The video game industry is a fast-paced one, with smash hits shaking things up almost every single year for the last few decades. And while it’s great having such a supply of fantastic games, it does mean that even the best titles will fade away to time quicker than most.
These games are perfect examples of that. They were once kings, dominating the gaming scene for casual and hardcore players alike. But due to shifting trends, new competition, or just a lack of ongoing support, they too have been dropped from the public eye.
One of the most well known indie games of all time, Terraria was (and don’t get angry at me for saying this) often seen asa 2D version of Minecraft. The open world sandbox game had plenty of adventure to keep you busy, and even more world customization and crafting to hook you in beyond that.
But eventually, development came to an end, while Minecraft was still going strong, even today. And with countless other sandbox survival crafting games coming out to chase this trend, more and more folks forgot about Terraria.
One of Valve’s most popular games back in the day, Left 4 Dead and its sequel paved the way for cooperative extraction shooters. Its design philosophy is chased and emulated even today with games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction and FBC: Firebreak.
But, like all of Valve’s other games, Left 4 Dead hasn’t seen a new game in over a decade. Having sparked a fire with its design, and not keeping that fire going, it was only a matter of time before other studios picked up the torch and took it away.
You’ll hear plenty of games today compared to Left 4 Dead, but if you only exist as being made comparison to something else, is that really being remembered?
Some of you might not have been old enough to remember EverQuest. Releasing in 1999, this high fantasy MMO helped lay the foundation for how the genre is structured in the future.
There is one specific culprit to the downfall of EverQuest: World of Warcraft. This MMO colossus absolutely overthrew the genre, where it would maintain itself as the true ruler. While there are other MMOs out there that can survive beside it, any from before then didn’t last long.
There’s something oh so satisfying about physics games. Seeing blocks fall down in a cascade of inertia and balance really tickles the brain. Angry Birds knew this, using clever level designs and a charming art style to become one of the most popular mobile games right as smartphone gaming was just taking off.
Angry Birds would go on to more success thanany mobile game could hope for, with spin-offs, movies, crossovers, and more. But for as volatile as the games industry is, the mobile game ecosphere is even worse. Things changed too fast and a new format of freemium gaming overtook the scene, making traditional mobile games struggle to stand out.
6Flash Games
This isn’t a single game, but a format. Flash games were a format of web-browser basedgames that ran on the Macromedia/Adobe flash player. Originally intended for dynamic presentations and web interactions, folks soon found it to be a fantastic medium for interacting gaming without needing to download or install anything.
This is the only entry on the list whose downfall was enacted by their own hand. Adobe eventually discontinued Flash support, with more complex systems (like HTML 5) taking its place. But even before then, interest in Flash development withered away with the rise of mobile gaming.
Braid was a puzzle platform game by Jonathan Blow. Gameplay wise, it features time manipulation mechanics and clever level design. Narratively, it was a critique of the world of game development and similar concepts.
I’m going to be honest, I don’t even know why people were so excited about this game the first time. It was a novel experience and a well-designed one, but it pales in comparison to mainstream titles of the time and indie title of the future.
Its fame is most likely due to its place in indie game history, showing that indie game development was capable of remarkable success. This created public awareness of the idea, making it easier for indie games of the future to be discovered.
Originally a mod for Arma 2, DayZ is an open-world zombie survival game with a special focus on having persistent worlds that you share with other players. While you scavenged old buildings for loot, you had to keep an ear out for zombie NPCs, as well as other human players, lest they decide to raid you for your gear.
This introduced a new kind of PvPvE style to the shooter genre that went unfilled, gaining massive traction. But that success led to its downfall. As more folks saw the design’s success, more developers started making similar games that were, frankly, designed better. Games like Rust, Ark, and Seven Days To Die sprung forth, pushing DayZ into obscurity.
Indie horror games have been a staple to the genre for decades. With horror relying more on atmosphere and environment than mechanical complexity, it’s an ideal genre for small or solo developers. While Frictional Games might not be considered indie by this point, they sure were back when they released Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
Toting the then-unique concept of being completely unable to fight back, the main gameplay loop involved hiding from the monsters, not fighting them. This, along with being the hottest YouTuber game to make videos on at the time, made it an extremely well known title. But as more indie horror games came out and other titles imitated the style, this one fell into the history books.
Another MMO on the list, Neverwinter Nights was a Dungeons & Dragons based fantasy MMO by Bioware. With a world based in the Forgotten Realms, the fictional landscape of D&D, and the mechanics based on the same tabletop RPG system, it was an exciting rendition of a well known franchise.
The game was praised for its expansiveness and level of consideration to player freedom, something that is often said about D&D as well. But with fantasy MMOs being a saturated genre and World of Warcraft still reigning supreme, it’s no surprise thatthe game wouldn’t last too long.
Also known as PUBG, this was one of the earliest adopters of the battle royale shooter genre. It introduced several core aspects of the genre, such as the shrinking circle and parachuting onto the map. The “100 enter, one survives” concept was a smash hit.
And then… Fortnite happened. When PUBG took over the internet, Epic Games decided to create a similar game mode for their wave-based base-building survival game, Fortnite: Battle Royale. And I think you can guess what happened after that.
