What elements push a game beyond mere goodness and into greatness? To this author, PC games are best when they deliver a transcendent gaming experience that is possible only with the aid of a personal computer: They don't simulate board or card games, reproduce real-world sports, or try to approximate movies. They are an art form unto themselves. I surveyed dozens of PC game developers, asking them to share their picks for the ten greatest PC titles of all time. In addition to weighing their opinions, I took into account factors such as influence, innovation, design, and replay value. To be considered, a game must have achieved most of its prominence on a PC platform. (This explains why Tetris, for example, didn't make the cut: It was clearly the Nintendo Game Boy's killer app).
I defined a 'PC' as any consumer computer that has a keyboard the user can program with arbitrary code--not just a PC of the IBM variety. If you're into PC games, check out ',' too. And if you want to stay current with the latest games, tune into PC World's ace gaming blog,. Without further ado, here are our ten greatest PC games of all time, counting down from Number 10, Trade Wars 2002.
Released: 1990. Developer: Martech Software. Publisher: Martech Software. For a surprising number of people, is the greatest PC game they've never heard of. This epic text-based space strategy game hails from a somewhat secret world of doors--early online games played on, which peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. Of the thousands of BBS door games programmed over the years, none has had the staying power of Trade Wars 2002.
Long after the BBS era, the turn-based trading game continues to thrive thanks to, which hosts stand-alone games of TW2002 over the Internet. To gauge the influence of Trade Wars, you need look no further than the popular massively multiplayer online game, which many observers describe as a modern 3D version of Trade Wars. Call Of Duty 4 Promod 204 Download. Another link to latter-day glory: Drew Markham, one of TW2002's, later directed Id Software's. Next: #9: Myst. Released: January 31, 2000. Developer: Maxis Software. Web Authoring Program. Publisher: Electronic Arts.
The Sims is, in essence, a virtual dollhouse. But it's a virtual dollhouse that sold 16 million units--more than any other PC game in all of human history. Clearly Will Wright's versatile people simulator qualifies as a crazy-big smash hit. 'The Sims tapped into some of our most fundamental instincts,' says Chris Sawyer (designer of ), 'People enjoy being creative and making something their own, and people enjoy looking after things and seeing how they grow and develop over time. So it had a much wider audience than most other games, appealing to all ages and genders.' In addition, the Sims is probably responsible for bringing more women into computer gaming than any other title in history--a remarkable achievement. Next: #7: StarCraft.