r/AskReddit 2h ago

What's a game that everyone should experience atleast once?

75 Upvotes

196 comments sorted by

160

u/sunbearimon 2h ago

Portal & Portal 2

18

u/Common-Candidate-323 2h ago

First run through Portal 2 had me laughing way more than I expected. Glados has this perfect mix of menace and wit that just works.

The co-op is where it really shines though, playing that with a friend who has no idea what theyre doing is peak chaos.

5

u/Fustercluck25 2h ago

The moment I heard Stephen Merchant, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite games of all time.

u/TwentyTwoTwelve 1m ago

Say apple. Aaaple...

2

u/MartyMcMort 1h ago

Portal 2 is the only video game that has ever made me cry.

I don’t know why, but sad video games don’t get me in the way that sad movies and shows do, but the first time I heard Cave Johnson’s lemon rant, I fell off the path because I couldn’t see through my tears I was laughing so hard

1

u/xvoy 1h ago

I DONT WANT YOUR DAMN LEMONS

u/Fearless-Brush3345 4m ago

GLaDOS deserved an award for every sarcastic line she delivered. And co-op really does expose which friend is the actual problem.

2

u/Due-Marionberry-5642 1h ago

portal 2 is one of those rare games that feels genuinely timeless. The co-op campaign is also one of the best gaming experiences you can have with a friend.

u/Unique-Task3711 5m ago

Portal 2 is one of those games I wish I could play again for the first time. The puzzles and humor still stick with you long after it's over.

2

u/Spengy 2h ago

Valve games just feel right. movement, pacing, gunplay, humour, ...

After all these years, no game ever comes close to Team Fortress 2 when it comes to fun. It genuinely is the most fun you can have online.

(Well, I'm not sure about now. But it sure used to be!)

7

u/sunbearimon 2h ago

The Orange Box was insane looking back

1

u/Equal_Yam_3371 2h ago

Hell yeah

1

u/York_Villain 2h ago

I started portal for the first time yesterday.

1

u/liberal_texan 1h ago

Wrong. Those should be experienced at least twice, first in single player then in coop.

1

u/Temporary-Night3036 1h ago

Portal and Portal 2, no question. They’re the kind of games that make you wish you could erase your memory just to experience those puzzles and moments for the first time again.

u/Jessicaprinessbabe 32m ago

Portal was great, but Portal 2 somehow took everything good about it and made it even better.

41

u/DevilMonkeyJon 2h ago

Journey, not too long and really beautiful

5

u/Bolorinthegrey 2h ago

I've always been disappointed about TGC turning into an insanely monetized mobile developer instead of continuing with their unique genre of games.

3

u/DevilMonkeyJon 1h ago

I only know Flow , Flower, Journey, Sky cotl, what mobile games are you referring to?

u/Elegant-Manner-5697 3m ago

Journey proves a game doesn't need endless hours to leave a lasting mark. That ending stayed with me far longer than I expected.

1

u/DON_T_PANIC_ 1h ago

I played it half a year ago, and I realised that it was a "multiplayer" game in the last chapter, because that was the first time I saw another player. The servers are empty and thus the main experience is long gone. Nice artwork though.

43

u/LeaAnimal 2h ago

Tag

u/SandBasket 27m ago

Hell yeah I used to play a lot of hide and seek tag with my friends back in high school and it was super fun!

28

u/Alko- 2h ago

Chrono Trigger

u/HoboWithANerfGun 53m ago

Is that a game that gets better the deeper you play or is mostly a nostalgia thing? I never played it back in the day but I picked it up recently on mobile. Played through the first boss and mostly thought , meh this is fine and never really continued with it.

u/BigDelfin 34m ago

Can't relate to you. Got me hooked from the very start with the trial scene.

If you are interested in the JRPG genre it's one of those games you must play just for how important it was.

And what's even better is that everyone of the people that worked there delivered. The art, the music and the story all of them are top notch and can even compete with the games that are being made today.

As a plus, it's new game+ is really well though and without getting into spoilers it gains a lot of replayability.

I'm not a big fan of the ATB mode, but it can be turned of and it is really a pet peeve of mine, but yeah I would very much recommend you to play it

u/dyogenys 51m ago

Where is chrono trigger? I just baught a nintendo for the first time, I heard it was so good, along with Zelda BotW, and it isn't there on the Classics emulator section or in the gamestore. And not on my ps5 either. Please, Square enix, i don't want to sit on my computer in my spare time too, please, wake up, cash in on the work you already done, it's compassionate and business logical at the same time.

