WTF?! What would you say was the most influential video game of all time? Doom is likely one of the most popular choices, as is Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, etc. But according to a public vote carried out by the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), the honor goes to the 1999 Dreamcast classic Shenmue. That is certainly unexpected, but not as unexpected as finding Kingdom Come Deliverance II, a game that launched two months ago, in seventh place.
There's no arguing that Shenmue is a classic, with its mix of open-world, martial arts combat, and minigames. There was also a lot of weirdness, like doing mundane life tasks that included taking a job as a forklift truck driver, not to mention some of the unintentionally funny lines – Ryo asking "Do you know where I can find some sailors?" remains a hilarious memory.
But despite being beloved by many, Shenmue certainly isn't the first name people mention when asked about the most influential game of all time. But the BAFTA poll participants disagree.
According to the academy, Shenmue is "a pioneer for open-world gameplay and laid a roadmap that others continued on in the years that followed," and is credited for making "the use of Quick Time Events (QTEs)" popular in games, something that arguably shouldn't be applauded.
Next on the list is Doom, id Software's legendary title to which most first-person shooters owe their gratitude – even though it wasn't the first FPS.
In third place is Super Mario Bros from 1985, followed by Half-Life, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Minecraft – the best-selling video game of all time. They are all worthy of their places, but are they really less influential than Shenmue?
Then we get to number seven, which is held by Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a game that released on February 4, 2025. And while it is very good, to say it's more influential than Super Mario 64, Half-Life 2, The Sims, and Tetris – all games immediately below KC:D II – is more bewildering than Shenmue being crowned number one. And after just two months of being available, what has it had time to influence?
BAFTA's most influential games of all time
| Position | Title | Release Year | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenmue | 1999 | Action-adventure |
| 2 | Doom | 1993 | First-person shooter |
| 3 | Super Mario Bros | 1985 | Platformer |
| 4 | Half-Life | 1998 | First-person shooter |
| 5 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | 1998 | Action-adventure |
| 6 | Minecraft | 2011 | Sandbox / Survival |
| 7 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | 2025 | Action RPG |
| 8 | Super Mario 64 | 1996 | 3D Platformer |
| 9 | Half-Life 2 | 2004 | First-person shooter |
| 10 | The Sims | 2000 | Life simulation |
| 11 | Tetris | 1984 | Puzzle |
| 12 | Tomb Raider | 1996 | Action-adventure |
| 13 | Pong | 1972 | Sports (table tennis) |
| 14 | Metal Gear Solid | 1998 | Stealth action |
| 15 | World of Warcraft | 2004 | MMORPG |
| 16 | Baldur's Gate III | 2023 | Role-playing |
| 17 | Final Fantasy VII | 1997 | JRPG |
| 18 | Dark Souls | 2011 | Action RPG |
| 19 | Grand Theft Auto III | 2001 | Action-adventure |
| 20 | Skyrim | 2011 | RPG |
| 21 | Grand Theft Auto | 1997 | Action-adventure |
Doom co-creator John Romero thanked fans for voting Doom number 2. "We made Doom to push boundaries and ignite imaginations, and it's amazing to see its legacy still resonating over 30 years later," he said. "Doom's lasting impact is also thanks to the incredible community that embraced it, modded it, speedran it, and kept it alive across generations - this recognition is a tribute to them as much as the game itself."
Valve also thanked participants for including both Half-Life 1 and 2 on the list. "When we set out to make them, like all developers, we had big dreams. Like what if the game didn't immediately crash your computer upon load? So, unsurprisingly, the legacy of these games was the last thing on our minds when we were in the thick of development," the company said.
"For the Half-Life games to become both meaningful to players and foundational to our medium is, frankly, humbling. We can only hope that everyone who has enjoyed them over the years has as much fun with our future efforts."
This isn't the first BAFTA poll with a controversial outcome – last year, it asked people to vote for the most iconic video game character of all time. Beating Mario, Sonic, and Pac-Man to take the top spot was Lara Croft. The list also included two characters from Baldur's Gate 3.
BAFTA's most iconic video game characters of all time
| Position | Character | Game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lara Croft | Tomb Raider |
| 2 | Mario | Super Mario |
| 3 | Agent 47 | Hitman |
| 4 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic |
| 5 | Sackboy | LittleBigPlanet |
| 6 | Pac-Man | Pac-Man |
| 7 | Link | The Legend of Zelda |
| 8 | Master Chief | HALO |
| 9 | Kratos | God of War |
| 10 | Shadowheart | Baldur's Gate 3 |
| 11 | Arthur Morgan | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| 12 | Pikachu | Pokémon |
| 13 | Steve | Minecraft |
| 14 | Solid Snake | Metal Gear Solid |
| 15 | Crash Bandicoot | Crash Bandicoot |
| 16 | Cloud Strife | Final Fantasy VII |
| 17 | Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3 |
| 18 | Kazuma Kiryu | Yakuza |
| 19 | Ellie Williams | The Last of Us |
| 20 | Nathan Drake | Uncharted |
Shenmue named most influential video game ever, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II lands in seventh place
