Tiers indicate what games mean to me. Rating is the actual quality of a game (given its context and time period).
Commander Keen
100/100, pc
My tier ranking is for the whole bunch, but my episode preference would be in this order: 3, 2, 6, 1, 5, 4. (Keen Dreams sucked big time! It might get its own spot on the tier list some time.)
Warcraft 2
100/100, pc
So. Many. Hours. Against the CPU. Against my dad. Against my friends. Plain fantastic game! The sheer amount of enjoyment it brought me makes it deserve a top spot.
Golden Eye 64
100/100, n64
Four-player-split-screen-james-bond-themed-3d-shooter. What more is there to add!? The game is near-synonymous with some of the best gaming experiences of my life.
World of Warcraft
100/100, pc
The sheer number of hours of gaming pleasure with this title makes it a must for the top 10. Favorite expansion would be Wrath of the Lich King, mostly because that's when most of my real life friends also played the game (I've played Burning Legion through Cataclysm).
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
100/100, n64
There's something intrinsically great about this game that requires me to place it in a top 10. Especially the sound track: I still to this day enjoy hearing new renditions that are a tribute to this game
Dota 2
95/100, pc
With over 1700 hours played to date it's hard to deny that I've enjoyed this game. A lot. I just kept coming back to it, the same way WoW drew me back in constantly. I consciously have to stay away from this game not to be dragged back in again.
Tetris
100/100, gameboy
Dragged me through some long trips that would've otherwise been quite tedious. And I'd still happily play it today.
Warcraft 3
96/100, pc
Great gameplay, great story! Both the base game and the two expansions were great.
Prince of Persia
97/100, pc
I still have dreams and nightmares about this game. Talking about the original version, of course, which I played on PC.
Neverwinter Nights 1
97/100, pc
A very good game on its own already. But it's mainly on this list because I had some awesome full-weekend complete co-op playthroughs that were fantastic.
It Takes Two
99/100, pc
A subgenre-defining platformer, this game was absolutely amazing! Whish there were a dozen clones of this game, and I'd play all of them!
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
97/100, switch
From release day onwards I played 25 hours on average each week (next to a fulltime job) for many weeks until the game was finished: an absolutely fantastic experience! Should I ever also go back to it for a second play-through (which I rarely do), then I might bump it to S-tier. Fantastic game!
Impossible Mission II
96/100, amiga
The first Amiga title on this list. Spending weekends at my uncle's place just playing these games: amazing! (I will admit I asked my uncle to enable cheat modes; I was 7 years old at the time...)
Deathloop
97/100, pc
Absolutely amazing story, and gameplay mixing shooter and RPG elements. Grinded the game until no more side-quests were left before finishing.
Menace
92/100, amiga
R-Type clone I absolutely loved. Countless of hours played, and I don't think I even got very far into the game either.
Hades
96/100, pc
One of the few Roguelikes that actually caught on for me. One of those games you can't wait to play every night!
Yoku's Island Express
98/100, switch
Did two 100% playthroughs already, and not ruling out more to come!
Wolfenstein 3D
90/100, pc
Didn't even play this game that much, if it weren't for playing the home brew levels my friends made for each other.
Heroes of the Storm
94/100, pc
Quit the game multiple times because it was too addictive, so it deserves its spot.
Hollow Knight
98/100, pc
Played only recently, but gameplay was brilliant.
A Way Out
95/100, pc
Nearly as great as It Takes Two, with a slighly better story, yet quite a bit less varied gameplay. Plays as if you're the star of a great movie!
Robo Recall
98/100, oculus
If you can play only one VR game, this Oculus launch title should probably be it. It combines everything good about VR alongside a witty game!
Super Mario Galaxy
96/100, wii
The gameplay of this game was just phenomenal.
Duke Nukem 3D
90/100, pc
Hail to the king, baby! First co-op 3D shooter with amazing level design.
Super Mario 64
95/100, n64
Platformers was already one of my favorite genres, and this was the first true 3D platforming experience. And a fantastic one at that!
Beat Saber
95/100, oculus
Absolutely fantastic game, fantastic VR experience, and fantastic workout.
