“1000 Games You Must Play Before Game Over” [600 – 501]

Time is a tool you can put on the wall or wear it on your wrist,
The past is far behind us, the future doesn’t exist.
-Becky & Joe, Hugo Donkin and Baker Terry
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared II – TIME

This post will finish up the first half of our 1000 Games collab!

#0600. Fallout: New Vegas
The best of the series in my opinion with an awesome story revolving betrayal and the path of redemption, all wrapped up in a world covered from head to toe in sand.
-The Kingly Yellow Mage

#0599. Secret of Evermore
With similar gameplay to Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore is about a boy and his beloved dog that get sucked into a fantasy world comprised of different time periods. Ridiculously fun, with some creative environments and ideas – especially your ever-changing dog in accordance with the setting!
-The Blood-Stained Metal Mage

#0598. Don’t Starve Together
-The Silver Sentinel Mage

#0597. James Bond Jr.
Adventuring, puzzle-solving, running and gunning through the dark and in and out of missile silos.
-The Bookwarm Mage

#0596. Madden NFL 2005
This was the turning point in the Madden franchise. Madden had become everything fans wanted at that time.
-The Keeper of the Darkness Flame Mage

#0595. Stories Untold
If you’re a fan of the text adventures of yesteryear and mind-bending horror, then Stories Untold will be your jam. Don’t read too far into it, though. Just play it.
-The Middle-aged Horror Mage

#0594. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
The Layton games combine charm and beautiful animation with some really terrific puzzle solving to create a wonderfully unique puzzling experience. The whole series is lovely, but this is my favorite.
-The Ink-Stained Mage

#0593. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
The last entry in this series had a great story and some difficult choices to be made before the end
-The Bizzaro Mage

#0592. Yars’ Revenge
In my opinion the best game ever made by one of gaming’s greatest developers, Howard Scott Warshaw. This 2600 game is simple, you’re a space fly and your job is to destroy the outer casing of a ship to get to the core and time a mega blast just right. One of those games that is just plain fun and doesn’t get old.
-The Beer Mage

#0591. BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Few non-Nintendo games feature the voice of Charles Martinet (otherwise notably known as the voice of Mario). Martinet narrates the adventure of Commander Video in this side-scrolling endless runner platformer. A near perfect difficulty curve, this indie gem blends the the styles of Mario Bros. with Sonic The Hedgehog to create a uniquely wonderful take on the genre.
-The Optimistically Sentimental Alabaster Mage

#0590. Minesweeper
A puzzle game invented in the 1960s that has stood the test of time. You know you love it.
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0589. Theme Park World
Sure, RollerCoaster Tycoon probably let you make better coasters, but Theme Park World let you create a number of parks in differently themed areas and then go walking around in them! Everything from the level of salt on the fries to the number of bins to the hiring and firing of staff was under your control, and it was glorious.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0588. Secret of Mana
A multiplayer ARPG with all the charm of a Square game from the SNES.
-The ABXY Mage

#0587. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Hilarious courtroom hijinks featuring wacky characters, supernatural phenomena, overly ambitious prosecutors, elaborate and mind bending murders and stars a defense attorney who can bluff his way through any situation. One of the most entertaining and comedic games I’ve ever played.
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0586. Ms. Splosion Man
The original ‘Splosion Man was a ballet of expertly timed explosive jumps and potty humor. Ms. Splosion Man ratchets both of these to 11 and sticks there the entire experience.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0585. Detroit: Become Human
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0584. Wolfenstein
The original “stealth shooter”, first released in 1981 for the Apple II, and featuring a procedurally generated castle. Loosely inspired Wolf 3D, which kick-started the FPS genre.
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0583. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii added cooperative multiplayer to one of the most well-known platformers. This allowed friends and families to share the platforming experience that helped to kick-start the genre.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0582. Dark Souls II
Takes the Soulsborne formula and simply adds to it. We are taken to some of the most breathtaking locales in the series, and get to take on some of the most adrenaline-pumping bosses we’ve ever fought.
-The Iron Mage