57

u/dilapidated_tilapia 2h ago

Outer Wilds

8

u/youngdibs82 2h ago

Outer wilds comes up so much in this sub, I love to see it. But I hope it comes up enough for people to try it. It's such and amazing experience.

9

u/Adept_Reception_2788 2h ago

To anyone reading this if you decide to play it, do not look up a single thing about it. Go in 100% blind Trust me you only get to play it for the first time once

9

u/Cloud_Fish 2h ago

As a counterpoint to this, I ended up so lost and confused I ended up just dropping it and eventually watching someone do a play through.

4

u/OldCardigan 2h ago

In my group of friends(all really geek/gamers), 7 different people played it. 4 finished and loved it, 3 didn't. I think it's a game I'd expect a lot of people to just drop, really

u/Sman67 4m ago

I never got to finish it because I got really busy while I was doing a playthrough so I had to take a break... but now it's been long enough that I've forgotten most of the story and characters and I can't find the motivation to start up the game again because I'd need to sit in the ship for 40+ mins to read everything and try to figure out where I left off.

I was thinking of restarting but I remember most of the puzzles just not the story, so finding the motivation to replay the game from scratch seems even harder...

1

u/desmayer 1h ago

I dropped it quite fast due to the time loop and being very very confused. It is a game I want to play again though as I love space.

Planning on giving it another later this year...

0

u/Javier93 1h ago

Use the computer on your ship to keep track of your leads and clues and where to go next, and don't worry about the time loop, you can make progress in a million places early on. You start not knowing anything, embrace being confused, the entire game is about slowly making sense of it all.

1

u/jmalex 1h ago

Yeah, same thing happened to me. I wish I had SOME guidance as to what type of game it was and a general idea of what a player is supposed to be aiming for.

0

u/Javier93 1h ago

The computer in your ship provides plenty of guidance. Literally tells you how everything you find connects and where you still have stuff to find.

You literally just have to go anywhere you want and start prodding at stuff for it to show on the computer. Everything else is slowly going through everything and making sense of how it all fits together. There's not one linear path through the game, you can explore at your own pace.

3

u/OldCardigan 2h ago

Nah. I don't think that many people are just curious enough.
I wasn't. But it was cool watching people play.

3

u/Parish87 2h ago

I tried it and I’m just not curious enough. It was however really fun watching someone play through it on my second monitor while I played a game I enjoyed more. It’s weird how the mind works.

1

u/Tsupari 1h ago

Ive been eyeballing it. Looking for something to play on my rog ally on train and planes on biz trips.

u/Dunx29 29m ago

The most overrated game on Reddit.

1

u/ShyguyFlyguy 2h ago

The orange box was probably the best value game bundle that has ever existed

2

u/PotatoFruitcake 1h ago

Grand Theft Auto 2: Episode 2, Fortnite 2 AND Outer Wilds in a single box! Insane value

-1

u/Upper_Ad_9150 2h ago

I didn't like it. I don't think everyone should try it.

8

u/NovarisLight 2h ago

Final Fantasy VI.

2

u/54yroldHOTMOM 1h ago

US FF3 was indeed my favorite.
I remember borrowing it from the videostore but a week was way too short. Eventually bought the US converter and US game itself for my European Super Nintendo

u/NovarisLight 58m ago

So many good memories. I replay it about once a year. The music alone is chef's kiss. Awesome characters and story too.

u/54yroldHOTMOM 55m ago

I’m humming the opera thing now haha. Also spent months trying to play Terra’s theme on piano.

u/NovarisLight 52m ago

I did some FFVI music covers years ago and sometimes go back to them. Nobuo is the man.

u/alien005 37m ago

My game was broken and didn’t save the game. I played the first hour a million times. Never beat it

29

u/gypsysaint777 2h ago

Titanfall 2

5

u/Trexton1 1h ago

"Trust me"

14

u/Secret4gentMan 2h ago

Sleeping Dogs is pretty good. Not sure how well it has aged, though.

It's been a while.

2

u/pxndxxprxzz 2h ago

I do love sleeping dogs. Wished they would’ve made a sequel

1

u/matlynar 1h ago

Currently playing it for the first time after reading so much about it on Reddit.

