Summary
The gaming industry is undoubtedly massive. Every day, it seems like a new, completely unique game drops, pushing the limits and raising the bar for what fans expect. Naturally, this means that upcoming releases get loaded with tons of hype, which, let’s be honest, often leads to some level of disappointment. This cycle creates a kind of pressure for developers to one-up not just the competition, but also themselves. It’s basically a game of “who can outdo who” in an unforgiving world.
While that is understandable, it doesn’t always apply to every developer. There are some devs out there who’ve had — what some would call —one-hit wonders. Sure, it’s normal for indie devs to release just one game, but it’s pretty rare when that one game becomes something truly special. These devs channel all their creative energy into makingone brilliant game,and instead of trying to outshine it, they decide to stick with what works. These aren’t just any throwaway games — they’re the kind that leave a mark.
Phil Fishis anindie developer who gained a lot of recognitionfor his widely acclaimed game,Fez. Before that, he was a relatively unknown game designer, working as a secondary figure on projects at Ubisoft. His claim to fame came from his one and only major hit, an indie platformer that launched in 2012 and quickly became one of the most creative and complex games, not just of that year, but of all time.
Phil Fish did work on some other projects, but was mostly known for being the primary developer onFez. He later ended up forming his own dev group, Polytron, which has released some lesser-known titles — but nothing that could quite outshine their star creation.Fezis a platformer centered around a 2D character, Gomez, who suddenly finds himself thrust into a 3D world. The whole premise revolves around Gomez getting caught in a space-time tear, forcing him to navigate this strange new 3D reality while trying to find his way back to his 2D home.
Team Cherryis a small Australian dev studio, primarily consisting of Ari Gibson and William Pellen, who shot to fame withHollow Knight— a 2017Metroidvania that received multiple awards and universal acclaim. Way before its official release, the game was called Hungry Knight and had a different concept that didn’t go over so well, prompting the devs to revamp the entire thing. They came up with aMetroidandMega Man-based game set in a dark fantasy world revolving around insects and similar creatures. Team Cherry is currently working on a sequel toHollow KnightcalledHollow Knight: Silksong, but has not announced an official release date for it.
Hollow Knightis a 2D side-scrolling action adventure game that revolves around an insect creature known as The Knight. The Knight must navigate a vast, interconnected kingdom of fallen insects to uncover the secrets behind its ruin. Despite being a 2D game with a simplistic art style,Hollow Knightis significantly complex and almost plays like a triple-A game. It has a multitude of different mechanics, gameplay tricks, items, and weapons that make it very expansive and even give it an element of non-linear progression.
Robert Kurvitzis a singer/novelist turned game designer who got his true miracle when he, out of forced circumstances, had to trade his creative channels for something completely unexpected — letting the world experience his masterpiece in a whole new way. In 2016, he foundedZA/UMwith the sole purpose of bringing his dream to life:creating a game based on a novelhe wrote way back in 2005. That dream becameDisco Elysium, a critically-acclaimed game released in 2019.
Kurvitz’s vision forDisco Elysiumwas influenced by his own novel, as well as classic isometric and tabletop RPGs likePlanescape: Torment, Baldur’s Gate,and, of course,Dungeons and Dragons. The game has a steampunk setting with a very dark history that’s perfect for its high-stakes plots and complex gameplay. Unlike most RPGs,Disco Elysiumis an open-world game that focuses less on combat and more on intellect and eloquence, with a unique skill system that revolves around abilities like Intellect, Psyche, Physique, and Motorics, which are further divided into sub-skills. It’s a massive, intricate game with a steep learning curve. Sadly, a few years afterDisco Elysium’slaunch, Kurvitz and ZA/UM got into a legal spat with their holding company, Tütreke OÜ, involving the misappropriation of funds, the theft of concept art, workplace toxicity, and more, which has all but dissolved ZA/UM as a studio. Kurvitz and his co-founders left the studio, and in 2024, ZA/UM announced layoffs as well as the cancelation of aDisco ElysiumDLC, effectively closing this chapter on the current iteration of ZA/UM.