#0581. SimCity
At a time when games were understood to be about achieving a goal within a time limit, SimCity demonstrated that a game could be the complete opposite: perpetually ongoing and without a traditional objective. Domestic video game platforms were no longer just glorified arcade cabinets.
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0580. Road Rash 64
Smash, bash, and crash your way to victory in this N64 title featuring bikers, vehicular assault, and a soundtrack I can only describe as “really fitting for the setting”.
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0579. Dungeon Master
This Atari ST RPG is one of the great forgotten games. A classic lost to time.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0578. Rune Factory 4
Touted as the best Rune Factory game of all time and for good reason! It takes the best elements of Harvest Moon and incorporates them into a game where you can beat up monsters, bosses and dungeon crawl all whilst bringing your favourite villager with you!
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0577. The Settlers III
Blue Byte’s engaging, cutesy take on real-time strategies. Released in 1998, you can still pick it up on GOG – it’s a relaxing experience. With its antiquity setting, you build your local community and head into cute battles (those adorable archers!) to annihilate the opposition. Fun!
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

#0576. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Creepy, Lovecraftian, and literally gave me nightmares. What more could you ask for?
-The Midnight Mystic Mage

#0575. Pokémon SoulSilver Version
In my eyes the best Pokémon game.
-The Red Hot Chili Mage

#0574. Max Payne
A great story in this person shooter game. Having his wife and daughter murder Max Payne is seeking answers.
-The Shamrock Show Mage

#0573. MechAssault
-The Green Screen Mage

#0572. Final Fantasy XI
As the first MMO in the popular Final Fantasy franchise, FFXI will definitely leave an impression on you with its iconic classes, party-oriented battle system, and the friends you’ll make in the community.
-The Timely Mage

#0571. GRIS
This could very easily become material for your art class. This is a beautiful, creative work that is awe-inspiring.
-The White Out Mage

#0570. Alien: Isolation
The smartest enemy AI that I’ve ever had the horrifying pleasure of encountering (on the harder difficulties), the Xenomorph of Alien: Isolation is a masterclass of behavioural design and machine learning. I knew it was the perfect organism.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0569. Lode Runner
An Apple II puzzler-platformer from the silver age of computer gaming. Start with 150 levels to master, then delve into a fantastic level creator that let the player build hyper-challenging stages.
-The Slipstream Mage

#0568. Bust a Groove
It’s like DDR, With no Dance pad, and involves fighting. (Was the dance pad compatible? I don’t know for sure but I had plenty of fun without).
-The Indecisive Night Mage

#0567. Ghost Trick
A weird adventure with some great visuals and sense of humor. Need HD version.
-The New Age Retro Mage

#0566. Golf Story
Is there a game more chill than Stardew Valley? Why yes! An RPG about golf, but not really for golf fans, this games quirky music and story will relax even the angriest of humans.
-The Normal Mage

#0565. Earth Defense Force 2017
An ode to all the little guys in the giant monster movies. A series no one saw coming.
–The Wandering Mage

#0564. The Sexy Brutale
A very stylish murder-mystery set inside a mansion-turned-casino, utilising a very understated time-travel mechanism to change events in the past and uncover the truth. Well worth anyone’s time.
-The Regional Exclusive Mage

#0563. What Remains of Edith Finch
A must play for how surprising of an experience this is. On the outside, a simple walking sim with a short story, but delve a little deeper and its a truly mind blowing, heartbreaking experience from a genre that’s highly underrated.
-The Off-Centered Earth Mage

#0562. Sleeping Dogs
Yet another Grand Theft Auto clone that focuses more on melee combats and combos than guns and explosions. You must ride the line between cop and criminal to keep your cover and do your job.
-The Kingly Yellow Mage

#0561. Illusion of Time
Also known as Illusion of Gaia, this action role-playing game is one of the strongest titles on the SNES – along with being part of a trilogy that features Soul Blazer and Terranigma. Has some of the most emotionally devastating moments on the console.
-The Blood-Stained Metal Mage