Super Meat Boy
91/100, pc
One of the top (ultra-)hard platformers on my list.
Fez
93/100, pc
This game was Tetris (complete with the 'tetris-effect', dreaming of the game's mechanics) combined with a great platformer. Absolutely lovely!
Ori: Will of the Wisps
92/100, pc
One of those games I spent *every* free minute playing until I near-hundred-percented it. Both the original game and the sequal get the exact same review, because I played them back-to-back, and the feel like one big (great) game to me.
Ori: Blind Forest
92/100, pc
One of those games I spent *every* free minute playing until I near-hundred-percented it. Both the original game and the sequal get the exact same review, because I played them back-to-back, and the feel like one big (great) game to me.
Celeste
91/100, switch
Picked it up, and played it nearly every free minute until I completed it. Absolutely lovely!
GTA: San Andreas
90/100, pc
Really got me into the sandbox genre, so it sits high on the tier list..
Mark of the Ninja
85/100, pc
Great and enjoyable platformer, even with good replay value.
Whacky Wheels
75/100, pc
Yes, I enjoyed this more than original Mario Kart. Bite me!
Portal 2
86/100, pc
The game itself was already amazing, and the story made me chuckle quite often. The excellent two-player mode is what solidifies its spot at an even higher tier.
Viewfinder
85/100, steamdeck
Placing this game exactly next to Portal 2: amazing, mind-bending 3D-puzzle-platformer with a fun story. Absolutely loved every minute of this. Putting its mark just 1 tiny point behind Portal 2 because it's less replayable and has no true two-player mode. Though I will say its mind-bendingness is one step up from Portal's physics.
Mother Goose
65/100, pc
The quality of this game is... 'so-so'. But it still sits in a high tier, because it just gave me so much joy. The game already had a timer, but on top of that I used to 'speedrun' it against my dad when I was young.
Awesomenauts
88/100, pc
This game perfectly statisfied some DOTA 2 and HotS hunger after I was done with those. Plus the 3v3 format was fantastic for doing shrinking LAN-party sizes in my 30s.
F-Zero X
92/100, n64
I grinded the hell out of this game, and it was glorious. The game just *feels* so fast.
Reunion
89/100, pc
A very good game already, but (not sure how) it even drew me to take endless pen-and-paper notes to support my gameplay. I'd even 'multi-player' with a friend by hot-seating the controls and note-taking.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
86/100, pc
Marked this as a 'PC' title because that's how I originally played it; later re-enjoyed it thoroughly on Switch. This game is actually not a skateboarding game, but more of a platformer (and that's probably the reason I like it so much).
Emerald Mines
78/100, amiga
Lovely little puzzling game with weird perspective and a pretty harsh timer on it. Often enough asked my uncle to enable cheats to enjoy it even more.
Superhot VR
88/100, oculus
This would already be a good regular game, but in VR it really shines! Some true Matrix-Neo-dodging-projectiles vibes.
Supaplex
80/100, pc
The game that came with my AdLib SoundBlaster card, and even though I can't recall exactly how much time I spent on it, the game still firmly sits in my memory as enjoyable.
Assassin's Creed
88/100, pc
The initial title is absolutely one of my favorites in the series. A magical story combined with great gameplay is already great. But what really tops it off is the vantage points feature: it draws on my love for viewing real life places from the top of towers or mountains.
Need for Speed – Hot Pursuit
80/100, pc
The game just 'feels right', know what I mean? In addition I had some excellent multiplayer sessions with friends on LANs, making it sit in a tier higher than it would've otherwise.
Starcraft 2
90/100, pc
Especially the first (Terran) campaign was great. The other two campaigns were also decent. What really sets it apart was a great period of watching Day[9] (Funday Monday!) and doing PVP on my own.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
89/100, pc
Played this game as it was intended: with headphones, in the dark nights, hyping myself up for all the jump scares. And there were some of those indeed!
Mass Effect 2
86/100, pc
It's weird: I absolutely recall finding the story line gripping and magical, but I can only recall the general feel of it. And I recall thoroughly enjoying the game.
