The last few years, I’ve found myself regularly celebrating games that seem to master their forms and genres. The gaming industry, at large, feels so polished these days, but it isn’t without its surprises. Indie games are regularly pushing the envelope, mixing genres, and doing the unthinkable. We also see developers tinkering around with virtual reality to better understand that medium.

In celebration of those who push the envelope, let’s take a look back at legendary video games whose releases changed the way people make video games.