Games I keep studying as a designer

Ranked list by Jonas Weber · 20 items · 0 likes

Most of these teach something about teaching: how a level explains itself without a tutorial. A few are just retro favourites.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Game · 1998

   Z-targeting solved camera and combat in one idea.

2. Half-Life 2 Game · 2004

   The gravity gun is the best tool ever put in a shooter.

3. Super Mario 64 Game · 1996
4. Portal 2 Game · 2011

   Teaches you a new idea every ten minutes.

5. Tetris Game · 1985

   One rule set, forty years, still no better version.

6. Super Mario Bros. Game · 1985

   World 1-1 is a lesson plan in four screens.

7. Elden Ring Game · 2022

   Open world that trusts you to wander off.

8. Baldur's Gate 3 Game · 2023
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game · 2015
10. Doom Game · 1993
11. Dark Souls Game · 2011
12. Hades Game · 2020
13. Outer Wilds Game · 2019

    Built around one loop, and the loop is the story.

14. The Secret of Monkey Island Game · 1990
15. Super Metroid Game · 1994
16. Minecraft: Java Edition Game · 2011
17. Disco Elysium Game · 2019

    A game where the interface is the character.

18. Pac-Man Game · 1980
19. Resident Evil 4 Game · 2005
20. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Game · 2017

Rank it yourself

Lystic