#0560. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
The Silver Sentinel Mage

#0559. Rocket: Robot on Wheels
Like Mario 64, only with a cute lil robot armed with a tractor beam.
-The Bookwarm Mage

#0558. Guitar Hero II
Why not rock out to some of the biggest rock hits of the past while using a fake guitar? This was the party game before the Wii came around so it’s worth playing.
-The Keeper of the Darkness Flame Mage

#0557. Detention
While most modern horror games occupy the 3D space, Detention‘s ultra-creepy narrative plays out as a 2D adventure game instead. The unsettling hand-drawn visuals pair like a fine wine with its harshly political 1960s Taiwan backdrop and appropriate mythology. It’s the best horror game you’ve never played.
-The Middle-aged Horror Mage

#0556. RollerCoaster Tycoon
Who among us hasn’t aimed a death coaster into a neighboring park to increase our own popularity? It holds a place in the cultural consciousness, and so on the list it goes.
-The Ink-Stained Mage

#0555. Raiden II
The second member of the fast-paced, vertical-scrolling, classic, and iconic shmup series, now with BENDY LASERS!!
-The Well-Red Mage

#0554. Soul Blazer
A great action RPG that puts you in the seat of a character that must bring the world back after its utter destruction. You traverse maps to kill enemies and solve puzzles as you level up and find better equipment. Music is spectacular in this game and the action is fun and challenging.
-The Beer Mage

#0553. Firewatch
Developed by several Telltale ex-pats and Idle Thumbs alumni, this adventure game take the point-and-click genre and thrusts it into a first-person perspective… I’m eagerly awaiting Campo Santo’s sophomore offering with In the Valley of Gods, but I know that I’ll still revisit this game from time to time.
-The Optimistically Sentimental Alabaster Mage

#0552. Moonlighter
Dungeon crawler + business sim. Haggling prices never felt so good.
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0551. Astro Bot Rescue Mission
I was sceptical about VR, and played a couple of games but didn’t really think it was something that added too much to the game. Then I played Astro Bot Rescue Mission and it was like playing Mario for the first time. I just got it.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0550. Grand Theft Auto
The game that spawned one of the most successful gaming franchises in history. GTA is synonymous with gaming.
-The ABXY Mage

#0549. Kingdom Hearts II
The best Kingdom Hearts game of them all. It perfected on the mechanics introduced in the first game, brought us enriching stories featuring both Disney and Final Fantasy characters and took our imaginations for a wild ride thanks to the level of detail in each world. And the plot was easy enough to follow without feeling hopelessly lost!
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0548. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was the completion of the evolution that started in Assassin’s Creed Origins and creates one of the most compelling open world games of our time.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0547. Gone Home
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0546. Under a Killing Moon
One of the classic Tex Murphy neo-noir adventure games. Absolutely nails a delicate balancing act of story, gameplay, aesthetic and humour.
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0545. Pokémon Black Version/Pokémon White Version
Pokémon Black and White improved on the series’ story formula over 10 years after the original games. This shows how long certain aspects of things can take to really improve.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0544. Paper Mario
Takes the best of turn-based and inventory management elements from JRPGs, and adds an innovative paper gimmick and aesthetic. On top of that, the charm of the Mario universe gets fleshed out, and the result is like a dream.
-The Iron Mage

#0543. Rogue
The game that showed other independent developers they could make games that were similar. If nothing else, there’s a reason so many throwback games see Rogue as the one most worth imitating.
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0542. Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress
A civ simulation game that, despite still being developed to this day, is one of THE most complex and well-built out there. Quite the curve to learn, but insanely rewarding afterwards. Remember kids… losing is fun!
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0541. SimCity 3000
You can pick any SimCity game really. All are immersive yet relaxed.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0540. Jill of the Jungle
Jill of the Jungle is one of my favourite DOS games. It was amazing being able to play as a strong woman as I made my way through levels. Plus little me was amazed that she could turn into various animals, e.g. a fish!
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0539. Owlboy
A beautifully realised, Studio Ghibli-esque experience that was almost a decade in the making. The story-driven platformer offers adventure and puzzle solving elements. But the striking visual style, clever dialogue, moving story, and orchestral soundtrack make this story of a young owl/boy one to remember.
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

