BAFTA Announces 'the Most Influential Video Game of All Time,' and It's a Real Head-Scratcher

BAFTA — the UK's autarkic arts foundation celebrating excellence successful film, games, and TV — has conscionable revealed the astir influential video crippled of each time... and it's astir apt not what you deliberation it is.

BAFTA polled the British nationalist to observe that portion games similar GTA, Tetris, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Doom, and Half-Life 2 bash marque the list, the apical arsenic ranked by the fig of votes received is Shenmue.

Action-adventure crippled Shenmue released successful 1999 connected Dreamcast. It follows Ryo Hazuki's quest to avenge his father's decease successful what BAFTA calls "a elaborate open-world mounting that genuinely captures the essence of Yokosuka successful the ‘80s."

"Pioneering first-person shooter" Doom secured the runner-up prize, whilst 1985's Super Mario Bros. took the bronze.

Half-Life and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time circular retired the remainder of the apical five, respectively.

Interestingly, games similar Grand Theft Auto 5, Halo, and Fortnite are conspicuously absent.

“I americium profoundly honoured and grateful that Shenmue has been selected arsenic the Most Influential Video Game of All Time," said Yu Suzuki, creator of the Shenmue franchise.

"At its inception, we acceptable retired to research the question, 'How existent tin a crippled become?,' aiming to represent a satellite and communicative unprecedented successful standard and detail. This favoritism serves arsenic a almighty reminder that the situation we embraced continues to resonate with and animate truthful galore radical adjacent today. It is genuinely the top of encouragement.

“Above all, we would similar to explicit our heartfelt acknowledgment to the fans astir the satellite who person continued to emotion and enactment Shenmue," Suzuki added. "Your passionateness and encouragement person guided this travel each measurement of the way. And the communicative is not implicit yet, determination is much to come! Thank you precise much!”

Here's the afloat database of the apical 21 astir influential games of each time, arsenic voted by the public:

1. Shenmue (1999)
2. Doom (1993)
3. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
4. Half-Life (1998)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
6. Minecraft (2011)
7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025)
8. Super Mario 64 (1996)
9. Half-Life 2 (2004)
10. The Sims (2000)
11. Tetris (1984)
12. Tomb Raider (1996)
13. Pong (1972)
14. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
15. World of Warcraft (2004)
16. Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
17. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
18. Dark Souls (2011)
19. Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001)
20. Skyrim (2011)
21. Grand Theft Auto (1997)

The 2025 BAFTA Game Awards are acceptable to instrumentality spot connected Tuesday April 8, 2025. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, Astro Bot, and Still Wakes the Deep pb the nominations with 11, eight, and 8 nominations respectively. Thank Goodness You're Here! besides received 7 nominations, Black Myth: Wukong six, and Helldivers 2 is up for 5 awards.

2024 BAFTA Game Awards winners included Baldur's Gate 3, which secured 5 wins, including Best Game, with different wins for Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Viewfinder.

Vikki Blake is simply a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.