It's not often that the game industry sees original IPs that bring something new to the table. However, when a game is released and introduces a new game mechanic, art style, or genre, it shifts the industry for the better, raising the bar for future games and players alike.
With creative ingenuity and hard work, the 2010s were especially a high point in the release of original IPs, both in the indie scene and within AAA studios. Though there were many original games released in the 2010s, only a handful carved a space in the memories of those who have played them.
10 Fez Introduced A New Dimension
Fez showed the world that platform games could provide brand new experiences for players. From its softly compelling and mysterious soundtrack to the mesmerizing world struggling to maintain its existence, Fez not only lets players explore but also breaks the 4th wall between player and game.
By allowing players to further rotate the game's perspective into a 3D world, this seemingly simple 2D puzzle platformer is transformed into a complex experience that shook the indie scene. Held high among game enthusiasts today, Fez demonstrated that a game doesn't need complicated visuals and gameplay to be memorable.
9 Overwatch Made Hero Shooters More Approachable
With its inviting color palette and movie-worthy animations, Overwatch took the hero shooter sub-genre and turned it into a gloriously fun experience that anyone can play and fight as the hero, regardless of skill level. The intriguing sci-fi-based plot helps paint the setting in the near future where humanity is threatened by deadly artificial intelligence. Players fight against each other in team-based battles. As their favorite character, players enjoy raucous combat as they battle for victory in this anything-goes first-person shooter.
8 Hades Brought A New Take On Greek Mythology
Hades makes Gree mythology edgy as players traverse through its enticing atmospheric gameplay. The story of Zagreus unfolds, allowing players a glimpse into the complicated dynamic between the gods vying for control and aiming to stop Zagreus before he can escape his father's realm. This roguelike dungeon crawler allows players to experience its fierce combat system from an isometric point of view. The characterizations and voice acting alone are just a few things that bring this game to life for players looking to cross the River Styx.
7 Undertale Gave Players The Feels
Released in a time when most games didn't penetrate through deeper levels of the player's emotions, Undertale takes its players on a journey where they form connections to the characters that they encounter along the way. Forced to make ethically-driven decisions, players are shown that games don't have to be won by slaughtering their way through the game. A demonstration of empathy-driven gameplay, Undertale nurtures the human side within players that often is ignored with other games.
6 Death Stranding Created A Whole New Sub-Genre
After waiting through years of suspense, Death Stranding revealed itself to be a game not only of high cinematic quality but also of unique social interactions among players. Creating its own sub-genre of games called Strand, Death Stranding guides players through an emotional story as they encounter a post-apocalyptic America.
As each player implements structures to help navigate the terrain of the world, they can leave their ladders and other tools for other players to use and add to. This game mechanic gives players a lonely yet still-seen feeling as they move through the ghosts of other's trails.
5 Hollow Knight Awed Players With Its Story Telling
With so many Metroidvania-style games out on the market today, it can be hard to create new games that stand out from the rest. However, Hollow Knight not only grabs the attention of players visually, but the story also found within the game is equally mesmerizing. Playing as the Knight, players fight their way through a world that was once prosperous but has fallen to an infection. Working to fight the infection, players unravel a gripping tale with multiple endings.
4 Cuphead Elevated The Vintage Cartoon Style
Breathing new life into the old-timey rubber hose style of animation from the 1920s, Cuphead takes nostalgia and creates a challenging yet beautiful run and gun that captivates its players. This instant classic pushes its players to move forward in the game, who are anxious to see the next boss and what it delivers, yet are equally anticipating the difficulty that each boss holds. From its hand-drawn backgrounds to its flawless animation, this game will hold its weight for decades to come.
3 The Binding Of Isaac Put A Creepy Spin On Religion
One of the strongest roguelike games created yet, The Binding of Isaac not only tells a chilling story of religion gone twisted but also gives the player incentive to play through the game's dungeons countlessly. The Binding of Isaac blends the simple dungeon style of Zelda with Flash-style animation, creating the perfect roguelike dungeon crawler. With a myriad of characters with equally compelling stories and alternate game endings, players can play this game endlessly while still finding new challenges that bring them back time and time again.
2 Destiny Combined Space Opera With FPS
Coming off of their long-running history with the Halo series, Bungie sought to redefine the FPS genre with Destiny. With dramatic story-driven campaigns and missions, players feel like they're part of an interactive space opera that melds the structure of an MMO with the gameplay of a first-person shooter. Playing as a Guardian of their choosing, players are allowed to define how their story proceeds in Destiny, and with live events in the game, story and gameplay come together seamlessly.
1 Minecraft Opened The Doors To New Worlds
Truly a sandbox game, anything is possible in Minecraft. With its unique voxel style that invokes the feeling of playing with building blocks, Minecraft allows players a kind of freedom that hasn't quite been matched yet in another game. The soft colors in its world-building give a sense of relaxing atmosphere, with an option of more serious gameplay in enemies that arrive after dark should the player want the confrontation. Minecraft allows its players to tell their own stories, shape them, and share them with other players. This is the ultimate game for player expression.