#0538. The Witcher
One of the most complete role playing experiences out there with a rich and full story.
-The Midnight Mystic Mage

#0537. Jam with the Band
My favourite rhythm game this side of Guitar Hero and a joy to play multi-player.
-The Red Hot Chili Mage

#0536. Soulcaliber
Great 3D fighting game that has characters use weapons to fight.
-The Shamrock Show Mage

#0535. Quake III Arena
-The Green Screen Mage

#0534. Age of Mythology
As a sort of spin-off of the popular Age of Empires, Age of Mythology raises the bar with its 3D units, various gods that represent different play styles, and titans which serve as end game ultimate weapons.
-The Timely Mage

#0533. Super Bomberman
Bombs away in this a-Maze-ing game! Play couch co-op or with online players. It gets intense at times, but did you die? No problem. You can still exact revenge from the sidelines!
-The White Out Mage

#0532. Maniac Mansion
An exemplar of classic Lucas games and point-and-click adventures, Maniac Mansion is stuffed full of black humor and wry comedy. Just watch out for the disembodied tentacle asking you to fetch it something to eat.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0531. Wolfenstein 3D
Mein Leiben! Before DOOM there was Wolfenstein 3D. A true legend in the realm of first person shooters. It’s still fun enough for it to be included in the modern Wolfenstein games.
-The Slipstream Mage

#0530. Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure [PS1]
Have you ever had problems deciding whether to play Pokémon, Final Fantasy Tactics, or pick up an instrument? Why not all three? Use instruments to control monsters on an FFT style battlefield. GG.
-The Indecisive Night Mage

#0529. Outlast
Survival horror that is all about running and hiding. Some of the most messed up visuals imaginable.
-The New Age Retro Mage

#0528. Clubhouse Games
The ultimate time-sink, I believe I said in my Top Seven DS Games article for TWRM that “if I were stranded on a deserted island with nothing but a DS, a charger, and one game, I would give up everything on this list for this one.”
-The Normal Mage

#0527. Roundabout
A beautiful and hilarious ode to the 70s, complete with live action cutscenes.
–The Wandering Mage

#0526. Shadow Hearts
Adding an engaging twist on the turn-based RPG formula by including the timing-based Judgement Ring for attacks, alongside a dark and adult plotline makes this essential for fans of something a little more unusual.
-The Regional Exclusive Mage

#0525. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
An even better remaster experience than Crash in my opinion. Imagine the perfect childhood game given the best AAA next-gen paint.
-The Off-Centered Earth Mage

#0524. Far Cry 3
The entry in the series that made Far Cry what it is today. An awesome first-person shooter with light RPG aspects set in a vibrant, colorful jungle.
-The Kingly Yellow Mage

#0523. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Focusing on a group of students at a military academy, this game has a vibrant cast of characters, a gripping story, and one of the most entertaining battle systems around. One of those JRPGs you NEED to experience.
-The Blood-Stained Metal Mage

#0522. Into the Breach
-The Silver Sentinel Mage

#0521. Mario Paint
Creative apparatus with a mouse for making art and music, and playing funky mini-games.
-The Bookwarm Mage

#0520. Mega Man X4
Perfect game to catch up on the previous entries but also be introduced to the whole franchise. Fun side screen scroller (like most in the series). And blasting things with a mega buster isn’t bad either.
-The Keeper of the Darkness Flame Mage

#0519. Silent Hill 4: The Room
This lore-rich entry in the Silent Hill series gives the protagonist two options: stay inside his haunted apartment or explore creepy, monster-filled environments for a chance at freedom. While it had its share of shortcomings (weapon durability and lots of backtracking), Silent Hill 4: The Room still holds up today thanks to its well-told narrative, the fate of its cast, and thematically perfect soundtrack.
-The Middle-aged Horror Mage

