Shenmue has topped a BAFTA poll to find the most influential video game of all time.
The 1999 Dreamcast release may have struggled commercially at launch, but it has provided the blueprint for open world games ever since, received a cult following, and was followed by two sequels.
It’s perhaps a surprise choice for the public-voted poll, with creator Yu Suzuki stating he was “deeply honoured and grateful” for Shenmue’s win. “At its inception, we set out to explore the question, ‘How real can a game become?’, aiming to portray a world and story unprecedented in scale and detail,” he said. “This distinction serves as a powerful reminder that the challenge we embraced continues to resonate with and inspire so many people even today. It is truly the greatest of encouragement.”
He even teased there’s more to come as the story remains incomplete.
The top five games in the poll are all classics worthy of the title. Following Shenmue are Doom, Super Mario Bros, Half-Life, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (my own personal choice).
The rest of the top ten also includes greats like Minecraft, Super Mario 64, Half-Life 2, and The Sims.
But there’s one outlier in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Whether it’s a good or bad game is one thing, but can a game released just two months ago in February 2025 really be considered that influential, especially when compared to others in the list?
“We made Doom to push boundaries and ignite imaginations, and it’s amazing to see its legacy still resonating over 30 years later,” said Doom co-creator John Romero. “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.”
“We’re honored to hear that players felt that both Half-Life 1 and 2 should be included in the list of influential video games,” said Valve. “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. 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.”
Shenmue fans will surely be happy to see the game recognised, especially after the news last year that Shenmue 3 has a new publisher, sparking hopes of a multiplatform release. Fans even rented a Times Square billboard to campaign for a fourth game.
Last year BAFTA ran a similar poll ahead of its BAFTA Games Awards, with Lara Croft voted the most iconic video game character.
The top 20 most influential video games of all time in the BAFTA poll are as follows:
- Shenmue
- Doom
- Super Mario Bros.
- Half-Life
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Minecraft
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Super Mario 64
- Half-Life 2
- The Sims
- Tetris
- Tomb Raider
- Pong
- Metal Gear Solid
- World of Warcraft
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy VII
- Dark Souls
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Skyrim
- Grand Theft Auto
This year’s BAFTA Game Awards will take place next week on Tuesday 8th April.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has the most nominations, but Best Game will be a tussle between Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Astro Bot, and Balatro.
