Top 15 Most Innovative Games of All Time

15. Tetris

Tetris is proof that simplicity can be powerful – its timeless design has remained addictive for decades without needing flashy graphics or complex mechanics. Whether you're chasing high scores or just zoning out, it's the kind of game anyone can pick up, understand instantly, and never want to put down. | © Sega

14. Doom

Doom wasn’t just about blasting demons; it pushed PC hardware to its limits with fast, smooth graphics that felt impossible in 1993. It also helped pioneer multiplayer gaming and laid the foundation for the entire first-person shooter genre. | © id Software

13. PUBG

PUBG kicked off the battle royale craze by introducing large-scale, last-man-standing combat with a focus on realism and survival. Its blend of tension, looting, and tactical play reshaped multiplayer gaming and inspired a wave of genre-defining titles. | © Krafton

12. Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 pushed the boundaries of what an FPS could be, blending storytelling, physics-based puzzles, and gameplay into one seamless experience. Its use of the Gravity Gun and real-time physics may not have changed every shooter, but it raised expectations for immersion, world-building, and interactivity in games. | © Valve Corporation

11. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors hooks players with simple controls, satisfying progress, and zero pressure to spend beyond the base game. Its mix of auto-attacks, unlocks, and build experimentation turns short sessions into addictive loops, no microtransactions, just pure gameplay. | © Poncle

10. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum redefined superhero games with its tight design, fluid combat, and deep respect for the source material. It made players feel like Batman by combining stealth, detective work, and atmospheric storytelling in one unforgettable package. | © Rocksteady Studios

9. Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy took platforming to a new level, literally, by turning gravity into a gameplay tool and setting every stage in space. Its inventive level design and unforgettable orchestral soundtrack made it one of the most magical and emotionally resonant Mario games ever created. | © Nintendo

8. Minecraft

Minecraft redefined gaming by giving players a blank canvas and the tools to build anything they could imagine. With simple blocks and few rules, it turned creativity into the core of the experience. | © Mojang Studios

7. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach builds on the strange brilliance of the first game with a bolder, smoother, and more imaginative experience set in a haunting version of Australia. Its mix of stealth, exploration, and unpredictable storytelling makes it one of the most original games in recent memory. | © Kojima Productions

6. Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III revolutionised gaming with its open-world design, giving players the freedom to explore, cause chaos, or follow the story at their own pace. It set a new standard for how games could tell stories within living, breathing cities. | © Rockstar Games

5. Dark Souls

Dark Souls showed that tough games could thrive, making challenge a feature, not a flaw. Its precise, weighty combat helped bring back a slower, more deliberate style of action that shaped modern gaming. | © FromSoftware

4. Fortnite

Fortnite didn’t just popularize battle royale - it turned gaming into a pop culture event through nonstop celebrity collabs, concerts, and crossovers. While opinions on gameplay are split, its real innovation lies in blending games, entertainment, and social media into one massive, ever-changing platform. | © Epic Games

3. Portal

Portal wowed players with a brilliantly simple idea, solving puzzles by placing portals, and turned it into a tightly crafted game that felt unlike anything else. While it followed a linear path, its core mechanic was so original and mind-bending that it redefined what a first-person game could be. | © Valve

2. World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft made online gaming more approachable with smoother controls, clear quests, and instanced dungeons that let players explore without constant interruption. It also set the standard for live service games, proving that people would pay monthly for a polished, ever-evolving world. | © Blizzard Entertainment

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time changed gaming by making 3D exploration feel natural and immersive, with a fully realised world that felt alive. It introduced innovations like Z-targeting and context-sensitive actions, features that would shape how 3D action-adventures are played to this day. | © Nintendo