In brief: When it comes to choosing which game is the most iconic, would you pick Half-Life over Super Mario Kart, or Sid Meier's Civilization over Candy Crush? Those are just some of the 12 finalists of the 2019 World Video Game Hall of Fame. If one of your favorites is on the list, you can vote for the game to be inducted.
Thousands of nominations from over 100 countries have now been narrowed down to just 12 finalists:
- Candy Crush
- Centipede
- Colossal Cave Adventure
- Dance Dance Revolution
- Half-Life
- Microsoft Windows Solitaire
- Mortal Kombat
- Myst
- NBA 2K
- Sid Meier's Civilization
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
It's a pretty broad ranging list, but games such as Windows Solitaire, Dance Dance Revolution, and Myst do meet the criteria of being popular over a sustained period of time and have influenced the industry or popular culture/society.
You can vote for your most beloved title from the nominations here. The top three most-voted games will be submitted on one ballot, joining 27 other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee.
"Whether it's a true pioneer like 'Colossal Cave Adventure,' a mobile gaming phenomenon like 'Candy Crush' that's been played by hundreds of millions, or a game like 'Mortal Kombat' that pushed boundaries and changed the landscape of the gaming industry, they're among the most influential games of all time," said Jon-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
The inductees will be announced during a ceremony at The Strong museum on Thursday, May 2, in Rochester, New York. This will be the fifth group of games added to the hall since its inception in 2015. They will join the likes of Doom, Final Fantasy VII, Halo: Combat Evolved, GTA III, and The Oregon Trail.