Super Mario World
92/100, snes
Great game, great gameplay. Would've probably been in a higher tier, except that I did my playthroughs a few years after it came out (after Mario64 even).
Trackmania Nations
86/100, pc
It still amazes me how much fun a Time Trial focused racing game could be so much fun. The combination of PVP (and seeing other racers' ghosts) and Time Trialing is just great! And the medal chasing in solo mode equally so.
Left 4 Dead 2
80/100, pc
This sits at such a high tier for one reason only: LAN party's! This game is *both* coop (team based) *and* PVP. Just excellent!
Civilization 4
88/100, pc
Countless hours of the 'just one more turn' effect. Until deep into the night. Amazing that a game can do that to you.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
87/100, switch
The first 1-2 hours didn't grip me at all. So much even, that I had to start over during a two-week vacation months later. But then, when you're 'in to the game' it won't let go anymore. Fantastic game (except for the gruesome cooking stuff, blegh).
Klax
80/100, amiga
Tetris on steroids! With added charm because I associate it with sleepovers when I was young.
Fallout 3
86/100, pc
An *excellent* post-apocalyptic experience, with a great story. My first experience with the Fallout franchise, which probably added some extra magic to ig.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
86/100, switch
A perfectly executed metroidvania, it grabbed me at the start and didn't let go until it was finished. Near the end I started to 'completionist' just because I didn't want the game to be over. Only a handful of points deducted because a few parts were difficult in a non-fun, irritating way. Overall: highly recommended!
Batman: Arkham City
86/100, pc
Just such fantastic gameplay. Satisfying!
Spider Man
85/100, steamdeck
Played it largely on the Steam Deck, and a little bit on the PC. Extremely satisfying gameplay, and a fantastic story that was better than most of the (also very enjoyable) Marvel movies!
Sackboy
80/100, steamdeck
It had to grow a little on me, but after it did it certainly took a hold! Near-perfect gameplay, but extra shout out for the sync-up between levels, minions, and the music. Well done! Finished the whole thing in a couple of weeks.
Double Dragon 2
70/100, nes
Although I didn't onw a NES myself, I still played many hours of this game. We'd hot-seat with 3 or 4 people just because it was so good.
Portal
80/100, pc
The original Portal might not be as good as its successor, it is still a fantastic game. Worth giving a go if you haven't played it before.
Wipeout 64
80/100, n64
The little sibling of F-Zero X to me, but still enjoyable on its own. Plus Propellorheads on the soundtrack, that helps!
Guildwars 2
75/100, pc
After being tired of WoW but still wanting to play an MMORPG, this game filled a void. Plus it was a great 'coop' game to play with my SO.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
80/100, pc
This sits high on the list mainly because it fit perfectly with our LAN party's from the time. I remember an epic 1000-990 win with our entire LAN team (over what we fantasized was a similarly set up LAN party based team on the other end).
Assassin's Creed 2
84/100, pc
An absolutely great sequel. The story started to drift a bit already and started to become convoluted, but the gameplay improved quite a bit in this one.
SteamWorld Dig 2
83/100, pc
Super enjoyable platformer and puzzle game. Filled a void after I had finished Hollow Knight, feeling like a similar game to a degree.
Super Mario Kart
82/100, snes
Great game! Would've possibly been in a higher tier if I had owned a SNES as opposed to playing this game at friends.
Fighter's Destiny
80/100, pc
The slow and deliberate pace of this fighter set it apart from all the other beat-'m-ups of the time, and that was great!
Katana Zero
81/100, pc
Picked it up, and played it all the way through the end in a week or two. Amazing game! Recommended.
Cuphead
81/100, steamdeck
Loved the art style as well as the gameplay. One of those games I picked up, played all the way through the end, enjoyed it a ton, and will likely not ever touch again. At roughly 12 hours of great gameplay for 15 euro's I'd certainly recommend this!
OlliOlli World
81/100, switch
2.5D cousin of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, this was a pleasant surprise! Perfect to play through on-and-off during a 10 day vacation.
Limbo
80/100, pc
Atmosphere of this game was fantastic! Gameplay decent. Recommended.
Braid
81/100, pc
Similar to Fez, this game is platforming and (weird) puzzling in one game. Unique for sure!