#0518. The Lion King [Genesis]
The Genesis remake of the movie was painfully difficult as a kid. Still is today. But ask your friends and at least a handful will tell you about riding ostriches, jumping on giraffes, and being thrown by monkeys set to the tunes of the movie. Because none of us ever got past that level.
-The Ink-Stained Mage

#0517. Rolo to the Rescue
Probably the cutest video game ever made, look at that little rabbit! Ooh!!!
-The Bizzaro Mage

#0516. Terranigma
The 3rd and arguably the best addition to Quintet’s RPGs on the SNES. Great story, stunning visually and just ups the ante on the whole series (the other 2: Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia). Sadly if you live in North America, you’ll have to import it and get yourself a repro cart as it never was released there.
-The Beer Mage

#0515. Alpha Protocol
Metal Gear Solid meets Mass Effect. A middle-market game designed and written by one of the industry’s most notable personalities, Chris Avellone. This Obsidian title comes with all of the wonderful buggy-ness and jank that you would expect, but manages to execute on 80% of the promises it makes. If only it had a bigger budget and a bit more time to bake in the oven, this cult title could have achieved remarkable success, but it’s still worth a play-through.
-The Optimistically Sentimental Alabaster Mage

#0514. Evoland 2: A Slight Case of Spacetime Continuum Disorder
Retro styled but modern and very meta. An RPG for game lovers.
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0513. Rayman
The first Rayman game was simple and brilliant. With memorable environments and music, and an effective approach to unlocking new platforming abilities every so often, Rayman kept it fresh throughout while always being accessible and friendly.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0512. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Fourteen years after the original DKC trilogy, Donkey Kong Country Returns proved that the series still had a lot of fun, heart, music, challenge, and appeal as it ever did.
-The ABXY Mage

#0511. Axiom Verge
A Metroidvania with a dark, twisted story, it stars a scientist stranded on an alien world who must find a way back to Earth. But as he digs deeper into this world’s secrets through the use of “glitching”, he finds out that things are not what they seem… It’s a fantastic game with tons of weapons, powerful enemies and plenty of secrets.
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0510. Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
I love stealth games, and even though I was one of the two or three people that played and enjoyed Tenchu Z, I can recognize this was the height of the series.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0509. inFAMOUS
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0508. R-Type
The smash hit “shoot ’em up” from the 1987 – when they say “bullet hell” they MEAN “bullet hell”.
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0507. Super Mario Galaxy
Being a big step for 3D-platforming potential, Super Mario Galaxy is a “Grand Star” in its genre.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0506. South Park: The Stick of Truth
A brilliant parody of high fantasy and D&D-based RPGs. While it is largely one big joke of a game, it is actually a blast to play, and features an engaging battle system, a great story, and is a generous provider of laughs.
-The Iron Mage

#0505. Defense of the Ancients
It’s the ultimate story of positivity within gaming: a mod for Warcraft III that became popular in its own right and was embraced by the original developers, rather than being shut down. It’s an example of something which ought to happen more often, especially in a time when game developers seem to be in contempt of gamers.
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0504. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Final Fantasy given an ‘easy’ treatment, meant to introduce the most casual player to an FF game, complete with continues and abundant healing items. Also had one of the coolest soundtracks of the series. Just listen to those battle themes.
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0503. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The classic SNES version pimped up…my favourite of the series.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0502. Jazz Jackrabbit
Can you believe that the same guy who designed Gears of War also designed Jazz Jackrabbit? I had so much fun playing through this as a child on my grandmother’s computer. The levels are fun and fast paced, the speedy bonus levels get the heart pumping and honestly it’s just great platforming fun.
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0501. Earthworm Jim 2
A belting and amusing sequel to the 1994 classic (although NOT according to RED!!!). Shiny Entertainment’s title delivered buckets of surreal humour, advanced graphics, bizarre (in a good way) level design, and a soundtrack from Tommy Tallarico with hints of Beethoven.
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage, Mage Cast, or Story Mode.