Yakuza Kiwami 2 2017
Why it still holds upA serious story set among this much optional content, in two districts with no loading in between, still gives you plenty to do today.
Games that still hold up today
Timeless games worth playing today
Games
Yakuza Kiwami 2 2017
Why it still holds upA serious story set among this much optional content, in two districts with no loading in between, still gives you plenty to do today.
Tetris Effect 2018
Why it still holds upRotating, clearing and scoring trigger audio cues, and the music sets the pace of the falling pieces, so learning how each song changes the pace still gives every stage a rhythm to master today.
Luigi's Mansion 3 2019
Why it still holds upA new theme to search on every floor, with tools that turn searching into small puzzles, still pulls you up the hotel.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 2001
Why it still holds upA progression of races, license tests and championships tied to unlocking cars still gives a career a clear path today.
Dragon Ball FighterZ 2018
Why it still holds upOne button attacks are part of real combat, basic combos are easy to land and advanced combos take practice, and shared basic inputs across the roster still let new players start without long tutorials today.
XCOM 2 2016
Why it still holds upTurn limits, scarce resources and soldiers who can die for good still make each mission a new problem today.
Worms Armageddon 1999
Why it still holds upA large arsenal in which each weapon behaves differently still makes every match different today.
The Witcher 2007
Why it still holds upA world full of quests, with choices whose cost arrives later, still keeps each act worth the time today.
X-COM: UFO Defense 1994
Also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown
Why it still holds upTwo linked layers, where what you research and capture changes your options in battle, and no one strategy that always wins, still invite experimenting today.
The Longest Journey 1999
Why it still holds upThe slow pace of an adventure still suits clues that come from conversations and places, as each puzzle is a matter of paying attention.
Mega Man X4 1997
Why it still holds upTwo heroes built so differently still make each stage a different problem today, and a second playthrough feels new.
iRacing 2008
Why it still holds upRacing on scanned real circuits against drivers matched to your level is still what it offers today.
Street Fighter II 1991
Why it still holds upEach match still comes down today to special moves and spacing between two people.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 1994
Why it still holds upA second player who flies and swims as Tails shares the same stages, so it is still a game for two.
NBA 2K11 2010
Why it still holds upHistoric games to relive, and a career built attribute by attribute, give each season a goal to chase today.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together 1995
Why it still holds upA story that branches, fought with an army where every unit's weight counts, still makes a campaign worth playing again today.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 2001
Why it still holds upEach trial is a puzzle of attention: you spot the one statement in a testimony that your evidence contradicts, and the cases are fun to solve today.
Contra: Hard Corps 1994
Why it still holds upDifferent characters and different routes still give each new run its own shape today.
Mega Man X2 1994
Why it still holds upBosses that are weak to each other's weapons make the order you choose the main puzzle, so a second run is still worth a try.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 2007
Why it still holds upPermanent losses and a weapon rank that rewards long use turn every unit's survival and training into a long term plan, and it still has that depth.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 2004
Why it still holds upFists and shadows, with guns held back, still give the escape its own tension today.
Duke Nukem 3D 1996
Why it still holds upEach level is still worth poking around, with routes through ducts and sewers and objects that react when you use them.
The Banner Saga 3 2018
Why it still holds upTwo caravans, with a clock ticking on one of them, make every choice a decision about how to spend your time, and that pressure is still there for a new player.
Duck Game 2014
Why it still holds upOne hit kills and simple controls still let a round be learned in seconds today, so it is quick to start.
Oni 2001
Why it still holds upYou still get fights that favor your fists over scarce ammunition, and each encounter is a hand to hand duel.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1999
Why it still holds upShort runs with several goals each, and scores you keep trying to beat, still make one more run easy to say yes to today.
Child of Light 2014
Why it still holds upA firefly that slows enemies and heals allies, and a surprise strike for whoever reaches an enemy's back first, still give every battle a small tactical choice.
Cave Story 2004
Why it still holds upWeapons that lose levels when you are hit still make every fight about avoiding damage today.
Quake II 1997
Why it still holds upToday the campaign gives you a structure that is clear to follow, with mission objectives and a hub to move between large levels.
Mortal Kombat 11 2019
Why it still holds upEven now, slower movement and fixed inputs for every character make each match a matter of careful positioning.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga 2007
Why it still holds upA mistake only costs studs you can pick up again, so a second player can join in now without fear of losing the run.
Maniac Mansion 1987
Why it still holds upParties that change which puzzles can be solved still make a second run different today.
The Neverhood 1996
Why it still holds upA puzzle is a matter of what Klaymen can do in the room you are in, which is simple to follow now.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2020
Why it still holds upAn island that follows the real seasons and takes the shape you give it is still the reason to come back a little every day.
Secret of Mana 1993
Why it still holds upA party that fights beside you, alone or with friends, and a menu that pauses the action still keep fights simple to manage today.
Desperados III 2020
Why it still holds upToday every level is still a puzzle with many answers, because each character's tools combine with the others'.
The Witness 2016
Why it still holds upEach puzzle is a small discovery: you work out the rules yourself, and you can still leave a region when you are stuck.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2004
Why it still holds upA new player today is not stranded for long, because dialogue that changes with the story makes each town worth revisiting.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight 2016
Why it still holds upA leaf for melee, a bow for range and a boss in every area give it a simple rhythm of exploring and then fighting that is easy to learn even now.
Advance Wars 2001
Why it still holds upLimited fuel and ammo, and terrain that changes what each unit can do, make every turn a small puzzle, still worth solving.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2008
Why it still holds upA damage percentage that decides who flies off, with four control schemes, still makes a match easy to start today.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter 1994
Why it still holds upPower shared out as you fly still keeps each dogfight a matter of choices today.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc 2010
Why it still holds upThe reason to play it now is having to find the contradiction in the testimony yourself and fire the right evidence at it.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1992
Why it still holds upRings you can win back and acts built around a ride give it a pace of its own, and six hidden emeralds still give a reason to search every act.
Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror 1997
Why it still holds upDescriptions on a right click, and conversation trees that give hints, still tell you what to try next.
Wolfenstein: The New Order 2014
Why it still holds upChoosing between silent takedowns and open fights still makes each encounter your own call today.