The Dig 1995
Why it still holds upIt is easy to approach even now, because each puzzle is a matter of what to carry where, with items you collect and use on the environment.
Side-view games that still hold up
Everything in profile, and usually heading right
Games
The Dig 1995
Why it still holds upIt is easy to approach even now, because each puzzle is a matter of what to carry where, with items you collect and use on the environment.
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! 1996
Also known as Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!?
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are still about finding the right item for the right person, with a Luggage that holds everything and four attitudes for every conversation.
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.
AM2R: Return of Samus 2016
Why it still holds upA fan remake of a handheld game is still worth a look today.
Super Smash Bros. 1999
Why it still holds upKnocking a rival off the stage, rather than wearing down a bar, still shapes how every match unfolds.
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror 2004
Why it still holds upA cellphone that calls other Kirbys to help, and a hub that leads to nine areas, make it easy to enjoy with friends today.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round 2015
Why it still holds upEvery exchange is a guess against your opponent, since each option in the interruption triangle beats one other, which keeps it worth playing today.
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.
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.
N++ 2015
Why it still holds upWith every jump shaped by speed and slope, each level is still a small physics problem today.
Fez 2012
Why it still holds upEvery room is still a puzzle about perspective, with a view you can turn to realign the world.
Shadow Complex 2009
Why it still holds upEach return to an old room still has a new purpose, in a world that opens as new tools arrive.
Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers 1991
Why it still holds upIt still has a lively look, from hand painted scenes and a click that tastes or smells things.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land 2002
Why it still holds upCopy abilities that turn each enemy into a possible power still keep every stage open to a different way of playing.
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.
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike 1999
Why it still holds upYou still play defense and not just sit through it, because parries need exact timing, even in guard stun.
The End Is Nigh 2017
Why it still holds upWith each screen a small, separate problem, it still suits playing in short bursts today.
Metal Slug 2 1998
Why it still holds upA fight that never stops, in scenery you can blow apart, still makes each level a rush toward the boss.
Mega Man Zero 3 2004
Why it still holds upZero still has a reason to aim in every direction, with a rod that doubles as a pogo stick.
Gris 2018
Why it still holds upThere is nothing to fail at, since there is no combat or game over and abilities arrive as the story goes on, so it plays relaxed today.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia 2008
Why it still holds upYou still assemble your powers yourself, equipping and swapping glyphs.
Gods Will Be Watching 2014
Why it still holds upEach chapter is a hard decision about who and what to save: choices cannot be taken back and every chapter has a time limit, so the dilemmas weigh today.
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend 2014
Why it still holds upA roster that grew by nine characters and a reworked Overdrive system still give you plenty to learn.
Pilot Brothers 1997
Why it still holds upA pair of detectives who take turns in a zoo case is a way to play a puzzle story that is still easy to follow today.
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir 2016
Why it still holds upThe same circular stages still feel different, with five characters who each have a weapon of their own.
Kingdom Two Crowns 2018
Why it still holds upEvery spend is a risk to weigh, since coins are both your army's wages and the crown's safety, and the tension holds today.
Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator 2015
Why it still holds upA burst you save and a tension gauge you build still make each round a matter of when to commit.
Night in the Woods 2017
Why it still holds upThe town is still a place to get to know: days that start the same way carry new dialogue and you choose a friend each night.
Jurassic Park 1993
Why it still holds upPlaying as the raptor still gives the island a second point of view.
Turrican II: The Final Fight 1991
Why it still holds upEvery world is still a place to explore and to listen to, with big labyrinth levels and a score of their own.
Peggle Nights 2008
Why it still holds upBecause one shot can clear a board, each launch is still a small gamble today.
RoboCop Versus the Terminator 1994
Why it still holds upIt is still a clean run and gun today, because the controls answer at once and the scenery gives you a reason to keep shooting.
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom 1991
Why it still holds upWalls to climb and pipes to hang from still make every level a space to move through vertically today.