Watters - Gamers Bucket List: The 50 Video Games to Play Before You Die

Copyright 2016 by Chris Watters.

Published by Mango Media Inc.

Front Cover Image: Elina Diaz

Back Cover Image: Roberto Nuez

Cover Design: Elina Diaz and Roberto Nuez

Interior Design, Theme and Layout: Roberto Nuez and Hugo Villabona.

Original infographics and designs by Roberto Nuez.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

ISBN 978-1-63353-130-7

From pixelated pioneer adventures to stunning space odysseys, the boundaries of the video game world are expanding every day. Grand epics and gritty mysteries. Fierce competition and friendly cooperation. Powerful emotions and uproarious laughter. Video games are fantastically diverse and wonderfully creative, but not all games are created equal. With so many games out there on so many different consoles, computers, and devices, how do you decide which games are worth playing? Backed by years of writing about games professionally and decades spent playing them, Chris Watters lays out a list of 50 games to entertain and enlighten you. Whether youre trying to learn more about the world of gaming or strengthening your claim to true gaming fluency, these are the games youll want to play, and why youll want to play them.

Thank you to Craig and the entire Screw Attack team for all their help. It was an honor having you guys provide the foreword to this book.

Chris Watters, Author

Foreword

Stuttering Craig Skistimas

ScrewAttack Founder

Whether youre a professional gamer or a mom who enjoys a few minutes with the latest free-to-play money sucker, its crazy to think how much video games impact our lives on a day-to-day basis. For me, Im lucky enough to have made working in the video game industry my life. Ive seen video games evolve at an amazing pace, to the point that they are accessible anywhere at any given time. Its truly a wonderful thing.

Theres a thought that to be an expert in something you have to know everything about a subject. Let me tell you this: there is no way to know everything about every video game. Too many come out in any given year and just like other forms of media, everyone tends to gravitate towards the genres that they prefer. Having a guide to fill you in on the games that you should check out would be really useful, wouldnt it? Right? Right. And so here you are, ready to discover and celebrate some of the best games ever made.

At ScrewAttack, wed like to think we appreciate all games - even the bad ones. Ok, MOST of the bad ones. Sure, we have our favorite genres and games that we love to play, but one thing Ive learned is that you cant pigeonhole yourself into only liking one type of game. Being diverse and well-rounded in your gaming selection is crucial. Its almost like video games are a metaphor for life or something! With that said, you may find some of your favorite games in this book; others, you may have never even heard of. The games that Chris chronicles in this book may not have been the most popular in terms of sales, but theyre all important for establishing a picture of where video games are today, and giving you an idea of what is in store for the future. Whether this book ends up on a bookshelf, a coffee table, or a toilet, I hope you enjoy taking your time and learning what makes these games so great. Happy reading from your friends at ScrewAttack.

A comprehensive starters guide to the wonderful world of video games. Watterss punchy prose is a delight; his brief, informal summaries perfectly capture the best of what the art form has to offer. The perfect book for anyone whos never played Minecraft, but is too ashamed to admit it.

Laura Parker, contributing writer, The Economist

We are all going to die. You cant avoid it. But you can chose how you go. Outside, in the sunshine, like some sort of animal, or inside your darkened living room, playing games? If you want to get through the 50 excellent games in this book, then the choice is clear .

Tim Schafer, President and CEO of Double Fine Productions

With thousands of games released each and every year, trying to figure out what you need to play is daunting. In The Gamers Bucket List, Chris gives anyone with a passing interest a comprehensive list of the games they need to play paired with the wit and passion that has made him an industry veteran. Although Patapon 3s absence from the list is disturbing.

Greg Miller, Co-Founder of KindaFunny.com

Dedication

To the family who brought games into my life and taught me moderation, to the friends who left doors ajar and couch seats open so I could play with them, to the coworkers who matched wits and wrangled words and made video magic with me and to the partner who supports me and inspires me and threatens to beat me at Tetris (and does).

Contents

Introduction

Chris Watters

Author

As you read through this book, odds are you will reach a moment when you wonder, Why isnt such-and-such game in here?! Though Ive made this list full to the bursting with some of the best games ever made, I had to impose some limitations, as much for the sake of the book as for my own sanity.

The most notable of these boundaries is the online realm. Ive spent countless hours relishing the triumphs and tribulations of online multiplayer play, but such experiences are, by their very nature, fleeting. Though titans like World of Warcraft and Counter-Strike continue to draw crowds more than a decade on from their original releases, there are hundreds of other online worlds and arenas whose time has come and gone. If online multiplayer is the primary mode in which a game excels, Ive left it out of the book in the interest of creating a list that will stand the test of time. Or at least, hold out a bit longer.

In addition to doing what future-proofing I can, Ive endeavored to cast the net wide to encompass a broad range of gaming experiences. Some are exactly as you imagine them, while others might not be what youd expect. I encourage you to give them all a try, because in each there is a spark capable of igniting a passion for the deeply creative, wonderfully diverse, and downright awesome world of video games.

Oh, and one more thing. Paring down the list was hard enough; ordering it was impossible. The games are arranged randomly, with the exception of Spelunky, which I put first because it is my favorite (Being the author has its perks, after all).

If youd like to talk about game you found in here, ask me politely about a game you didnt, or generally chat about all things video games, you can reach me on Twitter at @CTWatters. Now get busy reading, or get busy playing. Preferably both.

Loading... 1 - 10

* Loading bar indicator for organizational purposes only. Games are not ranked in order. Rank them yourself on the My Bucket List page at the end of the book, if you DARE!

Spelunky

PC, X360, PS3, VITA, PS4

First Released Jul 4, 2012

When you first venture into the caverns of Spelunky, you may smile at the first snake that sedately slithers towards you, waiting to be dispatched with your trusty whip. You may puff up with confidence the first time you use a bomb to blast yourself a handy shortcut. Im a regular Indiana Jones, you might think to yourself, I got this. This two-dimensional platformer can seem welcoming with its cartoonish characters and lighthearted vibe, but youll soon learn the truth. A snake isnt so sedate when its hiding a jar to ambush you, and a bomb can kill you as easily as help you. Runaway boulders move a lot faster in Spelunky than in the movies, and you most definitely do not got this.