Where pixels turn into amazing landscapes and code creates unforgettable adventures, a few people stand out as the true creators of our favorite games. These game designers, with their big ideas and love for innovation, have shaped the history of gaming. Their work goes beyond just fun; it has become a part of our culture and has touched millions of players worldwide. As we look back at the history of gaming, it’s time to recognize the legends who made these iconic games – the designers whose creativity and vision changed the way we play forever.
Here are the most legendary Game Designers that really shaped the industry.
Cliff Bleszinski – or better known as CliffyB – was the design director in Gears of War. What makes Cliff Bleszinski a great designer is his ability to blend fast-paced, cover-based shooting with a deep, emotional narrative. Today, Gears of War serves as the foundation of cover mechanics and many other games base their designs on the work that Bleszinski has done back them.
His first game was The Palace of Deceit: Dragon's Plight, a 1991 pixel-hunting adventure game for PC and while explaining how he created it, he simply said that he wasn't getting many girls in the process. Surely that must have changed, after Gears of War. Beyond the mechanics, Gears of War was known for its gritty, dark atmosphere and memorable characters. Bleszinski's vision for the game was to create something that was both brutal and beautiful, and he succeeded.
| © Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War)
Shigeru Miyamoto is often referred to as the "father of modern video games," and for good reason. If you’ve ever picked up a controller to play Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, you’ve experienced the magic that Miyamoto brought to us. Miyamoto is the creative genius behind some of the most beloved and influential games of all time. Super Mario wasn’t just a fun game, it was the first proper Jump and Run game and defined what platformers could be.
Mario himself has become a cultural icon that is known worldwide, among all ages, which is largely due to Miyamoto’s vision of making games that are fun and accessible for everyone.
| © Shigeru Miyamoto
John Romero and John Carmack have been friends for a long time and are probably one of the most iconic video game duos ever. They are the reason for why we can play Counter Strike, Valorant, Call of Duty, and basically any FPS out there. After creating DOOM, a new genre was created with it.
John Romero, the creative mind, and John Carmack, the technical genius, worked together at id Software to create DOOM in 1993. At the time, the idea of a fast-paced, 3D game where you could freely move through detailed environments and blast away enemies was revolutionary.
| © John Romero & John Carmack (DOOM)
As much as Romero and Carmack have founded the first-person-shooter genre, Yuji Horii and Akira Toriyama did the same for J-RPG's by creating an evergreen masterpiece, Dragon Quest.
Yuji Horii, the game designer and writer, made RPGs accessible with simple controls and engaging stories, turning Dragon Quest into a beloved series. He made Dragon Quest a game that was easy to understand, but was still very deep. His ability to craft stories that were both epic and heartwarming made the series stand out, and his work set the standard for storytelling in RPGs until now.
Akira Toriyama, famous for Dragon Ball, brought his iconic art style to the game, giving the game and especially the characters a distinct look that we will never forget.
| © Yuji Horii & Akira Toriyama (Dragon Quest)
Under Sakaguchi's direction, Final Fantasy became a franchise that consistently pushed the limits of technology and storytelling. Each new game brought something new, whether it was the cinematic cutscenes in Final Fantasy VII, which redefined what games could do visually, or the intricate job system in Final Fantasy V, which added layers of strategy to the gameplay.
Sakaguchi's work has had a lasting impact on the gaming industry. He showed that video games could tell stories as rich and complex as those found in movies or books. His influence can be seen in countless RPGs that followed, and Final Fantasy remains one of the most powerful game-franchises in history.
| © Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy)
Undertale is a true masterpiece. At first, it might not look like much, but what is hidden behind very simple graphics and odd characters is a plot full of genius ideas that moved a lot of people. Toby really put his heart into Undertale, and managed to do what so many games out there just can't get right: making us feel things. Someone on Reddit has summed it up quite well:
"It made people feel things. The Pacifist Route made people feel very happy and sad at the same time, resulting in a huge conflict of emotions. All that just because they care so much about the characters, which also seem to care about the player. The Genocide Route (and Neutral, if you killed) made people feel bad and in a way also very smart ("Aha! So killing everyone ISN'T the best way to go about things!")
Before he made Undertale, Toby Fox was already known for making the music on Homestuck, which was another masterpiece of his. Later on, the music in Undertale also proved to be insanely well-made.