It has aged pretty well. It's a nice blend of GTA and Yakuza but without 30 minute missions from the former and 30 minute cutscenes from the latter, which I'm thankful for as a 37 year old gamer.

So yeah, absolutely recommend it.

0

u/Spengy 2h ago

Sleeping Dogs was excellent. I remember feeling so terrible for the main characters' best friend.

7

u/ricirici08 2h ago

to the moon

3

u/NovarisLight 2h ago

Man that hits the feels.

11

u/POB_42 2h ago

Disco Elysium.

It does require some reading comprehension, and a dash of political awareness, but it's a beautifully written insight into humanity.

23

u/ThatNoname-Guy 2h ago

Minecraft. Its sandbox aspect alone makes it worth a shot

14

u/Corbeau99 2h ago

The Talos Principle.

u/Yo-3 44m ago

I've only played it like 1 hour but I find it very tedious. The puzzles are so easy and predictable. Does it get any better?

u/Corbeau99 24m ago

Yes.

The puzzles where you get sigils aren't really complicated (unless it's about recording yourself, then it can get messy), but the stars are definitely trickier to obtain. And the Road to Gehenna DLC is really big on using the base game mechanics in really strange, non-intuitive ways.

Also, the puzzles are only half of the fun.

The other half being discovering what, where and why you are, through listening (a little), reading (a lot) and debating what's a human with a library assistant program.

1

u/Prtsk 1h ago

You nailed it.

5

u/AlpacaRampage 2h ago

Castle crashers

4

u/PadreMontoya 2h ago

Shadow of the Colossus

2

u/liberal_texan 1h ago

This is the first game that convinced me that video games could be art.

9

u/yell_nada 2h ago

Slay the Princess. It has some things to say about the nature of different kinds of love, turns of relationships, and realisation of the self.

u/Crab__Juice 3m ago

It's unfortunate that of the 4 people I recommended it too, 3 of them thought it was a weird recommendation and never even tried it. 4th person LOVED it.

10

u/FloraPetalz 2h ago

Outer Wilds. Go in completely blind and thank everyone later. It's one of those games you wish you could experience for the first time twice.

1

u/Moinmahlzeitservus 1h ago

Never played it and never looked into it, but I’ve seen the recommendation countless times. I bought it and modded it for VR.. heading in later.

2

u/CloneNova 1h ago

I feel like I should warn you if you don't have your VR legs yet. I almost made my friend vomit when I let him try it. But other than that, it's really a special experience in VR. Especially the DLC.

u/Moinmahlzeitservus 14m ago

Thanks for the warning. I’ve been playing VR since 2017 and never had any issues.

5

u/nextlandia 2h ago

Planescape Torment

4

u/DON_T_PANIC_ 1h ago

"The Stanley Parable" and it's Demo (yes it has a free demo and it is a must play beforehand)

12

u/VoTBaC 2h ago

RDR2

6

u/Downtown-Dream424 2h ago

Command and conquer generals zero hour

2

u/Jahwio 2h ago

Hnnngg

1

u/Downtown-Dream424 2h ago

"Nothing stops the mail."

6

u/spassky111 2h ago

Planescape: Torment

1

u/54yroldHOTMOM 1h ago

Gather to me!

9

u/Patty___G 2h ago

Elden Ring

Not because its a great game (even though it is)

It teaches you humility

And makes you want to smash your Pc/Console into thousands of pieces and go play outside. Wich is also a good thing

u/pulsificationII 57m ago

I'll add to that: Elden Ring, but blind adventuring, i.e. no walkthroughs, no "get OP fast" guides, etc.

It's the best experience I've ever had in 25 years of videogaming.

3

u/UncleNathanCopeland 2h ago

Hide and seek

3

u/notehed 2h ago

Stalker Shadow of Chornboyl

3

u/orangesuave 2h ago

Black and white

2

u/liberal_texan 1h ago

I loved that game. I also loved that if you had a common name and were playing late into the night it would whisper your name. Scared the shit out of me the first time it happened.

1

u/Konspyre 2h ago

Ahead of it's time. Would do anything for a remaster/remake.

3

u/ComradeQuest 2h ago

52 Pick Up

3

u/belica_pulescu 2h ago

This War of Mine

3

u/maths001karim 2h ago

Chess

3

u/Wooden_Permit3234 1h ago

I’ll agree but suggest the threshold for “experiencing chess” means you have to learn very basic strategic principles and the basic tactical motifs, and spend a few hours between puzzles and games. 

