Top 10 Games List: A Decade's Must-Play Titles

Kratos and Atreus face Ragnarök and the gods of Norse mythology in this epic sequel.

The must play culmination of the God of War reboot in Norse mythology, tear jerking, action packed and character growth driven. The story is as bombastic as the original series, with coming of age growth. This is one of the Gamer-Parent's most impactful game experiences and was my game played most at the birth of my first child.

Kratos and Atreus journey through Norse mythology in a deeply emotional and brutal adventure.

The reboot of the amazing original series, all in one-shot through the entire game. The entire game is all about a father and a son learning to talk to each other, a radical new entry in the series to actually write Kratos as a person, let alone anything but a rage filled monster.

Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up to face Venom and other threats in this fast-paced sequel.

Everything about the first game and more, including the interplay of Peter and Miles both being playable characters, with the sinister Venom introduction to the Spider-Man game universe. This game respects your time more than any other, especially for out busy audience.

Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up to face Venom and other threats in this fast-paced sequel.

For the feeling alone of swinging through New York and it actually feeling like New York this is amazing. Let alone the great combat and best story of the series. I did exclude the spin-off Miles Morales, game which is also a must-play game but decided it was in-between a full game and a large DLC so it didn't make the list.

Lead a team to stop the Paintress from erasing lives in a Belle Époque-inspired world filled with surreal enemies and reactive combat.

This game may be in my top 5 all time, that's how good this new game from a new studio is, it reimagines turn based combat in an amazing way. The vibes are decidedly French in the best way possible, it feels authentic, albeit coming from someone who has not been to France. The story is everything you could want, somehow the developers created a fantasy world that feels relatable to the common person. Tied for my favorite game as I played it most with my second child's birth.

Explore the Lands Between in a vast open world created by FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin.

I likely don't have to say much on this one, you probably have heard a gaming friend talk about it. If you have stayed away from Souls games like me, it seemed not for you. Like me, you are wrong, this game is for everyone who loves games. It's Souls meets God of War meets Pokémon progression, if something is too hard for you grind it out and you will demolish them.

It is a ground-up remake of the 2013 game The Last of Us, telling the story of hardened survivor Joel escorting the young, immune Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States filled with infected and hostile survivors

For those of you like me, shooting games or zombies generally aren't in the Venn diagram. If you love a good story though, these games are for you. I have only played as a parent and it has me still thinking about the story to this day, it is worth every second but be prepared to feel something.

Play as Jin Sakai, a samurai fighting to protect Tsushima from Mongol invaders using stealth and swordplay.

Who doesn't want to be a samurai fighting with swords, that actually feels like your fighting with swords. This is by far the best combat feel to any game on this list, and likely the best visuals too.

Clive Rosfield battles fate and summons in a dark fantasy world torn by war and magic.

This is Final Fantasy meets God of War, the story is very engaging, heart rending and packed full of emotions. Voice actors on this one are amazing and the combat system is made for everyone. It is a departure from the traditional turn based system of previous Final Fantasy games.

Explore Hyrule freely, solve puzzles, and battle foes in this groundbreaking Zelda adventure.

The systems of this game are amazing and mind-blowing. Real-time physics, cools puzzles and more than you could ever do. These open world versions of the Legend of Zelda are most people's favorite game of all time, it is a must play.

Play as Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan on the run, battling enemies and solving puzzles across the galaxy.

This is Ghost of Tsushima meets Soulslike but with lightsabers. If you ever wanted to fight with lightsabers, this is your game, as it actually feels how it should. The progression system makes you continually feel powerful as you progress while pitting you against increasingly strong enemies that match your new force prowess. Any Star Wars fans this is a must play.

Cal Kestis returns to fight the Empire and uncover ancient secrets in this Star Wars sequel.

The sequel to Fallen Order that iterates and makes better on all the things you loved about the first.

A reimagining of the 1997 classic set in Midgar, following Cloud and AVALANCHE as they fight Shinra and uncover deeper conspiracies.

These are much acclaimed games that many of us never played as a kid but heard about, well the remade versions are everything you could ask for and have a great combat system to match the awesome but twisty story. Highly recommend for those that like action/adventure and the story is great but note it is fantasy heavy.

Continue Cloud’s journey beyond Midgar in the second part of the FFVII Remake trilogy.

The open world version of remake, their is an abundance of content in Rebirth and the twisty story keeps you guessing.

Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world action role-playing game set in a lush, post-apocalyptic future where colossal machines roam the Earth, and humanity lives in tribal societies. Players control Aloy, an outcast machine hunter, as she uncovers the truth about her past, the origins of the machines, and the secrets of the "Old Ones" to save the world from an impending threat.

This is one of my favorite worlds, if it wasn't for Expedition 33, it may be my favorite world imagined. Bows and Arrows meet machine dinosaurs in epic mesh of low-high tech action adventure gameplay that always feels right while losing an arrow. The visuals and open world are amazing but just as good if it's main lined through the story. I prefer this gameplay to the new Zeldas, and personally it is higher rated on my list.

Aloy explores new lands and faces mechanical beasts while uncovering the secrets of the Old Ones.

Iterating on already a beautiful open world, forbidden west upgrades your experience and has some of the most visually stunning vistas in gaming.