Overall, Toby's work shows that game design, or any creative endeavour, can achieve great success when it genuinely connects with people's emotions. When our creations are driven by heart and passion, rather than purely by the pursuit of money, they have the potential to become true works of art. | © Toby Fox (Undertale)
Roberta Williams is best known for creating the King's Quest series.
As one of the first prominent female game designers, she played a crucial role in shaping the adventure game genre and pushing the boundaries of storytelling in interactive media. King's Quest, released in the early 1980s, was groundbreaking for its time. It was one of the first games to combine a richly detailed world with a narrative-driven experience where the players' choices actually mattered.
After Kings Quest, she founded Sierra On-Line (now known as Sierra Entertainment) with her husband, and besides King's Quest, was the driving force behind classics like Laura Bow, Shivers and Phantasmagoria.
| © Roberta Williams
So Phil Fish is a controversial take. We know that. Many think that he is a... well, not nice person who can't take criticism and should seek a therapist. BUT we've got to be honest, he was a genius with FEZ. As much as you might hate the creator, you must admit that this creation is a masterpiece. FEZ is a unique blend of 2D and 3D gameplay, where players could rotate the game's world to reveal hidden paths and solve puzzles.
Fish’s vision for FEZ was deeply personal and driven by a passion for creating something truly unique. The game's retro aesthetic, combined with its mind-bending puzzles and mysterious world just make it a very special game that anyone should have played at least once in their lives.
| © Phil Fish (FEZ)
Daniel Mullins is an independent game developer known for his unique and experimental games that often push the boundaries of genre and player expectations. His most famous work is Inscryption.
Before creating Inscryption, Mullins gained recognition with games like Pony Island in 2016 and The Hex in 2018. These games are characterized by their unconventional approach to storytelling and gameplay; they go beyond player expectations through unconventional narratives and fourth-wall-breaking. Mullins' games often challenge players to think critically about their relationship with games and the systems within them.
With Incryption, he really created a piece of art. The game is as if he took a whole recipe book of genres and cooked something delicious – Inscryption took the best parts of a card game, an escape game, a rogue-like, and then put it all together. And if that wasn't already enough, he even made the game break the fourth wall.
| © Daniel Mullins
Oh, don't even get me started on Stanley Parable. This game is a masterpiece. Davey and William developed Stanley Parable as a mod for Half Life 2, before it became a standalone game.
Though it may seem like a simple walking simulator, the game’s brilliance lies in its clever use of narrative to manipulate player expectations, constantly subverting them in unexpected ways.
The story reflects on player choice, free will, and the relationship between players and game design, making it feel as though the game is "always two steps ahead" of the player.
I'm not going to spoil too much of what is happening in this game, just play it yourselves!
| © Davey Wreden & William Pugh
Jenova Chen is a visionary game designer, best known for creating Journey, a critically acclaimed, award-winning game released in 2012.
Up to this day, Journey is the perfect example of games as a piece of art.
But Jenova Chen is not only known for creating Journey, he also worked on games such as Cloud, Flow and Flower and even co-founded Thatgamecompany.
| © Jenova Chen
Danielle Bunten Berry was a trailblazer in multiplayer gaming, most famous for creating M.U.L.E. in the 80s, one of the first multiplayer video games. While the 80s where mostly dominated by singleplayer games, she pushed for experiences that connected people, laying the groundwork for modern online gaming.
| © Danielle Bunten Berry
Masahiro Sakurai is a legendary Japanese game designer, best known for creating Kirby in the 90s and directing the Super Smash Bros. series. Quite impressive was his work on Super Smash for making the game accessible to both casual and competitive players.
| © Masahiro Sakurai
Garry's Mod started as a mod for Half-Life 2 but evolved into a standalone sandbox game, celebrated for its creative freedom and large community. Garry's Mod is the definition of a sandbox. It is absolutely ridiculous, completely ahead of its time.
Garry Newman later founded Facepunch Studios, which also developed the survival game Rust.
| © Garry Newman
Shigeru Miyamoto had been shaping and molding “The Legend of Zelda” franchise for years, and as he was working on Mario 64, he wanted to pass the torch to none other than Eiji Aonuma for a very special project: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Everyone working on this new masterpiece wrote down their ideas for a 3D game on a small piece of paper. These pieces of paper were then all pinned to a wall and the directors rummaged through them. The ideas that seemed impossible were adopted. Aonuma and his team used them to develop the Z-targeting system, which allowed players to target and fight enemies. This system was so revolutionary that it became a new standard in the control of 3D games. Anyone who played Ocarina of Time back then remembers what it felt like to leave Kokiri Village and walk through this huge Hyrule in 3D for the first time. Aside from the incredible world, time travel, dungeons, real towns and an exciting story... this game also had some of the best soundtracks of all time.
