The Hobbit (Melbourne House, C64) 1983 – One of the first graphic adventures on the C64. Places took ages to load, and the text parser challenged my rudimentary English back then. Still a very fond memory.
Archon (Free Fall Associates, C64) 1983 – Chess reloaded.
Space Taxi (Muse Software, C64) 1984 – Simulates a flying taxi controlled by thrusters. Pretty difficult to master, but a lot of fun.
Asylum (MedSystems, C64) 1985 – William F. Denman Jr.'s take on a mental (or not?) person trying to leave an asylum. Although mostly a text+graphic adventure, it sports slick navigation using the cursor keys.
Day of the Tentacle (LucasArts, DOS) 1993 – Tim Schafer at his peak. A point-and-click adventure with interesting plot twists involving time travel.
Fort Apocalypse (Synapse Software, C64) 1983 – A 2D multi-directional scroller by Steve Hales. The player navigates an underground prison in a helicopter, destroying or avoiding enemies and rescuing prisoners. It had a pretty finicky collision detection but was great fun for many hours.
The Institute (MedSystems, C64) 1983 – Jyym and Robyn Pearson make you play an insane person escaping from an asylum. Pretty wicked story, great atmosphere.
Lucifer's Realm (MedSystems, C64) 1983 – Jyym and Robyn Pearson send you down to hell, where you find Lucifer himself has a set of his own problems.
The Mercenary (Novagen, C64) 1985 – An impressive action-adventure featuring wire-frame 3D graphics (Yes, in 1985).
Katakis (Factor 5, AMIGA) 1988 – A great shoot-em-up side-scroller in the tradition of R-Type.
Kickoff 2 (Anco, AMIGA) 1990 – Dino Dini's variant of soccer. Great physics and mechanics. Inspired a lot of soccer games to come.
Xenon 2: Megablast (Bitmap Brothers, AMIGA) 1989 – A great shoot-em-up with a nice soundtrack by Bomb the Bass.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe (Bitmap Brothers, AMIGA) 1990 – A modern take on soccer.
The Dig (LucasArts, DOS) 1995 – A SciFi point-and-click adventure with a great story. As a cooperation with Steven Spielberg, the plot was originally intended for a (later canceled due to budget problems) film.
Rayman (Ubisoft) various – My favorite platformer, incredibly detailed and with great controls. I especially love Jungle Run and Fiesta Run on iOS as well as Legends on the PS4.
Leo's Fortune (Senri, iOS) 2014 – A beautiful platformer where you're playing a furry fluff ball. Incredible physics and great storytelling.
Limbo (Playdead, PS4) 2010 – The first title from Danish indie developer Playdead, somewhat similar to “Inside.” Film noir aesthetics with a great mood, great controls, and tough riddles.
The Silent Age (House On Fire, tvOS) 2016 – A point-and-click adventure involving the story of an anti-hero being dragged into a twisted plot involving time travel. A great revival of the good 'ole adventure games.
Inside (Playdead, tvOS) 2016 – This is one of the most impressive games I have ever played. The atmosphere, the graphics, the sound, the physics, the mysterious story – this is a work of art on so many levels. It could easily serve as a film. The only drop of bitterness it shares with many story-laden games: Once you have mastered it, there is little incentive to play it again.
Oddmar (Senri, iOS) 2018 – The next platform hit from the makers of Leo's Fortune. Again a great story, nice graphics, and gameplay, but (in my opinion) a less sympathetic character. Still a great title to play.
Badland (Frogmind Games, iOS) 2013 – The player flies around a little black creature called Clony (and his clones) through the woods of the game. This is a next-level physics engine game. I had tons of fun with it. A game for all ages. Go and play!
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios, PS5) 2021 – A beautiful, heart-warming coop-only 3D game where you're trying to save a broken relationship. Extremely high value for the money. Having grown up with 2D and 2.5D, this was the first 3D game that I actually loved. I still don't like 1st person games though.
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio, PS5) 2022 – You're playing a stray cat(!) solving the mystery of a cyberpunk town in the far future. This has to win the award for the most interesting characters ever found in a video game. Even if you do not like adorable tiny animals, it's a must for SciFi story lovers.
Little Nightmares I & II (Tarsier Studios, PS5) 2017 & 2021 – 3D 3rd person horror adventures where you're steering kids through a nightmare world. This is the first game in ages that has really managed to scare me – which is quite an achievement. It is THAT good.
Silent Hill 2 Remake (Bloober Team, PS5) 2024 – An intense and masterfully crafted remake of a survival horror classic. The atmosphere is so thick with dread that it genuinely raised my blood pressure — I had to stop playing at night. A must-play for horror fans, but not for the faint of heart.
The Last of Us Part I (Naughty Dog, PS5) 2024 – A masterpiece of storytelling and survival horror. This is not just a game; it's an emotional odyssey that explores the depths of human connection in a post-apocalyptic world. The narrative is so powerful and the characters so deeply realized that it transcends the medium. A harrowing, beautiful, and unforgettable experience.
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, PS5) 2024 – A bold and unflinching sequel that challenges players with its complex themes of revenge, empathy, and the cyclical nature of violence. It's a gut-wrenching, technically stunning achievement that pushes the boundaries of interactive storytelling. Divisive, yet undeniably brilliant, it's a game that will be discussed and debated for years to come.