Daniel Achterman
@danielachterman.bsky.social
Senior Game Designer at Blizzard on WoW. Lifelong PNW guy. I enjoy learning about people. Views are my own.
So, I love the list, and I love seeing what resonates with this cohort. I like that Morrowind, with its flexible tools for interacting with the world, ranks above Skyrim. Of course Slay the Spire ranks high.
But I also like to think about what players and gameplay we might be underrepresenting.
But I also like to think about what players and gameplay we might be underrepresenting.
December 20, 2025 at 7:42 PM
So, I love the list, and I love seeing what resonates with this cohort. I like that Morrowind, with its flexible tools for interacting with the world, ranks above Skyrim. Of course Slay the Spire ranks high.
But I also like to think about what players and gameplay we might be underrepresenting.
But I also like to think about what players and gameplay we might be underrepresenting.
Genres that were influential but didn't really survive aren't on the list, like Myst-likes.
There are also entire genres missing, like fighting games (no Street Fighter?!) and action combat (Devil May Cry, God of War).
There are also entire genres missing, like fighting games (no Street Fighter?!) and action combat (Devil May Cry, God of War).
December 20, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Genres that were influential but didn't really survive aren't on the list, like Myst-likes.
There are also entire genres missing, like fighting games (no Street Fighter?!) and action combat (Devil May Cry, God of War).
There are also entire genres missing, like fighting games (no Street Fighter?!) and action combat (Devil May Cry, God of War).
For instance, I see a preference towards PC over console, as DOOM and Half-Life are included while Halo is not.
Quest for Glory and Kings Quest I being on the list suggests us senior designers are getting old.
Quest for Glory and Kings Quest I being on the list suggests us senior designers are getting old.
December 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
For instance, I see a preference towards PC over console, as DOOM and Half-Life are included while Halo is not.
Quest for Glory and Kings Quest I being on the list suggests us senior designers are getting old.
Quest for Glory and Kings Quest I being on the list suggests us senior designers are getting old.
As a result they didn't take this survey, and the list has a high proportion of games based on systems and environmental interaction that ladder up into games that are popular (and monetizable!) today.
At least, that's my read on it.
At least, that's my read on it.
December 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
As a result they didn't take this survey, and the list has a high proportion of games based on systems and environmental interaction that ladder up into games that are popular (and monetizable!) today.
At least, that's my read on it.
At least, that's my read on it.
Myst was very influential, with a variety of Myst-likes released from about 1993 to 2003. The genre fell off for various reasons, and many of the designers who were motivated by high fidelity, cinematic experiences moved into fields like film or mobile games that don't get games media attention.
December 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Myst was very influential, with a variety of Myst-likes released from about 1993 to 2003. The genre fell off for various reasons, and many of the designers who were motivated by high fidelity, cinematic experiences moved into fields like film or mobile games that don't get games media attention.
There's also a factor where the list tells us about the designers who are being polled for it as much as it tells us about which games were influential.
December 20, 2025 at 7:03 PM
There's also a factor where the list tells us about the designers who are being polled for it as much as it tells us about which games were influential.
"You know what people find fun? Spellings with a 'z' instead of an 's' and the worst version of Pac Man ever made."
December 15, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"You know what people find fun? Spellings with a 'z' instead of an 's' and the worst version of Pac Man ever made."
Is it like a million hours long?
November 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Is it like a million hours long?
The last Dragon Quest I played was VIII and I was kind of under the impression that it wasn't that long ago but apparently it's been two decades and they've made 3 more so...
November 18, 2025 at 6:10 AM
The last Dragon Quest I played was VIII and I was kind of under the impression that it wasn't that long ago but apparently it's been two decades and they've made 3 more so...
I find that undermines it, sadly! Like watching M. Night Shyalamalan's third movie, it's less fun to know a twist is coming.
Like, deceive me. Keep any hint out of the promo materials. Tell me I'm at 100% map completion at the halfway point. Grab this rug under me and really yank!
Like, deceive me. Keep any hint out of the promo materials. Tell me I'm at 100% map completion at the halfway point. Grab this rug under me and really yank!
November 18, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I find that undermines it, sadly! Like watching M. Night Shyalamalan's third movie, it's less fun to know a twist is coming.