Bastion
80/100, pc
That voice over... geez! That's the most memorable part and boosts a very decent game a full tier.
Dragon Age: Origins
81/100, pc
Rating and tier get bumped because playing 'evil' story lines is heavily rewarded in this RPG!
Mario Odyssey
81/100, switch
Excellent as nearly all Mario platformers, went quite completionist on this one.
Pipedream
80/100, gameboy
The type of puzzles this game gave you was already great, especially for its era. Then the sound track and 'feel' of the game completes it.
Company of Heroes
79/100, pc
The original CoH was a big LAN Party hit for us, in addition to being just a great game.
Super Mario Land
75/100, gameboy
Holiday gift that came with the Gameboy, and even 25 years later I still know the levels and tunes by heart. Even some retro-replay-value in it too!
The Witcher 3
80/100, pc
After absolutely hating The Witcher 2, I was skeptical about part 3. Based on the excellent reviews I pushed on through the initial hours, and I did indeed enjoy it!
Pincrediball
60/100, pc
Disclosure: I created this game. So... where to rank it? In some sense it's S-tier to me: close and dear to my heart, as it's the first full game I created and published. On the other hand, it's just 'okay', but not great. So let's give it a tier and rank right here and call it a day?! :D
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
80/100, pc
Only one of the very few (if any) games in this specific (sub)genre on my list. But it was quite good! Stealth and puzzling from an RTS perspective: recommended.
Centurion: Defender of Rome
80/100, pc
The very first RTS (of sorts) which I played, with the added benefit of having probably the coolest historical time period for such a game. True gem of its time.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
79/100, pc
Like all Batman games in this series: excellent gameplay, great story. Enjoyable game!
Dead Cells
78/100, steamdeck
Lovely roguelite although it's not as good as for example Hades. Still played a few dozen hours so it had *something* going for it.
Fallout New Vegas
78/100, pc
Vegas seems like just a perfect fit for a post-apocalyptic flavored game. Enjoyed this game end-to-end!
Zelda: Twilight Princess
79/100, wii
Not super memorable, but it was very enjoyable!
Starcraft 1
79/100, pc
After a couple thousand hours of Warcraft 2, this neatly continued the stream of enjoyment for a Blizzard RTS. Add some PVP fun and you have a high-tier game.
Soul Calibur 2
78/100, gamecube
Probably the most 'satisfying' beat-em-up I played, because of the role of weapons. Very balanced too, and fun to play without needing to spend tons of hours practicing.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
78/100, pc
Not a big fan of Souls-like games, except that this tunes down the difficulty a little bit in exchange for a story (and theme) that I found quite enjoyable. Would recommend!
Dorfromantik
72/100, pc
Felt like a tiny Civ game because of the 'just one more turn' effect. Quite a few hours of good fun, even though it does become a bit repetitive.
WarioWare Smooth Moves
77/100, wii
A game like no other, I presume this brings a touch of Japanese culture across in a way that 'clicked'? Just because of the weirdness it sits so high. Must be played on the actual Wii with Wii controllers though!
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
77/100, pc
After a few convoluted and bloated Assassin's Creed games, this one did the trick for me again. Enjoyable story line, enjoyable game play, and great time period.
Little Inferno
76/100, pc
Quite satisfying concept: burn shit in a fire. With an eerie story line in the background. Recommend trying this little game.
Doom 2
76/100, pc
Fantastic for its time period, and genre re-defining after Wolfenstein 3D set the benchmark.
Fall Guys
76/100, pc
Battle Royale the way it 'clicks' for me! Looking back this game actually drew me in for a significant amount of hours (possibly partially due to Corona) - super enjoyable!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
76/100, switch
Ahhh at last another great 2D Super Mario Bros. game! A bit short but a lot of fun!
Super Mario Bros 1
76/100, nes
The OG of platforming games on consoles. Really I only know the World 1-4-8 route, but who cares!? Good (retro) fun!
GTA V
75/100, pc
Not as high a tier as the long lifespan of this game would hint at, but to me it was 'just quite good', nothing more. Still recommend playing through the main story though.