Alexey Pajitnovis a legendary Russian developer best known forcreating one of the biggest games of all time—Tetris. IncludingTetrison this list might seem a little out of place, considering Pajitnov worked on plenty of other game development projects, but it also makes sense, since none of those other projects were as monumental asTetris, and most of them were just extensions of its universe, rather than standalone games.
Tetrisreally needs no introduction — it’s the game almost everyone on the planet has played at some point. It was created by Pajitnov in 1985, and is a puzzle game that challenges players to strategically place different-shaped blocks to fill the space on the screen. Over the years, it has spawned countless variants, each with its own theme and customizations, but the core gameplay remains the same: fit the blocks, complete a line, and keep going.
One of thegreatest open-world, Medieval-themed RPGsever made isKingdom Come: Deliverance, a game most of the gaming world is pretty familiar with. Known for its realism, intense storyline, and immersive experience,Kingdom Comestands out as an action RPG that particularly focuses on historical accuracy. What most people don’t know is that the studio behind it,WarhorseStudios, is a Czech developer whose only game so far isKingdom Come: Deliverance. While they have announced a sequel,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, it’s not expected until next year.
Set in a world rooted in true historical events, particularly from the early 15th Century,Kingdom Come: Deliveranceis more than just a Medieval RPG. It features real locations, groups, and civilizations from the era, with a heavy focus on realism. It’s basically a Medieval sim that takes things very seriously, even incorporating survival elements into its gameplay. Players start as a weak peasant and have to grind their way up to become a skilled warrior, all while managing basic needs like food, hunger, and sleep.
AlthoughDota 2is now officially under Valve, it originally began as a one-man project by an anonymous developer known asIceFrog. IceFrog was the driving force behind the original Defense of the Ancients mod forWarcraft 3, which eventually led to him being hired by Valve to officially developDota 2. The development of the game started in 2009, andDota 2was finally released by the company in 2013. While IceFroghas worked on other MOBAs, likeHeroes of Newerth,Dota 2remains his most comprehensive and major project to date.
As a MOBA,Dota 2is essentially a high-stakes battle between two teams on a fixed map with specific objectives. The goal is simple: whichever team — Radiant or Dire — reaches and destroys the other team’s Ancient first, wins the match. Each team consists of five players, each with unique roles and heroes that come with dedicated skills and abilities, which need to be leveled up and upgraded throughout the game. The game also has an expansive in-game farming system where players will gain gold by killing NPCs (known as Creeps) and use that said gold to solidify their position and skills throughout the matche.
Team Bondiwas an Australian studio that, although now defunct, gained a lot of attention for creatingL.A. Noire— one of the best open-worldgames to use motion capture effectively. Formed in 2004 withL.A. Noireas its main project, the studio took nearly seven years to develop the game.L.A. Noireis praised for not only its previously-mentioned elite motion capture (which resulted in a highly authentic, almost uncanny closeness to real human facial expressions) but also for its realistic open-world recreation of 1940s Los Angeles.L.A. Noirewas finally published by Rockstar Games in 2011 and received widespread acclaim from both players and critics alike.
The game itself is a neo-noir action-adventure title that follows the story of a detective working his way up the ranks of the LAPD by solving a series of cases. The game, being open-world, features both main linear quests and side quests that collectively facilitate the progression of the game. Players get to investigate crime scenes, collect evidence, interrogate witnesses, and even accuse certain NPCs of committing the crime at hand.
Eric Barone, orConcernedApe,is the main manbehind everyone’s favorite farm sim,Stardew Valley. It’s a widely-recognized farming sim that had remarkably humble beginnings as an indie game with a solo dev behind it. Despite its current status,Stardew Valleybegan with just Eric at the helm. He was the game’s sole designer, artist, writer, programmer, and composer — essentially a one-person powerhouse. Inspired by classics likeHarvest Moon,Minecraft, andTerraria, Eric crafted every aspect of the game from scratch.
Stardew Valleywas released in 2016 and managed to take the world by storm almost instantly. It earned multiple awards and accolades and was praised by not only other game reviewers but also byHarvestMoon’screator. While the gameplay follows the familiar farm sim formula — starting with a run-down plot of land and transforming it into a thriving farm — it stands out as a pioneer of the genre, reviving and popularizing farm sims for a whole new generation of players.
