Pac-Man (1980)
Pac-Man became a global phenomenon in 1980 and one of the most famous arcade games of all time. Instead of the space shooters that dominated arcades, the game offered a maze where the player collects points while being chased by ghosts.
Pac-Man introduced the concept of a recognizable gaming character and expanded the video game audience to a wider population, including families and casual gamers.
Ultima (1981)
The Ultima series, created by Richard Garriott, is considered one of the most important foundations of the RPG genre. The first games in the series introduced ideas such as an open world, complex stories and moral decisions that affect gameplay.
Later games in the series set the standard for RPG mechanics such as team combat, interaction with NPC characters, and complex worlds. The influence of Ultima can be seen in modern RPG series such as The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and The Witcher.
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Nintendo redefined platform games with Super Mario Bros. and helped revitalize the gaming industry after the crisis in the early 1980s.
The game introduced innovative level design and extremely precise controls, and Mario became one of the most famous gaming icons in history. Many of the level design principles from this game are still used today.
Doom (1993)
When Doom came out in 1993, it redefined the first-person shooter genre. The game brought fast action, impressive technology and a multiplayer "deathmatch" mode that became a standard in FPS games.
In addition, Doom popularized the modding community as players could create their own levels and content, which later became an important part of gaming culture.
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
In the early 2000s, Grand Theft Auto III revolutionized the open world concept. The game offered a large city where players can freely explore and complete missions at their own pace.
This sandbox approach became the foundation of modern open-world games. Today, almost all major open-world titles use the principles that GTA III popularized.
Minecraft (2009)
Minecraft is one of the most influential titles of the 21st century. The game, created by Markus “Notch” Persson, was first released publicly in 2009 and quickly became a global phenomenon.
Minecraft popularized sandbox and survival-crafting gameplay, in which players explore the world, gather resources, build structures and survive in a procedurally generated environment.
Its success inspired numerous other games such as Terraria, Ark: Survival Evolved and many other titles that use crafting and survival mechanics.
Minecraft also changed the way players create content and share it online, strongly influencing YouTube gaming culture and the development of gaming communities.
