From AAA's to indie hits: 50+ games that defined the last decade

The Last of US (2013)

Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed action-adventure game follows the story of Joel who escorts the young girl Ellie across a post-apocalyptic USA.

Minecraft (2011)

This sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios lets the gamer change and create to their own little world with a wide array of blocks that can be found, mined and crafted.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

CD Projekt Red’s third game in the Witcher series is an action RPG that focuses on the Witcher Geralt finding his adopted daughter Ciri who has been fleeing from the Wild Hunt.

Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)

Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man is an action-adventure game based on the Marvel Comics.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Developed by Nintendo, Breath of the Wild is the first 3D open-world iteration of the Legend of Zelda series.

Journey (2012)

The indie game by Thatgamecompany and Santa Monica Studio makes the player explore dunes of sand and ruins in a soaring and soothing manner.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

Bethesda Game Studios’ Skyrim is the fifth iteration of the Elder Scrolls series and is an open-world RPG that has been ported to every console and even has an Alexa version.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Nintendo’s platformer takes the protagonist Mario into a 3D world to save Princess Peach.

Grand Theft Auto V (2014)

The action-adventure game by Rockstar features the fictional city of Los Santos and follows the story of three protagonists.

Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn is an action RPG that follows the protagonist Aloy in a world overrun by dinosaur-looking machines.

Hades (2018)

Developed by Supergiant Games, this rogue-like action RPG has recently left early access. In this dungeon crawler, the protagonist fights their way out from Greek mythology's Underworld.

Heavy Rain (2010)

Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain is an action-adventure game that is also an interactive drama. The player follows four protagonists trying to find the serial killed dubbed the Origami Killer.

Life is Strange (2015)

Developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix, this episodic graphic-adventure game features Max who discovers that she can rewind time.

DOOM (2016)

id Sofware’s Doom, while not officially called a reboot of the 1993 game, is considered as such. As a space marine aptly called the Doom Slayer, the player mows down hordes of demons with an array of weapons.

Mass Effect 2 (2010)

Developed by Bioware, Mass Effect 2 is the second iteration of the Mass Effect trilogy. It is an action RPG set in space.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014)

This game is set in the world of the “Lord of the Rings” series and was developed by Monolith Productions.

Overwatch (2016)

Blizzard Entertainment’s online multiplayer shooter has an ever-growing cast with intriguing lore.

Pokemon Go (2016)

This augmented reality mobile game took the world by storm in 2016 and even caused quite a few disruptions. Developed by Niantic, the aim is to catch all the available Pokemon that can be found in the real world.

Portal 2 (2011)

Valve’s puzzle-platformer Portal 2 features two robots finding their way through a wide variety of “test chambers.”

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (2017)

Also known as PUBG, the game is an online multiplayer battle royal developed by the PUBG Corporation.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (2015)

Developed by Kojima Productions, the game is open-world stealth.

NieR: Automata (2017)

Developed by PlatinumGames, this action RPG tells the story of several androids trying to reclaim dystopian earth. It is a sequel to Nier (2010).

Square Enix

Red Dead Redemption 1 (2010) & 2 (2018)

Developed by Rockstar, this third-person action-adventure game’s first iteration is set in the 1910s following John Marston’s story. The second game acts as a prequel.

Rocket League (2015)

Rocket League is an online football game played with cars developed by Psyonix.

Shovel Knight (2014)

Developed and published by Yacht Club Games, this 2D side-scrolling platformer was crowdfunded and features a knight with a shovel collection treasure who fights against the Order of No Quarter.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)

This game following a shinobi on his path to revenge is an action-adventure developed by FromSoftware.

Super Street Fighter IV (2010)

Produced by Capcom, this game is the updated version of 2008's Street Fighter IV and features a vast cast of characters to battle with.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)

Capcom’s Resident Evil is a survival horror game featuring exploration and a tense atmosphere, only fitting for the genre.

Slay the Spire (2019)

This game, developed by Mega Crit Games, is a rogue-like card game where the protagonist needs to fight their way through the Spire.

Untitled Goose Game (2019)

Developed by House House, this puzzle-stealth game features a goose wreaking havoc in an English village.

Undertale (2016)

The indie game developed by Toby Fox is an RPG where the user plays a child that has fallen into the Underground and can choose not to destroy anyone in their encounters.

Terraria (2011)

Developed by Re-Logic, Terraria is a 2D action-adventure game in a sandbox world that invites the player to tackle the surroundings to their liking.

Walking Dead (2012)

Telltale’s Walking Dead is an episodic adventure game following the story of the protagonist Lee Everett.

Stardew Valley (2016)

This country-life RPG has been developed by Eri “ConcernedApe” Barone and is completely open-ended. The player inherits an old farm and can decide what to do with it.

Batman: Arkham City (2011)

Developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros., this game features the titular Batman in an action-adventure game.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (2013)

The sixth installment of Ubisoft’s historic themed Assassin’s Creed series is set in the year 1715 in the Caribbean and follows the protagonist Edward Kenway.

Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)

Developed by MachineGames, this game is a first-person shooter and sequel to the previous Wolfenstein games.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)

This turn-based tactical game developed by Firaxis Games is a reboot of MicroPros’s 1990s X-COM series.

Beat Saber (2019)

Developed by Beat Games, the player controls lightsabers that cut through boxes in virtual reality to the rhythm of a chosen song.

Yakuza 0 (2015)

Developed by Sega, this game is the prequel to the other Yakuza games and features two protagonists following their story in 1980s Japan.

Bioshock Infinite (2013)

The first-person shooter by developer Irrational Games is the third in the BioShock series but unlike the first two that are set in the underwater city Rapture, this game takes you to the flying city-state of Columbia.

Bloodborne (2015)

Developed by FromSoftware, Bloodborne is a third-person action-RPG game following the Hunter in the city of Yharnam, whose citizens are infected by a blood-borne disease.

Dark Souls (2011)

Famed for how hard the gameplay is, Dark Souls was developed by FromSoftware and is an action RPG.

Dota 2

Developed by Valve, Dota is an online multiplayer battle-arena game and is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients.

Cuphead (2017)

This run and gun action game by Studio MDHR is inspired by 1930s cartoons and heavily focuses on boss battles.

Factorio (2016)

In this industrial simulator, the player builds and maintains factories and was developed by Wube Software. The game was crowdfunded in 2013 and emerged from early access in 2020.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2014)

Developed by Scott Cawthon, this point-and-click survival horror game focuses on an employee staying the night to watch over a restaurant with old animatronics.

Divinity Original Sin 2 (2017)

Developed and published by Larian Studios, this is a role-playing game and sequel to the first iteration of Divinity Original Sin.

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

The sequel to Bethesda’s Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian and is set in Nevada where the Courier is set out to find who tried to kill them in this post-apocalyptic action RPG.

Fortnite: Battle Royale (2018)

This game is an online multiplayer battle royal developed by Epic Games. It also features building structures while battling.

Forza Horizon 4 (2018)

The racing game by Playground Games is set in a fictional world inspired by Great Britian.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (2013)

Developed by Capcom, this game is a re-release of the original Dragon’s Dogma and includes all previous DLC. The protagonist sets out to hunt down the dragon that attacked their town.

Far Cry 3 (2012)

Ubisoft’s open first-person shooter is the third in the Far Cry series and takes place in the fictional Rook Islands that can be explored freely.

God of War (2018)

Developed by Santa Monica Studio, this action-adventure game is the eighth iteration of the God of War series.