Like, deceive me. Keep any hint out of the promo materials. Tell me I'm at 100% map completion at the halfway point. Grab this rug under me and really yank!
Like, deceive me. Keep any hint out of the promo materials. Tell me I'm at 100% map completion at the halfway point. Grab this rug under me and really yank!
I love a good game where you're pushing to the final encounter and it's like "surprise, there's a good 30-50% more game left and it's getting REAL."
SotN of course. Final Fantasy VI. A good turn is just so great.
SotN of course. Final Fantasy VI. A good turn is just so great.
November 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I love a good game where you're pushing to the final encounter and it's like "surprise, there's a good 30-50% more game left and it's getting REAL."
SotN of course. Final Fantasy VI. A good turn is just so great.
SotN of course. Final Fantasy VI. A good turn is just so great.
Like, your first sentence completely threw me. "Castlevania" doesn't include saving at all. Castlevania 2 and 3 give you codes instead of saving to storage like Zelda did.
The result is that asking someone their favorite Zelda, Mega Man, or Pokemon game is a decent way to guess how old they are.
The result is that asking someone their favorite Zelda, Mega Man, or Pokemon game is a decent way to guess how old they are.
November 3, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Like, your first sentence completely threw me. "Castlevania" doesn't include saving at all. Castlevania 2 and 3 give you codes instead of saving to storage like Zelda did.
The result is that asking someone their favorite Zelda, Mega Man, or Pokemon game is a decent way to guess how old they are.
The result is that asking someone their favorite Zelda, Mega Man, or Pokemon game is a decent way to guess how old they are.
One of my favorite things about talking about videogames is how different generations of players consider different games in series as the default or definitive one. Your using Castlevania as an example of how save media works reveals that your default is SotN, while mine are 1, 2, and 3.
November 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
One of my favorite things about talking about videogames is how different generations of players consider different games in series as the default or definitive one. Your using Castlevania as an example of how save media works reveals that your default is SotN, while mine are 1, 2, and 3.
She and, like, maybe Leigh Bardugo are kind of horror-ish.
October 8, 2025 at 8:17 PM
She and, like, maybe Leigh Bardugo are kind of horror-ish.
A couple authors you might enjoy:
Stephen Graham Jones
T Kingfisher
Some books I liked:
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Our Wives Under the Sea
My Murder
Mr. Magic
Just Like Home
Stephen Graham Jones
T Kingfisher
Some books I liked:
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Our Wives Under the Sea
My Murder
Mr. Magic
Just Like Home
October 8, 2025 at 8:12 PM
A couple authors you might enjoy:
Stephen Graham Jones
T Kingfisher
Some books I liked:
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Our Wives Under the Sea
My Murder
Mr. Magic
Just Like Home
Stephen Graham Jones
T Kingfisher
Some books I liked:
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Our Wives Under the Sea
My Murder
Mr. Magic
Just Like Home
I personally find Silksong bosses more satisfying than Elden Ring bosses because the controls and success / failure conditions are so much more crisp.
September 20, 2025 at 11:12 PM
I personally find Silksong bosses more satisfying than Elden Ring bosses because the controls and success / failure conditions are so much more crisp.
The last game to land like this for me, and to make me stubbornly push through it to prove I'm still a gamer, damn it, was Nine Sols.
September 20, 2025 at 11:12 PM
The last game to land like this for me, and to make me stubbornly push through it to prove I'm still a gamer, damn it, was Nine Sols.
Number of bosses that were like "yikes, this is tough" but not at that "this may be impossible for me" level: very, very many.
September 20, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Number of bosses that were like "yikes, this is tough" but not at that "this may be impossible for me" level: very, very many.
I'm sorry Nikki, it's clear you both loved her very much, and she lived in a joyful home. Give my best to Graham.
Grief is a shitty journey. Be good to yourselves.
Grief is a shitty journey. Be good to yourselves.
September 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
I'm sorry Nikki, it's clear you both loved her very much, and she lived in a joyful home. Give my best to Graham.
Grief is a shitty journey. Be good to yourselves.
Grief is a shitty journey. Be good to yourselves.