If you don’t have any sense of those things you’re really missing out on pretty much the entirety of chess even if you played a bunch of games with your friends and family or whatever. 

Without that understanding you’re pretty much just hoping your opponent lets you freely take their pieces and mate them and blindly seeking plans. Chess quickly becomes more than that with just the basic understanding of what to be looking for. 

6

u/Advance-Bubbly 2h ago

The Witcher III - The Wild Hunt with all its expansions.

7

u/IvoBrasil 2h ago

Spin the bottle

4

u/tigermetal 2h ago

Balatro

2

u/TCCannon 2h ago

PAC-man. Arcade fun. Fast and simple and quick to learn. I know it’s several generations ago, yet it has appeal.

2

u/Montanagreg 2h ago

Red Rover

2

u/csch1992 2h ago

Detroit; become human

2

u/pancarona 2h ago

Shadow of the Colossus

2

u/Ph3onixDown 2h ago

Video Game: Spec Ops: The Line

Non-video Game: Dungeons and Dragons

2

u/anurocks7 2h ago

Volleyball

2

u/Xandrilios 2h ago

Super Mario Bros

2

u/OldCardigan 2h ago

Spiritfarer is very niche, but I think it is about things everybody can kinda relate too, and it's an easy game to connect...

2

u/T1melessGuy 2h ago

Conceptually speaking: a large scale MMO. Doesn't need to be a specific one so WoW, Guild Wars etc would all work.

There is one thing those games have that's unique to them and that is the cooperative social aspect that brings people together in a way no other really does in a persistent way. Its an experience that sticks with you for your entire gaming career i'd say, the people you meet and relationships you have.

How strong those relationships are exists in direct parallel to how fragile they are. You can play for years with someone and not even know their real name, or even to the point if you do know it their actual name doesn't even sound right to call them by it, and their screen name somehow feels more natural.

And the one day you can log in and they just, don't? Weeks, months and even years might pass and the Last Online gets longer and longer until you eventually quit yourself when your guild chat is quiet and friends list is dark. You'll probably never know why they vanished but the memories will carry on.

MMOs occupy a special place in gaming culture I reckon. People got married because of those games and they got divorced too. There is children out there that exist because of those games even!

2

u/LordGlarthir 1h ago

Outer Wilds

2

u/scottjl 1h ago

Naked greased twister

2

u/Truand2labiffle 1h ago

How many variations of this karma milking question are we going to get here ?

And why the Fuck people would still answer the same shit over and over

Dead internet

2

u/dyogenys 1h ago

Ori and the will of the wisps

2

u/AstoriaMoonx 2h ago

Max Payne

2

u/Unframed_ 2h ago

The Witcher 3.

2

u/_whats-going-on 1h ago

Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Duck Tales, This War of Mine, Time Splitters 2 & 3, Golden Eye, Perfect Dark

3

u/_Li-_ 2h ago

Monster Hunter World

1

u/uspec 2h ago

Uno

1

u/artparade 2h ago

res evil 7

1

u/tarkinn 2h ago

Death Stranding

1

u/Alternative_Pool8055 2h ago

The only game I’ve played seriously (and all the way through) is Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I stopped playing video games after that, but it’s a classic. So I’d recommend it.

1

u/zib_zab_zob 2h ago

God Hand

1

u/jcgooya 2h ago

Tetris

1

u/soantis 2h ago

Since the OP didn't specify as a video game. I would say, a TTRPG campaign (doesn't have to be D&D) with a good GM and invested players. Then all the other games would taste bland a little.

Video game addition: Bastion

1

u/PrincessDonutFan 2h ago

Stray

1

u/Prtsk 1h ago

I played it for a few hours and decided I didn't like the game enough to spend more time on it. It looks beautiful and has good reviews, so I was disappointed.

1

u/PullMex 2h ago

Monopoly

1

u/Desblade101 2h ago

Duck duck goose, if you haven't played it then your life is sad

1

u/TheDudeWhoCanDoIt 2h ago

Russian Roulette

1

u/iAkrobat 2h ago

Life is strange. (The first one)

1

u/vraalapa 2h ago

Spec Ops: The Line

1

u/Ok_Temperature_7374 2h ago

Papers, Please — a great example of mechanics making an ethical argument without stopping for a speech.