Songs like “Gerudo Valley” or “Song of Storms” are still in my playlist today and will be listened to by my grandchildren's grandchildren later on. I'll make sure of that.
Eiji Aonuma made Zelda what it is today and still plays a big role in the production of modern Zelda titles (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom).
| © Eiji Aonuma
Ayami Kojima is mostly known for her work in the Castlevania Gothic-horror and action series of video games by Konami. Castlevania inspired many games for its unique art and character design.
She gained fame for her character design and illustrations in games like Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow.
| © Ayami Kojima
Hidetaka Miyazaki is a visionary game director best known for his work on Demon's Souls, a game that redefined action RPGs and laid the foundation for the "Soulslike" genre.
After joining FromSoftware in 2004, Miyazaki took over the struggling Demon's Souls project and shaped it into a challenging, atmospheric masterpiece. His design philosophy, emphasizing player agency, intricate world-building, and tough, rewarding gameplay, made Demon's Souls a cult classic and eventually led to the highly influential Dark Souls series.
| © Hidetaka Miyazaki
On May 17, 2009, a revolution began that nobody expected. An early version of a new game by Markus Persson, also known as “Notch”, was published on a small internet platform. He called it... Minecraft Classic. The first version of Minecraft was very simple: a world of blocks that you could mine and rebuild – without sophisticated graphics or complex mechanics, but with one crucial feature: limitless creativity.
Players could create their own worlds, build what they wanted and, above all, how big they wanted it. The game spread like wildfire and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Notch listened to the community, constantly added new features and turned his small hobby project into a platform for millions of players.
When the full version was released in 2011, Minecraft conquered the world. It was played by people of all ages and was even used in schools. Minecraft proved that a game doesn't have to look spectacular – it just needs to give players the freedom to live out their imagination.
Minecraft gave birth to practically all subsequent sandbox titles, Grounded, Terraria, Rust, and so on.
| © Notch / Mojang
Kimberly Swift already wanted to develop video games in high school. Her father took her to the DigiPen Institute of Technology, where she developed the game Narbacular Drop. This game led to her being hired by Valve to lead the Portal team and work as a level designer. She has received several awards for her innovative work.
While Portal is primarily an entertaining and innovative game, it uses these socio-critical elements to integrate a deeper level into the gaming experience. It makes you think about the impact of science, technology and control in our modern world – it remains quite relevant to this day and is simply a masterpiece. And GLaDOS might be one of the sassiest, funniest and innovative antagonists of all time.
| © Kimberly Swift
Of course, we can't forget the GOAT of game designers here. The mad genius and creator of the Metal Gear series. Hideo Kojima is probably the most famous game designer, and not without reason. He is a master at evoking emotions, challenging preconceptions and even making gamers question their own existence. With Metal Gear, he has proven that game design is not just about gameplay, but also about encouraging thought and reflection.
In Metal Gear Solid 2, Kojima deals with topics such as surveillance, control and the manipulation of information – topics that are more relevant today than ever. The game breaks the fourth wall several times and forces the player to make moral decisions in extreme situations. And don't even get me started on the masterpiece that is Snake Eater, the biggest tearjerker in the series.
Kojima uses video games to ask profound questions about the world, human existence and the impact of technology on society. Another example is Metal Gear Solid V, where Kojima addresses the shadows of war, the consequences of revenge and the loss of humanity. His games remain relevant today and make us question our own behavior, morality and humanity.
| © Hideo Kojima
This slide is for you, for whoever is reading this. By getting to this slide, you have already proven your interest in videogames and their creators, something that I really appreciate about you – without even knowing you.
What I want to say here is that it's NOT impossible to get on this list. Yes, these designers are geniuses. But, anyone with the right mindset with a passion for something could be a game designer – including you.
So if you wish to secure your place on a list like this one, one day, this is your chance!
We've all experienced moments in a game that were shocking, moments where we laughed, got angry or maybe even cried. Video games have the ability to affect our minds in unique ways that no other medium ever could. But do most of us even realize who we have to thank for these experiences? Who are the creators behind these memories that have shaped us and ultimately this industry?
