Games That Shaped Me
Games have been my favorite medium for almost as long as I can remember. As a kid, I read a lot of fantasy and fiction, but I also grew up watching huge franchises evolve in real time: The Legend of Zelda, and what I still think of as the golden age of Call of Duty (CoD 2, Modern Warfare (2007), Modern Warfare 2 (2009), and World at War).
I couldn’t get enough of game worlds like those in Fable, Ocarina of Time, and TES IV: Oblivion. Oblivion especially made me realize that story, mechanics, visuals, and audio together could offer real immersion, and that playing could feel like steering your own path through a universe.
Below is a short list of anchor games grouped by what they taught me. The full catalog lives on a separate page.
Immersive Worlds & Exploration
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Majora’s Mask / Breath of the Wild
- TES IV: Oblivion / Skyrim
- Fable / Fable II
- Assassin’s Creed (Odyssey / Valhalla)
- Metroid Prime
- Shadow of the Colossus
Systems, RPGs & Progression
- Pokémon Gold / Silver
- Final Fantasy VII / X
- Dark Souls / Elden Ring
- Baldur’s Gate III
- Stardew Valley
- The Binding of Isaac
Competitive Shooters & Feel
- Call of Duty (Modern Warfare era through current)
- Halo 2 / 3
- Counter-Strike: Source / Global Offensive / CS2
- Apex Legends
- Titanfall 2
- Rainbow Six Siege
Co-op, Chaos & Social Play
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Sea of Thieves
- Lethal Company
- Phasmophobia
- It Takes Two
Smaller Games That Stuck
- Outer Wilds
- Portal / Portal 2
- Spider-Man 2 (GC/PS2)
- Jazz Jackrabbit 2
- Stick RPG / Fancy Pants Adventures (flash-era web games)
Some I only spent a few hours with. Others took 50, 500, or even thousands of hours. I also spent some time in amateur / semi-pro FPS competition in Call of Duty and Apex Legends. Minor tournaments, but still a big part of my competitive gaming experience.
There are titles missing from this short list. View the complete library →
All of that player experience feeds back into how I think about making games.