This thread getting bumped prompted me to work in the last four or five years of games, as well as a few games I forgot, as well as some console games (my original list was PC-only), and to reorder some things. It’s really quite absurd to build a list like this, but I must admit I love doing it. My criterion when ranking games is simply: Which game would I most like to replay?
- Star Control II
- Zeus
- Shadow Watch
- Sid Meier’s Pirates!
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Sid Meier’s SimGolf
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Pharaoh
- ICO
- Curse of Monkey Island
- Castles
- Dawn of Discovery
- Minecraft
- Oregon Trail
- VVVVVV
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams
- Unpacking
- One Finger Death Punch 1/2
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Spiritfarer
- Florence
- SimCity 2000
- Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
- Oasis
- Katamari Damacy
- X-COM: UFO Defense
- The Dig
- Hades
- Strange Horticulture
- Super Amazing Wagon Adventure
- Against the Storm
- Civilization II
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- System Shock 2
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear
- Gnomoria
- Knytt Stories
- Rollercoaster Tycoon
- Links LS
- Ultima 5
- LogISTical (series)
- SWAT 3
- Space Chem
- Outer Wilds
- XCOM: Chimera Squad
- Last Express
- Freedom Force
- Wide Ocean, Big Jacket
- Sid Meier’s Covert Action
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
- Alien Legacy
- Children of the Nile
- A Mind Forever Voyaging
- The Return of the Incredible Machine: Contraptions
- Alone in the Dark
- Grow Home
- Butterfly Soup 1/2
- Desperados 3
- Cloud Gardens
- Outcast
- The Messenger
- rymdkapsel
- FTL Faster Than Light
- TUNIC
- Mini Metro
- Starseed Pilgrim
- Renegade Ops
- Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
- Thomas Was Alone
- Kings Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow
- The Case of the Golden Idol
- Warlords II Deluxe
- Transport Tycoon Deluxe
- Mission Critical
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter
- Wing Commander 2
- Project: Space Station
- Settlers 7
- Hollow Knight
- Super Crate Box
- SOLAS 128
- The Sims
- Crimson Skies
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
- Sam & Max: Season 1
- Trine
- Creeper World
- Another World
- Citizen Sleeper
- Lode Runner
- Yoku’s Island Express
- Grim Fandango
- Hinterland
- Scorched Earth
- World of Goo
- Europa 1400: The Guild
- Lemmings
- Fez
- Defender of the Crown