Skunny Kart
73/100, pc
After Whacky Wheels and the 'real' SNES Mario Kart comes in Skunny Kart: a great PC clone of Mario Kart.
Ikaruga
73/100, gamecube
A more modern R-Type that has fantastic two-player coop. Enjoyed the original version mostly on Gamecube at a friend's place.
Civilization 6
75/100, pc
Another installment of the 'just one more turn' addiction, and a very good game to pick up and play a few games of.
Arkanoid
73/100, pc
Not sure what the name of the genre is, but this game defined it for me. Played through it more often than I can count.
Batman: Arkham Origins
72/100, pc
Similar to the other installments in this series: great gameplay, good story. Just plain enjoyable and recommendable game!
Quake 2
71/100, pc
There was something about the level design that I really enjoyed in this shooter. Not sure if it withstood the test of time, but it was great when it came out!
Rayman Legends
71/100, switch
A remastered game that came out for earlier consoles, I bought this for Switch and played through it in one fell swoop. Would recommend picking it up!
Quake
70/100, pc
A very good game for its time. Not too memorable though.
Lemmings
74/100, pc
Genre-defining and good for many hours of puzzling. Did many of the harder levels in 'coop' mode on one PC, which increased the fun.
Operation Tango
69/100, pc
Excellent two-player coop game with a few hours of decent (but easy) gameplay.
Ski or Die
69/100, pc
This game, especially the the Downhill minigame, drew out the perfectionist in me. Great game in its time period.
Dragon Age 2
68/100, pc
Enjoyable but also forgettable RPG. Would recommend it still, if you're starved for a modern RPG though.
Secret Agent
69/100, pc
Good old PC platformer. Not great, just good.
DiRT Showdown
64/100, pc
Another 'just good' game, bumped a tier and few rating points because of its excellent multiplayer (LAN Party) viableness.
Marble Madness
63/100, amiga
This game sits in a decently high tier because it perfectly taps into my love for marbles and marble courses. Otherwise not the best game ever.
Hot Wheels Unleashed
64/100, steamdeck
Decent 'filler' arcade style racing game, good for ten or so hours of fun.
VVVVVV
64/100, pc
Endearing because of the low-effort feel to it, and surprisingly good gameplay. On par with the best 'Flash Games' I've played.
Tetris Effect: Connected
64/100, pc
Satisfies a craving for more tetris fun, otherwise not memorable. (Note: played it without VR... not sure if that would change things.)
Thomas was Alone
62/100, pc
Quirky little platformer, and since it's only a few hours I still recommend it.
The Incredible Machine
67/100, pc
Genre-defining so on that count certainly worth trying it for an hour or so.
Sim City 2000
60/100, pc
Spend a few dozen hours with this game, but I feel like it was because no real better games were at hand in the time period to me?
One Must Fall 2097
69/100, pc
The story and menu of this game was great, and it was nice and slow-paced for a beat-em-up. So slightly better than the SNES beat-em-ups of the time.
Magicka
67/100, pc
Not a great game and extremely resource-intensive, but the story was funny and the chaos from playing together was something else.
Street Fighter 2
63/100, snes
One of the OG's of beat-em-ups, I did enjoy myself a few hours with this game.
Webbed
71/100, steamdeck
Lovely physics, fun little story, okay graphics, perfect length.
World of Goo
70/100, pc
An excellent 'filler' game: I love this genre so I was happy to play through the entire thing.
Mortal Kombat 2
62/100, snes
Largely equivalent to Street Fighter 2, this game ensured a few hours of fun back in the day.
My Friend Pedro
61/100, pc
Fun little platformer, but mostly satisfied a craving after playing a few other great platformers.
Worms
61/100, pc
The original version of this was great when the only option was to hot-seat at a PC (so if no console with true multiplayer was available).
Volfied
75/100, pc
High quality game! A tad lower in the tier list because I only played a handful of times though.
Skyroads
60/100, pc
Very satisfying and 'sterile' gameplay, and as a retro title worth spending maybe an hour (or two) of your current time on.
Boppin
69/100, pc
Excellent puzzling and great for two players!
