Thank you for the recs. Part of the reason I wasn’t more specific is because, in terms of retro games, I have no idea of what I like since I haven’t really played any. Another part is that I want to know what you, the people, think holds up in 2025. And another part, I’m trying to keep my taste open – my first exposure to video games was GameBoy games, then Halo on PC, then having an Xbox 360 and playing popular action-y games. Later I’d find a taste for action RPGs (after much picking up and putting down), and only in the last few years have I expanded that to more…traditional? slower, I guess…RPGs like BG3 and Disco Elysium…expanding to puzzle games, sidescrollers, bullethells. I know they’re a lot different but I guess my point is, at one point, I found it hard to get into them, but over time I was able to figure them out and have fun. Still have never played a JRPG, so that’s on the horizon for me. I enjoy when things “click” in my brain, and if it takes a long time, that’s okay.

Some games that I’ve loved over my 25 or so years of consciousness:

My all time fav is Outer Wilds RDR2 Disco Elysium Balatro Alan Wake 2 I’ll always have a soft spot for Halo 1-Reach Portal 1 and 2 Hades Risk of Rain 2 Doom 2016 Batman: Arkham City Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro Batman: Arkham City Dave the Diver Vampire Survivors INSIDE (noticing none of these are retro games so idk if this is even helpful) Kingdom Come: Deliverance Baldur’s Gate 3 Dredge was cool but I didn’t finish it Witcher 3 Baba is You Factorio was too addicting so I had to stop because it started feeling like work GTA V because I enjoyed the satire I have 2k+ hours in Rocket League since its the only game I can play while focusing on an audiobook or podcast or album.

Sounds pretentious because it is, but I like “heady” stuff, in games-terms I think that translates to things that expand my conception of what a game is and what it can do, or something that challenges me in a new way. But yeah, that’s a long winded explanation of why I wasn’t more specific regarding my taste.