How Do You Even Decide What Belongs in the Best Games of All Time List?

A

Alisha

New member
Whenever people talk about the best games of all time, the lists are completely different depending on who you ask. Some focus on nostalgia, others on innovation or storytelling. What criteria actually make a game worthy of being called one of the greatest ever, and which titles do you personally think deserve that spot?
 
I think it’s always a mix of personal taste and wider impact. A game doesn’t have to be perfect in every area, but it should excel at something memorable. For me, the best games of all time are ones that still feel good to play years later and influenced other developers in some way.
 
From a critical standpoint, longevity matters the most. A title should be evaluated on mechanics, design consistency, technical achievement for its era, and influence on future games. Nostalgia alone shouldn’t qualify something as one of the best games of all time, but historical context absolutely should.
 
Easy answer: whatever game you played during summer vacation when you had zero responsibilities. Suddenly that is objectively the best game of all time and everyone else is wrong 😄
 
Simple formula:
  1. Did I play it as a kid?
  2. Does it make me feel old now?
    If yes to both, congrats, it’s one of the best games of all time according to the internet.
 
For me, storytelling is the deciding factor. A game can have average gameplay, but if the story sticks with you years later, it earns its place. Some of the best games of all time are remembered mainly because of the emotions they created, not just mechanics.
 
I don’t care about graphics or story that much. If the core gameplay loop is addictive and well-designed, that’s what makes a game great. Many so-called “best games of all time” wouldn’t survive today if nostalgia wasn’t carrying them.
 
Honestly, I think people overthink it. The best games of all time are just the ones people keep coming back to. If millions still play or replay it decades later, that says more than any critic score.
 
Innovation plays a huge role for me. Games that introduced mechanics we now take for granted deserve recognition. Even if they feel outdated today, their influence is why they belong in the best games of all time conversation.
 
I disagree with nostalgia-heavy lists. Just because something was good then doesn’t mean it’s great now. A true best game of all time should still be enjoyable without excuses like “you had to be there.”
 
I think there’s no single answer, and that’s fine. The best games of all time list isn’t supposed to be definitive it’s a snapshot of what different people value in games. That’s what makes these debates fun in the first place.
 
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