“It completely shifted my perspective on human connection”: 20 video games that changed players’ lives forever

Gamers on Reddit are reminiscing about the video games that changed their lives, whether with their message or pure time consumption. New favorites, old classics, and lesser-known indie games all made the list, as did titles of every genre imaginable.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

“I literally learned how to read through this game. When we first started playing, my brother would read the dialogue out loud to me, and I could follow along. By the end of it, I could replay the game and read the dialogue myself.” —u/M-E-O-W

2. Outer Wilds

“I never thought a game could impact me so much. I wish I could erase all memory of ever playing that so I could experience it all over again.” —u/Morrack2000

3. Minecraft

“I feel like Minecraft is a game that people can attest to a good time in their lives. A time they can’t get back. Whether it’s the early days, peak era (console edition, come at me), modding with Java. The release of Bedrock (okay maybe not that one).” —u/ReeceReddit1234

4. Journey

“Journey on PlayStation was this beautiful, wordless experience that I shared with a random stranger online. We helped each other through the entire game without ever speaking, just through gestures and staying close together. It completely shifted my perspective on human connection and how we can communicate beyond words.” —u/SunnyNbeautiful

5. Dark Souls

“I felt a physical sensation unlike any other the first time I beat Ornstein and Smough with no summons.” —u/Cpt_Arthur_Dank

6. Life is Strange

“Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve ever put down the controller and taken a moment. It made me think about all the times I should have listened more carefully to people in my life, just in case.” —u/UpDownUpDownCircle

7. GoldenEye 007

“I still wake up in a cold sweat with memories of my friend, knowing exactly where I was going to regenerate, immediately sniping me before I could take two steps.” —u/jeanjammer

8. Pentiment

“Hard to go into real detail without spoilers, but understanding the record of history as human choices in what to document, the shockingly thin line between Christian religious history and local pagan history, and particularly the extreme pressure on people of a given time to omit or modify their histories to suit the decorum of those around them.” —u/EaterOfPenguins

9. League of Legends

“It left a lasting impact of anger. Resentment. Hatred. Disappointment in my friends who found new creative ways to troll during placements. And the list goes on.” —u/MeandJohnWoo

10. World of Warcraft

“My mom met my stepdad on there. Changed my life in many, many ways. She just passed away a couple of weeks ago after 20 years with him.”

“Pretty crazy what that first journey in Teldrassil as a lowly NE Warrior back in 2004 would turn into.” —u/Sabin2k

11. Disco Elysium

“It’s a shame that Disco Elysium isn’t at the top of every one of these threads. I know, different strokes and all, but that game changed me. It rewired my ancient reptilian brain.” —u/mrDoubtWired

12. Counter-Strike

“Back in the day (circa 2001), I got involved in the CS art forums on the official site forums. I would make CS banners and websites for clans and artwork in general.”

“Kicked off my love for digital art and design. Over a decade now in a design career.” —u/quietstormx1

13. Titanfall 2

“The ending had an emotional effect on me unlike any other video game. Always remember Protocol 3, protect the pilot.” —u/Floridaman9393

14. Assassin’s Creed II (and sequels)

“I literally learnt Italian because of them, spent downtime days during high school hoping/wishing Ezio was real and trying to find out information about him. A small obsession. Learning Italian led to learning other languages, led to the high school I chose, which impacted what friends I made and ultimately, that I became a language teacher today.” —u/TrueSweetnessOfWine

15. Everything (the game, not all games)

“The experience itself is endless and kinda mind-blowing. Different objects have some thought-provoking things to say (in written text), and some will play excerpts from Alan Watts’ lectures.

I found it to be a rather transformative experience.” —u/reddjonn

16. Super Mario 64

“Super Mario 64 turned me from a small kid who thought games were cool and a bonus to going to a babysitter’s house, to a kid who very much wanted to play games at home and started my gaming journey. Nearly 30 years later, and I still go back and play it on my Switch every once in a while.” —u/Gasman18

17. Metal Gear Solid

“The ending credits of Metal Gear Solid 1 inspired me to read more books. I read about war and its vast consumption of human life.” —u/strange_bike_guy

18. Death Stranding

“In recent memory, Death Stranding made me look at myself and understand who and what I am more so than other games or media have. Especially since I took the time to play it through lockdown.

It was about connection and building bridges rather than walls, and I realized that all my life I have been building bridges between people rather than walls.” —u/Matseye1r

19. Red Dead Redemption 2

“I got into acting as an adult and was lucky enough to do some voice work on RDR2. When the game came out, I figured it was finally time to try playing one myself. I bought my first console and dove in.

It completely blew me away. The storytelling, the world, the emotion of it all. I wept when it ended. That game showed me how powerful this medium can be, and it turned me into a lifelong gamer. I’m so thankful for that experience.” —u/tcmatherne

20. Team Fortress

“Played it on a dorm-mate’s computer freshman year of college because I had an iMac. It got me into PC gaming in general. Joined that guy’s clan, eventually took the entire starting lineup of the clan, and left to form a new clan. We weren’t good, but I learned a lot about leadership and people management from that era of my life.

The social aspects of playing the game and engaging with the competitive scene had very long-term impacts on me as a person that I still carry with me decades later.” —u/BoldestKobold