1

u/Iuvenesco 2h ago

Mario Kart 64 on a Nintendo 64

1

u/TD-Eagles 2h ago

The division 1

1

u/Sockerkatt 2h ago

Not a single comment about Mass effect…

The story is so amazing and needs to be experienced.

1

u/Xaiadar 1h ago

Alien Isolation for those that can play survival horror games.

1

u/KroganHULK 1h ago

Mass Effect Trilogy

1

u/Saiphel 1h ago

Outer Wilds and Undertale

1

u/Geadalu 1h ago

Board game: Terraforming Mars. It's just too good. Not extremely complex, but still makes an afternoon.

Videogame: The Red String's Club. Beautiful story, beautiful characters. Short and perfect.

Card game: I honestly love the Spanish game Mus so much. Addicting, hard to play (as it involves gambling on other's cards) and very social. I find it to be a much more interesting alternative to classic poker.

1

u/CriticalFox 1h ago

Far cry 3 Blood dragon

1

u/MorningLineDirt 1h ago

Full Throttle

1

u/UnknownSnow 1h ago

Civ 6. Going through humanity's tech tree is a cool experience.

1

u/5774LilEna 1h ago

Portal is one of those games that stays with you long after the credits roll.

1

u/a_passionate_man 1h ago

Don’t know. How about Russian Roulette? 🤪😆

1

u/Insanitysreddit 1h ago

For everyone, Last of Us. Specifically for gamers, elden ring and rdr2 are very close.

1

u/bartharris 1h ago

Journey

1

u/ibeherenow 1h ago

Spin The Bottle!

Preferably around 12-14yrs old.

1

u/Snoo-85489 1h ago

silent hill 2

1

u/Cant-think-of-a-nam 1h ago

Retro rewind

1

u/boenwip 1h ago

Bullrush

1

u/Ok-Excitement3794 1h ago

Heart break

1

u/civildefense 1h ago

A little game of grabass is fun

1

u/Any_Record143 1h ago

Red Dead Redemption 2

1

u/EffectiveVacation972 1h ago

portal 2 is basically perfect pacing, never overstays its welcome

1

u/ljedediah41 1h ago

Would you kindly play Bioshock?

1

u/isuadam 1h ago

The dictionary game: then OP would find they lost the game by putting “atleast” — which is not a word at all — into their post title.

1

u/Jumpy_Key_6350 1h ago

uncharted 4

1

u/582Ivyy-Wane 1h ago

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those games that feels more like living a story than just playing one.

1

u/Trexton1 1h ago

Persona 5 royal.

It is 100+ hours long but the story, gameplay, soundtrack and visuals are fantastic.

u/QueenCobra91 56m ago

Cyberpunk 2077

u/JayCarlinMusic 47m ago

The Stanley Parable was one of the more unique games I've ever played. It's fun to put people in front of it and just see what they do. Then digging in deeper can get pretty weird.

u/Miserable_Science_54 42m ago

Soulslike games, except DS2 probably

u/Saganaki 41m ago

Eldenring and Subnautica

u/-Jesus-Of-Nazareth- 37m ago

If you want to show somebody that video games can make you cry, make them play Spiritfarer

u/Garfield_42 34m ago

Biscuit

u/BrutoN82 28m ago

The Secret of Monkey Island.

u/yoursweetiepiee 26m ago

the outer wilds. don't google anything, don't watch videos, just play it.

u/Jamesworkshop 21m ago

Prey 2017 - not enought ppl played it

[PROTOTYPE] stupid open world fun

Ocarina of time - strong showing of how to almost flawlessly convert to 3D

u/Dreacs 5m ago

Gta for sure atm. To experiment how much a game can simulate the real world pretty good, and then let you live a life you wouldn't really want in real life, and go crazy, and drive suicidal, and act immorally in so many different ways, if you feel like it.

u/Knowledge_VIG 3m ago

Wolfenstein

1

u/I_want_money_aaa 2h ago

Nintendogs

1

u/El_Scheffe 2h ago

A no denture adventure! 

1

u/AlexanderShady20 2h ago

Ghost of Tsushima

3

u/Ok-Job-5885 2h ago

Im at the menu right now lol

1

u/amalthea1983 2h ago

Baldur's Gate 3

0

u/reallywannafucck 2h ago

dark souls

0

u/LetHimCook20 2h ago

Real Madrid vs Barcelona

0

u/Spengy 2h ago

My vote goes to Divinity : Original Sin 2 and Dishonored!

0

u/evil_boy4life 1h ago

The game.