Divinity: Original Sin
70/100, pc
The original game was of quite high quality! It sits in the middle of this tier, and is recommendable if you are waiting for a new game in the genre to come out and haven't played this one yet.
Duke Nukem 2
59/100, pc
One of the more enjoyable PC platformers, a 'just good' game.
Super Mario Land 2
64/100, gameboy
Very enjoyable, not too rememberable. And a bit weird graphics for a Mario game of the era.
Captain Comic
58/100, pc
A ton of nostalgic value bumps this game in tiers, though it's not a very good game.
Leisure Suit Larry
58/100, pc
The original one is the only one I've played, and it was quite good! Even though I didn't understand most of the jokes until much later.
Diddy Kong Racing
64/100, n64
The N64 racer I had, instead of Mario Kart. And a tad bit better, in my opinion.
Firepower
62/100, amiga
Grindy fun little game.
Super Mario Kart 64
64/100, n64
Decent Mario Kart game, but I preferred other racers on the N64.
Prehistorik
59/100, pc
Nostalgic value because it reminds me of playing games on the PC at my grandparent's house. Otherwise not fantastic.
Bioshock 2
66/100, pc
Loved the combination of a dark story and a shooter.
Bioshock
64/100, pc
Felt like an alpha version of Bioshock 2, and was also quite decent.
Traffic Department 2192
65/100, pc
One of the few games that made me pay attention to the writing (which in hindsight was not very woke at all...).
Age of Empires 2
66/100, pc
Decent RTS which I enjoyed for a bunch of hours.
SSX Blur
67/100, wii
Pretty fun, putting the Wii controllers to good use. For that reason it was quite fun at the time. For now... probably so-so.
Trine 5
67/100, steamdeck
Similar again to earlier parts, this installment is ever-so-slightly more polished. On one hand I don't give it a high rating nor would I go out of my way to recommend it, on the other hand it did draw me in enough to finish it in a couple of weeks (about 20 hours to complete the main story). Substracting a few points because a handful of puzzles required me to look up the solution (and it always was something badly designed, usually a mechanic not telegraphed enough at all).
Trine 2
66/100, pc
Trine 2, 3, and 4 are quite similar -even though they're not- in my mind. And all decently enjoyable.
Trine 4
66/100, pc
Trine 2, 3, and 4 are quite similar -even though they're not- in my mind. And all decently enjoyable.
Trine 3
65/100, pc
Trine 2, 3, and 4 are quite similar -even though they're not- in my mind. And all decently enjoyable.
Age of Empires
65/100, pc
Enjoyable few hours of RTS in the time period.
Kingdoms of Amalur
64/100, pc
Decent enough action RPG, perhaps even replayable in a modern day?
Settlers 2
65/100, pc
This gets bumped a bit in tiers just because you could play it with *two* mouses on *one* PC :O - a funky way to multiplayer, back in the day.
Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle
62/100, gameboy
Would be 'good but forgettable', except that it somehow enticed us to make pen-and-paper levels with a homebrew overlay to play the game offline in class.
Forced
62/100, pc
Nice local coop game to pick up with friends.
Battlerite
62/100, pc
Filled a void in my MOBA heart, good for a bunch of hours of fun.
Dungeon Keeper 2
63/100, pc
Gets bonus points because of its 'inversed' idea of a game where you are creating the levels for automated hero's to play. Tower defense avant la lettre?
Quake 3 Arena
63/100, pc
Decent game, in a middle tier because we had a ton of fun playing it between classes at the uni.
Knytt Underground
61/100, pc
Endearing little platformer to play through if you don't have better options lying around.
Death Squared
61/100, switch
Gets bonus points because the Mrs. was happy to coop this one. Either way, it's quite a decent little puzzle game for two.
Sim City
60/100, pc
Not the best Sim ever, but since it's the OG of the genre it deserves a decent spot.
Skyrim
66/100, pc
Enjoyed the game, and never looked back. (Even though apparently the rest of the world did do so!?)
Destruction Derby 2
63/100, ps1
The only Playstation (1) game on this list, but it was super enjoyable!
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2
62/100, pc
Decent combination of RTS and hero control, enjoyed my playthrough.
