zork that laughs, with supporting characters to step into.
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins 1998
Why it still holds upAnyone who likes to creep up on a guard can still do that here.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear 1999
Why it still holds upPlanning a raid where one bullet is enough still has a pull today.
Tetrisphere 1997
Why it still holds upA sphere to dig into makes it a puzzle game unlike most Tetris.
Disciples: Sacred Lands 1999
Why it still holds upUnits that gain experience give a strategy game the pull of a role playing one.
Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive 2001
Why it still holds upPlayers who like to plan a Western heist themselves will find that it still holds up today.
NieR 2010
Why it still holds upA game that changes its camera between styles still has a surprise for a player today.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena 2009
Why it still holds upSlipping through a ship full of guards is still a tense way to spend an evening today.
TrackMania United Forever 2008
Why it still holds upEvery official track has world, national and state scoreboards, and players pass through one another in races.
This War of Mine 2014
Why it still holds upHard choices about who to help keep a player's attention today, and that has not worn off.