Primal Rage
58/100, pc
Dinosaurs were my absolutel favorite thing in the world so it sits in C tier, otherwise a 'just okay' beat-em-up.
Trackmania 2
61/100, pc
A decent follow-up to the original game. It never drew me in as much as the original, though.
NBA Jam
60/100, snes
There was something magical about the absurd moves you could make. Otherwise just a decent game.
Tricky Towers
60/100, pc
Satisfies the hunger for tetris games. But not really the best tetris game ever (I mean: why can't you rotate pieces both ways!?).
Tomb Raider
60/100, pc
The original Tomb Raider has a special place in my heart, even though it wasn't all that great a game.
Mini Motorways
60/100, pc
A perfect game if you are bored and okay to be drawn into a 'just one more game' setup.
Mini Metro
60/100, pc
Great filler game if you're bored and want something simple. Nothing more.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
59/100, pc
The most grindy ('collect 8 bear livers') installment in the series, I still played through till the end.
Tick Tock: A Tale for Two
70/100, pc
Decent! Sits a bit low because it's super short. But enjoyable still.
Jazz Jackrabbit
62/100, pc
Has a special place in my heart as 'the Sonic clone I *did* own', but otherwise forgettable.
Little Nightmares
60/100, pc
Played it through till the end, but I really am waiting and hoping the sequel will be better executed and less of a strain for my video card for what it's giving me.
Prehistorik 2
60/100, pc
Decent, and has nostalgic value. But that's about it.
Prince of Persia 2
60/100, pc
Enjoyed it, mostly because I wanted 'more of Prince of Persia [1]'.
MDK
60/100, pc
Strangely decent game.
Killer Instinct Gold
60/100, pc
I remember a fun weekend renting this game, but never got back to it after that.
Mickey Mouse The Computer Game
58/100, amiga
The combination of thriller/horror theme and Mickey mouse was fun. Otherwise forgettable.
Mega Race
57/100, pc
The full videos between races is a fun memory, otherwise not quite the best racer of the era.
Carmageddon
56/100, pc
Played it for only a couple of hours because of the hype, but that's it.
Warcraft
55/100, pc
Sparked the fire for follow-up Warcraft games. On its own, not the best game ever.
Hugo's House of Horrors
55/100, pc
Not sure why I still spent quite a few hours with this game, but hey: I did?!
Paladins
60/100, pc
Fun for LAN party's because it was a crowd pleaser. The game itself... not too great.
Descent
60/100, pc
The memory of this first full 3D movement game is fun. The game itself... don't remember much of it.
Flatout 2
62/100, pc
Racing while destroying cars is satisfying, especially at a LAN party! Otherwise: 'just okay'.
Resident Evil 7
59/100, pc
Seemed like a great game, but I could not get into it yet. Might give it a second chance some day (and might bump the rating after I do). Until then it'll sit here at this tier and rating.
A Virus Named Tom
58/100, pc
Fun for an hour or two.
Unreal Tournament
58/100, pc
Little sibling of Quake 3 Arena, with better sound effects, but otherwise was less fun.
Thumper
58/100, pc
I really want this game to 'click' and keep trying. But it's 'just okay'.
Among Us
55/100, pc
Fun gimmick for its time period, but I mostly played it with strangers which was only 'meh'.
Duke Nukem
55/100, pc
The original platformer in the series was decent.
Hexcells Infinite
55/100, pc
Filler puzzle game. Good enough if you're bored.
Virtual Karts
55/100, pc
Nostalgic value because we for some reason decided to use pen and paper to record our best times. Otherwise 'just okay'.
Ultimate Chicken Horse
54/100, pc
Great concept! Mediocre execution. Especially with strangers it didn't click at all.
Doom
54/100, pc
The original Doom game deserves a spot, but I played far more Doom 2 at the time.
Machinarium
53/100, pc
Really wanted this 'Flash Games revival' to work. But finnicky, at best.
Surround
52/100, atari
Decent way to spend a bored few hours.
Combat
51/100, atari
Perhaps because I played it 5-10 years after it came out, but this game was 'so so'.
Battle Chess
50/100, pc
Super funky gimmick of course, and deserves kudo's for that! Otherwise just a chess game, right?
Age of Empires 4
50/100, pc
I really wanted to enjoy this game, but I couldn't Bought it at full price, which was a waste.
Nier Automata
78/100, pc
Folks are just so endeared with this game... and I can understand why; but it did not 'click' for me at all. And I really tried, playing the full campaign to its initial ending.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
50/100, switch
Probably the worst Super Mario platformer I've played. Controls didn't feel right, annoying deaths, etc. Not one I'll replay.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
51/100, steamdeck
The first Crash Bandicoot game I played. Okayish game that kept me going for some time, but halfway through I did lose interest. Partially because you often die merely because of the games weird and bad camera perspective.
Horizons Zero Dawn
49/100, pc
I tried. I really tried. Beautiful game. But the gameplay... ugh, terrible. On e of those experiences where you want to throw your controller at your screen.
Dishonored
48/100, pc
Bought and played this after I wanted 'more' of Deathloop, but the game didn't age well and didn't 'click' for me. Probably great at some point, but low on my personal list.
Rocket League
46/100, pc
Not sure what all the hype is about? This game was fun for, oh... 45 minutes?
Pikuniku
45/100, pc
Tried it. Didn't click. Dropped it. (And that's saying something because I'm a completionist!)
Serious Sam 3
43/100, pc
Loved the OG Serious Sam, but this one didn't work out.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
42/100, pc
With 103 minutes played according to Steam, you know this one didn't 'click' for me, even though it's a praised game.
Dark Souls 3
40/100, pc
Sorry, but it just didn't 'click' for me. Perhaps if I retry it and get into it, the game will get a much higher rating? Not very enticed to go back to it though.
Fallout 4
36/100, pc
The game was a gift so I gave it a 4,5 hour long shot, but it never clicked. Quit, and never went back to it.
The Witcher 2
35/100, pc
Quit this game before the tutorial was over: the gameplay and controls felt outright infuriating. Nearly prevented me from playing the (far better) sequel.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
31/100, pc
Really wanted this game to be great because it'd allow me to play more with a bunch of good friends. And I tried. But alas: I truly do not like this game at all.
Bioshock Infinite
30/100, pc
After the first two games I really wanted this to be great. But Steam tells me I played '46 minutes' and never picked it up again, which says enough.
FTL
29/100, pc
Folks rave about this game. I felt like something might be wrong with me for hating this game from the start, so I kept it in my "Pile of Shame". After giving it a second chance.... I still hated it. It's just a boring spreadsheet game to me, sorry.
Doom (2016)
22/100, pc
So much hype, so little worth. Stopped playing after 39 minutes according to Steam.
Thief: Deadly Shadows
21/100, pc
Perhaps I would've liked it if I played it when it came out? But around 2018 when I tried it I dropped it after a mere 21 minutes play time.
Planescape Torment
20/100, pc
Perhaps if I had played it when it came out (instead of in the 2020's) it would've been rated much higher. But if I wanted to read I'd pick up a book, and this game doesn't have anything else going for it.
TIS-100
19/100, pc
I don't like Assembly-style programming languages at work, and less so as a 'game'.
Colin McRae Rally
18/100, pc
I guess realistic racing games are not my style? Steam tells me I managed to play this for no more than 9 minutes.
Where's the rest!?
Mmmhhh... these are all the games I remember playing, and for long enough to form an honest opinion on them. There might be a handful missing (especially from longer ago), and I will add them when I think of them. But 90%+ of all games I've ever (seriously) played should be on here.
How stable is this tier list?
Extremely stable! Let me explain.
The tier a game belongs to is how 'impactful' it was to me, how much I enjoyed it given its time and context. There might then also be several cases where a high tier does not automatically imply a recommendation.
New games added (as I play them) will be inserted into the list. But this will leave the list otherwise stable.
What about the xx/100 ratings?
These indicate how high I rate the quality of the game (also given its time period). There's a strong correlation between high tiers and high ratings.
Notable exceptions include for example games that mean a lot to me, but might still have a rather low rating because they're still bad games. Vice versa some games with high quality didn't click for me, so they might end up in a low tier.